LoL Classic Tier List (Patch 26.16): All 63 Champions

Complete LoL Classic tier list

Every champion available in Classic appears once below. S-tier champions are the most dependable choices across normal drafts. A-tier champions are strong but have a clearer matchup, execution, or composition cost. B tier is viable and often good in the right hands; C and D picks need more help to produce the same result.

Swipe the table sideways to see the full list.

Best champions for every role

The overall list measures broad strength. These role sections answer the more useful champion-select question: which pick would we trust first for a particular job?

Top lane: Jax and Cho'Gath

S tier: Jax, Cho'Gath · A tier: Nasus, Kennen, Shen, Singed, Tryndamere, Wukong

Jax is the best all-purpose top laner on our list. Counter Strike is unusually valuable in a version of League built around basic attacks and point-and-click combat, and his side-lane pressure becomes difficult to answer once he has items. The price is a punishable early game: ranged lanes and coordinated jungle pressure can delay him.

Cho'Gath is the safer front-line option. Sustain helps him absorb difficult lanes, Rupture and Feral Scream remain useful without a lead, and Feast provides reliable objective control. Kennen and Shen enter A tier provisionally: Kennen offers ranged pressure and a major teamfight ultimate, while Shen trades lane dominance for global map influence.

Jungle: Jarvan IV and Fiddlesticks

S tier: Jarvan IV, Fiddlesticks · A tier: Amumu, Lee Sin, Master Yi

Jarvan IV remains our first jungle choice even after Patch 26.16 reduced some of his durability. His early gank path is direct, and Cataclysm punishes a roster with fewer easy escapes than modern League. He is less forgiving when behind, so he belongs in drafts that can follow his first move.

Fiddlesticks gives up some early certainty for a stronger fight around darkness and choke points. Amumu is the most approachable alternative: Patch 26.16 improved his Bandage Toss and magic-resistance reduction, and his job is clear even when his first clear is not perfect.

Mid lane: Kassadin and Annie

S tier: Kassadin, Annie · A tier: Ahri, Akali, Heimerdinger, Kennen, Veigar

Kassadin is our best scaling mid. His targeted silence is much more disruptive in Classic than in modern League, and Riftwalk eventually lets him attack fights from angles most of the roster cannot match. He is not a universal blind pick: physical damage and early lane pressure can make the first levels miserable.

Annie is the practical choice when a team needs reliable initiation and burst without giving up the lane. Ahri provides safer pick potential, while Akali has the highest uncertainty among the new champions. Her old kit can take over a fight, but Pink Wards provide direct counterplay to Twilight Shroud and poor energy management is costly.

ADC: Ezreal and Corki

S tier: Ezreal, Corki · A tier: Twitch, Vayne

Ezreal earns the top ADC spot because he can farm safely, contribute before a full build, and reposition when a fight becomes messy. Patch 26.16 also fixed launch issues affecting his base attack damage and Manamune, which makes launch-week impressions less useful. He still has an obvious weakness: if Mystic Shot misses, his pressure drops quickly.

Corki brings stronger lane control and mixed damage. Twitch and Vayne remain dangerous carry options, but both ask more from the draft. Twitch was nerfed after strong Patch 26.15 performance, while Vayne needs enough protection and time to reach her best fights.

Support: Leona and Blitzcrank

S tier: Leona · A tier: Blitzcrank, Janna, Sona

Leona is the support we would blind most often. Her crowd-control chain gives teammates a clear target, and enemy carries cannot rely on modern mobility to escape every engage. The downside is equally clear: once Leona goes in, she has no clean way back out.

Blitzcrank remains capable of deciding a lane with one grab, but Patch 26.16 reduced his damage and increased several cooldowns. Janna and Sona are better when the composition already has initiation and needs protection, sustain, or a second layer of crowd control.

What changed in Patch 26.16?

Riot's Patch 26.16 notes describe the first major Classic balance pass. The patch added Akali, Kennen, and Shen, bringing the roster from 60 to 63 champions, and adjusted 18 existing champions.

• Nine champions were nerfed: Blitzcrank, Heimerdinger, Janna, Jarvan IV, Katarina, Nasus, Tryndamere, Twitch, and Warwick.
• Nine champions were buffed: Alistar, Amumu, Dr. Mundo, Garen, Lux, Miss Fortune, Skarner, Soraka, and Veigar.
• Several launch bugs were fixed, including problems affecting Ezreal, Kassadin, Master Yi, Warwick, Sivir, Amumu, Manamune, and other champions or items.
• System changes favor steadier games: turrets have more health, later jungle camps are tougher, and passive income increased while minion gold fell slightly.

Riot called Tryndamere the strongest overall launch-patch performer and identified Heimerdinger, Warwick, Twitch, and Blitzcrank as leading picks in their roles. Those descriptions refer to their pre-nerf Patch 26.15 performance, not verified results after the new patch. That is why we did not automatically carry every launch leader into S tier.

How we built this tier list

We ranked champions for ordinary Classic drafts, not coordinated professional play and not one specific matchup. Five factors carry the most weight:

1. Lane or early-map agency: how reliably the champion can create a useful first move.
2. Execution floor: whether the champion still contributes when the player is not far ahead.
3. Teamfight value: engage, protection, damage, or control that survives beyond lane.
4. Scaling and side-lane pressure: the ability to remain relevant as items arrive.
5. Draft flexibility: how many normal compositions and matchups can use the pick.

We also applied the live Patch 26.16 balance changes and bug fixes. We did not invent win rates or present PBE results as live evidence. Until a trustworthy post-patch Classic dataset exists, an honest editorial ranking is more useful than false precision.

LoL Classic tier list FAQ

Sources and update policy

This page is reviewed after material Classic balance patches. Rankings can change as Patch 26.16 develops, especially for the three new champions.

• Riot Games: Patch 26.16 notes
• Riot Games: Patch 26.15 launch notes
• Riot Games: official Classic champion roster
• Riot Games: League Classic developer overview