Are there champs who never have been viable in pro play?
Which one?
16 Comments
Critmaster Garen2 votesi think the garen/yuumi bot lane might have been the first time that garen was picked in pro play and actually won a game.
there might be others that have never been played.
GrãñðmãstêrShãçø2 votesShaco
Jng Account1 votesPretty sure Garen? Maybe in some minor regions, but never in major tournaments imo. Not sure about Yi(pretty sure that far back he was picked few times) and Kayn.
hoganftw1 votes[{quoted}](name=Jng Account,realm=EUW,application-id=3ErqAdtq,discussion-id=rKUFUMJc,comment-id=0000,timestamp=2019-07-26T16:31:13.282+0000)
Pretty sure Garen? Maybe in some minor regions, but never in major tournaments imo. Not sure about Yi and Kayn.
Red Kayn was viable for a bit I believe. Alex Ich's AP Yi games back in the day made Riot rework him.
Jng Account1 votesDoes that leave Garen and Shaco as last ones?
Critmaster Garen1 votesso, according to gamepedia, 
was picked a total of two games in pro play since 2015 and lost both games. this isnt including trolly games like fakers mid lane garen in a previous all star match.
it didnt look much different in prior seasons, where he was picked once or twice in all the years and lost every game.
and then there is this.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mAeB9Y5yGGM
this must have been the first victory in a pro game with garen on the team, and im excited. not only because garen is viable in pro play (i couldnt care less about that tbh.), but because this is a whole new way to play garen. we used to be heavily confined in top lane for years.
then we had a bit more opening up of our gameplay and were able to pick garen more often into mid lane in recent years, mainly focusing on a roaming playstile with predator boots, and dead mans plate.
bot lane garen in a duo lane is an entirely new experience.
the good thing is, the reason why this works is because of double support items. 
so even if riot deems this nerf worthy, its more likely theyll change support items to not allow two of them in a duo lane anymore, than nerfing the champions.
but i honestly hope we can see at least some more of this in the future.
Linda de Mol1 votes[{quoted}](name=Critmaster Garen,realm=NA,application-id=3ErqAdtq,discussion-id=rKUFUMJc,comment-id=0003,timestamp=2019-07-26T16:39:35.520+0000)
so, according to gamepedia, garen was picked a total of two games in pro play since 2015 and lost both games. this isnt including trolly games like fakers mid lane garen in a previous all star match.
it didnt look much different in prior seasons, where he was picked once or twice in all the years and lost every game.
this must have been the first victory in a pro game with garen on the team, and im excited. not only because garen is viable in pro play, but because this is a whole new way to play garen. we used to be heavily confined in top lane for years.
then we had a bit more opening up of our gameplay and were able to pick garen more often into mid lane in recent years.
bot lane garen ina duo lane is an entirely new experience.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mAeB9Y5yGGM
the good thing is, the reason why this works is because of double support items.
but i honestly hope we can see at least some more of this in the future.
What makes him so bad for proplay?
Critmaster Garen1 votes[{quoted}](name=Linda de Mol,realm=EUW,application-id=3ErqAdtq,discussion-id=rKUFUMJc,comment-id=00030000,timestamp=2019-07-26T16:46:59.499+0000)
What makes him so bad for proplay?
most important for pro play are usualy champions with a lot of team utility, and with as little gold reliance as possible. the only exception is the teams carry.
thats why tanks tend to be extremely strong in organized play to the point where theyre pick or ban, even when theyre complete trash in solo que.
look at it like this. if a 
loses lane and falls behind in farm, he will still be useful for his team.
a maokai ult will still be a maokai ult. his saplings still grant vision, and the rest of his kits cc isnt any weaker.
if garen falls behind, because he gets camped on top lane for example, hes going to be useless for the rest of the game. garen is a carry. hes farm and item dependent. outside his damage and defense he doesnt offer a lot to his team. when he falls too far behind, he wont deal enough damage to make himself relevant.
hes also very easy to kite and wall out of a fight by an organized team.
in case of garen/yuumi bot, the yuumi makes up for a lot of garens weaknesses like ranged poke and kitability. its harder to just gank him to shut him down and prevent him from scaling with her additional protection, and your teamcomp doesnt get too weak when garen takes the slot of the bot lane carry instead of the top laner.
hoganftw1 votes[{quoted}](name=Linda de Mol,realm=EUW,application-id=3ErqAdtq,discussion-id=rKUFUMJc,comment-id=00030000,timestamp=2019-07-26T16:46:59.499+0000)
What makes him so bad for proplay?
Garen is probably one of the easiest champions to counter in the game IMO. He has so so so many bad matchups.
Tr4shB4NSYST3M1 votes
?
Rıots Bad Client1 votes
I remember he had a time to shine because of AP Udyr.
Daddy Ants1 votesMost champions have seen pro play over the course of the game's life.
Right now in Season 9 Summer split the following champions have never been picked.
Source -
https://gol.gg/champion/list/season-S9/split-Summer/tournament-ALL/patch-ALL/role-ALL/league-ALL/
Across all splits in Season 9 the only champions who have not been picked are Amumu and Garen.
Critmaster Garen1 votesMost champions have seen pro play over the course of the game's life.
Right now in Season 9 Summer split the following champions have never been picked.
Source -
https://gol.gg/champion/list/season-S9/split-Summer/tournament-ALL/patch-ALL/role-ALL/league-ALL/
Across all splits in Season 9 the only champions who have not been picked are Amumu and Garen.
garen had been picked in the UK tournament, as evident by the video i put up.
i dont know why he hasnt been added to the list yet.
Daddy Ants1 votes[{quoted}](name=Critmaster Garen,realm=NA,application-id=3ErqAdtq,discussion-id=rKUFUMJc,comment-id=00050000,timestamp=2019-07-26T19:17:27.118+0000)
garen had been picked in the UK tournament, as evident by the video i put up.
i dont know why he hasnt been added to the list yet.
Maybe the website I used only tracks the major tournaments like LCK LEC LPL etc.
I'm not sure.
Schenix1 votesNote that viable does not mean they are not ever picked. Just that even if they are considered and picked, they still perform poorly and are quickly dropped, or the situations they can be picked are so low that it is negligible even during the very few times they are used.
Daddy Ants1 votesSeems G2 just played Annie top and won : ^)
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