5 Best Top Laners in League of Legends Patch 10.6

The best top laners in League of Legends Patch 10.6 will be affected by nerfs to Darius, Garen, and other top laners. As such, here are the five best top laners expected for League of Legends Patch 10.6, which will likely go live Wednesday.

5 Best Top Laners in League of Legends Patch 10.6

1. Kled

Kled has risen in priority in recent patches, mostly due to his strength in lane and his ability to apply Grievous Wounds to his opponents without having to build Executioner's Calling. His strength in lane comes from his ability to poke out his opponents using Bear Trap on a Rope (Q) and sustain through lane using Violent Tendencies (W) to gain back HP by remounting Skaarl, The Cowardly Lizard (Passive).

His strength in the side lane allows him to split push effectively, while still being useful in a team fight if he chooses to flank with Teleport and Chaaaaaaaarge!!! (R). Once on the backline carries, he can use Jousting (E) to close the gap and secure a game changing kill.

2. Sett

Sett's been one of the consistently viable top laners in Season 10, even after receiving multiple nerfs. His ability to utilize Sheen and Conquerer is almost unrivaled, allowing him to output insane amounts of damage in his lane and in mid game team fights. He can also provide a solid tank by absorbing damage with Haymaker (W) and isolating the opposing carry with Showstopper (R).

With the nerfs to Teleport coming in Patch 10.6, Sett's early game strength will only further separate him from the rest of the pack and allow him unique flank angles in the late game, with his Teleport on only a four minute cooldown.

3. Shen

Shen is another champion that benefits significantly from the changes to Teleport. Shen can change the look of any mid game fight using Stand United (R) to shield his carries and enter the fight from across the map. Late game, he'll have a way to get anywhere on the map at almost any point with either Teleport or Stand United, which means he can split push with relative impunity and give his team opportunities to secure major objectives if the enemy chooses to respond to him.

He can also use his Flash and Shadow Dash (E) to lock down an opposing carry and give his team an easy pick. His kit's utility only adds to his strength in top lane, with Spirit's Refuge (W) blocking all auto attacks that would hit any of his allies and Twilight Assault (Q) able to slow enemies if it hits enemy champions.

4. Janna

With the recent nerfs and buffs to Sona and Soraka, Janna has emerged as the next enchanter support to enter top lane, with even a few professional appearances on previous patches. Like all support champions, Janna is incredibly gold efficient, which allows her to fall behind in CS while still maintaining her relevance compared to other champions.

Janna's prevalence in the top lane is mostly due to the inability of most top lane champions to adequately punish her strong early game poke and late game healing and shielding. Until top lane champions become more relevant at all stages of the game, supports like Sona, Janna, and Soraka will continue to be viable alternatives to other meta top lane champions.

5. Darius

Darius would be much higher on this less if it weren't for the nerfs he's set to receive on Patch 10.6. The increased mana costs for Crippling Strike (W) and Apprehend (E) will punish Darius players who haphazardly use the two abilities and the damage reduction on Crippling Strike will make his early game all in potential just a tad bit weaker.

His kit is still incredibly strong compared to other top laners right now. His ability to use Crippling Strike as an auto attack reset and quickly activate the Conquerer rune makes him difficult to fight in lane early on, especially as a tanky top laner. His ability to spread Hemorrhage (Passive) late game onto an opposing carry using Decimate (Q) also gives him a way to get multiple uses out of Noxian Guillotine (R) and tear through the enemy team.