League of Legends has nearly 170 champions, all of whom boast their own roles and unique sets of abilities. While every character is viable in one way or another, depending on the patch and metagame, some stand out above others.
From the top lane all the way down to support, I’ve put together a list of the five best characters in League right now (as of Patch 13.14, which came out on Wednesday, July 19). The data I’ve used is from leading League stats site U.GG, which gives players a comprehensive look at win rates.
I’ve made sure to stick to Platinum and above—I just scrape into this bracket, I’ll admit—to better represent the top levels of League’s ranked queues.
So, if you’re looking to get that extra victory to tick over to the next highest rank before the end of the season or just want to keep an eye on the top of the metagame, this is the champion bible for you.
Top lane: Olaf
League’s marauding Viking has carved out a little kingdom for himself in the top lane in season 13, winning 54.01 percent of games. Olaf is one of the best one-vs-one bruisers in the game, so it’s no surprise he’s dominating the typically isolated solo lane in the north of Summoner’s Rift. If you want to beat him, Nasus, Garen, and Urgot all enjoy positive win rates over him right now.
If you want to spice things up a little, Zac comes in second with a 53.55 percent win rate, while Akshan (52.77) and Maokai (52.64) round out the top four.
Jungle: Rammus
Okay, surely everyone is happy with this one. Rammus, the little speedster that has some of the best armor in League, has barreled his way to the top of the jungle pile in Patch 13.14 and is currently winning 54.09 percent of games. He barely edges out stoney spellcaster Taliyah (53.85 percent) and shapeshifter Shyvana (52.84).
Mid lane: Aatrox
I can’t believe Aatrox’s win rate this patch, but the U.GG stats never lie: the Darkin brawler is winning 56.67 percent of games when he’s picked in the mid lane. Now, before we all rush out to play him, make sure you’re building him right—you’re going to want to rush building Eclipse as his Mythic before adding items.
If you want a more “classical” mid laner to play, Taliyah is sitting pretty in third with a 54.12 percent win rate. Xerath, who I think I’ll be taking for a spin this patch, is down in sixth boasting a 52.74 percent win rate.
Bot lane: Kog’Maw
Hypercarry void monster Kog’Maw is enjoying his place in the bot lane spotlight again midway through season 13. He is currently winning around 53.84 percent of matches and is being banned in one in every hundred lobbies. He is ahead of Seraphine (53.68 percent), Karthus (53.21 percent), and Yasuo (51.84 percent).
The next best traditional ADC is marksman Ashe—which is great for me, she’s one of my main characters whenever I play ranked queues—who is currently victorious in around 51.59 percent of games.
Support: Maokai
The Twisted Treant has taken an early lead in Patch 13.14 despite receiving no changes either way on July 19. Playing Maokai sees players win 54.36 percent of the time, nearly a full percent ahead of Taric (53.69 percent). Enchanter playmaker Rakan trails in third, though he may take the top spot in coming weeks considering he already has a whopping 13,077 matches played this update.
Honorable Mention: Renekton (mid lane)
Renekton may not come out in a clear first in any specific League role this update, but I can’t really ignore his whopping 54.96 percent win rate. Right now, if you play the fighting crocodile in the top lane, you should score a few extra free ranked victories—and that could very well be the difference between finishing in Silver or languishing in Bronze at the end of the competitive season.
Now, go out, lock in one of these League champs, and win!
