The Top Lane Picks for the Season 5 World Championship
In this article, we will discuss the top lane champions that are likely to be played in the upcoming Season 5 World Championship. Keep in mind that these are only predictions and may not reflect the final champion picks.
Gangplank
Gangplank has been a dominant pick in every region ever since Patch 5.14. Despite being nerfed twice, he is still a strong champion with high damage potential. He is expected to be one of the most picked or banned champions in the tournament, although he might not be as dominant as he was in the regionals and summer finals.
Fiora
Fiora has been a dominant pick in Korea and China since her rework in Patch 5.15. She is a strong split pusher and has the potential to win duels against any opponent. Expect her to be highly contested along with Gangplank, as teams might not want to give up one without securing the other.
Darius
Darius has been a popular pick in Solo Queue since the Juggernaut rework. While he hasn’t been picked as much in competitive play, he can still be a strong pick against tanks and melee champions. However, he is vulnerable to being kited by champions with long-ranged abilities or auto attacks. So, he might not be as contested as Gangplank or Fiora.
Garen
Garen can be strong if he gets ahead early or gets a lot of gold. However, he is easily kited by more mobile champions and lacks crowd control abilities to be a threat. With better options available, it is unlikely that we will see Garen played competitively in the championship.
Jax
Jax has recently been buffed in Patch 5.17, making him a stronger pick against champions like Gangplank and Fiora. Although he struggles in lane swap scenarios, he can still be successful if he is allowed to farm early in the game. Don’t be surprised if he rises in popularity throughout the tournament.
Maokai
Maokai has been a strong pick throughout the season, but he struggles in the laning phase against other contested top lane picks. He can still be played if the opponent team lacks the tools to punish him, but he is not as dominant as he used to be.
Malphite
Malphite is similar to Maokai in terms of gameplay and usefulness. However, he has not been as dominant due to his lack of sustain. He is strong against most bruisers and can handle champions like Jax and Fiora. Expect to see him played a few times throughout the championship.
Rumble
Rumble can struggle against strong duelists, making teams prefer to lane swap and play two versus one to ensure his safety. While he can still be played into tanks, it is not advisable to pick him against bruisers. Unfortunately, the current meta favors bruisers, so we might not see Rumble played often in the championship.
Lulu
Lulu is a champion that is usually played in specific compositions focused on protecting a hyper carry. She will still do well in those compositions, but they might be harder to execute due to the shift towards more damage-oriented champions in the top lane and assassins in the mid lane. You can still expect her to be played a decent amount at the championship.
Tomorrow, we will continue this series with Part II, where we will discuss the junglers and their potential impact at the Season 5 World Championship.
keywords: top lane picks, Season 5 World Championship, Gangplank, Fiora, Darius, Garen, Jax, Maokai, Malphite, Rumble, Lulu, champions