League of Legends: how should I use tier lists?

Using the tier list

A lot of people have asked, “what does it mean for a champion to be S tier versus A tier?” Well here are some loose guidelines for how to use these ratings.

S tier: A high priority, meta pick. In high elo (Diamond and up) these are likely pick/ban champions. For the general solo queue population, though, S tier picks are ones that you should try to play if you can. If you are a main of these champions, you should be spamming games and taking advantage of this opportunity to climb before the champion gets nerfed.

A+ tier: While also a high priority, meta pick, these champions aren’t quite in pick/ban status (except if they are a counter to the champion you’re playing). Like S tier champs, spam games on these characters if you have the demonstrated proficiency on them as they could get nerfed.

A tier: These would probably not be considered “high priority” but they are certainly strong meta picks. These champions are strong, to be sure, and you should be playing them if you can, but they’re probably not worth the ban if you feel confident you can handle them.

B+ tier: A solid, if not spectacular meta pick. Don’t put a priority on these champions in picking or banning them, but if you are playing them at a high enough level they’re certainly viable.

B tier: Above average, these champions are on the outskirts of what is considered a meta pick. While these champions certainly work, especially if you have proficiency on them, you should consider picking a stronger champion if you have similar proficiency on that champ.

C tier: Below average, these champions would be considered off-meta. That’s not to say that they are not viable or fine to climb with, it’s just that there are going to be picks that are much stronger in their position and role that you should invest more time in if you can.

D tier: These picks are not viable. Plain and simple, these champions are of such poor quality that you will have difficulty winning with them, especially as you get to higher elos.

F tier: These are bad champions. They are extremely weak in the given position and will likely not be effective at much higher elos.

Unranked: These are troll picks. So niche that they weren’t even worthy of inclusion in half the sites we used to compile our rankings, picking these champions in a role where they are not ranked is tantamount to not trying. Unless you are a one-trick of a champion and get off-roled, do not pick champions that are unranked.