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The midlaner is undoubtedly one of the most crucial roles in League of Legends. The existence of the midlane turret is one of the primary aspects contributing to this position's importance.
The turret is one of the major goals on the map, and destroying it opens up the proceedings and lets the team advance deeper into enemy territory.
The midlaner's role varies based on the champions they play in League of Legends. Some champions are more farm-oriented, focusing on scaling up to become extremely powerful late in the game, like Victor and Kassadin. Meanwhile, others are more proactive, focusing on gaining kills and generating chances for their team, like Zed, Talon, and more.
Professional League of Legends players such as Faker, Caps, Showmaker, and others have established the standard for greatness in the midlane role over the years. As a result, it has become one of the most popular roles in the game.
With League of Legends season 13 in its first week, the meta has shifted quite a bit. This can be attributed to patch 13.1, which saw items like Seraph's Embrace, Rod of Ages, and Axiom Arc strengthen, resulting in some champs performing better.
This list will cover the five best midlane champions in League of Legends season 13.
Disclaimer: The list is subjective and reflects the author's opinion entirely
Kassadin, Zed, and three more midlane champions are among the best in League of Legends season 13
1) Kassadin
We begin with one of the top-performing midlane champions in the last month or two. Kassadin unquestionably deserves to be on this list, as he has been one of the most powerful champions in the game since his 'rework' in League of Legends patch 12.23.
On paper, he is supposed to be a scaling pick who suffers massively in the early-mid stages of the game, which often leads to players having a miserable time against powerful early-mid game champions.
However, due to his rework, the adjustments to his Q (Null Sphere) and E (Force Pulse) have made his life much simpler. Owing to that, he now has a 52.83% win rate and a 10% pick rate in Diamond+ ranks of League of Legends.
If a late-game champion like Kassadin is performing so well in high-elo, where players are more aggressive in the early-mid game and matches often finish before the late-game, there isn't much to say further.
Runes
Kassadin has two options when it comes to his rune selection. In most matches, players are advised to take Domination as the primary rune and Precision as secondary, which allows him to burst enemies with ease whilst also providing mana regen thanks to Presence Of Mind.
Primary Rune (Domination)
Electrocute - Taste Of Blood - Eyeball Collection - Ultimate Hunter
Secondary Rune (Precision)
Presence of Mind - Legend Tenacity
However, in matches where League of Legends players are in a harsh laning match-up where the enemy midlaner is aggressive in the early-mid stages, it is best to opt for Precision as the primary rune along with Resolve as secondary. Notable examples include Tristana, Pantheon, Akshan, and more.
Doing so allows one to safely tread the early-mid stages, thanks to the healing from Fleet Footwork, along with sustain from Second Wind and Overgrowth.
Primary Rune (Precision)
Fleet Footwork - Presence of Mind - Legend Tenacity - Coup de Grace
Secondary Rune (Resolve)
Second Wind - Overgrowth
Itemization
Itemization for Kassadin in League of Legends season 13 is relatively simple, since the objective should be to rush Rod of Ages quickly so the item can begin receiving its passive stats.
However, if the opponent matchup is sufficiently favorable for one, purchasing an early Dark Seal is recommended to improve snowballing and strengthen Kassadin's early game.
- Rod of Ages (Core Mythic Item)
- Sorceror's Shoes (Core Boots)
- Seraph's Embrace (Core Legendary Item)
- Deathcap
- Zhonya's Hourglass (Opt this item as a third purchase when against AD threats)
- Void Staff
2) Anivia
The second addition to this list is the famous mage Anivia. She is quite a unique champion thanks to her kit, making her a strong midlane champion in League of Legends season 13.
Anivia's main source of damage is her abilities, which provide area-of-effect damage. She can also construct ice barriers to shut off choke points, making her an excellent choice for map control.
Her ultimate ability, R (Glacial Storm), unleashes a snowstorm that slows and wounds adversaries, providing her with strong wave-clearing clearing skills.
With Rod of Ages and Seraph's Embrace receiving quality-of-life changes in patch 13.1, Anivia's dominance in the midlane is quite apparent as she currently has a 52.78% win rate and a 4.1% pick rate in Diamond+ ranks.
She is certainly a strong champion, deserving of being on this list as one of the best midlane options in League of Legends season 13.
Runes
Anivia takes a rather straightforward approach to rune choice, as she performs best when Domination is her primary rune and Precision is the secondary one.
With this setup, she can deal significant burst damage to her League of Legends enemies with Electrocute and Cheap Shot, while simultaneously getting mana to sustain from Presence of Mind.
Primary Runes (Domination)
Electrocute - Cheap Shot - Eyeball Collection - Relentless Hunter
Secondary Runes (Precision)
Presence of Mind - Coup de Grace
Itemization
Like Kassadin, Anivia's goal is to get Rod of Ages quickly, so the item can start getting stacked at the earliest. Besides that, her build path is pretty standard, like any other mage in League of Legends season 13.
- Rod of Ages (Opt for Liandry's Anguish when vs Tanks/Bruisers)
- Sorceror's Shoes
- Seraph's Embrace (Core Legendary Item)
- Deathcap
- Zhonya's Hourglass
- Void Staff
3) Heimerdinger
The third addition to this list is everyone's favorite yordle from the League of Legends-based Netflix series Arcane, Heimerdinger. While he may be a more famous support pick, when it comes to midlane, he is easily one of the most underrated picks.
Heimerdinger is a mage in League of Legends that excels in zoning and control. On top of that, he has good wave-clear abilities, making him a good pick for pushing lanes. It is quite common for opponents to underestimate the damage they do as his champion kit is built for players to run into his Q (H-28 G Evolution Turret).
Overall, he is a great pick for those who enjoy playing mages and controlling the battlefield. Heimerdinger's unique playstyle offers a lot of flexibility, making him a great option for experimenting with different strategies and playstyles.
On top of all this, Heimerdinger is arguably one of the few champions who is a four-way flex pick. This is due to his proficiency at laning on toplane, midlane, ADC/APC, and support.
Runes
Like Anivia, Heimerdinger for midlane has a standard rune path. Sorcery, as the primary rune, coupled with Inspiration as the secondary, enables him to inflict damage on the enemies thanks to Arcane Comet and Manaflow Band.
Primary Rune (Sorcery)
Arcane Comet - Manaflow Band - Absolute Focus - Gathering Storm
Secondary Rune (Inspiration)
Perfect Timing - Future's Market
Itemization
Itemization on Heimerdinger is also quite straightforward, as he performs the best in most scenarios with Liandry's Anguish due to its burn damage effect. He then follows quite a typical mage build but has a decent amount of options depending on the match and enemies.
- Liandry's Anguish (Core Mythic Item)
- Sorceror's Shoes
- Zhonya's Hourglass
- Rylai's Crystal Sceptor (Opt this as a second item if there are no AD threats)
- Shadowflame (Opt for Demonic Embrace if vs HP stackers)
- Deathcap
4) Karma
Karma is the fourth addition to this list, as she has slowly been rising in midlane over the past month. She is a mage renowned for her versatility and crowd-control abilities and being a very good peeler for the carries, along with providing sustain thanks to her E (Inspire) shields.
At the moment, there is a specific build for Karma in midlane that has made her overpowered. Thanks to Radiant Virtue, she has become a menace of a champion that acts as a brilliant enabler for her team. This is due to her ability to use the passive of the item every time her R (Mantra) is available.
This is mostly more of a supportive pick as a midlaner rather than being a carry option. So those with a supportive playstyle are advised to play this champion.
Runes
Runes on Karma is straightforward as she performs well with Sorcery as her primary rune and Resolve as her secondary rune. Doing so enables her to have empowered shields for her allies, thanks to Summon Aery and Revatilze. This also synergies well with her abilities and mythic item.
Primary Rune (Sorcery)
Summon Aery - Manaflow Band - Transcendence - Gathering Storm
Secondary Rune (Resolve)
Bone Plating - Revitalize
Itemization
Itemization for Karma in midlane is distinct from her support build, as she performs best with Radiant Virtue being her core mythic. This enables her to support her carries even harder.
Players are advised not to go with an AP mythic item on her in midlane as she struggles to perform as well as her Radiant Virtue build.
- Radiant Virtue (Core Mythic Item)
- Ionian Boots of Lucidity
- Chemtech Putrifier
- Redemption
- Frozen Heart (Opt for Spirit Visage when vs AP threats)
- Ardent Censer (Opt for Staff of Flowing Water when having AP carries as allies)
5) Akshan
We end this list with Akshan, a consistent champion for midlane with a well-rounded kit. He is a great lane bully who oppresses dominant match-ups and manages to hold his own in bad ones.
He is quite easily one of the few champions that is a great blind choice regardless of opposing composition. This alone makes him a great pick for League of Legends season 13. Another advantage is that he successfully counters Kassadin, making him essential in one's champion pool.
With the ability to harass the enemy with the help of Q (Avengerang), evade ganks or close gaps with his E (Heroic Swing), and respawn recently dead allies, Akshane is one of the best champions to master in Season 13, for midlane.
Runes
Akshan performs best with Precision as his primary rune and Resolve as his secondary, as doing so gives him access to Press The Attack. The latter is arguably the best-performing rune, allowing him to maximize his trading power.
Primary Rune (Precision)
Press The Attack - Presence of Mind - Legend Alacrity - Coup de Grace
Secondary Rune (Resolve)
Shield Bash - Bone Plating
Itemization
Itemization in Akshan is mainly Attack-Speed centric, as his kits perform well with these kinds of items. Kraken Slayer and Blade of The Ruined King are his core mythic items that should never be skipped, as they are his best picks.
- Kraken Slayer
- Berserker's Greaves
- Blade of The Ruined King (Opt for Wit's End as the second item when vs AP threats)
- Guinsoo's Rageblade
- Wit's End
- Rapid Firecannon
This concludes our list of the five best midlane champions in League of Legends Season 13 that players should definitely try. Whilst lists like this can be impacted by future patch updates, as of patch 13.1, these champion picks are certainly the best.
