LoL Patch 13.19 is here and Worlds are inching closer and closer! There is one thing that each and every League of Legends player is eager to know: Which champions are currently the strongest? No matter if you're fighting on Top, Mid, Bot Lane, Jungle or Support: This is the ranking for each lane!
Each League of Legends Patch, we will introduce the best champions to you, that will help you win on your favorite lane. Are tanks still dominating the top lane? Which bot laner disposes of the enemy team the quickest? Here you'll find the five top performers in League of Legends, including all tips and tricks to master them... or how to get rid of them!
Finally: The Worlds 2023 meta is here! Riot has tried to do their best to set us up with a well-balanced champion pool for the biggest event of the year. We'll see if that worked out. I'd say it's a success as long as we don't see a Champ with a pick/ban-rate of 100%...
- LoL Patch 13.19: Worlds Patch Is Here – All Buffs, Nerfs And Changes
- New LoL Champion Briar: All Abilities Revealed
Mid-Patch Update - LoL Patch 13.19: The Best Champions For Every Lane
Coming up, you'll find the best pick for each position at the moment. We'll introduce every champion to you and explain why they are so strong at the moment. You'll find out how to play them, but since you won't be able to pick the best champions all the time, we'll also show you how to counter them in the most effective way.
1. Top Lane – Malphite, Shard of the Monolith
In LoL Patch 13.4, Malphite received some pretty significant buffs, instantly catapulting him to the top of the top lane meta. Since then, no one was really able to contest his spot – he's just as dominant as ever!
Why is Malphite so strong at the moment?
Of course: A lot of it still has to do with the buffs he received in LoL Patch 13.4. Riot has improved his W ability quite significantly. Its cooldown has been reduced, while it's scaling a lot stronger with armor now. Aside from that, he has benefitted a lot from the item adjustments that rolled out since then. This is why he has been an elite pick for so long.
How To Play Malphite
Let's keep it real, guys: Malphite isn't the most complicated of champions. Still, there are some principles you should adhere to. His most important tool is obviously his ultimate. This means that you should stay out of trouble until you reach level 6. Focus on farming and don't take unnecessary trades. Those will never go in your favor, especially not against ranged champs.
As soon as you reach level 6, your kill pressure rises immensely. Call your jungler up to top lane and secure the kill together. Same goes for team fights: As a tank, you usually fight in the front line, but an ultimate from an unexpected angle can wreak absolute havoc among your enemies. That way you'll win your fights and consequently the game as well.
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How To Counter Malphite
Surely this isn't rocket science! Try to abuse Malphite as hard as possible during early laning phase. This is where he is most vulnerable. So keep him off the lane, and therefore from farming or getting kills.
In team fights, the best way to lower his efficiency is by not standing too close together. Try picking fights in open areas instead of fighting in choke points. This way he won't be able to hit your whole team with his ultimate.
Best Malphite Alternatives on Top Lane
In case Malphite got banned or you're just not a big fan of him, here are a few other good options:
- Garen, the Might of Demacia
- Let's be real – you can't really go wrong with Garen. A simple kit, a passive ability that gives you great sustain. Add a few buffs to his core items and you've got a great pick.
- Illaoi, the Kraken Priestess
- There isn't a top lane champ that can turn your life into pure agony like Illaoi, with her incredibly strong presence in lane combined with the perfect balance between tankiness and damage output.
2. Jungle – Nocturne, the Eternal Nightmare
It seems to me that the devs always forget about Nocturne in each and every League of Legends Update. He's been one of the strongest junglers in the games for months, but there are no nerfs ever going his way.
Why is Nocturne so strong at the moment?
Nocturne has been a staple pick in the jungle since the item changes from the mid-season-update went into effect. Add the Rek'Sai nerfs from the current patch into the equation and you've got the Eternal Nightmare back in the lead!
How To Play Nocturne
Nocturne loves devouring isolated, helpless targets! Same as with Kha'Zix, you should try and pay attention to the mini map even more often than you usually do as a jungler. That way you'll know exactly where to hit next. His pick potential is insane, although you have to wait until level 6 to unlock his full potential.
From then on it will be a lot easier to isolate your targets. Thanks to his ultimate, you can pounce on an isolated target and there is nothing they can do against it. While Nocturne has great tools to initiate a gank, you're better off with some crowd-control assistance from your team, since Nocturne doesn't have a lot of that.
How To Counter Nocturne
The biggest threat is always his ultimate. It drastically lowers your view range for quite some time, so stay close together or hug a tower. Nocturne will get in trouble pretty quickly if he has to go up against several enemies at once. If you're matched up against him in jungle, try invading him early to build a lead over him and delay his level progression.
Best Nocturne Alternatives in Jungle
In case Kha'Zix got banned or you're just not a big fan of him, here are a few other good options:
- Jarvan IV, the Exemplar of Demacia
- Same as with Nocturne, J4 has been a jungle powerhouse since the mid-season update. Phenomenal engage, especially after hitting level 6, and just a great all-around bruiser.
- Kha'Zix, the Void Reaver
- If you like Nocturne's playstyle, you should feel just at home with Kha'Zix. Insane pick potential, combined with great tools for engage and disengage.
3. Mid Lane – Vex, the Gloomist
If there is a champion on Mid Lane that you could call "OP" at the moment, it would certainly be Vex in our eyes. No matter which rank you are in, this little Yordle can strike big fear in her enemies!
Why is Vex so strong at the moment?
This is mainly because of the buffs Vex received in LoL Patch 13.17. Her Q damage was increased, her W cooldown lowered, and there was a very helpful quality-of-life change for her ultimate ability. This is what catapulted Vex straight to the top of the mid lane meta.
How To Play Vex
Thankfully, Vex isn't very complicated. Maybe this is one of the reasons why there are so many people having a great time playing her at the moment. Still, there are a few things to keep in mind. For one, there is her passive, which is able to grant each of her abilities a fear. You'll see if that fear is available by looking at the display below her HP bar.
Use this fear to win your trades. Vex has great burst damage, which obviously hurts most, if your opponent can't strike back immediately because of the fear. Even if you're being attacked, Vex has some viable countermeasures. Her W ability not only grants her a shield, but also damages enemies close to her.
In team fights you should utilize the range of your Q and your ultimate. As soon as you've unlocked your ultimate, your roaming power drastically increases. Use it to help out your side lanes whenever you can.
How To Counter Vex
Champions that do not have a lot of range usually struggle quite a lot against Vex. Your best shot will be to pick a champ that also has quite a strong poke or some effective crowd control in their kit. Cassiopeia is a good choice for example. With her Miasma, she has a great counter for Vex's ultimate.
Vex Alternatives on Mid Lane
In case you're not a huge fan of Vex, or if she got banned, here a few other good options:
- Zed, the Master of Shadows
- Only if you dare! Zed may be incredibly complicated and he requires a lot of practice, but once you've got the hang of it, he can be absolutely lethal!
- Orianna, the Lady of Clockwork
- Once again a solid option on mid lane, since she received some buffs in Patch 13.17. Excels especially in team fights.
4. Bot Lane – Ashe, the Frost Archer
The bot lane appears to be quite balanced at the moment. There are a lot of well-performing champions, which means there is one for almost every playstyle. If you want to do everything to contribute in team fights, Ashe might be the best choice, though!
Why is Ashe so strong at the moment?
The last active step to boost Ashe into ADC top tier were the buffs she received in LoL Patch 13.12. During the earlier parts of this season, and the majority of last season, she was more often played as a support champ. Now she's back to where she really belongs!
How To Play Ashe
The biggest advantage Ashe has compared to other ADCs is her great range and her auto attack slow. This, combined with her W ability, allows her to dominate the lane without taking big risks. Your first big powerspike arrives as soon as you reach level 6. Ashe's ultimate ability is the perfect initiator for a successful gank or engage.
These strengths also work wonders in team fights. Let your team know when you're about to use your ultimate and try to pick off your preferred target. With perfect execution ypu'll be able to catch the enemy completely off-guard. Another powerful tool is her E - "Hawkshot". Its vision helps massively in scoping out your flanks, warning about ganks and spying on objectives.
Sounds pretty powerful, right? Well, it is! But we can't forget about Ashe's huge downside. She is very immobile. This means positioning is even more important with her than it is on almost any other bot laner. Therefore: Get in a safe position while engaging before you unleash your damage potential!
How To Counter Ashe
Your best chance when going up against Ashe is engaging while her ult is on cooldown. This is when you have the best opportunity to hit her with crowd control yourself. Other than that, always try to capitalize on her being slightly out of position.
Ashe Alternatives on Bot Lane
In case you're not a huge fan of Ashe, or if she got banned, here a few other good options:
- Ezreal, the Prodigal Explorer
- The mid-season item adjustments have worked wonders for Ezreal. Even in Patch 13.19 he's still one of the best ADCs with a lot of burst damage!
- Jhin, the Virtuoso
- Never really sub-par in solo queue, but the Stormrazor buffs from Patch 13.18 got Jhin back into top tier!
5. Support – Bard, the Wandering Caretaker
One of the most interesting and entertaining support champions out there finally gets his time to shine! Bard was forgotten for a long time, but now he's back! No other champion brings as much roaming power and map control as this friendly companion.
Why is Bard so strong at the moment?
Riot has rolled out some "adjustments" for Bard in LoL Patch 13.18. We put that in quotation marks, since the adjustments are effectively buffs for him. Bard's passive was adjusted in a way that the movement speed buff he gets from his chimes now stays for much longer. His W was also adjusted, which means he can now carry two healing shrines at the same time, and they also power up way quicker.
How To Play Bard
Bard is a really unique champion, which is especially true for his abilities. His Q is definitely his best offensive tool. With it, you can stun not just one, but two enemies simultaneously, but only if you connect to another unit or to terrain. The healing shrines from your W should always be placed under your tower or on your escape route.
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His E and his passive are the most important tools for roaming the map. This is Bard's biggest strength. Make sure your bot laner can stay safe and go for a journey around Summoner's Rift! The chimes Bard can collect not only grant mana, but also stack movement speed. Use this to exert map control by warding or ganking a lane. Use his E-portal to find an unusual engage angle or to escape quickly.
Bard's ultimate will always be absolutely crucial, whether you hit your intended target or not. Timing his ults correctly is incredibly important, since they can have great impact – but also in a negative way. "Tempered Fate" is pretty much an AoE Zhonya's. You can put every object into stasis, which means that if you hit an ally that was about to go for a kill, the situation can quickly turn sour.
How To Counter Bard
Bard's roaming potential can also turn the game to your advantage. If you're certain that Bard is currently on a roam, try to do everything to punish the enemy bot lane and kill the ADC. In mid and late game you should be wary of not standing too close together because of his Q and R.
Bard Alternatives on the Support Position
If you're not a big fan of Bard, or if he's getting banned, there are a few other good options:
- Zyra, Rise of the Thorns
- Zyra has recently received a mini-rework with some QoL improvements, and they were really effective!
- Rakan, the Charmer
- While his sweetheart Xayah was nerfed, Rakan is still one of the strongest supports out there! His versatility is what makes him such a great pick.
There they are, the best League of Legends champions in LoL Patch 13.19! Don't worry if these champs were banned, there are still a lot more great picks out there. We're eager to see how the meta will keep developing in 2023.