In the recent preseason of League of Legends, the item system has undergone a rework, leaving top laners unsure of what to rush. The changes have forced top laners to consider their builds instead of blindly rushing the same items in every game.
For top lane builds in season 11 of League, here are some of the best options for different archetypes:
Tank
Top lane is home to most tanks in the game. The primary rune tree for tank top laners is Resolve, which offers tank-oriented runes. Aftershock is a key rune for becoming unkillable during ganks or teamfights. Conditioning and Overgrowth are also useful runes for surviving longer in the game. The ideal secondary tree is Inspiration for free Boots of Speed and some Item Haste and Summoner Spell Haste.
Items
The reworked tank items are powerful, allowing tank champions to quickly become formidable on the Rift. Sunfire Aegis is the core tank item for farming and dealing damage in teamfights. Mercury’s Treads and Plated Steelcaps are excellent boot choices for tenacity and armor respectively. Demonic Embrace provides extra damage for tanks with AP ratios, while Thornmail offers healing reduction. Randuin’s Omen and Frozen Heart are also great options for tanks.
Bruiser
Most bruisers prioritize the Precision tree and Resolve secondary. Conqueror is a strong rune for bruisers, along with Legend: Tenacity and Last Stand. Bone Plating and Overgrowth are useful runes from the Resolve tree. For items, the new Mythic items like Trinity Force and Goredrinker are beneficial for bruisers. Plated Steelcaps and Mercury’s Treads are solid boot choices. Ravenous Hydra and Sterak’s Gage are effective items for bruisers, along with Chempunk Chainsword for healing reduction and Death’s Dance for overall power.
AD Ranged
AD ranged champions in the top lane benefit from the Precision tree, using runes like Press the Attack, Legend: Alacrity, and Cut Down. The secondary tree can be flexible, but Nimbus Cloak is a recommended option for the burst of movement speed. Kraken Slayer is the core Mythic item for AD ranged champions, and Berserker’s Greaves is the best boot choice. Blade of the Ruined King, Stormrazor, Phantom Dancer, and Mortal Reminder are also effective items for this archetype.
AP Champion
There are fewer AP champions in the top lane due to the tank buffs, but Kayle and Akali are dominant in the meta. Precision and Domination are the recommended rune trees, offering mobility and sustain. Riftmaker and Demonic Embrace are powerful AP items for top lane AP champions. Sorcerer’s Shoes, Zhonya’s Hourglass, Morellonomicon, and Rabadon’s Deathcap are also great items for AP champions to consider.
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