League of Legends: The 5 Best Top Laners on Patch 10.16

This is a list of the 5 best top laners in League of Legends on Patch 10.16

As the 2020 World Championship draws closer and pro teams prepare for important playoff matches, the League of Legends balance team have had their say on the direction of the pro play meta on Patch 10.16. As a result of the most recent patch, the best top laners at the moment are all able to carry games single-handedly thanks to a few helpful buffs.

Amongst the 17 champion buffs on Patch 10.16, no fewer than three top laners received buffs that have aided in their climb towards the upper echelons of the tier list.

Fiora’s Lunge and Jax’s Counterstrike saw their cooldowns reduced while Hecarim’s Devastating Charge had its movement speed increased. Following these changes, two of the three champions have entered our top 5 list.

Here are the 5 best top laners on Patch 10.16:

5) Camille

51.19% Win Rate | 10.9% Pick Rate | 4.8% Ban Rate

If split-pushing, tower-killing, and winning 1v1 duels is your preferred route to success, then Camille is the top laner for you. The Steel Shadow offers some of the strongest dueling damage in League of Legends and can instantly reduce a turret to dust if left alone in a side lane.

Not only that, but she’s also an accomplished laner, utilizing her Hookshot to set up ganks and catch out unsuspecting enemies. Nevertheless, patience is the key to unlocking the full potential of this scaling duellist.

4) Jax

50.78% Win Rate | 9.0% Pick Rate | 11.6% Ban Rate

Similarly, Jax also possesses all the tools necessary to create advantages on a side lane during the late game. Empower auto attack resets make destroying towers a simple task and Leap Strike can often be the difference between being caught out by chasing enemies and escaping safely.

However, Jax’s strengths don’t solely lie in the split push as the Grandmaster At Arms is also an excellent team fighter with the ability to dive the back line and lock them down with Counter Strike for some unmatched burst damage.

3) Shen

52.47% Win Rate | 9.1% Pick Rate | 4.7% Ban Rate

Shen has made a comeback in the top lane meta following a very helpful Ki Barrier buff on Patch 10.15. The Eye of Twilight can trade aggressively into his lane opponent with ease and seamlessly create gank opportunities with Shadow Dash.

Obviously, one aspect of Shen’s kit stands out above the rest. Stand United is an ability that can single-handedly turn the tide of a team fight whether it’s during the laning phase or in a game-deciding late game skirmish.

2) Fiora

51.61% Win Rate | 7.8% Pick Rate | 10.8% Ban Rate

Although Camille and Jax excel in 1v1s, Fiora thrives in them. The Grand Duelist is capable of shutting down any champion in League of Legends with the versatility of her kit and the unmatched utility of Riposte to block out a huge chunk of damage or crowd control if timed correctly.

If you believe yourself to be a mechanically gifted player, Fiora should be in your champion pool as you’ll find it incredibly easy to carry games and climb the ladder through outplays alone.

1) Darius

50.90% Win Rate | 8.1% Pick Rate | 42.9% Ban Rate

Camille likes to split push, Shen likes to impact team fights, and Fiora likes to 1v1. Darius, on the other hand, likes to do it all. The Hand of Noxus has spent the entirety of Season 10 in the top lane S tier due to his insanely high ban rate, caused by players that are tired of being shut down by Darius within the opening 15 minutes of the game.

In a 1v1, the top laner can whittle his opponents’ health bars down with Decimate and Hemorrhage damage over time. When preparing for a gank, a simple Apprehend and Crippling Strike combo is enough to set up a kill and begin the snowball.

Which top laner do you think is strongest on Patch 10.16? Which top laners would you like to see buffed on Patch 10.17?