Completely reworked in version 10.7, Fiddlesticks had a rough start as this scarecrow seemed too weak, with a win rate lingering around 40%. After that, Riot Games continuously buffed Fiddlesticks’ damage and new effects, and he gradually became an extremely powerful jungler.
However, history has shown that when Riot buffs a champion too much, they can become uncontrollably strong and dominate other lanes, with Kalista and most recently Fiddlesticks top lane being prime examples. The idea of taking this scarecrow to the top lane originated from the creativity of a Korean League of Legends legend – Maknoon, who played over 200 games of Fiddlesticks top lane in the Grandmaster – Challenger ranks in Korea.
According to Maknoon, the greatest strength of Fiddlesticks top lane is his extremely “toxic” trading ability. This scarecrow can deal damage to opponents while they cannot retaliate. The simple reason is that Fiddlesticks’ E – Harvest grants him Silence, preventing opponents from using abilities to attack him. If they get close to auto-attack, his Q – Terrify will cause them to flee in fear.
Therefore, he always wins in health during trades, simply because if you play a champion that cannot auto-attack or use abilities on Fiddlesticks, you are always at a loss.
The special thing about bringing Fiddlesticks to the solo lane is that players will focus entirely on the crowd control capabilities of this scarecrow. You will play the role of a mobile “CC” machine without necessarily needing to deal damage. Therefore, the most suitable rune for this playstyle is Conqueror. It will help you become sturdier in lane, making it incredibly difficult to be killed in small skirmishes early in the game, when he is at his weakest.
Because of using the Conqueror rune, Fiddlesticks’ item build is also different from the traditional one. You will not use Ability Power items anymore; instead, you will build full armor and magic resistance. The three main items for this build are Iceborn Gauntlet, Spirit Visage, and Zhonya’s Hourglass, providing you with 40% cooldown reduction, adverse effects on opponents, and enhancing Fiddlesticks’ healing. The order of building armor or magic resistance first will depend on your lane opponent.
With two extremely strong effects: Silence and Fear, Fiddlesticks top lane or solo lane has caught the attention of professional players and has been used in tournaments. This playstyle is perfectly suited for the professional environment, as it ensures one lane can apply pressure, making it easy to execute objectives or engage in fights.
In the LCS, Bjergsen seems to be spamming Fiddlesticks mid lane continuously, and this trend has even made its way into the VCS when Cerberus brought this champion out and “took down” Team Secret. This shows the enormous effectiveness that Fiddlesticks’ tank-style solo lane brings.
In summary, Fiddlesticks top lane is a combination of strong lane dominance, high base damage, and good sustain, while still retaining his powerful teamfight abilities. He is an incredibly perfect champion for the top lane at this point, and it won’t be surprising to see this scarecrow flood the professional scene in the near future.