Patch 10.3 Going forward I'm planning to update this page roughly once a month. If there's enough interest I might update it once per patch, but so far it doesn't seem like there's enough demand for it.
We're seeing a few newcomers make it to the list this time around like the newest champion, Qiyana to the mid lane. Meanwhile, Jungle's getting an overhaul and some old favorites have finally made it to the top of the pack. Lastly, we're swapping out Ezreal this patch for the hypercarry lategame powerhouse Jinx. Check out the full scope of changes below!
Season 10 - Patch 10.3 League of Legends Champions List
"Strongest Champions When Mastered"
Tier lists show champions that will help you win games the fastest for the effort needed to play them. This list shows the absolute strongest, most overpowered champions in League of Legends that you can pick after many hours of practice and learning the ins and outs of their kits. If you're willing to put in the work, these champions will carry you as far as you can go on the ranked ladder.
Patch 10.3 As Patreon supporter Lorenzo kindly pointed out, it's been quite some time since the last update of this series...that being said, welcome to the new season and a (late) update to the strongest champions when mastered! We're seeing that even after a few sets of nerfs the newly reworked and released champions continue to be powerhouses like Sett and Aphelios. Meanwhile, we're seeing a ton of movement in the mid and jungle lists as expected, with an unexpected swap in the supports at long last.
If you're more interested in the FOTM picks, be sure to check out the FOTM Tier Lists too!
Updates
Mid: Ahri, Zed, Ekko replaced by Katarina, Diana, Akali
Top: Pantheon replaced by Sett
Jungle: Kayn, Nidalee, Evelynn replaced by Ekko, Olaf, Shaco
Support: Janna replaced by Bard
Marksman: Sivir, Xayah replaced by Aphelios, Senna
Purpose
Winning in solo queue is a complex affair. There are so many variables involved outside of player control such as lag, that consistency plays a massive part in climbing the ranks. Some champions excel in outplaying other champions, while others rely on brute force or special skills to win.
However, in an ideal situation with teammates who select champions that reasonably synergize with you, which champions offer the most bang for their buck when mastered?
What Makes a Champion "Strong"?
Damage-based champions rely mostly on sheer damage, usually via skill shots to overpower their enemies;
Utility-based champions do something unique and game-changing, creating situations that are extremely beneficial to their own team or create detrimental effects for the enemy team that they cannot ignore.
Outplay-based champions make the enemy miss skills that would otherwise definitely hit, mitigating large amounts of potential damage.
Although some champions may overlap, the criterion laid out above is used and we will omit the following criterion that we use for solo queue:
Ease of play;
Synergy with popular champions; and
A good margin of error.
Strongest Mid Laners
New Champions
Akali [Damage/Outplay]New!: Despite nerf after nerf, Akali remains a champion where the ones that truly master her dominate games completely and the ones who don't perform subpar at best. However, at the top of her game Akali has the ability to instantly delete enemy champions in bulk while simultaneously being untargetable and highly mobile. While she doesn't get hyperfed often, when she does she completely takes over games by herself.
Diana [Damage/Utility]New!: Post-rework Diana is proving to be one of the strongest champions in the game. Her early game is now undisputably strong, and she's able to all-in very consistently compared to other assassins. Later in the game, her reliable AOE crowd-control gives her an additional margin of error when diving on enemy backlines and the damage output is more than enough to be deadly to multiple champions at once.
Katarina [Damage/Outplay]New!: Placing Katarina back on the list may be somewhat of a controversial move considering the removal of certain alternatives with more utility and pick-potential. However, Katarina has proven time and time again that a Katarina one-trick is able to utterly dominate any game where their team isn't getting hopelessly slaughtered from level one. Timing her resets is key, but as long as Katarina is able to get at least one she can easily steamroll fights.
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Removed Champions
Ekko [Damage/Outplay/Utility]: Removing Ekko from the mid lane is largely a result of the meta shift over to the jungle. He's still perfectly viable as a mid-laner and I've moved him down to honorable mentions. However, utility aside, mid-lane is your highest source of damage and Ekko trades off some of his damage for his high utility.
Ahri [Damage/Utility/Outplay]: Ahri is getting dethroned from this list and moved down to Honorable Mentions. Similar to Ekko, she's still perfectly viable but is showing her age at the highest levels of play. She's got limited tricks and they do work in almost every level of gameplay. However, at the highest levels mid-lane champions simply have too much mobility and tricks up their sleeve to let her perform the way she wants. That being said, charm then flashing still lets her get away with things she normally wouldn't against good players.
Zed [Damage/Outplay]: On this list Zed's moving down to Honorable Mentions as well since his single target deletion isn't quite as influential as these other mid-lane AOE deletions. He can still snowball very hard, but it's tough to say he's necessarily better when he has a little less mobility and similar weaknesses.
--- Returning Veterans
Yasuo [Damage/Outplay/Utility]: Yasuo is a champion that needs little in the way of introduction. He can solo carry a game offensively with a well-placed tornado or solo save a game defensively with a well-placed wind wall. You would expect a champion like this to be a jack-of-all trades and master of none, but it just so happens that his kit allows him to be a master of all if you're good enough with him. His kill pressure from long distances is also absurdly high for a melee champion, and standing near a minion wave with a fed Yasuo behind it almost guarantees death.
Qiyana [Damage/Outplay/Utility]: Providing a champion with invisibility and gap closers is annoying enough, but when you combine that with powerful crowd-control spells you suddenly get someone who's extremely obnoxious. Players have also discovered that her ultimate can be used from almost anywhere on the map, resulting in incredibly high range and difficult to avoid hitboxes.
These champions often have the ability to dominate solo queue by themselves. However, their damage output is currently not quite as strong as others are in their pool in the current patch. I would keep them tight on the radar though, as they are strong contenders in their own right.
Strongest Top Laners
Top Lane Overview
New Champions
Sett [Damage/Outplay/Utility]New!: Most players still don't fully understand his kit...even the ones playing him. Despite that, they still perform incredibly well on him and he out-trades nearly every champion in the game. Meanwhile, his team fighting power is as easy as pointing at the densest mass of enemy champions and face-rolling your keyboard. His utility and trade patterns also have lasting potential even if he receives a few numbers nerfs. Overall, I'd say this guy is a winner for some time to come.
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Removed Champions
Pantheon [Damage/Outplay]: Nerfs to Pantheon from several patches back left him relatively weaker than before. Nowadays top lane tanks do enough damage to dive and burst, which leaves Pantheon with relatively little that he's in a superior category for. He can still snowball certain match-ups and provide long-range gank support, but otherwise, he's not nearly as strong as he used to be.
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Returning Champions
Camille [Damage/Outplay/Utility]: Camille was almost removed this patch for Ornn or Fiora, but in the end she's being left on as a result of her late-game hypercarry ability and isolation power. Numbers-wise she's lost a lot over the months since she first made the list, but she still has plenty of dueling potential. A smart player is able to counter-attack and win the majority of trades, but she can't simply initiate at will like she used to. Riven [Damage/Utility]: Riven has a TON of quirky mechanics that most players never discover, but a fully mastered Riven player can dish out some ridiculous plays and obnoxiously high damage. As a Riven player, her best defense is a good offense. This allows her to survive many situations that would kill almost any other champion while netting kills in the process.
Mordekaiser [Utility]: Despite his nerfs Mordekaiser remains a powerfully useful champion. Even without his ultimate his long-range CC is a potentent intiation device, and his laning phase has few bad match-ups. Meanwhile, his ability to strategically take out a champion from the fight is completely game-changing, and generally speaking, even if he doesn't win the 1v1 he's able to stall out valuable enemy players.
Kled [Outplay/Utility]: Kled's ultimate is one of the strongest engagement spells in the game. Almost anyone who's fought against him top lane will also contest to how absolutely obnoxious he can be in lane. Ever since they gave him a built-in Grievous Wounds, he's become one of, if not the best top lane champion in the game.
Ekko [Damage/Utility/Outplay]New!: Ekko's moved over from mid-lane to the jungle, but he's still as effective if not more effective than before. He doesn't need to deal with powerful early game assassins but still has enough gap-closers and CC to take down enemies in ganks. Meanwhile, his late game is still potentially earth-shattering with AOE CC and massive turnaround damage.
Shaco [Damage/Utility/Outplay]New!: Oh, it's Shaco, didn't think we'd see him on here, but ever since they changed his boxes to AOE damage and his ultimate to an instant fear it's tough to say he's not potentially one of the strongest champions in the game. His major flaw is of course that his late-game team fight ability is mediocre and he provides a limited front-line. However, his ability to snowball a game is immense and his ultimate's utility is enough to turn the tides of team fights.
Olaf [Damage/Utility]New!: Changes to the jungle experience made Olaf into the most potent junglers on the Rift. He does tend to get low if he tries to solo clear simply because that's how he gains the majority of his damage. Even so, the speed at which he clears allows him to quickly level and start ganking/counter-jungling before enemies are even ready for him. He's also one of the strongest 1v1 duelists in the game, allowing him a myriad of options when it comes to jungle path including invading.
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Removed Champions
Evelynn [Damage/Outplay]: Evelynn's success is largely a result of her insane damage output and ability to 100 to 0 enemies from invisibility while keeping them fully CC'ed the entire time. The fact that she can dodge damage with her ultimate also gives her the ability to beat the majority of burst damage casters as long as she times her ultimate correctly. I'm moving her down to honorable mentions due to her relatively weak early game, but late game she's still a powerhouse.
Kayn [Utility/Damage/Outplay]: Similar to Evelynn, Kayn is being moved down to honorable mentions due to his weak early game. He still provides an incredible amount of flexibility via his form options, and remains an excellent ganker despite his relatively weak early game.
Nidalee [Damage/Utility]:Some players may argue that Nidalee played at the highest level is still worth being on this list, but her lack of CC does pose some problems when it comes to ganking. That being said, if she can hit her spears her mobility and damage are obviously through the roof. Nevertheless, highly mobile champions do pose a challenge when enemies are a similar skill level.
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Returning Champions
Elise [Damage/Utility]: A long-time favorite of junglers ever since her release, Elise has been honed and practiced to perfection. Nowadays, players are showing off how easy skill shots are with her and how fast they can 100 to 0 enemies. Ever since the change to turret aggro she's especially valuable as one of the few champions that can dive successfully and live to tell the tale.
Lee Sin [Damage/Utility]:Despite his high skill cap, players have beaten the practice tool to death and being good at this guy is no longer limited to a few masterful players. Now his flashy skill set is highly accessible with some practice in the tool. If you've been putting off Lee Sin for years, now's the time to jump in the tool and finally become the Lee Sin God you know you could be. Practice tool aside, he's still got great mobility compared to a lot of other champions despite his age, and players continuously find new ways to use his kit and allow him to keep up with new champions.
Bard [Utility] New!: Similar to a few other champions on this list, Bard started off as a champion that few would believe could be capable of things he's now capable of. His laning phase is an excellent balance of offense and defense, but it's really his map control that makes him incredibly potent. His magical journey gives teams insane mobility and his ability to set up ganks is second to none when you consider the range and consistency at which he can do it. --- Removed Champion:
Janna [Utility]: Janna is being removed off this list (and into honorable mentions). She's still got great utility but has difficulty early game contesting with the engage supports present in the current meta. Many assassins are also sporting new invulnerability abilities, which makes it difficult for her to peel effectively without fast crowd-control.
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Returning Veterans: Leona [Utility]: Leona performs well against both squishy enchanters and all-in engagement hook champions. While her kit seems relatively straight-forward and aged, it still performs wonderfully as a result of the sheer amount of lock-down she can dish out. At the current amount of damage most champions are dishing out, Leona's lockdown is more than enough time to secure kills every time her ultimate is available.
Thresh [Utility]: Thresh is the offensive version and king of making plays happen. His lantern and hook make him essentially the best support initiation in the game, as he can bring a friend with him during his initiation as a free gap closer. Additionally, all the champions listed above that Janna can block Thresh can also block with his flay (although with a shorter range/window of opportunity).
Pyke [Damage/Utility]: Pyke is the highly interactive kill-focused support that every auto-filled player dreams of. He plays like an assassin but focuses on play-making CC spells coupled with massive damage. There's not much to not like about him, and his overloaded kit means he has a ton of tools at his disposal. At the highest levels, Pyke is one of the few supports that can legitimately solo carry a game.
Nautilus [Utility]: Replacing Blitzcrank with Nautilus wasn't easy, but in his current state Nautilus does almost everything Blitzcrank does. As a result of the high mobility of enemy champions, Nautilus is highly valuable for his point-and-click knock-up that can be combined into the rest of his crowd-control to lock down enemy champions in perpetuity. His build also keeps him alive for much longer than other all-in champions.
Aphelios [Damage/Utility]New!: There's a lot to be said about Aphelios. Despite nerf after nerf, he continues to be one of the most annoying champions to play with. While it's not consistently available, Aphelios is packing a low cooldown crowd-control spell that is essentially point-and-click and also incredible self-heal potential. Meanwhile, this is only the tip of the iceberg. His damage output is nothing to scoff at post-nerfs, and the vast array of gun combinations means players find new tricks to pull off every day.
Senna [Damage/Utility]New!: Surprisingly, despite the recent Senna changes she continues to perform quite well as a marksman. The other recently released marksman also packs a reliable crowd-control spell along with massive utility in the form of long-range slow (with Glacial Augment) and low cooldown healing power. While she doesn't act as a traditional marksman, her utility means that with good positioning she's capable of solo carrying a game indirectly.
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Removed Champion
Sivir [Damage/Outplay]: After nerfs to Sivir she deals significantly less bounce damage than before. Her spell shield still allows her to outplay a variety of spells, but many champions now pack multi-hit spells, making it difficult for Sivir to use as spell shield effectively.
Xayah [Damage/Outplay]: Xayah can still snowball very hard, but her laning phase tends to be less consistent than it used to be and requires more time than most other marksmen to deal significant damage. Late game she's still very good as a result of her invulnerability spell but other marksmen simply offer slightly more in the current patch. As a result, I've moved her down to honorable mentions.
--- Returning Champions: Jinx [Damage/Utility]: Jinx is being added to this list for her power to absolutely smash games mid and especially late game. She takes just as long to ramp up as Ezreal, but her late game is eons more powerful. A good Jinx can solo carry a game if need be, and there are no champions that can out-trade her once she starts snowballing through a team fight.
Kai'Sa [Damage/Outplay]: Anyone who's seen a fed Kai'Sa knows that the amount of punishment she dishes are on a whole other level. When it comes to sheer utility, Kai'Sa's cooldowns are simply abusive. Her waveclear is one of the best of any marksman early and her self-peel abilities are incredibly good for kiting highly dangerous bruisers in the current meta.
Vayne [Damage/Outplay]: Back in play after buffs to her Tumble [Q], Vayne is again one of the strongest hyper carries on the Rift. Capable of massive outplays and sporting excellent self-peel potential, tanks and squishies alike melt quickly to her damage output.
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