I know it’s hard for us toplaners. We are on an island, forever doomed to roam alone on the rift. At the same time, this is exactly how we like it. We enjoy knocking knuckles, and we love brawling one on one. The question at hand for today is simple: Who brawls best?
1. Tryndamere
Tryndamere will forever be a thorn in the side of many toplaners. Maxing Q in lane first nets him a lot of extra sustain, which, in combination with Resolve runes, will allow you to survive almost all matchups with ease. Similar champions include Jax, Gwen and Fiora. The undying critter has the amazing privilege of having a strong early game, a very nice mid game spike, strong scaling and incredible carrying potential. Picking him up is easy, and taking the time to master him is very rewarding. All these factors are great for SoloQ warriors.
Your greatest threat are tanks and beefy opponents looking to shut you down early on. While you won’t find a lot of them in the current meta, you should be careful facing such opponents. Some popular counters include Malphite, Volibear and Darius. Get angry and start split pushing, you’ll be sure to spin to your eventual win.
2. Sett
Sett is, while relatively new to the party, the classic toplane choice, alongside Mordekaiser and Darius. All of these champions share the same theme: Get muscle and kill the enemy. Just like Tryndamere, Sett profits a lot from built-in sustain, especially paired with resolve. Your cooldowns are long, but your abilities are strong. Use them at the right time and play safe when they are not up. Remember: Your weakest point is when you’re without your W, haymaker.
Focus on dominating the lane with your brawling capabilities, then try to expand your lead on the map by either teleporting in nasty flanks, or flashing onto the entire enemy team to stun the enemy for your backline. While your laning phase is strong, stay clear of nasty ranged matchups. Play safely and use your cooldowns to farm, and when you’re level 6, surprise your enemy when they think they’re safe, good luck.
And uh… mama doesn’t need to know about this, okay?
3. Malphite
Malphite, the rock solid toplane tank that is a veteran in the scene. He is an amazing answer for some of the most annoying toplaners in the game, and when playing against the right composition, can become unstoppable. Having Malphite in your arsenal is, and always will be an underrated asset.
Your greatest strength is in champion select. Does the enemy team have 3 physical damage dealers? Consider picking Malphite. Bring him in line with Arcane Comet and Manaflow Band. Whenever both are off cooldown, click Q on your enemy, and watch his healthbar drop slowly. Try not to use too many abilities to farm, you’ll run out of mana quickly.
As soon as you’re level 6, become an engage bot for your team. Is an enemy out of position? Ult. Is the enemy team clumping up in the jungle? Ult. Is the enemy Vayne Top at half their health? Ult.
Your biggest threat is picking him incorrectly in champion select. Facing magic damage champions in lane is a pain no one deserves, so avoid champions like Sylas, Mordekaiser and other tanks. Stay cool and rock solid, and you’ll win by the time you have a couple hundred points of armour.
4. Riven
Riven might be one of the most difficult champions in the game, and thus isn’t good for a quick climb. The reward for mastering her however is godlike, as she remains the go-to carry for SoloQ. The Exile’s main strength is her versatility, but for SoloQ we recommend going ignite in lane, and making your enemy’s life a living nightmare as you dodge, interrupt and block their abilities. Once you grab your first kills, start messing around in the jungle, taking camps and making the enemy jungler’s life a living nightmare.
Keep this style up until you’ve won the game. Become a walking Malphite ult with a Flash-3rd Q engage in the late game, but stay clear of scary matchups like Renekton and Volibear. Tanky bruisers with undodgeable abilities are your biggest weakness. Dash, dash and hop your way to challenger, we’ll see you there.
5. Aatrox
While Aatrox has seen better days, he still remains the go-to pick for any toplaner, young or old. He has tough matchups, but becomes a menace once he gets rolling. In lane, look to grab free poke with your Q-E combo. Your passive is your strongest asset, so try to get a sneaky hit in while the enemy laner is farming. Just like Sett, watch your cooldowns. They’re long and unforgiving, so stay clear of the enemy if you don’t have them up.
At level 6, look to start fights with your ult. Even if you don’t kill the enemy, you can easily build a huge health lead doing it. If you’re facing a tough matchup, try to farm with your Q and W. Use extra Q charges to try and land some free poke. Try to snowball your advantage in the midgame, brawly fights are your speciality.
Last tip: ban Fiora. No one will blame you.
To all the toplaners out there suffering through ranged matchups, may your Doran’s Shield stand strong and your Second Wind work wonders. Bring these champions into your games, and soon enough you’ll find the enemy begging for mercy (don’t give it to them).
Read more:
- The 5 best supports to climb in Season 12
- RGE Larssen: “I definitely think I’m the best mid laner in Europe”
- MSF Hiiva: “Shlatan has always been the strongest voice in any of our teams and that was one of the biggest reasons why we promoted him”
Which top laners do you use to climb? Join the discussion on social media or our Discord!
