League of Legends Patch 9.9 tier list: top lane
By Josh Tyler
New Additions
Tahm Kench
Oh yeah, the Kench has been unbenched. After the plethora of changes he received in Patch 9.9, Tahm didn’t just jump into the tier list, he darn near made it into the B tier. I think he’s probably going to end up A tier next patch unless Riot undoes some of the buffs they gave him.
Mordekaiser, Karma, Heimerdinger, Viktor
That’s right, every one of the picks rated in the D tier is a new addition this patch. There’s nothing particularly new or unique to be said about any of them, as none of them get a significant buff (either directly or indirectly). All of them were only listed on four of the eight tier lists we audited, so it’s entirely possible that most (if not all) of them will fall out next patch.
New Subtractions
None
Rising Champions
Renekton (A to S tier)
Back in Patch 9.8 Renekton got a bunch of buffs to his base stats, as well as the healing on his Q – Cull the Meek. He’s jumped up from a B tier pick in Patch 9.7 to S tier after one round of buffs.
Fiora (B to A tier)
Another top laner who got buffs in Patch 9.8, Fiora has also shot up two tiers in two patches (from C tier in 9.7 to A tier in 9.9). She didn’t rise as much as Renekton but I’d wager it’s because Fiora does better into tanks, who are still struggling in the top lane.
Rumble (B to A tier)
No direct buffs or even indirect buffs to Rumble, but the Mechanized Menace has slowly crept up to A tier status. None of the tier lists moved Rumble up, so it’s not that Rumble got any stronger. It’s more likely a function of other picks around him getting weaker.
Garen (B to A tier)
Garen was just below the threshold of being an A tier pick last patch, but now he’s just over that boundary. He’ll likely keep alternating between high-B and low-A tier unless something drastic changes.
Illaoi (B to A tier)
Similar to Garen, Illaoi just crept over the line to being an A tier pick. In her case, though, it does seem like she’s gotten some more favorable rankings despite not actually getting buffed or nerfed. It’s unclear why, but she’s getting more B and As this patch than last.
Shen (C to B tier)
Shen got a healthy bump this patch thanks to those nice buffs to his base attack speed and E – Shadow Dash. More and more sites have Shen rated as a B tier pick but not many as A tier.
Rengar (C to B tier)
No buffs or nerfs to the Knife Cat but I wouldn’t put a lot of faith behind this rise. Opinion on where Rengar should be situated in Patch 9.9 is quite split, with some rating him A tier and some D tier.
Dr. Mundo (C to B tier)
It’s quite curious as to why Mundo rose up this tier list, but most of them have him in the C or B tier. Only one rates him as an A tier pick.
Ornn (C to B tier)
A common theme I saw in this patch was Aftershock users faring much better in Patch 9.9. Ornn was left off three of the tier lists we audited in Patch 9.8. Now only one left him off, as many tier lists as had Ornn rated as an A tier pick.
Maokai (D to C tier)
The absolute worst champion in our 9.8 top lane tier list, Maokai did actually get some buffs to his Q – Bramble Smash. Of course, he was indirectly buffed by Aftershock. At least three sites have Maokai listed in the B tier in Patch 9.9.