The Mid Lane is a unique part of the map in terms of gameplay. All of the Champions that set foot on this Lane are good roamers, usually mobile, and can likely carry games. I believe that the Mid Lane and the Jungle are the two most important roles in League of Legends, followed closely by the ADC. Some of you will disagree with me. And sure, I see your point. But, in the current meta built around Assassins, I think we’ll find an understanding after this list.
I’ve already covered the 7 Best Assassin Junglers, and you should read that one too, as it helps me prove my claim even better. Riot has remade the entire itemization system in League. This paved the way for Assassins as the strongest Champion class in Season 12, along with a few Mages. All other classes have lost their high positions in terms of strength, but as League is an ever-changing game, so will that change one day.
Well, may that day come soon (or never, if you’re an Assassin main). Until then, however, we will detail what Assassin picks are the best in the current meta. So, prepare yourselves, and let’s delve deep into the Mid Lane (and our list).
7. Yone
I’m going to start with a Champion that’s had a bit of a drop-off as an overall Mid Laner, apart from his Assassin role. As per u.gg (the website I used to create these rankings), Yone is a B-tier pick. Though that might be lower than others on this list, he certainly is a viable pick that you should consider.
Yone is somewhat of a Yasuo clone, with a few alterations to his kit. But its gist is the same – you use the wind to your advantage, you have knock-ups, etc. His laning phase is nice, as long as he doesn’t pick too many fights in a row before he hits around level 5. At level 5 he’ll have all three of his spells, allowing him to use his vicious combos that involve a lot of damage and a safe retreat.
Later on, throughout the game, Yone’s Ultimate will be a deciding factor in team fights. As a multi-targeted CC, it can have a huge impact on the outcome and deal substantial damage. He’s a good team-fighter, roamer, and laner, and I highly suggest you try him out if you want to play an Assassin. Keep in mind that he will falter when faced with some of the more OP picks these days.
6. Ekko
Ekko is one of my best AP Assassins in League of Legends, and I definitely mean that. He is a Champion that can obliterate enemies with ease, CC-ing and doing obscene damage. The abilities on his kit are all tailored around mobility, making Ekko one of the fastest on this list. There are gap closers, a literal teleport, etc. So let’s go over them a little bit.
Ekko’s Q slows enemies and deals damage once when he sends it out and once more when coming back. Though it can be hard to hit twice, the first hit is more important, so the second is unnecessary. This spell also applies a stack of Ekko’s passive, which works something like Vayne’s E. When stacked 3 times, it pops to deal Magic Damage. This makes Ekko a heavy hitter, which gets more powerful as he utilizes the rest of his kit.
His W is a skill-shot AOE stun and shield. Ekko aims at an area, shoots it out, and it will land there. It takes a while to shoot out and land, so you’ll have to keep an eye out for timings. If Ekko enters the said area, it will explode and give him a shield. The explosion will also apply a long-lasting stun to any enemies that are standing in it. His E is a gap closer, a dash that allows him to blink to enemies in range, and his Ultimate rewinds time, sending him back where he was 4 seconds ago. You can see the overloaded nature of his kit; there’s a lot of damage, survivability, and mobility built into it. Ekko is a roamer, so be sure to secure a strong map presence and keep the enemies guessing when playing him.
5. Diana
Diana is a nice Mid Laner that has a well-rounded kit, as well as that fighting mentality. Though some consider her a Diver (Bruiser), she also tends to play like an Assassin. Truth be told, she is both. This duality between her sustained, mobile fighting and Assassin-like lethality makes Diana a dangerous pick to face and a fun one to play.
Diana has a lot to do with her basic attacks, which is likely where the Bruiser qualification comes from. Her basic attacks do bonus Magic Damage every few hits. This damage can hurt and is an overlooked aspect of her kit. Building attack speed items on Diana is not a bad idea, and Nashor’s Tooth is a good option as it gives both AP and Attack Speed (and on-hit damage). Moving on to the rest of her kit – her Q is a good poke that marks you, her W is a shield that creates a few orbs around Diana, and if the orbs are popped, the shield is re-activated. Her E is a dash that she can use twice on a marked opponent, and her Ultimate is all the team-fighting galore you need.
As we can see, Diana is a versatile and mobile AP Assassin that can also have a crazy impact on team fights with her kit. Her Ultimate alone can win you a fight if landed correctly. A fed Diana is one of the worst Champions to face in the game, and she will be one-shotting your entire team without breaking a sweat. Diana provides many options and fun for the player, and I suggest you try her out before the Assassins lose their grace.
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4. Yasuo
This is perhaps the only list where you’ll see me include both Yone and Yasuo in the same list. I’ve argued before, whenever I include either one of them, that I find them mutually exclusive. This is due to how similar both their gameplay and their characters are. But, since Assassins in League of Legends are few in numbers (and some of them have made a transfer to the jungle), I am forced to do it. But that just gives you more options to choose from in my list, so I guess it is not that bad of a thing.
Yasuo is an AD Assassin that specializes in speed, critical strikes, and damage. He can dash through minions, knock you up with tornados, and keep you up with his Ultimate. His W, promptly named Windwall, is a horror for projectile reliant Champions, especially marksmen. His Q tornado can be multi-targeted, meaning Yasuo can Ult more than one opponent and do massive damage and CC. If he is paired with good knock-up Champions like Malphite, Braum, or Zyra, Yasuo becomes a lethal team-fighter that is second to none.
If he gets fed and farmed, Yasuo can single-handedly carry games. This has been true ever since he was released and has kept him banned in most Champion select screens. He has a lot of mobility, and his passive doubles his Critical Strike Chance, making his build more open-ended than some other Crit-specializing Champions. His 1v1 is deadly, but be careful of not allowing him to team-fight in a full capacity, as you will lose. I’ve never bought Yasuo in my life, and he remains one of the few Champions I don’t own out of principle. This tells you all you need to know about him.
3. Fizz
Starting the top three is the fishy menace that everyone despises to have against them. Though to play him is not that bad at all, I reckon. Fizz is a burst Champion if there’s ever been one, and with low cooldowns and high base damage, he’s also one of the best. He is fast; rarely can you catch him off-guard and pin him down to one place. He specializes in that old-fashioned in-and-out style of gameplay. But what makes him tick, exactly?
Well, Fizz has his Q that can dash through enemies, minions included. It is a great gap closer as well as gap creator. It has a low cooldown and deals damage based on Fizz’s auto-attacks plus some extra. His W empowers his next attack, and its cooldown resets if the attack results in a kill (once again, minions included). He is the king of on-hit effects, among other things, too. His E makes him untargetable, and he jumps over a distance. This is his most powerful utility spell, and it also deals damage where he lands. Many players will be seen maxing this spell first in his kit, and for a good reason. His Ultimate is the well-known shark he throws at players, slowing them down and dealing tons of damage.
He is one of the better-known one-shotters in the game, and if he catches you with that shark, you’re in for a world of pain. His lethal E W Q combo into a player that’s been turned into shark bait is as easy as it sounds, and with the low cooldowns, you’ll be able to escape just as easily.
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2. Kassadin
Kassadin is what I like to call – Secretly Overpowered. He’s a Champion that has received numerous nerfs, re-balancing changes, etc. I think he is also one of Riot’s most hated creations, as he’s broken the meta more times than I could count. Right now, though, he sits in a fairly well-rounded position, but his snowball is something of a marvel.
Snowballing Champions in League of Legends are a known thing, but I think Kassadin takes the number one spot in that regard. He starts slow, playing his laning phase carefully and methodically. He has a good poke on his Q that he can also use to farm, and his W restores a bit of Mana, allowing for sustain. His E is situational and takes a while to build up as it needs several nearby spells to be cast. His Ultimate is a glorified flash that does a crap ton of damage, especially when stacked up. It also has a cooldown of less than 2s on later levels, incredible, I know.
After a slow early to mid game, Kassadin becomes a speed demon that can deal thousands of damage in a single combo. If you accelerate this process by taking a few important kills, roaming to other lanes, and focusing on your gold and XP, you’ll be winning at minute 20. Every once in a while, I meet Kassadin on the Lane, and whenever he loses against me early on, I know he’s coming back to haunt me post-20. Never think you’re too weak with Kassadin, as you never really are. Wait for a while, plan out your game, and if disadvantaged, find ways of farming up the gold you need. After completing Seraph’s Embrace, you’re good to go. Time is the name of the game with Kassadin, and you should play him accordingly.
1. Katarina
The reason why Kassadin is not number one and Katarina takes the crown is the simplicity and difficulty. Katarina is miles simpler than any of the Champions listed here, and that combined with her otherwise lethal damage makes her the queen of Assassin Mid Laners. The King of Assassin Mid Laners would be Zed, but as I’ve already crowned him in the jungler list (go read that one), I’ve decided to exclude him here. Katarina is one of the oldest Champions in the game and has remained largely the same despite receiving some updates to her kit.
She is a fast, blink-of-an-eye type of Champion that can go from target to target with lightspeed. Most of her damage lies in the daggers she leaves on the floor. Walking into these daggers resets some of her cooldowns and does AOE damage around her. Her Q and W leave daggers around, and with a good Ability Haste build and some practice, you’ll be slicing and dicing through enemy HP. Her E is a dash, and her Ultimate does AOE damage around her, applying Grievous Wounds. Not just any Grievous Wounds, but the 60% version.
As you can see, she specializes in AOE and performing said AOE blazingly fast. She can deal hundreds and thousands of damage at once with her spells and combos, meaning her team-fighting potential is as amazing as it gets. She is one of the more roam-reliant Champions in the game and perhaps most of the ones listed here. Her laning phase, though not bad, is nothing compared to her roaming potential. When playing Katarina, roaming Bot to pick up a few kills or assists in your laner’s absence is key to remaining on top of the game. If you obtain an advantage substantial enough, the game is pretty much over. I love Katarina, and you will, too, so give her a spin to see what she’s all about.
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Conclusion
Assassins are the meta, have been the meta, and are likely to remain the meta. Their presence in the Mid Lane and the Jungle makes those two roles the most powerful there are. But this doesn’t mean that others are not viable and shouldn’t be played. Every team needs a balance of roles and classes that, when combined, create an intimidating roster.
Whatever you like to play, it’s viable, but Assassins are simply the best. Just play them if you want to squeeze as much Elo as possible during these closing months of Season 12. You can’t make a mistake doing so.
I would love to hear what you think about these long lists, articles, and guides. They take a lot of effort, so feedback will only help me improve them. Make sure you speak your mind and keep an eye out for more similar content.
