Done with the newbie stuff and ready for a challenge? Check out these skill based champions.
Now, everybody wants to be a master, everybody wants to show their skills. Wait…that’s Pokémon. But still, it rings true. You want to try out some of the most difficult champions in the game, and feel like a pro. Well, get a load of these…
1) Lee Sin – The Blind Monk
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''The actions of one may sunder the world, but the efforts of many may rebuild it.'' - Lee Sin
When guilt causes you to set your own eyes on fire, and you are still one of the strongest in the League…
Lee Sin is full of outplay ability. In fact, many would say he is the Outplay Champion (pun intended) and most difficult junglers in the game. His Q must hit a champion to be activated, allowing him to jump to the enemy hit. Though even with a hit, he can get himself directly into the heart of danger. His next move is just the opposite, allowing him to jump to and shield target ally. This requires Lee to position himself correctly.
Lee Sin’s ultimate also requires good positioning, for he roundhouse kicks an enemy in the target direction. This could lead to some very awful misplays, such as sending him toward a frightened and near death ally, or sending him toward freedom. Either way, Lee Sin requires expertise to play without getting an earful from your teammates.
Check out these awesome Lee Sin plays
2) Elise – The Spider Queen
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''Beauty is power too, and can strike swifter than any sword.'' - Elise
If preying on the weak for eternal youth is your thing, then Elise may be the arachnid for you.
Elise is consistently one of the best junglers, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t require skill to receive this remark.
One thing that makes Elise hard to master is that each of her abilities, excluding her ult, have two different actives that you must learn. This is because her ultimate transforms her into a spider, giving her a separate spell set.
Will she have a calculated Q or a lunge? Exploding spiderlings or attack speed? A stun or Pantheon style descension?
This is all for you to learn before playing Elise regularly.
Want to see how Elise can even carry games for the pros?
3) Azir – The Emperor of the Sands
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"Shurima! Your emperor has returned!" - Azir
Watching your own empire fall at the hands of your royal mage can really take its toll.
Azir is a powerful force under the right hands. Or so, his soldiers are. He can order his Sand Soldiers to dash toward enemies, form a wall, or simply attack. His passive also allows him to summon turrets from the remains of fallen turrets (in honor of his fallen city). So, why, you might ask, is Azir difficult if all he does is summon soldiers to fight for him like the villain in so many action movies?
Well, it has been said many times since his release that he is the most difficult champ for a few reasons. He is dependent on his soldiers (which many have reported still carry bugs). Some may not understand this and try to all in early game, and this simply will not work. You must sustain early and calculate your soldiers’ attacks. Azir is late game and item reliant. It’s hard to carry if your team feeds early game.
Everyone loves a good Faker Montage
4) Zed – The Master of Shadows
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''Balance is a lie - we are the true ninjas.'' – Zed
Shredder, is that you? A hated outcast by every other ninja (and every other League of Legends player)
It would be argued by many that Zed be on this list, simply because he can be one of the most overpowered champions. But this doesn’t mean his mechanics are for just anyone.
Like Azir, Zed relies on attacks with his conjuring (in this case, his shadow). Also, like Lee Sin, he can dash forward (putting him in bad situation) by switching places with his Living Shadow. His ultimate can do amazing damage as he dashes to an enemy and becomes untargetable.
Although potentially overpowered, he requires positioning and mechanics, as well as knowing what to do against CC and Zhonyas.
If you need a little more Zed
5) Yasuo – The Unforgiven
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''The story of a sword is inked in blood.'' – Yasuo
How does one of the most perma-banned champions, the feared samurai, make the list?
One of the most difficult features of Yasuo is that his ult (while dealing tons of damage and dominating team fights) can only be cast on airborne targets. Yasuo can do this on his own with his Steel Tempest, but it requires two skillshot basic attacks, giving you a generous 10 second window to fire an airborne-wielding twister.
If you want more pro tips? Then use your Sweeping Blade (which cannot consecutively strike the same enemy) at the right moment before casting Steel Tempest and you will swing your blade in a circle.
This is how Yasuo can be both one of the most powerful champions and the hardest to master.
This montage is full of exciting pro plays
6) Riven – The Exile
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"A broken blade is more than enough for the likes of you!" - Riven
Once the poster child for Noxus, she now roams the world, seeking atonement for her work with the corrupt Noxian military.
Riven is rather mechanical and requires calculation as well as knowledge on when and how to fight. She has a total of four dashes making outplay potential very real. Her Broken Wings (which is a dash and strike) may be activated three times, it is important to master when to use each strike. Her other two abilities (stun and shield) must also be timed correctly, not to mention when to fit in auto attacks.
Her ultimate is simply a buff plus a ranged one-time attack known as Wind Slash. It’s imperative that you know when to use this, but more than that, to know your own strength.
Why not a lesson from the best Riven player in the world
7) Vayne – The Night Hunter
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"Let us hunt those who have fallen to darkness." – Vayne
Once blind to the horrors of this world, the young Vayne watched her family be brutally murdered before realizing the truth and making it her life to seek and destroy that darkness.
Vayne is an ADC full of mechanics as well. Her first move is Tumble, which allows her to skillfully roll to place herself where she needs to be. Vayne also has one of the few passives in the game that require skill. Her W makes her third attack against the same enemy do true damage. This means Vayne needs to know when to proc it. Vayne’s Condemn is used by veterans to stake enemies against nearby walls, leaving them unable to move.
Vayne uses her ultimate for extra attack damage and to make her other abilities more powerful. Even giving her Tumble a passive invisibility. This used at the right time can prepare you for a battle only an assassin could win or even a 1v2 made for top laners, with you coming out the winner every time.
If you want to see Vayne perfection
8) Kalista – The Spear of Vengeance
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"Death to all betrayers." – Kalista
What can be more fearsome than a vengeful spirit with nothing to lose?
Kalista’s passive gives her the ability to lunge when she attacks, but it must be executed correctly. Kalista’s Q is a skill shot that can easily miss, this always adds to the skill cap. Her third ability is used in context to her others. She rips the spears out of enemies she has previously impaled. If used right, you can also reset the cooldown and refund mana.
Now, Kalista’s ultimate requires an ally for “ultimate” utilization. She must bind an ally to herself, her “Oathsworn.” She can then pull the ally to herself, after this, it is up to your teammate to use his untargetableness and dash with the ability to knock enemies back.
You can see how this synergy and reliability can make Kalista difficult to use with the wrong support.
Sneaky plays by C9’s Sneaky
9) Thresh – The Chain Warden
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"What delightful agony we shall inflict." - Thresh
Such an evil entity, trapping countless souls in his treasured lantern, including the beloved wife of a certain marksman.
Thresh’s passive allows him to collect souls from fallen enemies, which gains him permanent armor. But that is where his laid-back features end. His Q is a hook that can pull in enemies with a difficult skill shot, not only that, but he can use this to pull himself to the enemy, which can be a dangerous situation. His Dark Passage can throw is lantern O’ souls to an ally, allowing them to click it, and dash to him. This can be used to get them to safety or into a fight. His Box (ultimate) needs to be used at the right time and place to slow enemies and deal damage. Even his Flay requires calculations and correct clicking directions (with both a push and pull.)
Continuously the best Thresh player, Mad Life
10) Bard – The Wandering Caretaker
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Looks like Sona has some musical competition.
This is not the “wandering away from your dying team to pursue your own escapades bard” you’ve heard about. No. This is Nanny Bard.
ADC’s love a skilled babysitter. His first move is a skill shot that if executed correctly, can stun enemies. Bard can also summon healing shrines for allies to use that need protected from enemies. Bard’s signature E can open a portal for all champions. If done in the wrong spot or wrong time, you can lead allies into losing battles or allow enemies to walk straight into your unknowing jungler.
The most easily misused ability this sitter has is his ultimate. It allows bard to create a circle of invincibility. Everyone inside become invincible, untargetable, and unable to act. This is a good way to accidently give the enemies a winning fight, or save the opponents’ ADC from a bot lane skirmish.
Want to see all this up close and personal? Watch the pros
And there we have it. Ten of the hardest champions to play in League of Legends. There will be arguments and discrepancies between players for as long as the game is live and beyond. But I have to say, all champions can be easy under the right hands and all can be hard under new hands. Just make a connection and charge forward in your ventures.
