League of Legends: Best Drake Souls

In League of Legends, drake souls are among the most impactful objectives in the game, often shaping the outcome of matches. While some players may argue that Baron Nashor has a similar influence, a well-earned drake soul can provide team-wide buffs that last the rest of the game, giving a significant edge in fights and map control. Skilled teams know the importance of prioritizing dragons, aiming to secure the soul as quickly as possible to dominate mid and late-game stages.

However, not all drake souls are created equal. Some offer game-changing advantages that are worth contesting at all costs, while others may not justify an all-in commitment. In this article, we’ll rank the best drake souls in League of Legends, breaking down their strengths and impact so you can decide which ones are worth fighting for. Let’s dive in!

#7: Cloud Drake Soul

The Cloud Drake Soul may not be the most sought-after, but it still has its merits. When your team secures the Cloud Soul, it grants a substantial boost to movement speed after using your ultimate ability. This bonus allows champions to reposition quickly during team fights or chase down fleeing enemies, especially helpful for those reliant on mobility to succeed in skirmishes.

Despite its benefits, the Cloud Soul’s impact can feel situational compared to other souls. Its effectiveness largely depends on your team’s composition and the champions’ reliance on mobility and ultimates. For example, champions with low-cooldown ultimates or those needing high mobility, like Hecarim or Rengar, can make great use of the Cloud Soul. However, teams focused on raw damage or sustain might find it underwhelming. While not the strongest soul, it can still create impactful moments in the right scenarios.

#6: Ocean Drake Soul

The Ocean Drake Soul is a solid and versatile option that enhances sustain during prolonged skirmishes. When your team secures the Ocean Soul, every instance of damage you deal to enemies heals a percentage of your missing health. This effect is incredibly valuable in extended fights, especially for tanky champions and those with area-of-effect damage who can maximize the healing potential.

While the Ocean Soul is great for sustainability and can tilt prolonged engagements in your team’s favor, its impact might feel less significant in shorter, high-burst fights where enemies are eliminated quickly. It’s most effective in comps that thrive on drawn-out team fights or rely heavily on poke damage, as the sustain keeps your team healthy while wearing down opponents. Though not as universally impactful as other souls, the Ocean Soul can be game-changing in the right circumstances, especially for teams aiming to outlast their opponents.

#5: Hextech Drake Soul

The Hextech Drake Soul is one of the most versatile and impactful souls in the game. When your team secures it, every basic attack and ability hit triggers a chain lightning effect that damages nearby enemies, applying bonus magic damage and amplifying your overall DPS. This effect is particularly potent in team fights, where the chain lightning can hit multiple targets, softening up enemies and ensuring your carries can dish out consistent damage.

The Hextech Soul’s value is heightened for champions who rely on high attack speed or abilities with low cooldowns, as they can maximize the frequency of the chain lightning proc. It also synergizes exceptionally well with poke-heavy compositions, chipping away at the enemy team’s health before a full engage. While it may not provide the raw burst or durability of other souls, the Hextech Soul excels at creating consistent pressure in fights and is a significant advantage in both skirmishes and larger team battles.

#4: Chemtech Drake Soul

The Chemtech Drake Soul offers a unique blend of durability and damage amplification, making it a valuable soul for both aggressive and defensive strategies. When your team secures this soul, it grants a powerful buff that increases your damage output while your health is below 50%. This encourages bold plays, as it rewards teams that can capitalize on high-risk, high-reward engagements.

The Chemtech Soul is particularly effective for bruisers, tanks, and champions that thrive in extended fights, as the bonus damage can turn the tide of a battle when you seem to be on the brink of defeat. Additionally, it synergizes well with healing and shielding champions, as they can keep allies alive just long enough to fully utilize the Chemtech buff.

While it doesn’t provide utility like some other souls, the Chemtech Soul’s ability to boost damage in clutch moments can be game-changing, especially in team fights or 1v1 scenarios. It excels on teams with strong frontlines or champions that can dive into the enemy backline and create chaos.

#3: Mountain Drake Soul

The Mountain Drake Soul is a game-changing defensive buff that grants your team an extra layer of survivability in crucial fights. When secured, this soul provides a powerful shield that scales with your bonus health, making it particularly impactful for tanks and bruisers who build health-heavy items.

This shield activates after a short delay when out of combat, giving your team a significant edge when setting up for objectives or engaging in team fights. It allows squishier champions like mages or ADCs to survive burst damage more effectively, giving them more time to reposition and deal damage. Meanwhile, frontline champions benefit immensely, becoming even harder to take down, which helps them protect their team or zone out enemies.

The Mountain Soul is especially valuable in compositions that rely on extended fights, where the shield can refresh multiple times as players move in and out of combat. While it doesn’t add direct damage or utility, its defensive nature makes it one of the most reliable souls for turning the tide in team fights, particularly in the late game when burst damage becomes a major threat.

#2: Infernal Drake Soul

The Infernal Drake Soul is one of the most impactful offensive buffs in League of Legends, making it highly coveted in any game. Securing this soul grants your team a powerful bonus that enhances their damage output by creating an explosion with every ability or auto attack that lands. This additional AoE (area of effect) damage scales with your AD (attack damage) and AP (ability power), making it universally effective for all champions.

The Infernal Soul excels in team fights, especially in clustered engagements, where the explosion can hit multiple enemies at once, amplifying your team’s total damage output. Champions with high burst damage or multi-target abilities benefit the most, as the soul enhances their ability to delete squishy enemies and wear down tanks quickly.

This soul synergizes particularly well with poke compositions, allowing long-range champions like Xerath or Ezreal to chip away at the enemy team even more effectively. It also complements champions with DoT (damage over time) abilities or rapid attack speeds, maximizing the frequency of the explosions.

While it doesn’t provide defensive benefits like some other souls, its raw damage potential often turns fights in your favor before the enemy even has a chance to retaliate. The Infernal Drake Soul is a game-ender in its own right, making it a top-tier choice in almost every situation.

#1: Elder Drake Soul

The Elder Drake Soul is the pinnacle of game-changing objectives in League of Legends, often turning the tide of even the most difficult matches. While technically not a “soul” in the traditional sense, securing the Elder Dragon buff grants an unrivaled advantage in any late-game scenario.

The Elder Dragon’s buff amplifies your team’s combat prowess by adding a powerful burn effect to your attacks, which deals true damage over time to enemies below a certain health threshold. Most notably, it introduces the devastating “Execution” mechanic—any enemy brought below 20% health while under the effects of the buff is immediately eliminated. This ability makes Elder Dragon the ultimate objective for closing out games, as it allows teams to bypass even the tankiest opponents with ease.

In team fights, Elder Dragon’s buff forces enemies to play defensively, as a single misstep can result in an instant death. Champions with high burst damage, poke, or AoE abilities can capitalize on the buff’s execution effect to decimate enemy teams. Additionally, Elder Dragon’s buff synergizes exceptionally well with champions who thrive in chaotic team fights, ensuring quick takedowns and complete dominance.

The Elder Drake buff doesn’t offer any defensive perks, but its overwhelming offensive power often renders enemies unable to retaliate effectively. Because of its incredible impact on the outcome of a game, Elder Dragon is considered the ultimate objective, surpassing even Baron Nashor in priority during the late game.

Conclusion

Drake Souls are a cornerstone of strategic gameplay in League of Legends, offering powerful buffs that can define the outcome of a match. While all souls provide valuable advantages, their impact varies depending on the game’s context, team composition, and individual champion strengths. Souls like the Infernal and Mountain Drake excel in amplifying raw power and survivability, making them universally impactful. Chemtech and Hextech offer situational utility that can shine in specific scenarios, while the Ocean and Cloud Souls provide benefits that are less flashy but still meaningful in prolonged engagements.

Ultimately, prioritizing the right soul for your team’s needs can tip the scales in your favor. Teams that recognize the value of these buffs and plan their strategies around securing them will often find themselves at a distinct advantage. Whether it’s the game-changing damage of Infernal or the tactical advantage of Hextech, mastering the art of securing the best Drake Souls is key to climbing the ranks and dominating the Rift.