League of Legends Patch 14.17 is here and it introduced bringing some changes to the mid lane and overall meta of the game. Of course, this includes the midlaner role. If you’re wondering what the next OP picks for LoL Ranked solo queue, this article has the info you need. We’ll list the best Mid-lane champions to help you climb the ranked ladder in League of Legends.
Below you'll find examples of champions in different tiers, so you can choose the one that best fits your playstyle. This will give you the best chance of carrying your team to victory in LoL.
Since the League of Legends meta is always changing, it's important to keep an eye on each patch. Your favorite champion could get nerfed, or a new powerful Mid champion might emerge.
Table of Contents
- Tier List Explanation
- League of Legends 14.17: S-Tier Mid Lane Champions
- League of Legends 14.17: A-Tier Mid Lane Champions
- League of Legends 14.17: B-Tier Mid Lane Champions
- League of Legends 14.17: C-Tier Mid Lane Champions
- League of Legends 14.17: D-Tier Mid Lane Champions
- Summary of Best Mid Lane Champions in League of Legends Patch 14.17
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Tier List Explanation
This tier list will examine some of the most-played League of Legends mid-lane champions.
- S-Tier: The best champions you can use to ensure you are always victorious.
- A-Tier: Great options but lacking just slightly either in terms of damage or utility.
- B-Tier: Viable and reliable in most situations, you can manage rather decently.
- C-Tier: Although they can be somewhat decent, you are better off with other picks.
- D-Tier: You should avoid playing these champions as much as possible.
NOTE: Although this tier list strives to be as objective as possible in terms of viability, you should not limit yourself to strictly adhere to this list, but rather experiment and see which champion feels fun to play with.
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League of Legends 14.17: S-Tier Mid Lane Champions
Lissandra
Lissandra got her Q damage buffed, along with a buff to her Ultimate's slow in LoL patch 14.17. These changes skyrocketed her to the S-tier, stomping champions such as Yasuo and Yone.
Sylas
Sylas got nerfed once again but not much has changed, aside from his W's damage AP Ratio. He's still a solid choice for ranked.
PROS:
- Versatile
- Duelist
CONS:
- Short range
Lux
Lux is dominating the mid-lane thanks to her burst damage, shield, short cooldowns, and utility. Lux can carry you out of low elo easily, as long as you know how to play her well.
PROS:
- Great burst damage
- Easy to play
- Short cooldowns late and mid-game
CONS:
- Squishy
- Skillshot-reliant
Syndra
Syndra is still a great champion choice in the mid lane, known for her burst damage, lane, and crowd control abilities.
PROS:
- Great in team fights
- Lane bully
CONS:
- Squishy
- No mobility
- Relies on skill-shots
Yasuo
Yasuo is a standout mid-lane champion, being favored by many players because of his mobility and insane damage. Just make sure you don't feed with him. Don't be one of those Yauos...
PROS:
- Huge carry potential in low elo
- Annoying lane bully
- Dominates team fights
CONS:
- High ban and pick rate
- Low elo players don't play him well (huge feed potential)
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Ahri
Ahri gets to keep her S-tier position among League of Legends' midlaners. She has great mobility, burst damage, and charm ability that can catch opponents off guard.
PROS:
- Great wave clear
- Amazing mobility
CONS:
- Squishy
- Uses a lot of mana and she's heavily reliant on it
Aurora
Aurora just got nerfed but the lesser damage of her Ult isn't enough to demote her to A-tier, so she's still in the S-tier.
PROS:
- Amazing burst
- Mobility
- Great early game
CONS:
- Squishy
- Mana-dependant
Akali
Akali is bringing high mobility, burst damage, and strong outplay potential to the Summoner's Rift in this patch.
PROS:
- Mobile
- Insane burst
CONS:
- Squishy
- Difficult to master
Yone
If you've been following our Midlaner tier lists, you would know that Yone and Yasuo always chart together. He's quite powerful in the current meta.
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Vex
Vex is still a great counter for mobile champions, such as Yasuo, who trigger her passive. She's not as OP as she used to be but definitely a solid midlane pick.
PROS:
- Insane burst
- Great wave clear
CONS:
- Squishy
- Mana hungry
Veigar
Veigar stands out in the mid lane with his insane burst damage and strong scaling. His passive boosts his ability power every time he hits enemies with his abilities or basic attacks, which makes him even more OP.
PROS:
- Limitless AP gain
- CC
- Insane burst and damage
CONS:
- Squishy
- Mana hungry
- Easily-avoidable CC
Zed
Zed is still a great mid-lane choice, being an assassin with his high burst damage and great mobility.
PROS:
- Mobility
- Hyper carry
- Insane damage
CONS:
- Short range
- Weak early on
Fizz
Fizz is all about mobility. Another patch goes by and he's still a great pick, especially in lower elo.
PROS:
- Amazing escape
- Very mobile
- Lane Bully
CONS:
- Squishy
- Dependent on items
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League of Legends 14.17: A-Tier Mid Lane Champions
LeBlanc
LeBlanc's reign in the S-tier is finally coming to an end due to the nerfs she got in patch 14.17.
PROS:
- Good damage
- Very mobile
CONS:
- Squishy
- Mana hungry
Ryze
Ryze is climbing up a tier in the ranking of the best midlaners thanks to the buffs to his Q and R he just received. He's a versatile champion with excellent split-pushing capabilities.
PROS:
- Scales well
- Flexible builds
CONS:
- Difficult to play and master
Galio
Galio has been a very stable champion pick for a few patches now. If you're looking for a tanky midlaner - he's the guy for you.
PROS:
- Great AoE
- Crowd control
- Tanky
CONS:
- Long cooldowns
- Outpoked
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Twisted Fate
Similar to Ryze, Twisted Fate is another champion who lands in the A-tier because of buffs in LoL patch 14.17
Hwei
Hwei is doing even better since the last League of Legends patch but he's not ready for the S-tier yet.
PROS:
- Versatile
- Good wave clear
CONS:
- Squishy
- Hard to master
Nasus
Nasus mid is an odd choice but it seems to be working for a lot of League of Legends players.
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Malzahar
Malzahar offers LoL players a great combination of zoning, damage, and crowd control.
PROS:
- Good scaling
- Great wave clear
CONS:
- Weak before level 6
- Squishy
Xerath
Xerath is losing his OP status and moving to A-tier, despite his endless and constant long-range abilities.
PROS:
- Long range
- Insane burst and DPS
CONS:
- Squishy
- Dependent
Aurelion Sol
Aurelion Sol is still in the A-tier, performing well and being a pretty solid Ranked pick.
PROS:
- Great in team fights
- Solo carry potential
CONS:
- Weak early game
- Mana-hungry
Neeko
Neeko is a versatile champ worth investing time in. She's all about outsmarting opponents and turn the tide of any Ranked game.
PROS:
- Great roaming and CC
- Amazing wave clear
- Easy to play
CONS:
- Falls behind easily and can't get good again
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Vladimir
Vladimir remains in the A-tier for mid lane due to his strong sustain, area-of-effect damage, and survivability.
Swain
Swain is doing some amazing damage and he's very satisfying to play as. His win rate is growing which is even better.
PROS:
- Versatile
- Lots of AoE damage
- Great in team fights
CONS:
- Mana-dependent and mana-hungry
- Immobile
Zoe
Zoe combines burst damage, crowd control, and mobility with a kit that requires precise timing and positioning. As long as you get the hang of it, you'll be fine.
PROS:
- Great wave clear
- Carry potential
CONS:
- Squishy
- Difficult to master
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League of Legends 14.17: B-Tier Mid Lane Champions
Katarina
Katarina is definitely losing the influence she had in the last League of Legends patch. This is also due to her losing damage from her Q. Currently, she's a very hard-to-play champion, who will either feed or carry depending on the player's skill.
PROS:
- High snowball and carry potential
CONS:
- Very difficult to master, quite easy to feed with her
Brand
Brand's nerf might be targeted only at his jungle role but he's not an optimal champion pick for Ranked anyway.
PROS:
- Amazing AoE damage
- Easy to pick up and master
CONS:
- Bad utility
- Easily out-sustained
Diana
Diana seems to be losing relevance with each patch, despite her amazing roaming. She's still a good pick if you want to be all over the map.
PROS:
- Mobility
- Roaming
- One combo and the enemy is a goner
- Great in team fights
CONS:
- No easy way out once you go all in
Heimerdinger
Heimer is still an okay champion pick for Ranked, offering a mix of zoning, poke, and turret-based control. Keep in mind that he won't carry the game so maybe he's not the best choice for low elo.
PROS:
- Good wave clear
- Great poke and zoning
- Amazing AoE and CC
CONS:
- Squishy
- Can't carry
- Useless without turrets
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Irelia
Despite her potential for high-impact plays, Irelia struggles against certain matchups and maintains her B-tier position.
PROS:
- Mobile
- Easy CC
- Great damage
CONS:
- Reliant on CC
- Difficult to master
Orianna
Orianna is currently positioned in the B-tier for mid lane, with her utility and damage being solid but not exceptional.
Viktor
Viktor got to the B-tier two patches ago and not much has changed since then.
PROS:
- Good wave clear
- AoE burst
CONS:
- No mobility
- Weak early on
Ziggs
With his high poke and AoE damage, Ziggs remains strong. He’s also a lot of fun to play and can be a real bully in the lane. His ability to consistently harass opponents from a distance and control the wave makes him a powerful pick.
PROS:
- Great late game
- Amazing zoning
CONS:
- Squishy
- Mana hungry
Smolder
Smolder is so much better as an ADC but you can try to play him in mid lane if you main him.
Annie
Annie is still in the B-tier, being an easy-to-play champion with reliable crowd control.
PROS:
- Versatile
- Stun
CONS:
- Easily avoidable Ult
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League of Legends 14.17: C-Tier Mid Lane Champions
Kennen
Kennen got a nerf in the recent League of Legends update, leaving his Q with a lesser AP.
Azir
Azir performed decently in the last patch but he's less impactful in 14.17.
PROS:
- Good damage
CONS:
- Mana-reliant
- Weak early on
Jayce
Jayce seems to be stuck in the C-tier although he got a buff recently. A lot more needs to be done for this champion to make it relevant again.
PROS:
- Good poke
- Unexpected pick at this point
CONS:
- Hard to play
- Very weak currently
Zeri
Midlane Zeri is definitely not an optimal choice but... sure, go ahead if you insist.
Kassidin
Kassidin definitely has less impact now but he might not be that horrible if you know how to play him.
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League of Legends 14.17: D-Tier Mid Lane Champions
Ezreal
Another nerf for Ezreal in Patch 14.17 makes him completely unplayable in the midlane.
Lucian
Poor Lucian is still in the lowest tier in our midlane list. He's a better ADC, thankfully!
PROS:
- Amazing duelist
- Very mobile
CONS:
- Short range
Tristana
Tristana mid used to be OP but it's horrible in the current mid lane meta.
Corki
Corki might be fun but he's a definite pass for the mid-lane.
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Summary of Best Mid Lane Champions in League of Legends Patch 14.17
All in all, this list is surely to change based on balance changes the devs implement but it should give you a general idea of which champions are strong and which might need some additional tuning to become more viable.
Tier | Mid Lane Champions |
S-Tier | Lissandra, Sylas, Lux, Syndra, Yasuo, Ahri, Aurora, Akali, Yone, Vex, Veigar, Zed, Fizz |
A-Tier |
LeBlanc, Ryze, Galio, Twisted Fate, Hwei, Nasus, Malzahar, Xerath, Aurelion Sol, Neeko, Vladimir, Swain, Zoe |
B-Tier | Katarina, Brand, Diana, Heimerdinger, Irelia, Orianna, Viktor, Ziggs, Smolder, Annie |
C-Tier | Kennen, Azir, Jayce, Zeri, Kassidin |
D-Tier | Tristana, Corki, Ezreal, Lucian |
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