FOTM Ranked Solo Queue Tier List (High Elo) ~ Patch 8.3 - February

Jhin buffs this patch didn't push him up much, but expect him to jump back into the meta if Tristana and Varus are nerfed. Meanwhile, we're getting mixed reviews on the Swain rework and players are opting to ban him rather than deal with an oppressive enemy or incompetent player on their own team.

No more Kha'Zix nerfs this time around, but he continues to be the only jungler players truly fear.

SEASON 8 - February- PATCH 8.3
FOTM RANKED META TIER LIST

"PLAY LIKE A PROFESSIONAL"

Preface Chatter

Jhin buffs this patch didn't push him up much, but expect him to jump back into the meta if Tristana and Varus are nerfed. Meanwhile, we're getting mixed reviews on the Swain rework and players are opting to ban him rather than deal with an oppressive enemy or incompetent player on their own team.

No more Kha'Zix nerfs this time around, but he continues to be the only jungler players truly fear.

Check out the full list below!

The purpose of the "Flavor of the Month" ("FOTM") list is to show which champions are popular in today's metagame in terms of pro picks and high Elo choices.

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 the Optimal Champion Bans by Division Listing!

Patch 8.3 Summary

Buffs: Jhin, Lucian, Master Yi, Tryndamere, Viktor

Nerfs: Azir, Jarvan IV, Katarina, Kog'Maw, Ryze, Sejuani, Zoe

Tweaks: Swain

Toolkit and Options

Search for a champion:

Updates:

• [Placeholder]

The Tier List

God Tier [High Priority Picks]:
Mid-Lane Gods: Zoe, Zed, Yasuo, Katarina
Jungle Gods: Kha'Zix, Lee Sin, Sejuani
Marksman Gods: Tristana, Varus, Vayne
Top Lane Gods: Gangplank, Yasuo, Nasus
Support Gods: Lulu, Janna, Thresh

Tier 1 [Meta Picks]:
Mid-Lane: Twisted Fate, Orianna, Azir, Vladimir, Lux, Xerath, Swain, Fizz, Ahri, Veigar, Malzahar, Kassadin, Ekko, Viktor, Corki, Galio, Anivia
Jungle: Warwick, Jarvan IV, Kayn, Evelynn, Shyvana, Master Yi, Jax, Zac, Rengar, Camille, Skarner, Nunu, Xin Zhao, Shaco, Nidalee, Rammus
Marksman: Ezreal, Xayah, Caitlyn, Lucian, Draven, Kog'Maw
Top Lane: Riven, Camille, Vladimir, Swain, Gnar, Darius, Fiora, Jax, Illaoi, Ornn, Teemo, Jayce, Malphite, Shen, Irelia, Garen, Maokai, Sion, Cho'Gath
Support: Alistar, Braum, Blitzcrank, Nami, Leona, Morgana, Tahm Kench, Soraka, Rakan, Taric

Tier 2 [Crowd Favorites]:
Mid-Lane: LeBlanc, Taliyah, Ryze, Vel'Koz, Diana, Syndra, Brand, Cassiopeia, Annie, Ziggs, Talon, Akali, Morgana, Aurelion Sol, Lissandra
Jungle: Vi, Twitch, Udyr, Elise, Hecarim, Graves, Rek'Sai, Gragas, Amumu, Pantheon, Kindred, Wukong, Ekko, Cho'Gath, Nocturne
Marksman: Twitch, Jinx, Jhin, Kalista, Miss Fortune
Top Lane: Urgot, Akali, Pantheon, Renekton, Tryndamere, Kled, Singed, Yorick, Tahm Kench, Aatrox, Rengar, Rumble, Kennen, Poppy, Trundle, Wukong, Galio
Support: Brand, Bard, Karma, Sona, Shen, Zyra, Lux, Zilean, Xerath

Tier 3 [Playable]:
Mid-Lane: Jayce, Karthus, Zilean, Karma, Fiddlesticks, Heimerdinger, Kayle
Jungle: Diana, Ivern, Maokai, Fiddlesticks, Tryndamere, Aatrox, Trundle
Marksman: Sivir, Ashe, Quinn
Top Lane: Kayle, Dr. Mundo, Ryze, Olaf, Heimerdinger, Mordekaiser, Quinn, Nautilus
Support: Nautilus, Vel'Koz, Fiddlesticks, Sion

Tier 4 [Rarely Seen]:
Mid-Lane: Gragas, Kennen, Mordekaiser
Jungle: Volibear, Olaf, Aurelion Sol, Dr. Mundo, Poppy, Quinn
Marksman:
Top Lane: Talon, Lissandra, Gragas, Karthus, Volibear
Support:  Annie, Poppy

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

• Alistar [Tier 1 Support] - Alistar in his current form is incredibly oppressive and players favor him for his heavy all-in plays to counteract the heavy shield sustain metas. Although he was stronger pre-nerfs on Unsealed Spellbook, he still fills the role of tank quite nicely with all the assassin top and jungle players.
• Braum [Tier 1 Support] - Similar to Alistar, Braum allows your team to run the double assassins without giving up a front line. He also counters a variety of meta top laners like Ornn, and is incredibly potent against the hypercarry meta. A well positioned Braum + Yasuo shield combo can negate almost the entirety of the enemy team's burst potential.
• Kha'Zix [God Tier Jungle] - Kha'Zix is one of those champions that feels incredibly overtuned in a meta without tanks. He can absolutely dominate games from start to finish, and a snowballing Kha feels very unhealthy to play against.
• Kog'Maw [Tier 1 Marksman] - After his nerfs Kog'Maw is seeing reduced play all around. He's still strong late game with at least three offensive items. However, other hypercarries do his job better.
• Sejuani [God Tier Jungle] - The nerfs to her mobility don't stop her from executing powerful ganks and team fight initiation. Although she's not a solo carry jungler anymore, Sejuani is still very reliable and players that enjoyed playing her pre-nerf may not feel much of a difference.
• Swain [Tier 1 Mid] - The new Swain is very hit-or-miss. He's not exactly an easy champion to play, but he's also not super complicated either. We've seen a quick rise from 44% to 48% in win rate through the patch as players learn to play him properly. While most agreed he was unplayble on release, pioneers have shown that he is indeed viable with the right setup. Late game, his low cooldown Q is very powerful.
• Tristana [God Tier Marksman] - Tristana is always everyone's go-to with nerfs on other hypercarries, and this time is no different. She's currently in nearly every game and is incredibly safe to play and great from start to finish.
• Varus [God Tier Marksman] - Varus is one of those marksmen that pops up once in a while, then stays for much longer than expected for an unmobile hypercarry. In this low CC meta, Varus' ultimate is extremely potent for initiating and counter-initating team fights. His burst damage is also very high and his lane presence very oppressive. In his current form, he feels similar to Kog'Maw from last patch.
• Zoe [God Tier Mid] - Zoe is another one of those hit-or-miss champions that can either one shot enemy teams from the fog of war or simply miss every skillshot and do nothing all game. However, her ability to miss 10 skillshots then one shot the enemy marksmen is a bit broken. As a result, players tend to either ban or pick her up to prevent feeling that tilting level of gameplay.

Disclaimer:

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

Agree? Disagree? Comment below!

Looking for older versions of the FOTM Tier List?

Check out prior versions via this link!