brand top
i wanna main brand top and am already decent at it. some champions i can take down easily, (Tryn, Malph) some not so much (ATROX!!!) any ideas how to do better?
3 Comments
Brand can be a decent mid-laner, however, there are many flaws he has top lane which I can see being a problem for him. These are probably the things that are negatively affecting you.
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You are an incredibly immobile champion. Even the three champions you named in your post all have some sort of movement/dash/jump which enables them to initiate. While these can all be initiations, they are also all escapes which can be used if ganked. Brand does not have this luxury, meaning that you need to save flash or a ghost to escape, limiting your summoner choices.
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You lack easy CC. Once again, the top laner generally brings utility to a team fight/gank. Look at the top tier champions who main top lane, lissandra, gnar, ryze, the ones you named, can all very easily slow/stun a target or multiple targets. Brand has the unique passive that he must combo 2 skill shots together in a short period of time to stun. Trying to combo these in lane will result in the wave being pushed and using large amounts of mana, and in a crazy team fight, you might not have the ability or time to combo these.
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You have to think, why is brand better than other mage like champions in the top lane? How is he better than annie? She brings the same amounts of stuns/damage/ability types. How is he better than xerath? He brings the same stun/damage/ability that Brand brings.
Once you identify these unique strengths that Brand brings to the table, you can better utilize him not only in lane, but also in team fights.
In response to the above... What brand has going for him is his passive; it contributes up to 8% max hp magic damage over time effect with every spell hit. Should make Brand effective at killing slower if tankier champions if you can watch your positioning.
Brand top is incredibly unique. I've not seen anybody play it. People may knock you for it but you can carry as Brand whatever they say if you play well...
I like to play AP Kog'Maw top. That sounds crazy to some people... but I prefer the matchups and style of the top lane better for AP Kog. AP Kog has very low damage early so I want more of a farm lane. I rather not be in the middle of the map with a slow starting and ineffective roamer. Yeah AP Kog would want blue but really I can live without it since I have to build mana anyways. I'm fine without blue with teleport and a catalyst. It is dangerous early game and there are some very bad matchups but it's the same deal mid lane. If I get through laning as AP Kog it's extremely worth it because his damage and range is insane. I get tankier than people expect because of catalyst and my runes... I pick AP Kog when I know their top laner doesn't have too much mobility and burst damage. Most bruisers are manageable but a Tryndamere (or Aatrox!) would be a nightmare.
Brand would have the same weaknesses as AP Kog top except you actually have good damage early. My issues with Brand is his unreliability. He is low on utility because his only CC is a single target stun tied to two skillshots. I also don't like how his ult will fizzle if it hits someone whose zhonya'd or how it sometimes bounces between minions...
You could do a lot worse than Brand top honestly. As long as you are careful and can manage your mana. Doran's rings are really your friend for that.