[Top 15] LOL Best Champions That Wreck Hard
#15: Darius: The Hand of Noxus (Top)
Darius is a general for the mighty army of Noxus, but he didn’t always have this prestigious title. Darius and his brother, Draven, grew up as orphans. When their hometown was assimilated by the Noxian empire, Darius saw his chance to become something great. He quickly climbed the ranks of the army and was dubbed “The Hand of Noxus” by the emperor himself. After the emperor was assassinated in a coup, Darius became one of three major leaders in the Noxian empire, and was given the title “Trifarix Leader of Might”.
Darius is a brutal lane bully that makes his opponents feel helpless. His passive, Hemorrhage, makes his attacks and damaging abilities apply a bleeding debuff, dealing increasing true damage over time with each stack. When this reaches max stacks (5) he gets bonus AD. This, combined with his brutal instant crowd control move, Apprehend, makes him one of the biggest bullies of toplane. He has a high chance of killing his lane opponent at all stages of laning phase, even when he’s behind. His damage is easy to underestimate, especially if he’s fallen a few kills behind. If you have an aggressive playstyle, Darius is a great champ to pick.
· For players newer to Darius, it’s a good idea to take Ghost and Flash as your summoner spells. Combined with his crowd control and an ult that deals true damage that scales with how many Hemorrhage stacks the enemy has, Ghost is a great tool to run someone down for a free kill. Taking ghost also covers his weakness against ranged matchups, such as Kennen or Quinn. If running at them quickly isn’t your style, Ignite and Teleport are also great picks.
· Take advantage of Darius’ E, Apprehend. It’s an instant crowd control move that stuns the enemy and pulls them toward you, leaving them completely open to your combo. The standard Darius combo is to use your E, slow them with your W, Crippling Strike, and hit them with your Q, Decimate, afterward. Add a few auto attacks after this combo and they will have max Hemorrhage stacks, which means your ult will be dealing extra true damage.
· Darius is weak into ranged matchups. A smart enemy will play at the back of their minion wave and not get in range of your E. Try to bait them by standing farther behind and playing more passive early. You might be able to get them to lower their defenses if they see you aren’t running directly at them as soon as you see each other.
· Darius’ build pathing is very flexible. If your team needs a tank, rushing Black Cleaver and then building all tank items is a very viable strategy. His passive will still be dealing plenty of true damage, even if you aren’t building Trinity Force. That being said, the Trinity Force build is also very good. Try building Phage first and seeing how the game is progressing – if the enemy team is dealing lots of damage, it’s probably a good idea to go the tank route. If your team needs a hyper carry, start building attack damage! It’s all about building reflexively.
· If you’re behind in lane, don’t panic. Darius has potential throughout all stages of the game if you play your cards right. If you’ve died a few times in lane, it might be a good idea to switch to a more passive playstyle so you don’t give the enemy team any more gold.
Here is a guide to Darius made by the Youtuber wickd, with the assistance of Darius One-Trick Rhoku, who has over 2 million mastery points on the champion.
#14: Olaf, The Berserker (Jungle)
Raised in the harsh winters of Freljord, Olaf was given a prophecy that foretold of a peaceful death – an insult to any true warrior. Enraged by this prediction, Olaf has scoured the country looking for someone who could best him in combat and give him a warrior’s death. Now an enforcer for the Winter’s Claw, one of the Freljord’s three factions, he is still looking for an opponent who can kill him.
Olaf is a jungler that is easy to play and easy to carry with. His “run at the enemies until they die” kit is very self-explanatory and extremely easy for players to pick up. His Q, Undertow, throws an axe at the enemy that deals very high damage, even at level 1. It can also be picked up for a cooldown reduction, meaning you can throw axes over and over again with the ability rarely being on cooldown. Not only does this make clearing the jungle a breeze, but ganking is also very simple since the ability slows all enemies it hits. Olaf has two different attack speed buffs in the form of his passive, Berserker Rage, which increases his attack speed by 1% for each 1% of health he is missing, and his W, Vicious Strikes, which not only increases attack speed, but also has increased Life Steal and increased healing from all sources based on how much health he is missing. His ultimate, Ragnarok, makes him immune to all disables. All of these tools combined makes Olaf a very oppressive jungler that is within the reach of players of all skill levels.
· The most important part of jungling with Olaf is being able to land your Q’s. This is how he is able to gank so easily, as well as secure kills for his team. Luckily, even if you miss you can throw another one almost immediately by picking up the axe off the ground. Make sure you’re focusing on landing this ability, and everything else will fall into place.
· Olaf is very strong early. Consider invading the enemy jungler, as his 1v1 potential early is strong. This also means that ganking early (before you hit level 3) is a good idea. Giving your laners an early lead is an easy way to secure a victory!
· It is much easier for Olaf to gank solo lanes before he hits level 6 as there is a much lower chance that they will escape without using summoner spells. After you hit level 6, ganking botlane is a great idea as no support will be able to keep you off of their Marksman.
· While it may be fun to build Olaf with full AD, this makes him very vulnerable later in the game. If you want to build the Warrior enchantment on Olaf first, try building a more tank centered item second, and vice versa.
· It is very important to end the game as early as possible on Olaf as he begins falling off in the late game. Expand your lead as much as possible by getting your laners ahead and securing Drakes and Rift Heralds.
Here is an Olaf guide from Challenger jungler KingStix:
#13: Jhin, The Virtuoso (Marksman)
Jhin was a former prisoner in Ionia until he was released by an evil member of the country’s ruling council. He is a criminal psychopath who believes himself to be an artist, using the lives of others as his canvas. He brutally kills people as a deranged form of art. The cabal uses this to their advantage, sending Jhin to kill whoever gets in their way.
Jhin is a very powerful marksman with a unique auto attack pattern. His passive, Whisper, holds four bullets in his gun’s chamber, with the final bullet always being a guaranteed crit as well as dealing more damage the lower the target’s health is. Anytime Jhin critically strikes an opponent, he gets a boost in movement speed. His Q, Dancing Grenade, bounces from its initial target to any enemy within range, dealing more damage each time it kills an enemy for a maximum of four bounces. As well as having a W (Deadly Flourish) that roots enemies that have recently been damaged by allies and an E (Captive Audience) that lays down traps, the thing that makes Jhin the most unique is his ultimate, Curtain Call. When this move is cast, the camera zooms out and Jhin has four extremely long-range shots, with the fourth shot dealing massive critical strike damage. All of these tools put together make for an extremely nimble and lethal Marksman.
· Jhin’s biggest harassment tool is the final auto attack of his passive. Since it can be held for up to 10 seconds out of combat, holding it instead of immediately pumping it into a minion means you can keep the pressure up. Try and use this tool to its fullest capability.
· Jhin’s root is extremely powerful with supports that hinder the enemy’s movement, either with a slow or a harder form of crowd control. Try playing with a support that has at least one form of reliable crowd control.
· Building Boots of Swiftness on Jhin is extremely powerful. Since any critical strike gives him a speed boost, every time you crit your boots will be amplifying this effect, giving you an even greater speed boost. Combined with Celerity, a rune that not only increases all speed enhancing effects but also gives you a small speed boost itself, this makes Jhin very hard to catch. Use these movement speed boosts to dodge skillshots and position yourself well in teamfights.
· Build critical strike items. Jhin’s kit is most complimented by these items. Either rush Stormrazer or Infinity Edge, and after either of those rush Rapidfire Cannon. Most of the time, all three of these items are a must-have. Play around with what other items you take, as after those first three items it relatively becomes a matter of preference. Always be sure to build whatever your team needs you to.
· Jhin shines late game. With Rapidfire Cannon, it becomes very easy to deal massive poke damage by autoing from a distance. Try and time it so that the fourth stack of your passive is available as you get enough energy for an auto attack with increased range from Rapidfire Cannon.
Here is a Jhin guide that is sure to be helpful:
#12: Morgana, The Fallen (Support)
Morgana gave up her immortality and accepted her humanity. She uses her powers in order to inflict pain on suffering on those she deems corrupt and evil. She uses her shields and dark magic as a force for good, cleansing the streets of Demacia of those who would seek to cause trouble.
Morgana is a very versatile champion, and while she can technically play in all lanes, she really shines as a support. Her Q, Dark Binding, is infamous for how long it leaves the enemy stuck in place. Her W, Tormented Shadow, is much more important when solo laning, but can be used as a great poke tool when she is a support. Her most important ability is her E, Black Shield, which makes any ally immune to crowd control as long as the shield persists. This is an amazing tool that is completely game changing when put on the right ally at the right time. Her ultimate, Soul Shackles, pairs very well with her Q. Ulting the enemy will slow and then stun them after a few seconds. All of these tools mixed together create a massive amount of peel for your Marksmen, and those same tools can be used very aggressively, which means Morgana can be played with many different playstyles.
· Get comfortable using Morgana’s shield. This tool is easily the most important thing in her kit, as it can both protect your team from champions like Blitzcrank and Thresh, as well as making many ultimates from the enemy team completely worthless. Practice reacting to skillshots with the shield. If you can perfect the use of this ability, everything else about Morgana will fall into place.
· Rush Zhonya’s Hourglass after finishing your support item. Zhonya’s is an excellent pair with Morgana’s ultimate, as after she casts it she can put herself in stasis and enemies will still be stunned. This item is crucial to her kit, and without it she is much less effective than her optimal gameplay.
· Make sure you aren’t being too aggressive with trying to land bindings. While it may be tempting, if you fire off too many your opponents will get used to dodging them. Try to only use it when there’s a clear line of fire, and avoid going for more risky uses of the ability, as while it is down your lane becomes much more vulnerable.
· Morgana is great at roaming. After you buy your Mobility Boots (highly recommended on Morgana support) it’s a good idea to roam mid or top and try to get them ahead, especially if they are having trouble.
· Don’t be afraid to get into the middle of the fight with your ult. This is why Zhonya’s is so important to have. It might seem counter-intuitive for a support to be in the middle of the fight, but after you stun four enemies at the same time, your team will be honoring you after the match.
Here is a Morgana guide from Grandmaster support Bizzleberry:
#11: Sylas, The Unshackled (Mid)
Sylas was raised in the slumsof Demacia. When the mageseekers of Demacia found out that Sylas had a special ability, locating and absorbingmagic, they enlisted his help. But, when Sylas turned the magic he stole against them, he was imprisoned. After breaking free, Sylas lives as a magical vagabond with a band of misfit mages, using his abilities to destroy the kingdom that he was once tasked with protecting.
Sylas is an AP powerhouse. His passive, Petricite Burst, empowers his auto attacks after every spellcast, making them deal bonus magic damage and giving him a small boost in attack speed. His Q, Chain Lash, makes him whip the chains on his hands at target location, leaving a small orb that slows and after a very short delay bursts and deals magic damage. His W, Kingslayer, deals more damage the lower the target’s HP is and gives him a massive heal. His E, Abscond/Abduct, has two parts. The first is a dash, and the second is a skillshot that stuns and pulls Sylas to any enemy it hits, also making the target airborne. All of these abilities, combined with his ultimate, Hijack, which steals the targeted enemy’s ultimate, make Sylas extremely versatile and powerful.
· Sylas is very strong early game. His passive, mixed with his Q and E level 2, make killing the enemy laner relatively easy early on. You should use this advantage as early as possible, as it is very easy for Sylas to snowball his lane and become unstoppable. Since this playstyle is so common with this champion, it is a good idea to ward your lane to avoid getting ganked by the enemy jungler.
· Sylas is tankier than he might seem. His W healing scales with missing health, reaching a 100% increase in healing at 40% HP, in addition to the base heal and +50% AP bonus that the heal gets. Don’t be afraid to be scrappy in lane, as health is a commodity that Sylas has very high access to.
· Hextech Protobelt is a must. Not only does it make his auto attacks more potent with Hextech Revolver, which gives you bonus damage every 40 seconds, but giving a champion like Sylas more access to the enemy backline is crucial. Combined with his Ultimate, which gives him access to 5 different incredibly good abilities (in most cases), Sylas is an absolute killing machine.
· Sylas is very good at roaming. Take advantage of his waveclear when you hit 6 and roam around the map stealing ultimates. Not only is there a massive cooldown on the first champ you ult, but by the time you make it around the map you will be able to ult your lane opponent again.
· Don’t let Sylas’ aggressive nature get the better of you. If you happen to fall behind, it’s probably a good idea to farm up until your team can come and help you out. Sylas might be able to close the gap against ranged matchups midlane, but if you can’t kill them immediately then it’s a long way back to your turret (and even longer if you get sent back to base).
Here’s a helpful Sylas guide from Sylas main Armooon (he even goes over how to play Sylas in the jungle and top lane):
#10: Jax, Grandmaster at Arms (Top/Jungle)
Jax hails from the now destroyed country of Icathia. He is the last weapons master from the land that is known for unleashing the void on Valoran. Known for his unique weapons, Jax travels Valoran in search of people strong enough to join him in the stand against the Void.
Jax is a mixed damage hyper carry. If you can manage to get a lead with Jax, you will not have a hard time winning the game as long as you are working with your team. His kit is centered around dealing as much damage as possible. His passive, Relentless Assault, increases his attack speed with each consecutive attack, resetting when he is out of combat. His Q, Leap Strike, makes him jump to a target enemy, ally, or any ward, dealing damage to enemies. His W, Empower, makes his next auto attack or Leap Strike deal extra magic damage. His E is Counterstrike, which absorbs all basic attacks and minion attacks, reflecting the neutralized damage back in an area around him. His ultimate gives him bonus magic resist and armor. All of these tools combined with Trinity Force alone make Jax an enormous lane bully.
· Due to how good Jax’s kit is with dueling, Jax is a naturally aggressive champion. Focus on using his W to win trades in lane. Jax is especially good early (level 2-3). Don’t get too absorbed by your aggression though – it can be easy to try and trade too much and miss the enemy jungler ganking you.
· Rush Trinity Force with Sheen or Phage first, depending on the matchup. If you’re laning against a similarly aggressive champion, it might be a good idea to be able to soak up more damage with Phage. Also, don’t be afraid to rush Ninja Tabis into champs that focus on auto attacking, like Fiora or Urgot.
· The most important part about playing an aggressive champion like Jax is to not die in lane. Even one death for a champ that needs a lot of gold for items (rushing Trinity Force is expensive) usually means that the lane is over. Focus on trading and going in when you know the enemy jungler isn’t near you.
· Even if you haven’t taken turret yet, if it’s getting to the mid game it is a good idea to take your lead to other lanes. Even while behind, a simple gank mid is a good idea if you’re having a rough time getting gold in your own lane.
Here is a Jax guide from Challenger player Yeager:
#9: Ekko, The Boy Who Shattered Time (Jungle)
Ekko is a young technological prodigy living in Zaun. With his invention, the Zero Drive, he can go back in time as many times as he wants (although it’s only about thirty seconds). With this power, he can make every moment the perfect moment. To Ekko’s enemies, he seems to be a super-talented whiz-kid who can get the perfect result in every situation. If anyone threatens Ekko’s friends, he will stop at nothing to keep them safe.
Ekko is an ability power menace. He has high mobility and extremely high scaling, making him the perfect assassin. His passive, Z-Drive Resonance, applies a stack to enemies he hits with basic attacks or abilities. At three stacks, it detonates, dealing bonus damage and giving Ekko a speed boost if the stacks detonate on an enemy champion. His Q, Timewinder, shoots out a projectile that deals magic damage and slows enemies, as well as dealing damage on the way back to Ekko. This, combined with his E, Phase Dive, makes getting his passive off easy. His E is a short dash in target direction that also buffs his next auto attack, blinking Ekko to his target. This can be used to dodge over abilities, much like an Ezreal’s E, but the timing is much more precise. His W is called Parallel Convergence, and leaves a large area of effect slow that stuns any enemies that are inside the area when Ekko enters it. Ekko’s ultimate is what makes him the perfect assassin. Known as Chronobreak, Ekko teleports to where he was four seconds ago, dealing massive AP damage and healing him for a flat amount plus a portion of damage he took in the last four seconds. These tools combined make Ekko a threat to all backlines.
· Ekko’s main positions are Mid and Jungle. Jungle has become more popular recently, as Ekko’s big weakness is when he doesn’t have his ult, which means he is easily bullied by the multitude of ranged matchups in the midlane. This weakness is covered by going in the jungle. If you want to get comfortable on the champion, I highly recommend playing him in the jungle first to get a hang of his kit. There is much less pressure in the jungle and you can help your team much more than if you were midlane.
· Ekko’s most staple item is Hextech Protobelt. Rush this in virtually every matchup (for more AD heavy matchups, get a Seeker’s Armguard before you start building Protobelt). This item gives Ekko a power spike in both damage and waveclear, as well as giving an already mobile assassin even more movement.
· While Ekko’s ult is a safeguard, don’t get baited into a bad situation. If you go too deep, not even your ult will be able to save you. Get used to knowing where your ultimate is going to be when you get into fights. Having this awareness is key to becoming a good Ekko player.
· If you get an early lead as Ekko, don’t get baited into building more brute force AP items such as Rabadon’s Deathcap or Spellbinder. It might be tempting, but rushing big items like that is very dangerous, as you need a large cashflow to supply items like those. Find a build path that works for you, and remember to always build reflexively when necessary.
· If you play Ekko midlane, it’s a good idea to roam as soon as you build Protobelt. Pushing as Ekko is a breeze at that point, and pushing your advantage onto other laners is a sure way to get a free win.
Here is another guide from high elo jungler KingStix:
#8: Senna, The Redeemer (Support)
Senna was cursed as a child to be haunted by the Black Mist, a force of evil that absorbs souls into itself, turning them against the living. In order to combat this, she joined the Order of the Light in an attempt to fight back. This failed, and her soul was captured within Thresh’s lantern. Instead of losing herself and becoming a mindless wraith herself, she managed to harness the Mist within Thresh’s lantern, and eventually escaped. Now she uses both darkness and light in her fight against the Black Mist.
Senna is a very unique champion. Her passive, Absolution, randomly shows the souls of dead minions, monsters, and enemy champions as units that remain after their host has died. Using an auto attack on these wraiths empowers her auto attacks, giving her attack damage, attack range, and increased critical strike chance for each soul absorbed. If she damages an enemy champion with an auto attack, she can auto attack them again for soul without needing to kill them. Her Q, Piercing Darkness, is an auto attack buff with increased range. It deals damage to enemies and heals all allies caught in its path. Her W is Last Embrace, a slow moving skillshot that binds the first enemy it hits after 1 second. Her E, Curse of the Black Mist, shrouds her and her allies as long as they do not take an action, giving them bonus movespeed and the visage of a wraith to all enemies. Any ability usage or auto attack removes this guise. Her ultimate is Dawning Shadow, a global ultimate that is similar to her Q in that it shields allies and damages all enemies caught in the middle of its path.
· Focus on farming wraiths as much as possible while remaining safe. It won’t seem like much at the beginning of the game, but it adds up later. The bonuses she receives from her passive makes her a large damage dealer late game, making her a unique support that can pump out damage and heal her team at the same time.
· Never use your E in lane unless you can guarantee a kill with it. It’s an amazing disengage tool as long as you use it before the enemy team is sitting on top of you. Make sure you keep your river warded so you can run away to safety in case you get ganked.
· It might be tempting, but never use your ultimate in the middle of a fight unless it is absolutely necessary. Senna is immobile while she is casting it, making her very vulnerable to enemy crowd control and damage. Try and save it for when other members of your team need it (besides your ad) as it can be a very useful tool to turn a fight in mid or toplane.
· Build Frozen Mallet first. This item synergizes with Senna because of her passive, as well as her insane attack range late game. Senna is similar to pyke in that it is rare for her to build any defensive items, although against the right compositions it would be a good idea to get some more defensive items. The alternative would be to take Glacial Augment instead of Grasp of the Undying, but this makes her much less tanky in the late game. The Glacial Augment path also makes her much more vulnerable, and in an aggressive meta that means it makes her worse. This may end up being a playstyle preference, but the most impressive results and gameplay from Senna results from a more resilient build.
· Be aggressive level 1. Senna’s passive is a great tool for trading early, especially with her Q. If you auto attack and then immediately Q, you get a soul for free and deal a healthy chunk of damage to either enemy laner.
Here is a Senna guide from Challenger player MissFortuneDaBes. This is a gameplay-centric guide that is very informational:
#7: Zed, The Master of Shadows (Mid)
Zed is the leader of the Order of the Shadow. His vision was to militarize the martial and mystic arts of Ionia in an attempt to fight off the invading Noxians. In his pursuit for power, Zed learned a dangerous secret shadow art form. Zed learned these forbidden techniques, and uses his knowledge in an attempt to defend his country and his order.
Zed is one of the more famous mid laners. An attack damage assassin, Zed specializes in singling out targets and dispatching them with ease. His passive, Contempt for the Weak, deals bonus magic damage to low health enemies. His Q, Razor Shuriken, fires off a skillshot that deals moderate damage, decreasing after the first target hit. His W, Living Shadow, is what makes him extremely mobile and powerful. It puts a clone of Zed toward target location (which he can teleport to on reactivation as long as he is in range), and it copies all of Zed’s abilities, making him throw two shurikens instead of one, as well as copying his E, Shadow Slash. This ability slows the enemy if it hits from Zed’s shadow, and decreases the cooldown of his W if hit by either Zed or his shadow. His ultimate, Death Mark, teleports Zed behind target enemy champion after a short delay, and after three seconds deals damage based on how much damage Zed dealt to his target while the Mark was active. It also leaves a shadow behind, which he can teleport to for a short time after he ults. Zed’s kit makes him a very formidable assassin.
· Unless you’re playing into an ability power heavy mage that requires you build some magic resist (Ryze, Akali, Katarina to name a few), rush either Youmoo’s Ghostblade or Duskblade of Draktharr. The massive AD scaling that his moves have combined with the armor negation of lethality items makes Zed powerspike after he finishes his first item, as long as you aren’t too far behind.
· Zed is easy to play at a moderate level, but extremely difficult to play optimally. The most important part of Zed’s combo is landing his Q’s on the enemy. This is made much more difficult when you have three different places the shuriken is coming from (one from his W and one from his ultimate). Practice landing this skillshot as much as possible. A triple shuriken combo is usually enough to kill any enemy laner.
· Use your W and Q to poke down the enemy laner until they are low enough for you to combo them to death with your R. However, don’t throw it out every time you have it, especially if you’re pushed up. Without his W, Zed becomes extremely gankable. Make sure you have both sides of mid warded as much as possible to avoid getting ganked like this.
· Zed is a great split pusher, although he isn’t framed like a traditional one. As long as you hold onto your W and you aren’t pushing blind, Zed is an extremely efficient duelist that requires someone to come and deal with him. Due to his immense ability to 1v1, the enemy team will have to send their strongest member, or send more than one member to deal with him.
· Zed is great at pushing quickly and roaming. After you get your first lethality item, if you use your W to clear the wave quickly, you usually will be able to roam to other lanes and have the ability be up again in time for an efficient gank. Roaming early is necessary if you want your “Hunter” rune of choice to be stacked before mid-late game.
Here is a Zed guide to get you going:#6: Thresh, The Chain Warden (Support)
A spirit of the Shadow Isles, Thresh had his responsibilities of secretkeeper torn away from him by a force much stronger than him. Now a resentful wraith, Thresh goes around torturing his victims in the cruelest way possible – keeping their souls alive during their last moments of suffering by trapping their souls in his lantern.
Thresh is an infamous support, known for his early game playmaking ability. Thresh’s Passive, Damnation, sometimes spawns little souls that, when picked up, give him a small boost in armor and ability power. These souls can also be picked up by his W, Dark Passage. This ability drops Thresh’s lantern on the ground, shielding allies. Any single ally that clicks on the lantern while in it’s radius will immediately be pulled to Thresh. Thresh’s Q, Death Sentence, fires out a hook, latching onto the first enemy in its path. Thresh can reactivate this ability to fly to his hooked target. Thresh’s E, Flay, slightly pulls enemies behind thresh and slightly pushes enemies in front of Thresh. His ultimate, The Box, sets up a pentagon of walls that snap when walked into by an enemy, massively slowing them and dealing moderate AP damage.
· Thresh’s level 2 is one of the best in the game. Be aware of when you and your AD are about to hit level 2, and begin walking toward the enemy. If they don’t back off, there’s a good chance you and your marksmen will get an early kill.
· Thresh creates immense amounts of pressure at all stages in the game. Use the threat of your abilities to keep the enemy Marksmen on their toes. Doing so may make them miss some farm, and if they step too close you could even get a kill.
· If you’re behind in lane, keep your abilities up to peel your marksmen instead of engage a fight. Though it may seem counterintuitive, standing behind your marksmen instead of frontlining and applying pressure can be a safe way to play while you’re behind, since your W will be pulling them to safety.
· After you build Mobility Boots, it’s a good idea to roam to other lanes. Thresh’s massive playmaking ability can make for a quick and easy kill.
· In teamfights, try and get your ult off in the middle of the action. Doing so creates a massive obstacle that the enemy team needs to work around.
Here is a Thresh guide from grandmaster support Bizzleberry:
#5: Caitlyn, The Sherriff of Piltover (Marksman)
Caitlyn is an officer of Piltover. Often paired with the hotheaded Vi, Caitlyn’s cool personality matches her cunning intellect. With her unique hextech rifle, Caitlyn protects the people of Piltover with a watchful eye.
Caitlyn is the quintessential marksman. Her kit is simple on the surface, but having a deep knowledge of her and how her kit works can lead to some very rewarding gameplay. Caitlyn’s passive, Headshot, makes every 7th attack of hers deal bonus damage that scales with critical strike chance. Her Q, Piltover Peacemaker, is a skillshot that deals initial damage to the first target struck and decreased damage on everything else struck behind it. Her W is Yordle Snap Trap, and it places a trap on the ground that when triggered by an enemy champion, deals very little ap damage and roots them in place. Her E is 90 Caliber Net, and this move fires a net that propels Caitlyn in the opposite direction. This net allows Caitlyn to fire a headshot crit from farther away. Her ultimate is Ace in the Hole, a targeted ability that deals massive ad damage after channeling for a few seconds. Allies on the enemy team can block the bullet before it reaches your target.
· Caitlyn has the highest attack range in the game. Use this to your advantage to get damage in with your auto attacks while the enemy marksmen is farming.
· Caitlyn’s headshot damage scales with critical strike chance. Rush infinity edge, and build an attack speed crit item. Crit and attack speed scale incredibly well with Caitlyn, and her powerspike is as soon as she finishes her Infinity Edge. Not only does the crit itself deal more damage, but her passive mixed with Infinity Edge’s passive makes her headshot deal plenty of damage.
· Learn how to use Caitlyn’s net well. It can be used to get a sneaky Q on the enemies, or it can be used to dodge abilities. Try and use it sparingly in lane unless you’re getting ganked, as without it Caitlyn isn’t very mobile.
· Supports that hard cc the enemy pair best with Caitlyn. Try and get a Leona or a Nami as a support, as both of these support’s kits pair very well with Caitlyn and her traps.
· Don’t get baited by trying to harass them too much with your auto attacks. Especially mid laning phase, Caitlyn might be strong but that does not mean she’s invincible. Be smart about when you decide to harass the enemy laners.
Here is a Caitlyn guide that is great for beginners:
#4: Nasus, The Curator of the Sands (Top)
Nasus is a demigod to the people of Shurima. He served as a source of wisdom and protection for the once affluent city, but after Shurima fell Nasus exiled himself. Now that the city has risen again, Nasus has come out of hiding in order to ensure the safety of Shurima.
Nasus is a menace. If he isn’t stopped early, he isn’t going to be stopped at all. His passive is Soul Eater, and it gives his auto attacks bonus lifesteal that scale with his current level. His Q is his staple ability – Siphoning Strike. If this ability kills a small monster or minion it permanently increases the damage he does with this ability by 3. If he kills a large minion or monster, it increases by 6, and if he kills an enemy champion or epic monster with it, it increases the damage permanently by 12. His W is Wither, which is a targeted slow that makes them slower over the duration of the spell. His E is Spirit Fire, which deals initial magic damage as well as a slow burn while applying an armor debuff to any enemy in the circle. His ultimate is Fury of the Sands. This ability gives him bonus attack range, armor, magic resist, damages nearby enemies, and gives him a decreased cooldown on his Q.
· Nasus is a champion for patient players. Trading the excitement of early game for a win late game is all this champion is about. Try playing more defensively and focus on farming for a large portion of laning phase, making sure you buy wards to avoid getting ganked. Nasus is going to be useful no matter what (given time).
· Sheen is a staple item on Nasus. Outside of dying twice before 4 minutes, you should be rushing this item every game into every matchup. Without it, Nasus really suffers in the mid game. You can either go into Trinity Force if your team has enough armor already, or take the Sheen and turn it into a pair of Iceborn Gauntlets.
· Nasus is a split pusher. Once you have the farm lead, it’s easy for him to steamroll turrets and most people who come to stop him. It takes a commitment of someone very far ahead to take care of Nasus, or more than two enemy champions to efficiently stop him from split pushing. Use this commitment of resources to take objectives on other parts of the map.
· Nasus doesn’t need to build many offensive items. Trinity Force is all you need to deal massive damage when paired with your Q when it is stacked, so build defensively after you get out of laning phase.
· Ghost is an excellent summoner spell on Nasus that makes dueling very easy. Especially when paired with his slow, enemies have a really tough time escaping from a ghosting Nasus.
Here is a Nasus guide from Nasus main MipZ:
#3: Katarina, The Sinister Blade (Mid)
Katarina is one of the best assassins in Noxus. Daughter to the famous General Du Couteau, she dispatches her targets with swiftness and ease. Her confidence and ambition have her taking on jobs that target heavily armed and well protected individuals. No matter how difficult it may seem, Katarina is always ready to kill whoever she needs to.
Katarina is extremely difficult to play, and extremely rewarding to play when mastered. Her kit has you bouncing all over the battlefield with her passive, Voracity. Any enemy champion that dies that Katarina has recently damaged gives her a massive refund of the cooldown on her abilities. Her Q, Bouncing Blade, has Katarina throw a knife at an initial target. This blade bounces between three enemies before landing on the ground behind the final target. Picking up any of Katarina’s knives refunds the cooldown on her E, Shunpo, which teleports her to target enemy or ally, dealing minor damage to enemies. Her W, Preparation, throws a knife in the air and directly on the ground where she cast the ability, giving her a short burst of movement speed. Her ultimate, Death Lotus, has her spin in circles, throwing knives rapidly at all targets caught in the ult’s radius. This also applies grievous wounds to the enemy.
· Katarina is relatively weak early. Try to avoid taking as much damage as possible while keeping your farm up so you can deal some damage after your first back.
· Katarina’s most staple item is Hextech Gunblade. The healing and mixed damage of the item pairs incredibly well with the rapid damage-dealing kit that Katarina has. It’s a very expensive item, so you either need to farm and play safe or be aggressive and get some kill money early.
· Katarina’s skill cap is incredibly high. It’s good to know exactly how much damage you’re going to be doing at each stage of each item you build. Play her a lot in normal before taking her into ranked to get a feel for her matchups as well as how she feels with each item that she buys.
· In AD heavy matchups, don’t be afraid to rush a Seeker’s Armguard before going into Gunblade. It might be tempting to go straight for damage, but if the enemy laner can out damage you then there’s no point.
· A few kills is all it takes for Katarina to start snowballing. Try and get your jungler to give you some early attention.
Here is a Katarina guide from Katarina main Katlife:
#2: Soraka, The Starchild (Support)
Soraka is a mystical being from the dimensions beyond Mount Targon who gave up her immortality to care for the mortals being destroyed by themselves. A healer to all, Soraka will even heal those who actively wish her ill.
Soraka is almost unfair. A simple item-check champion, if the enemy doesn’t build any anti-heal Soraka will be carrying her entire team from the backline. Her passive is Salvation, which gives her dramatically increased movement speed toward low health allies. Her Q, Starcall, is a skillshot that shoots a star at enemy champions. She gains increased health regeneration for each enemy champion caught in its field of effect. Her W is Astral Infusion, which takes a portion of Soraka’s health and gives it to an ally. Her E, Equinox, is another skillshot that puts down a silencing field. Enemies caught in here are silenced, and after a delay if they’re still in the circle they are bound in place. Her ultimate is Wish, healing all of her allies no matter where they are on the map.
· Soraka can straight up carry games if she is left unchecked. Play safe with her in lane and let your marksman farm up, as she can’t do much early game. After your marksman’s first item spike is about the time you can be aggressive, as by then hopefully you’ve hit level 6 and have enough healing to win a 2v2.
· In most cases, you’re going to want to rush Ardent Censer. Not only does it increase your healing power, but it gives an attack speed buff to whoever you heal. That means when you ult, you can give anyone on the map an attack speed buff when they need it.
· For how strong she is late game, she is very weak early. Not only do her heals not heal much, but she doesn’t have a lot of peeling power outside of her E. Make sure you and your marksman aren’t pushing up too much and aren’t being too aggressive, as most support/marksman matchups can out damage you.
· Roaming on Soraka isn’t a bad idea. As soon as you have Mobility Boots, you can zoom to whatever lane needs you most.
· Be aware of who is the most important on your team and try to stick to healing them the most. Very rarely should you be switching in between healing targets, as that spreads Soraka a little too thin (outside of using her ult). Be aware of who the strongest person is on your team and help them win fights!
Here is yet another guide from Grandmaster support Bizzleberry:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSI3YBI0DBQ
#1: Yasuo, The Unforgiven
Yasuo is an Ionian swordsman that uses the air to cut up his enemies. Wrongly accused of killing his master, Yasuo had to kill his brother in self-defense. Even after his innocence was proven, Yasuo became a nomad, unable to forgive himself for what he’d done. Now he wanders Ionia with only the wind to guide him.
Yasuo is likely the most famous champion in League of Legends. His kit is so incredibly crafted that he is fun to watch and even more fun to play. His passive is Way of the Wanderer, which gives him a shield when enemies damage him that recharges as he moves around the map. This also doubles all critical strike chance he receives from items. His Q is Steel Tempest, a unique ability that enables him to throw a tornado forward in a line (or in a circle if used directly after his E, Sweeping Blade, which has him dashing through an enemy) after two successful hits of the ability. His W is Wind Wall, a moving wall that blocks all projectiles being fired through it. His ultimate is Last Breath. With this ability, Yasuo takes any airborne enemy and deals damage to them a few times in the air and then slams them to the ground, giving his critical strikes bonus armor penetration.
· Yasuo is excellent at trading early. After he hits level 2 he can use the minion wave to stack damage on his E and get closer to the enemies at the same time. If you’re going to go in with your E, make sure there is a minimum of one minion that you can dash to as an escape route.
· It might be tempting to ult someone whenever they get airborne, but be frugal with it as you may get baited into ulting into a gank.
· Your W really should never be used until it absolutely has to. Be judicial about using it, as it goes on cooldown for a long time after its used, leaving Yasuo vulnerable to projectile-based ganks.
· Yasuo has a very addictive playstyle. Don’t get sucked into the trap of just dashing into minions and trading because you can, as you don’t always win trades.
· Yasuo is very weak if he doesn’t get kills or stay alive early. Play safe and trade when you know you can win the trade, and go in when you’re certain that the enemy jungler isn’t going to gank you as you go in. Avoid dying early as much as possible.
Here is a Yasuo guide from Challenger player Daveyx3:
Hopefully, this guide has inspired you to get on League and start dominating. See you on the Rift!
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