2016 Best Champions Tier List - Ranked Ladder Climbing - Patch 6.16 Update

Preface Chatter

As Riot prepares for the world stage, they provided a light patch to prevent massive upsets. However, as the meta flows, each champion's strength continues to vary slightly from patch to patch, even without direct nerfs and buffs. This time around, we see the meta shifting towards high attack damage-based top laners, whereas the heal and shield suppports continue to dominate the bot lane.

Check out the full list below!

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The Tier List

God Tier [Highest Influence]:

Mid-Lane Gods:Ahri, Annie, Anivia
Jungle Gods: Zac, Amumu, Sejuani,
Marksman Gods: Jhin, Ashe, Jinx
Top Lane Gods: Gangplank, Yasuo, Irelia, Darius
Support Gods: Soraka, Sona, Janna

Tier 1 [Strong/Preferred Choices]:

Mid-Lane:Katarina, Vel'Koz, Aurelion Sol, Brand, Viktor, Twisted Fate, Morgana, Kayle, Zilean, Gangplank, Yasuo, Cassiopeia, Fizz, Talon, Lux, Zyra, Karthus, Xerath, Galio, Swain
Jungle: Gragas, Volibear, Vi, Wukong, Kha'Zix, Skarner, Shaco, Rammus, Fiddlesticks, Xin Zhao, Jarvan IV, Rek'Sai, Nocturne, Hecarim
Marksman: Sivir, Miss Fortune, Twitch, Tristana, Caitlyn, Kog'Maw, Lucian, Quinn
Top Lane: Kayle, Wukong, Riven, Renekton, Teemo, Quinn, Ekko, Jarvan IV, Malphite, Jax, Tryndamere, Kennen, Akali, Rumble, Swain, Pantheon, Sion, Illaoi, Singed, Lissandra, Nautilus
Support: Blitzcrank, Nami, Taric, Leona, Braum, Zilean

Tier 2 [Viable/Balanced Choices]:

Mid-Lane: Akali, Zed, Veigar, Orianna, Sona, Syndra, Karma, Malzahar, Jayce, Kennen, Diana, Cho'Gath, Lulu, Wukong, Taliyah,  Leblanc, Pantheon, Ziggs, Heimerdinger, Lissandra, Kassadin, Quinn, Ekko, Urgot
Jungle: Rengar, Warwick, Rumble, Kindred, Nidalee, Jax, Elise, Malzahar, Graves, Irelia, Udyr, Quinn, Trundle, Ekko, Shyvana, Master Yi, Diana, Poppy, Dr. Mundo, Nunu, Lee Sin, Maokai, Kayle, Malphite, Sion, Fizz, Aatrox, Nautilus, Aurelion Sol, Pantheon, Mordekaiser, Evelynn, Cho'Gath
Marksman: Ezreal, Vayne, Graves, Kalista, Draven, Corki, Kindred, Varus, Urgot
Top Lane: Volibear, Fiora, Olaf, Shen, Zac, Maokai, Garen, Nasus, Trundle, Cho'gath, Graves, Malzahar, Dr. Mundo, Urgot, Rammus, Poppy, Gnar, Fizz, Mordekaiser, Gragas, Tahm Kench, Diana, Galio, Hecarim, Aatrox, Lulu, Xin Zhao, Heimerdinger, Karma, Jayce, Rengar, Vladimir, Kassadin, Nidalee, Aurelion Sol
Support: Karma, Vel'Koz, Alistar, Zyra, Brand, Bard, Morgana, Nautilus, Trundle, Sion, Thresh, Lulu, Annie

Tier 3 [Needs Higher Skill/Knowledge Than Usual]:

Mid-Lane:Corki, Varus, Vladimir, Ezreal (AP), Azir, Ryze, Nidalee, Kog'Maw (AP), Teemo, Master Yi, Gragas, Jarvan IV, Ezreal (AD), Jhin, Mordekaiser, Riven, Fiddlesticks, Kha'Zix, Malphite, Leona, Elise
Jungle:Tryndamere, Olaf, Kled, Kog'Maw, Tahm Kench, Taric, Nasus, Gangplank, Taliyah, Fiora, Zed, Karthus, Leona, Riven, Darius, Shen
Marksman:Kennen, Twisted Fate
Top Lane: Kled, Cassiopeia, Warwick, Udyr, Rek'Sai, Morgana, Zed, Blitzcrank, Karthus, Viktor, Ryze, Lee Sin, Yorick, Master Yi, Kha'Zix, Vi, Talon, Shyvana, Taliyah, Azir, Leblanc, Vayne, Nunu, Elise, Taric
Support: Tahm Kench, Shen, Poppy, Volibear, Malphite, Shaco, Veigar, Lux, Xerath, Gragas, Maokai, Kayle, Kennen, Taliyah, Fiddlesticks, Nunu, Pantheon, Elise, Teemo

Tier 4 [Low Benefits for Effort Used]:

Mid-Lane: Soraka, Tristana (AP), Evelynn, Tahm Kench, Janna
Jungle: Garen, Alistar, Yorick
Marksman: Mordekaiser, Thresh
Top Lane: Alistar, Braum, Soraka
Support:Ashe, Anivia, Nidalee, Lee Sin, Gangplank, Orianna, Galio, Syndra, Yorick, Lissandra, Leblanc

God Tier: These champions are almost impossible to keep down. If your team doesn't make it a priority to shut down these champions and shut them down hard, even if they lose their lane, lose in CS, and it's their first time playing the champion, they can be a massive nuisance for your team. On the other hand, if they're actually good at the champion...that's when it's time to throw in the towel.

Tier 1: These champions generally do very well regardless, and have some sort of advantage over most other champions. 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 by utilizing one or more aspects of their late game utility.

Tier 2: This is the Tier of balanced champions where Riot shoots to place their designs. These champions generally do well in their own right, and are very strong picks with a good chance of winning. However, they're not overpowered by any means and do have their weaknesses.

Tier 3: These champions 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. They may also have some weaknesses that can be capitalized on.

Tier 4: These champions are either underpowered or offer less reward than other champions for the same amount of effort. These champions 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. Chances of a comeback with one of these champions feeding on your team is almost none.

• Blitzcrank [Tier 1 Support] - On a field dominated by heal and shield-based supports, many all-in based champions find themselves on the losing end of trades as they get kited into oblivion. However, Blitzcrank is one of those time-honored champions that can always be valuable, no matter what Riot stacks against him. One game-changing hook is all it takes...
• Gragas [Tier 1 Jungle] - Whenever our friends from Korea take the world stage, they inevitably fall back to an old favorite: Gragas. A play-making machine, Gragas continuously finds new ways to come back stronger than ever before. The current favorite build is Runic Echoes + Iceborn Gauntlet into full tank, which appears ti be working extremely well. This build allows Gragas to deal excellent sustained damage while also granting him amazing turret diving potential.
• Kled [Tier 3 Jungle/Top] - Although his kit does seem to have potential, he is currently under-performing on release, much like the rest of Riot's complex champions.We'll see how he does after a bit of practice and time, but in his current stage, he seems a bit weaker than others.
• Mordekaiser [Tier 2 Jungle] - The new quality of life buffs allow Mordekaiser some more flexibility when using his ghost. As a jungler he also gains almost guaranteed access to the Dragon ghost if your team is winning, granting him a large amount of free stats in the form of health.
• Nautilus [Tier 1 Top] - The latest Nautilus buffs were quite good, giving him even more crowd-control abilities than before, which was already his strong suit. Expect to see him more, but top lane is still dominated by high AD-based champions.
• Shaco [Tier 1 Jungle] - The time is coming soon where Shaco becomes...flavor of the month again...an expert ganker with the ability to rapidly snowball games, Shaco's main weakness was always the late game. However, by securing early dragons and counter-jungling, Shaco's gank flexibility allows him to be a complete nuisance from early to mid-game.
• Soraka [God Tier Support] - After Sona's nerfs this patch, Soraka is looking better than ever. At this point, I say she is stronger than Sona by a small margin now.
• Twisted Fate [Tier 1 Mid] - Despite the rapid drop off in win rate this patch, Twisted Fate is one of those champions that has always historically pulled through. As a result, I think we can give him the benefit of the doubt and chalk this one to a statistical anomoly.
• Yasuo [God Tier Top] - Yasuo continues to dominate the top lane this patch, and his Trinity Force + Frozen Mallet build continues to be an utter pain to deal with.

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