Best champions for League of Legends on update 13.1

Level up your League of Legends play with the best champions in the game right now

League of Legends (LoL) has been one of most popular online competitive games since it was released in 2009. However, it’s a difficult game to master, with each champion working better or worse depending on what lane you like to play on. Each team has to have a mix of different types of champions in order to get the best results. If you want to pick up, or re-enter LoL and you’re not sure who to use, here are the best champions to use on patch 13.1.

For more, take a look at LCS 2023 Spring Split predictions.

Maokai

• Jungle / Top lane
• Good for beginners

Maokai saw great use in the 2022 season, with over 16% of teams featuring him. However, there are good reasons for this. Maokai is an easy-to-play character, and boasts an impressive 54% win rate last season. He's a great tank champion, with amazing HP and impressive defensive stats that can take offensive pressure off your teammates. His abilities can slow down opponents, help with healing, and increase your team's vision. With great versatility, we think we'll see a lot more Maokai play in the 2023 season as well.

Olaf

• Jungle / Top lane
• Good for beginners

Olaf is a versatile champion that can deal impressive damage, and take quite a bit of damage in return. Olaf only features in 4% of teams, but has an impressive 53% win rate when he is used. Many of his abilities will restore his health when he deals damage, which suits his position as an offensive champion and tank. This also makes him an ideal champion for beginners, as his abilities help him stay in the game longer. However, it does encourage aggressive plays at low health, which can backfire.

Zac

• Jungle / Top lane
• Good for beginners

Zac has long been a popular choice, with 12% of teams having him as a champion last season. He also boasted an almost 53% win rate, due to his versatility of play for beginners. Like most popular picks, Zac works great as a tank, with great engage. He's a unique champion that changes size depending on his health, and can split into chunks or bloblets, each with varying effects. He can slow, stun, and restore health, as well as being difficult to pin down. Beginners will enjoy the various ways he can be played.

Udyr

• Jungle / Top lane
• For average players

Udyr was extremely popular in the 2022 season, with almost 8% of teams featuring him. Despite numerous nerfs, we still think he will see a good portion of play in 2023. He pairs great defenses with some impressive attacks, but is still a little harder to perfect than some of the champions above. He has no ultimate, which adds to his skill level, but instead gets various buffs to his range of standard attacks. While his abilities mainly focus on causing big damage, he can also heal, helping him stay on the field.

Amumu

Riot Games

• Jungle
• Good for beginners

Amumu was one of the most popular champions last season, and almost 10% of teams featured one. He has also been buffed in recent matches, which means he could see more play. While generally used on Jungle he can be used in a number of positions as a tank with a number of support options. He can inflict a huge number of status conditions such as despair, stun, and knockdown, and has the defense to withstand a barrage of attacks. Due to his simple abilities, he is also an easier champion for new players to try out.

Fiddlesticks

• Jungle
• For average players

Fiddlesticks is more of a specialist champion for the Jungle, but is one of the best for this. He appears to have had a number of nerfs over the years but is still a well-liked champion. While less than 5% of teams used him in 2022, he still had an impressive 53% win rate. Fiddlesticks needs to be able to control the enemy's path to be a great champion, and can cast a number of debuffs on opposing teams, such as obscured sight, slow, and fear. Players should have some experience with LoL to pick him up, as his success relies on knowing the right status to inflict for each situation. The timing of his ultimate is also important, as enemies can avoid it, making him tricky to play with.

Shen

• Top lane
• For average players

Shen is another great choice for a support champion, though less versatile than some of the others on this list. However, he still features on many lists of popular champions due to his ease of use, and a better-than-average win rate of 51% last season. He works well with both supporting abilities and regenerative abilities, which help him redirect offense from other players. Shields can help block attacks against his team, while slow can give the team time to regroup.

Singed

• Top lane
• For average players

Singed can also be used as a tank, but improved his versatility by also offering some offensive pressure. He was one of the least popular champions of last season, but still provided a 52% win rate. Most of his abilities rely on him being close to opponents, which is benefitted by his large HP. Proximity to opponents provides improved speed, as well as a number of status effects he can place on opposing champions, making them easier to take down. Singed has picked up a number of buffs in the last few patches making his abilities more potent, so we think he might pick up in play next season.

Anivia

Riot Games

• Middle lane
• For experienced players

When it comes to the middle lane, there is no better champion than Anivia, though she's not the easiest to play with. She has undergone a lot of changes, with boosts to her health, but nerfs to her attack damage, yet she remains a vital control option. Her unique characteristic is that she can revive herself, granting boosts to her defenses. Avinia works hard, and uses her abilities to both engage and disengage the enemy, and is one of the best wave clearers in LoL.

Tristana

• Bottom lane
• Good for beginners

Tristana has been gaining in popularity lately due to a number of buffs she has received in the last few patches. Unlike other characters in this list, as an ADC she doesn't offer support or defensive options, and instead serves as a strong, fast sweeper. She works best from range, making her easy for beginners to use, though she can slow enemies if she decides to jump into the fray. Many of Tristana's attacks stack damage, making her one of the more powerful champions.