Originally Posted by
Hamster
Shen is still the best tank in the game.
Hamster's Current Best List:
Tank - Shen
Physical Melee - Xin Zhao
Physical Ranged - Ashe
Mage - Annie
Support - Janna
Pusher - Heimerdinger
If you disagree with any of that you're wrong, and I'll explain to you why.
I agree, but with a big shout-out to Morgana in a hybrid mage/support role. She's amazing in team fights when properly played.
But yeah, overall I can agree on that. Soraka is also pretty insane as support, but far more vulnerable than Janna. Janna is also a far superior pusher and is not only a heal bot like Soraka is. Janna takes the cake for her knock-up and slow abilities.
Annie vs. Ryze, as was said... Annie is superior. Being able to stun a whole team for the time she is able to, while pumping out that amazing burst, while your teammates run havoc on the recently stunned enemies plays a bit more into the game than Ryze snaring one enemy, then proceeding to blow his load on the enemy for a lesser burst than Annie, then die because he is VERY squishy and has no defensive spells at all, unlike Annie (Molten Shield).
Best tank is unarguably Shen. His Q is a viable damage dealer and ALSO A HEAL (people forget this too much, it's actually a good heal for right-click champions with decent attack speed who attack the tagged champion), his W is a pure tanking ability that blocks incoming damage (probably his most useless ability, while still having a use for reducing harassment from predictable sources), his E is what Rammus's taunt is, but with less taunt-time. The advantage is that he can actually get whole teams in his Shadow Dance and refill his energy for that. Which Rammus can't do. His R is probably one of the best and most useful ults in the game... teleporting to any ally while shielding them from 800 damage at level 3? Turning 2v1s into 2v2 is gamechanging, 3v2s to 3v3s, and so on is gamechanging. Why? Because Shen has those other abilities that greatly influence the team fights, and team fights are crucial end-game. Think about it.
Xin Zhao is also unarguable. Won't even get to it. A knock-up, an attack speed increase with a CD reduction, a slow/chase ability and a ridiculous ultimate. Ways to shut him out when he's fed are either to completely focus him (bad idea, since he's pretty durable) or to stack some of that armor, via Thornmail (bad idea on most champions).
Ashe is pretty much set for it, too. I'm not an avid Ashe player, but her Bounty skill was pretty much useless, from what I could pick up, and the change to it was pretty much what really established her as the top ranged DPS. Let's take this step by step: A built-in auto-attack slow that is very mana effective late game; An AoE cone attack that ALSO slows; A scouting shot, useful for about anything, from checking Baron and dragon to observing any incoming enemies; And finally, ECA. Another great ultimate, a skillshot nuke with a slow/stun effect, depending on how it hits. Can pretty much save teammates, kill runners... the usefulness is very good.
Heimerdinger is insanely annoying to play against and I dislike him a lot, but it's pretty much undeniable that he is THE pusher. Turrets prevent minions from advancing at all while farming for him, the Rockets are great harassing and farming tools and help with some of his burst late-game (which is quite considerable, impressively), the bomb skillshot not only deals hefty damage to champions, but can also blind AND stun, and the ultimate is pretty much his worse ability, while being pretty good. Your turrets are healed and now slow the enemy, most notably... Good for running away, saving allies, and possibly getting kills.
So, yeah, that's why I agree with Hamster there. ;|
Last edited by RedDevil; Jul 29, 2010 at 11:04 PM.