After another fiery regular season in the LEC, the competitive League of Legends meta has quickly taken shape before the start of the next round in the 2023 Spring Split. There is, however, only one champion that has remained a top priority for all teams in the league, whether she’s banned or played on the Summoner’s Rift.
Annie has become a rapid contender for one of the most contested champions in the LEC, especially after holding an unblemished 100-percent draft presence through the entire regular season, according to competitive League stats aggregate, Oracle’s Elixir. She has been banned in 84.8 percent of all games, making her the most-feared pick in the European scene at the moment.
The champion rose in popularity after she received a plethora of buffs to her overall kit in League‘s Patch 13.3, including some formidable changes to her Molten Shield. The shield gives a great amount of durability, a movement speed boost, and a minor damage reflection to a targeted ally, making it a perfect tool for early-game skirmishes and late-game teamfights.
She also brings a good amount of crowd control and damage with her Pyromania passive, while also holding her deadly friend Tibbers in her back pocket as an extra “teammate” to throw in the middle of a battle. Annie also works well with meta AD carry champions like Zeri, who gains a ton of movement speed when given a shield.
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Three patches later, Annie also has the highest win rate of any support champion among players ranked Platinum and higher, according to League stats site U.GG. An important aspect of these numbers to consider, however, is that Annie has been primarily a priority pick for EU teams. Among the rest of the major regions, the champion never even crested over a 50-percent pick-ban rate.
Meanwhile, fans should expect Annie to remain a priority through the 2023 LEC Spring Split group stage and playoffs. Heading into the Mid-Season Invitational, however, we could see some changes, since Patch 13.7 will be bringing some nerfs to Runeterra’s favorite Dark Child.
