23.1.11

Draft Mode Tier List

This is MY opinion solely and does not reflect my team’s or any other high level player opinion on high level play. It’s for you to read and discuss for your enjoyment and nothing else.

This is my tier list according to Season 1 Draft Mode / Tournament Play (NOT blind pick MM) I’ve put all the champions I feel are viable on SR and will be picked in competitive play. List goes from left to right, best to worst in each tier.

* Tier 1: Anivia, Sivir, Ashe, Corki, Annie, Warwick, Shen, Janna, Taric, Rammus

* Tier 2: Miss Fortune, Amumu, Kennen, Morgana, Kassadin, Zilean, Tristana, Vladimir, Sion, Kog’Maw, Udyr, Xin Zhao, Sona, Shaco, Olaf

* Tier 3: Cho’Gath, Malphite, Nunu, Pantheon, Twisted Fate, Poppy, Ezreal, Kayle, Karthus, Mal’zahar, Eve, Akali, Swain, Leblanc, Gragas, Irelia, Singed, Blitzcrank.

* Tier 4: Nasus, Urgot, Teemo, Mordekaiser, Lux, Veigar, Yi, Trundle, Soraka, Gangplank, Garen, Nidalee, Jax, Fiddlesticks.

* Hard to place on a team: Alistar, Twitch, Ryze, Tryndamere, Caitlyn, Mundo, Galio, Heimerdinger, Katarina, Cassiopeia.

Tier 1 – These champions have proved time and time again that they deserve to be here. These champions are game changing if you can get them most of the time. Player skill combined with knowing how to use these champions correctly will ultimately result in success.

Tier 2 – These champions are barely under tier 1. They all again do their roles incredibly well and are should be considered highly valuable picks. They all synergize very well into the vast majority of viable line ups. Players should be playing these champions if they are looking to improve their game and step into the competitive scene. Master all of the tier 1 and tier 2 champions and you will be a serious force to be reckoned with.

Tier 3 – These champions are still very viable on SR but are simply out done by tier 1 and tier 2 champions. They can still compete with all of them but as far as viable line ups go these won’t be the champions you’re going to ban or first pick in any draft mode. These are your 4th 5th picks in your line up to complement your line up or effectively counter the other teams picks. These champions are still very viable overall but just aren’t champions you will strive to pick or have in your line up all the time.

Tier 4 – These champions don’t fill the roles of the champions above them as good as they do. They really aren’t thought of other than your last pick to add a special extra something to your line up. Extra burst, extra utility, or that 1 more support champ you think you will make your line up that much better. Generally they really aren’t sought after picks in a competitive line up but they can still be played viably but are the bottom of the barrel in terms of competitive picks.

Hard to place on a team – These champions I find aren’t as good as others in terms of competitive picks. They don’t really help or add anything game changing to you line up or anything you would really want on a competitive team imo. They are all fine champions for solo queue for the most part but in terms of a 5v5 tournament draft mode I wouldn’t expect to see any of these champions there. They are simply out done by other champions who do their roles better than they do.

Feel free to ask questions about my list and I will do my best to reason why X champion is in X tier. I also encourage you to convince me I am wrong and move a champion up or down a tier accordingly. I will post the changes if or when I make them in edits in this post.

*—–* CHANGE LOG *—–*

Udyr moved up in tier 2 – Due to the buffs he recieved to his DPS he’s being moved up a bit. He can put out a lot more DPS now which is just awesome and he clears the jungle a bit faster.

Nunu moved up in tier 3 - Nunu’s jungle control is actually very impressive. He can clear the whole thing and start to gank before a lot of other junglers can while doing it at almost full HP. He’s very safe, and very fast, and an excellent early game ganker. Because of this he’s being moved up a bit. He’s become a little more viable since all those nerfs went out and started to get noticed a bit. He’s also one of the few champions who can do Dragon early now as well which is a massive advantage having him on your team for that.

Vladimir moved up in tier 2 – The new items boosted his damage output and survivability so naturally he’s going to move up a bit.

Kennen moved down to tier 2 – The new items DIDN’T boost his damage output but did increase his survivability a bit but I really feel like the Zhonya’s change really hurt Kennen. I feel he’s not as viable and not a tier 1 pick anymore because of this. Still good, just not tier 1 worthy anymore.

Sion moved up in tier 2 – The new items boosted his damage output and survivability just like it did with Vlad so naturally he’s going to move up a bit.

Veigar moved down to tier 4 - I’ve tried playing a few games with Veigar and I’ve watched a few people try and play him successfully but he just has too many issue’s in his design that make him not a sought after caster imo. He takes too much farm, he’s too squishy, and he needs level’s because ALL of his skills need to be leveled to play him successfully which means he needs levels. Having him take away a solo lane vs other casters you could pick that have much better early and mid games isn’t worth it. He’s a late game caster basically when other casters can do almost as much as he can late game while being much more viable early and mid.

Trundle moved down to tier 4 - He’s a pretty good jungler but I just don’t see him being picked over other junglers. They all just offer more utility and control. Because of this he will be moving down.

Swain moved to tier 3 - Swain is AMAZING! .. IF he gets the right team to play against. Because of all the nerfs that went out to these amazing laning champions he’s more viable now. He’s amazing vs Melee champions and a few other champions as well. If you give him the right match up he will do very well. Problem is with other match up’s in lanes he’s not going to win in is that he’s very farm dependent is all. He really needs to get some good farm going if he’s going to be viable. So as long as you make sure you have the correct match up with him he’s viable. If you don’t do this, you’re screwed!

LeBlanc moved to tier 3 - Her burst is extremely high on single targets and if played vs the right setup she can be devastating. Just like Swain though it needs to be right. She’s a champ that really needs to snowball in order to wtfpwn. It’s possible just as long you set it up right and burst the right targets. I was most likely too harsh after her nerfing but at the same time there were a lot of OP champions at that time so that’s probably why she got overlooked. Lot’s of champions are seeming more viable since that last patch.

Blitzcrank moved up to tier 3 – He’s actually a pretty dang good counter jungler and can do some pretty clutch moves and combos. Again with all the tanky DPS nerfs that went out and his little W buff that doesn’t slow him down anymore he became quite a bit more viable to fill those roles now.

Yi moved down to tier 4 – I feel Yi is just a pub stomper TBH. I don’t think he’s a viable choice for competitive play. He just doesn’t offer enough it seems. I feel he’s a champion that HAS TO GET KILLS EARLY or some sort of massive lead to be viable. If you don’t get some good snowball kills to get your farm ahead of the others I feel he just doesn’t cut it in team fights. I may be wrong but for the last 3-4 months this is how I’ve experienced Yi. He’s a glass cannon that seems to not do enough cannoning and be little too glassy. AP Yi seems to be the only way to play him where you can survive long enough while being focused.



Caitlyn put into hard to place – It’s not because she’s really that bad, it’s just that she’s not that good compared to the other 40 DPS carries we have. I feel she requires some love before she will become viable. Her Q is lacking mid and late game which is her main DPS tool, and her ultimate is very poor as well. Until she gets some stuff tweaked she won’t be a strong pick in competitive play imo. She’s almost viable, just came shy of it, needs a little love is all.