The Best LoL Support Champions
Winning games in League of Legends takes more than just getting all the kills. While this may work in the lower tiers, League of Legends games are mostly decided by the efforts of the whole team, especially by the ADC and the support. Supports often find themselves in the harsher position as their job is to keep their carry alive and to win the game,while making sure not to die. Supports may not have the most glamorous job, but they have a crucial role that can decide the fate of many matches.
If you ever find yourself auto-filled into support or are one of the many upstanding support mains in League of Legends, give this list of the top 10 supports in League of Legends that will earn you and your team the win.
10. Leona
Leona shows how strong sunlight is with her crowd control geared kit.
If you’re looking for a champion whose whole kit is focused on crowd control and getting into the thick of the action to win games then look no further than the Radiant Dawn. Leona has one of the most crowd control centric kits with Shield of Daybreak, which stuns enemies Leona hits with the empowered basic attack, Zenith Blade, which strikes enemies in a line and brings Leona to the last one hit while they are immobilized, and her ultimate Solar Flare, which is an AOE spell that stuns enemies in the middle of the zone and slows them on the outside.
Leona’s level two is one of the best in the game as Zenith Blade allows her to get in close to the enemy bot laners, then stunning one of them with Shield of Daybreak. This level two is great against squishier supports like Janna, Soraka, and Nami. To win with Leona, use Solar Flare when the enemy is grouped or to catch out enemy carries. Leona’s ability to catch out champions and stay close to them makes her a fantastic champion to help win games.
Learn more about Leona: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbeWmkSAdUs
9. Brand
Poke enemies out of lane with Brand
Brand, like Zyra, is often a frustrating support to play against, but a greater champion to be on your side. Brand’s kit as a support is focused on pushing the enemy bot laners off of the wave with Pillar of Flame, starving them of CS while you and your carry push minions into tower to not only do damage to the tower, but make it harder for the enemy ADC to farm. Use Pillar of Flame in combination with landing Sear to get a strong stun and a lot of burst damage out to make the enemy bot laners burn summoner spells, go back to base, or die.
With great poke comes great responsibility, meaning that as Brand you have to have deep wards to watch for enemy ganks. Brand is great at poking champions, but not so great at surviving ganks. Then once you get out of the laning phase, prepare to become a back-up AP carry with the amount of damage you can do with your abilities and ultimate, Pyroclasm.
Find your Brand: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPduUiauXzk
8. Tahm Kench
#UnbenchtheKench
Besides devouring his enemies, Tahm Kench utilizes his giant stomach to shield his allies from danger. The River King protects his pawns with Devour, which throws his teammates, enemies, and monsters and minions into Tahm’s belly. This is a great ability to protect carries as Tahm makes them untargetable while they are relaxing in Tahm’s gigantic stomach. It also is great or catching enemies or containing them during teamfights as Tahm damages enemy champions and stacks Acquired Taste on his enemies. On the third stack, Tahm can then devour enemy champions and nullify them for a short while.
Used in conjunction with Abyssal Voyage, which lets Tahm teleport with him or one ally to a designated spot, and Tongue Lash, which slows enemies that are hit, Devour is great for catching out enemies and winning team fights. Abyssal Voyage is best used to start a teamfight as you can pincer enemies and force them to fight on two fronts, often leading to your team getting an ace.
This is a bit of an older guide, but still relevant to Tahm’s play style: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GT8NT6b0-fw
7. Zyra
Watch your wins bloom with Zyra
Watch the fruits of your labor bloom when you give Zyra a shot on Summoner’s Rift. The Rise of Thorns will give you a rise in ranks as she deals a stupendous amount of damage while being able to crowd control and pick off enemies. Take Deadly Spines first as Zyra can root enemies in place, allowing her to provide a lot of damage and get good trades in lane. Try to use Deadly Spines near one of the seeds that she’s planted in the ground with Garden of Thorns and Rampant Growth to get her plants to attack and poke enemies right out of the lane..
Once you get to the teamfight stage, Deadly Spines becomes invaluable for keeping your carries alive or catching out enemy champions. When a teamfight does break out, use Stranglethorns to hit the whole team for a lot of damage and knocking them up within seconds. Land that ace and knock out the Nexus for another GG from the enemy team.
Grow with Zyra from this guide: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaP8NXgNTS8
6. Thresh
Thresh hooks and his lantern provide versatility
The Chain Warden is one of the best champions in League of Legends for innovating gameplay in the support role. Thresh has a plethora of options for not only protecting his team, but also helping with ganks, catching enemies out, and peeling for his allies. Thresh’s Death Sentence is a vital tool for catching or peeling enemies as he hooks them similar to Blitzcrank’s Rocket Grab, but without pulling them right next to you. Flay and The Box are also strong tools for slowing enemies from either escaping or getting near your allies.
Thresh’s innovative ability is Dark Passage, which has a wide array of uses. Dark Passage allows Thresh to throw a lantern within a certain distance, granting enemies that click on it to come right to Thresh’s side. This ability allows junglers who are ganking to get right into the action if Thresh is near them, and pull teammates away from danger. Use this ability to help you win games by setting up some pretty sick plays.
Get hooked on Thresh: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OOjlpSzDSc
5. Lulu
Fight safely with Lulu
Lulu may be small, but she brings a lot to Summoner’s Rift. The Fae Sorceress packs a lot of fun and misery into her kit by offering lots of peel and assistance to champions in her kit. One of her iconic moves is Whimsy, which grants an ally increased attack and movement speed for a short duration and polymorphs enemy champions into adorable creatures. Whimsy is great for pacifying melee enemies who are right next to your carries and also preventing enemy ADC from doing damage by briefly taking them out of the fight.
Help, Pix and Wild Growth are also great for keeping your carry alive as Help, Pix! gives her ally a shield and Pix helps deal damage to enemies when the ally auto-attacks. Wild Growth is a great move for all allies as it pushes enemies within a certain radius away, while enlarging your ally to be able to absorb more damage. Lulu is a great champion if you’re looking to get a little whimsical to win.
Watch Lulu in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mvll4MVlBvg
4. Braum
Concussive Blows and Glacial fissure are key to winning with Braum
The Heart of the Freijord puts a mountain of muscle and crowd control between his enemies and his team. Braum is also a great support for invading because his passive, Concussive Blows, which stuns enemies on the fourth stack. In lane, Braum is a great at protecting his carry with Stand Behind Me and Unbreakable, while also being able to trade well with Winter’s Bite and Concussive Blows.
Braum’s true support value comes from Glacial Fissure,which creates a fissure that knocks up enemies and slows them in a line. Use this ability to engage, disengage, and control the tempo of teamfights by dividing the team. Then prepare to engage and move throughout the battlefield with Stand Behind Me and protect your team with Unbreakable.
Check out Braum’s strength with former Zenith E-Sports support Lohpally: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlx9QquCV58
3. Blitzcrank
It’s imperative to land Blitzcrank’s Rocket Grab
The Great Steam Golem is a terrifying support with his Rocket Grabs, pulling enemies from the safety of their teams and directly into yours. Throughout the game, Blitzcrank has a tremendous presence on Summoner’s Rift as you can invade early and force some summoner’s spells, secure a buff, or get a kill or kills. In the laning face, Blitzcrank does a great job of forcing the enemy to play cautiously behind their minions, while also being able to peel for his ADC with Power Fist to knock-up any enemies who get too close.
Look to play Blitzcrank as a counter to any squishy supports such as Janna, Lulu, Brand, or other non-tank supports because once he pulls them in, they can pop like a balloon. Then make sure to land those grabs, hit them with Power Fist, and use Static Field on the carries and other squishier targets in order to prevent them from escaping your and your team’s clutches and win the game
C9 Hai demonstrates Blitzcrank’s strength: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKpV28amaIY
2. Alistar
Alistar’s provides a great frontline
Alistar is a tough champion to master, but if you can get his Pulverize and Headbutt combo down, you’ll be able to catch out enemies and secure your win. Alistar is a tank support who focuses on either preventing the enemy from getting anywhere near his carry with Headbutt, while having a strong engage with his combo.
Alistar’s kit is also great for tower diving enemies as he can tank tower shots for a pretty significant time with Unbreakable Will, which removes all crowd control effects on himself, and reduces incoming physical and magical damage for seven seconds. That’s a good deal of time to be able to bring your jungler down and crash into the enemy champion while tanking the turret. So if you’re looking for a strong tank who wants to charge straight into the enemy then pick up Alistar and master his combo to get some wins.
Learn Alistar’s Combos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5bGZBah4C4
1. Janna
Winning with Janna is a breeze
Though she’s seen a bit of a downgrade since the nerf of Ardent Censer, the Storm’s Fury is the best support to help get your team to win. Janna is more focused on providing for the ADC than most other champions as she can peel enemies off with Howling Gale, Zephyr and her ultimate, Monsoon, while protecting and boosting her carry with Eye of the Storm, which grants a shield and an attack damage boost.
Eye of the Storm is essential to winning the bottom lane as Janna as it allows you to win most trades with the shield and increased damage output. Then in the later stages of the game, it’s great for shielding turrets and buying some time for your team to get into position around objectives. Janna is a phenomenal champion to pick up and learn if you’re looking to find a champion that’s viable in every tier of ranked.
Janna Support Guide by C9 Hai: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tazZhNVZQ0g
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