Many regions around the world favor champions with strong 1v1 solo capabilities, while the mid lane in Korean ranks is dominated by champions who can roam the map to assist teammates. This highlights the priority of supporting teammates as the top priority in Korean ranks. Regarding rankings, these champions have the highest win rates and ban rates among mid lane champions in the Korean Challenger tier in patch 10.13.
Here are some of the strategically-oriented mid lane champions:
Pantheon
As one of the champions who can solo 1v1 without needing an ultimate, Pantheon remains highly favored in Korean ranks.
In the laning phase, Pantheon is relatively “easy-going” due to his comprehensive skill set: wave clear with Q, target stun with W – the Flash W combo makes it very easy to secure kills with team assistance, and finally, E can block damage, effectively avoiding ganks while being very strong under enemy turrets.
Upon reaching level 6, the ultimate Grand Skyfall allows Pantheon to gank top and bottom lanes in the blink of an eye; as soon as the opponent gets a little too aggressive, they will pay a heavy price. When Pantheon “vanishes” from the mid lane, other opponents must constantly play under pressure, as pushing too high will result in Pantheon “jumping in” while pushing low will lead to losing lane advantage, allowing teammates to play very comfortably. Ultimately, Pantheon can continuously split push and regroup with his team using his ultimate, making it difficult for enemies to defend without Teleport to join in team fights.
Twisted Fate
Similar to Pantheon, Twisted Fate also has a very effective target stun with W. Many opponents, if overconfident, will find themselves caught off guard as Twisted Fate calls for jungle assistance and flashes to stun, easily securing first blood. Before level 6, this Card Master doesn’t exert much pressure as he can push the lane quite well, quickly purchasing Boots of Mobility to return to lane frequently if necessary. With his passive Loaded Deck, Twisted Fate can farm evenly while exceeding the opponent’s gold, creating item advantages very early and rolling snowballs throughout the game.
By level 6, Twisted Fate’s threat expands across the entire map thanks to his ultimate Destiny. Just a sudden appearance and throwing a Gold Card can bring down opponents in an instant. This ability to support teammates almost anytime and anywhere is what makes Twisted Fate one of the hottest champions in both Korean ranks and LCK.
Galio
Since Galio was adjusted and could no longer combo W with Flash, his popularity has decreased significantly. However, due to his inherently powerful nature, Galio has remained at the top of the meta for quite a while.
In the current meta, Galio has a rather surprising playstyle by using Spellbook to catch opponents off guard with constantly changing summoner spells. During the laning phase, just a slight lapse in focus can lead to Galio engaging with Ghost or dealing rapid burst damage with Ignite. And since Galio builds AP, he can clear waves very quickly and take advantage of Spellbook to roam with teammates.
By level 6, Galio’s ultimate Hero’s Entrance will greatly boost his teammates’ confidence, ready to engage in fights as Galio can assist at any time. If Galio combines with certain jungle champions with strong engagement and area control like Wukong, Jarvan IV, Zac,… the team fights will be even more terrifying, as the entire enemy team could vanish in one wombo combo.