Roll of Honor: Viserai, Rune Blood

Debuting in Arcane Rising on March 27, 2020, Viserai, Rune Blood was the very first Runeblade to enter the world of Rathe. Combining steel in one hand and sorcery in another, Viserai began his long-running journey as a strong but somewhat rogue hero. As one of the first two heroes in Flesh and Blood to deal arcane damage, he had a powerful ceiling but lower consistency. Despite this shortcoming, he quickly became a fan favourite, due to his unique playstyle and aesthetic.

Early Viserai decks would focus on stacking an absurd amount of Runechants to send at the opponent off the back of an Arknight Ascendancy or Ninth Blade of the Blood Oath. This OTK plan served Viserai well over the years, especially with the introduction of Bloodsheath Skeleta in Crucible of War, and Sonata Arcanix in Monarch. Viserai ebbed and flowed out of the metagame, sometimes unable to keep up with the sheer power of his Class successors, sometimes becoming a game-warping meta threat.

One of Viserai's peak power arcs was leading up to the first ever Pro Tour in New Jersey in 2022, where his ability to break the numbers on Sonata Arcanix allowed him to go toe to toe with the game's historically most powerful figures. Viserai was reigned in with the removal of Bloodsheath Skeleta, and remained a fringe hero for the next few seasons.

Over the course of 2023-2024, Viserai steadily received multiple forms of support that allowed him to break away from the OTK plan (while still keeping the option in his back pocket), and pivot to more aggressive and midrange strategies. This focus on the value of Runechant generation from turn to turn combined with efficient attacks culminated in Rosetta, where a number of simple commons smoothed out the last few rough patches. Suddenly, Viserai was not only back, but also one of the best heroes in the field, making it all the way to the Top 8 at World Championship: Osaka in 2024.

By the time Road to Nationals 2025 rolled around, Viserai had cemented himself as the deck to beat. However, his 4-year climb up the leaderboard had placed him inches away from breaking the 1000-point threshold. It was pretty much a done deal that this would be the Arknight's last ride. This was a monumental occasion, as not only was Viserai a fan favourite, he was also the first non-Talented hero to achieve Living Legend in Classic Constructed, and the first of the original 8 heroes of Rathe to do so.

Viserai, Rune Blood officially reached Living Legend status in Classic Constructed on February 28, 2025—nearly 5 years from his debut. Congratulations to everyone who broke free from Lord Sutcliffe's control and bequested the vast beyond with the first Arknight. Your names have been written in Runeblood on the Roll of Honor!