Weird Picks #95: Banner of Command Sion Mid

 Brought to you from Korea, here's one of those bizarre builds that not only works, but seems to work incredibly well. Part of it might just be associated with how incredibly overpowered Sion is right now, but part of it could very well be that this build allows him to absolutely crush towers against AP based mages.

If the enemy champion is someone with low early game waveclear, then the game is all but done. As Echo Fox's Huni put it, "if you go Banner of Command Sion mid, you automatically get 2 mid towers early on."

Introduction

Brought to you from Korea, here's one of those bizarre builds that not only works, but seems to work incredibly well. Part of it might just be associated with how incredibly overpowered Sion is right now, but part of it could very well be that this build allows him to absolutely crush towers against AP based mages.

If the enemy champion is someone with low early game waveclear, then the game is all but done. As Echo Fox's Huni put it, "if you go Banner of Command Sion mid, you automatically get 2 mid towers early on."

How to Play

Abilities: Q, E, W then prioritize R > E > W > Q
Summoner Spells: Flash + Teleport
Starting Items: Corrupting Potion
Core Items: Abyssal Mask, Banner of Command, Mercury's Treads, Warmog's Armor, Righteous Glory, Frozen Heart

Rune Setup

Why It Works

Unkillable Mid Lane

As long as you're laning an AP-based mage mid-lane, you can easily pick up an Abyssal Mask and then Banner of Command to become incredibly tanky. Stacking magic resist works well in a meta dominated by champions like Vladimir, and Banner of Command gives him a minion that the enemy laner will have a ton of trouble trying to take down.

Powerful Waveclear

Sion's ability to clear waves is incredibly good. This means that he can easily shove in mid-lane against almost everyone. Against a Kassadin, he can absolutely pin him against the turret.

Excellent Poke Damage

With Arcane Comet, Sion's poke is actually solid for a melee champion that's normally found in the top lane. This allows him to trade with his enemy laner, and although he tends not to have enough solo kill potential, he can easily poke them back to base.

Potential Pitfalls

Weaker Against AD-Based Champions

Sion himself isn't necessarily weaker against AD based champions, but if the enemy laner picks up a Zed or Yasuo, you may want to consider rushing a Sunfire Cape first instead of Abyssal Mask. Banner of Command is also slightly suspect in this scenario since they'll be able to easily take down your empowered minion.

Low Burst Damage
Sion's damage is nothing to scoff at. However, if your team is lacking burst damage against some heavy sustain, putting Sion mid results in a handicap.

Conclusions

Sion mid is certainly viable, especially since they've picked it up on the pro circuit, and Banner of Command is surprisingly helpful if you can push your gold and vision advantage. While this may not work all the time in solo queue, I certainly think it's a solid strategy.

Suggested Tier: Tier 2

What do you think about Banner of Command Sion Mid? Comment below!

Click here to check out more Weird Picks

Updates every Wednesday ~

Latest Weird Picks

Latest Weird Picks:

• #94: P-Dancer Mundo Top
• #93: Quinn Marksman
• #92: Janna Mid
• Click here for more!