Introduction
Loki the Deceiver, a new Legendary champion in RAID: Shadow Legends, has generated excitement in the community with his unique skill set. This article dives into the top 3 builds for Loki and discusses where he truly shines in the game.
While Loki may not be the flashiest-looking champion, he offers strong utility, particularly in the Arena and wave-based content. In this breakdown, we explore how to make the most of Loki’s potential, especially in key areas like the Arena and Hydra Clan Boss.
Champion Overview
- Name: Loki the Deceiver
- Faction: Barbarians
- Rarity: Legendary
- Role: Support
- Affinity: Spirit
Loki brings an intriguing mix of skills that make him a standout champion in both PvE and PvP content, making him a versatile addition to many teams.
Loki’s Skills Overview
A1 - Flames of Mischief
- Attacks all enemies.
- Has a 30% chance of increasing the duration of all enemy debuffs by 1 turn.
- If this champion is under a [Veil] or [Perfect Veil] buff, the chance increases to 50%.
- Damage based on [ATK].
Upgrades
- Level 2: +5% damage
- Level 3: +5% damage
- Level 4: +10% Buff/Debuff chance
- Level 5: +10% Buff/Debuff chance
A2 - Deceiver's Gambit
- Selects a target.
- If the target is an enemy, has a 75% chance of placing a [Block Active Skills] debuff and a [Block Buffs] debuff for 2 turns.
- If Loki is under a [Veil] or [Perfect Veil], applies a [Debuff Spread] effect, taking 2 random debuffs from the target and placing them on all enemies.
- If the target is an ally or Loki himself, heals them by 50% of Loki's MAX HP and places a [Perfect Veil] for 2 turns.
- If Loki is under a [Veil] or [Perfect Veil], applies a [Buff Spread] effect, taking a random buff from the target and placing it on all allies.
Upgrades
- Level 2: +10% Buff/Debuff chance
- Level 3: +15% Buff/Debuff chance
- Level 4: Cooldown -1
A3 - Bandit Flash
- Has a 75% chance of stealing all buffs from a target enemy and 100% of their turn meter.
- If Loki is under a [Veil] or [Perfect Veil], the effects cannot be resisted.
- If the target's turn meter is not stolen, fills the turn meters of all allies by 15%.
- Also places a 50% [Increase ATK] buff on all allies for 2 turns.
Upgrades
- Level 2: +10% Buff/Debuff chance
- Level 3: +15% Buff/Debuff chance
- Level 4: Cooldown -1
Passive - Mist Step
- [Passive Effect]: Places a [Perfect Veil] buff on this champion for 2 turns at the start of each round.
- Also places a [Perfect Veil] buff on Loki whenever his HP drops below 50%.
- Has a 15% chance to evade an enemy skill and all its effects. If Loki is under a [Veil] or [Perfect Veil], the chance increases to 30%.
- If Loki’s HP is below 50% when targeted by an enemy skill, he has a 100% chance to evade the skill and its effects. This guaranteed evade then goes on a 4-turn cooldown.
Masteries for Loki the Deceiver
PVE Masteries
For PVE content, especially Hydra, the focus is on supporting his utility and debuffs:
Offense Tree
- War Master: Maximizes damage output against high HP bosses like the Hydra Clan Boss.
- Methodical: Enhances the damage of frequently used abilities in longer fights.
Support Tree
- Lasting Gifts: Extends the duration of Loki’s [Veil] and [Perfect Veil] buffs, keeping him protected longer.
- Master Hexer: Increases the duration of debuffs, like [Block Buffs], making Loki more effective in Hydra and other boss fights.
PVP Masteries (Arena Build)
For Arena, the build is focused on controlling enemies and enhancing accuracy:
Offense Tree
- War Master: If you're expecting longer arena battles or aiming for hybrid builds.
- Helmsmasher: Great for maximizing burst damage in shorter arena battles.
Support Tree
- Eagle Eye: Provides a significant boost to accuracy, helping Loki land his critical debuffs.
- Unshakable: An alternative to Eagle Eye, focused on resistance to ensure Loki can withstand debuffs himself.
- Fearsome Presence: Especially useful if Loki is in a stun set. This increases the chance of applying stuns with his AOE A1 attack.
Mastery Path Overview
- Arena Build: Use the Offense Tree for damage and Support Tree for accuracy and debuff extension.
- Hydra (PVE Build): Focus on the Support Tree for debuff and buff extensions, and possibly the Defense Tree for added survivability in longer battles.
Gear and Artifact Recommendations for Loki the Deceiver
We also explored various gear setups designed to maximize Loki’s utility and performance across different game modes.
Arena Build
In the Arena, Loki’s role revolves around debuffing enemies, controlling the battle, and ensuring survivability. The focus is on maximizing speed, accuracy, and resistance.
Key Stats to Focus On
- Speed: To take turns faster than the enemy and control the pace of the battle.
- Accuracy: Essential to land debuffs like [Block Active Skills] and [Block Buffs] from his A2.
- Resistance: To help Loki avoid enemy debuffs, ensuring his survivability and utility.
Recommended Gear Sets
- Perception Set (2-piece set, provides accuracy and speed): Accuracy is crucial for debuffs in the Arena, and this set gives both accuracy and speed, making it a great option for Loki.
- Righteous Set (2-piece set, provides resistance and accuracy): Combining resistance with accuracy helps Loki withstand enemy debuffs while ensuring he lands his own.
Detailed Gear Choices
- Weapon, Helmet, Shield: Standard artifacts that should focus on secondary stats like speed and accuracy.
- Chest Plate: Accuracy or resistance percentage.
- Gauntlets: HP percentage or Defense percentage for survivability.
- Boots: Speed to ensure Loki goes first or quickly in Arena.
- Banner: Ideally, you want an Accuracy banner to maximize the chances of landing debuffs.
- Amulet: Defense or HP to enhance survivability.
- Ring: HP or Defense to increase tankiness and keep Loki alive longer.
Alternative Option
If you want to make Loki more durable in the Arena, especially against high-damage nukers, you can also equip him with Stone Skin gear. This helps Loki survive initial damage bursts while he sets up his debuffs and buffs for the team.
Hydra and PVE Gear Build
For Hydra and other PVE content, Loki’s utility revolves around debuff extension and control. This build emphasizes accuracy, speed, and survivability, helping him extend debuffs and control enemies efficiently.
Key Stats to Focus On
- Accuracy: To land debuffs and ensure that Loki’s A1 and A2 hit consistently in longer fights.
- Speed: Important to ensure Loki takes enough turns to apply debuffs and spread buffs.
- Survivability: HP and Defense to keep Loki alive during long Hydra or boss battles.
Recommended Gear Sets
- Stun Set (4-piece set, provides a chance to stun enemies): This set takes advantage of Loki’s A1, which hits all enemies. It’s a great control option, especially in Hydra or dungeon wave content, allowing Loki to stun multiple enemies.
- Perception Set (2-piece set, provides accuracy and speed): This set is a solid choice to ensure Loki can land his debuffs with high accuracy and enough speed to keep pace with the enemy.
Detailed Gear Choices
- Weapon, Helmet, Shield: Focus on secondary stats like accuracy and speed.
- Chest Plate: Accuracy or Defense percentage, to help in long fights where debuffs are crucial.
- Gauntlets: HP percentage or Defense percentage, depending on your survivability needs.
- Boots: Speed to ensure that Loki takes enough turns to keep extending debuffs.
- Banner: Accuracy banner is essential for Hydra to make sure Loki consistently lands debuffs.
- Amulet: HP or Defense for survivability.
- Ring: HP or Defense to boost Loki's tankiness and help him endure longer battles.
Cursed Damage Build (Fun Build)
For those curious about what damage Loki can do, this build focuses on enhancing his attack stats while utilizing his AOE abilities.
Key Stats to Focus On
- Attack: To boost Loki’s damage output, especially for his A1 (AOE attack).
- Crit Rate: Ensure Loki has a good crit rate for more consistent damage.
- Crit Damage: Enhance the damage dealt on critical hits.
Recommended Gear Sets
- Cursed Set (4-piece set, applies Hex debuffs): This set boosts Loki’s AOE damage, allowing him to deal more damage while applying Hex debuffs, which can also improve synergy with certain champions.
- Perception Set (2-piece set, provides accuracy and speed): This set helps Loki maintain his debuffs, even while focusing on dealing damage.
Detailed Artifact Choices
- Weapon, Helmet, Shield: Focus on secondary stats like crit rate, crit damage, and accuracy.
- Chest Plate: Attack percentage to increase overall damage output.
- Gauntlets: Crit Rate or Crit Damage, depending on your needs.
- Boots: Speed to ensure Loki keeps up with the enemies.
- Banner: Attack percentage or Accuracy, depending on your focus.
- Amulet: Crit Damage to enhance damage output.
- Ring: Attack percentage to increase Loki's overall attack stat.
General Gear Tips
- Stone Skin Accessories: In Arena, using Stone Skin accessories can help increase Loki’s protection from enemy attacks. Pairing this with other gear sets ensures that Loki survives longer, maintaining his utility.
- Protection in Arena: For increased durability, using a four-piece Stone Skin set was also recommended to help Loki survive longer, allowing him to support the team with debuffs and buffs throughout the match.
Blessings for Loki the Deceiver
We also covered the best blessings to further enhance Loki's performance, particularly in PvP and PvE.
Blessings for PvP (Arena Build)
For Loki’s Arena build, the focus is on maximizing his disruptive abilities, accuracy, and survivability. There are a few blessings that can help improve his performance:
Polymorph
- Best for Arena
- Effect: This blessing gives Loki a chance to transform an enemy champion into a sheep when they place debuffs or buffs. This is highly useful in Arena, as it adds an extra layer of control over enemy teams, especially against champions who rely heavily on buffs or debuffs.
- Why it's good for Loki: Polymorph aligns well with Loki's role as a disruptive support. It provides more control in the Arena, especially when facing opponents who have strong buff-based or debuff-centric strategies.
Temporal Chains
- Another strong option for Arena
- Effect: Temporal Chains reduces the enemy's speed when their turn meter is boosted. This can be useful for slowing down high-speed teams or champions who gain turn meter rapidly.
- Why it's good for Loki: Loki's skill set already revolves around control, and this blessing further enhances his ability to slow down the enemy team, making it harder for them to gain momentum and attack first.
Blessings for PvE (Hydra, Dungeons, etc.)
For PvE content like Hydra and dungeons, the focus is on blessings that enhance Loki’s utility in terms of damage, debuff control, and survivability.
Cruelty
- Best for PvE.
- Effect: Cruelty decreases the enemy’s defense each time Loki attacks with an AOE skill, which can significantly benefit your team’s overall damage output.
- Why it's good for Loki: Loki's A1 is an AOE attack, and with the Cruelty blessing, he can continually reduce the defense of enemies. This is especially useful in Hydra and longer PvE battles where reducing the enemy’s defense over time can help your team deal significantly more damage.
Brimstone
- Another strong PvE option.
- Effect: Brimstone provides a chance to place Smite debuffs on bosses or enemies, which causes significant additional damage over time.
- Why it's good for Loki: Smite adds extra damage against high-HP bosses, like the Hydra heads. Since Loki’s primary role in PvE is support, this extra damage is a welcome addition to his kit, contributing to your team’s overall damage output.
Summary of Recommended Blessings
- Polymorph (PvP): Transforms enemies into sheep, providing an additional layer of control in Arena. Ideal for disrupting buff-heavy or debuff-centric opponents.
- Temporal Chains (PvP): Reduces the enemy team’s speed when their turn meters are boosted, making it harder for them to outpace your team.
- Cruelty (PvE): Reduces enemy defense, boosting the overall damage of your team in longer battles like Hydra and dungeons.
- Brimstone (PvE): Adds additional damage with Smite, helping deal with high-HP bosses and providing extra offensive capability in PvE content.
Where Loki Excels in RAID
Arena
Loki is a formidable PVP champion, capable of shutting down enemy teams by stealing turn meters, stripping buffs, and locking out critical abilities. His synergy with mythical teams in the Arena makes him a must-have for PVP enthusiasts.
Hydra Clan Boss
Loki’s debuff extensions and control abilities are a great asset for teams looking to tackle Hydra bosses. While he may not be S-tier for endgame content, his unique abilities offer flexibility and solid utility for progression.
Progression in PVE
Loki’s A1 and A2 give him the ability to handle wave content and control bosses, making him a good choice for mid-game players who need more control in PVE content.
Loki the Deceiver's Lore
One of the last Fae created in the Dance of Darkness, Loki emerged as innumerable monsters and malign forces were brought into the world. Far from horrifying him, however, their sheer variety fired his imagination. Possessed of a deep sense of mischief and a thrill-seeking nature, he taunted the seemingly endless stream of new hideous creations at leisure until the Dance of Darkness suddenly stopped. Disappointed, Loki set out to see the world.
He found peoples, lands, nations, flora, and fauna. When Loki was not entertained by them, he entertained himself. He transformed into different people and creatures to fool those he encountered, leading them on wild chases into the middle of nowhere or tricking them into believing he was a friend or family member.
Loki was content only with his own company for many years. He had no desire to belong to any society—he saw their laws, guidelines, and codes, and sneered in disgust. Many people he saw claimed to be free, but he knew that with all their obligations to lords, land, and families, their chains were merely invisible. For Loki, Teleria was to be enjoyed without moderation.
During the Great Divorce, Loki watched the torturous meat grinder that was Firstborn-on-Firstborn battle. Not even the Great Trickster could find delight in what he beheld—for the first time he realized that the creators of Teleria had just as much power to destroy as to make. Afterward, as centuries wound on, Loki witnessed unimaginable slaughter dealt in the gods' names. Meddlers. Rule-setters. That’s what they were. They couldn’t leave well enough alone and seemed content with destroying the world Loki loved to experience. The gods had to be removed. Should either win, he believed they would assert their will over Teleria without challenge.
Until he found a way to ensure the gods could no longer influence Teleria, Loki fought to maintain their stalemate. In conflicts such as the First Great War, he shapeshifted into commanders and gave false orders. In battles, he changed sides multiple times, slipping between the ranks to kill powerful warriors or sabotage war machines to tip the balance. With near-peerless charm and charisma, he won nobles, chieftains, and warlords over easily—only to give them ruinous advice and turn them against their most loyal followers and associates.
Loki tried to find the gods' weaknesses all the while. He shrugged off ideas about opening closed portals to Anathraad, for they helped Siroth too much and, given they had been closed before, could be closed again. He considered freeing Hellrazor the dragon but knew such an act was too small to draw the attention of the gods. Frustrated, Loki journeyed to the Redspike Mountains to rest his mind. There, quite unexpectedly, he discovered an entire Fae civilization, based at a great hall-keep called Asgard. All the Fae there were older than him, with different knowledge and perspectives. Loki listened to them all closely.
As much as he could talk with Freyja Fateweaver on the beauty of the world, the two never bonded. Part of the fun of life was its unpredictability, and her future-scrying was incompatible with that. Loki, however, enjoyed the company of Thor, a stern, chest-thumping hulk of a Fae, though he didn’t quite know why. A being so different from him, with an overwhelming sense of duty, shouldn’t have been a friend, but he was. Loki should have found the humorless Fae quite insufferable, but they had a shared love of adventure. There was something amusing in how unlike they were, the Trickster decided.
Loki had almost forgotten about his desire to unseat the gods until a chance moment in a conversation with Odin, leader of the Redspikes Fae. The Fire Knight, the Waters of Life, the Painsmiths—Loki learned about all of them during his travels and conversations with other Fae. But then Odin pondered what might happen if the Waters of Life, frozen by the Arbiter in the Age of Hellfire to prevent Siroth from tapping into the Darkness at Teleria’s core, thawed. Such an act, Loki realized, would be the first in a chain that would guarantee the gods' intervention and, if he made the right moves, their defeat. With the Painsmiths, he could free the Fire Knight, and together, they might have the brute strength, technical ingenuity, and magical power to melt the frozen Waters.
His mind racing at what he saw as the ultimate mischief, he left Asgard without a word of warning, barely containing his glee. Little did he know it would take centuries for his plans to come to fruition. Even then, he had a feeling his deeds would not escape the notice of Freyja once they were put in motion, who would waste little time in alerting Odin and Thor.
He would need to prepare.
Final Thoughts
Loki the Deceiver may not rank as an S-tier champion, but he has incredible utility for both Arena and Hydra. His mix of crowd control, buff-stealing, and debuff-spreading makes him a versatile addition to many teams.
Our Grade for Loki: B
While Loki excels in PVP content, his PVE potential is solid but limited in endgame scenarios. Nonetheless, he can be an asset to players progressing through RAID's various challenges.
