As the season moves swiftly along, it has become clear that teams rely more and more on their mid laners. Today’s article will focus on what makes the LPL mid lane so unique.
The Bird is Not the Word
Arguably the most notable difference is the lack of Azir play. While other regions seem to have a high priority on the pigeon emperor, the LPL seems him as an afterthought. While in the other major regions he sits at a 50% pick/ban rate or higher so far this split in the LPL, he holds a 32% pick/ban rate. Despite many LPL mid laners being capable Azir players, many would simply rather play something else instead. Fofo, Scout, Maple, and Yagao are some of the few mid laners that consistently pick the Emperor of the Sands.
Preference for pocket picks and comfort
More than any other region, the LPL loves to throw weird picks into the mid lane. Neeko, seen on the left, saw play in 20 games in the LPL last spring, compared to the 3 in the LCK, 1 in the LCS and 0 in the LEC. Aurelion Sol is also another frequent flyer in the LPL, as it is the specialty pick of Teacherma, from Team WE. Mid laners also love their mid-game brawlers, like Rumble and Galio. These two champions are common in the LPL but were barely played in the LEC or LCS.
Kings of Counter-picks
While counter-picking is very common, the LPL seems to always reserve their counter-picks for the mid lane, even more so than other regions. Kassadin, seen on the left, is a fairly common pick in the LPL. While he gets banned irregularly in other regions, he sees a fair amount of play in the LPL. Lissandra is another mid laner that tends to come out as an answer to Leblanc. Ekko, who is a common counter-pick to Syndra, also shows up quite a bit.
Before the article ends, there is one final curiosity before the article ends. DoinB and Forge are the only starting mid laners of any major region to have never played Zoe in their entire career. And that will conclude today’s article.
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Follow JJ on Twitter: @NeonColouredJay.