The 10 Best LoL Champions for Beginners in Season 8

Updated:

13 Jun 2018

If you’re new to the most popular eSport and Moba in the world, now is a great time to get into League of Legends. The game is still going strong after 8 seasons, and Riot Games is working harder than ever to add community events and tournaments to the game. With the recent release of the new C.L.A.S.H. game mode, now it a great time to get started with League.

So, whether you are a starting or returning player, you’ll have to learn a couple champions to really get started and find your role. Although Riot has a list of champion difficulties, here is a real list of the Top Ten champions for beginners in Season 8.

In the top lane:

Nasus

Nasus is a strong pick for top lane as a new player (when teamwork is less important than individual skill). Nasus’s Siphoning Strike ability is one of the few abilities in the game that has no damage cap, growing for each successful last hit you make. This makes Nasus a late game damage threat no matter how you build him. The powerful slow on Wither lets you hunt down the fastest of targets, while his Spirit Fire ability gives him good harass in lane. Nasus’s ultimate, Fury of the Sands gives him a health and tankyness buff that lets you charge into the enemies backline. You can build Nasus as either a damage threat or tank, using his Siphoning Strike to make up any lost damage, or his Fury of the Sands to make up any lost tankyness.

Maoki

An easy, yet incredibly powerful pick, this trees tankyness is unmatched. Maokai’s Sap Magic passive causes him to burst heal when attacking enemies. The more enemies attacking Maokai, the more often he gets to heal. His most important ability however is Twisted Advance, which makes him untargetable as he dashes to and locks down a point and click target. Us Twisted Advance to dodge spells and hunt down enemies, before unleashing your Bramble Smash to knock them back towards your teammates and slow their escape. Before you start a battle with Maokai, throw out your Nature’s Grasp ultimate to send giant roots forward, blocking off your enemies retreat or chasing them down.

In the jungle:

Master Yi

This wuju master is a great jungler to learn. If you can get fed early with Master Yi, you’ll be unstoppable. Although Yi is squishy, his ability to carry games at low rank make him a great champion for starters. To be the best Master Yi you can be is all about timing. Master Yi’s Alpha Strike makes you temporarily untargetable as you dash forward to a targeted enemy. Use this ability to dodge spells or gap close. If they are too far away to hit, start a fight with highlander, letting you rush into battle before dashing between your enemies, doing massive damage. And, whether in or out of combat, Master Yi’s self-healing Meditate ability gives massive damage reduction while healing you, allowing you to turn around fights, or heal between them.

Rammus

This speedy “armordillo” is a fantastic tank jungler. His tankyness lets you charge enemies without fear, and he can bring a surprising amount of damage to the table. Learning to use his Powerball effectively is very important. Since you stop your roll with the first champion you hit, don’t be afraid to flash past tanks and Powerball into the back line. Then, activate your Defensive Ball Curl and Frenzying Taunt to gain massive resistances and deal damage when hit. Finally, your ultimate Tremors will slow enemies and deal damage in ring around you, helping you lock down and destroy squishy targets.

In the mid lane:

Malzahar

Malzahar is an incredibly easy and strong midlaner, popular even in pro-play. Malzahar’s Void Shift Passive gives a temporary immunity to crowd control and blocks most spell damage, making him a safe lane pick. In lane, harass your opponents with your Void Swarm voidlings, and your Malefic Visions, which after killing a target will move onto the next, killing minions and harassing your opponent. Most importantly, your Nether Grasp Ultimate locks down a single champion for 2.5 seconds, dealing major damage and stopping your opponent in their tracks. This ultimate is incredibly strong for getting picks, so work with your jungler to get an easy lead.

Vladimir

Vlad can be played in top or mid, and his tankyness alongside his powerful escape tool makes him great for beginners. Vlad’s passive ability Crimson Pact causes him to gain AP whenever he buys health items, and vice versa making him a great choice for a tanky mage. Additionally, his Transfusion ability steals health from his enemies, allowing him to survive even longer. His Sanguine Pool lets Vlad become untargetable for two seconds and giving him a short speed boost, letting him dodge out of combat. On the other hand, the powerful damage on his Tides of Blood ability, combined with the massive 10% damage buff against all opponents hit by his ultimate Hemoplague allow Vlad to be a powerful engager. When Hemoplague wears off, Vladimir is healed for each target hit, so try to catch your enemy grouped for a game swinging ultimate.

In the bot lane:

ADC:

Ashe

The ultimate starting ADC, her Hawkshot ability gives players an introduction to vision control, and her ultimate can be used offensively and defensively to great effect. One of the game’s first champions, Ashe will always have a place for beginners. Use your Enchanted Crystal Arrow ultimate for long range picks, or close range engage/disengage. With slows on your Frost Shot passive, and Volley ability, Ashe has great kiting and pursuit potential, as she has one of the most reliable slows in the game.

Ezreal

Ezreal is a powerful pro-pick that beginners should start to learn. He’s skill shot reliant, but that allows for a lot of growth with the champion, and his escape ability makes him very forgiving. Learning to master skill shots with Ezreal will help set new players apart from the competition. Although Mystic Shot is the most important ability to hit on AD Ezreal, it’s important to remember Essence Flux as well, and the fact that you can “hit” you allies with it to boost their attack speed. Arcane Shift is probably your most important ability on Ezreal, granting you a second Flash with its blink ability. Like Ashe, your long range Trueshot Barrage ultimate is great for picking off injured enemies, or cleaning up waves.

Support:

Braum

This tanky support has great engage and good escape. He has the most powerful level one in the game, and his shield helps you learn about defending against enemy engages. His kit will help new players learn when to go forward, and when to retreat. One of Braum’s most important abilities is his Concussive Blows passive, and Winter’s Bite which extends its range. Winter’s Bite slows targets and applies the passive, which triggers after 4 hits from you or an ally, stunning your opponent. Your Unbreakable shield is direction based, so make sure you are facing your enemies when you use it to defend your teammates. Use your Stand Behind Me ability to follow engages, or jump back to an ally if you get to far ahead. And of course, your ultimate Glacial Fissure is great for knocking up opponents and creating a zone in teamfights.

Morgana

A powerful support with an incredibly Dark Binding, Morgana is a great choice for new players. Learning to use her Black Shield to prevent stuns will help a lot down the road in your league career as well. Her Dark Binding ability has one of the lognest roots in the game, so hit them as often as possible to harass your enemies, following up with Tormented Soil for a little bit of extra damage. Finally, use Soul Shackles to try to prevent engages or to engage yourself, latching onto and rooting enemies that can’t escape its range. Try pairing this with Zhonya’s Hourglass or your Black Shield so that you don’t get blown up when engaging.

For older players, which champion did you get your start on? Have you mastered Morgana’s Dark Binding, and more importantly, can you dodge it? If you are new, which lane are you thinking of maining? Are there any champions with great flavor that you’d love to try?

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