Some champions in League of Legends have very straightforward kits that make them easy to pick up and maximize. And then there are the “tricky” champs that work best at the hands of a skilled player. This time, we’re going to take a look at the highest skill cap champions in League of Legends.
Highest Skill Cap Champions – The Rundown
Itching to know which champs have the highest skill caps in the game? We have one for each role that most people think take more skill than others. While there are other high skill cap champs, we believe that these ones take the cake in their respective roles.
- Top Lane – Gangplank
- Mid Lane – Azir
- Jungle – Lee Sin
- Marksman – Draven
- Support – Thresh
These are what many of the LoL community consider as high skill cap champs. What’s the big deal about them? We will take a look at how each of them works on the hands of an average person and at the hands of someone that can maximize their abilities. However, we must start by understanding what skill cap is (and what it’s not
What is a Skill Cap?
When it comes to LoL, skill cap (or ceiling) pertains to the amount of skill necessary to be able to fully utilize a champion’s abilities. To make things easier to understand, let’s use Annie as an example. She has high burst damage and she can keep the enemy stunned with her Pyromania.
Dealing damage with Annie is mostly about getting in range and building Pyromania stacks for guaranteed crowd control. A savvy player may have Pyromania ready by casting enough abilities on something else before even engaging an enemy. However, you can pretty much get the same results just by pressing all ability hotkeys repeatedly (aka face-rolling).
High skill cap champs are designed in a way that lets them make more plays that would otherwise be impossible if they were used by an unskilled player. High skill cap champs make plays that rely on accurately aimed abilities, better positioning, or a greater degree of map awareness. However, that doesn’t mean that high skill cap champs are always weaker at lower levels of play. For example, an average player may still perform well with a high skill cap champ, just not in the same way a better player can.
That being said, let’s check out what these high skill-cap champs can do in the hands of an average player and a highly-skilled player.
Top Lane – Gangplank
Gangplank is an absolute monster in the hands of a skilled player. A player that has good mastery over the use of Parrrley (Q) and proper placement of Powder Keg (E) will be able to chain barrels consistently. This not only increases the effective range of the explosion, but also minimizes the delay between setting up a barrel and triggering the chain.
Wanna learn Gangplank? – Start by learning how to your Parrley’s cooldown with the moment a barrel’s HP is low enough to detonate. Over time, work on placing a second barrel just before the first one is detonated should be second nature to you.
Mid Lane – Azir
Many people consider Azir as one of, if not the most difficult champs to master. The main challenge lies in getting the soldiers from his Arise! (Q) in optimal position using Conquering Sands (E) while also positioning Azir himself with Shifting Sands (W). His damage, mobility, and playmaking potential with Emperor’s Divide are through the roof, and the famous “Shurima Shuffle” should be part of an Azir player’s arsenal. On the hands of a skilled player, Azir has barely any counterplay.
Wanna learn Azir? – A new Azir’s has two major problems: mana issues and lack of familiarity with how his sand soldiers work. Unless you’re already used to moving your soldiers, you won’t be able to perform more advanced maneuvers.
Jungle – Lee Sin
Lee Sin is one of the most popular jungle players because of his interesting playstyle. The inSec kick (named after the player that popularized the move) involves landing Sonic Wave (Q), dashing to a target with Resonating Strike, planting a ward behind them, jumping to that ward using Safeguard (W) and then pushing the enemy towards the rest of your team with Dragon Kick ultimate. Aside from that, a good Lee Sin must be able to pick the right combo based on the situation; do the wrong one and you could end up in the middle of the enemy team without any escapes.
Wanna learn Lee Sin? – Those big plays you see are impressive, but a new Lee Sin player must start by working on his combos. You have to perform basic attacks between other abilities so you can regenerate enough energy to perform a full combo.
Bottom Lane – Draven
Draven is one of the best raw damage dealers in the game. However, most of that damage comes from being able to catch his Spinning Axes (Q). A good Draven player will be able to “juggle” two or three spinning axes at any given time, giving him enough DPS to destroy any non-tank champ in two or three hits. You also need to be able to predict and reposition yourself to make the Whirling Death ultimate hit multiple targets twice.
Wanna learn Draven? – Start by getting used to how each spinning axe behaves. While they are a bit random, they often land close to where Draven would be if he is moving in one direction.
Support – Thresh
A skilled Thresh player is a marksman’s worst nightmare. If Thresh can consistently land Death Sentence (Q) and Flay (E), his opponents will have no choice but to stay outside his hook’s range. Getting to his lane partner will also be difficult because he can peel for them effectively with Flay (E) and The Box ultimate. The best Thresh players know how to maximize both hook and lantern, providing teammates with escapes or gap closers all while keeping the enemy locked down.
Wanna learn Thresh? – Resist the urge to hook people at max range. Slowing the enemy with Flay will make it easier to land your hooks. Also, don’t always pull yourself in when you hook someone; you might end up facing an entire enemy team with no backup!
Highest Skill Cap Champions – Conclusion
That wraps up our discussion on LoL’s highest skill cap champions! We hope this has inspired you to try some of the more challenging aspects of the game. If you’re looking for something easier to learn, check out our champ recommendations for those trying to get out of Bronze and Iron League!
