FOTM Report: Bruisers in the Bot Lane? - Pick Illaoi

We're living in a brave new world lately. The meta's turning itself on its head as Riot looks for different avenues to bring players back to the game and away from FPS titans like Fortnite. Well, this time they might have done it after tweaking both crit marksmen and shield supports to the point that bruisers are taking over bot lane.

Introduction

We're living in a brave new world lately. The meta's turning itself on its head as Riot looks for different avenues to bring players back to the game and away from FPS titans like Fortnite. Well, this time they might have done it after tweaking both crit marksmen and shield supports to the point that bruisers are taking over bot lane.

But Why Bruisers?

Bot lane has generally been a place for hypercarries and high farm, high damage dealers to be babysat while they generate gold. However, assassins and most marksmen are weaker as a result of various nerfs. Assassins aren't necessarily nerfed completely, but without levels they can't compete.

Naturally, this leaves bruisers as the optimal choice for sustained damage and end-game hyper-carrying. Right now, the most popular bruisers for bot lane are Yasuo, Irelia and Mordekaiser. 

Thoughts on the Bruiser Meta

Most of these choices are fairly obvious picks for a bruiser meta, but some other picks you think would do well are failing, like Jarva IV and Jayce. What's most surprisingly to me honestly, is the fact that Illaoi hasn't made the cut (more on that later).

Honestly speaking, the whole bruiser meta bit is probably a bit overdone. Most of it probably speaks to the weakness of crit-based marksman than weakness from a ranged glass cannon class as a whole.

If you look at Mordekaiser's best match-ups, they're:

1. Tristana;
2. Xayah; and
3. Caitlyn

Meanwhile, if you look at his worst matchups, they're:

1. Varus;
2. Kog'Maw; and
3. Ziggs

This doesn't speak to a weakness in having ranged high damage dealers bot lane to babysit, it really just ends up being proof that the crit nerfs were overdone.

Illaoi Yet to Appear

The one thing Illaoi mains always say is that they love melee heavy teams. It allows them to potentially spawn an extra tentacle, and everyone knows she only needs one to kill you. Two kills you and your teammates twice as fast, and three is just a clown fiesta.

With this in mind, if you do see the enemy team decide to put up two melee bot lane, definitely consider bringing the tentacle queen bot lane. With no ranged attacks, her tentacles end up zoning harder than ever. She's particularly awful against two ranged champion for the same reason, but she can be a viable counterpick against this meta.

Thoughts on the bruiser meta? Comment below!