Season 6 Dawns: Best Champions for Ranked on Patch 6.1

Season 6 has officially begun! While many of the drastic preseason changes have been tweaked and balanced accordingly, a handful of champions still reign supreme. Take advantage of these changes while you can, and conquer your first solo/dynamic queue matches of 2016!

Champion Change Summary

Buffs: Bard, Fiddlesticks, Kha’Zix, LeBlanc, Mordekaiser, Riven, Rumble, Teemo, Poppy
Nerfs: Gangplank, Kalista, Miss Fortune, Trundle

Champions with terribly low win rates such as Fiddlesticks and Kha’Zix have been moderately buffed following the hurtful changes to their itemization during the preseason. Additionally, power picks such as Miss Fortune and Trundle have been toned down a notch, after rising to power with their excellent mastery synergies and improved build paths.

Tanky junglers and top laners - namely Dr. Mundo and Tahm Kench - have grown extremely difficult to play against due to their insane damage capabilities despite being built as pure tanks. Alongside overtuned stats and damage ratios, the preseasons’ nerfs and changes to armor penetration have rendered them borderline invincible at times. It can be safely assumed that these champions will be addressed in coming patches.

The latest item iteration for AP junglers, Runic Echoes, has improved the state of champions such as Diana, Nidalee and Elise. Although many were initially skeptical of the new item, the large AP and movement speed bonuses have brought these carry-style junglers back into play.

 

Best Champions for Solo/Dynamic Queue - Patch 6.1

This article will discuss a few of the strongest champions for each role based upon their current win rates, accessibility and position in the current metagame. Keep in mind that this list is focused on the best champions for solo/dynamic-queue matches, not coordinated ranked team play.

Top Lane

Malphite

With armor penetration being heavily altered in the preseason, Malphite thrives in the current meta. He demolishes popular carries like Lux and Miss Fortune, who are easy targets for Unstoppable Force (R). This ultimate is perfect for setting up plays with Yasuo and Area-of-Effect compositions. He’s also the ideal pick against AD heavy teams due to his armor scaling. Overall, Malphite is a simple, versatile choice that can carry with one of the best initiation spells in the game.

Dr. Mundo

Dr. Mundo has been a highly contested champion for the last couple of patches. As a top laner, his kit is loaded with insane damage, fast wave clear and obnoxious sustain. The base damage values on Infected Cleaver (Q) and Masochism (E) are simply unfair to play against in their current state. Since he’s likely to face significant nerfs in future patches, capitalize on his strength whenever he’s available. His durability and raw power are currently unparalleled.

Tahm Kench

Similarly to Mundo, Tahm is a champion that can deliver massive damage with pure tank builds. In lane, he’s a formidable champion with high damage who can set up ganks very easily. His Thick Skin (E) allows him to win a majority of trades, while also possessing flexible utility for locking down targets and peeling for his allies. Take advantage of his overpowered kit while you can!

Kayle

Kayle is a niche yet powerful pick in a melee-heavy meta. She’s a fast pusher who can shove opponents under tower with ease, and can bully melee opponents hard. Her attack speed-oriented kit synergizes perfectly with the newly-buffed Fervor of Battle keystone and the new Guinsoo’s Rageblade. Kayle is best picked alongside tank junglers and supports who can peel and engage for her, and has brilliant scaling into the late-game. She’s an underrated hypercarry that works brilliantly in a solo ranked environment.

 

Jungle

Dr. Mundo

Mundo is as strong of a jungler as he is a top laner. His overtuned kit enables him to clear jungle camps extremely fast, allowing for effective counter-jungling. He scales well throughout the game, and can deliver potent ganks consisting of high damage and crippling slows. Dr. Mundo is currently the strongest tank jungler by far.

Graves

Graves has been a competent jungler throughout the preseason, and is reaching a ‘flavor-of-the-month’ status following his recent LCS appearances. His shotgun allows him to kite and burst jungle camps, keeping him durable for high-damage ganks and skirmishes. Additionally, his smokescreen (W) is a strong, disorienting ganking tool. Graves is an incredibly bursty marksman who can dominate the jungle.

Elise

With the introduction of Runic Echoes, Elise has risen to power once more. She benefits greatly from this new item’s movement speed, allowing her to gank lanes hard and fast. Additionally, the extra 20 AP offered over Runeglaive amplifies her burst and clear speeds. Although she’s relatively challenging, she’s a very strong ganker in skilled hands.

Volibear

Volibear is a formidable and easy jungler, perfect for those unfamiliar or learning this role. With decent clears, ganks, mobility and durability, he’s an all-rounder. Rolling Thunder (Q) and his high base ability damage enable him to single-out and shred through opposing carries. Overall, he’s a well-equipped jungler packing a range of strengths.

 

Mid Lane

Lux

Lux is a mage that can burst opposing carries from afar. Her crowd control is superb for picking off out-of-place enemies, ideal for the chaotic nature of ranked play. Despite the nerfs to Spellthief’s Edge, she still remains a choice pick. Final Spark (R) is practical for wave clear, objective stealing and finishing weakened opponents. Overall, she’s a highly competent mage that brings a lot to a team.

Ahri

In a meta where immobile carries are popular, Ahri charms and nukes the competition. She’s perfect for picking off wandering opponents and has brilliant outplay potential with her Spirit Rush (R). Use Spirit Rush to find good angles on enemy carries, and win matches through well-placed Charms (E).

Talon

Talon is the go-to AD mid laner right now. Easier than other assassin counterparts such as Yasuo and Zed, Talon manages to reach the backlines and shred through carries with ease. The reworked Youmuu’s Ghostblade synergizes excellently with his kit, and restricted true-sight availability limits counterplay for his Shadow Assault (R). If you’re looking for an AD mid-laner to learn, Talon is an excellent choice.

Kayle

Kayle is an extremely flexible champion that has seen play in almost all roles. With major buffs to the Fervor of Battle keystone mastery, her strength as an auto-attacker is improved significantly. She’s a safe laner thanks to her Divine Blessing (W) and Intervention (R), which keep her healthy and nimble. Intervention allows her to negate burst in teamfights, amplifying the carry potential of herself or her allies.

 

Marksman

Miss Fortune

Miss Fortune has reigned supreme for the last couple of patches thanks to her dominant laning phase and synergy with Thunderlord’s Decree. Although she’s been toned down in the latest patch, she’s still a capable marksman that can apply damage very easily. She can be picked into most compositions, but works best with hard-engage champions such as Malphite who can set up her for Bullet Time (R).

Lucian

Lucian rose to power with the new marksman items and Thunderlord’s Decree, giving him a strong indirect buff. Items such as Essence Reaver and Rapidfire Cannon accentuate Lucian’s strengths and mend his shortcomings, while Thunderlord’s Decree is easily procced by his passive, Lightslinger. Being an extremely dominant laner, Lucian has the potential to stomp the early-game, which can easily translate into wins in a ranked context.

Corki

Corki is an excellent and unique caster-styled marksman. Loaded with high skirmish and poke potential, Corki’s preseason update furthered his firepower. His hybrid damage means that he’s harder to build against, and shines the brightest during the mid-game. He’s an effective pick, best suited to those who prefer spellcasters over auto-attackers.

Quinn

Quinn’s rework has rendered her a bursty, highly mobile marksman with excellent duelling potential. Heightened Senses (W) and Behind Enemy Lines (R) allow her to scout and roam, effective for split-pushing or bursting out-of-place opponents. She excels at creating map pressure, blitzing skirmishes and picking off lone targets, which are ideal traits for the chaos that is solo/dynamic queue.

 

Support

Janna

With excellent disengage, peel and AD bonuses, Janna is currently in a very strong place. She synergizes extremely well with popular dominant laners such as Lucian and Miss Fortune, amplifying their strengths with Eye of the Storm (E) and trumping the laning phase. Furthermore, prevalent assassins and hard-engage champions such as Rengar and Alistar can be peeled away with ease thanks to Monsoon (R). Windspeaker’s Blessing increases the effectiveness of Monsoon and Eye of the Storm, further rendering Janna a formidable pick alongside and against trending champions.

Trundle

As trolly as the premise sounds, Trundle is a very strong support in solo queue. He’s mobile, tanky and sustain-heavy, allowing him to play aggressively. Pillar of Ice (E) is brilliant at catching enemies, setting up ganks and disrupting channels, and can therefore work offensively and defensively. Chomp (Q) and Subjugate (R) debuff the opponents’ Attack Damage and resistances respectively, rendering Trundle a versatile, powerful support.

Soraka

Soraka is an effective healer and an ideal pick for those unfamiliar with support. Although she lacks any form of engage, her spammable heals allow carries to play dangerously by nullifying the opposing laners’ harass. The Windspeaker’s Blessing keystone amplifies your heals, allowing you to buff allies’ defensive stats further. She’s obnoxious to play against, and very safe for those inexperienced or forced into the support role.

Tahm Kench

Tahm Kench has a kit loaded with utility and an appetite for carries. As a support, he’s a lane bully with a health-scaling kit, sustain, crowd-control and disengage potential. Thick Skin (E) allows him to win most trades and tank harass, while his Devour (W) can be used aggressively to lock down opponents or defensively to protect your allies. In solo queue, Devour is extremely practical for rescuing overzealous carries, and Abyssal Voyage (R) can set up unique ganks and enable fast rotations. With insanely high damage for a support, Tahm can carry through raw power and utility.

These are just a few potential choices for ranked play. There’s a broad range of strong champions right now, and this selection is just a starting point based on champions with high potential. Capitalize on the strongest picks of Patch 6.1, and you’ll find yourself having greater success in ranked altogether. Good luck on the Rift!

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