Welcome back everyone to a brand new edition of the best solo carries where we provide you guys with three champions for every single role that are extremely powerful for the current meta.
Top Lane
Aatrox
Making his way back into the Top Lane's top three due to some recent buffs and indirect item changes is Aatrox. Patch 13.17 was very kind to Aatrox, as he saw a really nice boost in strength. The versatility of the champion has never been higher, as you can adapt well to each game. Despite Duskblade being nerfed, it's still a viable rush option and can work great into squishy comps that you can burst out. For comps that are going to be building more health or resistances, picking up the buffed Gore Drinker is great again.
The complete core build when playing into those squishier comps is a Duskblade rush into Serilda's Grudge second and Black Cleaver third. For more tanky matchups, it's Gore Drinker followed by Black Cleaver and Sterak's Gage.
Matchup-wise for Aatrox, Fiora is one meta champion most Aatrox players struggle against due to her mobility and W making it difficult for you to land Q. So, she's a solid ban. The rune page revolves around Conqueror with Triumph, Tenacity, and Last Stand, along with Second Wind and Revitalize for secondaries.
Garen
If you're Emerald or below right now, there's only one Top Lane champion you need in order to climb fast, and that champ is Garen. As if Garen wasn't already an incredible low ELO stomper, the recent buffs to Stridebreaker in 13.17 have further strengthened that claim.
There have been so many changes in recent patches that have slowly helped to alleviate Garen's core weakness of being less mobile, making him a much more reliable carry. Back in 13.10, Hole Breaker was given a 5 percent movement speed boost, which was massive. The new double Zeal build provides even more movement speed. Finally, more and more players are catching on to the power of Phase Rush on Garen, so the champion has incredible sticking power.
A fed Garen running this build and rune setup actually has very little counterplay. Of course, getting fed is the difficult part, so here's a quick tip: every 23 seconds, your W is off cooldown, and whenever it is up, it's your window to trade. For those 23 seconds that it's down, you want to be more reserved and utilize your passive to heal up. After two trades with W, you should be able to acquire the health advantage. After that, if the enemy is in lethal, you should be looking for windows to flash in with Ignite and finish off the kill. Impatience is what's going to kill your ability to succeed on Garen, as his trading power with W is massive, but you have to be more respectful when it's down. The matchups that most Garen players are struggling against for the current meta are Darius and Malphite, so either is a good ban option.
Malphite
For countless patches in a row now, this champion has been the most reliable Top Lane pick, and that champ is Malphite. Malphite has become even higher priority over the past patch, with Tryndamere being buffed. Malphite players are winning over 56 percent of the time in that matchup, which is absolutely impressive.
Malphite holds his own very well into the majority of physical damage Top Lane fighters; it's just the AP bruisers that are more trouble. You should always be using your ban on either Mordekaiser or Sylas if you're content on locking in Malphite.
When grouping up with Malphite, you always want to be looking for angles where you can dip into the fog of war. Carrying a Control Ward on you to know that the brush isn't warded is key. As a champion with such incredible team fight potential like Malphite, you really don't want to be relying on your teleport to get into fights, especially if your team is ahead and you can easily win 5v5s. Getting to that objective early, controlling vision, and looking for picks when the enemy walks in is your bread and butter for closing out games on Malphite.
The core build you should be running is an Iceborn Gauntlet rush into Sunfire Aegis second and a situational tank item third. Take Grasp when you're in melee matchups that you'll be able to trade auto-attacks against, and pick up Comet in more difficult melee lanes or into ranged top laners.
Jungle
Nocturne
For Jungle in this patch, Nocturne is making his way into the top three. Nocturne has been quite the sleeper jungle pick in recent patches, and now that Stridebreaker was buffed in 13.17, people are finally waking up to the champion. A very simple but effective tip to focus on in the mid-game with Nocturne is hovering around your fed carry. Oftentimes, Nocturne players will get their top laner super fed but then just completely abandon them in the mid-game and begin playing towards their weaker bot lane. Playing to that strong side and looking to hover them whenever you have your ultimate available is crucial.
Instead of using your ban on a specific jungler when playing Nocturne, getting rid of a champion who counters your dive like Rek'Sai or Lulu is a good idea. The standard core build for Nocturne is a Stridebreaker rush into Black Cleaver second and Death's Dance or Sterak's Gage third. Lethal Tempo is the recommended Keystone Rune with Triumph, Alacrity, and Coup de Grace. Eyeball Collection and Ultimate Hunter are for secondaries.
Evelynn
One of the best pure solo carry junglers you can play right now is Evelynn. The champion just works way too well in solo queue where her stealth and ability to find catch plays are greatly rewarded. If you've got a lane that has some decent CC gank setup, it's so easy to pick up kills from level 6 onwards, even if the enemy is playing safe on their side of the lane. If your teammate can land that CC spell and you follow up with Charm, there's no escaping. In the mid-game, it's all about finding catch plays on those enemies that completely forget Evelynn is in the game. There will be so many opportunities where the enemy squishy just pushes up a bit too far, and it's your job to be there to punish. If you want to see the most success on Evelynn, whenever an objective is coming up, there will often be a moment where the enemy team splits up. The support will try to get vision on the objective while someone on the enemy team will try to clear out the mid wave by themselves. If it's the enemy clearing mid by themselves, you want to try and find a catch play on them, and if you can do this consistently, the wins will pile up.
The gank-heavy junglers you really need to contain when playing Evelynn, so just using your ban on Jarvan is a great idea right now. Core items you never want to pass up on when playing Evelynn are Rocketbelt and Rabadon's. The rune page is Electrocute with Sudden Impact, Eyeball Collection, and Relentless Hunter. Absolute Focus and Gathering Storm are the optimal secondaries.
Jarvan
Rounding out the top three for Jungle in 13.18 is Jarvan. Jarvan is being tagged with a direct nerf this patch, but considering he was just miles ahead of every other jungle in 13.17, we don't see the nerf reducing his relative power level that much. Jarvan was already a top-tier jungler even before Spear of Shojin was buffed, so even though Riot's reverting some of the buffs from last patch, he's still going to be amazing. The two-item core of Gore and Spear of Shojin is what's making the champion so broken right now, with all the ability haste from Spear, your EQ combo drops to such a short cooldown, which makes your skirmish in the mid-game extremely powerful.
Jarvan has some of the best hard engage for any jungler, so banning out a champion who can counter this engage like Rek'Sai or someone that can avoid the engage like Ezreal is a good idea due to this hard engage strength. It's very easy to capitalize when you have the numbers advantage in the mid-game. You always want to be paying very close attention to the minimap, and if your team is grouped while the enemy team is spread out farming the side wave, being aware of that and punishing instantly is vital. The Rune page you should run on Jarvan is Conqueror with Triumph, Alacrity, and Last Stand. Grab Free Boots and Cosmic Insight for secondaries.
Mid Lane
Tryndamere
Moving on to the mid-lane solo carries, one champion who's always been super sleeper and cannot be ignored right now is Tryndamere. Tryndamere mid has always had some pretty good viability, but after those 13.17 buffs, he's become a bit over the top. Riot is toning the champion down a tad for 13.18, but that's not really going to matter. Tryndamere mid plays extremely well into the majority of the squishy mid-lane champions. What you really want to focus on during the laning phase is letting the enemies shove into you. Don't hard push the wave at level one and level two because at level three, it's ideal if the wave is on your side of the lane. We have multiple courses dedicated to mid-lane wave control on our website that can really help you out if you want a more in-depth look at this concept.
What makes Tryndamere especially good into skillshot-reliant midlaners is that he can use his E aggressively to dodge the spells and then begin attacking the enemy while they have no damage to return. For example, Zed is Tryndamere's most common matchup right now, and if Zed ever tries to W for poke instead of backing away or using E backward to dodge the Qs, you can E in aggressively to the side to dodge the damage and then begin autoing to win the extended trade. At level 6, it becomes extremely easy because you can just straight-up dive many squishy midlaners if you can take one good trade prior and get them chunked.
One champion that can be more annoying to play into due to range and self-healing power is Tristana, so she's a respectable ban. The optimal core build for Tryndamere mid is a Stridebreaker rush into Kraken Slayer second and Hullbreaker third. Lethal Tempo is the Keystone Rune with Triumph, Tenacity, and Last Stand. Grab Second Wind and Unflinching for secondaries.
Vex
Back in the top three for mid-lane for a second patch in a row is Vex. As if Vex wasn't already a great pick into those melee midlaners with mobility, the W buff from 13.17 has given her even more strength. Right now, Vex is winning over 53% of the time into champions like LeBlanc, Yasuo, Akali, Silas, and Katarina, which is incredible. Whenever you have W up, it's extremely difficult for melee midlaners to trade into you. So, in those matchups, all you've got to do is play off the spells' cooldowns, and you're golden. If W is down, you can play a bit further back and land poke with Q and E, but when it's up, you can be more aggressive, fishing for autos when the enemy goes for last hits. To really master your trading and get the most out of Vex, we have multiple courses on our website that can help you out tremendously.
Matchups you more so want to avoid when picking Vex are the longer-range mages, so banning out Syndra or Lux is good value. The optimal core build for Vex is a Luden's rush into Shadowflame second and Zhonya's or Rabadon's third. Electrocute is the best Keystone Rune with Taste of Blood, Eyeball Collection, and Ultimate Hunter. Roll with Manaflow and Transcendence for secondaries.
Kassadin
A mid-lane champ who has quietly made his way back into a great spot over the past few patches is Kassadin, and we say quietly quite literally because Riot didn't even notice to certify anyone that they buffed Kassadin's ultimate AP ratio back in 13.15. Mid to late-game power of Kassadin is even more ridiculous now, so if you can just find a way to get past the early game, he's incredibly strong. The only meta matchups that Kassadin currently has a negative win rate against are Zed and Tristana. Zed is the higher priority ban right now, but Tristana is arguably more annoying. So, it's a tough choice on who to ban, but you should definitely be choosing one of them.
Adapting your rune page and starting items on Kassadin can really help you out based on the matchup. Against a pokey range champ like LeBlanc or Syndra, you can run the Holy Trinity of Fleet Footwork, Second Wind, and Doran's Shield to help you get past the first few levels. In easier matchups, especially against AP assassins like Katarina and Ekko, running Dark Seal start and taking a more aggressive Rune page with Electrocute can work wonders. The standard core build for Kassadin is a Rod of Ages rush into Archangel's second and Zhonya's or Rabadon's third.
ADC
Jhin
An ADC on the rise for 13.18 and making his first appearance in the top three in a while is Jhin. Jhin, being one of the few Champions who still builds stormraiser as a core item, will be loving the buff. Jin is one of the more unique ADCs when it comes down to his options for starting items. Doran's blade, long sword, and boots are all viable, so when should you look to run one or the other?
If you're laning against a skill shot-reliant support who's also got poke like Lux, Zyra, or Xerath, going for boots with four potions is very useful. If you think of it like this, movement speed is a sort of resistance itself because if you can just dodge those Champions' spells, you're not going to be taking any damage. As for the long sword or Doran's start, longsword is going to work amazing if you're in an easy lane where the enemy has low kill threat, say an Ezreal-Yuumi lane or a Twitch with Braum lane. You can easily get away with starting longsword into a more aggro duo like Sivir-Rakan or Lucian-Nami. Taking the Doran's blade for more health to avoid being all-in works great.
The core build to run on Jhin is a stormrazor rush into Galeforce second and Rapid Firecannon third. Take Fleet Footwork for the Keystone Rune with Presence of Mind, Bloodline, and Coup de Grace. Celerity and Gathering Storm are the way to go for secondaries.
Nilah
With so many ADCs tagged with the Static Shiv nerfs this patch, along with direct nerfs to Xayah, one champ to really watch out for is Nilah. Nilah has been an exceptionally strong performer in recent patches and will only become better moving forward. Nilah's ability to make plays happen on her own, especially at level 6, gives her so much agency over how games play out. With most ADCs, you're super reliant on your support to go in and make the first move, but Nilah can do it all by herself.
Since Nilah's W completely negates the enemy's auto-attack damage for 2.25 seconds, it makes her quick burst all-in plays at level 6 extremely lethal. Cannon waves are generally where you're going to find the best opportunities to look for these all-in plays. The enemy ADC is not going to want to give up cannons, so if you can time your engage around when the enemy will be last hitting the cannon, it's going to make your engage plays way more consistent. Due to her longer-range ability to poke you out in lane and high presence in the meta, using your ban on Ashe is a good idea.
The core build for Nilah is super unique and something we don't see on any other ADCs. It's a Collector rush into Quickblade second and Immortal Shield Bow third. The rune page is Conqueror with Triumph, Bloodline, and Last Stand, followed by Sudden Impact and Treasure Hunter for secondaries.
Ashe
Quite the shocker that Ashe avoids the nerf ban for 13.18, so she's back in the top three once again. Due to so many other ADCs dropping in power this patch, it's going to put even more priority on Ashe and will solidify her as the number one option.
Diving into some advanced analytics on Ashe, it's very interesting when looking at the win rate of the champion in relation to the spell use skill at level 2. Leveling E at level 2 actually has about a one percent higher win rate than taking Q, but it's only done in eight percent of games. If you don't have the level 2 jump on the enemy and are not looking to fight, taking E at level 2 and scouting the enemy jungler is really underrated. Of course, in most games, you should be pushing for that level 2, leveling up Q, and looking to fight. But for whatever reason, if you just lose control of lane early on, taking a point in E at level 2 can be very powerful. Keep this in the back of your mind and don't just autopilot level up Q at level two. From now on, definitely look to prioritize your ban on a meta hard engage champion right now, like Jarvan or Hecarim when picking Ashe.
The core build is a Kraken Slayer rush into Trinity Force second and Hurricane third. Roll with Lethal Tempo as the Keystone Rune, followed by Presence of Mind, Bloodline, and Coup de Grace. Optimal secondaries are Biscuits and Approach Velocity.
Support
Blitzcrank
Making his way back into the meta in a big way over the past patch has been Blitzcrank. The 13.17 changes panned out extremely positively, and he's been given even more relative strength due to the Everfrost Nerfs. So many melee supports have fallen in power as a result of the Everfrost Nerf, but since Blitz is thriving with Everfrost, he's heavily outperforming. Many pros have been liking the Everfrost rush even before the 13.17 Mana scaling was added to Blitz's R, but it's finally catching on in solo queue now. Capitalizing on hook plays is just way more reliable with the added damage and root that Everfrost provides.
With Ezreal currently one of the most popular ADCs for solo queue, he's a really good ban if you plan on picking Blitz. A tip that applies to all supports but even more so when you're picking Blitz is to be proactive around roam timers and don't just sit in lane on autopilot. When your ADC takes a recall and there's nothing for you to do in lane, look to hover mid for a roam opportunity. If a fight breaks out or you're coming off a reset and your ADC is also in base with you, don't just run straight back to bot; run towards mid to see if there's a play to be made. If not, make your way back to bot. If you're walking straight back to bot lane after every single recall, you're just flat out playing support wrong.
The standard Rune page for Blitzcrank is Glacial Augment with Hexflash, Biscuits, and Cosmic Insight. For secondaries, take Bone Plating and Unflinching. For some odd reason, Riot thought Thresh was in need of a buff for 13.18, so he jumps into the top three for support. The reason it's odd to see Thresh buffed is that he's already been the most popular solo queue support for a while now with a pretty respectable win rate. So, for him to get buffed over other struggling supports is a bit strange. Nevertheless, two of the classic hook supports will be dominating the solo queue meta here in 13.18.
Thresh
We mentioned this tip for Thresh in our recent article on 10 Champions that everyone plays wrong, and it's related to the Champion's skill order. If you're still maxing E out second on Thresh, look to try out W instead. W Max second Thresh players win a whole three percent more than those who go E. In the mid-game, having W maxed out is generally going to be more valuable than E because a shorter cooldown on W is more impactful than extra damage and a lower cooldown on E. Bandwise for Thresh, Morgana is a solid option, as her Black Shield makes catch plays much more difficult to pull off.
The standard core build for Thresh is a Locket rush into Zeke's second and Knight's Vow third. Take Glacial Augment for the Keystone Rune with Hexflash, Biscuits, and Cosmic Insight. Bone Plating and Unflinching are for secondaries. This support has been exceptionally strong for multiple patches now.
Zyra
Rounding out the top three is Zyra. There's no better support right now when it comes down to a damage-oriented carry. With all the changes to ADCs this patch, Ashe's play rate should only continue to rise, giving even more power to Zyra, as that duo is super nasty when you're looking to poke in lane.
With Zyra, don't just throw out your Q randomly off cooldown; have some purpose behind using the spell. You should get in the habit of only throwing out skill shots when the enemy ADC is going for a last hit. This is especially powerful in Cannon waves, as you either completely zone the enemy off of taking the cannon or, if they go for it, you're pretty much guaranteed to land your poke. Since when the enemy last hits, they are forced into a fixed position for a split second, making it way easier for you to line up your spells.
The core build for Zyra consists of Liandry's rush into Rylai's second and Zhonya's or Demonic Embrace third. The supports with strong catch power, who Zyra can be more vulnerable against, so using your ban on Rakan or Blitzcrank is a good idea. Comet is the best Keystone Rune with Manaflow Band, Transcendence, and Scorch. Run Taste of Blood and Relentless Hunter for secondaries.
FAQs
Why is Tryndamere mid so strong in the current meta?
Tryndamere's recent buffs and itemization options make him an excellent pick for the mid lane. His ability to split-push and duel opponents makes him a formidable threat.
What's the best core build for Nocturne in the jungle?
The core build for Nocturne in the jungle typically includes Stridebreaker, Black Cleaver, and Death's Dance or Sterak's Gage.
Why is Zyra a strong pick for support in Patch 13.18?
Zyra excels in a meta where poking in lane is crucial, and her ability to deal significant damage while providing crowd control makes her a potent support pick.
Which ADC is recommended for solo queue in this patch?
Jin is a strong ADC pick for solo queue in Patch 13.18 due to his versatility and ability to deal high damage from a safe distance.
How can I counter Tryndamere in the mid lane?
Tryndamere can struggle against champions with good crowd control and burst damage. Coordinating with your team to lock him down in team fights can be effective.
