What is an assassin and what’s their role in League of Legends?

Assassins are fragile yet agile damage-heavy champions that swiftly take out their targets and prevent them from having an impact.

However, most assassins in league of legends are extremely hard to master and that doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s worth the hustle.

Who are the best Assassins?

10. Nocturne

Nocturne “The Eternal Nightmare” is a demonic being that feeds on the nightmares of the ones that lack resolve. He’s a faceless shadow with cold eyes and armed with wicked-looking blades.

What makes Nocturne a great assassin:

• Nocturne’s E ability “Unspeakable Horror” is a mid range hard CC type ability that fears the target and forces them to run from Nocturne which makes it a great ganking tool
• Nocturne has a spellshield that blocks an ability from a hostile, which if timed correctly, can have a significant effect in a fight
• Nocturne’s ultimate “Paranoia” is a massive range gap closer that globally reduces the vision of the enemy team so they can’t pinpoint where you are while dealing good burst damage on a single target
• Nocturne’s Q “Duskbringer” leaves is a long range skillshot that leaves a trail behind the target it hits which increases Nocturne’s movement speed and attack damage so he can easily hunt them down
• Nocturne is mostly played in the jungle thanks to his amazing waveclear and good sustain

9. Nidalee

Nidalee “The Bestial Huntress” is a master tracker who can transform into a powerful cougar at will. Neither wholly woman nor beast, Nidalee has the best of both worlds as she’s both intelligent and physically superhuman.

What makes Nidalee a great Assassin?

• Nidalee can lay invisible traps in her human form which help her know the exact location of the enemy wherever she is on the map
• Nidalee can transform into a cougar whenever she wants, granting her a fresh set of abilities that cost no mana, which makes her great at clearing the jungle camps
• Nidalee’s Q in her human’s form “Javelin Toss” is a long range poke ability that does more damage the farther the distance it travels, which if you manage to land at full range does a massive amount of damage
• Nidalee has a strong healing ability that also increases the attack speed which she can cast on herself. Making her a strong dueler
• Nidalee is one of the fastest wave clearer in the jungle, which allows her to outfarm most junglers to quickly buy items and dominate the game

8. Ekko

Ekko “The Boy who Shattered Time” is a prodigy from the streets of Zaun. Ekko is a scientist that created a time machine that he can use to manipulate time to his advantage whenever he needs to. To the enemies, Ekko seems to bend the situations that seem impossible to his advantage, every time.    

What makes Ekko a great assassin?

• Ekko is usually played in the mid lane, but you can also play him as a jungler or a toplaner. Which is great if you’re filling roles for your team or if you’re autofilled
• Ekko has a great waveclear and easily push the lane with his Q at level 1
• Ekko’s ultimate “Chronobreak” is a get out of jail free card, that sends you back to where you were 4 seconds ago while also healing you for a massive amount which makes it great for sticky situations
• Ekko can choose a small area that if he enters stuns all targets inside while also shielding him for a great amount, making it a good ganking tool in lane
• Ekko has a roaming potential which allows him to threaten other lanes and pressure the map to secure objectives

7. Kasssadin

Kassadin “The Void Walker” is a monstrous being from the Void. Having sworn to avenge his tribe, Kassadin combined forbidden technologies and and a number of arcane artifacts for his struggle to annihilate void construct creatures in his search for their prophet, Malzahar.

What makes Kassadin a great assassin?

• Can safely lane and farm with his long range Q ability “Null Sphere”
• Kassadin has good waveclear with his ultimate “Riftwalk” and his W “Force Pulse”
• Kassadin’s auto attacks passively deal increased damage which makes his in lane trades vs melee champions stronger
• Kassadin is one of the most mobile champions in the game, especially later on in the game when his ultimate “Riftwalk” has very low cooldown
• Insane late game scaling and potential to become a hyper carry

6. Rengar

Rengar “The Pridestalker” is fearsome trophy hunter whose greatest pleasure is to track down and kill powerful creatures. Rengar’s most desired prey is Kha’Zix, the void creature who scratched out his eye.

What makes Rengar a great assassin? 

• Very mobile around bushes
• Extremely difficult to stop if you manage to get an early lead and snowball with it
• Rengar’s ultimate allows him to go camouflage and grants him a gapcloser that significantly enhances his ganking potential
• Hard to burst down since empowered W “Battle Roar” breaks crowd control effects while also healing him for an amount of the damage he’s recently received
• Easy to master

5. Akali

Akali “The Rogue Assassin” is an assassin that works solo as she’s abandoned her clan “The Kinkou Order” and now strikes alone. She has one clear and loud message: fear the assassin with no master

What makes Akali a great assassin?

• Akali has a very safe lane which makes her hard to gank
• Akali’s Q “Five point strike” makes her strong into melee matchups since it’s easy to land and on a low cooldown
• Her ultimate “Perfect Execution” grants her two mid range dashes that are hard to miss and deal massive amount of damage
• Akali’s W “Twilight Shroud” allow her to go invisible during fights, making it hard for the enemies to target you
• Akali has good lane sustain since her abilities use Energy as a source instead of mana

4. Katarina

Katarina “The Sinister Blade” is a Noxian assassin of the highest caliber, she made her talents known with swift kills against unsuspecting targets. No matter the target, Katarina will always pursue hers.

What makes Katarina a great assassin?

• Very high carry potential
• Whenever Katarina gets a takedown, all of her basic abilities’ cooldowns reset, which makes her very strong and reliable for cleaning up fights where enemies are low
• Immense AOE damage, which makes her a real threat in teamfights
• Katarina is one of the most mobile champions in the game, good utilization of her Shunpo and ability resets allow you to constantly jump around in the teamfight, making it hard for the enemy to pin you down and kill you
• Katarina doesn’t have a source for her abilities, meaning you can spam your abilities as much as you want without having to worry about managing your mana or energy

3. Master Yi

Master Yi “The Wuju Bladesman” has tempered his body and sharpened his mind, so that thought and action have become almost as one. Master Yi chooses violence only as a last resort, however his blade ensures resolution is always swift.

What makes Master Yi a great assassin? 

• Upon takedowns Master Yi’s basic abilities’ cooldown refreshes, making him great at cleaning up fights and moving on to different targets very quickly
• Master Yi’s W “Meditate” makes him heal a good amount based on his missing health while also reducing all the damage he takes by a percentage, making him very strong vs other assassins
• Master Yi has good waveclear in the jungle thanks to his Q “Alpha Strike” and his passive “Passive Strike”
• Master Yi’s basic attacks passively do true damage, so he’s also good at shredding Tanks
• His gameplay is very straight forward and easy to become good at

2. Evelynn

Evelynn “Agony’s Embrace” is a demonic assassin seeking her next victim. She lures her prey in with the voluptuous facade of a female human, but once the prey falls for her trap, she unleashes her demonic form and subjects her victim to unspeakable agonizing torment.

What makes Evelynn a great assassin?

• Evelynn can place a charm effect on a target that activates when she attacks once it’s fully charged, making them walk harmlessly towards her and reduces their magical resistance
• Evelynn is usually played in the jungle thanks to her amazing ability at ganking lanes and clearing waves
• Evelynn’s ultimate “Last Caress” is an incredible assassination tool that finishes off low health targets while briefly making Evelynn untargetable before warping her backwards a long distance 
• Once Evelynn unlocks her ultimate, she becomes invisible whenever she’s out of combat, making her ganks extremely effective and hard to evade
• Her passive “Demon Shade” activates when Evelynn is out of combat, healing her based on the amount of health she’s missing, which is great for regenerating health after fights to join the next fight.

1. Talon 

Talon “The Blade’s Shadow” is the knife in the darkness, a ruthless killer able to swiftly end his prey without warning. Talon built a reputation on the brutal streets of noxus and became one of its most respected assassins. 

What makes Talon good?

• Great AOE for clearing minions and pushing the waves
• One of the most mobile champions in League of Legends 
• His E “Assassin’s Path” allows Talon to vault over any terrain or structure on the map, which makes him the greatest roamer in the game
• His Q ability “Noxian Diplomacy” crits when the target is in close range, which makes him very strong into melee matchups 
• Has one of the strongest early games in the game, allowing him to apply kill pressure from level 2

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