So, it’s that time of year again where we’re all spamming League of Legends and racing towards our Ranked goals. But some may have decided on an early change of pace or they may be even getting started later with a new approach hoping to find others who are a bit more established in their ways to help their climb. Regardless though, be you in either of these categories or someone that’s just playing as you always do, we can’t help but ask each and every season, “Is my role impactful enough to win games?”
And while the easy answer is ‘yes’, since you’ll find Challenger players in every role, over the years some have garnered a reputation for being better or worse than others. So, today we’re going to unpack each role and what their strength is within the ever-changing state of Season 13. You’ll find each role listed from strongest to weakest.
Welcome to the Jungle
Jungle got some adjustments with their new critter counterparts helping them clear and move their way through the Jungle better than ever. Classic picks like Zac, Amumu, Evelyn, and Fiddlesticks are all thriving in the meta right now. In fact, most farming Junglers enjoy the state of the game, with a few high gankers like Elise and Xin faring well too. Overall things are easier for Junglers to get through their early game.
Even newfound adoptees of the Jungle life are becoming prominent as well. Maokai, Mordekaiser, and Sylas have all found extreme viability with the Jungle after their changes and that’s just naming the most ‘meta’ of selections. Truthfully, with the update to the Jungle, just about any Champion can Jungle at this point and that speaks well for those that are wanting to try the role out but with comfort Champions from other lanes.
But, truthfully, Jungle remains, arguably, the strongest role in the game. A team with a great Jungler is going to succeed and win more often than not. Rift Herald remains extremely powerful to take and amplifies the snowball of laners, Dragon is still that game warping objective, and you always want to have that Smite down whenever Baron is being contested. As long as the bounty system remains live, Junglers are going to be the ones that are most capable of exploiting that bloated gold just sitting on the scoreboard, leading to easy wins for their team if they can.
Stuck in the Middle
Mid comes in right after Jungle in being the second strongest role, and that’s simply because it can do everything that Jungle can, but also comes with more consistent farming outlets. Truthfully, Mid’s a more difficult role than Jungle if you consider all their responsibilities. Great Mid Laners not only emulate what the Jungle role does, but they also emulate what Top Lane does by outplaying their 1v1, while also emulating what Bot Lane does by outfarming their opponent. And emulating what Support does by maintaining vision and control around objectives. It’s truly the lane that you simply have to have the most master of League of Legends over to succeed with.
But perception is its saving grace. Without being tied to the Summoner Spell, Smite, Mid Laners can fall back into one aspect of their play if the others aren’t coming to life. Farming well but having minimal 1v1 impact? That’s cool, you can just scale and sidelane like any Top Laner could. Winning the 1v1 but the roam opportunities are slim? Well, you can just shove your opponents down and then set up for picks in the enemy Jungle.
Basically, there are multiple ways to play Mid that allow players to pick a style and really home in on it. And by comparison to Jungle, who simply just has to be better at everything from the first second of the game, Mid is afforded a bit of slack in performance despite having the most ability to display game mastery.
Supporting A Good Cause
Supports rock our middle of the pack spot due to their ability to be Mid and Jungle-lite. Great Supports are not only able to play their 2v2 extremely well and entirely dictate that matchup, but they also roam and apply map pressure alongside great Mids and Jungles. And like Junglers, they simply have to be online from the first second of the game or they often find themselves struggling. If a Support player shows a clear weakness in understanding or presence, then they’re going to hold back an ADC. And even the best of ADCs can be held down if their Support is no better than a walking Sight Totem.
Additionally, unlike Mid & Jungle Champions, Support Champions are often designed to work without income. So, if your lane phase is neutral or losing by the time you should’ve already ‘won’ the early game, you can fall back on scaling, picks, and vision control to help you set the tempo around the map. Unlike Mids and Junglers who need those damaging components, a Support succeeds, often, based on how their kit works, not how much damage it does. Well, minus Mage Supports.
Additionally, between Season 12 and 13, the Support Meta has remained largely consistent. There’s been very little shakeup and I doubt we’ll see that shake-up until Phreak’s adjustments of Yuumi shift the entire Enchanter tier-lists for the next year. Which, in turn, will reflect on the ADC/Bot role too… Hm. Seems like of the two lanes in Bot, Supports are simply just the more impactful piece of the winning puzzle.
The 1v1 Island
While the overhaul of Tank Items was a boon to both Tanks and Bruisers, not much has really changed for Top Laners with this Season. Your lane is very much a ‘coin-flip’ lane that is often decided on matchup. And since you still get to be the furthest point away from the most powerful objective on the map, Dragon, you still get to suffer with minimal assistance from your Jungler for most games.
But, that doesn’t mean you’re completely devoid of game impact. In fact, you’re not quite the worst in Top Lane in terms of game impact. And why is that? Well, Top’s major strength is its ability to snowball and eat up those juicy item stats and experience points. Be you a duelist like Irelia or Jax, a Bruiser like Darius, or a Tank like Shen, Top Laners that win their 1v1 have a huge impact on the game since they can just flat out ‘be better’ than their opponent through nearly every phase. (Assuming you don’t throw it, of course.)
Once you catch a lead in Top, it’s an oppressive state of being that gives your opponent minimal options to come back. And if you do draw the attention of the enemy Jungler who’s trying to save their hemorrhaging teammate, you’ve created an avenue for your Jungler to exploit. Or depending on your Champion, an opportunity to really turn the game on its head through a 2v1 outplay. Additionally, come teamfight phase, with solo-lane experience and items from your lead, Bot Laners and Junglers will have a horrible time trying to contain you. If you’re a Tank, they can’t kill you and you just walk away or bait and control your team. If you’re a Duelist, you just kill them by dashing through them and insta-deleting them if they don’t have escape tools. And the same goes for Bruisers that seem to have equal parts damage and tankiness, requiring multiple commitments to slow them down.
This snowbally nature and power-forward approach to league makes Top Lane micro-demanding and requiring the best of in-game finesse to pull off. So, if you’re committing to Top this season, be sure you’re familiar with your picks and have a depth of experience on them, or you WILL be exposed and abused in your volatile lane. Then, you better be good at applying that lead elsewhere or you will suffer forever in your eternal 1v1.
Bottom of the Barrel
Bot Laners sit at the, well, Bottom. Bot is notorious for being that role that shapes the Pro Scene due to Pro Bot Laners being able to bring the most out of the most micro-intensive role in the game. However, in Solo Queue, you can’t really expect to find the same atmosphere.
Solo Queue is wild and moment to moment. Your lane partner is different every game, and they won’t always pick the partner that compliments you the most. In fact, their ability almost entirely dictates your ability to play the game. If you’re lacking a fundamentally sound Support, then your goals shift from being able to play the lane phase, to ‘hoping the game doesn’t end before you get to your items and can be self-sufficient’.
This inconsistency is what makes Bot such a road road for players looking to climb. And it's often why Supports duo with the Bot Lane partners to help emulate that Pro Scene like consistency between games. But, even with this said, there are plenty of top ranking ADC/Bot Mains that will attest to the role’s strength. It’s truly the only role that you can 100% carry every game from if you’re good enough. It’s just that you’re weighed down from the start due to this ability.
Closing Out
So, there you have it folks! From best to worst we have: Jungle, Mid, Support, Top, and Bot. So, if you’re looking to adjust to a new role this season, or you’re simply wanting to know how your role stacks up to everyone else’s, we hope this piece gives you just the insight you need to make your adjustments in play and understanding! Now, get out there and climb!
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