10 Best Mage Top Lane Champions In League of Legends

Mage top laners aren’t your typical bruisers or tanks, but they bring insane lane control, ranged harass, and strong teamfight presence. Whether you’re zoning enemies with poke, locking them down with crowd control, or melting through health bars with magic damage, these champs add a unique flavor to top lane. In this article, we’re ranking the 10 best mage top lane champions in League of Legends—perfect picks if you want to dominate your lane from a distance and carry with raw AP power.

#10: Gragas

Gragas might be known for his role in the jungle or mid lane, but he’s also a surprisingly strong mage pick in the top lane. His mix of sustain, crowd control, and burst damage makes him a nightmare to deal with in extended trades. Thanks to his passive, Gragas can heal consistently, while his Q and R give him excellent poke and engage potential. His ability to disengage or turn fights with Explosive Cask makes him a versatile pick against many melee bruisers. If you’re looking for a mage top laner that can brawl, peel, and set up fights, Gragas is a sleeper pick worth considering.

#9: Kennen

Kennen is one of the most reliable mage top laners thanks to his mobility, consistent poke, and powerful teamfighting potential. His ranged auto attacks give him a strong laning phase against most melee champions, while his Q lets him harass safely from a distance. What really sets Kennen apart, though, is his ultimate—Slicing Maelstrom—which can instantly change the outcome of a teamfight when timed well. Whether you’re looking to bully lane or dive the backline with your team, Kennen brings strong AP damage and crowd control to the top lane.

#8: Anivia

Anivia might not be a traditional top lane pick, but she can be incredibly effective in the right matchups. Her ranged abilities let her control the wave from a safe distance, and her passive—Rebirth—makes her tough to kill in all-ins. With high burst damage, strong zoning tools like her wall, and a game-changing ultimate that melts waves and enemies alike, Anivia can shut down melee bruisers and scale into a monster during teamfights. If you’re confident in your mechanics and want to turn the top lane into a glacier, Anivia is a solid off-meta mage pick.

#7: Viktor

Viktor is a powerful scaling mage who can dominate top lane with proper wave control and trading. His long-range poke with Siphon Power and Death Ray allows him to whittle down melee champions before they ever get close. As he upgrades his Hex Core, Viktor gains even more power and utility, especially with his W for crowd control and his R for massive AoE burst in teamfights. While he’s vulnerable to early aggression and ganks, smart positioning and patience can turn Viktor into an unstoppable force in the late game.

#6: Lissandra

Lissandra is a fantastic pick for top lane if you’re looking for a mage with strong crowd control and survivability. Her ability to root enemies with Ring of Frost and escape or engage using her Glacial Path makes her hard to punish, especially against melee champions. What really sets Lissandra apart is her ultimate, which can be used offensively to lock down key targets or defensively to heal and stall for time. Her waveclear is reliable, and her presence in teamfights is massive thanks to her AoE damage and CC.

#5: Ryze

Ryze is a solid mage for top lane thanks to his strong scaling, mobility, and reliable crowd control. His combo of Rune Prison and Overload allows him to trade effectively and lock down enemies, while his Spell Flux spreads damage across multiple targets. What makes Ryze especially useful in the top lane is his ability to side-lane and then instantly regroup with his team using Realm Warp. He takes some time to ramp up, but once you get enough items and mana pool, Ryze becomes a dangerous split-pusher and teamfight powerhouse.

#4: Heimerdinger

Heimerdinger thrives in the top lane by turning it into a turret-filled nightmare for anyone who dares to approach. His H-28G Evolution Turrets provide strong lane control, zone denial, and constant poke, making it incredibly difficult for melee champions to get close. Heimer’s rockets and grenade offer solid burst damage and crowd control, letting him punish overextensions or set up ganks. He’s especially effective against opponents who lack range or sustain, and his ability to hold ground makes him a great pick for players who want to dominate lane and force the enemy jungler’s attention.

#3: Cassiopeia

Cassiopeia is a powerful top lane mage for players who can master her unique playstyle. Unlike most champions, she can’t buy boots, but her passive gives her bonus movement speed, making her deceptively mobile in extended trades. With consistent damage from Twin Fang and strong poke from Noxious Blast and Miasma, Cassiopeia can melt through tanks and bruisers with ease. Her ultimate, Petrifying Gaze, is a game-changer in all-ins, punishing aggressive opponents with a well-timed stun. If you’re confident in your mechanics and positioning, Cassiopeia can completely take over the top lane and scale into a late-game monster.

#2: Swain

Swain is a powerhouse mage top laner that excels in drawn-out fights and punishing overzealous opponents. His passive lets him pull enemies closer with crowd control, setting up trades or ganks with ease. What makes Swain shine in the top lane is his sustain—thanks to his ultimate, Demonic Ascension, he can heal through heavy damage while dishing out consistent AoE. He punishes melee champs who get too close and becomes nearly unkillable in teamfights. If you’re looking for a top lane mage with durability, crowd control, and strong scaling, Swain is a rock-solid pick.

#1: Vladimir

Vladimir takes the top spot as the best mage top laner thanks to his incredible sustain, scaling, and teamfight presence. His Q ability allows him to trade efficiently in lane while healing through poke, and his pool (W) gives him a unique way to dodge key abilities or tower shots. As the game progresses, Vladimir becomes a late-game monster, dealing massive burst damage with his E and R combo while being nearly impossible to kill. With smart farming and patience, Vladimir can carry games with explosive AoE damage and unmatched survivability, making him a top-tier choice for mage players in the top lane.

Conclusion

Mage top laners bring a unique flavor to the top lane, offering ranged poke, powerful AoE, and game-changing crowd control that can completely shift the flow of a match. Whether you’re looking to zone enemies, outscale tanks, or simply bring consistent magic damage from a less traditional role, the champions on this list each offer their own strengths. From Vladimir’s late-game dominance to Swain’s unkillable presence in teamfights, these picks are perfect for players who want to break the mold and dominate top lane with magical firepower.