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Faker ranks League of Legends' mid-lane champions from best to worst
The unkillable demon king has dropped his definitive mid-lane champion tier list.
Fresh off their fifth League of Legends World Championship win, T1 attended Red Bull League of Its Own at the Accor Arena, Paris. Here, the reigning champs went up against European teams, playing with unique rule sets, flexing their adaptability and shining a light on the rising League talent in Europe. It was during this event that Lee 'Faker' Sang-hyeok shared his current tier list of League of Legends champions.
Rather than tackling the entire 170-champ roster, Faker’s list honed in on the most popular mid-lane champs in the meta. The legendary player ranked the top 20 champions from S to C tier, based on viability and effectiveness in the competitive scene. Let’s take a closer look at his ranking.
01
S Tier
Ryze is one of Faker’s most-played champions
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Ryze
This mage is one of Faker’s most played champs, and with recent buffs he’s more viable than ever. He boasts strong wave-clear capability and scaling, making him a dependable choice.
Twisted Fate
This card-dealing mage and marksman is great for putting on pressure across the map. His Q has strong wave-clear potential, making him a formidable opponent.
Katarina
Katarina’s strong mobility makes her a solid choice for team fights. Despite recent nerfs, she remains a strong pick, especially for more cautious attackers.
Aurora
Aurora’s unique abilities make her a tough opponent in team fights. She's able to skirmish and control zones with ease.
02
A Tier
Sylas’s hijack ability can turn a team fight around
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Orianna
This support mage is one of Faker’s most picked champions, due to her diversity and zoning capabilities. Recent item changes have made her an even stronger pick.
Ahri
Looking for a champion that can keep crowds in line? This magical predator is the pick for you. Ahri’s mobility makes her ideal for picking off enemies and retreating when danger looms.
Galio
The stone colossus is a great counter for AP-focused teams, able to soak up damage and support allies while still putting out consistent damage.
Pick Tristana for early-game aggression
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Tristana
This mischievous marksman remains a strong pick for aggressive early-game pressure. Beware of falling behind, though, as her build can be quickly outpaced by more balanced characters.
Sylas
This rebellious sorcerer has tremendous versatility due in large part to his unique hijack ability. Recent updates have balanced his burst and sustain, making him a dependable choice for most team compositions.
Corki
Corki offers strong damage scaling, making him an excellent pick for drawn-out fights. While he takes some time to reach his full potential, Faker has found great success utilising the moustachioed bombardier.
Azir
Although he has a notoriously high skill ceiling, this ancient warrior can be devastating in the right hands. He is Faker’s most picked champion, and he has won 134 of 194 professional games played with him.
03
B Tier
Akali remains one of the most popular champions in the midlane
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Leblanc
Leblanc is a powerful early game damage-dealer with strong burst potential. Recent nerfs have harmed her scaling ability, but that hasn’t stopped Faker from achieving an 80.6 percent win rate with Leblanc over 62 professional-level matches.
Zed
This ruthless assassin is highly effective at taking down squishy targets. He's weaker against heavy champions, but Faker’s pinpoint accuracy has allowed him to achieve an incredible 91.7 percent win ratio with Zed.
Xerath
What this Ascended Magus lacks in mobility, he makes up for in long-range damage. He can clear waves with ease and poke enemies from a distance, making him excellent at baiting out foes.
Yone is high-risk, high-reward
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Yone
This high-risk, high-reward hero is a strong duellist who can scale at pace. While he's vulnerable to crowd control, his high mobility and damage output makes him an effective choice in many situations.
Syndra
Syndra boasts high burst damage and the ability to control lanes effortlessly. Despite this high viability, she’s vulnerable to tankier compositions, so practice hitting those trick shots before choosing this champ.
Akali
Akali is one of the most popular mid-lane champs for good reason. She’s versatile, with high mobility and burst damage. She’s formidable in team fights, capable of executing almost any opponent.
04
C Tier
Nasus is strong in the late game but can be easily countered
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Nasus
Nasus can be a strong late-game pick. He can scale to a near-unstoppable level for those with patience. This, of course, means he is weaker in the early game and vulnerable to attacks from stronger fighters, like Akali. Faker almost never picks this champion, so ranks him near the bottom of his tier list.
Veigar
Veigar is another niche pick who can perform well for patient players, but suffers in the early game. Due to the current meta’s faster pace, he just doesn’t have the swiftness to be a threat right now.
Smolder
This cute and cuddly dragon is about as intimidating as he looks in the current meta, suffering from slow scaling (no pun intended) and weak wave control. As such, he’s not a viable pick in the current competitive scene.
