The mid-lane in League of Legends is home to some of the most impactful and flashy champions in the game. From powerful mages to swift assassins, the mid-lane offers a diverse roster of champions that can single-handedly carry games when mastered. In this article, we’ll be counting down the Mid-lane tier list based on their current strength in the meta for patch 13.18. Whether you’re a seasoned mid-laner or just looking to expand your champ pool, this list has the cream of the crop when it comes to dominating the mid-lane. Kicking off the list at number 5 is Vex, the gloomy Yordle mage whose innate gloom passive makes her a potent anti-mobility pick.
Next up is Cassiopeia, the deadly serpent whose sustained damage and AoE crowd control abilities make her a nightmare to face. At number 3 we have Kennen, the lightning-fast ninja who brings tons of AoE burst damage and disruption to mid-lane team fights. Our runner-up spot goes to Swain, Noxus’ formidable master tactician who drains his enemies’ lives while sustaining himself. And finally, claiming the number 1 spot is Naafiri, the newest mid-lane, The Hound of a Hundred Bites. There you have it – the strongest mid-lane champions for carrying ranked games in patch 13.18. Read on to see our in-depth analysis of each champion and why they’re so dominant in the current meta!
Vex
Kicking off our list at number 5 is Vex, the gloomy new Yordle mage who was added in League of Legends patch 11.19 and has quickly become a dominant force in the mid-lane. Boasting a win rate of 51.7%, Vex has proven herself more than capable of going toe-to-toe with the traditionally dominant mid-lane champions.
A major component of her success is her unique innate passive, Doom ‘n Gloom. Gloom causes enemy champions who use blinks, dashes, or other mobility effects around Vex to become “gloomed”, allowing her to deal bonus magic damage to them with her abilities. This gives her a built-in advantage against many of the highly mobile assassins like Zed, Yasuo, and Leblanc that are prevalent picks in the mid-lane meta.
Additionally, her kit provides her with strong burst damage and crowd control for controlling team fights. Her main damage ability, Personal Space, deals magic damage in an area around her. Personal Space allows Vex to consistently trade harass enemies in lane.
Her AoE crowd control comes from Looming Darkness, which fears enemies. It’s the perfect ability for turning around unfavorable fights by disabling multiple enemies at once.
With her well-rounded kit providing damage, crowd control, and anti-mobility through abilities like Shadow Surge, Doom ‘n Gloom, and Looming Darkness, Vex is a formidable blind pick that thrives into assassin matchups while also fitting flexibly into most team comps.
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Cassiopeia
Coming in at number 4 on our list is Cassiopeia, the deadly serpent whose high sustained damage makes her a force to be reckoned with in mid-lane. Currently boasting a win rate of 51.7%, Cassiopeia’s infamous early-game bullying, and late-game hyper-carry potential make her a smart blind pick for carrying games.
Cassiopeia’s main source of damage comes from her Twin Fang ability. Twin Fang deals additional damage if her target is poisoned, allowing Cassiopeia to shred enemies over extended trades. Cassiopeia can continuously spam Twin Fang on poisoned enemies to dish out incredible sustained damage.
She has a few different ways to apply poison to enable Twin Fang’s increased damage. Her Noxious Blast ability lobbs an AoE poison projectile that damages and poisons targets hit. Alternatively, she can poison enemies who walk over her Miasma ability, which leaves a poisonous pool on the ground.
Once she has her poison set up, Cassiopeia can unleash her deadly barrage of Twin Fang hits. The Movement Speed bonus she gains from her passive, Serpentine Grace allows her to effectively kite enemies while dishing out her Twin Fang damage.
In team fights, Cassiopeia provides AoE damage over time with her ultimate Petrifying Gaze. Petrifying Gaze damages and significantly slows enemies in a cone in front of Cassiopeia, allowing her team to easily clean up fights.
With potent poison, sustained Twin Fang damage, and AoE crowd control, Cassiopeia is one of the most lethal late-game hyper-carries in League. When mastered, few champions can match her ability to shred through entire teams thanks to her quick succession of poison and Twin Fang hits.
Kennen
Our bronze medalist for the best mid-lane champions is Kennen, the agile ninja who boasts a 51.8% win rate in the current patch. Kennen brings tons of disruption and AoE burst damage to mid-lane teamfights thanks to his unique energetic kit.
His main harass ability in lane is Thundering Shuriken, which causes damage and adds a Mark of the Storm to any opponent that it hits. After landing a few Thundering Shuriken, Kennen can look for an opening to dive into the middle of the enemy team.
This is where Kennen really shines – when he is able to get into the thick of the opposing team and channel his ultimate, Slicing Maelstrom. Slicing Maelstrom causes Kennen to emit electrical energy around himself, damaging and stunning enemies within range. Properly placed, this ultimate can single-handedly win team fights by stunning the entire enemy team.
Kennen’s mobility from his Lightning Rush ability allows him to quickly reposition during fights, making him an elusive target for enemies to lock down. He can either use Lightning Rush to engage and surprise enemies with his ultimate or save it to escape safely after unleashing Slicing Maelstrom’s massive AoE crowd control.
With the immense amount of AoE damage and stuns Kennen provides from abilities like Thundering Shuriken, Lightning Rush, and his defining Slicing Maelstrom ultimate, he is an excellent blind pick for setting up big playmaking moments in team fights. Any team with Kennen has the potential to completely take over fights with his disruptive and high-impact kit.
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Swain
Coming in as our runner-up for best mid-lane champions is Swain, the Noxian general boasting a formidable 52.1% win rate this patch. Swain’s unique drain-tank playstyle makes him an absolute nightmare to deal with in team fights.
His main harassment tool in lane is his Nevermove ability. Nevermove allows Swain to pull enemies towards him while dealing damage in an area around him. Landing Death’s Hand gives Swain a stack of his passive Soul Fragments, which he can collect to heal himself and permanently increase his maximum health.
Swain has CC in his kit with Nevermove, which roots the first enemy struck. This allows him to lock down priority targets for his team to focus fire. For sustained damage in fights, Swain’s Vision of Empire deals damage over time in a wide area and provides vision of enemies hit.
But Swain’s most defining ability is his ultimate, Demonic Ascension. Upon activation, Demonflare drains health from nearby enemies over several seconds, healing Swain for a portion of the damage dealt. Demonflare also transforms Swain into an empowered demon form. The massive heal and stat boost Swain gains from Demonflare combined with his typical tanky itemization makes him an unstoppable juggernaut in teamfights.
With the disruption from his pull and root, the sustain from his ultimate, and the ability to wade into the thick of battle, it’s no wonder Swain has firmly claimed the #2 spot as one of the most dominant mid-lane champions this patch. He is extremely well-rounded and can thrive in most matchups.
Naafiri
And finally, claiming the number one spot as the best mid-lane is Naafiri, the dynamic new champion boasting an impressive 52.2% win rate. Naafiri’s unique hunting mechanics make her a lethal threat that can quickly take over games.
Her passive, We Are More, allows Naafiri to summon wolf Packmates to fight alongside her, up to 2/3 based on level. This gives her extra damage in fights and skirmishes. For harassing in lane, Naafiri throws out Darkin Daggers, dealing physical damage and applying a bleed. Recasting empowers the daggers to deal bonus damage based on the target’s missing health and heal Naafiri.
Naafiri’s Hounds’ Pursuit sends her and her Packmates dashing to a target enemy, dealing physical damage and briefly slowing them. This allows Naafiri to quickly close gaps on priority targets. Her Eviscerate ability makes Naafiri dash through enemies before exploding for AoE physical damage around her landing spot. Eviscerate provides burst damage and mobility for assassinating squishies.
Naafiri’s ultimate, The Call of the Pack, buffs her and her Packmates with movement speed while revealing nearby enemies. During the hunt, Naafiri gains attack damage, her Packmates become tougher, and she can shield herself. Scoring takedowns extends the duration and refreshes the shields, allowing Naafiri to chain kills.
With lethal single target burst and snowballing mechanics, it’s no wonder Naafiri has ascended as the most dominant mid-lane assassin. She excels at quickly hunting down targets and taking over games through relentless aggression.
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Conclusion
In summary, we have covered the 5 most powerful mid-lane champions in patch 13.18 for dominating your ranked matches. Starting with Vex, the anti-mobility mage, through team fight disruptors like Kennen, late-game powerhouses such as Cassiopeia, and topping off the list with Naafiri, the lethal huntress who can relentlessly snowball leads. Each of these blind pick-worthy champions brings unique strengths to the mid-lane, whether via durability, crowd control, or sheer damage. However, they all share the ability to seize control of games when mastered. So the next time you queue up for mid, give these meta-defining picks a try. With the right champion mastery, you’ll be well on your way to increasing your win rate on the climb up the ranked ladder this patch.
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