The Top Lane has grown and changed quite a bit over the years. There are so many Champions to choose from that you’ll often find yourself perplexed by the never-ending choices. This is especially true if you’re a newer player that doesn’t yet understand the intricacies of the Lane (or the game, for that matter).
To mitigate this, I have compiled a list of the 5 Best Early Game Top Laners. It should instantly help you find the best pick for yourself.
If you’re a new player, it will give you a few powerful options right off the bat. These will help you achieve supremacy in the Lane early on and spend time exploring all the nooks and crannies of the Lane’s mechanics.
The Early Game is a crucial period in League of Legends. Failing to play it correctly can have severe consequences in the mid and late games. Having an excellent early game Champion will help you get pretty consistent at playing this crucial part of the game.
So, with that out of the way, let us begin, shall we?
5. Garen
Don’t let the low placement deceive you – Garen is undoubtedly one of the most powerful Top Laners in the game currently and has been for the past few years. However, his early game could be better, and he would have a much higher placement if we were looking at the Laning Phase in general.
Since we’re not, he’ll have to satisfy himself with the number 5 spot. But that’s an achievement in and of itself due to the sheer number of Top Lane Champions out there.
Garen’s early game is aggressive, safe, and assertive. Against melee matchups, Garen can easily dominate his opponent with his robust kit. Packing a lot of heat, Garen has all the weapons required to kill someone quickly.
The recent Ignite Garen craze has proved how insane Garen can get, even in the earliest parts of the game. At level 3, you can eviscerate the enemy if everything lines up correctly. You’ll emerge from the fight unscathed, and this insanity only gets worse as the game progresses.
By the time you’re level 6, it’s pretty much game over for your opponent. Garen is one of the oldest Champions in the game, and that tells you all you need to know about the nature of his kit. It’s simple, has no skill shots, and is utterly broken.
Of course, his passive sustain is a core component of his early game playstyle. He won’t have to go back as often, meaning he won’t miss any of that juicy XP and gold from the minions. If he manages to pressure you, prepare for an endless lane freeze.
I recommend Garen to everyone and anyone. He’s just that good.
Also read: Best ADCs to Pair With Zac
4. Teemo
Teemo is one of if not the best Top Lane Champion in League of Legends. The way this Champion can control and dominate the Lane is scarcely replicated in any other pick. So why is he so low on the list? Well, his early game could be a bit better.
You see, Teemo’s first 3-4 levels will focus primarily on just farming and the occasional poke. Before getting at least half an item, Teemo won’t seek any dangerous encounters with his opposing Laner. Instead, he’ll look to deny them as much farm and XP as possible, emphasizing zoning and safe farm.
After he gets to level 6 is when the real deal starts. Teemo will exponentially grow in power and become a duelist that can take on anyone, even at the melee range. Using his Mushrooms, he can do massive over-time damage at close range.
If he wishes, he can clear the entire wave and crash his minions into the enemy tower. Following this, Teemo has infinite possibilities – Herald, Vision, Roaming; you name it. He’s a mighty, poisonous little squirrel that shows us that size doesn’t mean everything.
I recommend Teemo to all player levels, especially the intermediate ones.
3. Renekton
Renekton is the lane bully in League of Legends. However, some other Champions have taken the title of best in recent patches, and Renekton was left a bit behind. Despite this, he still remains one of the top picks for the early game, and this is why.
Renekton has everything one Champion needs to effectively and aggressively dominate the opponent. His simple and yet brutal combos are something that will drive anyone mad. Not to mention that they’re almost impossible to counter, save for maybe Teemo or Fiora. Even then, you’d need lightning reflexes to counter everything he has to throw at you.
Renekton is a Champion built around the early to mid-game, and will drastically begin falling off in the later parts of the game. He does have ways around this, such as the various new items introduced after Season 12. Even then, Renkton won’t be able to keep his domineering capacities for the whole of the game.
Later on, he will become a regular Tank and Disabler, with the occasional high damage combo thrown in. I recommend him to players new in the Top Lane and those wishing to finish the game by minute 20.
Also read: What is Overextending in LoL
2. Jax
Jax has propelled himself into the S+ tier following the 11.23 pre-Season patch. Though strong, Jax was a B-tier Top Laner at the most in Platinum+ in the earlier patches. It is a pleasant sight to see since I am an enthusiastic Jax main, and I can tell you that his power spike is noticeable.
This only feeds into this list, and Jax is, apart from Teemo, likely the best Top Laner right now. However, he is a bit higher on the list since his early game is precisely how it needs to be, and I wouldn’t tweak it at all, even though he’s not number 1, even by my standards.
Level 1 Jax is harmless, but by level 2 he’s already something to beware of. His E and W, when combined, can hurt a low-level character. Of course, Jax isn’t too tanky himself early on, so retaliation is possible. However, if he hits level 3 first, you’ll instantly lose. He can immediately jump on you and proceed to slap you with his lamp post and begin zoning the hell out of you.
Level 6 is Jax’s central power spike, and everything that follows is too gruesome to describe in a list meant for all ages. Jax is the duelist, the fighter, and the bruiser of League of Legends. He is Top Lane’s most infamous example of how powerful that Lane can get. Pentakills and the like are the usual sights with this Champion, and that should tell you enough alone.
I love Jax, and you’ll love him too after your first game with him. He’s old, simple, and powerful – everything that the modern League player hates. And, coincidentally, lacks the knowledge to defeat.
1. Darius
I think you kinda saw this one coming. Darius is the supreme leader of the Top Lane when it comes to the early game, lane bullying, and such. He’s just too powerful. So powerful, in fact, that most players will lose against this Champion. Darius and Illaoi are the main enemies of the new Top Laner, and there are many reasons for that.
First off, most players just don’t know how to play against him. The Darius danger zone is a massive area around him that you can’t get near if he has all of his spells up. If he manages to pull you in with his E, the chances are that you’re already dead. This depends only on your position on the Lane. If you’re far enough from your tower – good riddance.
Darius is a killing machine and has everything in his kit that will dominate you from minute 1. After he gets level 3 it will become quite challenging to face him. Zoning is what he’ll do for most of his time on the Lane since he is not a well-known roamer by any means.
From time to time, Darius will opt for shoving the Lane and perhaps take the Herald or go back and return to the Lane even readier to wreck you than before. Whatever he does do, he’ll maintain a constant advantage even if he isn’t fed. Feeding Darius is something that most new and even intermediate players do since they get too close, too greedy, or a combination of the two.
I recommend Darius to everyone who wants to play Top. He is a guaranteed Lane victory if you don’t play like a complete fool. The only ones that can counter him are Teemo and some other marksmen like Quinn. But even then, you can still win by a wide margin.
Also read: Best Runes To Take in ARAM
Conclusion
The early game is vital. Playing it well will give you a significant advantage and dominance in the following parts of the game. Of course, some Champions perform better in this period than others, and this list proves how well some of them are on the Top Lane.
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