The Best Support Champions In League of Legends

Exploring the pivotal role of support in League of Legends reveals its significant impact on both lane dynamics and game outcomes. Support players have the power to control the game’s tempo and propel their ADCs to success.

The constantly changing support meta requires players to stay updated with the top picks to maximize their influence in the bot lane and beyond. In this article, we delve into the current top support champions, their strengths, and how to leverage these to secure wins and climb the ranks. Understanding these champions’ key success factors is crucial for any player aiming to excel in the support role. Let’s dive into the best support champions in League of Legends at the moment.

#24: Senna

Win Rate: 49% | Pick Rate: 4%

Key Strengths: Versatile damage output, healing capabilities, extended range.
Unique Support Role: Functions as a secondary ADC as the game progresses.

Senna’s role as a marksman-style support continues to draw attention for her dual ability to support and scale into a damage-dealing powerhouse. Despite a slight decrease in her dominance since the season’s outset, Senna remains a formidable pick, particularly when paired with unconventional bot lane partners like Veigar or Seraphine. This AP and AD combination not only offers balanced team composition but also enhances Senna’s effectiveness in dealing with objectives. To truly excel with Senna, players should hone their ADC skills to fully leverage her hybrid capabilities in games.

#23: Zyra

Win Rate: 50% | Pick Rate: 3%

Key Strengths: Potent damage, exceptional zone control, extensive crowd control.
Distinctive Support Role: Tops the chart as the mage support with comprehensive CC.

Zyra stands out in the realm of mage supports in League of Legends, notably excelling due to the reintroduction of health stats on her preferred item, Liandry’s Torment, which bolsters her somewhat fragile nature. Her arsenal includes a powerful root with her E and a sweeping area-of-effect knockup with her ultimate, making her an asset throughout the game. Even in less favorable matches where her damage output may falter, Zyra’s crowd control capabilities ensure she remains an influential force on the battlefield.

#22: Maokai

Win Rate: 51% | Pick Rate: 2%

Key Strengths: Exceptional tankiness and crowd control.
Unique Support Role: Versatile flex pick in team compositions.

Maokai emerged as a leading support champion early in Season 14, though recent adjustments have slightly diminished his dominance. Despite this, his formidable ultimate remains enhanced this season, particularly with the new addition of the Solstice Sleigh item, facilitating his ability to root enemies from a distance and enabling his team to close in effectively.

Maokai continues to excel as a robust tank support, leveraging his crowd control capabilities not only to safeguard his vulnerable teammates but also to secure kills by immobilizing opponents.

#21: Rakan

Win Rate: 50% | Pick Rate: 5%

Key Strengths: Engage capabilities, peel, and exceptional mobility.
Unique Support Role: Excels with Xayah due to synergistic abilities.

Rakan’s versatility as a support shines through his ability to adapt to various play styles—whether dominating the lane, roaming to assist other lanes, or making significant impacts in team fights, where he truly excels. He’s particularly adept at utilizing the Solstice Sleigh item, benefiting greatly from the enhanced movement speed it provides.

While Rakan can bolster his team with robust heals and shields alongside his crowd control abilities, such as his knockup and charm, his synergy with Xayah is currently underutilized due to her less favorable position in the meta, reducing their combined effectiveness in matches.

#20: Bard

Win Rate: 51% | Pick Rate: 3%

Key Strengths: Playmaking abilities, crowd control, and unexpected damage.
Specialty as a Support: Dominates with global presence through superior roaming capabilities.

Bard remains a master of map-wide influence despite updates that have reshaped Summoner’s Rift, maintaining his ability to set up unique gank paths with his Magical Journeys. He thrives with the Trailblazer item, enhancing his roam effectiveness with increasing movement speed and leaving a trail that boosts his allies’ speed as well.

Bard’s versatility shines outside of his roams too; he brings a robust mix of engagement tools, peel, durability, and a surprising amount of damage to his team. Despite a steeper learning curve due to his unique mechanics, Bard’s potential in skilled hands keeps him a formidable choice for those who master his quirks.

#19: Nautilus

Win Rate: 48% | Pick Rate: 11%

Key Strengths: Exceptional engage capabilities, robust tankiness, and unmatched crowd control.
Unique Contribution as a Support: Supreme at single-target lockdown.

Nautilus is a go-to for players who prefer a direct and aggressive approach in initiating team fights. His ability to lock down a single target is unmatched, thanks to his straightforward yet impactful hook, which is among the easiest to land among all hook-wielding champions.

Ideal for pairing with aggressive ADCs who excel with early kills, Nautilus’s straightforward engage style does come with drawbacks. Once he commits to an engagement, escaping can be challenging due to his limited disengage options and relative lack of durability. Moreover, certain popular support picks like Thresh, Janna, and Braum can effectively counter his aggressive playstyle.

#18: Blitzcrank

Win Rate: 49% | Pick Rate: 6%

Key Strengths: A single hook can decisively swing the lane in your favor.
Unique Support Role: Instills a deep sense of caution in the enemy bot lane.

Blitzcrank remains one of the most formidable and banned champions in League of Legends, with a substantial ban rate reflecting his game-changing potential. His signature move, Rocket Grab, pulls an opponent directly to him, setting up easy kills when combined with his knock-up and a high-burst ADC.

Beyond his feared hook, Blitzcrank can exert significant lane pressure simply by positioning aggressively—his mere presence and the threat of a potential hook can force opponents to miss farm and play conservatively. Additionally, his ultimate, Static Field, delivers substantial magic damage and a crucial silencing effect, stripping enemies of their ability to respond during key moments.

#17: Lux

Win Rate: 50% - Pick Rate: 6%

Key Strengths: Strong poke, significant burst damage, and effective crowd control.
Special Role as Support: Unrivaled in burst damage and one-shot capabilities among support champions.

Lux, commonly favored as a mid-laner for beginners, translates remarkably well into the support role, especially for those just exploring this part of the game. As a mage support, she stands out with her exceptional burst potential, capable of decimating opponents from a safe distance.

Her ability to lock targets down with her Light Binding sets the stage for a devastating follow-up with her Lucent Singularity and Final Spark, dealing substantial damage. This control and burst synergy make her an asset in the bot lane, where she can facilitate early leads for her ADC. Moreover, Lux enhances her utility with Prismatic Barrier, offering a protective shield to her allies, rounding out her capabilities as a powerful supportive force.

#16: Soraka

Win Rate: 50% - Pick Rate: 5%

Key Strengths: Proficient healing and a powerful silence ability.
Special Role as a Support: Premier healer among League’s roster.

Soraka, while not as potent in shielding or engaging as other enchanters, excels distinctly in her ability to heal. This makes her an exceptional counter to poke compositions by effectively mitigating sustained damage from afar, ensuring her team’s resilience in prolonged engagements.

A challenge with mastering Soraka lies in adept positioning to maximize her healing impact and making strategic use of her enhanced mobility to aid low-health allies swiftly. Skilled Soraka players shine by timely deploying her Equinox to silence enemies, interrupting key channeled abilities and temporarily barring foes from casting further spells, thus securing crucial moments of advantage in team fights.

#15: Sona

Win Rate: 52% - Pick Rate: 2%

Key Strengths: Healing, team-wide buffs, and impactful crowd control ultimate.
Unique Value as a Support: A powerhouse in late-game scenarios.

Sona stands as a testament to potential, often overshadowed by her susceptibility to aggressive early game champions like Blitzcrank and Pyke. Nonetheless, in a meta dominated by other enchanters, Sona finds her niche, allowing her to thrive once she safely navigates past the early phases of the game.

Her toolkit, which provides continuous heals, shields, and speed buffs, makes her a formidable force in late-game team fights. Sona’s simplicity in ability execution contrasts sharply with the high demands of strategic positioning; success with Sona hinges not just on utilizing her harmonious powers but on staying safely positioned to avoid untimely eliminations.

#14: Zilean

Win Rate: 52% - Pick Rate: 2%

Key Strengths: Versatility in damage, control, mobility boosts, and a lifesaving ultimate.
Unique Support Value: Ability to revive key teammates during critical moments.

Zilean remains a formidable choice in the support role, even if his subtler playstyle might leave him overlooked. For those willing to master his unique set of skills, the rewards include turning the tides of battle in their favor.

His Time Warp ability drastically alters the pace for friends and foes, granting near-total slowdowns or significant speed boosts, making engagements highly manipulable. Moreover, Zilean’s Chronoshift can frustrate enemy teams by reviving fallen allies just when they thought they had secured a kill, making him a clutch player in any team composition.

#13: Taric

Win Rate: 53% - Pick Rate: 1%

Key Strengths: Unparalleled protective abilities, robust tankiness, and reliable crowd control.
Unique Support Value: Grants team-wide invulnerability with his ultimate.

Taric may often fly under the radar due to his specialized niche, but he shines brilliantly in the current meta. Not quite an enchanter but equally adept at safeguarding his team, Taric blends defensive prowess with substantial crowd control to secure his place on the battlefield.

He excels when paired with aggressive bot laners who engage directly, such as Nilah and Samira, enabling him to effectively utilize his Dazzle stun and provide substantial support during skirmishes and team fights.

#12: Karma

Win Rate: 50% - Pick Rate: 9%

Key Strengths: Potent lane presence, formidable damage output, robust shielding, and crowd control capabilities.
Unique Support Value: Access to her ultimate ability, Mantra, right from level 1.

Karma remains a steadfast support option in the League roster, consistently offering her team a blend of offensive and defensive capabilities. Her presence in the bot lane can be commanding with the right ADC partnership, thanks to her versatile skill set led by her empowered Q.

Karma excels in both initiating and disengaging in team fights, leveraging her Mantra-enhanced shield and speed boost to sway the tide of battle. This ability becomes particularly effective with items that enhance healing and shielding, making her a pivotal figure in sustained engagements.

#11: Poppy

Win Rate: 52% - Pick Rate: 3%

Key Strengths: Exceptional tankiness, crowd control, and engagement capabilities.
Unique Support Value: Excellently counters champions with dash abilities.

Poppy has risen as a standout support choice in the bot lane, particularly effective against champions that rely heavily on mobility. Her ability to stop dashes with her Steadfast Presence makes her an excellent counter to mobile adversaries like Kalista.

The recent introduction of a Hail of Blades build, coupled with minor enhancements, has transformed Poppy into a more consistent selection. Primarily known for her defensive plays with her Keeper’s Verdict ultimate that knocks enemies away, Poppy shines brightest when adopting an aggressive playstyle. Using Flash or Hex-Flash can catch opponents off-guard, allowing her to pin them against terrain for impactful stuns.

#10: Rell

Win Rate: 51% - Pick Rate: 6%

Key Strengths: Engage, crowd control, tankiness, and excels in team fights.
Unique Support Value: Unrivaled in initiating area-of-effect engagements.

Rell’s reception among players varies, with some finding her mechanics cumbersome, while others thrive on her robust engagement capabilities. Excelling in her role, Rell is unmatched in her ability to orchestrate team fights and control enemy movements.

Her signature move involves diving into enemy ranks using her W, followed by deploying her ultimate to yank adversaries together, wreaking havoc and perfectly setting up her allies for devastating follow-up attacks. Despite some adjustments in her power curve in recent seasons, Rell remains a formidable choice for players who relish in disrupting and dominating team engagements.

#9: Milio

Win Rate: 51% - Pick Rate: 7%

Key Strengths: Exceptional at peeling, disengaging, and amplifying ally damage.
Unique Support Value: Can uniquely cleanse crowd control from allies.

Milio has quickly ascended as a top-tier support since joining the League roster, notable for his comprehensive ability to enhance team performance. He excels by augmenting his allies with heals, shields, and significant boosts in movement speed and damage.

His most striking synergy is with ADCs who dominate the current meta, especially when they utilize his W – Cozy Campfire – which enhances their range and triggers his passive damage increases frequently. Milio’s ultimate serves as a robust counter to many engage strategies, though caution is advised against opponents with disruptive knockups that can neutralize his impact.

#8: Braum

Win Rate: 51% - Pick Rate: 8%

Key Strengths: Exceptional at protection, crowd control, and providing tankiness.
Unique Support Value: Dominates against melee engage champions.

Braum has consistently been an underrated gem in the support role, particularly as a strategic counter to melee engage adversaries. Despite the general decline of engage supports in the current meta, Braum has carved out a niche by providing a viable alternative to enchanters, offering robust protection for his lane partner.

Renowned for his Unbreakable shield that intercepts projectiles, savvy Braum players also utilize his aggressive potential. They adeptly leap to minions to initiate with his ultimate or slow enemies with his Winter’s Bite to effectively control the battlefield.

#7: Janna

Win Rate: 52% - Pick Rate: 5%

Key Strengths: Exceptional at disengagement, peeling, and boosting team mobility.
Unique Support Value: Enhances ADC’s attack damage with her shields.

Janna stands out as a premier enchanter support, known for her unparalleled ability to protect and peel for her teammates. Her Howling Gale, or Q, conjures a whirlwind at her location, which intensifies in speed, range, and disruptiveness the longer it charges. Yet, its instant cast is often preferred to immediately disrupt enemy advances.

Her Monsoon, Janna’s ultimate, repels nearby enemies while simultaneously healing allies within its radius, making it a powerful tool during clustered fights. Coupled with her Eye of the Storm, which not only shields but also enhances an ally’s attack damage, Janna transforms into a formidable force on the battlefield, ensuring her team remains shielded from the storm.

#6: Thresh

Win Rate: 50% - Pick Rate: 12%

Key Strengths: Exceptional at peeling, engaging, and versatile play.
Unique Support Value: Can rescue allies from danger with his lantern.

Thresh remains a dominant force among League of Legends supports due to his unmatched utility and adaptability. Each of his abilities can be utilized for both offensive and defensive purposes. His Flay (E) skill can either draw enemies closer for aggressive plays or push them back to defend his allies.

His iconic ability, Death Sentence, hooks and briefly stuns an enemy, allowing Thresh to reactivate the ability to leap towards his target, setting up potential kills or further crowd control. The Dark Passage (W) is perhaps his most celebrated skill, offering a lantern to allies that they can click to dash to his side, escaping threats or closing gaps for strategic positioning.

#5: Seraphine

Win Rate: 52% - Pick Rate: 9%

Key Strengths: High damage, crowd control, and shielding.
Special Role as a Support: Her ultimate can turn the tide in team fights.

Seraphine has climbed the ranks to become a top-tier support in League of Legends, thanks to the versatility of her abilities. She brings substantial poke and control to the lane, keeping adversaries at bay with her impressive range and powerful spells.

What truly sets Seraphine apart is her performance in team engagements. Her abilities shine in group settings, particularly her shield, which benefits the entire team. Her standout feature is her ultimate, Encore, which extends when it hits champions. This ability not only charms enemies but can also stretch across team fights to hit multiple targets, potentially swinging the momentum of a match in her team’s favor.

#4: Pyke

Win Rate: 51% - Pick Rate: 7%

Key Strengths: Exceptional damage, strong engagement capability, and mobility for roaming.
Special Role as a Support: Grants additional gold to allies with his ultimate.

Pyke stands out as a support with an assassin’s edge, known for his high aggression and ability to impact the entire map. His 51% win rate attests to his effectiveness in adding a dynamic layer to team strategies, capable of roaming to assist other lanes effortlessly.

His toolkit is designed for aggressive play, especially alongside ADCs who can capitalize on engagements. With his Bone Skewer, Pyke can hook and pull enemies, while his Phantom Undertow provides a stun to control the battlefield. His ultimate, Death From Below, not only secures kills but also shares bonus gold with assisting allies, boosting the team’s economy and accelerating their item builds.

#3: Lulu

Win Rate: 51% - Pick Rate: 10%

Key Strengths: Superior peel capabilities, comprehensive support buffs.
Unique Support Role: Transforms ADCs into high-octane damage dealers.

Lulu shines brightly in a meta favorable to enchanters, making her a formidable ally and a frustrating foe. Known for her robust protective skills, Lulu can shield her allies, enhance their speed, and disrupt enemy attacks with her crowd-controlling abilities.

Her ultimate skill not only disrupts enemies with a knock-up but also significantly increases an ally’s health, making crucial saves during team fights. Lulu’s Polymorph skill renders opponents helplessly ineffective, while her ability to augment her ADC’s attack speed and empower their basic attacks with Pix makes her an invaluable partner for hypercarries like Kog’Maw, turning them into relentless damage powerhouses.

#2: Nami

Win Rate: 52% - Pick Rate: 9%

Key Strengths: Healing, crowd control, and boosting ally damage.
Unique Support Role: Every ability provides a movement speed bonus.

Despite the challenge of landing her Aqua Prison, Nami excels in the current meta. Paired with Imperial Mandate, she can greatly enhance both her own and her ADC’s damage output, making her a powerful enchanter pick.

Nami thrives in trading during the laning phase, thanks to her strong poke and sustain. However, her fragility requires careful positioning, as she is highly vulnerable to engages. Mastering Nami involves balancing aggression with awareness, ensuring you’re always in the right spot to heal, buff, or disengage while staying safe from enemy threats.

#1: Leona

Win Rate: 52% - Pick Rate: 14%

Key Strengths: High crowd control and durability.
Unique Support Role: Surprisingly strong early-game damage.

With recent buffs and an ideal fit in the current meta, Leona has reclaimed her spot as a top-tier engage support. She’s an excellent choice for beginners due to her forgiving nature—her tankiness allows players to make mistakes without being easily punished.

Leona thrives in locking down enemies with her multiple CC abilities, making her a perfect match for aggressive ADCs who can capitalize on her initiations and snowball to victory. Her early-game burst damage is also unexpectedly potent, giving her the edge in early skirmishes.

Conclusion

The support role in League of Legends has evolved into one of the most pivotal positions on the team, providing everything from crowd control and peel to healing and damage mitigation. The best support champions excel at enabling their ADCs, controlling the map, and setting up game-changing plays during teamfights. Whether you’re looking for aggressive engage champions like Leona and Pyke, or prefer enchanters like Lulu and Nami, understanding the strengths and nuances of each support champion is essential for climbing the ranks. With the right champion and strategy, you can dominate the bot lane and carry your team to victory.