Solo Queue FOTM Tier List - October- Patch 5.20

After soaking in the details from the world stage, it looks like the solo queue meta is starting to adjust accordingly in terms of picks and bans. Meanwhile, the new champion Kindred is absolutely feared on the rift at the moment, drawing in at #7 in terms of most banned champions (behind the usual suspects).

Assassins appear to be making a comeback, and tanky bot lane supports are definitely in high demand as a result. Check out the full listing below! 

SEASON 5 - October- PATCH 5.20 FOTM TIER LIST

"THE POPULAR KIDS"

Preface Chatter

After soaking in the details from the world stage, it looks like the solo queue meta is starting to adjust accordingly in terms of picks and bans. Meanwhile, the new champion Kindred is absolutely feared on the rift at the moment, drawing in at #7 in terms of most banned champions (behind the usual suspects).

Assassins appear to be making a comeback, and tanky bot lane supports are definitely in high demand as a result. 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 5.20 Summary

Buffs: Azir, Dr. Mundo, Teemo

Nerfs: Darius, Evelynn, Fiora, Vayne

Tweaks:

Toolkit and Options

Click to toggle champion movement history

Search for a champion:

Updates:

• ADC Kennen article added
• Kindred Jungle added

The Tier List

God Tier [Pee Your Pants - BAN]:
Mid-Lane Gods: Veigar, Yasuo, Ahri, Diana,
Jungle Gods: Kindred, Lee Sin, Elise, Tahm Kench
AD Gods: Vayne, Mordekaiser, Jinx
Top Lane Gods: Darius, Fiora, Garen
Support Gods: Tahm Kench, Thresh, Blitzcrank

God Tier Rising: Ahri (Mid), Blitzcrank (Support), Elise (Jungle), Tahm Kench (Jungle/Support)
God Tier Falling: Garen (Top)

Tier 1 [Expected Powerhouses]:
Mid-Lane: Lux, Leblanc, Zed, Orianna, Fizz, Twisted Fate, Viktor, Annie, Ekko, Katarina, Azir, Brand, Malzahar, Morgana, Anivia, Talon
Jungle: Diana, Rengar, Ekko, Master Yi, Xin Zhao, Skarner, Vi, Evelynn, Shyvana, Amumu, Fizz, Rek'Sai, Shaco, Gragas, Kha'Zix, Jarvan IV
AD Carry: Tristana, Caitlyn, Kalista, Kindred, Lucian, Sivir, Ezreal
Top Lane: Riven, Gangplank, Irelia, Renekton, Tahm Kench, Gnar, Vladimir, Shen, Malphite, Olaf, Dr. Mundo, Nasus, Wukong, Cho'gath, Tryndamere, Ekko, Rengar, Jax,
Support: Braum, Morgana, Soraka, Leona, Janna, Annie, Alistar, Lulu,

Tier 1 Rising: Brand (Mid), Braum (Support), Dr. Mundo (Top), Ekko (Jungle), Kha'Zix (Jungle), Leblanc (Mid), Leona (Support), Lucian (ADC), Morgana (Support), Orianna (Mid), Rek'Sai (Jungle), Tahm Kench (Top), Twisted Fate (Mid)
Tier 1 Falling: Diana (Jungle), Skarner (Jungle), Soraka (Support)

Tier 2 [Crowd Favorites]:
Mid-Lane: Lulu (AP), Kassadin, Syndra, Vladimir, Cho'Gath, Xerath, Lissandra, Swain, Ziggs, Vel'Koz, Gangplank, Cassiopeia
Jungle: Nocturne, Nidalee, Udyr, Warwick, Wukong, Jax, Sejuani, Rammus, Dr. Mundo, Pantheon, Fiddlesticks, Hecarim, Malphite
AD Carry: Graves, Corki, Ashe, Draven, Miss Fortune, Twitch
Top Lane: Maokai, Rumble, Kennen, Pantheon, Diana, Hecarim, Jarvan IV, Jayce, Sion, Lissandra, Cassiopeia, Yasuo, Nidalee, Volibear, Trundle, Lulu, Aatrox, Gragas,
Support: Nautilus, Nami, Bard, Brand, Sona, Shen, Karma, Zyra, Zilean,

Tier 2 Rising: Brand (Support), Dr. Mundo (Jungle), Kassadin (Mid), Miss Fortune (ADC), Syndra (Mid)
Tier 2 Falling: Draven (ADC), Graves (ADC), Nautilus (Support)

Tier 3 [Playable]:
Mid-Lane: Galio, Kog'maw (AP), Varus, Jayce, Pantheon, Kayle, Akali, Zyra, Karma, Nidalee (AP), Heimerdinger, Karthus, Gragas, Kennen, Ezreal (AP),  Mordekaiser, Urgot, Ryze, Zilean
Jungle: Volibear, Kayle, Nautilus, Sion, Olaf, Maokai, Zac, Nunu, Aatrox, Trundle, Nasus, Tryndamere, Cho'Gath, Shen, Darius
AD Carry: Varus, Kog'Maw, Kennen, Quinn, Urgot
Top Lane: Fizz, Xin Zhao, Singed, Lee Sin, Nautilus, Rek'Sai, Kayle, Akali, Zed, Shyvana, Kassadin, Teemo, Swain, Yorick, Warwick, Quinn, Elise, Udyr, Kha'Zix, Karma, Poppy, Vi, Master Yi, Viktor, Zac, Mordekaiser, Heimerdinger, Talon, Azir, Urgot, Ryze
Support: Vel'Koz, Kennen, Taric, Trundle, Fiddlesticks, Nunu, Gragas

Tier 3 Rising: Galio (Mid)
Tier 3 Falling: Kog'Maw (Mid/ADC), Taric (Support), Varus (Mid/ADC)

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

Tier 4 Rising: Kennen (ADC)
Tier 4 Falling: Xerath (Support)

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

• Dr. Mundo [Tier 1 Top] - Dr. Mundo's latest buffs give him stronger dueling and early game trading potential. This allows him to tangle a little harder with the other top lane threats in the group. Combine this with continuous nerfs on the tankier elements means that Mundo can now hang with the best. As a champion with excellent percentage based ranged poke, chase potential, and durability, it's really just a matter of numbers.
• Ekko [Tier 1 Jungle] - As a jungle and a mid laner, Ekko's popularity is surging. An extremely fun assassin, Ekko's ability to outplay in a wide myriad of situations makes him extremely fun to execute. Tank Ekko is starting to pull back a little in popularity, and runeglaive AP Ekko is definitely starting to see more play time. 
• Gangplank [Tier 1 Top] - After continual nerfs to the holy trinity of top laners (Fiora, Darius, and Garen), Gangplank's popularity is almost back up to where it was right after his rework. A strong lane bully and split-pusher, Gangplank's impact can be very frustrating for enemy players who often feel powerless against his relatively simple cheese strategy and zoning power.
• Kassadin [Tier 2 Mid] - Lately, Kassadin's shown up more often than not as a mid laner. Although he still doesn't perform quite as well as he used to, expect him to start popping up more as his numbers cycle around and poke based champions fall off the rift.
• Kennen [Tier 3 ADC] - After Rekkles' amazing Kennen plays on the world stage, ADC Kennen is absolutely surging in terms of acceptance in the League world. However, beware that performing badly on this role and champion will assuredly net you some insulting comments about being a "worlds sheep". Generally, Kennen ADC doesn't stay very popular, so if you're looking to whip out this yordle for some play time, be sure to do it soon before it's no longer accepted as a mainstream pick again.
• Kindred [Jungle God/Tier 1 ADC] - At the moment, it seems that Kindred is much stronger in the jungle than as an ADC due to her ability to gain stacks via the enemy jungle. That being said, in Kindred's current state she's pulling more bans than even Gangplank at the moment. With her strong dueling skills, steroid, and death defying ultimate, a good Kindred definitely becomes a strong nuisance that most people would really rather not deal with. 
• Kog'Maw [Tier 3 Mid] - The time of poke laners is waning, quickly being replaced by powerful burst assassins or hybrid casters. With this era goes the spotlight on AP Kog'Maw, and as a result he's quickly dropping into obscurity. Until next time my faithful pet.
• Leona [Tier 1 Support] - With the surge of all-in champions like Tahm Kench and Blitzcrank on the rift, Leona's starting to see a lot more playtime and as a decent counter and damage soaker. She also works well with the glass cannon dive comps that are popular nowadays with champions like Yasuo top and assassins mid lane.
• Tahm Kench [Jungle God/Support God] - Tahm Kench is a strange creature. His most played role is support by a large margin, but public consensus is that support isn't his strongest role. Instead, he seems to be more of a Jungle or Top lane nuisance, but his top lane effect is bit dampened by the other powerhouse picks available. Meanwhile, although it's hard to say which role he's truly more annoying in, it seems that to most people, they'd really rather just not being eaten for massive percentage based damage.

Disclaimer:

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

Agree? Disagree? Comment below!