The heart of anger and despair in League of Legends is not found in the center of the map, but in the faraway lands of the top lane. Deemed as an island due to its far proximity from most of the other players in the game, top laners are some of the most battle-hardened warriors that sometimes succumb to the consequences of being one.

Jokes aside, the top lane is a crucial part of the game, with most players serving as the foundation for the team to excel and take over. While most are overlooked just because of their boring function of being a mere tank, most find many different ways to play the lane even without the traditional means. With this, let us delve into the list of the most crucial and impactful top laners this season.

10. Kled

Kled is one who is revered as a great general who is adored by the common soldiery. One that never backs down from a fight and never stops until he achieves what he deserves. But whether these tales are true and the adoration is deserved, one thing is for sure: Kled fights to claim the spoils of war.

Kled is a tanky top laner with the ability to run down enemies with chase and poke potential. Kled is accompanied by Skaarl, his cowardly steed. When he mounts on Skaarl, Kled’s Q (Bear Trap on a Rope) clings to enemies and pulls them after a short duration. This is great for chasing and poking when his Q (Bear Trap on a Rope) is activated when he is unmounted. This version features a ranged pistol that knocks Kled back. His W (Violent Tendencies) allows him to gain more attack speed for four attacks and additional damage on the 4th one. His E (Jousting) is his mobility skill that allows him to dash twice into the enemy. His R (Chaaaaaaaarge!!!) allows him to be unstoppable as he rushes and locks unto the first enemy encountered. Kled’s kit allows him to chase extended fights, with his trusty steed giving him more hp to last longer in the fight.

Kled Strengths:

• Kled’s passive (Skaarl, the Cowardly Lizard) has a separate health bar that takes damage instead of Kled. Once depleted, he runs away but comes back after Kled gains enough courage stacks.
• His Q (Bear Trap on a Rope) can slow enemies after the pull (when mounted).
• Additional damage can be done by his W (Violent Tendencies), which allows him to win short trades.
• His E (Jousting) is great for dodging, escaping, and chasing especially.
• His R (Chaaaaaaaarge!!!) gives movement speed to allies and makes Kled unstoppable.

Pick Kled if: 

• You like being lane dominant with your extra HP bar.
• You love running around and annoying your laner with your hard-to-dodge poke and smooth disengage.
• You love charging unto the enemy.

9. Malphite

Malphite montage.

Malphite came from the remaining piece of the Monolith that was created by Ne’Zuk in order to combat the void. His purpose is to prepare once more for the coming of the void and use his past failure to become stronger in order to protect the world. This shard is back for more.

When talking about tanks, Malphite always comes in the conversation. His Q (Seismic Shard) is a point-and-click spell that slows enemies. He can empower his attacks with his W (Thunderclap), making him send aftershocks after each attack. Another AOE is his E (Ground Slam). Despite his relatively bad laning, Malphite can survive, farm up, and poke with his kit. But the team fight is where he really shines. His R (Unstoppable Force) lets him charge and knock up enemies, dealing immense damage around an area. This alone helps his team have space to deal damage since Malphite will be the one engaging and taking heavy blows. 

Malphite Strengths:

• Malphite’s passive (Granite Shield) grants him a shield for 10% of his max hp, which scales up. This allows him to survive the laning phase easily.
• He can steal movement speed from enemy champions by using his Q (Seismic Shard)
• Malphite gets more tanky the later the game goes on, making it hard for him to be irrelevant.

Pick Malphite if:

• You want to play tanks with a powerful setup kit.
• You want to create space for your team with your buff hp and CC.
• You like big rocks.

8. Nasus

Nasus montage.

Nasus is an Ascended from Shurima who led countless victories for the nation. Being fiercely intelligent, he was able to improve the library and give more knowledge to the people. After the fall of Shurima, the jackal went into self-imposed exile, reeling from the sadness of having to leave his brother Renekton in the tomb with Xerath.

Nasus is a late game tank that can deal immense damage once he gets his stacks. He is great for split pushing and tanking. His Q (Siphoning Strike) gains stacks of damage when it kills an enemy. His W (Wither) is great for chasing or escaping enemies since the slow is very potent. When he wants to deal damage from afar or lower their armor, Nasus can use E (Spirit Fire) to do just that. Nasus can also become tankier and more dangerous once he uses his R (Fury of the Sands). While not being able to have a great lane, Nasus and his mid-late game potential is high.

Nasus Strengths:

• Nasus’ passive (Soul Eater) gives him bonus life steal.
• His R (Fury of the Sands) gives him increased HP, attack range, armor, magic resistance, and allows his Q (Siphoning Strike) to have a lesser cooldown.
• His W (Wither) is great against ADCs or anyone who needs to move and auto attack since the move speed and attack speed slow are very effective..

Pick Nasus if:

• You love stacking, split pushing, and playing for the late game. 
• You run down an enemy with your high damage and potent slowing.
• You love being mistaken as a dog.

7. Kayle

 

 

Kayle montage.

Kayle is the righteous daughter of a Targonian Aspect. She was determined to protect Demacia, and do whatever it takes to purge evil and defend the righteous. Once an inseparable partner to Morgana, her sister, Kayle’s ideologies still ring true to Demacia, as they have put her legend as the cornerstone for their nation.

Kayle is a top lane carry that is very weak in the early game. The later the game progresses, the stronger she becomes. Her Q (Radiant Blast) summons a light sword that deals damage and slows enemies in a line in front of her. Her W (Celestial Blast) heals and gives movement speed to herself and an ally, making it great for chasing and retreating. Another damaging ability is her E (Starfire Spellblade), which empowers Kayle’s attacks, making her deal a lot more than before. When she or an ally is on the brink of dying, she can use her R (Divine Judgement) to shield her or her ally for a short while, making them invulnerable.

Kayle Strengths:

• Kayle’s passive (Divine Ascent) allows her to grow stronger the more levels she has. She progressively gains attack speed, move speed, attack range, and allows her to deal damage in the forms of waves.
• Her Q (Radiant Blast) slows enemies and deals immense damage for farming and bursting.
• Kayle is able to farm faster when she gets her wave clear from her wave-like attacks. 
• Kayle can progressively deal more damage the later the game goes, especially when her E (Starfire Spellblade) is active.

Pick Kayle if: 

• You want to play a ranged carry that snowballs in the late game.
• You want to play a champion that can carry whether the build is in the AD or AP route.
• You love shiny things.

6. Garen

 

 

Garen montage.

Being one of the most well-known champions in the game, Garen has proven to be an easy yet reliable force to be reckoned with. This Demacian started from the bottom, but strived to get on the Dauntless Vanguard, where he fights with for the glory of Demacia, and for the heart of his love, Katarina, a prominent figure from his rival nation, Noxus.

Garen is as simple as can be. He can use his trusty sword skill Q (Decisive Strike) to deal massive damage. The sword can also be spun around using his E (Judgement), which is a great source of AOE and wave clear. His W (Courage) allows him to generate a shield and passively gain more armor and magic resistance. His R (Demacian Justice), literally drops a big sword on his adversaries, executing them and dealing more damage the lower their health is. His kit is very simple and easy to get into. He does, however, get easily kited and locked down. His tanky nature is what keeps him viable and able to keep up with the rest.

Garen Strengths:

• His Q (Decisive Strike) silences enemies and gives Garen a move speed bonus.
• He gets tanky thanks in part to his W (Courage), which gives armor, magic resistance, and a shield.
• His passive (Perseverance) lets him recover quickly after an engagement, boosting his health regen.
• Dealing damage as a tank is easy with Garen as his E (Judgement) reduces the enemies’ armor.
• His R (Demacian Justice) brings down a sword from above, executing enemies based on their missing health.

Pick Garen if:

• You want a simple top laner, with a very reliable kit.
• You love being a tank that can also be a hard-hitting assassin, capable of one-shotting most squishies. 
• You like big swords and armor.

5. Singed

Singed is the definition of toxicity, as he is a mad chemist from Zaun. This guy loves experimenting and showing off his new findings by making a mess all over. While he is hard to catch in Zaun, he is even harder to catch in the Rift.

Singed excels when enemies chase him since he leaves behind a trail of toxins through his Q (Poison Trail) while moving faster through his passive (Noxious Slipstream). His W (Mega Adhesive) grounds and prevents enemies from using their movement skills, making it easier to lock them down and toss them around using his E (Fling). Overall, Singed is an annoying champion to chase and deal with, especially when he has his R (Insanity Potion), which gives him a whole range of stats that improve his overall performance in annoying people. Singed is great for chasing, wave-clearing, and proxying the wave, making the enemy laner unable to have minions.

Singed Strengths: 

• Singed is fast and quick. Therefore, he is able to dodge danger and catch enemies.
• His Q (Poison Trail) is the source of most of his damage, which is consistent as long as he reaches them.
• Catching enemies is easier with his W (Mega Adhesive) due to its slow and ground ability, which prevents enemies from using their movement abilities.
• His E (Fling) allows him to toss enemies towards his team, or away from him when he’s getting chased.
• His R (Insanity Potion) gives him AP, armor, magic resistance, movement speed, mana and health regen, which is a huge buff to his kit. 

Pick Singed if:

• You love playing a speedy character with consistent damage.
• You want to play a fun champion that annoys people with his high-damage and mobile nature.
• You just love running around and annoying people.

4. Maokai

Maokai montage.

Maokai was once a peaceful spirit who turned when his home world got destroyed. He was revived by the Waters of Life that were infused in his heartwood. This treant now roams around the Shadow Isles, making an effort to fight the evil spirits that reside in his now desecrated home.  

Maokai is able to inflict great CC on his enemies using his Q (Bramble Smash), W (Twisted Advance), and E (Sapling Toss). His W (Twisted Advance) allows him to dash to an enemy and root them, making it a great chasing ability. He can then use his Q (Bramble Smash) to knock back an enemy and slow them down. His E (Sapling Toss) works well as vision in bushes and zoning. His R (Nature’s Grasp) is the ultimate team fighting ability, which affects and roots a wide area.

Maokai Strengths:

• Maokai’s passive (Sap Magic) is great when up against mages and champions with lots of skills to use at low cooldowns since the more skills that are used, the more often he can use his passive, which gives him regen when he auto attacks an enemy.
• His Q (Bramble Smash) can knock enemies back and slow them after. 
• His W (Twisted Advance) is a point-and-click skill that allows Maokai to be untargetable and dash toward the enemy, rooting them in the process.
• His E (Sapling Toss) is another form of CC as it slows and can be used to scout bushes when there is no vision. 
• When in team fights, his R (Nature’s Grasp), is of the utmost importance. This skill sends massive vines reaching toward the end of the range of the skill and roots any enemy it passes through. 
• Has great AP ratios for an AP build.

Pick Maokai if: 

• You love playing a tank that has multiple forms of CC.
• You want to survive and sustain in extended fights.
• You love trees.

3. Dr. Mundo

Dr. Mundo montage.

Dr. Mundo is a self-proclaimed doctor in Zaun who seems to think that he knows every little thing about his field. Hailing from his nation’s more infamous asylum, Dr. Mundo runs in the Rift with his stockpile of medicines that don’t even seem to help anyone. 

While Dr. Mundo does not have great CC and damage, he is a reliable tank, especially in the late game. His healing from his W (Heart Zapper) and R (Maximum Dosage) can greatly help him survive in fights where he is the only one getting focused down. He does need to hit his Q (Infected Bonesaw) in order to deal damage. With this, comes his E (Blunt Force Trauma), which gives him increased AD and has a damaging aspect to it for enemies. 

Dr. Mundo Strengths: 

• His W (Heart Zapper) and R (Maximum Dosage) allow him to go in 1v5 and somehow still survive. 
• He has decent damage from his Q (Infected Bonesaw), W (Heart Zapper), and E (Blunt Force Trauma) in the early game.
• The later the game goes, the more tanky he becomes. 
• His passive (Goes Where He Pleases) allows him to withstand the first instance of CC and heal from it. 

Pick Dr. Mundo if:

• You love being a reliable tank with a great amount of sustain. 
• You want an easy top laner that can easily transition into the late game, being a reliable tank.
• You want to be the Hulk.

2. Zac

Zac montage.

This blob was an accident when the goal was to create the ultimate super soldier who can be resistant to injuries. The blob known as Zac escaped and took refuge in a nearby sump pool. This is where he resided, treating others well when he gets treated well and turning on them when they hurt him.

Zac is a great top laner simply due to the fact that he has great CC and reliable damage. His E (Elastic Slingshot) can reach great distances and knock up enemies, followed by his Q (Stretching Strikes) that push two units together, creating more CC. His W (Unstable Matter) can deal damage to an area around him, and his R (Let’s Bounce) allows him to bounce around, displacing and damaging enemies, disrupting crucial spells.

Zac Strengths: 

• Zac can use E (Elastic Slingshot) and Q (Stretching Strikes) as forms of poke in lane. These two skills have CC and damage, which are effective lane.
• His W (Unstable Matter) is an easy-to-use damage skill that can be used to deliver a quick form of damage to the enemy.
• His R (Let’s Bounce) is great for team fights and disrupting the enemy, especially if they lack mobility.
• His passive (Cell Division), when activated, buys enough time for teammates to turn the fight around while Zac resurrects. 
• His skills don’t use mana. Therefore, only cooldowns would hinder his skill usage and capabilities.

Pick Zac if:

• You want to be able to set up fights and engagements as a tank.
• You want to play a champion that can be used as a tank or an AP damage dealer.
• You love bouncing around the battlefield.

1. Naafiri

Naafiri montage.

Naafiri was once a proud Ascended warrior who succumbed to the violence of the Void War. She then involved herself in blood magic, turning her into a Darkin, but was sealed into her own dagger in order to prevent disaster from happening. She was finally released when a pack of wolves took down the man who got her dagger.

While being an assassin, Naafiri is able to survive the top lane by dealing heavy damage from his low-cost spells. Her Q (Darking Daggers) can deal bleed damage and burst damage. Her E (Eviscerate) allows her to dash and damage a small area. Her R (Call of the Pack) empowers herself and her packmates, making them able to hunt down enemies with improved stats. Her W (Hounds’ Pursuit) allows her to point and click on an enemy in order to chase them.

Naafiri Strengths:

• Naafiri’s passive (We Are More) can spawn packmates that can block skillshots, effectively allowing her to dodge potentially damaging skills. 
• Her W (Hounds’ Pursuit) is a long-ranged gap closer with a slow that helps Nafiri execute her target.
• Laning is straightforward with her as her Q (Darkin Daggers) applies bleed and a hefty amount of damage to the target. This also allows Nafiri to heal from the damage dealt. 
• The high AD scaling on her E (Eviscerate) allows her to deal immense damage at close quarters, and this can also be used to dash through walls and obstacles.
• Her R (The Call of the Pack) basically increases her AD, increases her packmates’ health, and allows her to have a lower W (Hounds’ Pursuit) cooldown, making her great for chasing down the enemy. 

Pick Naafiri if: 

• You want to play a high-damage champion in the top lane.
• You love playing assassins with high potential to take over the game.
• You just love dogs.

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