In the high-ranking tiers around the world, especially in Challenger in Korea, relying on skill to dominate opponents and secure victory has long ceased to be the prevalent playstyle. Many players here employ strategies with finesse that rivals professional gamers. To balance these two elements of skill and strategy, you should utilize some of the standout mid lane mages currently in the meta.
Below is a list of the top meta mages, whether played with skill or strategy:
Azir
During the laning phase, Azir can push lanes very quickly with his W+Q combo, creating plenty of space for himself and his teammates to control vision and roam. When chasing targets or retreating from ganks, Azir’s mobility is most evident through his W+E+Q combo.
Strategically, Azir can fulfill multiple roles within the team such as initiating fights, split-pushing, or stalling with Shurima’s Legacy (his passive turret), contributing to the team gradually and quietly.
In terms of skill, during “duel” scenarios, Azir can unexpectedly “insec” opponents with his W+E+Q+R combo, knocking one or multiple enemies into his teammates to set up a beautiful wombo combo. In the late game, Azir also possesses a terrifying amount of damage over time, and if he doesn’t want to engage directly, he can just stay behind dealing damage with his sand soldiers while using his ultimate to protect himself.
Ryze
With his high damage abilities, Ryze can clear waves incredibly fast to apply invisible pressure on opponents. In the early phase, Ryze should play safely to accumulate 750 mana from Tear of the Goddess as soon as possible. However, if enemies wish to engage in combat, Ryze is not afraid to unleash a counter-damage combo, as with a well-timed combo, Ryze’s burst damage can easily take down enemies even if they have three-quarters of their health left.
In terms of skill, once he has his core items, Ryze’s damage is sufficient to eliminate opponents with just 1 or 2 simple combos like Q+W+Q+E+Q. The longer enemies stay near Ryze, the more damage they will take, depending on how quickly and accurately Ryze executes his combos.
Strategically, Ryze is one of the champions with a highly strategic ultimate in League of Legends. The history of League of Legends is not lacking in “200IQ” Realm Warp plays by Ryze, taking the team to secure major objectives swiftly, or sometimes executing surprise backdoors like “xPeke.” If not used for the entire team, Ryze can still split-push effectively with a 1-3-1 or 1-4 strategy and still regroup with his team thanks to his ultimate.
Twisted Fate
During the laning phase, Twisted Fate can “hack gold” with his passive, Pick a Card, leading to a gold advantage over opponents even with minion counts. Twisted Fate also has the ability to stun targeted enemies with Gold Card, providing significant advantages for jungle ganks.
In terms of skill, Twisted Fate can outplay opponents with his incredibly quick card selection with W, and can also use Pick a Card (Q) to corner enemies, making it difficult for them to escape.
Strategically, Twisted Fate’s ultimate, Destiny, allows this champion to teleport unexpectedly to the top or bottom lane, then stun an enemy and secure a kill, surprising the enemy team. In the late game, Twisted Fate can also safely split-push while still being able to regroup with teammates thanks to his ultimate.