Top Lane: Renekton
The champion from Shurima can be considered one of the most balanced names in League of Legends history, as all of his skills are strong enough to be chosen without being overly imbalanced to warrant a nerf. Due to this balance, a slight nerf from Riot recently caused Renekton to nearly disappear from Summoner’s Rift, only to return when Riot restores everything to its previous state.
In the current 2022 season, specifically in the LCK, Renekton could be seen as the “ugly duckling”. Not because no team picks this champion, but because Renekton is currently the champion with a 100% appearance rate in all matches of the LCK Summer so far, yet he has only been selected to play 2 times on the last day of the week 2 matches on January 23.
Jungle: Lee Sin
As everyone knows, being a skill-based champion, Riot does not need to nerf or buff Lee Sin too much. The effectiveness of this champion largely depends on the skill of the player. If you are a player with dexterous mechanics, Lee Sin will be a monstrous champion. Conversely, it can lead to a “self-destruct” moment. The Blind Monk is one of the easiest champions to create highlights but also one of the most likely to make teammates “report” you.
However, it can be asserted that because it heavily relies on player skill, Lee Sin is one of the most balanced names in League of Legends history in the jungle position. Almost any meta allows for Lee Sin to be used, and depending on the game’s situation and the player’s skills, he can be effective or not. Furthermore, Lee Sin’s item build is also very straightforward: tank or damage. Currently, Lee Sin remains highly favored in major League of Legends tournaments worldwide.
Mid Lane: Orianna
It wouldn’t be entirely accurate to say Orianna is strong, but it’s also not correct to say that the Ball Lady is weak. Orianna is one of the champions with excellent team fight potential. However, like Lee Sin, playing Orianna effectively also heavily relies on the player’s skill and another factor… the player’s luck. A well-timed Shockwave can make you a hero. Otherwise, you might end up being… Optimus.
Orianna is also one of the champions that rarely disappears despite many meta changes and adjustments from Riot. Although she is a name that requires many factors to maximize effectiveness, Orianna is still very favored in tournaments from domestic leagues to MSI or Worlds. Perhaps, Riot feels that a champion requiring skill and luck that gets nerfed could lead to a “downward spiral” of countless names that have been or are currently being “discarded” in both ranked play and professional League of Legends.
Bot Lane: Jhin – Thresh
There’s no need to say much about Jhin since this champion associated with the number 4 has been popular since its release until now. In any meta, Jhin players just need to grasp the rule: do everything possible to get Infinity Edge in the shortest time. With only 4 bullets, a poke skill set, and the Curtain Call dealing long-range damage, Jhin is also quite less mobile. However, he is considered the most successful champion in Riot’s 200 years of game development experience.
The last name in the lineup is Thresh. The common point of Thresh compared to the other names is that this champion requires a lot of skill and can easily create highlights. Thresh’s skill set can be seen as complementing each other extremely well with crowd control, burst damage, and team support. And importantly, regardless of which marksman is on his team, as long as Thresh has an ally, he will be the one determining the success or failure of the bot lane in just a few well-timed Death Sentences.