Volibear
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Good (7.5/10)
Epic Relics
Low Investment
Volibear is a powerful champion, particularly at 3 stars where he can reliably clear most content. His playstyle revolves around accelerating mana and deploying massive Titanic units to overwhelm the board. However, his constellation upgrades—specifically his 4-star and 6-star powers—are widely criticized as underwhelming or poorly designed, leading many to stop investing after 3 or 5 stars. He is heavily reliant on mana-generating relics like Starforged Gauntlets to overcome his slow early game.
Titanic Swarm
Essential for Volibear to overcome his slow early game. The +1 starting mana allows him to deploy his high-cost units much faster.
Considered Best-in-Slot for Volibear. When he is played, it generates two 0-cost units from his regions, which are often Titanic, providing massive immediate board presence.
Synergizes perfectly with his need to cheat out high-cost units. It reduces his cost based on allies in play and generates Sigils of the Storm when it damages or kills them, further accelerating his game plan.
Strategy
This is the most highly recommended build for Volibear. The goal is to accelerate his mana with Starforged Gauntlets, use Disciple of Shadows to cheat him out even earlier (while generating Sigils), and then flood the board with massive 0-cost units using Portal Pals.
This build transforms him from a slow champion into an overwhelming force, allowing you to establish an unbeatable board state as early as turn 3 or 4.
Monthly Challenge Sweeper
Provides immediate board presence and removal upon Volibear's summon by striking the weakest enemy.- A second copy ensures Volibear clears multiple threats immediately upon entering the board.
Allows Volibear to strike the enemy Nexus on play, contributing to direct damage and accelerating the win condition.
Strategy
This build is highly effective for Monthly Challenges, particularly those with modifiers that increase unit costs or grant the opponent massive early advantages. The dual Stalker's Blades provide immediate multi-target removal on summon.
The Curator's Gatebreaker adds direct Nexus pressure, allowing Volibear to quickly dismantle enemy boards and secure swift victories. Focus on getting Volibear to level up quickly to trigger his stun effect on all enemies, enabling a clear attack path.
The Nasus Synergy
Triggers a strike on the weakest enemy whenever a champion is played, providing excellent board control.
Shuffles doubled-stat champions into the deck. When drawn and played, they trigger Scales of Judgment, creating a powerful loop.- Provides the crucial +1 starting mana.
Strategy
This build leverages Nasus's signature relic, Scales of Judgment, to turn every champion play into a removal tool. Oath of the Guardians ensures a steady supply of massive champions to trigger this effect.
This creates a highly synergistic and effective playstyle that provides consistent board control and massive stat scaling throughout the encounter.
Zoe Adventure Specialist
Zoe Specialized
- Grants +1 starting mana, enabling earlier powerful plays to keep up with Zoe's rapid scaling.
- Provides immediate and significant board presence to contest Zoe's wide boards.
Enables a potential First Turn Kill (FTK) strategy by providing massive stats to your deck, even if Volibear himself is not drawn immediately.
Strategy
This build is specifically tailored to counter the 10-star Zoe adventure. Starforged Gauntlets and Portal Pals provide the necessary tempo and board presence to survive the early game.
Stacked Deck is a strong meta-pick for this specific adventure, allowing your units to scale massively and secure early victories before Zoe can overwhelm you with Elusive units.
Direct Nexus Assault
Allows Volibear to immediately challenge and strike an enemy upon play. If played when the opponent has only one unit, this can result in a direct Nexus strike.- Provides the necessary mana ramp to get Volibear onto the board quickly.
- Provides insurance and additional board presence after the initial strike.
Strategy
This build focuses on ending the game the moment Volibear hits the board. By using Cease and Desist, you can force a favorable trade or, ideally, strike the enemy Nexus directly if their board is clear.
Be aware that Cease and Desist can have buggy interactions with a full board of Sigils, so ensure you have an empty board space before playing him to prevent him from obliterating himself.
Other Relic Options
A strong alternative to Portal Pals. It reliably draws and discounts Titanic units from his curated deck pool.
Volibear's signature relic. While thematic, it is often considered situational, as the +2 skill damage is less impactful than mana ramp or unit generation. It can be useful for buffing Avalanche in specific encounters.
Provides survivability and can re-trigger 'Play' effects if Volibear is revived.
Players disagree about Icon of Valhir. Some consider it a weak relic that provides minimal impact compared to mana ramp, while others find it useful for ensuring Avalanche clears early boards.
Constellation
Volibear's constellation is widely considered one of the most disappointing in the game. While he is incredibly strong at 3 stars, his later upgrades are viewed as poorly designed or redundant. Many players advise stopping investment at 3 or 5 stars.
Subterranean Thunder
When you slay a unit, summon a Sigil of the Storm.
Sky Splitter
+1 Starting Mana. When you summon a Titanic ally, it strikes the weakest enemy.
Subterranean Thunder II
When you slay a unit, summon 2 Sigils of the Storm.
In My Sights
Round Start: Grant the weakest enemy Vulnerable.Review
This upgrade is widely considered ineffective. Because Volibear's Titanic units typically destroy their targets outright upon striking, the Vulnerable keyword is often redundant and provides minimal strategic value.
Manaflow
Game Start: Get a mana gem.Review
An essential upgrade that significantly accelerates his slow early game, allowing him to deploy high-cost units much faster.
Doom of All
When you summon a Titanic ally, grant it +2|+2 for each stack of Sigil of the Storm.Review
This power provides a massive stat boost but is often viewed as a 'win-more' mechanic. It suffers from awkward timing interactions with strike relics (like The Curator's Gatebreaker), as the stat buffs apply after the initial strike resolves.
Gameplay Tips
- Manage Your Sigils
Volibear's Sigils of the Storm take up board space. Be careful not to overfill your board with small units, or you may not have room to play Volibear or other Titanic units when they are discounted.
- Leverage Avalanche
Avalanche is a key tool for surviving the early game. Do not hesitate to use it to damage or kill your own smaller units, as this generates Sigils of the Storm to accelerate Volibear's deployment.
- Draft Big Bombs
When drafting cards during an adventure, prioritize high-cost Titanic units. Volibear's kit is designed to cheat these out, making a deck full of massive threats highly effective.
- The Cease and Desist Bug
If using Cease and Desist, ensure you have an empty board space when playing Volibear. Playing him onto a full board with Sigils can cause him to obliterate himself instead of attacking due to a known interaction bug.
- Stall with Frostbite
Volibear struggles against very fast, aggressive decks that can flood the board before he stabilizes. Utilize his inherent Frostbite mechanics to stall high-power enemy units until you can deploy your Titanic threats.