In our article on the best off-meta picks, we talked about how you can catch enemies unaware by picking certain champions. This time, we’ll take a closer look at some of the best LoL off-meta supports if you’re looking for something unexpected in the bot lane!
LoL Off-meta Supports – The Rundown
If you’re raring to try out something unconventional to support your bot lane partner ASAP, we have a quick rundown on a few champs you can try out!
- Ahri – Good damage and mobility that could work for a good kill lane.
- Anivia – High-damage, high-CC harasser that synergizes well with a certain late-game champion.
- Ashe – A High utility AD champ that offsets early game weakness in a support role.
- Camille – Hyper-aggressive roaming support that synergizes well with early lane bullies.
- Jhin – Decent zoning and long-range crowd control couple with very high raw damage for bullying enemies in the lane.
These are five of the most viable off-meta picks in the game (and there are many more), but how exactly do you play these champs in the bot lane? Let’s take a closer look at each of them to know more about their potential as the best off-meta supports.
1. Ahri
Ahri is easily one of the most popular champions in League of Legends. However, you mostly see her playing as the team’s source of AP damage as a mid lane champ. Her Orb of Deception (Q) and Fox-fire (W) are her main forms of damage that scale very well with AP. The movement bonus from her passive and her Spirit Rush also gives her excellent mobility during team fights.
How to play Ahri as support
Near-guaranteed CC and Damage: Ahri’s mobility allows her to move close enough to enemies to make landing her skill shots easier. However, what makes her a great off-meta support is the crowd control provided by her Charm (E). With her kit allowing her to get close enough for getting that 2-second stun, it means anybody hit by her charm risk taking damage from two champs instead of one.
Suggestions
Ahri excels at guaranteeing damage, which is perfect for Jhin’s Deadly Flourish (W) passive. Poke with Ahri and follow up with crowd control from Jhin for one of the most oppressive off-meta kill lanes! Also, plenty of guaranteed ability hits also means a Rylai’s Crystal Scepter will greatly increase her crowd control abilities.
2. Anivia
Anivia is one of the oldest champions in the game, and she remains one of the most potent damage dealers in mid lane. Her Flash Frost (Q) -> Frostbite (E) -> Glacial Storm combo can provide a good mix of AOE damage and crowd control. While she’s not the toughest champ around, she can afford to force trades thanks to her Rebirth Passive.
How to play Anivia as Support
CC and Unique Skill Synergy: Anivia’s an ice-themed champion, so you can bet that she has some form of dependable crowd control. Her Flash Frost can be used to stun enemy champs even through minion waves (when most skill shot CC get blocked), while her Glacial Storm is a near-spammable AOE slow that also deals decent damage. The most interesting part of her as a support champ is her synergy with Vayne, which is a very popular late game champ. Anivia’s Crystallize can be cast behind the opponent to act as a wall, making Vayne’s Condemn (E) usable anywhere on the map!
Suggestions
Since AP is not a top concern for a support Anivia, she can focus more on mana regeneration to make her crowd control abilities more spammable than they already are. She can also go for a tanky build that can afford to soak up lethal damage for your squishier teammates since she can get back up and resume the fight!
3. Ashe
Another “classic” hero, Ashe is the quintessential beginner champ. She has a rather straightforward kit coupled with a great range. Her reputation as a utility champ comes from her passive, Frost Shot, and Critical Slow. With attack speed items such as Blade of the Ruined King and Phantom Dancers, she can dish out consistent damage and slow from the backline. Last but not least, her Enchanted Crystal Arrow has the potential to stun key targets for up to 3.5 seconds.
How to play Ashe as Support?
CC and Vision: Ashe is already known for having a lot of utility as a marksman, thanks to her permanent crowd control and high-range stun. What makes her even better as a support is her Hawkshot (E), which many AD Ashe players tend to skip in favor of her more damaging abilities. With items focused on mana regeneration and ability cooldown, her Volley (W) becomes a spammable AOE slow that can still put out decent damage. Any bot lane partner that relies on skill shots will also have an easier time dealing damage.
Suggestions
Ashe’s ultimate stun long enough for trap-based abilities such as Caitlyn’s Yordle Snap Trap and Jinx’s Chompers! to turn from zoning tools to potent guaranteed CC. Another niche pick where Ashe could excel is when paired with a melee or short-ranged bot lane champ like Yasuo or Lucian, where the slow can make it easier for your partner to close the distance.
4. Camille
Camille is a very potent top lane bruiser known for her versatility. While she is geared towards being a high-damage bruiser (thanks to her Adaptive Defenses passive), she can also be itemized for a bursty assassin playstyle. Her Precision Protocol (Q) allows her to bring down enemies regardless of how they build, while her Tactical Sweep (W) can be used for poking, pushing the lane, or as a form of sustain. Last but not least, what she can use Hookshot/Walldive (E) to access the enemy team’s backline or as a means of escape in tough situations.
How to play Camille as Support
Strong Engage and Trades: Camille may not have a proper stun compared to other LoL off-meta supports but she has one of the most reliable all-ins thanks to her Hextech Ultimatum. What makes her engage even better is that it can be used to isolate either the enemy Marksman or Support. Combine that with her trading ability and range courtesy of her Hookshot/Walldive and you get a very potent support for a kill lane.
Suggestions
Once she hits level 6, Camille’s mobility and gank potential is just as good as when she’s in her meta role. The main difference is that she can focus more on tanky support items and better cooldown regeneration for her ultimate. Once you have your ultimate, consider roaming with your jungler for more effective ganks.
5. Jhin
While not as agile as other marksmen, Jhin has secured himself a spot as a meta marksman by having so much range and damage. Perhaps the most interesting part about Jhin’s Kit is his Whisper Passive, which increases his raw damage at the cost of attack speed, with the fourth shot being an effective harassing or last-hitting tool. His Dancing Grenade (Q) provides good wave clear and can force enemy laners to stay away from the minion line. Deadly Flourish can be used as a harassing tool or a quick form of CC on marked opponents.
How to play Jhin as Support
Long-range CC and Early Damage: much like his usual AD bot lane role, Jhin is a major lane threat with his Deadly Flourish up. By trading raw damage for better mana regeneration as a support champion, Jhin can afford to use his abilities more in the lane. Also, since allies also mark enemies, he has the potential to root enemies even through the minion line. While support Jhin won’t be able to scale as fast compared to his meta counterpart, his early game damage makes him a valid threat.
Suggestions
Jhin as one of LoL off-meta supports works best in hyper-aggressive lane partners like Caitlyn, Draven, and Lucian. Also, since Jhin support has a strong early game, you can use the gold advantage to snag a few conventional items such as Infinity Edge or Rapidfire Cannon so your damage will still remain relevant in the later stages of the game.
LoL Off-meta Supports – Conclusion
That wraps up our discussion on LoL off-meta supports. We hope this has helped you find something new when playing in the bottom lane. For off-meta picks in other roles, check out our guide to the best off-meta picks!
