The top lane has always been a good role for solo carrying. There are many champions incredible at dueling, split pushing, and team fighting. And most of them scale exceptionally well in the late game. But who are the very best late-game top laners in League of Legends?
In this post, I’ll discuss precisely that – why these 5 top laners scale so well in the late game and how you can take advantage of that. Of course, there are more than 5 good late-game top lane picks, but these ones take the crown. I’ll go over their strong and weak points, as well as their power spikes, so you’ll know what to expect when playing them.
So without further ado, let’s check the top 5 best late game top laners in League of Legends!
1. Kayle
Before her rework, Kayle was just another ranged top laner in LoL. True, she had a great damage output, and she was picked as an excellent counter to certain champions. But the reworked Kayle that we have now in League is an absolute late game monster!
How often have you seen Kayle lose a match that has reached the 25th or 30th-minute mark? Not very often, right? There is an apparent reason why that is so, and it becomes evident once you understand how this champion works.
Kayle ascends through 4 forms as the game goes on. Level 1, 6, 11, and 16 upgrades her as a champion, granting her new strengths. With each upgrade, Kayle’s basic attacks deal more damage (both AP and AD), and she gains additional attack range.
At level 11, she’s considered a ranged champion. Here, Kayle’s E is also upgraded, giving her auto-attacks bonus AoE damage. But at level 16, all of this is enhanced even more because Kayle reaches a maximum amount of range.
In translation to everything I’ve written here – Kayle can’t be allowed to reach level 16. Kayle mains know that playing this champion is a game of waiting. If you manage to reach the late game, then it’s almost certain that you can win. So the worry they have is to not screw up the early game too much.
Kayle is a great champion for everything. Once empowered, she can duel anyone 1v1 and split push. But she can also join her team and shield/heal her allies with her abilities, as well as deal damage.
All in all, a great champion for solo queue, especially the low elo!
2. Nasus
Although Nasus is one of the oldest champions in League of Legends, he is also one of the best late game top laners too! Like Veigar in the mid lane, he has a mechanic that allows him to infinitely progress his power. And that’s why it’s very hard to stop Nasus from snowballing into the late game if he gets a lead early on.
Alright, the main strength that Nasus has is his Q, Siphoning Strike. This is a simple ability that empowers Nasus’ next basic attack when it’s activated. It deals an okay amount of base physical damage, but it can be boosted with stacks.
Every time Nasus kills a minion, he gains +3 Siphoning stacks. But each time Nasus slays a champion or a large monster, he gets +12 Siphoning stacks instead. This is why many players prefer to play Nasus in the jungle, but the top lane is also great.
So what does this all mean, really? Well, it means that Nasus can farm and boost the damage of his Q indefinitely. If you allow him to reach the late game, he becomes one of the best carries in League of Legends.
Most players build him as a tank because Nasus can rely on his stacking mechanic to provide him with enough damage. The more health, armor, and magic resist he has, the harder it is for his enemies to stop him. Plus, he can stay alive for longer and slay more targets with his Q.
One of the negative things about Nasus is that most champions can kite him around. But if you play him with Flash and Ghost, you’ll have no problem. He’s a very effective champion, especially in low elo. You can simply split and take turrets only with his Q.
3. Jax
Like Nasus, Jax is another veteran top lane pick in League of Legends. He doesn’t have a stacking mechanic, but his late game power has been known since the start of the game.
What makes Jax a scary champion to face in the late game is his ability to solo play around the map. He doesn’t require any ally to outplay opponents 2v1 or to take turrets in the top lane. As Jax, you can completely split from your team and take over the game by yourself.
And this has a few advantages:
- You will elevate a lot of pressure from your teammates, so they can play more relaxed.
- You will give your teammates more room around the map, so they can take all the objectives.
- You will pull your enemies towards you, giving them no time to play elsewhere on the map.
This is a recipe for success in the late game of League of Legends. Jax is a fantastic champion that allows this sort of playstyle with only two or three items. He scales extremely well with attack speed and lifesteal items, so he can also fight everyone in 1v1 duels.
Jax’s power in the late game can rarely be matched. The reason for this is that the majority of his power comes from his auto-attacks. And unless you find ways to constantly keep him in roots and stuns, he will eventually overpower you. Thanks to his ultimate, Jax is naturally tanky, so he can’t be assassinated either.
Jax doesn’t have the strongest laning phase, and you can easily counter him with certain champions. And you need to be aware of this if you’re going to play Jax yourself. Be careful in the early game, so you can be reckless in the late game!
4. Fiora
Fiora is often dubbed as the greatest duelist in League of Legends. And you know what that means? Well, being the greatest duelist in the game also makes you one of the best late game top laners!
Seriously, Fiora is completely OP. She has too much mobility, insane damage output, and broken self-healing. She can take any champion in the game in a 1v1 battle, and she’ll win, especially with a couple of core items in her inventory. And if you are a Fiora player yourself, then you have to take advantage of her strengths.
Like Jax, Fiora is extremely good at split pushing and working towards victory alone. All experienced Fiora players prefer this playstyle over teaming up and fighting 5v5 battles. This is because Fiora doesn’t need anyone to deal damage, shield herself, or outplay her opponents.
Even though Fiora is an exceptional pick in the late game, her early game is strong too. This is very different from the top 3 choices on this list, especially Kayle and Nasus. You can pick Fiora in almost any matchup and have a good time early on.
In the late game, you’ll definitely be more robust than both the ADC and the mid laner. And you’ll likely be able to solo your top lane opponent as long as you have a bit of lifesteal and damage in your build.
All in all, Fiora is one of the best champions to main in LoL. You often feel invincible while playing her, especially in the late. So, we totally recommend her!
Also read: 3 Best Supports for Tristana
5. Vayne
Although Vayne isn’t exactly a top laner, she’s one of the best champions you can play in the role and scale to late game. In fact, she’s so good that many professional and high elo players use her as a counter to a lot of scaling top laners, especially those on our list.
In the top lane, Vayne is a relentless bully. As a ranged champion, she can constantly harass melee fighters, bruisers, and tanks with her auto-attacks and give them no time to farm for the late game team fighting.
One of the biggest strengths that Vayne has is her W, Silver Bolts. This ability allows Vayne to deal bonus true damage with every third basic attack against the same target. And this means that no matter how much armor or health her opponent builds, she’s still going to melt his HP.
But Vayne also gets access to items like Kraken Slayer and Immortal Sheildbow. Kraken Slayer adds another true damage source to her kit, so it’s often built against tanks. But Immortal Sheildbow gives her a massive shield which saves her when the fighters and tanks get near her.
However, Vayne is a great champion, no matter her items. Her abilities help her kite around the melee champions exceptionally well and keep a healthy distance. And if you add the fact that she can turn invisible multiple times in the same fight, you understand why it’s challenging to defeat her in the late game.
True, Vayne has all of these strengths in the bot lane role too. However, she can be an incredibly powerful pocket pick to have in the top lane, especially when you don’t need to play a tank.
And those are the top 5 best late game top laners in League of Legends!
