Solo Queue FOTM Tier List - October- Patch 5.21

After an exciting world championship, it looks like the results are fully realized in the FOTM solo queue world as well. Strong showings by awkwardly forgotten picks like Kassadin and Ryze are reflecting in their quickly growing popularity on the ladder. Meanwhile, the usual suspects top lane still dominate the ban phase.

Check out the full listing below! 

SEASON 5 - October- PATCH 5.21 FOTM TIER LIST

"THE POPULAR KIDS"

Preface Chatter

After an exciting world championship, it looks like the results are fully realized in the FOTM solo queue world as well. Strong showings by awkwardly forgotten picks like Kassadin and Ryze are reflecting in their quickly growing popularity on the ladder. Meanwhile, the usual suspects top lane still dominate the ban phase.

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 5.21 Summary

Buffs: Cho'Gath, Kassadin

Nerfs: Gangplank, Mordekaiser, Riven, Veigar

Tweaks: Zilean

Toolkit and Options

Click to toggle champion movement history

Search for a champion:

Updates:

• Added Tahm Kench Mid

The Tier List

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

God Tier Rising: Fiora (Top), Leblanc (Mid), Lux (Mid)
God Tier Falling: 

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

Tier 1 Rising: Amumu (Jungle), Anivia (Mid), Azir (Mid), Kassadin (Mid), Malphite (Top), Renekton (Top), Skaner (Jungle), Twisted Fate (Mid), Vi (Jungle), Viktor (Mid),
Tier 1 Falling: Katarina (Mid), Orianna (Mid), 

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

Tier 2 Rising: Hecarim (Jungle), Jarvan IV (Top), Kennen (Top), Lissandra (Mid), Malphite (Jungle), Olaf (Jungle), Pantheon (Jungle), Ryze (Mid), Singed (Top), Wukong (Jungle)
Tier 2 Falling: Morgana (Mid), Nocturne (Jungle), Tryndamere (Top), Wukong (Top)

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, Zilean
Jungle: Volibear, Kayle, Nautilus, Sion, Maokai, Zac, Nunu, Aatrox, Trundle, Nasus, Tryndamere, Cho'Gath, Shen, Darius
AD Carry: Varus, Kog'Maw, Kennen, Quinn, Urgot
Top Lane: Fizz, Xin Zhao, 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:
Tier 3 Falling: 

Tier 4 [Not Amused]:
Mid-Lane: Jarvan IV, Kha'Zix, Wukong, Malphite, Teemo, Riven, Tahm Kench, 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:
Tier 4 Falling: 

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

• Fiora [God Tier Top] - After nerfs to Darius, Fiora stands taller than ever top lane. While it's relatively easy for her to hit enemy "weak points" via her hyper-mobile abilities, it's difficult for enemy laners to reliably defend these weak points. This results in surprisingly high burst damage that's extremely difficult to trade against and almost impossible to avoid.
• Fizz [Tier 1 Jungle] - A lot of people were wondering what kind of build Fizz jungle takes nowadays after the frequent changes on his kit. At the moment, most Fizz junglers run with the Runeglaive jungle mastery and build straight AP after that, usually first rushing a Zhonya's Hourglass for survivability.
• Kassadin [Tier 1 Mid] - After an extremely strong showing by KOO Tigers giving SKT their only loss during the world champions, Kassadin's definitely back on everyone's radar. As a champion with an inherently toxic kit built on outplaying enemy opponents, Kassadin's strengths and weaknesses are purely numbers based. However, as the asian teams are showing, it seems that he's still very strong in the right hands.
• Kennen [Tier 2 Top] - Kennen's recent claim to fame as an AD Carry in the hands of Rekkles seems to be translating over to his common meta role as well. We're seeing an upward trend in play for him lately. With his powerful ultimate and decent laning phase against juggernauts, he's still a great pick.
• Leblanc [God Tier Mid] - Another favorite professional pick around the world, players were quickly reminded how devastating an amazing Leblanc can potentially be in the right hands. As a long time favorite of players, many former Leblanc mains are now once again, Leblanc mains.
• Pantheon [Tier 2 Jungle] - After nerfs to devourer junglers, many players are trending back towards heavy ganking type junglers instead. As an extremely powerful and simple to execute jungler, Pantheon works very well to fit this niche role. Although his late game takes on a glass cannon role, he still performs well as a primary initiator or as part of a CC chain.
• Riven [Tier 1 Top] - On the FOTM tier list, I'd love to put Riven up in God Tier as well. However, she's not quite in the same league of fear as the common bans, and although she draws recognition, she's largely considered "balanced". This is of course, before players start complaining about her massive shield that scales based off of offensive stats.
• Ryze [Tier 2 Mid] - Faker might be one of the only players that can dominate on Ryze at the moment, but the fact that he does proves that it's possible. This means that there's a whole slew of young players ryzing to the challenge of becoming the next Faker.
• Tryndamere [Tier 2 Top] - Despite being a solo queue powerhouse, Tryndamere does still rely on either winning his lane or playing in a very non-confrontational way of split-pushing to create chaos on the field. However, the current powerhouses top lane prevent him from performing his role as well as he used to. This combined with the new double TP meta makes it more difficult to successfully execute the ideal Tryndamere gameplay.
• Twisted Fate [Tier 1 Mid] - Originally a solo queue staple, Twisted Fate has successfully transferred back over to the world stage after a brief stint of getting destroyed by assassins. The 9th most banned champion at the 2015 World Champions, TF is starting to climb back into the spotlight where the nerf hammers lie in wait...

Disclaimer:

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

Agree? Disagree? Comment below!