With nearly 170 champions on the League of Legends roster, there will always be some that are just stronger than others, which means players are constantly looking for the very best champs to win ranked games with.
That remains true in season 14, especially after the huge item overhaul and the major Summoner’s Rift revamp heading into 2024. Even early on, powerful new picks started to emerge, with many quickly hitting incredible win rates.
Here are the 10 best League champions to play in Patch 14.5 so far.
Best League champs in Patch 14.5
Top lane
Vayne
Despite being incredibly strong in the bot lane, Vayne has also emerged as a truly perilous pick for the top lane. The AD carry possesses a kit that allows her to be extremely mobile and handle a lot of top laners in one-vs-one scenarios. Besides, she’s a true late-game monster. If you don’t shut her down early, she’s going to be a real problem.
Olaf
Olaf has returned to the list of best top lane picks in season 14, and he’s particularly strong in Patch 14.5. This could be a bit surprising, though, since neither he nor his core items received any direct changes in the latest update. Nevertheless, he’s been reigning supreme in the top lane so far, being a perfect fighter for many occasions with his beefy sustain and high damage.
Jungle
Nidalee
After minor buffs in Patch 14.3, top ranked players have been finding immense success with Nidalee in the jungle, who’s recently been best champion for the role. Her kit relies on hitting spears and rotating her Panther form, which isn’t easy to learn. But once you master it, you can be unstoppable in the jungle. Patch 14.5 launched a minor nerf towards Nidalee, targeting her base stats and Q’s damage. But, it wasn’t enough to diminish her dominance in the jungle.
Evelynn
Another AP-based jungler in Patch 14.5 who’s just too strong to ignore right now is Evelynn. Her early and mid-game burst is unmatched in League. Like Nidalee, she received a small nerf to her Q, but she’s still more than powerful in numerous team comps and scenarios.
Mid lane
Gragas
Throughout the years, Gragas has been picked in every role with great effect, except AD carry. This patch, he returns to his roots in the mid lane. His mobility, damage, and ability to roam and navigate teamfights make him an all-around strong pick for the position, where he is enjoying a 53.12 percent win rate in Emerald+ ranks, according to U.GG. He isn’t played a huge amount but the Rabble Rouser is tough to beat in the mid lane right now.
Taliyah
Taliyah is one of those picks that can cause quite a commotion in solo queue in particular. When she gets ahead, Taliyah can output massive damage while also being incredibly tough to take down. On top of that, her ultimate is perfect for splitting up enemy teams, so if you’re looking for a favorable angle, you should ask her for help.
Bot lane
Smolder
Smolder has been in the spotlight a lot lately due to his incredible prowess in the bottom lane. At the time of writing, he has a pick rate around 20 percent, ban rate around 40 percent, and a massive win rate of 53 percent, according to U.GG. Despite early hotfixes, he’s still holding strong onto this gargantuan win rate, and it’s likely it won’t change before any further nerfs. That’s why if you’re looking for easy wins in the bottom lane, Smolder is one of the best options at the time of writing.
Kog’Maw
Besides Smolder, one ADC has snuck his way into the list—Kog’Maw. Unlike the little dragon, the Void champion only received minor buffs to almost every ability except his W. But, by the looks of things, it wasn’t enough to elevate his win rate through the roof. Still, Kog’Maw is currently doing very well for himself, and this likely won’t change until the next patch.
Support
Janna
Janna hasn’t received any direct changes in season 14, at least so far, but she’s still incredibly strong in Patch 14.5. In a meta of scaling ADCs who require a lot of protection early on, Janna fills the role quite perfectly. Her crowd control and shielding allow her allies to truly spread their wings after they leave the bottom lane.
Braum
If you want even more protection and frontline on your team, just go for Braum. The champion brings even more to the table in terms of shielding, while also keeping pace when it comes to crowd control. He’s an all-around strong pick, viable in almost every meta and matchup.
Versatile all-arounder
Maokai
Some things never change, like the fact Maokai is still in the meta. It’s far from surprising, though; he’s been a stellar choice for top, jungle, and support for many months, and the resurgence of tank items in season 14 solidifies him in these roles. Maokai’s survivability and unmatched engage possibilities make him one of the most versatile and powerful picks in League.
