Solo Queue FOTM Tier List - July - Patch 5.14

Hi everyone and welcome back to the latest in the FOTM series. Welcome back to another update on the FOTM tier list! Last patch wasn't updated since FOTM generally doesn't heavily change in the span of a month, but apparently Flavor of the Month might have to change to Flavor of the Patch soon...

SEASON 5 - July - PATCH 5.14 FOTM TIER LIST

"THE POPULAR KIDS"

Preface Chatter

Hi everyone and welcome back to the latest in the FOTM series. Welcome back to another update on the FOTM tier list! Last patch wasn't updated since FOTM generally doesn't heavily change in the span of a month, but apparently Flavor of the Month might have to change to Flavor of the Patch soon...

Anyway, in this listing, Devourer-based junglers are taking over! Check out the full listing below! 

The purpose of the "Flavor of the Month" ("FOTM") list is to show which champions are popular in today's metagame, so you can learn how to beat them!

If you're looking for the division climber solo queue tier list, be sure to check it out via this link!

For a list of champions with the highest *potential* in the game without regard to difficulty or team synergies, check out the list of strongest potential champions in each position!

Patch 5.14 Summary

Buffs: Ahri, Darius, Ekko, Elise, Tahm Kench;
Nerfs: Azir, Rumble, Ryze, Runeglaive (Bai Ezreal);
Tweaks: Miss Fortune, Evelynn;

Toolkit and Options

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Updates:

• Added Tahm Kench top/support
• Added Nautilus Top
• 7/30: Added Support Trundle
• Tristana ADC moved up

The Tier List

God Tier [Pee Your Pants - BAN]:
Mid-Lane Gods: Ahri, Viktor, Katarina, Fizz, Twisted Fate
Jungle Gods: Shyvana, Kayle, Nidalee, Master Yi, Gragas
AD Gods: Vayne, Jinx, Tristana, Caitlyn
Top Lane Gods: Irelia, Vladimir, Riven, Cho'gath, Gnar
Support Gods: Thresh, Janna, Alistar, Nautilus

God Tier Rising: Irelia (Top), Gnar (Top), Janna (Support), Kayle (Jungle), Master Yi (Jungle), Nautilus (Support), Nidalee (Jungle), Riven (Top), Shyvana (Jungle), Tristana (ADC), Twisted Fate (Mid), Viktor (Mid),
God Tier Falling: 

Tier 1 [Expected Powerhouses]:
Mid-Lane: Azir, Ekko, Orianna, Ezreal (AP), Yasuo, Annie, Zed, Cho'Gath, Lux, Diana, Ziggs, Talon, Vladimir, Xerath
Jungle: Elise, Rek'Sai, Sejuani, Vi, Udyr, Hecarim, Xin Zhao, Rengar, Warwick, Evelynn, Lee Sin, Jarvan IV, Diana, Ekko
AD Carry: Graves, Sivir, Corki, Kalista, Lucian
Top Lane: Shen, Fizz, Renekton, Nasus, Maokai, Ryze, Malphite, Ekko, Rengar, Jax, Rumble, Kennen, Darius, Pantheon, Tryndamere
Support: Morgana, Blitzcrank, Leona, Shen, Annie, Bard

Tier 1 Rising: Diana (Jungle), Elise (Jungle), Ekko (Jungle), Fizz (Top), Malphite (Top), Orianna (Mid), Rumble (Top), Shen (Top/Support), Talon (Mid), Udyr (Jungle), Warwick (Jungle), Xin Zhao (Jungle),
Tier 1 Falling: Annie (Support), Azir (Mid), Ekko (Mid/Top), Hecarim (Jungle), Kalista (ADC), Lucian (ADC), Rek'Sai (Jungle), Ryze (Top), Sejuani (Jungle), Vi (Jungle), Vladimir (Mid)

Tier 2 [Crowd Favorites]:
Mid-Lane: Leblanc, Varus, Malzahar, Kog'maw (AP), Anivia, Jayce
Jungle: Jax, Nautilus, Amumu, Shaco, Fizz, Kha'Zix, Pantheon, Maokai, Zac, Nunu, Volibear, Wukong, Sion, Nocturne, Aatrox
AD Carry: Miss Fortune, Ezreal, Draven
Top Lane: Hecarim, Jarvan IV, Fiora, Jayce, Gangplank, Sion, Cassiopeia, Yasuo, Wukong, Nidalee, Lissandra, Volibear, Trundle, Lulu, Gragas, Olaf, Swain, Urgot, Garen, Dr. Mundo
Support: Braum, Sona, Nami, Tahm Kench, Soraka, Karma, Lulu

Tier 2 Rising: Aatrox (Jungle), Gangplank (Top), Jax (Jungle), Kog'Maw (Mid), Miss Fortune (ADC), Varus (Mid)
Tier 2 Falling: Amumu (Jungle), Fizz (Jungle), Hecarim (Top), Jarvan IV (Top), Kha'Zix (Jungle), Leblanc (Mid), Lulu (Support), Maokai (Jungle), Nunu (Jungle), Pantheon (Jungle), Shaco (Jungle), Sion (Top), Volibear (Jungle), Zac (Jungle)

Tier 3 [Playable]:
Mid-Lane: Cassiopeia, Nidalee (AP), Morgana, Lissandra, Syndra, Lulu (AP), Urgot, Pantheon, Kayle, Zilean, Mordekaiser, Swain, Brand, Vel'Koz, Ryze, Akali, Galio, Kassadin, Zyra, Karma, Veigar, Heimerdinger, Karthus, Gragas, Kennen
Jungle: Malphite, Rammus, Fiddlesticks, Skarner, Olaf, Trundle, Dr. Mundo, Nasus, Tryndamere, Cho'Gath, Shen, Darius
AD Carry: Ashe, Kog'Maw, Varus, Twitch, Quinn, Urgot
Top Lane: Xin Zhao, Singed, Lee Sin, Nautilus, Rek'Sai, Kayle, Tahm Kench, Akali, Zed, Shyvana, Kassadin, Teemo, Yorick, Warwick, Quinn, Aatrox, Elise, Udyr, Kha'Zix, Karma, Poppy, Vi, Master Yi, Viktor, Zac, Mordekaiser, Heimerdinger, Talon, Azir
Support: Brand, Trundle, Zyra, Vel'Koz, Kennen, Taric, Xerath, Fiddlesticks, Zilean, Nunu, Gragas

Tier 3 Rising:Tahm Kench (Top), Varus (ADC),
Tier 3 Falling: Ashe (ADC), Akali (Top), Cassiopeia (Mid), Lee Sin (Top), Lulu (Mid), Morgana (Mid), Nidalee (Mid), Quinn (ADC), Shyvana (Top), Twitch (ADC)

Tier 4 [Not Amused]:
Mid-Lane: Kha'Zix, Gangplank, Wukong, Malphite, Teemo, Riven, Fiora, Tristana (AP), Elise, Fiddlesticks, Sona, Soraka, Janna
Jungle: Leona, Zed, Yasuo, Fiora, Riven, Poppy, Gangplank, Malzahar, Blitzcrank, Alistar
AD Carry: Twisted Fate, Kennen
Top Lane: Alistar, Vayne, Galio, Nunu, Soraka
Support: Teemo, Volibear, Lux, Kayle, Maokai, Anivia, Veigar, Gangplank, Malphite, Nidalee, Orianna, Poppy, Galio, Yorick, Elise, Lissandra, Ashe, Leblanc, Caitlyn

Tier 4 Rising:
Tier 4 Falling: Kha'Zix (Mid),

Instructions and Caveats:

• This tier list details which champions are most popular in today's current metagame, for better or for worse. Selecting a high popularity champion and doing mediocre is always favorable to selecting a low tier champion and doing mediocre for team morale.

Click Here for a description of the tiers

God Tier: These champions are common bans and are likely perceived as being "overall extremely strong/broken". They have very obvious and/or flashy skills that make them appear stronger than other champions. You'll likely see these champions picked early on if they're not banned.

Tier 1: These champions are the ones you'll see in the majority of your games and are good to familiarize yourself with as you'l be battling against them a lot.

Tier 2: These champions are relatively strong and have historically been picked more often than other champions. They may have been nerfed at one point at another, but are still perceived as strong in their current states.

Tier 3: These champions aren't quite as popular as the rest of the champions in the first 3 tiers, but picking them one at a time isn't going to cause much of a concern on your team. However, if you have a team of 5 of them your teammates are likely to feel a bit uneasy about your chances of winning in solo queue.

Tier 4: Selecting these champions will likely cause a rift between you and your teammates, who will proceed to flame you if you fail your lane. Exercise caution when selecting these champions, as team morale often plays a big part in victory or defeat.

Champion Explanations

• Ekko [Tier 1 Mid] - As a very flashy outplay type champion, Ekko pulls in a lot of bans. However, his play rate isn't particularly high. It seems like there's a healthy respect for the potential abilities of the champion, but also a wariness of the skill level it takes to play him correctly.
• Elise [Tier 1 Jungle] - Despite getting a lot of press in various places lately, including on this blog, Elise doesn't seem to be catching on quite as quickly as you'd expect. Her ban rate is relatively low, and although she has a healthy pick rate, it's by no means spectacular. Since the LCS is played on an earlier patch at the moment, expect a bit of time before she goes viral.
• Ezreal [Tier 1 Mid] - For some reason he still draws a lot of bans and a lot of play time. It seems to be a bit of a lag between the patch changes and the memo reaching the general population. Again, the fact that professionals play on a patch where he still does very well mid with smite means that many people are unaware of the fact that it no longer works very well.
• Gangplank [Tier 2 Top] - Along with his rework, Gangplank's become somewhat of a presence top lane, seeing a lot of play time. Although his rework definitely brought in some new dimensions to the champion, it remains to be seen if his popularity can maintain with the low rate of success most people are having with him in solo queue. With the recent surge in Warwicks on the rift however, he's not a bad pick.
• Kayle [God Tier Jungle] - With her insane synergy with devourer, Kayle is drawing massive scrutiny as a sheer DPS type champion that has a one-trick utility ultimate that happens to be a very good trick.
• Leblanc [Tier 2 Mid] - For the first time in a long time, Leblanc is no longer on the upper echelons of mid laners. She's still widely considered a strong champion and respected for her abilities, but no longer feared.
• Lee Sin [Tier 3 Top] - Lee Sin is almost never played as a top laner. However, when he is, most allied players generally request that he build tank instead of glass cannon. Unfortunately, his glass cannon build is pretty much the only build that's viable top lane.
• Miss Fortune [Tier 2 ADC] - She's seeing a bit more play time after her rework, but it relatively the same champion. Most people see her as a champion that lacks mobility and doesn't scale well into the late game, so it's unlikely she'll rise to the top any time soon.
• Ryze [Tier 1 Top] - Similar to Ezreal, there may be a bit of a lag time between the patch and the general populace's change in banning habits.
• Shen [Tier 1 Support] - Somewhat out of left field, support Shen is now a "thing". He's got good harass and solid short cooldown AOE CC. He also has the ability to "roam" via his ultimate with great effect.
• Tahm Kench [Tier 3 Top] - At the moment there are quite a number of high Elo players trying to make top lane Kench a "thing", and he's starting to gain a bit of notoriety and a few head nods to his strength.
• Viktor [God Tier Mid] - Viktor is by far, one of the most popular picks mid lane at the moment, beloved for his burst damage, shields, and CC that he provides on short cooldown. While he's a somewhat difficult champion to master, he can 100 to 0 almost every squishy in the game with ease.

Disclaimer:

• The purpose of this list is for discussion and to provide a starting point for hero selection.

Agree? Disagree? Comment below!