Middle lane (commonly shortened to just “Mid”) is pretty self-explanatory: it’s the lane that goes down the center of the Summoner’s Rift map. It’s the shortest lane in the map and surrounded on either side by jungle, and it’s probably the site that sees the most action.

The Mid-laner role is exceptionally flexible in terms of the type of champions played, and it largely depends on what type of player you are. Usually, mage and assassin champions are played in the Mid lane, although occasionally, bruisers and ADC (attack damage carries) can find success there. Mid-laners generally require a mix of good minion wave-clearing power, high dominance in the early and mid game, and the ability to adequately roam around the map and into other lanes. 

Throughout the season, Riot Games releases patches nerfing, buffing, and adjusting various champions. However, since the ranked season started in mid-January, the champions in this article have enjoyed high popularity, respectable win-rates, and decent ban rates, which are all signs of great health in the game. These are all fantastic picks in the current meta.

15. Yasuo (Good)

Team Liquid's Midbeast commentates on insane gameplay featuring the #1 Yasuo in the world.

The swordsman is one of the most popular and iconic champions on the Rift, although he has a reputation for being played by unskilled and toxic players. He has a deceptively simple kit that actually takes a lot of skill to be successful, which may explain the wild discrepancy in the win-rates of low and high ELO players. Despite all that working against him, Yasuo has remained relevant and popular season-after-season, and Season 14 is no different.

Reasons to Pick Yasuo:

• Mobility: Yasuo’s E (Sweeping Blade) is a dash that deals magic damage to the target as he passes through. This is useful for darting around foes while also doing a number on their health.
• Self-peel (protection): Yasuo is a melee champion, and he will often encounter a ranged enemy mid-laner. His W (Wind Wall) blocks incoming projectiles, making laning against ranged champions easier. His passive ability also allows him to gain a shield as he moves around the map.
• Crowd control and follow-up damage: Yasuo’s Q (Steel Tempest)  can knock up a champion, and he can follow up with his Ultimate (Last Breath) to completely destroy his target. His Ultimate can also target champions knocked airborne by other means (teammates, jungle camps, or the blast plant in the jungle).

Pick Yasuo If:

• Your teammates have abilities that can knock up opponents.
• The enemy team is projectile-heavy.
• Your team lacks physical damage.

Yasuo is Strong Against:

• LeBlanc
• Kassadin
• Annie
• Varus
• Sylas

Yasuo is Weak Against:

• Aurelion Sol
• Anivia
• Taliyah
• Swain
• Rumble

14. Zed (Good)

Zed one-trick Fiddlezahar's all-in-one guide to playing Zed in 2024

Zed’s notable for being possibly the only champion Riot keeps weak on purpose. It’s easy to see why: his kit is high on damage and mobility, and his Ultimate makes him untargetable to the enemy. Despite Riot’s efforts to keep him down, Zed remains a force to be reckoned with in the Mid lane, and he’s definitely worth picking up in Season 14.

Reasons to pick Zed:

• Not mana-dependent: Zed uses energy rather than mana as his spellcasting resource, and energy regenerates much faster than mana without the need of regeneration items. This allows him to focus on building ability haste and attack damage items, which allow him to spam his abilities and burst down his enemies.
• Mobility: As an assassin, Zed’s kit is built for mobility and roaming around the map. His W (Living Shadow) allows him to dash around, as well as blink quickly to a different location. This can be used as both a tool for chasing down opponents as well as escaping from danger.
• Strong Ultimate: Zed’s Ultimate (Death Mark) renders him untargetable to the enemy and deals massive damage. It can be effective for cleaning up after teamfights and executing fleeing, low-health opponents.

Pick Zed If:

• The enemy Mid-laner is immobile and/or squishy.
• Your team lacks physical damage.
• The enemy team lacks hard CC.

Zed is Strong Against:

• Hwei
• Yone
• Fizz
• LeBlanc
• Aurelion Sol

Zed is Weak Against:

• Tristana
• Irelia
• Sylas
• Diana
• Azir

13. Lux (Good)

Challenger Rank 1 Lux player Yozu shows off Lux's impressive power in the Mid-lane.

Lux can be played as either a Mid-laner or a Support, which means she’s super versatile and can be built in many different ways to suit her team’s needs. For Mid lane, she’ll want to prioritize damage to maximize her poke and burst potential. Her greatest drawbacks are her lack of mobility and her dependence on items for damage, although she’ll be far from useless – even if she’s behind – thanks to her utility.

Reasons to Pick Lux:

• Utility: Even if she’s behind and can’t output a lot of damage, Lux can still be useful to her teammates by shielding allies and CC-ing enemies with her abilities.
• Early strong combo: At level 2, she should have access to her Q (Light Binding)  and E (Lucent Singularity) combo, which can be deadly. Even if the combo doesn’t completely obliterate her opponent, the crowd control can set up a gank for her Jungler. 
• Long-range Ultimate: Her Ultimate (Final Spark) has a maximum range of 3340, and since Mid’s the shortest lane, it works in her favor. In the late game, the cooldown on it will be so low, she’ll be basically spamming laser beams than can chunk down or even one-shot her foes.

Pick Lux If: 

• Your team lacks reliable CC.
• Your team needs Area of Effect (AoE) damage.
• Your team comp is focused on poke damage and sieging.

Lux is Strong Against:

• Hwei
• LeBlanc
• Lissandra
• Annie
• Yone

Lux is Weak Against:

• Aurelion Sol
• Kassadin
• Qiyana
• Gragas
• Neeko

12. Smolder (Good)

Mid/ADC expert Eternal Hero takes the Fiery Fledgling for a spin in the Mid-lane.

Smolder’s been tearing up the Bot lane since his release, but he also makes for a pretty good Mid-laner as well. He suffers a little bit without the constant presence of a Support, but he makes up for it with infinite scaling. In the hands of the right player, Smolder can burn bright on the Rift.

Reasons to Pick Smolder:

• Limitless power: Smolder scales infinitely thanks to his passive, which permanently boosts the damage of his basic abilities whenever he hits an enemy with a spell or scores a kill. There’s not limit to how much “Dragon Practice” he can stack, so he’ll only get stronger over the course of the game.
• Spell radius: Smolder’s W (Achooo!) and Ultimate (MMOOOMMMM!) benefit from Mid lane being straighter and shorter than Bot lane. It’s way harder to dodge his spells in the Mid lane.
• Early power spike: Smolder gets his first power spikes at levels 3 and 4. In contrast, many meta Mid-laners are late-game champions that take time to get online. Smolder can potentially set these champions back and prevent them from snowballing in the early game.

Pick Smolder If:

• The enemy Mid-laner has a weaker early game.
• The enemy team also has an infinitely-scaling champion.
• The enemy Mid-laner has limited mobility.

Smolder is Strong Against:

• Katarina
• Akali
• Kassadin
• Malzahar
• LeBlanc

Smolder is Weak Against:

• Zed
• Sylas
• Syndra
• Lux
• Irelia

11. Xerath (Good)

Xerath main and Mid-lane expert Zwag gives his first impressions of season 14 Xerath.

Xerath is the king of poke damage due to his Q (Arcanopulse) and W (Eye of Destruction) abilities. He’s guaranteed to be an nuisance to the enemy team with his long range abilities and point-and-click Ultimate. However, he can be susceptible to crowd control, and he’s a sitting duck when charging up Arcanopulse or firing off his Ultimate (Rite of the Arcane). 

Reasons to Pick Xerath:

• Fantastic poke and range: Forget about playing a melee champion into Xerath. You’ll never be able to get close, and he’ll gradually drain your health with his long range abilities.
• Crowd control: Xerath’s W slows enemies caught in its radius, and his E (Shocking Orb) stuns the first target it hits. 
• Excellent teamfights: His abilities are great for starting fights and disabling enemies. Additionally, his Ultimate is great for chunking down enemies and cleaning up low-health stragglers.

Pick Xerath If:

• Your team lacks magic damage.
• Your team lacks reliable CC.
• The enemy team is melee-focused.

Xerath is Strong Against:

• Lux
• Hwei
• Syndra
• Orianna
• Viktor

Xerath is Weak Against:

• Vel’Koz
• Maokai
• Pantheon
• Sylas
• Irelia

10. Naafiri (Great)

Challenger Mid main Quantum shows off a devastating Naafiri Mid build.

Goodest girl Naafiri is a hyper-mobile champion with early snowball potential. She can get fed super early and easily, especially if laning against a squishy champion. However, that also means she struggles if she gets behind in the early game, so it’s essential players take advantage of her level 3 power spike to get ahead.

Reasons to Pick Naafiri:

• Hyper-mobility: Naafiri has two dash abilities. Both abilities deal damage to targets, and her E (Eviscerate) ability has the added benefits of AoE damage and healing her dogs. Her Ultimate (The Call of the Pack) grants her a burst of movement speed, as well.
• Constant DPS: Naafiri can maintain a high rate of damage, thanks to her dogs. They surge forward and attack the targets of her autos and abilities, and that damage can add up. She can also sit somewhat further back and let her dogs act as a frontline for her. 
• Bane of the squishies: Any squishy or low-health champion is in danger when Naafiri’s around. She can easily chase down and obliterate them.

Pick Naafiri If:

• The enemy team comp is squishy and/or immobile.
• The enemy team has a weaker early game.
• The enemy team lacks hard CC.

Naafiri is Strong Against:

• Kai’Sa
• LeBlanc
• Zoe
• Vel’Koz
• Twisted Fate

Naafiri is Weak Against:

• Anivia
• Tristana
• Neeko
• Taliyah
• Cassiopeia

9. Diana (Great)

Challenger Mid-laner PekinWoof flaunts Diana's one-shot potential in the Mid-lane.

Diana is great for players who like playing hyper-aggressive. She’s all about the all-ins, getting into the enemy’s face and bursting them down before they have time to react. She’s also popularly played as a Jungler, so you know her roams are particularly potent.

Reasons to Pick Diana:

• Good roams: Even if you’re not jungling, Diana can still roam around the map and lend a hand in the side lanes. She’s also particularly good at flanking, as she can mark enemies with her Q (Crescent Strike) and dash to them from bushes or fog of war.
• High burst damage: Diana’s kit is geared towards burst damage, which can be augmented with proper itemization. Combined with her mobility, she’s going to be especially obnoxious to the enemy backline. 
• Strong Ultimate: Her Ultimate (Moonfall) slows and draws enemies towards her before blasting them with a devastating amount of magic damage. Even if they survive that, they’ll be ripe for being picked off by Diana or her teammates. 

Pick Diana If:

• The enemy Mid-laner is a melee champion.
• Your team lacks reliable engage.
• Your team lacks magic damage.

Diana is Strong Against:

• Aurelion Sol
• Katarina
• Neeko
• Qiyana
• Kassadin

Diana is Weak Against:

• Irelia
• Yasuo
• Briar
• Karma
• Swain

8. Veigar (Great)

Watch pro-player Nemesis demolish the enemy team as Veigar.

While his early and mid-game are a little lacking, Veigar’s infinite AP scaling makes him a worthy pick. As long as you can hit targets with his abilities, he can stack a ridiculous amount of AP in the late game and absolutely obliterate opponents. Some players even forego building AP items on him in favor of itemizing him as a tank to mitigate some of his vulnerabilities.

Reasons to Pick Veigar:

• Limitless power: Veigar gains stacks of “Phenomenal Evil” every time he hits a champion with an ability or scores a kill. Each stack grants him one point of AP, and there’s no limit to how much he can stack. Over the course of the game, he’ll be able to rack up tons of stacks and get to sky-high AP ratios. 
• Ultimate execution: Veigar’s Ultimate (Primordial Burst) deals a large amount of magic damage that’s increased based on the target’s missing health. As the game progresses, his Ultimate will start executing enemies altogether.
• Zoning: His E (Event Horizon) is an excellent control tool. It can stun enemies, as well as divide them as they try to avoid its crowd control effect. This is particularly lethal in choke points.

Pick Veigar If:

• Your team lacks area control.
• Your team needs anti-siege pressure.
• Your team lacks magic damage.

Veigar is Strong Against:

• Yasuo
• Kai’Sa
• Ziggs
• Galio
• Malzahar

Veigar is Weak Against:

• Talon
• Katarina
• Qiyana
• Kassadin
• Akshan

7. Sylas (Great)

Rank 1 Sylas player Armooon's guide on how to play this unique champion

Sylas’s kit has nearly all the components for the perfect Mid-laner: mobility, self-healing, and crowd control. The only thing keeping him down is the lack of a traditional Ultimate. His Ult-stealing ability can be devastating, but if the opposing team doesn’t have anything particularly useful for him or his allies, Sylas will be – at most – only 75% effective. 

Reasons to Pick Sylas:

• Mobility: Sylas’s E (Abscond/Abduct) is a dash that sends out chains, pulling him towards an enemy champion. He can also use it defensively to dash away from a dangerous encounter.
• Self-healing: His W (Kingslayer) heals him while also damaging enemy targets. This is especially useful during trades and teamfights and can be the difference between winning a fight or dying.
• Hijacking Ultimate: Sylas can hijack an enemy’s Ultimate. This can be particularly devastating if he can steal a crowd control or execution-style Ultimate.

Pick Sylas If:

• The enemy team has particularly powerful Ultimates.
• The enemy team is AP-heavy.
• Your team lacks early to mid-game presence.

Sylas is Strong Against:

• Malphite
• Fizz
• Xerath
• Smolder
• Corki

Sylas is Weak Against:

• Taliyah
• Brand
• Naafiri
• Galio
• Karma

6. Kassadin (Great)

Eternal Hero showcases Kassadin's lethality in the Mid-lane.

Kassadin is notorious for being a late game juggernaut. However, he’s held back from greatness by his severely weak early game, a result of a lack of mobility and damage before he unlocks his Ultimate. He can snowball into an unstoppable force with proper help from his Support and Jungler, and after level 16, he really starts to shine.

Reasons to Pick Kassadin:

• Monstrous late game: Many champions began to plateau or even fall off in power in the late game. Not Kassadin, though. He gets stronger, the longer a game goes.
• Engage ability: Kassadin’s Ultimate (Riftwalk) teleport and E (Force Pulse) slow combo is an excellent tool for catching enemies off-guard and starting skirmishes for his team. 
• Mobility: His Ultimate allows him to essentially blink around his enemies, making him very slippery. He can teleport onto an enemy, chunk down their health, and teleport back out of danger in quick succession. As he levels up, the cooldown on this ability gets shorter.

Pick Kassadin If:

• The enemy team is AP-heavy.
• Your teammates can make up for your weak early game.
• The enemy team is largely immobile.

Kassadin is Strong Against:

• LeBlanc
• Syndra
• Orianna
• Vel’Koz
• Fizz
• Viktor

Kassadin is Weak Against:

• Pantheon
• Cassiopeia
• Naafiri
• Qiyana
• Smolder

5. Vex (Best)

Streamer TrikSlyr tests out a variety of new items as Vex Mid-lane.

Vex is an all-around decent mage champion with a straightforward kit with a good amount of self-protection and mobility. You’ll want to play around her passive ability, which periodically empowers her basic abilities, fears enemies, and disrupts dashes. Her roaming game is also quite strong after she unlocks her Ultimate (Shadow Surge), allowing her to make plays in the side-lanes, as well. 

Reasons to Pick Vex:

• Excellent wave clear: Vex’s Q (Mistral Bolt) and E (Looming Darkness) are great wave-clearing abilities. They also have the potential to affect both minions and enemy champions at the same time, allowing her to kill two birds with one stone.
• Anti-melee kit: Her W (Personal Space) is a great tool to use against melee champions, as it is a shield that also deals damage to nearby foes. If her passive is up, it will also interrupt dashes and inflict fear. 
• Long-range Ultimate: Her Ultimate has a very long reach, and she can snipe champions from far distances. She can also recast it to dash to the target, which is a valuable tool to catch lone opponents or to quickly join a teamfight.

Pick Vex If:

• The enemy team has high mobility.
• Your team lacks magic damage.
• Your team lacks reliable CC.

Vex is Strong Against:

• Malzahar
• Yone
• Corki
• Akali
• LeBlanc

Vex is Weak Against:

• Swain
• Taliyah
• Annie
• Zed
• Xerath

4. Gragas (Best)

Pro-player and member of G2 Caps dominates as Gragas in the Mid-lane.

While you’ll usually see mages and assassins in the Mid lane, those looking for a Mid bruiser should take a look at Gragas. His kit has sustain and crowd control, and he can excel as either a tank or an all-out damage-dealer. People are still sleeping on Mid Gragas this season, but his 52.7% win-rate indicates he can be a highly powerful pick in the right hands. 

Reasons to Pick Gragas:

• Great sustain: Many other Mid champions rely on items or their Support for healing, but Gragas’s passive ability allows him to periodically heal for 6% of his maximum health. This means he can outlast his enemies during fights, and he won’t have to go back to base as often for health. 
• Crowd control: Three of his abilities have some form of crowd control attached to them, including a slow, a stun, and a knock-up. If he can execute his combos, he can effectively paralyze his enemies and disable them from dealing damage while obliterating their health bars.
• Versatile builds: Depending on his team’s needs, Gragas can be built as a defensive tank or an offensive glass cannon. It depends on his runes and his items, but that type of versatility means there’s always a place for him, no matter the team composition.

Pick Gragas If:

• Your team lacks reliable engage/disengage.
• The enemy team has one or more assassins.
• Your team lacks magic damage.

Gragas is Strong Against:

• Katarina
• Yasuo
• Yone
• Qiyana
• Fizz

Gragas is Weak Against:

• Ahri
• Veigar
• Cassiopeia
• Swain
• Malzahar

3. Aurelion Sol (Best)

Watch a Master rank Aurelion Sol in action! 

The cosmic dragon was reworked back in Season 13 to mixed reception. However, it seems to have done him some good, as he’s sitting at an excellent 52.5% win rate. He has a reputation for being difficult to pick up for new players, but he can be a great new main for seasoned LoL veterans.

Reasons to Pick Aurelion Sol:

• Powerful roams: A-Sol’s kit allows him to easily traverse to the side-lanes to help his teammates. His W (Astral Flight) allows him to fly over terrain while also being able to fire off his abilities, This enables him to have an impact on all three lanes during the course of the game.
• Self-protection: His moveset is great for protecting him from ganks and all-ins. He can fly away with Astral Flight, and his E (Singularity) drags enemies into its center. 
• Infinite power: A-Sol’s abilities grant him Stardust stacks, which permanently buff his abilities. There’s no limit on how much Stardust he can accrue over the course of a game, which means he can keep growing without limits.

Pick Aurelion Sol If:

• The enemy team also has an infinitely-stacking champion.
• Your team needs global map pressure.
• The enemy Mid is melee-focused.

Aurelion Sol is Strong Against:

• Yasuo
• Akali
• Syndra
• Orianna
• Lux

Aurelion Sol is Weak Against:

• Katarina
• Kassadin
• Zed
• Fizz
• Ekko

2. Ahri (Best)

Challenger rank Mid-laner ProfessorAkali goes from unranked to Diamond in three hours just playing Ahri.

Ahri’s been enjoying a fabulous season so far, with a fantastic 52.6% win rate and a high 13.3% pick rate in. A mainstay of the mid-lane metagame, her kit is focused on mobility and bursting down opponents with magic damage. While she’s weak to crowd control-heavy team compositions, she’s a punishing pick in the mid-lane, especially in the mid-game. 

Reasons to Pick Ahri:

• Mobility: While she’s not as mobile as other assassin champions, Ahri’s kit still affords her more mobility than other mages. Her W (Fox-Fire) grants her a short burst of movement speed, and her Ultimate (Spirit Rush) is a dash that can be recast up to three times per cooldown.
• Self-healing: Ahri’s passive grants her stacks when she hits a champion with an ability, and she heals after nine stacks. While she won’t be healing back tons of her health, it can make a difference against champions who have to rely on items for healing.
• Burst damage: Ahri is the bane of squishy opponents, especially ADCs and Supports. She’ll struggle against beefier champions in the late game, but she excels in picking off the enemy backline and cleaning up after teamfights.

Pick Ahri If:

• The enemy team is squishy and/or immobile.
• Your Jungler has particularly powerful gank potential.
• The enemy team has one or more champions that relies on skillshots (ex. Ezreal, Xerath, etc.)

Ahri is Strong Against:

• Hwei
• Aurelion Sol
• Galio
• Ziggs
• Yone

Ahri is Weak Against:

• Kassadin
• Tristana
• Akshan
• Cassiopeia
• Irelia

1. Twisted Fate (Best)

Pro-player Nemesis plays a fantastic Twisted Fate game on stream.

The Card Master is a stand-out Mid-laner, thanks to his strong wave clear, versatility, and ability to exert significant global pressure. His scaling into the late game, combined with the extra gold from his passive, ensures that he remains a potent threat throughout the game, capable of turning the tide of team fights and skirmishes with well-timed stuns and burst damage.

Reasons to Pick Twisted Fate:

• Global map pressure: Twisted Fate's Ultimate (Destiny) allows him to have a significant impact across the entire map. The ability to quickly join skirmishes, ganks, or counter-ganks in other lanes makes him a constant threat that the enemy team must always keep an eye on. Destiny also grants vision of all enemy champions when activated, which is invaluable for making informed decisions about engages, disengages, or whether to continue pushing a lane.
• Reliable crowd control: His W (Pick a Card) ability offers versatile crowd control options, including a stun that can set up kills, initiate ganks, or disrupt enemy champions during team fights. This reliable CC is invaluable for catching out opponents and securing objectives.
• Versatile builds: His build paths are quite versatile, allowing him to adapt based on the needs of his team and the threats posed by the enemy. He can build for burst damage, sustained DPS, or even a more utility-focused role with items like Cryptbloom or Shurelya’s Battlesong to buff teammates.

Pick Twisted Fate If:

• Your team lacks pick potential.
• Your team needs better vision control.
• The enemy team has a weaker early to mid-game.

Twisted Fate is Strong Against:

• Galio
• Corki
• Ziggs
• Ryze
• Annie

Twisted Fate is Weak Against:

• Xerath
• Cassiopeia
• Swain
• Sylas
• Viktor

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