Preseason is still dragging on, but new developments in the meta have happened all the same. There are some that have continued their reign of dominance, but also some newer faces. With little pro play to help players get a solid read on the meta, Solo Queue trends reign supreme. The meta currently favors high-damage compositions and snowballing from early game leads. These are the best champions in 8.24 that will help you do so.
Repeats
Two champions remain at the top from the last meta report. Lucian is the first, and for good reason. He continues to be the single best AD Carry, with a 52.6% win rate. It is for similar reasons as last time: aggressive supports are the trend bot lane, and his build has nice powerspikes. The meta continues to favor the early game, which is where Lucian thrives. He dominates the bottom lane meta and is a must-play for the role.
Xin Zhao is the second repeat. Similarly to Lucian, his early game is simply top tier right now. He can snowball games with his excellent dueling and ganking prowess while still being relevant in team fights with his Crescent Guard (R). He has good objective control because of these traits, and he doesn’t have many meta counters. Xin Zhao is perfect for players who enjoy controlling and pushing the tempo of their games.
Sion
Sion is a key champion to learn in the top lane. For the past few patches he’s been the only viable tank, and he fills this role well. He has a 52.34% win rate, according to op.gg, with a respectable 6.54% play rate. While he may not be the flashiest carry champion, he is certainly able to make a huge impact.
The Undead Juggernaut is viable for a few reasons. First, his laning is quite good. With all three of his basic abilities doing AOE damage, he can push waves well. These abilities can also work well for poking and pushing his enemies out of lane. His laning is further improved with the gank setup he has, as it’s hard for many champions to escape his Unstoppable Onslaught (R) in the long lane.
Furthermore, Sion’s scaling is fantastic. His ultimate is great for starting off mid and late game team fights, and he has the ability to control a huge zone. His Soul Furnace (W) passive gives him maximum Health when killing units. This means the later the game goes, and the more farm/kills he has, the harder it is to kill him. This also pairs nicely with offensive builds. Titanic Hydra and Sterak’s Gauge can be purchased for more damage while also staying nice and tanky. This gives Sion more variety and makes him an amusing champion to play while also being a huge threat.
Jax
Jax is certainly a strong pick in the jungle and top lane. He has some similarities to Xin Zhao but distinct differences as well. Right now he sits at just below a 51% win rate and a decent 11.25% play rate. Though these number don’t seem to be that compelling, Jax has a nice place in the meta right now.
In the jungle, Jax has some good matchups. He counters Xin Zhao well, along with picks like Camille, Lee Sin and Graves. Though he doesn’t have a dominant early game, that doesn’t matter to him. Jax has great gank power with his Counter Strike (E), which allows him to get his lanes ahead and lets him farm more freely. As the game goes longer, Jax gets extremely powerful. He can vary his jungle item to use Bloodrazor or Cinderhulk, depending on if he wants to team fight or split push. This gives him versatility to play towards his team’s win conditions.
Top lane Jax is equally as strong. His laning is safe with his Leap Strike (Q) and wins a decent amount of matchups. In the matchups he doesn’t win in lane, he likely surpasses them after he has Trinity Force or three items. At that point, Jax’s split push is hard to stop. Because of these features, Jax has a lot of agency and is a great pick for Solo Queue.
Cassiopeia
Coming out of nowhere, Cassiopeia has risen to become a terror. Though she received nerfs in patch 8.24 and 8.24b, she still dominates lane. She has around a 54% win rate in the top, middle and bottom lanes but with only a 3.7% play rate. Long time players are no strangers to seeing Cassiopeia being a meta pick once in a while, but this time it’s for a whole new reason.
This is because players are maxing out her Noxious Blast (Q) first, Miasma (W) second and Twin Fang (E) last. E max was common for a long time, but the Q max allows Cassiopeia to deliver devastating poke. Paired with Arcane Comet, one Q in lane will hurt. Plus, her W slow gives her great zone control and can essentially stop enemies in their tracks.
She rushes Luden’s Echo for needed mana, but afterwards goes for the Rylai’s Crystal Scepter and Liandry’s Torment combination. The Torment burn damage per second for the latter was increased in patch 8.19, and now the combo gives her so much additional damage. Cassiopeia is typically a mid laner, but her success in other lanes means she is viable as a carry anywhere. She isn’t likely to remain this strong for long, but is one of the best current picks.
Ezreal
This pick may cause some controversy, but Ezreal has a unique role he fills in the meta right now. As Critical Strike ADC’s are relatively weak right now, marksmen that don’t build these items are more viable. Lucian is still the best ADC, but Ezreal is right behind him. Though his win rate is sub-50% he has a 38.35% play rate. This development is curious, but there are clear reasons players are choosing to play him.
As previously mentioned, Ezreal has a unique build path. Iceborn Gauntlet is a common item and is core to his usefulness. In combination with his Arcane Shift (E), his kiting ability is excellent. This is more important than ever because of the meta favoring damage dealers, divers and assassins. Ezreal has the tools to slip around team fights and keep himself safe, something other marksmen struggle with heavily.
The mini-rework and patch 8.23 gave decent buffs to his damage. His Essence Flux (W) was reworked and is much more useful now, as compared to the old version that was only useful to AP Ezreal. The patch 8.23 buff took away the falloff damage from his Trueshot Barrage (R) and allows him to have more damage against more targets. Ezreal has a very unique play style and specific strengths that allow him to be effective in the current meta if played properly.
Zyra
Zyra is a premier pick currently and keeps with the trend of dominant aggressive supports. She rose to a 52.42% win rate and 4.75% win rate, which aren’t super high numbers but still display that she has some serious power. As a support, she is a terror to play against, and she compliments the meta well.
The core of her play style revolves around damage, and lots of it. She does more damage than almost every other support, averaging just over 19,000 a game. Doing this without proper carry farm and a support’s income is an impressive feat. Zyra’s laning is strong, and has the ability to CC enemies and pressure waves and lanes with her plants.
Like Cassiopeia, Zyra players commonly build the Ryali’s-Liandry’s combo. This allows her to deal devastating damage and bring more utility to fights. Her Stranglethorns (R) has immense team fight pressure, dealing huge damage and giving great zone control. She is helpful around objectives too, as her plants with the Rylai’s-Liandry’s combo do a ton of damage. Zyra is a great pick right now because she lends a lot of damage to the team and has pressure to close games out early.
These are some of the strongest picks in Solo Queue currently. It will be interesting to see what comes next as the preseason finally comes to an end.
Did we miss anyone? Let us know who and what you think in the comments!
Featured image via StillGlass on Deviantart.
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