My beginner friends often ask me “who are the best mid champions in LoL?”. And I always tell them the same few picks.
I’m a Master tier mid laner and I’ve been playing League of Legends for a very long time. I’m confident on nearly all mid picks and I can say that I play them on a decent level.
So why do I only have a few champions that I could 100% recommend to my friends?
It’s simple – some champions just work!
If you aren’t sure what I mean by this, think about what it takes to win as Riven and what it takes to win as Garen.
As Riven, you need mechanics, knowledge, and a careful playstyle. But as Garen, you only need the spin-to-win!
So, some picks are simply good at LoL despite the current mid lane tier list. Runes, items, and patch notes have almost nothing to do with it.
And the best part is that you can start playing these picks today and see real progress tomorrow!
In this post, I put the top 10 best mid lane champions for every type of LoL player. These mages, assassins, and fighters, should be your tickets to the higher elo of League of Legends.
So you better start practicing them today!
Top 10 Best Mid Laners in LoL
10. Galio
Galio is a support AP tank. And that’s his niche in the mid lane!
Are there champions that deal more damage than him? Sure. Are there tanks that can absorb more damage than Galio?
Yep, most of the top laners. But is there a champion that can do it all – tank, deal AP damage, and support his teammates around the map?
Nope – Galio is the perfect pick for the job!
Here are a few of the main strengths that Galio has in the mid lane:
- Extremely defensive champion
- High burst damage
- Overloaded with crowd control
- Great at engaging
- Counter to all AP team compositions
Galio is a tough champion. When paired against a mage in the mid lane, he usually wins. He’s got a protective shield from his W – Shield of Durand, and he can use it to taunt his opponents and stop them from casting spells!
On top of that, Galio’s burst in the early and mid game is phenomenal! Sure, his DPS is kind of mediocre in the late game, but he’s great at overpowering enemies at the start.
And you can use him to gain advantages early and snowball your leads.
When it comes to team fights, Galio is the king. His R – Hero’s Entrance is one of the best abilities in the entire League of Legends. Galio can use it to engage on the enemy team, protect an ally, or stop his opponents’ engage.
In the end, it’s very easy to climb in solo queue as a Galio main. Yes, the champion is all about teamwork and not solo play, but that’s exactly what solo queue lacks!
So being around your team and outnumbering your enemies is what’s going to get you more victories and more LP!
Read Also: Top 15 Best Off-Meta Mid Laners
9. LeBlanc
LeBlanc is one of the most popular champions within the community. But she’s also one of the best LoL mid champions to one trick. Why?
- One-shot burst
- Great outplay potential
- High mobility
- Able to escape all situations
LeBlanc is a champion that can exploit many of the solo queue “problems”. How does she do that?
Well, ranked is a chaotic environment in which random people are put in a team and forced to cooperate with each other in order to win. But that doesn’t happen too often, does it?
So LeBlanc, as an assassin, can use this chaos to slay enemies around the map and break the game from the very start. Her damage is insanely high throughout the match and she’s able to one-shot everyone!
The way to utilize LeBlanc is to constantly roam around Summoner’s Rift and look for picks. If you can 1v1 your mid opponent and get some gold that way – great, do that!
But if you can’t, ganking is your next best option!
One thing that players often don’t realize is that LeBlanc is also a very safe champion. And unless you spend your W – Distortion for pointless things, you’ll always have a way to escape your enemies.
This element is also useful in the laning phase. You’re practically “ungankable” because you can always dash to safety.
The enemy jungler will likely ignore you, so LeBlanc is a great pick if you can’t deal with being camped!
Read Also: Top 10 Best Mages in League of Legends
8. Irelia
Irelia is an easy champion to learn, but very difficult to master. She’s a fighter/assassin with a unique place in the mid lane roster.
Why should you play Irelia?
- Powerful throughout the game
- High damage and mobility
- Tough to slay
- Has a build with a lot of self-healing
- She can outplay her opponents
It often seems like Irelia is an impossible champion to beat, especially as an AP mage. No amount of poke can seriously hurt her since she has ways to regain her lost Health. But it’s also difficult to hurt her because of her Q mechanic.
Irelia’s Q – Bladesurge allows her to safely farm minions by executing them with a dash. This allows her to dodge skill shots or engage her opponent.
The only challenging part is the setup of Irealia’s E – Flawless Duet, which admittedly, you have to practice.
As Irelia, you can rely on your defensiveness to get you through the laning phase, no matter the matchup.
Since Irelia’s build grants her Health, Armor, and Magic Resist, she can endure much more than a regular mid lane champion in LoL.
Also, Irelia is one of the least limiting champions in the game, as well as one of the best mid lane champions in LoL too.
You can either group with your team and force team fights. Or you can split in the side lane and solo push to victory. Irelia is a great dueling champion too, perfect for players who like that playstyle!
Read Also: Top 15 Best Off-Meta Top Laners
7. Twisted Fate
Twisted Fate has always been the go-to pick of all boosters and smurfs in League of Legends. The way TF operates in Summoner’s Rift is significantly different than any other pick.
And he can either be the strongest or the weakest champion in the game, depending on whether you understand his strengths and weaknesses.
What makes Twisted Fate such a great champion for carrying?
- Reliable crowd control (gold card)
- Very quick wave clear
- Great at farming under turret
- Amazing ganking potential
- Game-changing ultimate
Twisted Fate’s ultimate is the key ability in his entire kit. It allows him to teleport a long distance, usually from the mid lane to either top or bot. And since it happens almost instantly, it’s the perfect tool for surprising and ganking your opponents.
You can use Twisted Fate’s R – Destiny to gank your side lanes or assist your jungler. But you need to pay attention to where you actually land.
This is essential because if you’re ganking an enemy Morgana, you’ll simply end up in root.
One thing to always look out for – always select your gold card while channeling your ultimate. I’ve seen many Twisted Fate players do this mistake and it’s often the reason why their ganks fail.
So, you want to activate your W before you teleport away. You can actually choose a card while the teleport animation is happening. This way, you’ll always reappear with a gold card in hand and ready to stun the enemy!
Playing against Twisted Fate is never fun, no matter the elo. The higher up you go in the ladder, the better the TF players are.
And if one thing is sure – they will never leave you unpunished for any mistake you do!
That’s why he is TF of the best Lol mid champions!
Read Also: 14 Twisted Fate Tips for Improving & Climbing in LoL
6. Sylas
There are two different perspectives for Sylas in the League of Legends community.
First, there are players that think Sylas is a difficult champion to play and has a high skill cap (mainly because of his ultimate). And the second group considers Sylas one of the easiest and most broken champs in LoL!
What do I think?
Both of them are right to some extent. Sylas is an extremely powerful champion without a niche. Meaning – he can adapt to any team composition and perform as well as any other mid lane pick.
And that’s why Sylas is one of the best mid champions to main in LoL too!
Sylas’ tool kit has 2 easy and 2 difficult spells. His W and E are simple-to-use abilities. The first one heals Sylas and the second lets him dash away or dash to something.
But Sylas’ Q – Chain Lash requires some practice and precision. This is because the ability does more damage when it explodes. And you have to consider it as a skill shot in order to maximize Sylas’ damage.
Hijack is a story on its own. The difficult part about it first comes in choosing the champion you’re going to steal from. There are many “game-changing” abilities you can Hijack, but there are also some “useless” ones.
For example, taking Malphite’s ultimate for yourself often means free gold. But stealing Bard’s ultimate doesn’t really boost your power. It’s only useful in particular situations.
Regardless, Sylas is a very fun champion to main because of his versatility. And it’s easy to carry with him as long as you know your enemies’ ultimates!
- Highly versatile pick
- High AP damage
- Extremely durable thanks to his heal
- Amazing in team fights
- Great as a split pusher
Read Also: Top 15 Best Off-Meta Supports
5. Katarina
If you’re wondering “which champion should I one-trick for climbing as a mid laner in LoL?”, then the answer is always Katarina!
Simply put – Kata is the best champion for solo play in League. She’s a safe pick in the mid lane with a lot of mobility and a lot of damage.
And as long as you’re mindful of your weaknesses, you’re going to carry games!
What are Katarina’s weaknesses?
Katarina struggles against a heavy CC team – something like Kled, Amumu, Lux, Ashe, and Morgana. It’s not impossible for her to win against this composition, but it takes more skill than is otherwise required.
Additionally, Kata has many tough matchups in the mid lane. But this isn’t always a problem.
You can actually turn it into an advantage by avoiding 1v1 dueling with certain champions and instead focusing on ganking your side lanes!
And what are Kata’s strengths?
- Biggest solo-carry potential
- Able to win team fights by herself
- Extremely high AoE damage
- Always has her cooldowns up
- Excels at eliminating squishy champions
The role of Katarina in team fights is always the same. Step 1 – jump on the enemy ADC. Step 2 – quickly slay him before he deals damage. And Step 3 – jump on the next target and keep repeating the same process.
Katarina’s reset mechanic allows her to use her ultimate – Death Lotus multiple times in the same team fight. Her AoE damage is obnoxious to deal with, especially if the enemy team doesn’t have any CC.
It definitely takes skill and knowledge to know when should you go in and out as Katarina. But that’s something you can practice as you’re climbing up in solo queue.
She will always stay one of the best mid champions in LoL, so she’s totally worth your effort!
Read Also: The 10 Best Champions without Skillshots
4. Renekton
Many won’t agree, but Renekton is one of the best LoL champions you can play in the mid lane. I’ve never lost lane as Rene against any matchup, even in Master elo!
How?
Renekton is a direct counter to most mid lane picks, especially assassins! Yes, it can be tough to win 1v1 fights when you’re playing against long-range mages such as Xerath or Syndra.
But if you find ways (double E dash + Flash) to reach them, you can often one-shot them!
As a top laner in mid, Rene has a couple of strengths that the traditional mid laners lack:
- Incredibly tanky
- Great sustainability and heal through Q and R
- Instant wave clear
- Reliable crowd control through W (basic attack)
When I say Renekton is one of the best counters to assassins in the mid lane, this is what I mean.
First, Rene has more HP and more Armor than any assassin.
Second, he has the same or even higher burst in the early and mid game than them.
And third, Rene has a stun that makes it very easy for him to pick up win duels.
As Renekton, you always want to play aggressively early on. You want to dominate your lane to the point where you’re able to roam everywhere, help your jungler, and gank your side lanes while the enemy mid laner is stuck behind in levels.
So how do you achieve this?
Look for favorable trades and instantly clear your waves!
To get favorable trades, do this – dash and stun your enemy, use Q, and then auto-attack before you dash away to avoid their damage.
And to instantly clear your waves, do this – dash through the entire wave, use your Q, then dash again. Any active item, such as Goredrinker can be used too.
Read Also: Full Lethality Renekton Build Guide
3. Yasuo
Yasuo may be a meme, but he’s also one of the best mid champions in LoL. In the right hands, he is an extremely efficient pick able to carry games on his own!
The reason why most players struggle to climb as Yasuo is that they don’t actually play to his strengths. They use him as a dash machine to simulate an amusement park ride. But he’s much more than that!
In reality, Yasuo is one of the greatest duelists in the game. He can win a 1v1 fight against any champion if played correctly.
So how do you play Yasuo correctly?
First, acknowledge his power points:
- Has damage that can’t be reduced (critical strike)
- Able to take down both squishy picks and tanks
- High self-healing through lifesteal items
- Shines in team fights, especially when paired with other knock-up champions
- Can block nearly all damaging and crowd control spells
Yasuo’s success is sometimes determined by the number of knock-up effects his team has, but not always! You can often see high-elo Yasuo players prepare their knock-ups before they engage in a fight.
This allows them instantly use their ultimate as soon as they reach their target.
Another key component here is the use of Yasuo’s W – Wind Wall. Placing the wall correctly may win a team fight alone.
For example, if you put your W between you and the enemy ADC, you can avoid 40-50% of the enemy team’s damage in a team fight.
On the other hand, Yasuo is an incredible split-pusher in LoL. If your team is losing, and team fights are impossible to win, your best strategy is to push the side lanes.
And unless you’re several levels behind, you can defeat anyone that comes to stop you!
Read Also: Top 5 Best Champions Like Yasuo
2. Cassiopeia
If you’ve ever been the victim of playing against a highly skilled Cassiopeia player, I get your pain. Cassiopeia is one of the toughest champions to beat in the mid lane, no matter who you are.
Why have I chosen Cassiopeia as the second-best mid laner in League of Legends?
Well, Cassiopeia has:
- 1v9 potential
- Multiple ways to outplay her opponents
- 6 inventory slots for AP items (no boots)
- More healing than any mage, except maybe Vladimir
- Insane late game scaling
The thing that separates Cassiopeia from the rest of the AP mid lane picks is the fact that she is a dueling champion. What does this mean?
It means that she’s able to 1v1 anyone in the game as long as she’s precise with her poisons.
Cassiopeia’s Q and W enhance the damage of her E, which is her main DPS output. It’s the spell that heals her a lot because it’s also backed up by Omnivamp runes.
The best way to play Cassiopeia in LoL is to treat her as a marksman. She’s a short-range champion without a defensive ability.
So you have to move carefully and constantly kite in order to dodge your enemies’ spells but also to stay in range.
A useful trick is to associate your E – Twin Fang with your right-click auto-attack.
But what makes Cass scarier than any mid laner or ADC champion is her ultimate – Petrifying Gaze. And the moment you master this ability is the moment you’re going to start climbing with this champion!
Petrifying Gaze is one of the best outplay ultimates in League of Legends. It stuns all enemies that are facing Cass for several seconds. This is usually enough time for Cass and her teammates to win the fight. So hitting it is always a top priority!
Read Also: 7 Best Mid Laners Against Tanks
1. Orianna
And Orianna is the best among the mid champions in LoL!
She’s always prioritized in pro play and in high elo by mid laners of different playstyles. And it’s practically impossible for her to not fit in any meta. Why?
It’s simple – Orianna’s ability kit is way too useful. She has damage, speed, shield, wave control, crowd control… In other words – Orianna is the ideal control mage in League of Legends!
And why should you personally consider playing Orianna in solo queue?
- Safe mid lane pick
- Exceptional in the laning phase
- Extreme wave clear
- Amazing AoE damage and crowd control
- Works great as both a defensive and offensive pick
When you break down Orianna’s strengths like this, it’s really tough to see why aren’t all mid laners Orianna mains. But the reason why most players fail as Orianna is that they can’t adapt to her unique playstyle!
Orianna’s ball is the center of her ability kit. Understanding how it works and building your skill around it is what’s going to determine whether you become a good Orianna player or not.
Ori can do everything with her ball! From setting up team fights and shielding allies to speeding them up and capturing multiple opponents in her ultimate – Shockwave.
Shockwave is one of the most influential abilities in the game, both in pro play and solo queue. Hitting a good Shockwave usually means that the team fight is won, so it’s good to practice the different ways you can use it.
Now, I never recommend Orianna to beginner players or those that struggle with mechanics. The truth is, she’s a difficult champion and requires a lot of time and dedication. But she’s very rewarding if you main her!
Read Also: The 10 Most Fun Mid Lane Champions
Conclusion
To be completely honest, these aren’t the strongest champions in League of Legends by any means. In each patch the roster of most powerful picks changes, so follow the mid lane tier lists if you want to stay on point.
However, this is a list of the top 10 best mid lane champions that you can play any day in LoL and still dominate.
Picks like Twisted Fate, Katarina, and Yasuo don’t need patch notes! Instead, they have a set of strengths that always work, no matter the current meta!
I hope I helped decide which champion you should play next as a mid laner.
Keep in mind that you don’t have to play all of these 10 picks. Sticking to 1 or 2 is what I would recommend you, no matter the elo you’re currently in.
But make sure to give them a try and learn how to carry your games with them!
Here are the best ADC champions as well if your secondary role is bottom lane.
Read Also: Top 10 Best Tanks in League of Legends