Champions that deserve some LCS love

Riot·Jun 29, 2015·2 votes·16,056 views

League of Legends has 125 champions (soon to be 126!) to choose from and yet, not all of them are selected for pro play--trust me, it's not their fault. With the meta shifting after every patch, champions frequently jump in and out of popularity -- but don't fret, every champion (even Teemo) could eventually come to power. Circle of life, etc.

Still, Solo Queue never fails to prove rising stars exist. Here are some of the dominant champs from ranked ladders we're hoping will one day soon get their chance to shine on the LCS stage.

Pure DPS Split Pushers

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We get it! It’s a team game and champions played in the LCS need to be well-rounded; escapes, crowd control, and decent damage output are kit staples. But champions like Fiora and Tryndamere only have one setting: tons of damage.

While both sword-wielders don’t provide anything but raw DPS, sometimes that's all you need to start an unbreakable split-push. Trying to stop Fiora or Tryndamere often requires more than one person else you risk losing everything to the sheer might of their AD. With the growing popularity of split-pushing, pure AD hyper carries could make a resurgence.

Point-and-click bruisers

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It’s difficult to play a string of Solo Queue League games and not see a Wukong or a Pantheon. These two bruisers have dive, damage, initiation, and an easy button. Point-and-click bruisers laugh in the face of mechanics as their one-button style makes quick work of squishy carries. Skill-shots were so last season.

Both Wukong and Pantheon have a one-button catch ability, making them effective in the art of carry-hunting. A simple Nimbus Strike (E) into a swift Cyclone (R) involves two keystrokes -- two simple button clicks that can initiate the game-winning teamfight. Members of the point-and-click clan have already debuted in the LCS to great success: just check out Gamsu's pure AD Jarvan. (See: CoreJJ's Jarvan IV vs. Team Liquid). These two are definitely due for some pro play.

Heimer-siEger

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In my dreams, I envision a pro team building a composition around sieging towers with Heimerdinger. This brainiac may need a few more items than his fellow solo-lane mages, but his ability to siege and stall for those items is unmatched.

Heimerdinger provides safe farming, safe poke, crowd control, sustained damage, tower-sieging, and a sweet swag walk. The problem is he doesn’t provide all of that at once. Even the greatest of minds have Upgrade! (R) limitations. But still, imagine baiting Baron with a perimeter of turrets or sieging the enemy base with turrets and Banner of Command. It might be difficult to pull off in organized pro play, but a 55% win rate doesn’t lie.

Sona, Zyra, and poke supports

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Both Zyra and Sona were popular for their ability to give the opposing carry the boot from the lane. Their long-ranged poke damage often resulted in early tower pressure and objectives that snowballed into a victory. Not to mention all the aggression made for some fun level 3 2v2s.

Zyra and Sona have more tricks than just a few poke moves up their sleeves (vines?). Both of their ults (Stranglethorns and Crescendo, respectively) can win a teamfight, and their range ensures a successful initiation. In-terms of kit, they're on the same plane as Annie: They sacrifice escape for damage and initiate well. It's only a matter of time before we see these two mages back in the bottom lane.

6v5 with Yorick

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For a man who prefers the darkness of the Shadow Isles, Yorick got his fair share of the LCS spotlight in Season 2. But since then, he's largely been forgotten. Now that teams want to lean towards late-game hyper carries like Cassiopeia or Jinx, it might be the perfect time for his return.

With his ghouls, Yorick is an absolute bully in the top lane. He has poke, sustain, and packs a punch even when tanky with Manamune/Frozen Heart. But those aren't even his defining traits. While he does lack escape, he doesn't need them; Yorick will stand and fight with his best friend: himself (the cemetery must get lonely) or a duplicate of his teammates. You like playing fair? Nah, let's 6v5.

Objective play with Soraka

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Never underestimate the power of a good banana. And healing. When the holy trinity of tank, healer, and DPS come together, the results involve less trips to the base and more time actually playing the game. Soraka's ability to erase the damage dealt prior to a fight, or stop it from happening in the first place with Equinox (E), ensures objectives go in your favor -- someone's got to back eventually.

When claiming objectives is the name of the game, don't you Wish (R) your team could just fight forever? Sure, she lacks the crowd-control her competition has to offer, but a pro team could use her in a hit-and-run sustain composition and never back off dragons, barons, or towers. More objectives equals more wins, right?

These were just some of the champions that impressed us in Solo Queue but haven't quite made it to the main stage yet. Which champion do you want to see send shockwaves in the League community and make their debut in the LCS?

30 Comments

AOL KidoffireJun 29, 20154 votes

I feel like miss fortune is an underated adc, i wanna see a pro play her

ModPrandineJun 29, 20154 votes

Mazlahar. I feel he has allot of potential to be a contender with his Voidlings, silence and root. Plus since his E Null Zone does more damage the more health one has, he could really do a number on health-stacking tanks to make their days even more annoying than they already are for them.

Liquid ChaoboJun 29, 20151 votes

Malzahar was originally on the list but was ultimately cut because of his somewhat constant play in the LCK. Faker ran him and so did Jin Air :)

VarqaaaJul 1, 20154 votes

What games did Malzahar get picked in? I can't seem to find them

lightdragoon88Jul 2, 20151 votes

http://boards.na.leagueoflegends.com/en/c/esports/lXlFBwjX-why-the-caster-hate-on-malzahar

Picked here, did really well...but the whole game the casters did nothing but made fun of malz and it player.

VarqaaaJul 3, 20151 votes

That was the only one I could find! But... it was from 3 months ago, and Chaobo said that Faker and Jin Air ran Malz (the video you linked was CJ's Coco playing voidman)

lightdragoon88Jul 3, 20151 votes

Faker and Jin Air? I see that they use him a lot on their streams, but I can't find a tournament match.

warpedmindJul 12, 20151 votes

i always said that and i will say it again. monte is a douche if people dont play like he wants too. great guy but he tunnles on the meta game

xJLx MCHammerJun 30, 20153 votes

Brand

Don't get me wrong, he isn't strong to the point that he is like Viktor or Cass, but the game is a lot about team fighting. This guy excels in that, especially late game. Now that Zed, LB, and other assassins are done, he is a good pick. He does % dmg so strong against those tanks too

CaJ ScarJun 29, 20152 votes

Isn't it Heimer - Sieger instead of Heimer - Seiger?

Original CynicJun 29, 20152 votes

Unicorns of Love used the Yorick & Cassiopia combo last split (assuming that EU LCS counts?)

Of course Keane (Gravity) could wind up picking any of these champs for mid, there's still 116 left for him pull out for the summer.

GhrianJul 2, 20151 votes

EU LCS do count. Unicorns don't. These guys can pick anything.

MihaiDDJul 1, 20152 votes

You mean Gamsu's Jarvan, right?

RottedApplesJul 2, 20152 votes

I totally believe in the Teemo, but unfortunately we need lane swaps to stop happening so he can actually oppress someone in lane >.> Top Lane Teemo Master Race!

NinjaBunnyJul 7, 20152 votes

signed in to down vote....

TrollFan01Jun 29, 20151 votes

Teemo

jixikojiJun 29, 20151 votes

Wukong's Nimbus Strike is his (E) not his (Q), as a Wukong main, I find this offensive.

Liquid ChaoboJun 29, 20151 votes

Looking to get it corrected. A minor oversight. Thanks!

AngryHoneyBadgerJun 29, 20151 votes

Every LCS weekend I'm just sitting here waiting for the Ashe Zyra duo to return.

im tiltJun 29, 20151 votes

for wukong e nimbus strike it says q instead of e

AakazarJun 29, 20151 votes

I agree with your point about Heimer. He is a bit underestimated and there are so much way to use it. I hope we will see him once until LCS end this season

onePlebianJul 7, 20151 votes

oh god no, heimerdinger is such terrible champion (gameplay wise). Non-interactive afk' split pushing from ground 0 with a silly passive to boot. Upgraded turret has an unholy dps and the only thing that keeps him from being complete cancer to the game is his weakness in a hypermobile or spread out teamfight. That winrate is damn high for such troll gameplay.

MacchıatoJun 29, 20151 votes

Yo buddy, Wukong's Nimbus Strike is his E, not his Q.

YungBudaiiJul 2, 20151 votes

I wonder when Braum will become popular again. I know he's picked very occasionally, but I'd love to see him played constantly (like Thresh, Annie, Alistar, Nautilus, Janna, etc).

As a Braum main, I think the best part about Braum is that fact that his abilities can be used both ways. His W and E are some of the best peeling abilities in the game, while he can use his Q and R to disengage pretty much any fight. On the flip side, he's really good at engaging with those abilities too. He can easily go in by jumping to an ally in front with his W, then engage with his R (all while getting his passive off with his Q and auto-attacks).

40YearOldVirJhinJul 3, 20151 votes

As long as people are starting to play jayce more, you will most likely see more team comps that synergize with bruam to counter that kind of poke comp. Bruam shield all but negates any damage from jayce's boosted Q, which is one of the huge reasons he is played so much right now.

MrSlowDieJul 2, 20151 votes

I need to see an LCS team which pick morde, yorick, and shaco. It will be 7v5, and then 8v4.

SecondComingJul 2, 20151 votes

Katarina could be played. Luden's Echo is great on her. I see people rush it first item and then she can snowball- I've seen it in high level play. And I've also seen her being played AD top lane by ROC Overpow, successfully (while he was still on the team). And her ulti also scales massively on AD so... Though, if she happens vs Jayce in mid lane, who is favored as a pick now, she'll struggle.

Also, Garen. New Black Cleaver is great on him, he is one of the best tanks in the game imho thanks to his Courage and late game, his passive makes him a beast.. literally.

NhuneJul 2, 20151 votes

"See CoreJJ's jarvan4 vs TL." It was Gamsu... Not CoreJJ.

Filthy BlowholeJul 4, 20151 votes

Vel'koz: With most assassins out of the current tank meta his lack of mobility is significantly less of an issue, plus his true damage melts through tanks. Massive damage, effective kite control, and God-like teamfight ability = let me please see him played!!!