League of Legends is a game that requires quite a bit of practice and experience to master. Even before one can try to understand gameplay mechanics, one will first need to learn about the different roles available in the game.
It is highly advised that new players go through the list of available roles as well as their functionality before hopping into Summoner's Rift. Additionally, it's worth noting League of Legends' developers have revealed that there's going to be big changes to the game's meta as we approach League of Legends World Championship. So we'll likely update this page following the release of League of Legends 11.23 if there are big changes.
For now, lets take a look at the Best Top Lane Champions that League of Legends has to offer.
Best Top Lane Champions in LoL
#5 Darius
Darius is one of the strongest top lane champions in League of Legends, allowing him to set up favorable team fights. Belonging to the legacy of Fighters and Tanks, Darius is capable of dealing massive bursts of damage to the enemy while also soaking up damage to protect his allies.
Considering Darius' arsenal of skills, the champion is not the easiest to master and could take a while for new players to perform optimally with the Hand of Noxus. However, the champion's passive ability, Hemorrhage makes Darius exceptionally powerful with bursts of physical damage.
Additionally, the champion's ultimate, Noxian Guillotine allows Darius to execute a target enemy champion instantly, based on the number of Hemorrhage stacks on the enemy.
#4 Garen
One of the simplest yet highly impactful champions in League of Legends, Garen should be the first champion that new players try to learn when mastering the top lane. Additionally, the champion's capability of massive health regeneration using the Perseverance passive ability allows Garen to rejoin fights without having to use the recall feature.
Garen features very high armor and magic resistance, making the champion an ideal tank for team fights. On top of that, Garen's arsenal of abilities allows him to operate as a high-damage dealing champion.
Needless to say, Garen is one of the most efficient top-lane champions in LoL, and for new players, he is definitely the champion to learn top lane with.
#3 Renekton
Another fairly simple champion to master, Renekton is a perfect fit for flashy players in the top lane. The champion is not only capable of withstanding heavy amounts of damage but can also deplete the enemy's health pool in a matter of nano-seconds.
The Butcher of the Sands features extremely high armor and magic resistance which allows Renekton to survive in team fights despite taking heavy damage from the enemies. Additionally, Renekton's Cull the Meek ability allows the champion to steal his enemy's health using basic attacks.
Considering all of these factors, players who want to snowball the game from the top lane are advised to perfect their performance with Renekton. Safe to say, Renekton is one of the most aggressive top lane champions in the game.
#2 Teemo
Teemo, the Swift Scout is definitely one of the scariest champions to play against in League of Legends. On top of his passive invisibility, Teemo's traps make him absolutely unbearable to play against.
Having said that, it is always handy to have a Teemo player on your team. Despite his adorable appearances, Teemo's capability as a marksman in the top lane makes him one of the strongest in this role. Noxious Traps combined with Toxic Shot and Blinding Dart out of invisibility allows the champion to execute instant kills even on highly sustainable champions.
Although there are a lot of players in the community who'd rather have Teemo never exist in the game, the champion is one of the most simple yet impactful champions in the game's current meta.
#1 Wukong
The iconic Monkey King or Wukong has been a constant presence in most MOBA games. Although Wukong is capable of performing both as a top lane champion as well as a jungler, the champion is best utilized when played in the top lane. Having said that, Wukong is undoubtedly one of the strongest fighting tanks in the game.
Wukong's capability of diving enemy champions with the help of his clones makes him an exceptionally strong champion in the current meta. Additionally, Crushing Blow and Warrior Trickster allow Wukong to deal huge bursts of damage to enemy champions in team fights.
On top of all this, his ultimate, Cyclone can be absolutely game-changing in various scenarios to either set up for kills on enemy champions or escape from an unexpected ambush from the enemy team. With all that in mind, Wukong is undoubtedly one of the strongest champions for the top lane. Additionally, new players should note that mastering Wukong will allow them to understand the micro as well as macro mechanics of the top lane in League of Legends.
General Tips for the Top Lane in LoL
The top lane is the most isolated and deserted lane in Summoner's Rift. Having said that, this role is usually expected to be filled by a champion who can sustain throughout the entire laning phase without any help from the rest of their team. This usually leads to players drafting Tanks and Fighters for this role.
However, the main objective of the top lane is not just to sustain heavy bursts of damage from the enemy to protect your team but also to ensure that they meet every threat from the enemy team instead of their Mid Laner or ADC.
With that in mind, here are a few general tips that should help top lane players perform better in League of Legends,
- Players are advised to use the Teleport Summoner Spell so they are able to join with the rest of their team in adverse ambushes and ganks.
- Champions featuring in the top lane role are usually sustain-based melee Bruisers or Physical damage carries with a lot of crowd control or utility abilities.
- Top Lane players should try and predict the outbreak of fights and position accordingly to ensure the safety of other champions.