I mean, you can get ganked from the left OR the right. You have twice the potential to be ganked from top lane OR bottom lane. Wouldn't it make the most sense for the mid-lane meta to be comprised of champions who are resistant to ganks? Why is this not the reality?
Thoughts?
It is a shorter lane and generally midlaners have some way for mitigating a bank through either cc or mobility allowing them to escape. Also, generally they have a lot of wave clear and can roam well allowing them to go both top or bot for a roam. Finally it gives easier access to blue buff.
The others pretty well covered it, but here are some other considerations:
Yes, you have a river on both sides of you - but this also means you have more exits as well. Say you're in top lane. And you get caught in the middle of the lane, between your lane opponent, and the Jungler coming up from river. Where do you go? You can't go forward, or you hit your laner. If you go to your own tower, the jungler can cut you off - you might try to hug the wall near the 2 top bushes but in the end they'll have a good chance of getting into range.
At mid lane, if they come from one side, you can always go out the other. Especially laners with a blink or dash that can use the river walls to escape.
And yes, the length of the lane makes the biggest difference - the "safe" zone takes up much more of the lane. Imagine this: Stand in the very center of Top or Bot lane. Then see how long it takes for you to walk back into your tower's aggro range. Do the same in mid lane. Mid lane is a much shorter walk.
not true, mid lane doesn't have extra gank positions because both top and bot lane have side bushes that junglers can sneak in to gank you, which makes it the safest lane due to its short length compared to the other lanes.
Mid lane has a shorter distance to the safety of your turret. It will also level up slightly faster because it is shorter, meaning that mid laners will have a level advantage if they go ganking. Who benefits the most from level advantages? Mages and assassins.
Try playing a top laner mid against a squishy mage. You might find it's not as easy. Mid lane is short and if your opponent plays safe, you won't be able to get many hits in before they retreat to their tower. Mages also typically do damage to multiple enemies which is great for team fights. It also provides variation in damage, an all ad or all ap team can easily be countered with 1 type of resist. Mages also provide extra peel for the carry.
It's generally a burst champ (which happen to be squishies) but I think it could be like this for a few reasons, one is roaming. Higher damage champs will have more successful ganks than a tank during lane phase (early-mid) Secondly the same reason bot lane is the duo lane, for dragon control. The meta mid laners now (burst assassins or mages) can generally contribute more at the stages of the game to contest dragon during the lane phase.
This is just something I thought up and may not be accurate. In addition I bet most games you could switch a tank into mid lane and I doubt it would make a significant difference.
Burst champion goes to mid to hit level-based power spikes faster, and is free to roam to either lane to help out.
Tanks don't scale as well with levels, and bruisers are fine top solo lane or jungling.
Squishy mids tend to be mobile or have some form of cc, not to mention they don't have to put down as many deep wards as top or bot.
Another factor other than small lane size and roaming potential: Mages will be close to the blue buff when playing on both blue and red sides.
Actually, you are much more likely to get ganked in the other two lanes due to how long they are.
