The previous couple of Seasons have been dominated by Tanks. In my nine years of experience with the game, I don’t remember that the Tanks have ever been such a constant oppressive force in the game. Still, Riot does what Riot does – messes up the game consistently. At any rate, Tanks are a reality with which we will have to face, and if you can’t beat them – join them.
I’ve compiled the 10 Tankiest Champions in Season 12 of League of Legends in this list. This list serves to show you how fun and powerful some of these Champions can be and give you a contained list of options to choose from. You won’t have to search any longer for the best around the internet – they’re all right here in one place for your pleasure.
With the introductory rambling out of the way, let’s begin, shall we?
10. Tahm Kench
Tahm Kench, following his mini rework, became a force so powerful that he immediately was propelled to an S+ tier spot, where he remained for the past few patches. He continues to dominate the Top Lane and is a valuable pick to have on your team. He has all you like from a Tank – damage, HP, utility, etc. There’s nothing about his kit that is lacking in any way, shape or form.
These new rework changes have made Tahm into a competitive and influential Tank with lots to offer no matter how small. Every now and then, I face him on the Lane, and it is never an easy or pleasant sight. It doesn’t take any actual effort to dominate with Tahm since his tankiness speaks for itself and does half of the heavy lifting for him by default.
At any rate, Tahm Kench is an excellent Tank with a ton of mechanical complexity that will surely make you have tons of fun with him.
9. Dr. Mundo
Dr. Mundo, yet another Champion that has become prominent following a rework. He was overtuned like hell immediately after being reworked, but that’s just Riot’s way of doing things. They make overpowered new releases that they can market and pump in popularity and sell a ton of skins, making bank in the process. Everyone in the community hates them for it, but that’s what happens when you sell out to Chinese corporations. But I digress.
Dr. Mundo’s way of dominance over his opponents comes from his insane tankiness. He can soak up many things, including CC spells. Every now and then, he will gain an anti-magic barrier that makes him immune to any CC whatsoever. This can make it quite challenging to face Mundo as he can walk right through any stun or slow you might have waited for him.
Apart from tanking through CC, he tanks through just about everything else. He has so much HP and defenses, all supported by his powerful kit. It becomes impossible to bring him down at times, and he turns into a brutal force to be reckoned with. Tanks have been the meta for a while, but Mundo seems to have taken that a tad too seriously.
I recommend you give Mundo a try, though he did lose some of that initial power he had after the rework.
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8. Malphite
Malphite is an old Champion in League of Legends – as old as the game. This age of the character and of gameplay somehow fits in with his lore of being just a mountain. Mountains exist through aeons and eras, and Malphite has undoubtedly gone through many different metas. It was high time he became a solid and foundational part of one.
He is a simple Champion. He is so simple that I think even the worst and newest players can find ways of making him overpowered. Malphite, due to this simplicity, can have a domineering status over his enemies in the Lane and off of it. It takes almost no effort to completely utilize all of his spells as he lacks actual skill shot, save for his Ultimate. And even the R isn’t a real skill shot, but that doesn’t matter.
He is one of the best anti-Armor Champions in the game. A lot of his scaling comes from defenses, apart from AP. He can utilize this to his own advantage, becoming a powerful and indestructible Tank while gaining extra damage in the process. He can wreck unsuspecting people that might take him as just another Tank without realizing the pain he can bring along with him.
I highly suggest you play Malphite on the Top Lane. Whether you play him as an AP burst mage or a chunky Tank, that’s up to you. However, whatever you do go for, it will not be a mistake.
7. Sion
Sion has been through a lot in the past few years. He’s had moments of popularity and obscurity. Despite that, he has remained valuable and viable for most of these seasons, especially in an environment where Tanks are regarded so highly. Sion is a unique Champion with mechanics that have now grown into infamy on the Rift.
He can be a real chore to kill, and it doesn’t even matter if you do kill him with a passive like his. He’ll just come back to finish where he left you off, and that’s some true gigachad energy right there.
There’s not much to say about Sion other than he does a ton of damage, has a second chance at life, and will likely be killing you often. He is an insane Champion with massive potential for team fights to utilize his Ultimate perfectly. As I’ve said, a great deal of focus on Sion revolves around his high base damage.
From level 1, Sion can chunk half of someone’s HP using his Q. When fully charged, this spell can honestly be the deadliest single cast spell in the entire game. It does require some skill and care to use correctly and to its full extent, but if you land it, oh boy, does it hurt.
I recommend you give him a try; you’re bound to like him. Sion is the Champion that I first used to get out of bronze so many years ago.
Also read: Best Ardent Censer Supports
6. Maokai
Maokai has always been a powerful Tank, ever since he was reworked. I remember the old Maokai and the infamy he existed in throughout Seasons 3 and 4. I never played a single ranked game without banning him first, as it was impossible to win a game against him. In the last few years, he has had moments of both popularity and obscurity like Sion.
Today, he lies somewhere in between, with a reasonable pick rate. His tankiness does get to ridiculous levels, and here’s why. He can build up insane amounts of HP, like any other Tank in the game. (https://symboliamag.com/) But where Maokai takes the win is his passive healing. The more HP he has, the more he will heal. Sometimes, you can see Maokai fighting for literal minutes before dying (or escaping).
He can continuously heal back all the damage you do to him (which won’t be much considering his defenses). This can go on for well, forever. It becomes almost or entirely impossible to kill Maokai if he’s advantaged enough. And it won’t be taking too much for him to get to this level of might, as this is almost a default state for him.
I love this Champion, but not when he’s in the enemy team. In that case, I dread him. But still, I can’t say that I hate him, so be sure to give him a try.
5. Cho’Gath
Cho’Gath is likely my favorite of the pure Tanks in the game. I don’t know; he’s just so fun and accessible that even my grandma could play him. I hate playing against him, but that’s just a given since he is so strong. Cho does one thing better than most others on this list, and that’s damage. He can do so much damage that you start questioning his Class: Is he or is he not a God-damned Tank? I mean, shouldn’t Tanks be resolved to TANKING and not DEALING damage?
God, sometimes this game does make me rethink my sanity. Still, Cho’Gath remains one of the most potent Champions in the entire game. He can dominate the Top Lane, and he usually does, with his strong kit. It is a simple kit, and the only spell that takes any skill to use is his Q. Once you get the hang of it, it becomes second nature and quite hard to miss.
His E is the name of the game, and any Champion getting too close will learn that the hard way. It buffs damage so severely that I honestly don’t know what Riot was thinking when balancing it. But, as we all know, the balancing team has no idea what they’re doing, like, ever, so that might explain it.
His Ultimate is one of the more well-known execution spells in the game. He eats you; yes, he eats people. And that sums up his character excellently. He grows enormous and powerful and walks around the map, eating players. I find that somehow fulfilling, honestly. Give this Void wretch a try. You won’t regret it.
Also read: Best Aggressive Supports
4. Darius
Darius is our first non-Tank Champion on this list but certainly isn’t the last. He is a Champion who focuses more on getting tons of damage in than Tanking. However, he is a Juggernaut, a particular Class of Champions that balance between Fighters and Tanks. Darius is one of those who tip the balance towards damage a bit more, but that doesn’t change much.
Darius is an even greater menace on the Top Lane in the Tank meta. His Lane bully potential was at its peak before, and now it grows even more. I think that everyone dreads seeing Darius in the enemy team, and I haven’t lost a single Laning Phase with him in Season 11. Right now, he remains equally if not more powerful. These Champions have a knack of getting more robust with each Season as if Riot really wants to turn everything into a Game of Tanks.
Darius is a Champion to which most people will lose by default. He is designed so that fighting him is not even a thought to be had, let alone an option on the Lane. These Tank meta mechanics that have been prevalent in the game for years now don’t help the issue. He can further dominate over most Champions on the Lane, save for a few direct counters. And even they can’t contain him as well as they once could.
I highly recommend you give Darius a try as there is not a single more powerful Top Laner in the game. There is one, but he is a small yellow rat that everyone hates.
3. Ornn
Ornn is an incredibly unique Champion that I’ve loved ever since he was released. He has had moments of complete obscurity, thanks mainly to Riot’s incompetent balance team making him obsolete. Everything that made the Champion strong and viable was stripped away and left bare-boned. Their way of handling Ornn’s balance angered me greatly, prompting me to leave the game for a few months altogether.
He was my main Champion before he was utterly ruined for a short spell. Thankfully, Ornn has returned in recent years; however, a bit weaker. Still, the unique mechanics he has to make him a permanently viable pick. He is the primary anti-Armor Champion you can pick in League, with direct scaling from his defenses. Though Armor is his primary concern, anti-MR scaling is also a viable Ornn gameplay start.
He can buy things in the middle of the Lane. This is a mechanic that makes Ornn so unique and fun. If you don’t need potions, you literally have zero reasons to recall, as you can purchase whatever you need right then and there on the Lane. I love this mechanic, and it makes Ornn quite unbearable at times, honestly.
I’ve played more as Ornn than against him, and I’ve noticed that people aren’t too fond of this mechanic. I, on the other hand, think otherwise. It’s unique and different from most things we see in the game and a welcome mechanic. Ornn can be insanely potent and impossible to kill at times, and he reigns supreme when it comes to CC.
Try him, trust me. No effort of Riot’s to obsolete him has succeeded. And it never will.
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2. Warwick
Okay, I know I’ve just voiced my disappointment at obsoleting Champions. But Warwick needs to be nerfed into oblivion lest I blow my head with a shotgun. This Champion is becoming a force so dominant that I’m considering just perma-banning him at this point. Every single game has a Warwick, either as an ally or enemy. I don’t know why he’s made this much of a resurgence, but man, is it annoying.
He is so freaking powerful that he can singlehandedly dominate a game without breaking a sweat. Damage, life steal, tankiness, and especially speed are all aspects that make Warwick wholly overpowered. He can establish an omnipresence on the map with his passive and W, hunting low HP players across the entire Rift.
He even has a ton of CC to accompany all of this in his E and R. God, how I dread this Champion, and rightfully so. Warwick has become an authoritative force on his own, no matter the Tank meta. He is the meta and seems to be quite determined to keep things that way.
I recommend you play him a bit and see what he’s all about. Despite my hateful rambling about him, he’s still exceptional and entertaining to play.
1. Sett
Sett is the most notorious fighter in all of League of Legends. Like Jax and Fiora, he embodies the character of a person who always seeks to fight someone. His entire kit revolves around dueling people and attacking them as much as possible. Hell, his principal and core spell (W) requires others to attack him. If that doesn’t tell you everything, you need to know. I’m not sure what will.
He can grow in size and HP rapidly. By default, Sett is a Tank. He is a Juggernaut but a Tank nonetheless. There is not a single game of Sett that he will go through without getting thousands of HP on his bar. With his W, it can become impossible to kill him. And I don’t exaggerate. Sett can sometimes be literally undead. The more you attack him, the more of a shield he builds up, and the true damage of the spell grows.
In a single spell, he can kill a Champion and gain over a thousand extra HP in the form of a shield at the same time. It is insane how Sett can become dominant and how fast he uses nothing but his fists. Building HP is more or less all you have to do to keep Sett robust, as soaking up as much damage as possible is the primary thing he wants to do.
I think that you should pay Sett a visit. He is a unique Champion and a fantastic character. His voice lines, whole schtick, and nature are all fun to listen to and play with.
Conclusion
The Tanks have been dominating our game for years now, and it’s high time we join their ranks. With these 10 Champions, you’ll have no issue achieving a domineering status over your opponents. Some of these are better than others, in my opinion. But I will leave that up to you since they can be vastly different mechanically. I hope you’ve found this list informative and fun to read, and I wish you all the best on the Summoner’s Rift.
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