Ideal Champion Pools For Ranked Solo Queue

Playing solo queue has always been more about preventing auto-losses than dominating games all by yourself. Even the highest win rate champions barely break 54%, and as long as you don't feed like crazy when you get autofilled, you can climb quickly if you're good at your main role.

However, what do you do in those instances where you do get auto-filled? If you're a support main this probably doesn't happen very often, but it does occur once in a while. Check out our tips below on how to maintain your rank even when Riot deals you a sour card!

Introduction

Playing solo queue has always been more about preventing auto-losses than dominating games all by yourself. Even the highest win rate champions barely break 54%, and as long as you don't feed like crazy when you get autofilled, you can climb quickly if you're good at your main role.

However, what do you do in those instances where you do get auto-filled? If you're a support main this probably doesn't happen very often, but it does occur once in a while. Check out our tips below on how to maintain your rank even when Riot deals you a sour card!

This page was taken down once role assignments were implemented into the pre-game lobby, but I think it's still relevant for a large majority of players on their climb to greatness. We've revamped the article below for Season 8 but left the old comments on for old time's sake.

Check out the revised edition below!

Thoughts on Balanced Pools

As a whole, personal champion pools are best when they contain different sets of champions that fit different meta roles. Since Riot tends to nerf and buff champions in cycles, having a well-rounded pool of champions you can play allows for a better chance of steady climbing.

Here are some thoughts on "ideal" picks as well as picks that you can pick up "quickly" if you prefer to specialize in a different role and just have a good backup:

Top

• Archetypes: Tanks, ranged casters, sometimes assassins, and rarely ranged AD glass cannons.
• It's hard to go wrong with a tanky top, but having one of each helps and can overlap with your other positions too.
• Ideal Pick: 
• Vladimir - A powerful lane bully and late-game hypercarry, he fits into almost any team composition and can be used in mid-lane as well. His skills are easy to execute and he performs both a damage and a tank role.
• Easy Picks: Malphite, Sion - Big initiation, decent sustain (shields), hard to kill.

Mid

• Archetypes: AP or AD burst champions, ranged poke champions, sometimes ranged AD with an escape.
• Ideal Pick: 
• Ahri - This champion is always in a love-hate type relationship with players who complain she's too easy to outplay. However, her triple gap-closer/escape allows her an incredible amount of flexibility. This margin of error allows her to make mistakes in solo queue without throwing the game. Additionally, her engagement pick potential is one of the best for mid-laners while still having an escape path.
• Easy Picks: Malzahar, Morgana - Easy and safe wave clear, good CC

Jungle

• Archetypes: Tanky initiator, assassin, hybrid bruiser
• Tanky initiators tend to get nerfed less than the other two categories since there's less to complain about.
• Ideal Pick: 
• Jarvan IV - Always cycles around eventually with his high CC and free team stats. He can play both the damage and the tank role equally well. His engagement potential is also very high as a result of his double gap-closer.
• Easy Picks: Sejuani, Warwick, Xin Zhao - High CC, high health jungle clears, tough to kill.

Support

• Archetypes: Tank, Healer, Burst Damage
• Choosing a support depends on playstyle, most supports are fairly balanced.
• Ideal Picks: 
• Janna/Nami - For sustain and peel these two are almost always in cycle. 
• Leona/Taric - For engagement these two have kits that are difficult to nerf as long as they're not nerfed to paper.
• Easy Picks: Soraka, Sona - Heal-based sustain in lane and low skillshots allow for a very wide margin of error.

Marksman

• Archetypes: Burst damage, Poke damage
• Marksmen cycle very often, but most of the ones with some sort of escape tend to be better in more situations.
• Ideal Picks: 
• Xayah - High AOE damage, good escapes, good wave clear
• Easy Picks: Tristana, Ashe - Long range, good escape on Tristana and Ashe can create engagement opportunities for her team and self-peel.

Have some more ideas on ideal and/or easy champion selections? Want to post your champion pool for feedback? Comment below!