There are many cards in Legends of Runeterra, and each have their own stats and effects to make them unique. It can be overwhelming, especially if you’re new to the card game genre, to learn all these effects. That’s why we’re dissecting all the keywords in a series of guides. In this one we’re taking a look at Obliterate.

As the word itself implies, Obliterate is quite an impactful keyword. In terms of raw effect, it arguably is the strongest one in Legends of Runeterra entirely. When a unit is hit by Obliterate, it doesn’t just die. It’s removed from the game you’re playing. Alright, not from the card collection entirely, obviously, but it cannot be revived during the game anymore.

Additionally, if the Obliterated card has a Last Breath, that effect won’t trigger either. The card simply ceases to exist. Obliterate is the ultimate removal tool.

She Who Wanders, from the Freljord region, is the most powerful unit with Obliterate. The ten mana behemoth queues her Skill, Balesight, whenever she is played from hand, with doom impending for followers with four attack power or less. It’s a double-edged sword though, so be careful: not only your opponent’s followers will evaporate from the board and hand, yours will be too.

Since the effect is tied to a Skill, there are ways to react to it, but they are very limited. The Ionian spell Deny, which straight up cancels any Skill, is the most efficient one. Another solution is by quickly buffing your units to have more than four attack power, putting them out of harm’s way.

Images via Riot Games.