The Top 5 Best Top Laners to Carry in Season 25.S1
The brand new Season of League of Legends is underway and if you’ve not been playing during the winter break, you might be surprised about some of the changes that have occurred to the game. There have been a lot of changes related to champion buffs and nerfs as well as item changes that have disrupted the meta: causing new champions to be strong and older meta champions to become weaker.
Something else you need to be on the lookout for as a Top Laner is the new monster, Atakhan, who can spawn on the top side of the map. While they can spawn on either side of the map, knowing there is another objective to be aware of is really important. Having priority and good lane pressure is key if you want to take this as a team. This is why picking strong champions is crucial in the Top Lane.
In this Mobalytics guide, we will discuss 5 of the best Top Lane champions you can abuse in Season 25.S1. But before we get into this article, we need to provide a quick disclaimer. The champions on our list may not be statistically the best to play when reading this article, as every patch win rates change. However, we will update this article to keep the list current! For reference, the data is mid-patch, and uses Emerald+ data.
1. Kennen (51.3% WR)
The first champion on our list for the best Top Laners to play in the newest LoL Season is Kennen. Kennen is a long-ranged champion who can bully the enemy down in lane. As the Top Lane is full of melee champions with strong all-in, a champion who can disengage and has the range advantage could be really beneficial.
He is a fantastic team fighter as well thanks to his Ultimate. In team fights, he can deal a lot of damage to multiple enemies at once, and if you can get a good Ultimate off on targets that are grouped together, you can deal a lot of damage. As Kennen, try to team fight in the jungle or around objectives as that is where teams are usually grouped closely together.
Kennen is a safe blind pick in the Top Lane, as his range advantage allows him to go even in most matchups. Whether you want to dominate your lane or make a big impact in team fights, Kennen is a fantastic choice for the new season.
How to play Kennen in Season 25.S1
2. Riven (51.2% WR)
The second champion on our list is Riven. Riven can be one of the most dominant champions in the Top Lane due to her strong all-in and mobility. With the recent objective changes, she can easily help her Jungler and quickly rotate if they need help. She is also one of the hardest champions to lane against when fed, as she can consistently all-in you.
During the mid and late game, Riven should be looking to balance split pushing and grouping as a team. You should apply pressure and try to fight anyone who tries to stop you. However, if you’ve taken a lot of objectives already or the enemy is consistently sending multiple champions to fight you, you may want to start grouping with your team. Try to take down the enemy backline with the help of your Jungler.
Riven has a very high skill ceiling, and playing her is really hard. You need to understand her animation cancels to get the most out of her kit and deal the maximum amount of damage. However, once mastered, you can dominate the enemy and dominate the game. If you have the skills and can put in a lot of time to master her, then you can climb in LoL very quickly.
How to play Riven in Season 25.S1
3. Irelia (51.1% WR)
Another champion with an extremely strong all-in is Irelia. Like Riven, Irelia can easily snowball and kill the enemy over and over again if they can walk too far forward in the lane. Once fed, Irelia can be extremely challenging to play against due to her strong all-in power. Not even hiding under your tower can protect you from Irelia!
Like Riven, during the mid and late game, you want to split push and apply pressure to the objectives in the side lanes. After you’ve taken all these objectives, you’ll want to just stick with your team and team fight. However, if you’re super fed, you can also just group with your team and start the fight, dish out a lot of damage and win the team fight.
Irelia’s very mechanically demanding, and it will also take a lot of time to master her. So, if you can spend time putting effort into learning her, then you can dominate the enemy and take over the game. Remember that Irelia is also a flex pick, so if you can play her Top, you can play her Mid too.
How to play Irelia in Season 25.S1
4. Olaf (51.1% WR)
Another champion with incredibly strong all-in potential is Olaf. Similar to Darius, Olaf thrives in extended trades where he can fully utilise his Passive to deal additional damage and win those trades. There is no way the enemy can stop you from running them down the lane as he has good tower diving potential with his Ultimate. Get an early lead on Olaf and you’ll take over the game.
Olaf should be played as a split pusher in the mid-game. You’ll want to group with your team in the late game and run the enemy carries down. Your goal is to stick to the enemy’s backline like glue and make them focus you instead of your carrys. Soak up as much damage as possible while dealing as much damage as possible to the enemy. If you can, try to flank in the team fight to make it harder for the enemy to disengage.
Olaf is relatively straightforward to play, which makes him great for players who are not confident in their gameplay or don’t have time to put in a lot of effort into learning a new champion like Riven or Irelia. His simplicity might not appeal to some players who want a challenge, but he could be great for beginners who want quick ELO and LP!
How to play Olaf in Season 25.S1
5. Darius (50.3% WR)
The final champion, who is far from the worst on our list of champions, is Darius. Darius is a low-ELO menace as players do not respect his Passive: allowing him to gain a huge health lead and win trades. If you want to solo carry lanes and get a ton of kills, then you should pick up Darius as he is super strong.
If you’re ahead on Darius, you’ll usually want to split push and apply pressure to the side objectives while your team groups. If you’re not strong or the enemy is grouping, then you should probably just group with your teammates. If you’re behind, just build tank items and soak up as much damage as possible to ensure your team comes out ahead.
Darius is one of the most straightforward champions in the game. He doesn’t have many unique mechanics, which makes him great for players of all skill levels. The most difficult thing about Darius is knowing when to fight and when not to. If you love fighting and like trading with the enemy, pick up Darius this year!
How to play Darius in Season 25.S1
In Conclusion
Thanks for reading our article on the best Top Laners to play in the new Season of LoL. What do you think of the new changes in LoL? Personally, I am happy with the new changes, and I cannot wait to start playing properly again after the winter break. As somebody who plays a lot of Top Lane, I will definitely be picking up and mastering some of these champions.
For more articles to help you climb in Season 25.S1, make sure you head over to the Mobalytics Blog.
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