The Mid Lane is usually reserved for Champions of a squishier nature; Champions that strive to do damage and get kills – at all costs. Despite that being primarily true, there are various deviations from this prejudice, and we’re here to show you just that.
You see, Tanks are perfectly viable Mid Lane options. There are many options to choose from since almost any Champion in the game can get tanky. However, some are just better than the rest (in the current patch, that is).
In this list, I’ve compiled the 7 Best Tank Mid Lane options for you to pick in League of Legends. Of course, since the patches are notoriously volatile – do expect the list to change. We will, of course, update it if that happens.
So, with that out of the way, let’s begin our list.
(The list is in no particular order.)
Read also: Top 1v5 Raidboss LoL champs
show
7. Cho’Gath
Cho’Gath might be the most familiar to people switching from a traditional Mid Lane pick to a Tank. He’s got a lot of that poke, harass and damage that your average Mid Laner enjoys having.
Where he shines, though, is survivability. There’s scarcely any Champion traditionally found on the Mid Lane that will be able to counteract Cho’Gath’s sustain and healing. Cho can be back at his feet and ready for another trade with just a few minion kills.
Using his robust Q, he can poke and do substantial damage. If he gets too close, the E will hurt a lot, especially against squishy targets. A natural counter to Mages, Cho can silence Champions for a nice duration using his powerful W. This can significantly increase his success rate in the Lane against spell-reliant Champions (a class quite prevalent on Mid).
The Ultimate is an excellent execution that only makes Cho stronger and scratches the high-damage Assassin itch.
As an old and straightforward Champion, Cho’Gath is suited for most players. Therefore, I recommend him to everyone that wants to try out the Tank Mid role.
Also read: Best Tank Junglers in League of Legends
6. Malphite
Malphite, one of the infamous Top Lane Tanks, is also a suitable choice on the Mid Lane at the current patch. He is insanely simple, and there’s not a lot to be said about him that wasn’t already said in one of our many lists where he is named.
If played a bit off-meta and with a high AP base, Malphite can become the Mage you always wanted to play before switching to Tank Mid. Otherwise, he is a rock boulder that moves about the map and has a dangerous presence.
When combined with Champions like Yasuo, Malphite can singlehandedly decide the fate of the enemy team during team fights. Yasuo has to follow up, and since most players are in the lower brackets, that isn’t the usual sight. Despite that, Malphite still synergizes well with Yasuo and other high AOE damage Champions to capitalize on his powerful Ultimate.
During the Lane, Malphite is a bit weak and will snowball nicely with each level passed. His spells have good base damage that doesn’t even need any bonus AP to do a lot of damage to squishy enemies. Against Mages, he’ll have an insane potential for harassment.
Picking up the Doran’s Ring at the start is also a good idea for a Mid Malphite. However, against some dangerous ranged matchup, the Shield is better.
Malphite is, as I’ve said, very simple. Thus, everyone can play him, and being a fan of his – I recommend him highly.
5. Pantheon
Pantheon has found his way into all of the roles, it seems. From Top to Support, Pantheon also has his place on the Mid Lane as a solid Bruiser/Fighter pick. I believe that Mid suits him best, as it gives him many options. Namely, he can roam and effectively use his Ultimate to gank either Top or Bot (even the Jungle, if the need arises).
Being on Mid, he’s at the center of everything, and post-6, he becomes a roaming beast. Of course, his Laning isn’t half bad. Pantheon can safely poke and farm using his long-range without getting too close to his target. Of course, this can lead to his Lane getting pushed up, but it will quickly bounce back, and he can still use the range to get farm and XP anyhow effectively.
I see Pantheon best played as a roamer, and you shouldn’t waste too much time fighting your opponent directly. Since Panth takes a bit to get strong in 1v1s, your best bet is helping out the team around the map, snowballing in the process.
Just be careful to time these roams well, not leave your Lane when it’s pushed against the Turret, etc. Never overextend; choose your fights wisely, and I’m sure you’ll win a ton with this powerful Spartan.
Pantheon is also relatively simple, and I recommend him to just about anyone – especially those that came down from the Top Lane.
Also read: Best Tank Supports in League of Legends
4. Sett
Sett can fight wherever he goes, and the Mid Lane is no exception. When picked against squishy and, hopefully, melee Champions – Sett can dominate without too much effort. He does the same on his natural Lane – Top.
On Mid, Sett can’t pick up as many duels as he can on Top. The ever-present danger of a gank is much more significant on Mid, and he has to learn to adapt to this change. This will make Sett play a lot more carefully around the Lane but will by no means prove too detrimental to his overall viability.
Since he has many team fight potential, being on Mid has the same effect for Sett as for Pantheon. He has options to choose from, giving him highly versatile and open gameplay mechanics. Playing a role with different possibilities is way more interesting than shoving yourself into a single mold.
Sett’s Laning won’t change much from Top. It’s just farm, try to poke, etc. The increased roaming is undoubtedly the primary difference, and Sett should emphasize helping out his team or coordinating ganks with the Jungler.
He is a great Champion and unique, so be sure to give him a try.
3. Galio
Galio is the only traditional Mid Laner on this list. I mean, it depends on what you consider a traditional Mid Laner. Based on how often he is found on the Lane in most games he’s played, I’m pretty confident in calling him a traditional Mid Lane Champion.
The reason for this is similar to Pantheon. That long-range Ultimate with an insane team fight potential is something best suited for the Mid Lane. Being at the very center of the map puts you in reach of everything and everyone, and that’s a great thing for a Champion like Galio.
Other than that, his Laning is similar to that of Cho’Gath, whom I’ve described first. Galio’s base damage on his Q is high enough to be an excellent source of harassment during the Laning Phase. For fighting, Galio has his robust Q and E at his disposal to apply some good CC.
He doesn’t have too much damage, however. You’ll have to poke the enemy down to a low enough HP to be able to kill them effectively. Since you’ll mostly not be building AP, your damage will drop off as the game progresses. You will keep the CC, so learn to use it as soon as you set foot on the Lane with this Champion.
Galio does take a bit to get used to, so take your time. I recommend him to the people who love a lot of CC and team fights – it’s just his thing.
Also read: Tankiest Champions in League of Legends
2. Renekton
Renekton is likely the most uncanny entry on this list. What the hell is an early game Top Lane bully doing on Mid? Well, the same thing he does on Top – killing squishies.
Against a melee and squishy matchup, Renekton is king. Until about minute 20, when he starts to fall off in his viability drastically, no matter what Lane he plays. But the damage he can cause in the early game can quickly impact the later parts of the game, so he isn’t useless by any means.
On Mid, Renekton does precisely the same thing he does on Top. He will bully and drive insane the opposing Laner. However, his effectiveness at doing so might be a tad lower since the Jungler is much closer than what Rene is used to. Despite this, he can also roam around a bit, seeking that same Jungler and fighting him head-on.
It would be best if you chose your fights wisely with Renekton Mid, however. Despite being a solid and tanky Champion, you’re not immortal. Get the kills you can get, roam and help your team. Look to not overextend too much, as it is effortless to do with Renekton Mid.
Renekton is one of the easiest Champions in the game, so anyone can play him. I wouldn’t exactly recommend him on Mid – but if you don’t have any others from this list, do it.
1. Rumble
Rumble is a good AP fighter that has a place on every Lane. Despite Top being his home, the Mid Lane certainly helps out a lot. Though not traditionally a Tank, striving more for an AP Bruiser categorization – Rumble can undoubtedly pack on a lot of HP and defenses apart from his high damage items.
In nature, Rumble is a Mage, trapped inside a Bruiser’s body. Or rather, robot. This means he can do a crap ton of damage using both his spells and attacks, and he is even designed around this mechanic.
He will switch to melee when he overheats and starts hammering you with severe damage basic attacks that hurt a lot more than they should. This gives Rumble a ton of leverage against melee matchups, and since the Top Lane has the most melee Champs, you can figure out why he’s naturally drawn to the Lane.
However, the Mid Lane also has a ton of melee Champions, and against them, Rumble is a great pick. If you’re seeking to switch things up a bit but still want to retain your pure fighting capabilities, Rumble is an excellent option for the Mid Lane.
He has a ton of potential to roam as well, apart from amazing Laning. The damage on his Ultimate is out of this world and has insane utility during team fights. Pentakills with this spell is nothing unusual, and that should tell you a lot already.
I recommend Rumble to just about anyone.
Also read: Best Tank Top Laners
Conclusion
As we can see, the Mid Lane has a lot of tanky options that don’t fail to do damage or apply some heavy CC. They are all powerful in their own way and are simply the best. That is the best right now. As we know, League is an ever-changing environment, and everything can drastically shift in just a single patch.
These lists take time and effort to make, so leave feedback to help us improve them. Keep a keen eye out on our website for more League of Legends-related content such as guides, lists, and articles.
(5 votes, average: 4.20 out of 5)
Loading…