A look at the pro meta – 2019 spring week 1

We’ve seen one week of pro play from all of the major regions (minus North America) and thus gotten to see plenty of picks and bans. While you might know which champions are currently top of the meta across all regions – like Lissandra, Urgot, Lucian, and Sejuani – we want to see what other top champions exist and what different picks are coming up in the pro meta for week one.

Pick/ban champions

Only two champions are 100% pick ban across all regions after 2019 spring week one: Aatrox and Cassiopeia. In games he is picked, Aatrox has a 7-6 win/loss record, and Cassiopeia has a 1-3 record.

Cassiopeia is the most-banned champion across all regions (banned in 47 games); Sion is the most-picked champion across all regions (picked in 35 games) and has a 7-17 record in games in which he is picked in week one. Sion has been picked top in 21 games and mid in five games.

Below are the records for all the champions with over a 75% pick/ban rate across all three regions:

1. Aatrox 7-6 (100% P/B)
2. Cassiopeia 1-3 (100% P/B)
3. Urgot 19-16 (96.08% P/B)
4. Lucian 8-4 (96.08% P/B)
5. Galio 10-11 (94.12% P/B)
6. Irelia 3-5 (94.12% P/B)
7. Rakan 15-8 (90.2% P/B)
8. Akali 8-10 (84.31% P/B)

Unique champions

78 unique champions have been picked or banned across all three regions that have played so far. 71 different champions have been picked across those three regions after week one. That accounts for 54.54% of League of Legends champions having been picked or banned through week one.

LCK meta

In the LCK, the following champions are 100% pick/ban: Urgot, Galio, Rakan, Akali, Lucian, Aatrox, Cassiopeia. Those champions have a combined record of 26-22 (52.17% win rate). The best champion of those pick/ban champions is Urgot with an 11-2 record (81.62% win rate); and the worst are Irelia and Aatrox, who are both 0-2 through week one.

The following champions had a pick/ban rate above 40% in week 1 that were unique to the LCK (meaning they were below 40% pick/ban in the LPL and LEC). This indicates that these picks are unique to the Korean meta: Viktor (picked top five games, bot one game), Ryze (picked top in both games played), and Jayce (picked top in all three games he was played).

49 unique champions were picked in week 1 of LCK play. The following champions were unique to the LCK (they were picked or banned only in the LCK and no other region through the first week of play): Ashe, Elise, Evelynn, Fiddlesticks, Kindred, Taliyah, Taric, and Vel’Koz.

Of the 49 different champions picked, only 19 had a pick/ban ratio above 40%, and 8 had a pick/ban rate of 100%. These 19 champions made up 246 out of the 340 total picks and bans in week 1 of LCK play, indicating that LCK teams stuck to their meta 73.35% of the time.

LPL meta

In the LPL, the following champions are 100% pick/ban: Cassiopeia and Aatrox. Aatrox had a record of 5-4 (55.56% win rate) in week 1 of LPL play, while Cassiopeia was permabanned in all 24 games played last week.

The following champions had a pick/ban rate above 40% in week 1 that were unique to the LPL (meaning they were below 40% pick/ban in the LPL and LEC). This indicates that these picks are unique to the Chinese meta: Kai’Sa (picked in 16 of 24 games played), Zoe (had a 6-2 record in this week), and Gragas (picked four times as a jungler and twice as support).

52 unique champions were picked in week 1 of LPL play. The following champions were unique to the LPL: Aurelion Sol, Jarvan IV, Kled, Kayn, Lulu, Nautilus, Nidalee, Rek’Sai, Renekton, Riven, Syndra

Of the 52 different champions picked, only 18 had a pick/ban ratio above 40%, and 2 had a pick/ban rate of 100%. These 18 champions made up 327 out of the 480 total picks and bans in week 1 of LPL play, indicating that LCK teams stuck to their meta 68.13% of the time.

LEC meta

Through week 1 of the LEC, the following champions are 100% pick/ban: Urgot, Lucian, Rakan, Galio, Aatrox, and Cassiopeia. Those champions have a combined record of 10-11 (47.62% win rate). The best champion of those pick/ban champions is Lucian with a 3-1 record (75% win rate); and the worst is Cassiopeia, who went 0-2 through week 1.

The following champions had a pick/ban rate above 40% in week 1 that were unique to the LPL (meaning they were below 40% pick/ban in the LPL and LEC). This indicates that these picks are unique to the European meta: Karthus (picked twice in the jungle role, and three times in the mid lane), Braum (had a 2-1 record in this week), Swain (picked only once in the top lane), and Thresh (a 1-1 record on the week). Interestingly enough, Karthus was only picked once in the LCK and was never picked or banned in the LPL, and Swain was not picked or banned in either region.

43 unique champions were picked in the first week of the LEC. The following picks/bans were unique to the LEC: Corki, Hecarim, Janna, Jhin, Kennen, Swain.

Of the 43 unique champions picked in the LEC this week, only 19 had a pick/ban ratio above 40%, and six had a pick/ban rate of 100%. These 19 champions made up 139 out of the 200 total picks and bans in week one, indicating that LEC teams stuck to their meta 69.5% of the time.

What were your impressions from week one of the professional season? Let us know in the comments below!