Top 5 Best Tank Supports in League of Legends

The Support role in League of Legends is not exactly an easy one. Most players will stay clear, choosing to be the ones that do the damage and get the kills, rather than be someone who’s just, well, there. But this is a common misconception that players have of supports. 

A good Support player can severely impact how the game will flow. They can be amazing in the Lane, serving as a playmaker for your ADC and paving the way to victory. In the late game, they can initiate, isolate and find ways of killing the most vital targets the enemy has. 

All of this and more is what makes the Support role incredible to play, though sometimes difficult. I think the reason why people don’t like it is the autofill option. It more often than not forces you into a role/class that you likely have no idea of. Many players will just pick a random tank to get it over with, and that’s completely fine. 

To know which of the tanks are the best, I’ve made this detailed list. It will help you understand a bit better what to choose and why. Also, you’ll be able to find your go-to pick if you happen to be unwillingly placed into the role. 

So, without further delay, let’s begin with the list. 

5. Alistar

Alistar is a pick that you will likely see very often. As I’ve said above, League of Legends players tend to pick just whatever when they’re found in this role against their wishes. Alistar fits that perfectly, as he is built around just tanking up as much as possible and soaking in damage that may be going your ADC’s way. 

But he’s not all walk and tank. He has some great utility, too, that works wonders with some picks. He has a great gap closing headbutt that is his W. In quick combination with his Q, Alistar can jump in and knock the enemies up. Afterward, he can run the enemy down using his E, which will also provide another stun.

His Ultimate is likely where the casual player finds most enjoyment. You get upwards of 75% damage reduction, meaning you will only take a fraction of what the enemy actually does. This means you can be a literal walking wall with just a bit of tenacity on the side, allowing you to keep rushing in and throwing the enemies around frequently and with great annoyance. 

4. Malphite

I see Malphite Support more often than I’d like to admit. He is simple both in terms of character and ability design and is easy to play. It doesn’t take a brainiac to utilize what Malphite brings to the table, as it is not very much. He is your average tank initiator that can be fun to play, though not intriguing. 

Malphite is built around being able to apply some solid CC on enemies. You can chase them down using his Q to slow them while gaining a good amount of movement speed. Your E can slow the enemy’s attack speed, and your Ultimate is a treat to use whenever the enemies get too close to each other. 

If you land your Ultimate properly, you’ll find yourself winning the entire fight just like that. Add a Champion like Yasuo or Yone into the mix (or some other initiating brute that synergizes with you), and it’s game over. Malphite can also step outside of the tank role without suffering too much. If the game is going too well, you can opt for an AP build, becoming a lethal AP Assassin in the process. Whatever you do choose, however, Malphite will still remain a solid pick for those uninitiated into the Support role. 

3. Braum 

Braum is a walking shield. That’s basically it. However, he may not be the easiest to choose from in this list. Braum does indeed take some skill to play, and it will require you to at least willfully pick him once. He has some nice abilities tailored around you, helping out and protecting the ally of your choice. 

This Champion’s CC synergizes best with ADCs with very fast attack speeds and even better with those that can reset them. An example that comes to mind is Lucian that gets a double attack after using a spell. Braum can quickly proc the first stack of his passive, and Lucian can do his thing, applying the stun in no time. 

Braum’s Ultimate is an amazing spell for team fights that can knock enemies up and render them dead before they even had a chance to say something. He is similar to Malphite in this regard, but unlike him, he cannot stray from his path situationally. A few times, though, an AD Braum build did emerge, though its viability is questionable. It was fun to play it, honestly, and if it still can be played in any capacity, it doesn’t hurt to try it in a Normal game. 

2. Nautilus

Nautilus is one of two hook Champions on this list, so keep reading to find out. His hook mechanic is most similar to another support – Thresh – meaning that it sort of hooks the enemy Champion close to you so you can apply other CC in your kit upon them. Nautilus is one of my personal favorites to choose when I’m thinking tank support. He’s fun, and playing him is inevitably eventful.

Nautilus has a solid root on his passive, giving him CC on his first basic attack against an enemy Champion. This passive can only be applied once per unique Champion, having a short cooldown to prevent spam. He has a nice slow on his E that also has some magic damage and an Ultimate that is knock-up galore. It seems to me that all of these Champions have some sort of knock-up. I wonder what Riot meant by this. 

Anyhow, Nautilus can use his kit to pressure single targets heavily. He can hook them in, use his W to amplify his attacks, and shield up and snare the enemies with an attack. After they become mobile again, he can use his E to slow them down. If they somehow start getting away, using his point and click Ultimate will surely net you the kill. All in all, Nautilus is great to play as, and I highly recommend him if you want a fun, though not too tasking option. 

1. Blitzcrank

Everyone, myself included, picks Blitzcrank when they’re auto-filled. So much so, in fact, that I’ve even brought him to Level 7 with a good amount of points. He is, has been, and will likely remain the tank Support pick that people love. He’s fun, he’s simple, and he’s great at getting your ADC fed as much as possible. 

Blitzcrank shines the most in the laning phase and can drop off later on. But, due to the simplicity and ease of dominating the enemy, he just had to come off the top. His Q can hook enemies in, and unlike Nautilus, Thresh, or Pyke, he pulls them in rather than meeting them in the middle. He can afterward knock them up (go figure) using his E and do great damage with his Ultimate. The Ultimate also applies a short silence that cancels a lot of effects. 

Using the W Blitzcrank can run enemies down with the nice speed boost, but it slows him down at the end of its duration, so keep that in mind. In the late game, you’ll mostly find yourself running around and trying to find opportunities to snipe an important target with a hook. Watch out, though, not to hook in the strongest enemy target that can one-shot half of your team. You’re just making the job easier for them.

Also read: Best Taric Skins

Conclusion

The Support role is likely a hated one due to the autofill mechanic. I sincerely hope Riot finds a way of either removing or reworking how the mechanic functions. It was clear that it didn’t work as it should and that the players hated it after the first time it was introduced and subsequently deleted. Whatever happens, though, we’ll still find ourselves playing Support from time to time. And the tanks above are the perfect ones to pick whenever we do. 

Let us know what you think about this list. We always love to hear from you, so don’t miss out on telling us what your favorite Supports are, are they on this list, and everything else you might have on your mind.