5 Best Top Laners in League of Legends Patch 10.3
By Blake Toman
Picking the right champion in the top lane is the key to having an impact at all stages of the game and leading your team to victory.
With the release of League of Legends Patch 10.3 scheduled for Tuesday afternoon, here are five of the best top laners in League of Legends Patch 10.3.
1. Ornn
Although Sett held firm control of the top lane on League of Legends Patch 10.2, the planned nerfs to Sett leave Ornn as the king of the top lane. Ornn's crowd control heavy kit, combined with the gold efficiency he gets from Living Forge (Passive), makes him a reliable tank that can consistently set up his team in mid game and late game team fights.
After reaching Level 12, Ornn can transform some items into masterwork items, making his AD carry, mid laner, jungler and even support stronger as the game goes on.
2. Mordekaiser
Mordekaiser has become a menace in both professional play and in solo queue in Season 10. Mordekaiser's ability to control the fights around objectives by using Death Realm (R) on the opposing jungler to prevent a smite steal of Baron Nashor or Elder Dragon is unparalleled.
In the mid to late game, very few AD carries and mid laners can deal with his damage and tankiness and can find themselves in the fountain if Mordekaiser lands Death's Grasp (E).
3. Sett
The nerfs to Sett on Patch 10.3 are significant, which is why he drops from being the best top laner on Patch 10.2, to being a close third on Patch 10.3. The slight base damage reduction on Haymaker (W) and decrease in base HP regeneration will have a negligible impact on Sett, but the significant increase in Haymaker's cooldown at all levels harms Sett's ability to act as a bouncer in late game team fights.
Sett's kit still provides him a strong laning phase and several tools to start beneficial team fights for his team. The Show Stopper (R) gives him a way to isolate a member from a fight or deal massive damage to the entire team and sets him up perfectly for a stun onto multiple members with Facebreaker (E). His ability to quickly get additional healing and damage from the Conqueror rune only makes his kit that much more attractive.
4. Aatrox
Aatrox has been a force in the top lane ever since his rework during Season 9. Although the champion has seen round after round of nerfs, it continues to be one of the strongest laners in Patch 10.3.
His ability to chain together crowd control with each of his three uses of The Darkin Blade (Q) and tank large amount of damage using the amplified healing in Deathbringer Stance (Passive) and World Ender (R) make him a force to be reckoned with at all stages of the game.
5. Gangplank
Gangplank's high skill floor and high skill ceiling makes him a difficult champion to learn and master. But the poke damage and utility he offers is almost unrivaled in the late game.
He can help his team in any fight across the map after Level 6 by using Cannon Barrage, like Eric "Licorice" Ritchie did to help Cloud9 beat Immortals in the LCS.
He also has a cleanse in his kit and healing with Remove Scurvy (W) that help him recover if he gets caught out by crowd control or ganked at Level 3.