This is the second tier list GameSkinny is bringing you and the first for League of Legends Season 5. You can read the patch 4.21 tier list right here, and see all the changes in the last month!
For the purposes of people who have never seen a tier list before I’m going to go through each different tier with a small explanation.
S-Tier: S-Tier champions are currently regarded as the strongest in their role. Being prepared to play as or against these champions is key. Pick or ban.
A-Tier: Just below S-Tier, A-Tier champions are seen as the next most viable picks when the previous tier has been all banned or picked.
B-Tier: This tier is where player specific comfort picks come into play. Still strong in the right hands, B-Tier champions can still influence a game heavily.
C-Tier: These champions should be a last resort in solo queue, picked into specific team compositions or as direct counterpicks to champions higher on the list.
TOP LANE
S-Tier
Lissandra (No Change): Lissandra stays on top for the second patch in a row. Her continued strength as a flex pick between mid and top lanes is the largest contributing factor to her dominance.
While stronger in the top lane than mid, Korean teams have developed a very high priority on hiding lane assignments until they have no choice left.
The high impact of Frozen Tomb can also not be understated in a time when mobile AD carries are prevalent.
Gnar (Up 1): This adorable little yordle has proven very troublesome and has continued to receive nerfs since his debut on the rift. Even still, he has risen to the forefront of top lane picks.
Gnar also has an extremely high impact ultimate and the ability to bully lane opponents to no end. With a large variety of build paths Gnar can spike in power during different times of the game to fit any team composition.
A-Tier
Rumble (Down 1)
Renekton (New)
Dr. Mundo (Up 1)
B-Tier
Irelia (Down 1)
Lulu (New)
Kassadin (No Change)
Maokai (Down 1)
C-Tier
Sion (No Change)
Kayle (No Change)
Jarvan IV (Down 1)
JUNGLE
S-Tier
Jarvan IV (No Change): Jarvan stays on top for another patch. Without any large changes to the champion or the jungle he can continue to use his crowd control to single-handedly win games.
Jarvan’s biggest weakness is jungle clear speed, but with the addition of stacking smites he can spend more time ganking lanes and less time in the jungle smiting buffs.
Rek’Sai (New): The Void Lady shocked no one by being extremely powerful on release. Riot seems to have a tendency to overtune champions on release and balance by lowering numbers or removing utility.
Insane clear speeds combined with a global ultimate means Rek’Sai is almost always ahead in gold when compared to an enemy jungler.
A-Tier
Elise (No Change)
Rengar (No Change)
Lee Sin (Down 1)
Evelynn (Up 2)
B-Tier
Kha’zix (No Change)
Nocturne (No Change)
C-Tier
Nunu (Down 2)
Xin Zhao (No Change)
Kayle (No Change)
Warwick
MIDDLE LANE
S-Tier
Azir (Up 2): The Bridman is up two tiers this patch as people are finally starting to recognize his strength and zone control. Fighting in choke points against an Azir is more deadly than the time I ate two big box meals at Taco Bell. Not only do the sand soldiers deal ridiculous amounts of damage, if you ever get through them he can throw up Emperor’s Divide to push you right back into them and away from his team.
If you haven’t already figured it out, zoning and large amounts of crowd control have become a focal point in denouncing the good champions from the bad.
Leblanc (No Change): Leblanc stays on top this season because she still does everything you want a mage to do without any glaring downsides.
100-0 Burst ☑
Crowd Control ☑
High Mobility ☑
Leblanc also has few to no counter matchups making her incredibly safe to pick blindly into an opposing mid laner and why she is valued so highly in the competitive scene.
A-Tier
Orianna (No Change)
Lissandra (No Change)
Syndra (Up 1)
Ahri (Up 1)
B-Tier
Xerath (Down 2)
Zed (Down 1)
Jayce (Down 2)
C-Tier
Kassadin (No Change)
Ziggs (No Change)
Twisted Fate (New)
AD CARRY
S-Tier
Sivir (Up 1): Sivir is back boys and girls. Sivir was popular back in Season 3 because of her ability to favorably reposition her team with the help of On The Hunt.
She has returned for the same reason. As previously stated, positioning has once again become paramount and Sivir helps in a way most AD carries can only dream of.
Sivir also saw some small quality of life improvements to her kit, most notably Boomerang Blade, to make her slightly more practical.
Graves (Up 2): Graves has replaced Lucian as the #1 AD caster in the carry role. Higher burst potential across multiple targets seems to be the key to his recent resurgence.
He also provides vision control with Smokescreen and with a buff to Collateral Damage a few patches back he has leapfrogged some other champions in the space.
A-Tier
Corki (Down 1)
Tristana (New)
Lucian (Down 1)
Kalista (New)
B-Tier
Jinx (No Change)
Vayne (No Change)
Caitlyn (Down 1)
C-Tier
Draven (No Change)
Ezreal (Down 2)
SUPPORT
S-Tier
Janna (No Change): The trend of zone control champions continues in Season 5 League of Legends with Janna remaining atop the Support hierarchy.
Janna offers too much of everything to not pick her up in champion select. With a move speed boost, slow, knock up, knock back, a shield (augmented with bonus AD) and ease of play, Janna is a powerhouse support pick for anyone looking to play the role.
Thresh (No Change): As I mentioned in the 4.21 tier list Thresh is kept in the top tier of supports almost indefinitely thanks to his kit. Thresh didn’t change in patch 5.1 and usually pairs well with any AD carry because of his ability to play offensively and defensively.
Thresh barely hangs on over Morgana for the second S-tier champion on patch 5.1.
A-Tier
Morgana (No Change)
Lulu (New)
Braum (No Change)
Nami (No Change)
B-Tier
Alistar (No Change)
Leona (No Change)
Annie (No Change)
C-Tier
Sona (No Change)
Soraka (Down 3)
Published: Jan 22, 2015 06:23 pm