Solo Queue FOTM Tier List - May - Patch 6.9

Hi everyone and welcome back to the May update for the FOTM tier list! In this patch, all the reworked mages are seeing strong surges upwards in terms of popularity. Surprisingly, despite his 40% win rate Vladimir is seeing quite a high play and ban rate at the moment as well. We'll see which one is more accurate over time.

Meanwhile, Vayne's back on top as the most popular marksman after the release of the new Guinsoo's Rageblade, and will likely only keep rising considering Riot plans on buffing it in the patches to come.

Check out the full listing below!

SEASON 6 - May - PATCH 6.9 FOTM TIER LIST

"THE POPULAR KIDS"

Preface Chatter

Hi everyone and welcome back to the May update for the FOTM tier list! In this patch, all the reworked mages are seeing strong surges upwards in terms of popularity. Surprisingly, despite his 40% win rate Vladimir is seeing quite a high play and ban rate at the moment as well. We'll see which one is more accurate over time.

Meanwhile, Vayne's back on top as the most popular marksman after the release of the new Guinsoo's Rageblade, and will likely only keep rising considering Riot plans on buffing it in the patches to come.

Check out the full listing below!

The purpose of the "Flavor of the Month" ("FOTM") list is to show which champions are popular in today's metagame, so you can learn how to beat them!

If you're looking for the division climber solo queue tier list, be sure to check it out via this link!

For a list of champions with the highest *potential* in the game without regard to difficulty or team synergies, check out the list of strongest potential champions in each position!

Be sure to check out our new Optimal Champion Bans by Division Listing!

Patch 6.9 Summary

Nerfs: Kindred, Nidalee, Soraka, Taric
Buffs: Teemo, Zac
Tweaks: Azir, Illaoi
Major Reworks: Brand, Cassiopeia, Malzahar, Vel'Koz, Vladimir, and Zyra
Minor Reworks: Anivia, Annie, Fiddlesticks, Kennen, Swain, Syndra, Veigar, Viktor, Xerath, and Ziggs
Item Changes: Tear of the Goddess, Catalyst of Aeons, Chalice of Harmony, Lost Chapter (New Item), Fiendish Codex, Will of the Ancients (Removed), Rod of Ages, Morellonomicon, Athene's Unholy Grail, Abyssal Scepter, Zhonya's Hourglass, All Hextech items

Toolkit and Options

Click to toggle champion movement history

Search for a champion:

Updates:

• [Placeholder]

The Tier List

God Tier [Pee Your Pants - BAN]:
Mid-Lane Gods: Zed, Malzahar, Leblanc, Azir, Yasuo
Jungle Gods: Kindred, Lee Sin, Malzahar
Marksman Gods: Vayne, Lucian, Ezreal
Top Lane Gods: Ekko, Yasuo, Maokai, Vladimir
Support Gods: Alistar, Taric, Thresh

God Tier Rising: Ezreal (Marksman), Malzahar (Mid/Jungle), Vladimir (Top), Yasuo (Top)
God Tier Falling:

Tier 1 [Expected Powerhouses]:
Mid-Lane: Fizz, Brand, Ekko, Ahri, Twisted Fate, Lux, Veigar, Annie, Viktor, Vel'Koz, Ryze, Katarina, Vladimir, Lissandra, Orianna, Syndra,
Jungle: Ekko, Graves, Nidalee, Master Yi, Gragas, Kha'Zix, Elise, Rengar, Shaco, Fizz, Amumu, Evelynn, Jax, Vi, Fiddlesticks, Nocturne
Marksman: Jhin, Kog'Maw, Caitlyn, Quinn, Sivir, Jinx, Tristana
Top Lane: Darius, Malphite, Riven, Irelia, Fizz, Trundle, Ryze, Gangplank, Graves, Fiora, Poppy, Renekton, Jax, Garen, Nautilus, Shen, Nasus, Teemo, Gnar, Olaf, Dr. Mundo
Support: Brand, Soraka, Blitzcrank, Braum, Morgana, Zyra, Janna, Bard, Trundle,

Tier 1 Rising: Brand (Support/Mid), Ekko (Jungle), Fiddlesticks (Jungle), Nocturne (Jungle), Veigar (Mid), Vel'Koz (Mid), Zyra (Support)
Tier 1 Falling: Darius (Top), Fizz (Mid), Jhin (Marksman), Malphite (Top), Master Yi (Jungle), Soraka (Support),

Tier 2 [Crowd Favorites]:
Mid-Lane: Xerath, Ziggs, Anivia, Diana, Talon, Morgana, Kassadin, Zyra, Gangplank, Lulu, Karma, Kayle, Swain, Corki, Zilean, Jayce,
Jungle: Xin Zhao, Zac, Shyvana, Warwick, Volibear, Rammus, Rek'Sai, Sejuani, Hecarim, Udyr, Diana, Poppy, Jarvan IV, Wukong, Pantheon, Rumble
Marksman: Twitch, Draven, Kalista, Corki, Ashe, Miss Fortune, Graves
Top Lane: Pantheon, Rengar, Tryndamere, Sion, Kayle, Kennen, Illaoi, Rumble, Lissandra, Gragas, Wukong, Tahm Kench, Swain, Volibear, Quinn, Rammus, Cho'gath, Hecarim, Singed, Akali,
Support: Leona, Tahm Kench, Nautilus, Nami, Annie, Vel'Koz, Lulu, Karma

Tier 2 Rising: Pantheon (Jungle), Rumble (Jungle), Swain (Top), Twitch (Marksman), Vel'Koz (Support)
Tier 2 Falling: Anivia (Mid), Corki (Mid), Diana (Mid), Gragas (Top), Karma (Mid), Leona (Support) Lulu (Mid), Morgana (Mid), Nami (Support), Nautilus (Support), Shyvana (Jungle), Sion (Top), Xin Zhao (Jungle)

Tier 3 [Playable]:
Mid-Lane: Varus, Aurelion Sol, Akali, Cho'Gath, Pantheon, Karthus, Kennen, Cassiopeia, Jhin, Quinn, Heimerdinger, Galio, Ezreal, Kog'maw (AP), Nidalee (AP), Gragas, Mordekaiser, Urgot,
Jungle: Kayle, Skarner, Nunu, Quinn, Olaf, Aurelion Sol, Dr. Mundo, Trundle, Maokai, Cho'Gath, Malphite, Taric, Tryndamere, Tahm Kench, Nautilus, Sion, Aatrox, Nasus, Shen, Darius
Marksman: Varus, Urgot, Kindred, Mordekaiser, Kennen
Top Lane: Zac, Jayce, Cassiopeia, Lulu, Jarvan IV, Xin Zhao, Heimerdinger, Aatrox, Aurelion Sol, Yorick, Diana, Nidalee, Lee Sin, Rek'Sai, Zed, Shyvana, Kassadin, Warwick, Udyr, Kha'Zix, Karma, Vi, Master Yi, Viktor, Talon, Azir, Urgot
Support: Sona, Poppy, Malphite, Veigar, Zilean, Shen, Lux, Kennen, Fiddlesticks, Nunu, Gragas

Tier 3 Rising: Malphite (Support)
Tier 3 Falling: Aurelion Sol (Mid), Cassiopeia (Mid), Cho'Gath (Mid), Jarvan IV (Top), Lulu (Top), Poppy (Support), Sona (Support), Trundle (Jungle), Varus (Mid), Veigar (Support)

Tier 4 [Not Amused]:
Mid-Lane: Jarvan IV, Kha'Zix, Wukong, Malphite, Teemo, Riven, Tahm Kench, Tristana (AP), Elise, Fiddlesticks, Sona, Evelynn, Leona, Soraka, Janna
Jungle: Leona, Zed, Fiora, Riven, Gangplank, Blitzcrank, Alistar
Marksman: Twisted Fate
Top Lane: Vayne, Elise, Galio, Braum, Alistar, Nunu, Soraka
Support: Galio, Xerath, Teemo, Volibear, Kayle, Maokai, Anivia, Gangplank, Nidalee, Orianna, Yorick, Elise, Lissandra, Ashe, Leblanc

Tier 4 Rising:
Tier 4 Falling:

Instructions and Caveats:

• This tier list details which champions are most popular in today's current metagame, for better or for worse. Selecting a high popularity champion and doing mediocre is always favorable to selecting a low tier champion and doing mediocre for team morale.

Click Here for a description of the tiers

God Tier: These champions are common bans and are likely perceived as being "overall extremely strong/broken". They have very obvious and/or flashy skills that make them appear stronger than other champions. You'll likely see these champions picked early on if they're not banned.

Tier 1: These champions are the ones you'll see in the majority of your games and are good to familiarize yourself with as you'l be battling against them a lot.

Tier 2: These champions are relatively strong and have historically been picked more often than other champions. They may have been nerfed at one point at another, but are still perceived as strong in their current states.

Tier 3: These champions aren't quite as popular as the rest of the champions in the first 3 tiers, but picking them one at a time isn't going to cause much of a concern on your team. However, if you have a team of 5 of them your teammates are likely to feel a bit uneasy about your chances of winning in solo queue.

Tier 4: Selecting these champions will likely cause a rift between you and your teammates, who will proceed to flame you if you fail your lane. Exercise caution when selecting these champions, as team morale often plays a big part in victory or defeat.

Champion Explanations

• Brand [Tier 1 Support] - Ever since Brand's latest rework, he deals more percentage-based damage than ever before, allowing him to rip through tanks with ease, even without building large amounts of ability power. As a result, his play rate as a support has risen dramatically.
• Fiora [Tier 1 Top] - The reduction in the cost of Black Cleaver and nerfs on a few tank items allows a lot of the melee based DPS to come back onto the scene, and Fiora is no exception.
• Malphite [Tier 3 Support] - Malphite support is surging a bit now that he's no longer a perma-ban as a result of his top lane. 
• Malzahar [God Tier Mid/Jungle] - Behold Malzahar, the new perma-banned champion at all divisions. With his insanely powerful passive combined with his now easy to hit W + R combo melded into a single button, he's quite a bit stronger than he was last patch. His jungle abilities are also very high as a result of the new voidling spawn spell, which allows his excellent clear times at safe speeds.
• Riven [Tier 1 Top] - Similar to Fiora, Riven's rising up as a direct result of the item nerfs and buffs. As a champion that excels in outplaying her opponents and instantly destroying squishies without any resource constraints except cooldown, Riven is a beloved member of any top laner's arsenal. 
• Ryze [Tier 1 Mid] - The recent changes on Rod of Ages and Tear of the Goddess allow Ryze to be tankier and more powerful than ever before. There's not much else to say except that the synergy between Ryze and the newly buffed items translates to a much stronger spellcaster. 
• Shaco [Tier 1 Jungle] - Shaco's slowly climbing back up the ranked ladder as tanks are nerfed and squishies are all over the rift again. His early game ganks allow teams to snowball, and his objective control is more important than ever considering the insanely long Rift Herald buff.
• Teemo [Tier 1 Top] - After the latest buffs to Teemo, he's seeing more play, especially with the buffed Hextech Gunblade and to some extent Guinsoo's, although that's seeing limited usefulness.
• Vayne [God Tier Marksman] - The new Guinsoo's Rageblade has made Vayne extremely popular on the rift. Despite arguable usefulness considering her power-spike delay, that doesn't prevent players from enjoying her two hit Silver Bolts procs.
• Vladimir [God Tier Top] - Vladimir seems to be getting mixed reviews. on one hand he's able to chunk down squishies with ease, but on another he seems to be killing himself too quickly to be effective. Stay tuned for more updates, especially after the hotfix.

Disclaimer:

• The purpose of this list is for discussion and to provide a starting point for hero selection.

Agree? Disagree? Comment below!