Who is the Best Tank in League of Legends?
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Determining the absolute “best” tank in League of Legends is complex, as it depends heavily on the current meta, team composition, and individual playstyles. However, if we consider a combination of scalability, durability, utility, and impact on the game, one champion consistently stands out: Sion. While other tanks may excel in specific areas, Sion’s unique ability to infinitely scale his health combined with his disruptive kit and area-of-effect damage makes him a powerhouse, especially in the later stages of the game.
Sion’s passive, Glory in Death, allows him to briefly reanimate after being slain, providing a period of invulnerability and the ability to continue dealing damage. His Soul Furnace (W) provides a health shield and increases his maximum health. His Roar of the Slayer (E) provides ranged poke and armor shred. His Unstoppable Onslaught (R) allows him to charge forward, stunning enemies. The fact that he can indefinitely increase his health makes him incredibly hard to kill. Combined with items like Cinderhulk and Juggernaut, which further enhance his health, Sion can become an unkillable juggernaut. While some tanks like Malphite might be better in specific scenarios and against heavy physical damage, the late-game scaling of Sion’s health and his overall utility consistently make him the most reliable and potentially dominant tank in League of Legends.
Key Tank Contenders and Their Strengths
While Sion often reigns supreme in terms of pure tankiness, several other champions deserve recognition for their distinct advantages.
Malphite: The Anti-Physical Fortress
Malphite is an excellent choice when facing heavy physical damage compositions. His W – Thunderclap and E – Ground Slam scale directly off his armor, allowing him to become exceptionally durable against AD-heavy teams. His passive, Granite Shield, further enhances his survivability. Additionally, his ultimate, Unstoppable Force, provides excellent engage potential and area control. Although Malphite is not as scaleable as Sion, he remains a solid choice when you need a reliable and durable frontliner.
Ornn: The Item-Upgrading Juggernaut
Ornn is another top contender known for his incredible tanking capabilities. His passive ability, Living Forge, allows him to purchase items anywhere on the map and upgrade them. This makes him a late-game powerhouse. His kit is comprised of Bellows Breath, a shield and area damage, his Volcanic Rupture, which slows and knocks up, his Searing Charge, a mobility and engage ability, and his ultimate, Call of the Forge God, which provides engage and follow up. Ornn’s ability to increase his own resistances makes him incredibly hard to kill and allows him to be both durable and useful on any team.
Other Notable Tanks
Several other tanks are strong and worth mentioning, including:
- Braum: Renowned for his ability to protect allies.
- Galio: A potent magic damage absorbing tank with crowd control.
- Dr. Mundo: An unkillable health-stacking champion with strong sustain.
FAQs: Deep Diving into Tank Champions
Here are some frequently asked questions to provide additional insight into the world of League of Legends tanks:
1. Who is the tankiest champion in Wild Rift?
While the game is very similar to League of Legends, Braum, Galio, Thresh, Dr. Mundo, and Nunu & Willump are commonly listed as strong tank options in Wild Rift due to their durability and crowd control abilities.
2. What champions are good against tanks?
Champions with percent health damage, true damage, or armor shred are effective against tanks. These include: Vayne, Kayle, Kog’Maw, Trundle, and Vel’Koz.
3. Why is Gwen strong against tanks?
Gwen’s passive, Thousand Cuts, allows her to deal bonus magic damage based on the target’s maximum health, making her very strong against tanks, and providing additional healing that helps her survive.
4. Is there a “tank meta” in League of Legends?
A “tank meta” exists when having multiple tanks on both teams is the most effective strategy. It’s a time when tanks, due to balance changes or new items, become optimal in terms of having a higher chance of winning games.
5. Who is the best anti-tank mid laner in League of Legends?
Cassiopeia, due to her high damage output and percent health damage, along with Ahri and Yasuo are great options against tanks in the mid lane.
6. Is Ornn the tankiest champion in the late game?
While Ornn scales well with bonus armor and magic resist, stacking additional resistances on top of his already strong durability, Sion’s ability to indefinitely increase his health, alongside items, often makes him more durable. Ornn also provides additional utility for his team, while Sion focuses more on himself, though, so the better champion to play is always circumstantial.
7. Which champions are best for climbing in Emerald and above?
As of patch 13.19, Karthus, Seraphine, Sona, Swain, Zac, and Fiddlesticks all have high win rates in Emerald and above, making them great choices for climbing.
8. Who is the best Baron Laner in Wild Rift right now?
Wukong is considered one of the best Baron Lane champions in Wild Rift because of his crowd control, damage, and utility, especially with the new tank items.
9. Who is the best Marksman in Wild Rift?
Varus, Ezreal, Kai’Sa, Caitlyn, and Corki are among the best marksmen in Wild Rift, known for their damage output and unique playstyles.
10. Which ADC is best against tanks?
Cassiopeia, with her sustained AP damage and space control, and Master Yi, with his auto-attack focus and item synergy, are particularly effective against tanks.
11. Is Camille a good anti-tank champion?
Yes, Camille is designed as a tank buster. Her True Damage on her Q, along with the scaling it has, makes her very potent against tanky opponents.
12. What is the best tank class in other games, like Dungeons and Dragons?
In games like Dungeons and Dragons, the Barbarian is often considered the tankiest class due to their hit point pool and damage reduction abilities. Paladins are a close second, because of their self sustain.
13. How does itemization affect tank strength?
Itemization is crucial for tanks. Items like Sunfire Aegis, Thornmail, and Spirit Visage provide essential stats and passives for effective tanking. Health-scaling items are crucial for characters like Sion, while resistance-scaling items are better for champions like Malphite and Ornn.
14. What makes a tank good?
A good tank needs high durability, crowd control, the ability to engage, and the capability to peel for their carries. How well they perform in a teamfight, and can do all of these roles, is important.
15. Does tank choice depend on your team comp?
Absolutely. Choosing a tank based on your team and the enemy’s composition is key. If you need magic damage mitigation you might pick Galio. If you are facing a lot of AD damage you might pick Malphite. Picking based on what your team needs is the most optimal way to play tank.
Conclusion
While the meta shifts and new champions emerge, the discussion of who is the “best” tank in League of Legends will always be complex. However, Sion’s potential for infinite health scaling, utility, and disruptive power often positions him at the top. While tanks like Malphite and Ornn excel in specific situations, the potential for late-game dominance makes Sion a truly formidable force on the Rift. Always assess the game’s specific conditions and choose the tank that best fits your team’s needs and playstyle.