Kill. Push. Roam. Repeat.
Mid lane is home to many mages and assassins in League. The primary role of these champions is to get kills and get ahead. Many of them are feast or famine. Either you win, or you die. Every champion's kit is more or less designed to get kills, but some stand out as true damage dealers that seem to kill you without even trying.
Of course, the summoner controlling them makes it look that way because they have practiced their skills to ensure swift and accurate executions. If you want to dominate with kills in the mid lane, check out these champions and consider adding them to your arsenal.
10. Malzahar
Malzahar Classic
Malzahar is a mage known as the Prophet of the Void. He originally hailed from Shurima, until he came into contact with the Void. He now aims for the unification of all life, shepherding others to join in what he believes is Runeterra’s salvation. As a champion, Malzahar’s kit can counter many mid lane match-ups with a spell shield, a silence, and a suppression.
- Malzahar gains a spell shield from his P: Void Shift. It also grants him some major damage reduction while the shield is up. This requires enemies to make sure his shield is down before engaging on the prophet.
- Malzahar’s Q: Call of the Void is a thin AoE that deals magic damage as well as silences enemies inside. This can give Malzahar a serious advantage in the fight as most assassins, and of course mages, require their abilities to do major damage.
- Enemies who think they can approach Malzahar get a rude awakening when he activates his R: Nether Grasp. This is a point-and-click ability that suppresses the target while dealing major damage to them as well. This CC is deadly, and all but guarantees a kill when utilized properly.
Tips on how to play Malzahar and win games with him:
- Malzahar gains stacks on his W: Void Swarm when he casts an ability and will consume them when Void Swarm is activated to summon extra voidlings. Try to stack up before casting so you can get three voidlings out on the field.
- Voidlings will prioritize attacking enemies affected by his E: Malefic Visions and deal 300% damage to minions. Using these abilities in tandem is a great way to clear the wave and push the lane.
- As Nether Grasp is a channel, be sure to activate your other abilities beforehand to deal as much damage as possible while your enemy is suppressed.
- Also because it’s a channel, Nether Grasp is dangerous to use during a team fight. You could get stuck in the middle of the enemy team. Try using it to pick off a single target.
- Because of his wave clear, Malzahar can freely roam to the side lanes, using Nether Grasp to lockdown enemy champions.
9. Katarina
PROJECT: Katarina
Katarina is an assassin from Noxus who has gained a reputation through her swift and skillful assassinations. She has an ambition that drives her to seek out challenging targets and prove her mastery of murder. As a champion, Katarina has a great potential to out-play enemies and outlast them in the lane while of course dealing major damage.
- Katarina can blink around the lane with her E: Shunpo. Picking up one of her daggers significantly reduces the cooldown of this ability, allowing for multiple blinks with the right preparation and making it easy to outplay the enemy.
- Katarina’s abilities cost no mana and no energy. She does not have to worry about resource conservation as she outlasts the enemy in lane.
- The dagger damage from her P: Voracity and her R: Death Lotus is nothing to be scoffed at. Using both together is a recipe for champion deletion.
Tips on how to play Katarina and win games with her:
- Voracity has no cooldown, so throwing up a dagger with W: Preparation after Shunpo’ing to one from her Q: Bouncing Blade is a great way to deal big damage in a short time. Plus, it will finish resetting Shunpo for a quick escape.
- The dagger from Bouncing Blade will always land behind the original target of the attack, not the last unit hit. Use this to plan where you want the dagger to land.
- Katarina’s dagger does not need to be on the ground when you Shunpo to it. Even if it’s still in the air, you can blink to where it will land and catch it before it hits the ground.
- Katarina can still pick up/catch daggers while channeling Death Lotus. Activate Preparation right before channeling for some extra burst.
- Activating items will stop the channel of Death Lotus. Use your Gunblade to slow your opponent before starting the channel.
8. Lux
Spellthief Lux
Lux is a mage from Demacia, a kingdom that shuns all forms of magic. She has kept her magic powers secret, lest she be discovered and her family shamed. Nonetheless, she continues to wield her powers in service to the crown that would scorn her. As a champion, Lux can burst enemies with her damage while having respectable CC as well as a protective shield.
- Lux has a root from her Q: Light Binding, and a slow from her E: Lucent Singularity. These abilities make it easy to poke and harass in lane.
- Her W: Prismatic Barrier creates a shield around herself and allies in the path of it. On the return trip, it shields even more and can protect her from damage that the enemy might deal.
- Lucent Singularity does significant damage by itself, but when combined with the damage from her P: Illumination and R: Final Spark, can easily snuff out the enemy’s life.
Tips on how to play Lux and win games with her:
- The Illumination debuff has no cooldown, so it is applied every time one of Lux’s spells damages the target. Throw in autos between abilities for maximum damage.
- Prismatic Barrier needs some time to return to Lux before she gains her second shield. Be sure to plan ahead and cast this early so that you receive maximum shielding when it counts.
- The slow from Lucent Singularity makes it easy to land a Light Binding. Try using these abilities in that order to lockdown your opponent.
- The long-range of Final Spark makes it easy to roam and help out your side lanes in a fight
- Lux is a very squishy champion, with no movement abilities. This makes her susceptible to ganking. Be careful if you shove in the lane.
7. Ahri
Challenger Ahri
Ahri is a mage from Ionia and is a member of the Vastaya, a race of chimera like beings descended from mystical heroes of ages past. Known as the Nine-Tailed Fox, she is a predator that toys with her prey’s emotions before devouring their life essence. As a champion, Ahri can manipulate her opponent with her E: Charm before blasting them with magic damage.
- Charm causes the target to walk towards Ahri in a straight line, allowing her to easily hit them with her Q Orb of Deception and preventing them from escaping her clutches.
- Charm also causes the target to take increased damage from Ahri for a short time. Not to mention that Orb of Deception deals true damage on its return trip. Add on damage from her W: Fox-Fire and R: Spirit Rush and the enemy is sure to fall.
- Spirit Rush allows Ahri to dash up to three times. This makes for great out-play potential as the enemy struggles to pin her down.
Tips on how to play Ahri and win games with her:
- Ahri’s P: Essence Theft grants her occasional healing from her abilities based on the number of enemies hit. Try hitting a fully stacked minion wave with Orb of Deception to get as much healing as you can.
- The increased damage from Charm applies to Ahri’s abilities. Be sure they are all off cooldown to land some serious hurt while the enemy is love-struck.
- Spirit Rush can help you get in a position to land a Charm on your target. Use the other two dashes to chase or to evade attacks they try to throw back at you.
- Spirit Rush can also be used to change the trajectory of Orb of Deception, making sure it hits with true damage.
- Charm’s animation can be hidden if Fox-Fire is cast at the same time.
6. Diana
Dark Valkyrie Diana
Diana is a fighter from Mount Targon, imbued with the essence of an Aspect of the moon. She is a member of the Lunari, a disposed faith in the region. Her life is a struggle to understand the power she wields and what purpose it might have in the world. As a champion, Diana deals magic damage to enemies at close range, closing in before unleashing her power.
- Diana’s E: Lunar Rush makes her able to quickly close any gap between her and the enemy. This ability also has no cooldown if the target has been marked by her Q: Crescent Strike, allowing for another cast if they attempt to flee.
- As she gets in range, Diana can cast her R: Moonfall to draw in enemies and deal massive amounts of damage.
- Furthermore, her W: Pale Cascade shields her and creates three orbs that deal damage on impact. Diana is further shielded if the third orb hits a target.
Tips on how to play Diana and win games with her:
- The cleave attack granted by Moonsilver Blade requires stacks to activate. Stacks that fall off after 3.5 seconds. If you wait that long to attack, you will need to re-stack to regain the cleave.
- Crescent Strike is not a straight skill shot, it’s a crescent. Keep this in mind to try and farm with it while you poke.
- Be sure to mark enemies with Crescent Strike before engaging with Lunar Rush. This will allow you to dash to them again if they try to flash away.
- Keep in mind that Lunar Rush will consume the marks on all enemies when cast, so don’t expect to be able to dash to every target.
- The damage from Moonfall is increased for each target drawn in. Cast this in the middle of the enemy team to lay down some serious hurt.
5. Kassadin
Kassadin Classic
Kassadin is an assassin of the Void. Originally from Shurima, Kassadin spends his life seeking revenge for the death of his family. He kills any life the Void may have to offer in his search for the one known as “The Prophet.” As a champion, Kassadin is naturally adept at fighting mages, able to appear beside them and annihilate them with his massive burst damage.
- Kassasin’s P: Void Stone allows him to take 15% less magic damage. His Q: Null Sphere interrupts all channels and grants him a magic damage shield. His E: Force Pulse gains energy from spells cast near him. All of this makes him adept at countering any mage he might find on the Rift.
- Aside from battling mages, Kassadin can deal massive amounts of damage to any target. The empowered attack from his W: Nether Blade can cut down an enemy’s health in an instant.
- His R: Riftwalk can be cast several times in a row. Each cast will cost additional mana, but will also deal additional damage. This allows him to quickly close any gap between him and his enemy, several times if necessary.
Tips on how to play Kassadin and win games with him:
- Null Sphere may interrupt channels, but provides no other CC. It does not silence or stun, so use it wisely.
- Nether Blade’s empowered auto also restores missing mana. It restores a lot more if used to attack an enemy. This can be used to sustain in lane.
- Force Pulse requires six spells to be cast near Kassadin before it can be activated, but these spells can also be ones that you cast. The cooldown is also very low, so it will almost always be available during a team fight.
- The teleport from Riftwalk means that Kassadin can appear out of nowhere. Use this to cross terrain and quickly blow up the enemy squishes before they even know what’s happening.
- Riftwalk scales up to four times. If you need to make sure you one-shot your target, try ramping it up before going in. (Just make sure you have the mana for it.)
4. Yone
Yone Classic
Yone is an assassin from Ionia and is the half-brother of Yasuo, who was forced to kill him in a duel. In the spirit realm, Yone slew a malevolent spirit before becoming one himself. He now hunts other spirit creatures in an attempt to understand what he has become. As a champion, Yone dispatches his enemies with dashes, CC, and amplified damage.
- Yone has three dashes at his disposal from his Q: Mortal steel, his E: Soul Unbound, and his R: Fate Sealed. This ensures that he can always be on top of his opponent.
- Mortal Steel, when stacked, also knocks up enemies in front of him. The dash from Fate Sealed brings hit enemies to Yone and stuns them. This CC ensures that the enemy will always be right where Yone wants them.
- Once Soul Unbound has completed, it will deal bonus damage equal to the damage dealt while it was active. This amplifies Yone’s damage greatly, ensuring that his enemies will fall quickly.
Tips on how to play Yone and win games with him:
- Reminiscent of his brother, Mortal Steel requires two stacks to activate the dash and knock up. Likewise, his P: Way of the Hunter doubles his critical strike chance.
- Yone’s W: Spirit Cleave grants him a shield based on the number of champions hit. Be sure to hit as many champions as you can to ensure maximum shielding.
- Spirit Cleave also scales with attack speed, so building attack speed and crit items are a good way to ensure you deal as much damage as you can.
- Once Soul Unbound has completed, you will be forced to return to the spot you activated it from. Plan ahead to make sure you won’t be pulled back to where you don’t want to be.
- Fate Sealed’s large area makes it great for stunning the whole enemy team in a fight. It also lines them up for a very damaging Mortal Steel jab.
3. Fizz
Super Galaxy Fizz
Fizz is an assassin who makes his home in the waters surrounding Bilgewater. As an amphibious yordle, he is a trickster who enjoys confounding both allies and enemies. But he is more mischievous than malicious, never intending harm against good-natured sailors. As a champion, Fizz uses his massive burst damage to make his enemies sleep with the fishes.
- Fizz can effortlessly get close to his opponent with his Q: Urchin Strike or his E: Playful/Trickster. This can also be aided by the slow from his R: Chum the Waters.
- Fizz also has great survivability, gaining a flat damage reduction by his P: Nimble Fighter. Furthermore, upon activating Playful Fizz becomes untargetable, giving him a great aptitude for turret dives.
- Overall, throwing an empowered W: Seastone Trident on top of the damage from his other abilities means that Fizz can effortlessly one-hundred to zero a squishy unlucky enough to cross his bow.
Tips on how to play Fizz and win games with him:
- Urchin strike only applies damage to a single target. Don’t expect to clear waves with it.
- The empowered attack from Seastone trident refunds cooldown and mana if the first attack kills a unit, making it an excellent tool for last-hitting minions.
- Playful/Trickster can cross certain terrain, allowing you to surprise enemies while roaming.
- Chum the Waters does more damage based on how far it travels. Try to hit those long-range skill shots for maximum damage.
- Also, keep in mind that Chum the Waters will attach itself to the first champion hit. Be sure to get the right angle if you want to delete that backline squishy.
2. Yasuo
Nightbringer Yasuo
Yasuo is a fighter from Ionia. He was falsely accused of killing his master, forcing him to kill his own brother in self-defense as he fled. The true killer was eventually caught, but Yasuo was too ashamed to return, and now lives in self-exile. As a champion, Yasuo harnesses the power of the wind to slay his enemies.
- Yasuo can use his E: Sweeping Blade to dash through a target enemy. This can be cast on minions, allowing Yasuo to quickly get in range and attack the enemy laner. This dash also gives him ample opportunity to out-play his enemies, dodging their attacks as he moves like the wind.
- When he’s not in range, Yasuo can defend himself against long-range attacks with a shield granted by his P: Way of the Wanderer as well as blocking enemy projectiles with his W: Wind Wall.
- Way of the Wanderer also doubles Yasuo’s critical chance. Furthermore, his critical strikes gain armor penetration after he casts R: Last Breath, ensuring he can swiftly cut down the enemy after knocking them up.
Tips on how to play Yasuo and win games with him:
- The shield from Way of the Wanderer is generated by movement. Keep moving and never stand still while it’s down.
- If the knock up from Steel Tempest is available, casting it in tandem with Sweeping Blade will knock up enemies around you instead of throwing out a tornado.
- Wind Wall can be used to block the attacks from caster minions. Do this to protect your turret or to freeze the lane.
- Try to trade with your opponent while they have allied minions to make use of Sweeping Blade’s low cooldown to dodge their abilities and out-play your rival.
- You cannot cast Sweeping Blade on allied minions, so don’t expect to escape that way.
1. Zed
Championship Zed
Zed is an assassin from Ionia. He is the leader of the Order of Shadow, which he created to combat the Noxian invasion of his country. He has mastered many forbidden techniques in order to neutralize any threat to his home or his new order. As a champion, Zed uses shadow clones to deal damage to enemies before walking away, knowing they are already dead.
- Zed’s W: Living Shadow creates a shadow clone of himself that copies his abilities. He can activate Living Shadow again to swap with his clone, potentially out-playing his opponent.
- Not only does Zed deal double the damage while his clone is out, but he can further his damage even more with his R: Death Mark, which repeats a portion of all damage dealt after a few seconds.
- Zed uses energy, not mana, which means he can constantly harass in lane without worrying too much about resource conservation.
Tips on how to play Zed and win games with him:
- Utilize the power of Zed’s W->E->Q combo. W for range, E to slow, and Q to damage. This will be your primary poke in the lane.
- If the enemy is below half HP, Zed’s P: Contempt for the Weak will kick in, and your next auto will deal bonus maximum health damage. Don’t forget to auto your opponents while trading.
- You can only swap with your shadow clone once per cast. Don’t expect to blink out if you already blinked in.
- Death Mark creates its own shadow clone. Unlike Living Shadow, there is no range limit on swapping with this clone. After you’ve done your damage, swap back to it and wait for them to pop.
- Death Mark also causes you to become untargetable. This can be used to drop turret aggro during a dive.
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