Boards›Gameplay

Is every champion a viable pick?

Danjeng··3 votes·2,785 views

League advertises itself as a game with 100+ champions. Wow! But many champions rarely see play. If didn't know any better, I would guess 80 champions existed.

Heimerdinger and Skarner are good examples of obscure champions. Why don't people play them? I don't play them because they cost a fairly large amount of IP, and I have invested mine in Runes.

How about Ryze? His play/win rate was very/relatively high before, but due to the recent nerfs both dropped down drastically. Is Ryze viable? I hardly attribute losses to champion picks. I think that my team just got beat by a better team. I main Ryze for four seasons and always held myself responsible for losing. Even post-patch 6.3. But I have never seen Ryze in such a weakened state. Recently I feel as if I'm putting on a handicap just for picking Ryze. This goes against my personal philosophy, so I try not to dwell on it.

Are low play rate champions viable? If yes, why are they not played more. Are low win rate champions viable? If yes, why the low win rate.

Do you play any champions with a low pick rate or win rate? Please tell your story.

10 Comments

Mysticman893 votes

Everyone is viable in the right situation. For the majority of games below diamond or so, everyone is viable if you put in enough effort to really mastering whatever champ, since no one is anywhere near the potential of their champs. Theres one tricks for pretty much every champion in diamond+ which goes to show how it's definitely possible.

Many low win rate champs are high skill cap ones that can't really be buffed since they're already overpowered (or at least 'balanced') in high level/pro play (e.g. ryze).

Danjeng1 votes

Super inspired right now. I guess it's not the champion which sucks but ME! :D

Silly Neeko2 votes

Just because a champion is not played does not mean its not viable. Often times it is just more selective choosing..... And most of that choosing comes from personal preference.

As shown by Miss Fortune support in pro play, people spammed her for a while. So champions used in Pro play etc are going to find themselves used more, especially if its not normally seen.

Some champions are used more because they are flashier than others, they are able to outplay and tilt others easier if your good with them, and can solo win if played well. Yasuo falls into this catagory, Master Yi, Vayne, etc.

Some people prefer being able to split push and do so hard, and all they care about is winning and making people tilt....... Nasus and Singed falls into this.

There are many reasons to play a champion, and people play them just fine. For example I play Nidalee supp, i am mastery 7 with her.... Mordekaiser is almost never seen, i got mastery 7 with him.....

Every champion is completely viable..... Just choose to play them and learn them. If you do not see a champion played much..... Play them, try them, use them..... With Ryze he still can combo people into hell and back and does awesome in team fights if your team knows how you play and works with you..... But he is more team oriented with his ultimate now so you find less people playing them.

oSEXYPLATYPUSo1 votes

they are in the right situation

Handy Sandy 1 votes

Are low play rate champions viable? If yes, why are they not played more. Are low win rate champions viable? If yes, why the low win rate.

Yes, they are viable. Why aren't they played more? Because the community overreacts to nerfs. Example: "Leblanc was gutted into the dumpster she's completely unplayable" and I'm over here oneshotting people because I know how to hit a chain.

Yes, low winrate champions are viable. Why the low winrate? Because their kit isn't as good as others in soloq, such as Kalista Ryze (Also idiots using Ryze's ult to engage.) Or they're just a weird playstyle and very few take the time to try and learn the champion to actually get better at them.

X champion mains often have a positive winrate, so that's enough evidence they're viable.

The only champion in need of buffs atm is Heimerdinger but even he's potent in the right hands playing against any player.

Doodlzzz1 votes

Aatrox lul im viable too hurrdurr

Privileged Jew1 votes

Nope. Try as I might, Veigar is impossible to carry with in silver. This game has around 30 viable champions, and the rest suck dick. Low elo is this buffer zone where it forces you to play the 30 viable champions because they're the only ones capable of carrying matches with braindead 70 IQ teammates.

RenownedWheat421 votes

I've been wrecked by Urgots so I do think everyone is viable with the right comp, match-up, etc.

Karfuss1 votes

I do, if the comp works well with it and in a decent match-up that plays to their strengths.

That said, I'd certainly say that some champions are more viable than others.

grug1 votes

I believe ryze is one of the few champs with a low winrate due to teammates because a lot of the time i see ryze in low ELO, his teammates never let him chain a flux combo together in sieges so he's never able to do sneaky flux cascade combos on the enemy because his team keeps stealing his cs. dude's pretty crappy to play in team fights too, flux one guy and it feels like an eternity before u can flux spread again.

More from Gameplay

3 Refunds per season, upvote if you want 3 refunds per season.
Gameplay764 comments
7,167
votes
3 Refunds per season, upvote if you want 3 refunds per season.
Gameplay156 comments
3,510
votes
UPVOTE FOR URF
Gameplay606 comments
2,440
votes
Yes plz.
Gameplay456 comments
1,721
votes
3 Refunds per season, up vote if you want 3 refunds per season.
Gameplay114 comments
1,716
votes
When is ANYONE at riot going to address the awful new player experience?
Gameplay634 comments
1,383
votes

More by Danjeng

Do not buff Ryze yet
Gameplay69 comments
87
votes
Riot listens to community!
Gameplay36 comments
72
votes
All of you complain about the price of runes
Memes & Games2 comments
65
votes
How to nerf Ryze in competitive play while buffing him in solo queue from a 900k mastery 5 OTP
Gameplay119 comments
52
votes
Jem Flores' icon art is dope
Story, Art, & Sound17 comments
46
votes
Perspective of 1 mill mastery pt Ryze main - Q's AP ratio is being reduced from 45% to 35% on PBE
Gameplay25 comments
26
votes