If you diligently follow the stream of “Chairman” Faker, you may have noticed that he often brings Nunu & Willump to the mid lane with the style of building Hextech Rocketbelt and rushing straight into Mejai’s Soulstealer. Of course, with his high skill level, Faker can bring many champions to the mid lane, but with such a unique champion as Nunu & Willump, one can’t help but wonder what makes this champion so appealing to the “Chairman”?
First, we need to understand that League of Legends matches in the Korean ranks can end very quickly, even by the 15th minute, if the game leans too heavily in one direction. To achieve this, champions that can push the pace of the game and snowball quickly are highly favored in the Korean ranks. The most typical examples are high damage junglers like Olaf, Nidalee, Graves, Lee Sin… and Nunu mid lane is also a champion like that.
In the mid lane position, supporting teammates is not a new concept; however, “ranking up” by continuously ganking is very risky. The mid lane is also a key position; if you sacrifice damage and focus on scaling for the late game in exchange for the ability to gank, you may end up falling behind and becoming useless in the later stages. Nunu & Willump is an example, as there was a trend of taking this champion to mid before, but it quickly faded due to lack of effectiveness.
However, in the recent 10.13 patch, the direct buff to Nunu & Willump with the interaction rate with AP for the Q ability – Consume, in both healing and damage aspects, has brought back the damage-focused playstyle of this champion. It ensures Nunu’s damage, healing, and effective ganking ability.
But why rush Mejai’s Soulstealer so early? Many will ask this because this champion struggles to stack it due to needing to engage opponents. However, the stats from this item are tremendous, and the early Dark Seal provides you with better lane sustainability. Furthermore, the direct AP from this item will give immediate damage, ensuring your ganks are significantly better.
Essentially, Nunu & Willump mid lane is an extremely entertaining playstyle; you will gank and fight continuously, seeking to end the match as quickly as possible. Perhaps it is the fun of this playstyle that has captivated Faker, as it is a highly effective form of entertainment after intense matches and practice.
If you are looking for a champion that guarantees entertainment, has strong snowball potential, and can dominate opponents across the map, Nunu & Willump mid lane is an extremely suitable choice.