Pick To Dominate: Top Lane

The top lane has become more of an isolated island than ever. Farming away for 20 minutes and then arriving at late game team fights and ripping the enemy team apart. However, certain champions have proven themselves stronger top laners than others. This article will discuss the strongest picks for the top lane and what makes those champions stand out from the crowd.

 

Shyvana

Shyvana has made a huge comeback so far in season 4 and late season 3 due to the insane base damage of her skills, her domination of late game team fights as a tank and the massive pressure she can apply to the lane. Previously seen as a top tier competitive jungler back in season 2, Shyvana has found herself well suited to the current top lane for many of the same reasons that made her a strong jungler.

Starting with a Doran's Shield, Shyvana is incredibly tanky early in the game and with good warding and map awareness it is almost impossible to kill her without bringing three or more people to her lane. This innate tankiness means that Shyvana is not only well suited to sustaining a top lane matchup and farming up those creeps, but she is also one of the best 1v2 laners. The key skills that allow her to shine in these situations are her W (Burnout) and her E (Flame Breath).

Here is a quick rundown of what these skills offer to her kit.

W (Burnout)
- Fast wave clear combined with E
- Huge movement speed increase for both fast chasing and a reliable escape
- High amount of inbuilt magic damage on a mainly physical damage champion

E (Flame Breath)
- Ranged last hitting tool from a safe distance
- Good Harass in lane
- Percentage health damage on marked targets

Play style

When playing Shyvana you should try to push the wave quickly into the enemy tower. Pushing the wave up like this creates pressure and allows for you to dictate the pace of your lane by either roaming down to help your team or starting to proxy behind the enemy tower until they are forced to react to you. It is important that you itemize to become as tanky as possible. Shyvana has high base damage so don’t worry, you will pick up plenty of kills. If you are tanky it enables you to dive the enemy backline with your ultimate and "go ham" on the enemy carries. Be as much of a team fighting presence as you can. If the enemy team uses everything to kill a 4000 health Shyvana, it is likely that the rest of your team remain untouched and that you just aced them 1 for 5. If they do not use everything on you … burn them to dust.

 

Dr. Mundo



Mundo has made a reappearance on the rift. The ultimate tank is a fantastic top laner thanks to his raw team fighting power, his virtual invincibility after 30 minutes and the high amounts of damage he brings to the combat.

Mundo is a very late game focused pick. He is quite weak early due to his spells costing health. Trying to win a trade early with Mundo is almost impossible due to the health that he loses from simply casting his abilities. However, Mundo can farm fairly well from a distance with his Q (Infected Cleaver) and farming under tower should be a piece of cake if you are concentrating. Mundo will not force early kills on the enemy top laner but after level 11 a well farmed Dr. Mundo will be able to 1v1 almost every champion on the rift. The key skills for Dr. Mundo are his Q (Infected Cleaver) and his R (Sadism).

Q (Infected Cleaver)
-Deals percentage health damage
-Good ranged last hitting tool
-Provides strong poke
-Strong slow on a low cooldown enabling you to chase easily

R (Sadism)
-Health regeneration to stay in lane longer
-Movement speed increase
-Huge health regeneration past level 11 makes him a team fighting beast

 

Play Style

Dr. Mundo is a very late game focused champion pick. Aim to survive the early game by opting out of trades and farming as well as you can with his Q (Infected Cleaver). Don’t waste health on throwing cleavers that might not hit, save them for last hitting or for easy/no risk harass. Consider taking teleport. A level 6 teleport gank bottom should earn your team some kills and also the dragon for some of that all-important global gold. Teleport will also allow you to split push late game and still turn up to team fights on the other side of the map.

In team fights you should pop your ultimate and charge at the carries. Soak up all the damage and try to land cleavers on the priority targets to allow your team to pop them. Make sure to have your W activated, the extra tenacity will make running into the back line so much easier. Be a tanky beast but don’t overplay it. You are best with a team behind you. Even though you might feel like you can 1v5, you probably can’t, so don’t risk it.

 

Renekton

Renekton has always had a high pick rate due to his low skill cap and reliable kit. In season 4 the croc has become a staple top lane pick once again in the tanky meta. Unlike the other top lane champions, some variety has been seen from Renekton players, showcased in two key different builds. The standard tanky Renekton build that itemizes defensive stats over damage is powerful in the mid game fights and aims to tank up damage relying on the base damage of his skills.

The other main build is the Tiamat rush build that is more focused on trying to create kills and pressure the lane. With a Tiamat, it is not unusual for the Renekton player to successfully 1v2 the enemy laner and jungler. Both builds are incredibly strong and both are viable ways to itemize Renekton. Renekton is the early game top laner. He pushes fast from level 1 and can out trade every lane opponent convincingly. His key skills are his Q (Cull the Meek) and his R (Dominus).

Q (Cull the Meek)
-Fast wave clear and strong for pushing
-Good sustain to keep you in lane
-Easy poke and high damage in trades
-Large area of effect damage

R (Dominus)
-Bonus health makes Renekton a super tank
-Area of effect magic damage
-Long duration that lasts through most team fights
-Keeps your fury topped up

Play Style

When playing Renekton you should aim to dominate early by pushing up the lane and forcing trades on your opponent when you have high fury. Starting with a Doran's Blade can be good on Renekton if you want to bully the lane and potentially look for kills. Starting to proxy behind the enemy tower is easy as Renekton past level 6. If you play aggressively early on, it is easily possible to build up a 40+ CS lead on your opponent. Make sure you roam at good times. If you have pushed your lane in, consider placing some deep wards in the enemy jungle and continuing to proxy or maybe move down and start up a dragon for your team.

In team fights try to hit multiple people with your Q (Cull the Meek) so that you can increase your AOE damage and also heal more. Don’t wait until you are low to use your ultimate. Use it as soon as you are in in range of the fight so that you can get the area of effect damage off. Consider either using your W (Ruthless Predator) to dive onto the enemy marksman/ADC and try to kill them, or to peel for your own carries allowing them to stay alive and deal their damage. It is important to try to group fairly early with a Renekton because as you go later into the game, you will become less effective as your damage starts to drop off and armor and magic penetration starts to be built by the enemy carries.

 

Have Fun!

In the current state of top lane these three champions are probably the most dominant. This is due to their fast pushing power, innate tankiness and also the power they bring to a team fight. Consider picking these champions up as they are sure to help you climb up the ladder as well as being incredibly fun to play. Good luck! If you found this article helpful and would like to see a similar format for another role in League Of Legends please suggest what you would like to see next in the comments.