Final Patch of Season 14: Best Champions for Each Role

Greetings, dear LoL players. It’s Librarian Husky here. The final patch of Season 14 is here, so let’s get you set up with three of the best Champions to climb with for every single role. Do you remember when knowing how to set up a freeze in low ELO made you special? These days, you’re considered a troll if you don’t know what a freeze is. The problem is, challengers are so out of touch with the fact that everyone in low ELO has improved. If you ask for help, you just keep getting the same outdated advice, or even worse, they give you tips that only work in high ELO, like how you should sync up your wave crashes with your teammates in multiple lanes to set up invades or objective priority.

Top Lane Champion for the Patch: Malai

One champion we’re pretty surprised to avoid nerfs for this patch and who should be in your champion pool for Top Lane is Malai. Malai has always had a pretty good win rate for Top Lane, but it’s only been over these past two patches where that’s translated into seeing more play. Malai is being spammed right now over in Korean solo queue, as he has the highest play rate for any Top Lane champ, even greater than Ssa. Generally, when a champ has such a high play rate, their win rate suffers as a result of new players picking up the champ, but that’s not the case at all with Malai right now. Not only does he have the highest play rate for any Top Laner in Korea, but he also has the highest win rate as well.

Malai is just super easy to be incredibly impactful with due to his reliable crowd control and tankiness. The laning phase with Malai is pretty solid due to his harassment power from Q, and the gank assist is unmatched due to the point-and-click root from W. Once you get your core build on Malai, he becomes so difficult to kill because of all the healing and shielding he receives. Winter’s Approach and Spirit Visage are the three core items for him, and they all tie together and synergize so well with each other.

Malai’s Weaknesses and Banning Strategy

AP tops with strong, consistent DPS power are who Malai struggles against the most, so banning out Morkiser or Gwen is good value. The optimal rune page for Malai consists of Grasp with Demolish, Second Wind, and Overgrowth, while Biscuits and Cosmic Insight are good for secondaries. Tank top laners are just really good right now in the meta, and Malai takes home our second solo-carry spot for the patch.

Malai and Malphite: Top Lane Champions

Malai is definitely the better blind-pick tank right now, but if you have both champions in your pool and can pull out Malite in the correct spots, he’s a super strong pick. Where Malphite really excels is when the enemy comp locks in a few auto-attack reliant champions because he gets so much value out of his E attack speed slow. Malite absolutely steamrolls matchups like Irelia, Trundle, Fiora, Yone, Nasus, and Jhin. As much as Malite has some really favored matchups, he also has a few dreadful ones. Avoiding Mordekaiser and Sylas is a must when playing Malphite, as both champs nullify a lot of Malphite’s strengths.

Malphite Build and Runes

The build that you should be running on Malphite for most games is a Sunfire rush into Thornmail second and either Randuin’s Omen or Frozen Heart third. For the rune page, look to grab Comet with Manaflow, Transcendence, and Scorch, while Second Wind and Overgrowth are the best secondaries. With Ambessa dropping out of the top three for this patch due to her nerfs, an alternative fighter top laner who’s really strong right now is Aatrox.

Aatrox: Strong Alternative Top Laner

Over the past couple of patches, we’ve seen a new carry build emerge on Aatrox, and it’s giving him a lot of solo carry power. You rush Spear of Shojin and then go Voltaic Cyclone Sword second for a great mix of durability, haste, and damage. Top it all off with Call’s Grudge third, and with this core, the enemy is never escaping you if you get in range of them. Not only do you get the slow from Seras, but Voltaic’s passive also offers up a slow when you auto an enemy, so the sticking power is just immense.

Aatrox Matchups and Runes

Matchup-wise for Aatrox right now, Ambessa is a matchup you do want to try and avoid because landing your Q with all her mobility is more difficult. The optimal rune page for Aatrox consists of Conqueror with Triumph, Haste, and Last Stand, while Second Wind and Revitalize are good secondaries. Aatrox is taking home a top-three spot for the second patch in a row.

Jungle Champion for the Patch: Warwick

Taking home a top-three spot for Jungle is going to be Warwick. Warwick has slowly but surely gained a ton of relative power throughout Season 14, as many junglers have been nerfed while he’s been left untouched, and it’s finally ballooned into him being a top-tier pick. Warwick is receiving a few adjustments himself for this patch, but we aren’t expecting them to reduce his power much at all. Warwick plays quite well into many of the highly picked junglers in Solo Q right now, as he’s winning over 53% of the time against Viego, Kha’Zix, and Vi.

Warwick’s Strengths and Counterplay

Warwick has a really strong kit for Solo Q because he’s got the built-in movement speed from W, which amplifies early snowball power, and then all the sustain in his kit makes his skirmishing absolutely godlike if he gets a lead. There aren’t really any specific junglers that will hard-counter Warwick, so it’s more certain supports that can shut his skirmish power down. Good peel supports like Braum, Janna, or Lulu are ideal to avoid when picking Warwick, so using your ban on one of them is a good idea.

Warwick’s Build and Runes

The two-item core that you’ll want to be running for every game is Stridebreaker into Blade of the Ruined King, and it’s situational from then on out. Press the Attack and Lethal Tempo are both viable Keystone runes for Warwick. If you’re up against more squishy champions, then PTA is going to be more valuable, but into more tankier comps is where Lethal Tempo will come into play a lot more.

Wukong: Another Jungle Pick for the Patch

With Graves nerfed even further for Patch 14.24, a jungler you should really consider picking up is Wukong. Wukong is a jungler who can play very well into Graves, so the matchup becomes even more Wukong-favored this patch with Graves’ Q damage nerf. Picking Wukong when the enemy comp has a majority AD is where you’ll get the most value out of him due to his armor stacking passive.

Wukong’s Strengths and Counters

Interestingly, though, the only champions that Wukong actually has a negative win rate against in Solo Q right now are Diana, Elise, and Amumu, and all three of those junglers deal the majority of magic damage. Diana is the one matchup in particular where Wukong is struggling the most, so she’s a good ban to consider.

Wukong: Jungle Champion Build and Runes

The build you should be running on Wukong consists of a Trinity Force rush into Sunfire Aegis second and Sterak’s Gage third. For the rune page, use Conqueror with Triumph, Alacrity, and Last Stand, while Free Boots and Cosmic Insight are the best secondaries. Not much is going on in regards to jungle changes for this patch, so back in the top three is Nocturne.

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Nocturne: A Solid Jungle Pick

Nocturne is just an all-around really solid jungle pick right now. He clears well, does grubs very well, has great skirmishing, and his catch power with his R gives him the ability to punish enemies’ mistakes better than most junglers in Solo Q. It’s all about trying to fight around number advantages, and with Nocturne’s R, he’s able to join or start fights that are in his team’s favor. Nocturne excels even more in the lower ranks because players are a lot more careless about their positioning and won’t respect the threat of Nocturne’s R as much.

Nocturne Matchups and Build

The one matchup that Nocturne is really struggling against in the current meta is Wukong, so he’s who we’d recommend you ban. Core build for Nocturne turns him into a free kill machine, with Stridebreaker and Hexdrinker making his catch power incredibly deadly. The rune page you’ll take consists of Conqueror with Triumph, Alacrity, and Last Stand, while Eyeball Collection and Ultimate Hunter are your secondaries.

Viktor: Mid Lane Champion Buffs

A mid lane champ who should be in a really great spot for Patch 14.24 and joining the top three is Viktor. Riot is buffing Viktor in multiple ways, with every single one of his abilities receiving a buff. His Q shield is up, and his E manacost is down, so the early game laning strength of Viktor gets a nice boost. The team fight impact of Viktor is getting better too, as the big changes to his R are with it growing in size and having its duration extended with each takedown.

Viktor Build and Matchups

There are two viable builds you can run on Viktor right now. The first is Luden’s Echo into Lich Bane, which works best against compositions that are squishy. For more bruisers or tanks, Rylai’s Crystal Scepter with Liandry’s Anguish will be of great value. Matchup-wise, Silas is definitely going to be one of Viktor’s better ban choices moving forward because Silas stealing Viktor’s R, with how much more powerful its extended fight strength is, won’t be fun to play against.

Viktor Runes

The standard rune page setup for Viktor consists of Ary with Manaflow, Transcendence, and Scorch, while Shield Bash and Bone Plating are great secondaries.

Ahri: A Top Mid Lane Pick

Back in the top three for mid lane for yet another patch as one of the best mids to close out Season 14 is Ahri. When a champion not only has a very high play rate but also holds a high win rate, it’s a clear indication of a powerful champ. That’s what we have with Ahri right now – she’s the most played mid lane champ in the game while holding an above-average win rate. We got to this point due to many mid lane champs who were around Ahri’s power level getting nerfed, like Sylas, Qiyana, Syndra, and now LeBlanc.

Ahri Build and Runes

The Meta build for Ahri is all about reducing the cooldown of her R as much as possible. Ahri is at her best when she has R available, and she’s a shell of herself without the spell. By going Malignant into Zhonya’s Hourglass, you get a ton of ability haste. There isn’t really a specific matchup that hard counters Ahri, as she can go even in the majority of her matchups. That said, Sylas is one matchup that can be more annoying to play against because Sylas with Ahri’s R can be difficult to contain, so he’s a good ban.

Ahri Rune Setup

The rune page for Ahri revolves around Electrocute with Taste of Blood, Eyeball Collection, and Ultimate Hunter, while Manaflow and Transcendence are the best secondaries.

Vex: Strong Mid Lane Pick

With minimal mid lane changes for Patch 14.24, there’s no reason to remove Vex from the top three. In fact, Vex gets even better for this patch because a match that she already plays very well into, LeBlanc, is getting nerfed. Vex held a 55% win rate in the LeBlanc matchup during Patch 14.23, so that number will balloon up to an even more egregious level for 14.24. One matchup you’re definitely going to want to consider banning for this patch when playing Vex is Viktor.

Vex Build and Matchups

Viktor should see a big play rate spike, and with how his W works, it’s difficult for Vex to catch him with her R. Viktor can just throw down his W on top of himself when you try to dive in with your R, which limits your ability to snowball in the matchup. The best core build for Vex revolves around a Luden’s Echo rush into Shadowflame second and Zhonya’s Hourglass or Rabadon’s Deathcap third.

Vex Rune Setup

Look to pick up Electrocute for the Keystone rune with Taste of Blood, Eyeball Collection, and Ultimate Hunter, while Manaflow and Transcendence are the optimal secondaries.

Miss Fortune: ADC for the Patch

Moving back into the top three for ADC for this patch is going to be Miss Fortune. MF got a nice buff to her Q mana cost in Patch 14.23, which gives her more power with full lethality builds. Instead of relying on Essence Reaver, Ghostblade rush is now performing better than anything else on Miss Fortune, and it’s what you should be prioritizing.

Miss Fortune Build and Runes

Ghostblade with The Collector and Seraph’s Grudge is a really strong three-item core for lethality MF. Your R just hits super hard with this build, while your autos and Q deal a bunch of burst as well, so your upfront damage is really high. Besides the buff to Miss Fortune’s Q, we’ve also seen a bunch of ADCs nerfed as of late, like Kai’Sa, Corki, and Ashe, which further strengthens Miss Fortune’s position in the meta.

Misfortune: Strong ADC Pick

Misfortune is quite strong again, and a good ban to consider when picking her right now is Ekko, as it’s incredibly difficult to contain this champion by yourself in a fight if you don’t have teammates who can peel for you. Look to grab First Strike for the Keystone Rune with Free Boots, Biscuits, and Cosmic Insight, followed by Absolute Focus and Gathering Storm for secondaries.

Sivir: Underrated ADC

Back in the top three for another patch, Sivir continues to be one of the most underrated ADCs in the game. There have been so many changes over the past few months that have led Sivir to jump past the majority of ADCs in strength, ranging from direct buffs to item changes and other ADCs getting nerfed. Sivir is definitely the most reliable ADC you can pick right now, as her kit allows her to be effective without relying on teammates as much as other ADCs.

Sivir Builds and Runes

There are currently two viable builds you can run on Sivir. Essence Reaver or Wild Arrows are both rush options. Wild Arrows into Infinity Edge provides a crazy amount of attack damage, so it’s the build we’d recommend if you’re not as confident mechanically. If you’re confident in your mechanical skill, the alternative build is Essence Reaver into Flicker Blades, which relies much more on auto weaving. One matchup to consider banning when picking Sivir is Vayne, as it’s hard to get any value out of Sivir’s spell shield in that matchup.

Sivir Rune Page

Sivir’s best rune page consists of Lethal Tempo with Presence of Mind, Alacrity, and Cuttdown, while Absolute Focus and Gathering Storm are the optimal secondaries.

Kog’Maw: Versatile ADC

For the final ADC to round out the top three for this patch, we have Kog’Maw. Kog’Maw was nerfed recently and has seen his play rate drop substantially, but his win rate hasn’t really gone down much at all. Players dropping the champion are definitely overvaluing the nerfs. The best thing about Kog’Maw right now is that he can be played as either an AP or AD carry. It’s the best of both worlds and makes Kog’Maw one of the better blind picks, as you’re never going to run into a game where your team is all AD or all AP.

Kog’Maw Builds and Matchups

AP is definitely better suited if you’re playing with a melee engage support because their CC lockdown guarantees that your spells will land. On the other hand, if you’re paired with an enchanter support, then the on-hit AD build becomes stronger. Being an ADC who lacks a gap closer, Kog’Maw doesn’t like playing into comps that have heavy dive, so using your ban on Nocturne is a good idea.

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Tahm Kench: A Strong Melee Support

Kicking off the top three for support is Tahm Kench. Tom has really shot up in priority for support over the past few patches and is a great solo-carry pickup for a few different reasons. First, unlike most other melee supports, Tom builds purely for himself and bypasses any traditional support items. Heartsteel is the best rush item for Tahm Kench and offers a lot of carry power on completion.

Tahm Kench Builds and Matchups

Not only are you super tanky with Heartsteel, but you also deal a very respectable amount of damage, which helps immensely in skirmishes. Tom fares fairly well against most other melee supports, as he tends to win the 2v2 skirmishes against the majority of them. He especially excels in matchups like Alistar, Blitzcrank, Leona, and Nautilus because all of those champs need to get in melee range to be effective, and Tahm Kench counters that well. Some ranged matchups can be trickier, so using your ban on Senna or Nami is a good idea.

Tahm Kench Rune Page

The rune page for Tahm Kench consists of Grasp with Shield Bash, Second Wind, and Unflinching, followed by Alacrity for secondaries.

Vel’Koz: Ranged Mage Support

When it comes down to a ranged carry from the support role, Vel’Koz is on another level. It’s been a while since Vel’Koz was the optimal mage support over champions like Zyra and Brand, but that became a reality a few patches ago when Vel’Koz received cooldown buffs that pushed him over the top. The long-range poke from Vel’Koz’s Q allows him to make the enemy ADC’s laning phase extremely difficult, especially when they are looking to last-hit.

Vel’Koz: Dominating with True Damage

A cannon minion threatening with Q and looking to combo that into a true damage proc with E and W can set you up for a really nice trade. Level six is where you become a monster with Vel’Koz, and it’s a spike that you should be playing towards. A simple Q into R combo will chunk the enemy ADC for half their health, giving you a lot of kill pressure. Matchup-wise, Vel’Koz is really only vulnerable against champions who can close the gap quickly and get right on top of you, so Pyke is a good ban in that case.

Vel’Koz Optimal Build and Runes

The optimal core build for Vel’Koz revolves around Horizon Focus with Liandry’s Anguish, while Realm Spike is the best item upgrade. Pick up Comet for the Keystone Rune, with Manaflow, Absolute Focus, and Scorch. For secondaries, take Cheap Shot and Relentless Hunter.

Nami: The Ultimate Enchanter Support

When it comes down to carrying with an enchanter in the support role, there’s nobody better than Nami right now. The lane power of Nami is what sets her apart from many other enchanters, as the versatility her W provides is amazing. The fact that it’s point-and-click allows Nami to trade really well, and she doesn’t even need to land her Q to come out on top. However, if you master Nami and can hit Q and R consistently, then the sky’s the limit for how impactful you can be with her.

Nami Matchups and Build

Champions with longer-range catch power are who Nami is going to be more vulnerable against, so banning out Blitzcrank is a good idea. Nami fares best into champions who don’t have that instant catch and burst strength because she wants to utilize her W sustain to gain health advantages. The build you should be running on Nami consists of an Imperial Mandate rush with Dream Maker for the item upgrade, followed by situational items.

Nami Runes

Pick up Aery for the Keystone Rune, with Manaflow, Transcendence, and Scorch. For secondaries, Bone Plating and Revitalize are ideal.

Good Luck with Your Climb!

That’s going to conclude our final solo carry list for Season 14. Good luck with your end-of-season climbs, and we’ll see you back soon.

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