Bruisers are dead in competitive play
And no one seems to care about that...only thing I see is delusional mage mains complaining that AD assassins like Zed and Yasuo are op even though mages are still perfectly viable at all levels of elo and competitive play. Meanwhile you see 1 Bruiser in every 100 games.
Lets look at the champion in the LCS playoffs so far:
TSM vs Cloud9: Game 1: 3 mages (Elise, Azir, Twisted Fate), 3 adcs (Kindred, Kalista, Lucian), 3 tanks (Poppy Alistar Braum) and GP who is a melee adc Game 2: 2 mages (Nidalee, Azir), 3 adcs (Kindred, Kalista Lucian), 3 tanks (Maokai, Braum, Nautilus), 1 assassin (Zed) and a classic support in Janna. Game 3: 2 mages (Elise, Orianna), 3 adcs (Kindred, Jhin, Corki) 2 tanks (Maokai, Braum) 1 assassin (Zed) and GP, Janna Game 4: 2 mages (Velkoz, Azir), 4 adcs (Graves, Kindred, Corki, Kalista), 3 tanks (Gragas, Poppy, Braum) and Morgana as classic support
Overall: 9 mages, 13 adcs, 11 tanks, 2 AD assassins and 0 bruisers
Liquid vs NRG: Game 1: 2 mages (Azir, Orianna), 2 adcs (Kalista, Lucian), 5 tanks (Ekko, Maokai, Trundle, Reksai, Gragas) and Janna Game 2: 2 mages (Lissandra, Azir), 3 adcs (Sivir, Graves, Kalista), 3 tanks (Maokai, Gnar, Alistar) 1 assassin (Lee) and Janna Game 3: 2 semi-mages (Elise and Gragas), 3 adcs (Lucian, Jhin, Varus), 2 tanks (Ekko, Nautilus), 1 assasin (Zed), 2 supports (Janna, Karma)
Overall: 4 mages plus Runic Echoes Gragas and Elise in game 3, 8 adcs, 10 tanks, 2 AD assassins and 0 bruisers.
Vitality vs Fnatic: Game 1: 2 mages (Azir, Kassadin), 3 adcs (Kindred, Ezreal, Lucian), 3 tanks (Nautilus, Maokai, Trundle) plus Runic Echo Gragas and Thresh Game 2: 2 mages (Azir, Lissandra), 3 adcs (Kindred, Jhin, Sivir), 3 tanks (Poppy, Alistar, Ekko) plus Runic Echo Gragas and Thresh Game 3: 1 mage (Azir), 2 adcs (Sivir, Jhin), 3 tanks (Maokai, Nautilus Alistar) plus GP, Runic Echo Gragas and Elise and classic support Morgana Game 4: 1 mage (Lissandra), 3 adcs (Graves, Jhin, Sivir), 3 tanks (Nautilus Gragas, Alistar) plus Runi Echo Elise, GP and Thresh
Overall: 6 mages (without the Runic Echo junglers), 11 adcs, 12 tanks, 0 AD assasins, 0 bruisers.
Origen vs UoL: Game 1: 3 mages (Lissandra, Orianna, Nidalee), 3 adc (Kindred, Lucian, Ezreal), 4 tanks (Poppy, Gragas, Alistar, Braum) Game 2: 1 mage (Lissandra), 3 adcs (Varus, Jhin, Lucian), 2 tanks (Poppy, Trundle), 1 bruiser (Lee Sin) plus RE Gragas, GP and classic support Janna Game 3: 2 mages (Leblanc, Nidalee), 3 adcs (Sivir, Corki, Lucian), 3 tanks (Poppy, Alistar, Trundle), 1 bruiser (Lee Sin) and GP
Overall: 6 mages, 9 adcs, 9 tanks, 0 AD assassins and 2 bruisers
Origen vs H2k: Game 1: 2 mages (Lissandra, Kassadin), 4 adcs (Graves, Lucian, Kindred, Corki), 3 tanks (Ekko, Poppy, Braum) and classic support Bard Game 2: 1 mage (Karma), 5 adcs (Corki, Graves, Sivir, Lucian, Kindred), 3 tanks (ekko, Maokai, Braum) and classic support Bard Game 3: 2 mages (Lissandra, Kassadin), 3 adcs (Lucian, Graves, Sivir), 4 tanks (Ekko, Braum, Maokai, Alistar), 1 bruiser (Lee Sin) Game 4: 2 mages (Leblanc, Lulu), 2 adcs (Lucian, Sivir), 3 tanks (Alistar, Ekko, Braum) 1 bruiser (Trundle) plus Runic Echo Elise and Gragas Game 5: 2 mages (Orianna, Leblanc), 3 adcs (Graves, Sivir, Lucian) 4 tanks (Ekko, Alistar, Braum, Poppy) plus Runic Echo Gragas
Overall: 9 mages, 17 adcs, 19 tanks, 0 AD assasins and 2 bruisers
All roles picked by number:
Mages: 34 ADCs: 58 Tanks: 61 AD Assassins: 4 Bruisers: 4
Overall we have had 4 times a bruiser was picked...3 times that was Lee Sin jungle who is not even a classic bruiser...the only melee champ top lane who did not build straight tank items was Trundle in Game 3 of Origen vs UoL and he is only picked because he is good vs tanks.
Conclusion: Bruisers are completely dead competitively and while mages are certainly not as popular as they used be they are still perfectly viable.