The Mid Lane is one of the most popular roles in the game. In this lane, there are dozens of different champions and many different play styles that can be played. With the Mid Lane being the main role for many different champions, it can be overwhelming to know which champions are good and which are not. One way you can improve your chances of winning in League of Legends is by one-tricking a champion. When you play a lot of the same champion over and over again, you're naturally going to be better compared to the average player.
One-tricking is a preferred method for a lot of High ELO players, and you constantly see Challenger players who play just one champion and one champion alone. In this article, we will break down five of the best Mid Lane champions you can play to climb with in season 26. We've also made a separate video on this, if you want to watch that as well.
1) Ahri
Ahri is a fantastic one-trick champion due to her versatility, mobility, and pick potential. She has a strong kit that allows her to adapt to any matchup that she might face, whether that be assassins like Zed or other mages like Syndra. She can keep the enemy pushed into the lane and then roam around the map and pick up kills.
During the early laning phase, all you really need to do is focus on farming while trying to poke the enemy down with your Q, and using your E when you’re guaranteed to land it. The difference between a good Ahri and a bad one is understanding how to land your E, when to use it and how to play around its ability's cooldown. Post 6, she will be looking to push the lane and roam to help her side lanes.
In the mid and late game, Ahri excels at picking off isolated targets. In team fights, she looks to catch carries out of position and create the numbers advantage. Even if she can’t one-shot an enemy, she can use her E or Q to poke the enemy down and then start the fight.
How to Play Ahri
2) Zed
The second champion on our list, who is one of the most popular one-trick champions is Zed! Zed has a high skill ceiling and incredible outplay potential. His W allows for unpredictable plays, helps to dodge incoming damage, and also provides a lot of kill pressure. A skilled Zed player can consistently take down high-priority targets and carry games through mechanical outplay and matchup knowledge.
During the laning phase, Zed focuses on poking with his abilities and setting up for all-ins once his enemy is low health. He will keep poking the enemy down with his W>Q>E or W>E>Q combo, and then all-in them when he has enough energy. After this, he just keeps pushing the wave and roaming around the map to help his allies pick up kills.
In the mid and late game, Zed becomes a deadly assassin who can one-shot carries or any squishy champion running around the map alone. In team fights, Zed looks to flanks and takes down the carry first before escaping with his shadows. If you love assassins and being annoying, sneaky and a real carry, then Zed could be the champion for you.
How to Play Zed
3) Katarina
Katarina is a highly rewarding one-trick champion due to her insane reset potential and ability to snowball games. Katarina is another popular one-trick champion, and I often see a lot of Katarina one-tricks in High-Elo. She is extremely good in team fights, where she can dodge incoming damage, get resets and deal a lot of damage. She is a high-risk, high-reward champion who is incredibly fun and rewarding to play when ahead.
In the laning phase, Katarina can struggle early against ranged or CC heavy champions. However, a skilled player can farm safely while also looking for opportunities to roam. Once she gets a lead or finds kills in skirmishes, she can quickly snowball and take over the map. Even when behind, Katarina can make a comeback by getting a couple of kills or power-farming minions and getting XP.
In the mid and late game, Katarina is great in team fights where she can reset her abilities after takedowns. She is really good at cleaning up fights and punishing poorly coordinated teams or teams with no synergy or CC. She can be horrible to play against when she is ahead, as it often takes the whole enemy to take her down.
How to Play Katarina
4) Akali
Akali is a very difficult but strong champion in League of Legends once you’ve mastered her. She is very strong in both the Mid and Top Lane, meaning if you one-trick her, you have the flexibility, but it comes at the cost of knowing all her matchups. She is very mechanically difficult, and playing around her energy isn’t the easiest thing in the world.
During the lanign phase, Akali will be focusing on going for short trades and using her Q and auto-attacks to out-trade her opponents. She can struggle against some matchups, especially ranged ones or people with easy-to-land CC, but with patience comes rewards!
In the mid and late game, Akali can be dominant in team fights as an assassin, taking down key targets who are overextended or out of position. Thanks to her W, she actually gets some extra protection compared to many other assassins, which allows her to outplay her opponents and get in and out of fights without dying.
How to Play Akali
5) Yasuo
Yasuo is one of the most popular one-trick champions due to his high skill ceiling and flashy playstyle. His kit offers mobility, damage, and utility, making him really good in most matchups and team comps, as long as they have a knockup! A skilled Yasuo can outplay multiple opponents at once with his Q and E.
During the laning phase, Yasuo is strong when he can use minions to dash and stack his abilities. He can pressure opponents with constant movement and trading, but requires good positioning and understanding of wave control to ensure he isn’t getting zoned away from minions or getting killed. A good Yasuo player understands wave control and when to engage.
In the mid and late game, Yasuo is a good team fighter when he is paired with champions who have knockup spells, as he can use his Ultimate on them. His W is also really good in fights at protecting him or his team from incoming damage and enemy Ultimates. powerful team fighter, especially when paired with knock-up champions. A one-trick Yasuo can take over the game, but he does need a lot of practice to get to this stage.
How to Play Yasuo
Final Thoughts
That brings us to the end of our recommended Mid Lane champions to one-trick in League of Legends. What are your thoughts on these picks? Many of them require strong mechanics, so putting in the time to master them will make a huge difference in your ability to carry and climb in Season 26.
If you want to see the rest of our guides, you can find them here.