Welcome to a brand new series of guides here at Mobalytics! In this series, we will be breaking down 5 of the strongest OTP champions in League of Legends to play and climb with in season 26. These five champions require a lot of practice, but once mastered, can be extremely strong and so low carry or dominate games.
Some of these champions are taken from our best one-trick pony YouTube video we have created, so if you're not much of a reader, I recommend watching that instead, as the first 3 champions will be on that video. Without delaying much further, let's break down the five best Top Laners to one trick in season 26!
1) Fiora
Fiora is one of the strongest one-trick champions in League of Legends due to her insane duelling power throughout all stages of the game. Her Passive and Q make it really easy for her to win short and extended trades, and her W helps her to turn around any fight. A good Fiora player can outplay almost any champion and any matchup. She also scales extremely well and has high carry potential when mastered.
During the laning phase, Fiora is good in extended trades and good at punishing enemies who misposition. Her ability to proc her Passive gives her consistent sustain and damage, allowing her to win trades even against tougher matchups. Let’s not forget her Riposte. Her W can easily turn around fights by blocking CC or damaging abilities. While she can struggle in heavy poke or ranged matchups early, a Fiora one-trick can just farm safely until they hit their next power spike.
In the mid and late game, Fiora becomes a split-pushing monster. She excels at applying pressure in side lanes and taking towers. If the enemy sends champions to stop her, her team can take towers or objectives elsewhere. In team fights, she should look to flank or pick off isolated targets rather than front-to-back fighting.
How to Play Fiora
2) Gangplank
The second champion on our list to one-trick is Gangplank due to his high skill ceiling and massive scaling potential. His barrels allow for explosive damage (see what I did there), output that can single-handedly win fights if he can hit a carry. Post 6, he has great map pressure with his Ultimate as well.
In the laning phase, Gangplank relies on not mispositioning and getting stacks on his Q. His barrels can be used to zone enemies away from the farm, but they require practice to combo and hit properly. The biggest weakness for GP in lane is that he struggles against early game champions, but if you manage waves properly, you will be fine.
In the mid and late game, Gangplank is capable of dealing massive AoE damage in team fights with his barrels, which can insta-kill squishy Supports or ADCs. His Ultimate is also strong in the mid and late game, as he can split push and still impact the fight with it. A GP OTP can take over the game if they get a lead.
How to Play Gangplank
3) Ambessa
The third champion on our list is Ambessa, a strong one-trick champion thanks to her aggressive playstyle, mobility, and ability to dominate trades. Her kit is great for applying pressure, making her a great choice for players who enjoy high-tempo gameplay and are gifted mechanically.
During the laning phase, Ambessa excels at trading and punishing opponents with her mobility and damage output. She can quickly engage, fight and disengage, making it difficult for enemies to retaliate. A good Ambessa can control the pace of the lane and get an early lead and snowball it. However, she requires good decision-making to avoid overcommitting.
In mid to late game, Ambessa shines in skirmishes and fights where she can isolate targets with her Ultimate. She is effective at diving backlines and using her Ult on carries. Ambessa is a very strong champion regardless of the matchup.
How to Play Ambessa
4) Irelia
Irelia is a classic high-skill-cap champion that is extremely rewarding to one-trick. Her kit revolves around having strong mechanics, especially with her Q resets and Passive stacking. When mastered, she becomes a highly mobile threat capable of outplaying both the enemy Top Laner and their Jungler. She is a great champion, and once mastered, you can pick her in both the Top and Mid Lane.
During the laning phase, Irelia is very strong when played correctly. You need to control the minion wave and stack your Passive effectively. You need to play around your stacks to win all-ins and trades. However, to master Irelia, you need excellent timing and wave management, which makes her challenging.
In the mid and late game, Irelia becomes a powerful team fight carry if she finds the right angles. She excels at diving on the backline and chaining abilities to reset her Q. While she is vulnerable to hard CC, she can outplay her enemies and dodge CC and damage.
How to Play Irelia
5) Tryndamere
Our 5th recommendation is Tryndamere, who is a very strong split-pusher and incredibly strong duelist throughout all stages of the game. While he is relatively straightforward compared to the other champions on our list, his ability to take over games through pressure and map control makes him a reliable pick for climbing.
In the laning phase, Tryndamere focuses on playing around his Passive to go for favourable trades or all-ins. His sustain and Fury allow him to out-trade his opponents and win extended fights. A skilled Tryndamere player knows when to play aggressively and when to farm safely, making him viable even in unfavourable matchups.
In the mid and late game, Tryndamere becomes a split-pushing nightmare. He can take towers quickly and force enemies to try and stop him while his team applies pressure elsewhere on the map. When there are no towers left to take, Tryndamere should look to team fight. As Tryndamere, you dive into the backline and try to kill the enemy squishies.
How to Play Tryndamere
Final Thoughts
And that sums up our article on our recommended champions to one trick in the top lane of League of Legends. What do you think of these champions? I know they're quite hard, but once you've mastered them, you will definitely see yourself climbing quickly and efficiently in season 26. Make sure you use all our resources here at Mobalytics and on other sites to gather as much information as possible on how to play them.
If you want to see the rest of our guides, you can find them here.