Champion Classes: Summarized
Since I've been seeing more and more people make very misinformed or even outright ignorant posts regarding champions and the classes they belong to as of late, I've taken it upon myself to make this post that will hopefully explain, once and for all, what each Champion Class IS, DOES, HOW THEY ARE INTENDED TO BE PLAYED, AND WHAT THEY REPRESENT AS A CLASS.
We'll go through the classes in alphabetical order.
CONTROLLERS
Controllers (More commonly known as Supports) is the first class we'll look at. Subclasses of the Controllers are Enchanters and Catchers.
WHAT THE CLASS IS
Supportive champions, generally seen in the Bot-Lane with a Marksman or Carry-type champion.
WHAT THE CLASS DOES
Supports allies by either augmenting them with power boosts, shields, heals and other amplification-related abilities, or by providing intense threat zones that will lock down opponents for their allies to then attack, as the case may be with the champion themselves.
HOW ARE THEY INTENDED TO BE PLAYED
Controllers usually focus on getting their lane partner (As it says above, usually a Marksman or some other kind of Carry-type champion) fed with lots of gold via kills and CS, keeping an eye out for ganks via warding the river, tri-bush and other areas so the map is well-lit with vision and other supportive actions.
WHAT THEY REPRESENT AS A CLASS
Many League of Legends memes and comics depict Controllers/Supports as a Mom or Dad trying to raise/care for a Marksman baby, watching them grow as the game goes on in length. The speed at which the "baby" grows depends on how FED they are with Kills, CS and Gold. In general, they are intended to be the bodyguard of the fragile Marksman/Carry until the Tank/Fighter (Usually from the top-lane) is strong enough to take over. They then take a back-seat, just helping out all the team wherever they can.
SUBCLASSES
(Taken from the LOL Wiki)
"Enchanters focus on amplifying their allies' effectiveness by directly augmenting them and defending them from incoming threats. Enchanters themselves are often quite fragile and bring relatively low damage to the table, meaning they really only shine when grouped together with others. "
"Catchers specialize in locking down opponents or, in some cases, entire battlefields by creating intense zones of threat that only foolish enemies would dare wade through. Although not as reliant on their friends as Enchanters, the fragile and immobile Catchers greatly benefit from allied presence - both to deter incoming danger and to help capitalize on targets they've locked down."
FIGHTERS
Fighters (Sometimes referred to as Bruisers) is the next class, in alphabetical order that we'll look at.
WHAT THE CLASS IS
Durable, Melee (For the most part) champions that are always looking for a scrap or fight to be in, usually seen in the Top-Lane or Jungle. Subclasses of the Fighters are Divers and Juggernauts.
WHAT THE CLASS DOES
Act as a secondary damage threat to the enemy team, or in the event of an under-performing Marksman/Carry, the main damage threat while also bringing relative tanking ability as well. The Jack-of-all-trades, master of none, in a manner of speaking.
HOW THEY ARE INTENDED TO BE PLAYED
Fighters usually focus on starting a battle and keeping it going on for as long as possible, since the longer a fight goes, the greater their threat level becomes. Once they can get their momentum going, it becomes increasingly difficult to stop them.
WHAT THEY REPRESENT AS A CLASS
You know in the movie Fight Club or various fan-works depicting various characters in its style... (Like Super Smash Bros for example here) https://img00.deviantart.net/cd2a/i/2010/224/d/f/smash_bros__by_robotpencil.jpg
...As bruised, hardened warriors of sorts? That's what I think Fighters are supposed to represent.
SUBCLASSES
(Once again, from the LOL Wiki)
"Divers are the more mobile portion of the Fighter class. Divers excel at singling out high-priority targets to blitz toward, immediately forcing those targets (and their teammates) to deal with the diver’s presence. Divers are not as durable as the tanks or juggernauts of the world, but Divers can take their fair share of punishment while bringing enough damage to be a real kill threat if left unchecked."
"Juggernauts are melee titans who relentlessly march down the opposition and devastate those foolish enough to get within their grasp. They are the only subclass who excel at both dealing and taking significant amounts of damage, but in turn they have a tough time closing in on targets due to their low range and extremely limited mobility."
MAGES
Mages are the next alphabetical class to look at. Uniquely, they have 3 subclasses rather than just two: Burst, Battle-Mage and Artillery.
WHAT THE CLASS IS
Caster Champions that want to cripple and burn through the opposition with their potent magic abilities.
WHAT THE CLASS DOES
Barrages opponents with magical attacks from range while remaining relatively out of danger's reach unless the target either slips past or manages to endure the assault.
HOW THEY ARE INTENDED TO BE PLAYED
Mages often find their home in the Mid-Lane, though some can be played Bot-Lane as well; they want to keep their opponents at arms-length, so they can then beat them down with their magical skills.
WHAT THEY REPRESENT AS A CLASS
Mages are, well as the name implies, magical guys or gals that just want to show off their fancy particle effects, magical doodads and fantastical powers. And if they can get fed enough, reign supreme over their foes.
SUBCLASSES
(As before, from the LOL Wiki)
"Artillery Mages are the masters of range, and they leverage that advantage to whittle down their opponents over time from great distances. In turn, Artillery Mages are severely punished when enemies finally succeed in closing in on them, due to their extreme fragility and limited mobility."
"Battlemages (also known as Warlocks) get into the middle of the fray, seeking to wreak havoc upon the entire enemy team with their overwhelming sustained area damage. Due to their relatively short (but not melee) combat ranges and the need to burn down their opponents over time, Battle Mages have significant defensive capabilities that range from sustaining endlessly to literally defying death for a short period of time."
"Burst Mages aim to single out vulnerable targets by locking them down and following up with a devastating barrage of damage from range. Burst Mages struggle heavily against beefier targets who can shrug off their initial spike of damage."
MARKSMEN
Marksmen are the next class we'll be looking at. They, at this time of writing, anyway, do not have any OFFICIAL subclasses. Ones that have been considered are Demolishers and Scrappers, but for the purposes of this post, we will not include a Subclasses section for them since they do not officially HAVE ANY.
WHAT THE CLASS IS
Fragile, Ranged Champions that start out weak, but have the potential to become glass cannons that wreak absolute havoc.
WHAT THE CLASS DOES
Marksmen deal reliable damage while constantly flirting with danger by being JUST BARELY out of reach for their opponents to get, all the while they flurry said opponent with blow after blow from range.
HOW THEY ARE INTENDED TO BE PLAYED
Marksmen are often seen in the Bot-lane, backed up by the above-mentioned Controllers, building their strength over time via CS, Kills and Gold obtained via any other means they can get it. Once said strength is built, they provide one of the greatest threats the enemy team can face, all while being out of their reach to get to and stop (In ideal situations).
WHAT THEY REPRESENT AS A CLASS
You can think of Marksmen that are people first learning how to shoot a gun or bow at a practicing range. Initially, they miss a great deal, but as they practice more and more, they become more accurate and more efficient, until they are almost always hitting the target with exact precision.
No Subclass section, since they don't have any!
SLAYERS
Slayers are next in alphabetical order, so here we go. They have the Subclasses of Assassins and Skirmishers.
WHAT THE CLASS IS
Quick-moving champions that have high damage output focused on a single target, but lack the durability necessary to last in a long fight.
WHAT THE CLASS DOES
Slayers usually look to get in, take out their mark, and get out without anyone noticing.
HOW THEY ARE INTENDED TO BE PLAYED
Where Slayers go actually depends on what Subclass they are in. The Assassin make their lairs in Mid-lane most often, preying on whatever poor sucker comes their way that they can kill. Skirmishers can go Top-Lane or Jungle, some can even go Mid-Lane as well, depending on their kit.
WHAT THEY REPRESENT AS A CLASS
Slayers are the James Bonds, Sam Fishers, Solid Snakes and Ezio Auditore's of the League if you look at just Assassins. Skirmishers I jokingly consider Toddlers throwing temper tantrums whilst also on a sugar high, dashing and jumping around to the annoyance of those around them. In truth, Skirmishers are somewhat like this Daffy Duck GIF: https://media.giphy.com/media/qth2E9TM55BoQ/giphy.gif
Looking for an opening to hit someone fast, with something hard.
SUBCLASSES
(You should know where this is from by now; the LOL wiki.)
"Assassins specialize in infiltrating enemy lines with their unrivaled mobility to quickly dispatch high-priority targets. Due to their mostly melee nature, Assassins must put them themselves into dangerous positions in order to execute their targets. Luckily, they often have defensive tricks up their sleeves that, if used cleverly, allow them to effectively avoid incoming damage."
"Skirmishers (also known as Duelists) aim to shred through any nearby enemy that approaches. Because Skirmishers lack high-end burst damage or reliable ways of closing in on high-priority targets, they are instead armed with situationally powerful defensive tools to survive in the fray, along with extreme sustained damage to cut down even the most durable targets."
TANKS
Tanks are the next to last class, in terms of alphabetical order and overall. Subclasses are Vanguards and Wardens.
WHAT THE CLASS IS
Walking Brick Walls that shrug off incoming damage and force their opponents to deal with their presence first and foremost via Crowd Control.
WHAT THE CLASS DOES
They use their Crowd Control and Peeling abilities to force the enemy to deal with them, all while shrugging off the enemy's strongest attacks so their allies can then destroy the foe while they are in recovery.
HOW THEY ARE INTENDED TO BE PLAYED
Tanks, surprisingly are pretty versatile. You can see them Top-lane, Bot-Lane or in the Jungle regardless of the subclass they might belong to. One particular member might be more effective in one role or the other, but nonetheless, they have a large range they can cover in terms of roles.
WHAT THEY REPRESENT AS A CLASS
Tanks are basically this image:
Sort of like a Party Bouncer, they'll get in your way every time you try to walk pass with arms folded, shaking their heads no, cause: https://i.gifer.com/Ha8T.gif
SUBCLASSES
(You know the deal, LOL Wiki.)
"Vanguards are offensive tanks. Vanguards lead the charge for their team and are specialize at getting action started. Their explosive team fight initiation seeks to catch enemies out of position while allowing allies to follow-up to devastating effect."
"Wardens are defensive tanks. Wardens stand steadfast, seeking to hold the line by persistently locking down any on-comers who try to pass them. Wardens keep their allies out of harm’s way and allow them to safely deal with enemies caught in the fray. "
SPECIALISTS
And lastly in the alphabetical order in which I've chosen to make this post, the Specialists! Specialists, like Marksmen, have no Subclasses.
WHAT THE CLASS IS
These are the folks that Riot just doesn't know WHAT TO CALL. They take cues from almost all of the above classes, but not enough from any particular one to cement them in a specific class or subclass.
WHAT THE CLASS DOES
It depends on the kit of the champion for this group, really. Not really sure how else I can describe it.
HOW THEY ARE INTENDED TO BE PLAYED
See "What The Class Does" Section for this.
WHAT THEY REPRESENT AS A CLASS
http://31.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m26jlrE0Rs1qb24r6o1_500.gif
They do whatever works, really.
CONCLUSION
I hope that this post will enlighten those that may not know (Or care to know) much about the classes that make up the roster of League of Legends! Thanks for reading!
who's too squishy to be a tank, doesn't really behave like any of the mage classes in the game and doesn't really build like anyone, he just sort of has a thing and it works (depending on who you ask). The class doesn't really have one thing they do specifically and is pretty much just the "other" pile Riot has when they don't know where to put a champ. so in a way the "specialize" in their own unique play style.
and the others. They all have a way to close the ap without running head first to the enemy team and they all have at least 2 hard cc abilities and most of them have aoe hard cc as well. The only vanguard who actually needs to actually run towards the enemy team is 
, but he still has a knockup, a 2.5 sec (if i remember correctly) taunt and a huge slow zone around him.
or 
, and AD Casters like 
or 
) and strange placements (like Juggernauts not being Tanks, despite having far more in common with them than Divers...).
and a couple other have ways to start a fight. But an 
running head first to a team isnt what you call a real initiation. They can go the back line and, in some cases, single out a member, but, again, thats not a true initiation, rather a follow up to initiation or a counter engage.
Then you see vanguard tanks like 
and 
who are cc bots, like most vanguards, and the ways they can initiate and you see that a diver's initiation is pretty lack luster.
etc.
? Not sure he counts. Otherwise 
is a fearsome battle mage lol
in reference to the "Defy death for a short period of time". 
