Will Duo-Lane Mid become the Meta?

Zirzon·10/31/2015, 10:52:16 PM·41 votes·4,321 views

With the rise of the Rift Herald, having your adc and support be mid to help with both Epic monsters could be advantageous. Thoughts?

(I personally doubt it will happen, at least until some pro team does it.)

82 Comments

Kouga10/31/2015, 10:57:15 PM22 votes

Honestly I don't think it'd be a terrible idea. Part of the reason for 2 bot is dragon control, so 2 mid could theoretically have better objective control.

I think that kind of metashift would be interesting, actually. Solo side lanes and duo middle.

IcyPepper11/1/2015, 3:41:16 AM10 votes

You know, instead of one set meta, what if there's going to be a few different metas?

A healthy metagame involves several different strategies being balanced, not just one setup. I'm thinking Rito is trying to allow ADC's to solo, top laners getting priority early, and supports can get a lot of roaming masteries to get around faster.

We could see a lot of different things.

yogozin10/31/2015, 11:10:15 PM5 votes

Well, I mean we CAN always try it out. Anyone up for it? We need to change the meta now! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6eX3fiQLo84

Sire Hippington11/1/2015, 12:19:44 AM5 votes

in 5 premates, we alreay did a dou-mid every now and then, and it really is powerfull even without the herald, just so much mapcontroll early on, especially once the midtower falls, you can basically claim the entier enemy jungler for your team. How effective it is depends alot on your teamcomp and their midlaner though.

Zarkkast11/1/2015, 3:20:03 AM4 votes

The problem with this is that it would required the current standard for mid laners to go against top laners, because otherwise one of them would have blue buff and the other wouldn't.

Maybe solo adcs and mage/supp duo.

vivjan3011/1/2015, 12:23:14 AM4 votes

2 mids! Crazy but makes sense. So would the mid laner go bot or top is the real question....

Auryiel11/1/2015, 6:56:25 PM3 votes

Takes mage class out back and puts it out of its misery

Randomonium11/2/2015, 12:23:18 AM3 votes

I think we also need to look at the consequences of sending ADC/support to mid and the APC to bot lane. If this happens I think it will snuff out mages who don't have a lot of mobility or inherent tankiness because bot lane is much more vulnerable than mid.

Meep Man11/1/2015, 8:39:02 PM2 votes

If this were the case, I think we could safely divide up the current champions into distinct roles for this kind of Meta.

Top Lane: This lane now becomes dominant with the Tankier characters in order to deal with the Rift Herald's damage. Tanks come here to tank the Baron Herald and, since there is more presence in the top part of the map, to eventually tank Baron Nashor in order to give their team a great advantage. Juggernauts and anti-tank champions can come here to abuse these Tanks. Tank Junglers will now most likely come here, some keeping Smite for a higher chance to contest the Herald. Alistar Amumu Chogath Darius DrMundo Ekko Fiora Galio Garen Gnar Gragas Hecarim Irelia JarvanIV Kayle KogMaw Malphite Malzahar Maokai Nasus Nautilus Nunu Olaf Poppy Rammus Renekton Rengar Sejuani Shen Singed Sion Swain TahmKench Taric Trundle Vayne Vi Volibear Warwick Yorick Zac

Middle Lane (Carry): The Marksman are moving here. This is where they will go to brawl. Due to the Marksman updates, however, some may choose to go to other lanes to due to their new gameplay. Ashe Caitlyn Corki Draven Ezreal Jinx Kalista KogMaw Lucian MissFortune Mordekaiser Quinn Sivir Tristana Twitch Varus Vayne

Middle Lane (Support): This is where things get much more complicated since these guys can be divided into groups. Roaming Support Chosen when either the ADC can lane by themselves and then gain the level advantage due to a superior early game or when the ADC can roam with you while the Jungler covers. Certain Tank Junglers (and the minotaur ganking nightmare of the past) will come here to gank as well. Alistar Amumu Bard Blitzcrank Ekko Fiddlesticks Galio JarvanIV Leona Lulu Malphite Maokai Morgana Nami Nautilus Rammus Sejuani Shen Sion TahmKench Teemo Thresh Urgot Volibear Zac Stay In Lane Support Chosen when your ADC wont roam or need sustain or are a hyper carry. Needed to go against the new role of Anti-Carry that will be mentioned soon. Some of the Control Mages that have lots of crowd control, but don't quite have enough killer power come here as well. Anivia Annie Blitzcrank Brand Braum Fiddlesticks Galio Heimerdinger Janna Karma Orianna Sona Soraka Taric Yorick Zilean Zyra Some can be more than one, but I wanted to label the ones who could dedicate themselves to be the best at each path the most.

Middle Lane (Anti-Carry): These aren't Assassins, no. Most Assassins, early game, could not think of touching an ADC without help. Especially since the entire reason to use this role is to both try and stop the enemy Carry and to have Solo Lane caster. These are the Lane Bully Mages. They also need some form of clutch defensive mechanic or escape mechanic as well to stop aggressive Supports from taking them out of lane. Ahri Annie Azir Caitlyn Cassiopeia Chogath Diana Fizz Gangplank Karthus Katarina Kayle Leblanc Lux Malzahar Nidalee Orianna Sivir Swain Syndra Tristana Varus Veigar Velkoz Viktor Xerath Yasuo Zed Ziggs

Bottom Lane (or as I like to call it now, Brawl Pit): The Brawl Pit is where the rest of the Assassins that can't jungle, Fighters, and left over Mages who can't jungle go to brawl it out to try and claim Dragon's domain for their team. Whoever wins the Brawl wins! Extremely versatile lane. Aatrox Akali Chogath Darius Diana DrMundo Ekko Fiora Fizz Gangplank Garen Gnar Gragas Graves Hecarim Heimerdinger Irelia JarvanIV Jax Jayce Kassadin Kayle Kennen Khazix LeeSin Lissandra Lulu Malphite Malzahar Maokai Nasus Nautilus Nunu Olaf Pantheon Poppy Renekton Rengar Riven Rumble Ryze Shen Singed Sion Swain TahmKench Talon Trundle Tryndamere TwistedFate Urgot Vayne Vi Volibear Warwick MonkeyKing XinZhao Yorick Zac Zed

Jungle: Jungle becomes a game of 'Do I want early game or late game power?' Early game invaders and gankers come here as do Late game Devourer junglers. Aatrox Diana Elise Evelynn Fiddlesticks Gragas Graves Hecarim JarvanIV Jax Kayle Khazix Kindred KogMaw LeeSin Leona Malphite MasterYi Nocturne Pantheon Poppy Rammus RekSai Rengar Shaco Shyvana Sion Skarner TahmKench Talon Trundle Tryndamere TwistedFate Twitch Udyr Vayne Vi Volibear Warwick MonkeyKing XinZhao Zac Zed

Spoofghoul11/1/2015, 9:04:55 PM2 votes

{quoted}

With the rise of the Rift Herald, having your adc and support be mid to help with both Epic monsters could be advantageous. Thoughts?

(I personally doubt it will happen, at least until some pro team does it.)

This is probably what is going to happen. And with the new masteries & lucidity boots the nerf to tp wont actually be a nerf. I can totally see adc support mid, especially with tahm for ult and w making him extremelky contested. And summoner cooldown masteries & lucidity boots for mage/bruiser/tank with tp for even more map controll.

I suspect most action will happen in sidelanes because mid is too hard to gank, Most good roam supports like thresh ali tahm leona can also peel reasonably well and are a nightmare to towerdive against so mid 100% safe from agression whilst bot and top are not and both give acces to an objective. with double tp i expect lots of interection from junglers and bot & toplaners to gank either lane and go for dragon/rift herald or towers or both.

Meanwhile mid sits in a stalemate because if either duo leaves the others can push their tower and mid tower gives most map controll so no one wants it to fall. meanwile lots of warding around mid so plenty of info making support and or support adc roams very telegraphed.

If 1 support leaves the other duo can zone out the lone adc and since adc got buffed this will put your team behind if roam isnt succesfull and with 2 wards from start on everyone this roaming becoms alot riskier.

Early game focus will most likely shift towards topside to have botlaner tp top and gank with jungler then secure rift herald after to pushdown mid turret with a mini baron buff. making waveclear adc a priority to prevent/enable this. Poke siege adc will also become very strong, and then there is corki he does both poke and siege very well on top of all that he has alot of magic damage which will be more scarce making it even more valuable.

So expect lanebully toplaners mobile mages and ap assasins bot, strong early game junglers that are good at towerdiving hi elise, and strong siege/waveclear adc's with tanky strong roaming supports.

BurningRice11/1/2015, 5:37:34 AM2 votes

That's a really good question to think about. I think the pros will probably just stick to swapping lanes to have their duo in the top or bot lane depending on which objective they are going for at the time.

Fisk11/1/2015, 3:18:06 PM2 votes

The issue here is either an adc or a mid laner now has to go solo in a long lane. Which isn't good for them :(

Nebuul11/1/2015, 5:15:45 AM2 votes

Top: Tank Mid: Tahm Kench + Mordekaiser Bot: ADC

Oh how easily Morde can roam.

SociopathFriend11/2/2015, 3:06:05 AM1 votes

I think double bot is going to stay for two reasons:

  1. Peeps just don't try new things often until a pro does.
  2. That top buff would have to be worth more than dragon- which I don't believe it was.
SHlTBUG11/2/2015, 1:17:15 AM1 votes

Good idea

1000angrybees11/2/2015, 2:07:48 AM1 votes

I'd love that honestly. Support would be MUCH better off in mid lane, seeing as it's much easier to escape.

Yorukin11/2/2015, 2:18:33 AM1 votes

I don't think so; or at least, it wouldn't work as well as the traditional meta. Midlaners go where they do because they can handle themselves decently well early on, and they're much safer with the tower so close by. Plus, they get their levels faster, which is more important for mages and assassins than marksmen or supports.

Beyond that, Rift Herald is gonna take crap damage from ranged attacks (ranged characters benefit more from the duo lane), which as an aside devalues ranged lane bullies a little. While a second player to take him on will be pretty much mandatory, there's no reason it can't be the jungler or the solo mid laner alongside the top laner.

XIII Vanitas11/1/2015, 2:53:03 AM1 votes

I think it won't happen. RH takes less damage from ranged autos, so it's meant to not be killed by marksmen. Also, mid lane is usually the lane where roaming champions go: losing them would mean losing a lot of map pressure and gameplay diversity.

Penns10/31/2015, 10:57:37 PM1 votes

Nah I think theyll just get it with top+ jungle whenever they gank top.

Meep Man11/1/2015, 7:02:55 PM1 votes

{quoted}

With the rise of the Rift Herald, having your adc and support be mid to help with both Epic monsters could be advantageous. Thoughts?

(I personally doubt it will happen, at least until some pro team does it.)

Wow, this is a really good idea. However, in that case, would the current Middle Lane champions go Bottom Lane or what? I think that would change a lot of things, making roaming Middle Lanes a lot less viable since they would be going Bottom Lane instead. Maybe instead of a Jungle, we are going to have a Roamer role who just rotates between the lanes and sets up kills, but still gets experience easily such as Zilean, Mordekaiser, and such? RIVER SHEN!?

Dengeden11/1/2015, 9:09:38 PM1 votes

I remember seeing some asian teams sending their duo lane mid this season.

It didn't really work because it was nearly impossible for them to deny the enemy solo laner. The lane is too short.

AMYS GRAVE11/2/2015, 12:20:07 AM1 votes

I kind of hope so, i think if both duo bot and duo mid are viable strategies there will be a lot more variability in games.