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Versatile Champions?

TheGrumpy1·6/29/2015, 1:58:23 AM·1 votes·2,745 views

I'm still pretty new - have tons of champions that I haven't played (always bought those champ bundles!), lots of interest in playing, and I feel like I have a decent head on my shoulders for grasping meta-concepts and theories, but I'm going into overload. Too many champ choices, not enough focus.

So I come to the community for help! I want to learn a small handful of champs well. Like, REALLY well. I'm SL 19 right now, and I'd like to have a versatile few champions that I can consider to be my go-tos when I hit 30. I'm hoping 10 levels will be enough time to learn the champs and save up enough IP for the runes I'll need.

What champions have the potential to fill a variety of roles decently? As an example, I love the playstyle and abilities of Rek'Sai, but I feel he's only viable in Jungle (and I don't want to corner myself into being only usable in one role, much less with only one champion). If it helps, I love Support and Jungle. Helping other people out and setting them up for snowballing is always something I've enjoyed, and both of those roles seem to fill that niche.

In higher-ranked play, is it considered "fair" to only know one role really well, or is everybody expected to excel in multiple roles?

7 Comments

WalkingInACircle6/29/2015, 2:23:50 AM3 votes

People are expected to learn all the roles, and then specialize in one.

There are many champs that can play multiple roles, but beyond two gets rare.

There are tanks/bruisers/assassins that can jungle and top. Malphite Hecarim Rengar for example

There are mages that can mid and support. Annie Velkoz for example

Marksmen are pretty regulated to the adc role. They can be taken to other lanes, but they'll still be an adc.

Chogath comes to mind when I think of role versatility. He can top, jungle, or mid. But I recommend you learn at least one champ specific to the given role. I find taking a champion to a different position leads to a very different style of play with them anyway. Junglers and supports even use their own specific item builds.

No Gold For Me6/29/2015, 2:18:16 AM2 votes

I am gold 5 and I highly recommend not maining one role because the fact is that 50% of the time you will not get your roll. But here is a list of decently versatile champions in any team comp.

TOP: Vladimir and Maokai

JUNGLE: Rek Sai and J4

MID: Ahri and Malzahar

ADC: Jinx and Lucian

SUPPORT: Thresh and nautilus

If you want explanations to certain roles, feel free to comment back.

rtbf327739286/29/2015, 2:38:10 AM2 votes

Morgana Top, Mid and Support. Nidalee Top, Mid and Jungle Aatrox Top and Jungle Ekko Top, Mid and Jungle Fizz Top, Mid and Jungle Jayce Top and Mid Maokai Top and jungle Mordekaiser Top and Mid Shyvana Top and Jungle Swain Top and Mid Urgot Top, Mid and ADC Vladimir Top and Mid Zyra Mid and Support

My list is made up of champs I have seen be successful during either LCS or actual matches I've played. Some of the champs may not be 100% viable in the roles (such as Urgot)

Need Gold 4 Tent6/29/2015, 2:02:01 PM1 votes

JarvanIV

Positions: Jungle/Top/Mid/Bot Roles: Initiator/Assassin/Tank/Bruiser/Support/Jungler/ADC (Kill lane only)

The only thing he can't do is AP carry, well, technically he can build AP for troll flags but not advisable.

Kayle

Positions: Jungle/Top/Mid/Bot Roles: AP carry/Jungler/Bruiser/ADC (workable though subpar)/Hybrid Carry/Support/Tank (yes, tried - tied to support)

The one true all-in-one champ in LoL in my opinion. Her kit has enough scaling to carry and enough utility to support. Her main contributions (movespeed buff/ult) do not require much scaling so tank is also viable especially if you're support. The catch is, her main role is as an AP carry now, so her other roles (except support, I do that frequently enough to say that she can be considered one of the true supports, not mage going bot to get nice KDA) - are a little weaker. But, you can autolock her and still be able to fill no matter what.

Thresh Positions: Jungle/Top/Bot/(Mid?) - top/jungle and bot lane thresh have been seen before, but his kit can theoretically work mid too. Roles: ADC/Support/Tank/Bruiser/Initiator/Jungler/ (AP?)

Mostly botlane as support, but ADC was not uncommon, and nor was bruiser. He can gank and collect stacks from jungle (which makes him capable of jungling). I've only seen mid AP once in my life, but it does not seem to be unreasonable build because he does have all ap scaling skills (though ratios may be questionable).

The thing with versatile champs is, they still tend to have a "main" role that the other roles they can fill are slightly weaker than those who specialize in it. E.g. Support J4, while being comparable to support Leona, has his shortcomings by having less innate tankiness as a tradeoff for better scaling (that requires items, which is why he is better jungling or farming).

TouchpadExpert6/29/2015, 4:23:20 PM1 votes

First off I should let you know that if you're level 19 in summoner levels then you shouldn't be buying any champions at this time, you should save up your IP for when you hit 20 and buy runes. Those will impact every game you play. You can buy a new champ but you won't be playing that champion every day. The runes will be with you every game and will enhance the power of champions you already have. Those are more important.

Kayle The Jack of all trades champion. She's capable of doing every role, but often times she isn't the best at every role. Her versatility comes at a price because she is a Jack of All Trades but master of none. Mid lane is her best choice as her ultimate shuts down assassin players. She's the champ you pick when your team has 0 communication in champion select lobby and you have no clue as to where you are going.

Karma Can do everything but ADC. She can be AP bruiser top, AP mid, AP support and can even jungle. And she's simple to learn and not that expensive.

Lulu Expensive champion, but can do 4 roles: top, mid, ADC and support. Support is her best role. She has a lot of utility in her kit and her glitter lance has some incredible poke damage.

Volibear Another expensive choice. Usually goes jungle, but can go top or support too. Even when he goes support and builds only tanky items he hits HARD. And his passive allows him to survive anything nearly anything short of a coordinated burst attack from the enemy team. He's deceptively strong in the current meta, but metas change so don't buy strictly for whats good now.

Chogath Can do everything but ADC. Not the best support but he can do it. He has mana issues and can grow to enormous sizes if he is allowed to chow down on minions for a while. Not mobile and his knock up is telegraphed but he is a really fun champ to play as.

Krystorr6/29/2015, 11:53:34 PM1 votes

Personally, I enjoy twisted fate. I'm not very high ranking, but I can reliably play him in any role, apart from ADC- simply because I have not needed to. I go AP for mid, top, or support, while I go AD for jungling. People really underestimate TF jungle. for example, one rengar. Not long after he ambushed me, my 2.17 attack speed and stun made quick work of him.