Top lane tank?

Trogmar·Sep 7, 2014·2 votes·871 views

I'm looking to get out of my ADC role and want to be the opposite. I'm looking for a champion for the top lane that's a good tank and initiator. Any suggestions?

12 Comments

redniwediSSep 7, 20144 votes

Tank and initiate? My first two recommendations would be Malphite and Maokai. You can do some silly stuff with Alistar and Leona but they are not quite as reliable for a variety of reasons. If you have a second initiator on your team Shen and Zac are good, as they are better for surprise initiation in my opinion.

MrBuffingtonSep 7, 20142 votes

^basically what he said. I personally like AD Alistar in terms of tanky and initiation, but like Redniwedis said, he can be a little wonky. Malphite is really great, and a bit easier to play imo; I was playing him for a while before I picked up Alistar. If you just want tanky, I like Mundo; his only initiation really is running at the team and throwing cleavers; not much of a hard initiation but if you dance around you can poke them down. You can also experiment with Volibear, he's sort of a champion that has this niche of people who are really good with him, but doesn't have wide appeal/play. Cho'Gath is kind of similar too; I actually have no idea how to really play him but he gets monstrously tanky late game and has two great AoE CC abilities. Jarvan IV is also a good initiator, but he tends to build a bit more damage than the other straight tanks. Shyvana is still a bread and butter tanky top laner, she can be built pure tank or build some damage first, and her ult is decent initiation. Singed is a lesser played champion, not the greatest in teamfights but can have powerful moments if you fling a carry into your team, otherwise he usually just splitpushes.

redniwediSSep 8, 20142 votes

I completely forgot about Cho'Gath! He's a great one if you're new to tanks with his built in sustain.

MrBuffingtonSep 8, 20142 votes

Haha, I just played a game with a Cho'Gath top, he got massive at the end of the game lol. He built a lot of AP since Cho naturally gets tanky (or at least gets a ton of health), but yea, he can be pretty powerful.

FahrsideSep 7, 20141 votes

Mundo goes where he pleases.

Miyomoto MusashiSep 8, 20141 votes

yes, if you leaning to more tank then initiate mundo is a god, but other good ones would include zac, singed, and naturally tanky aatrox with his passive

TrogmarSep 7, 20141 votes

I'm leaning more to the tank then initiate. I'm just tired of going in games where it seems everybody on my team is all damage and nobody can start a fight without getting wrecked.

Kyleman143Sep 8, 20141 votes

I mean i carried myself out of bronze by playing Renekton he by far is one of my favorite tank initiators... he can be built as a tank and still deal massive amounts of damage plus he gets tankier with his ulti he would be my number 1 recommendation followed by the lovely Shyvana

TrogmarSep 8, 20141 votes

So i get to choose from Renekton, Shyvana, Malphite, Chogath. Any vote for which one? I also herd Pantheon and Yorick are okay.

MrBuffingtonSep 8, 20141 votes

Play them and pick the one you like. Also I think Yorick is getting a rework in the future, no idea when it'll actually come though.

Phoenix Kotori Sep 8, 20141 votes

If you want top lane initiation I suggest JarvanIV for less initiation moar tank I would say Shyvana Shen Renekton

XyphiosSep 9, 20141 votes

DrMundo His build... item 3068 item 3065 item 3083 item 3078 item 3047 He is one of those tanks that either need one or no damage items...the rest tank His early game is shit but late game you cant kill him