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Meet the champions currently the most contested in the LEC
There are currently 144 champions in League of Legends, yet only a small selection are selected to head to Summoners Rift in pro play. Here are those that the LEC teams have deemed worthy to date.
The League of Legends European Championship’s Summer Split is now officially in full swing, and teams are pulling out all the stops to make sure they qualify for the LEC Summer Finals. With the winner automatically qualifying for the World Championship, the pressure is on. After two weeks of play, G2 Esports and Fnatic are leading the pack, while Team Vitality and Excel Esports are still sitting winless.
Competitive trends are starting to form, the meta is shaping and most importantly, champions are showing their strengths and weaknesses. While some champions are yet to see the light of day, a small group have emerged with a 100 percent pick-ban ratio. So, who are these champions and what makes them so heavily contested?
Yuumi
The Magical Cat is finally finding some momentum
© Riot Games
As the newest champion to hit Summoners Rift, Yuumi has often divided opinions. When first teased back in May, questions arose on how players were going handle the champions unique abilities. Most notably, Yuumi’s W, You and Me!, which gives her the ability to attach to allies and making her untargetable. Concerns were then met when on her debut, The Magical Cat received the worst win-rate in ranked play ever. However, while those in solo queue were struggling, Yuumi made an instant appearance in competitive play, with the LEC being no exception.
So far, five different teams in the LEC have drafted Yuumi, however, she is currently only sitting at a 16.7 percent win-rate. Excel, Vitality and Rogue have all chosen Ezreal to pair with Yuumi, taking advantage of added mobility. That strategy unfortunately failed. Enemy teams drafted champions such as Nautilus and Taric which provided lockdown. It was evident that pro players were struggling to find a bot lane champion that could execute with Yuumi’s abilities.
Fear not, Yuumi may be on the path to recovery. During last weekend’s match between G2 Esports and Vitality, the champion finally received its first LEC win. G2 chose to pair Yuumi with Pyke, an untraditional pick for the AD position. Previously, Martin ‘Wunder’ Hansen, Rasmus ‘Caps’ Winther and Mihael ‘Mikyx’ Mehle had all flexed their skills on the champion. Now it was Luka ‘Perkz’ Perković chance to prove he was in charge of The Bloodharbor Ripper.
Taking advantage of Pyke’s ability to camouflage during Ghostwater Dive and Yuumi’s attach ability, the bot lane dominated. It then didn't take long before Perkz and Mikyx took their advantage and starting picking up kills across the map. Mithyx made playing Yuumi look easy with a solid 0/3/21 KDA – if any team was going help Yuumi achieve her first victory, it was going to be the reigning MSI champions.
Sylas
Sylas continues his dominance on the rift
© Riot Games
Ever since his debut, Sylas has been a major force within competitive play. His ability to hijack the ultimate of any of his enemies has made him a fundamental pick. The Unshackled currently boasts an impressive 66.7 percent win rate in the LEC over the past two weeks.
Eight LEC teams have managed to get their hands on Sylas, each executing his playlist style with their own unique strategies. Fnatic opted to flex Sylas between the top and mid lane, taking advantage of his strong lane pressure. In both games, Tim ‘Nemesis’ Lipovšek and Gabriël ‘Bwipo’ Rau averaged 52 Creep Score ahead of their lane opponents. During their game against Schalke 04, Bwipo showed the true power of Sylas when he soloed Andrei ‘Odoamne’ Pascu’s Kennen in the top lane.
Currently, both G2 Caps and SK’s Choi ‘Pirean’ Jun-sik sit undefeated on Sylas – interestingly, with all four victories on blue side. While both players have opted for the same AP heavy build, there’s been a difference in keystone selection. Pirean chose a mixture of Arcane Comet for lane poke and Aftershock for that extra burst damage. Whereas, Caps achieved both wins with the Conquerer keystone which is often selected for its early game trades. Also with its ability to heal during damage output, Conqueror works in perfect harmony with the insane healing Sylas receives from his Kingslayer ability. Sylas’ versatility continues to prove why he is so highly contested.
With 9.12 on the horizon and several Sylas nerfs confirmed, there’s an uncertainty on his competitive future. However, for now, there’s no doubt the champion has truly been unshackled.
Aatrox
Can Aatrox return to his World Championship form?
© Riot Games
Aatrox has been on every team's priority list since his rework in June 2018. At his peak during the 2018 World Championship, Aatrox achieved a pick/ban rate of 99 percent over 118 games, missing out on only one game the whole tournament. At the start of 2019, Riot decided some nerfs were in order and 9.2 saw Aatrox’s reign slowly disappear. However, Aatrox’s kit still offers multiple playstyle options, keeping the champion at the forefront of competitive play.
Complete with a few changes in 9.9, The Darkin Blade currently sits at a 100 percent pick/ban ratio in the LEC. Aatrox is able to offer strong diving potential and lane aggression, due to his reliable revive thanks to his ultimate, World Ender. The champion can also be flexed to fit different lanes on the Rift, and that’s exactly what Schalke 04’s Felix ‘Abbedagge’ Braun did. Against Excel, mid-laner Abbedagge drafted Aatrox into Joran ‘Special’ Scheffer’s Jayce. A back-and-forth skirmish in the river at 12 minutes saw Abbedagge pick up two kills. The use of Aatrox’s Umbral Dash left Excel unable to escape, and the game was set.
Despite only achieving one win in the LEC, if you compare other regions, like the LCS for example, Aatrox sits at a 60 percent win rate. Additionally, on a global scale, Aatrox is 100 percent picked or banned in all major regions. Which evidently shows the champion is just as strong as ever.
Irelia
Do you see Irelia as a risky pick?
© Riot Games
In the LEC Spring Split, Irelia made an appearance in half of the games played, and that popularity is certainly continuing into the Summer Split. Irelia’s known for her safe laning phase and ability to dive backlines, and she sits comfortably on every team’s pick or ban list.
Fnatic’s Nemesis showed The Blade Dancer’s true potential during a dominant performance against SK Gaming. An unbelievable TP at 4 minutes saw Nemesis aid his bot lane and pick up a crucial first blood. Now with an extensive gold lead, Nemesis was able to crank up the pressure against his lane opponent. From that moment on, Irelia’s item and level advantage enabled her to roam across the map with no fear of lockdown. She had become unstoppable.
However, Irelia can be seen as a risky pick, which Splyce’s Marek ‘Humanoid’ Brázda ended up learning the hard way. During his game against Schalke 04, he was paired against Abbedagge’s Sylas in the mid lane. If helped, Irelia can be a perfect snowball champion, scaling with the early level advantage. Unfortunately, Humanoid was unable to gain any early momentum and was frequent to jungle pressure throughout.
With no substantial nerfs confirmed for Irelia’s future, there is no doubt her influence on the Rift will continue. It will be interesting to see if LEC teams continue to test the limits of this risky pick, or simply opt for the safe bet of keeping her on the ban list.
