2013 Hero Tier List - Solo Queue - Patch 3.0.3 Updated March

SEASON 3 - PATCH 3.0.3  SOLO QUEUE TIER LIST

Preface Chatter
In this patch, we learn that Riot no longer remembers what "nerfing" means and instead, appears to think that "nerfing" means making champions stronger than they were before.

The Tier List

Tier 1: Amumu, Rumble, Tryndamere, Singed, Xin Zhao, Twisted Fate, Taric, Hecarim, Miss Fortune, Elise, Nidalee, Katarina, Fiddlesticks, Zyra, Shaco, Jax, Shen, Darius, Garen, Ezreal, Vi, Lee Sin, Blitzcrank, Sona, Cho'gath, Malphite, Karthus, Graves, Draven, Kayle, Lux, Kha'Zix

Tier 2: Nasus, Varus, Twitch, Jarvan IV, Nocturne, Evelynn, Akali, Orianna, Diana, Caitlyn, Talon, Lulu, Kassadin, Vayne, Maokai, Ryze, Pantheon, Jayce, Wukong, Irelia, Quinn, Renekton, Zed, Riven, Olaf, Cassiopeia, Ahri, Morgana, Rammus,  Nautilus, Tristana, Vladimir, Kennen, Leona, Janna, Udyr, Anivia, Master Yi

Tier 3: Swain, Xerath, Sejuani, Dr. Mundo, Thresh, Sivir, Yorick, Syndra, Annie, Corki, Ashe,  Mordekaiser, Brand, Gragas, Teemo, Soraka, Skarner, Nunu, Galio, Kog'Maw, Malzahar, Shyvana, Fizz, Zilean

Tier 4: Alistar, Warwick, Veigar, Viktor, Nami, Sion, Rengar, Gangplank, Urgot, Heimerdinger, Ziggs, Trundle, Volibear, Poppy, Leblanc, Fiora, Karma

• Heroes in BOLD I will talk about shortly
• Heroes in Italics may be over/undervalued, but aren't/haven't played enough for me to make a better judgement.
• Within each tier the champions are strongest from left to right, but within a tier each champion's strength is relatively close. This is especially true for Tiers 2 and 3 where these heroes are ALL highly playable and player dependent on how strong they are in-game.

Click Here for a description of the tiers

Tier 1: These heroes generally do very well regardless, and when they do well, their team does well. Even when they don't do well, their team still has a good chance of a comeback victory.

Tier 2: These heroes are a little more hit or miss, and if they start falling behind they start feeling powerless.

Tier 3: These heroes can still do very well, but tend to need a little more snowballing to get rolling. Even if they get an early lead, it's still very possible to turn the tides on them with just a mistake or two.

Tier 4: These heroes basically start winning from the get-go or get made fun of for the rest of the game. They need gold to do their job correctly, and if they don't get enough of it, they become sandbags for the enemy team to punch.

Hero Explanations 

• Diana - Diana's very strong right now in the current meta, and tends to do very well against popular AP carries like Twisted Fate. She's basically like an AOE Akali with mana.
• Hecarim - These nerfs really didn't do much to horse-boy. He's still the same rampaging nonsense he was before, except now his early game is better.
• Kayle - Increasing the missle speed actually made up for the other nerfs, and she's still just as annoying as always.
• Nasus - The buffs from 3.0.2 are starting to become apparent, and Nasus is back to the most annoying CC ever, especially on AD carries. By bringing his late game closer than before, he's starting to deal enough damage mid-game to make it nearly impossible to win late.
• Nidalee - The nerfs hit her top lane tank build a bit, but her AP form is completely unchanged. If anything, she clears waves faster now for split-pushing.
• Quinn - 1v1 she's EXTREMELY strong, but the problem is when it's not 1v1. In a teamfight her ultimate doesn't play a big factor unless you're already winning, and her escape...well it's not exactly an escape.
• Sejuani - Secretly OP...she's actualy kinda strong, but nobody plays her, so nobody remembers to dodge her ultimate.
• Taric - Lol. Nerfs. I remember my first time nerfing a champ...amateur hour.
• Tryndamere - The nerfs to his heal along with the release of the new and improved Blade of the Ruined King basically brought back unmoveable AD Tryndamere. I think AP Tryndamere was more favorable...
• Twitch - His laning phase is actually outrageously strong, and even without taking full advantage of his invisibility his poison expunge combo hits very hard.
• Vayne - The new blade of the ruined king synergizes extremely well with her, I'm expecting a comeback of Vayne players. She still suffers from the same issues as before though.
• Vi - The nerfs to the various junglers actually hit Vi the hardest, since she was the one who had to get up into people's faces without having a heal like Hecarim or Xin.
• Xerath - He's got some insane damage, but truth be told I think he's a very player-by-player basis type of champion. He has potential, but very few people can utilize it.
• Xin Zhao - Once again. Ha. Nerfs.
• Yorick - Yorick's extremely powerful top lane at the moment, but with the nerfs to AD carries his damage potential is much lower than it was in Season 2. The new Muramana definitely helps a ton though.

Disclaimer:

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