How I Actually Rank These Heroes
The Real Criteria That Matter
Here’s the thing—everyone throws around tier lists, but most are just educated guesses. Mine? I’m pulling 30-day win rate data from both Classic and Ranked matches because, honestly, that’s where the rubber meets the road.
When Hayabusa’s sitting at a 60%+ ban rate, that tells you something. Same with pick rates in Mythic lobbies—if the best players aren’t touching a hero, there’s usually a reason. I’m also factoring in those Breaking Waves and Phoenix Empress Rising patch changes because, let’s face it, Moonton loves shaking things up.
S-tier heroes need to hit that 55% win rate sweet spot while actually fitting into team comps. For Gold Lane, I’m looking at late-game carry potential (because games are going longer these days). Jungle heroes? It’s all about early impact and whether they can secure objectives when it counts.
Where This Data Comes From
I’m primarily using Original Server stats—they’re the most reliable. But I’m also cross-referencing MPL and M-Series tournament picks because when pros prioritize heroes like Mathilda and Phoveus in first-pick scenarios, that’s not coincidence.
The validation process? I’m looking at individual hero performance, team comp success rates, and counter-pick effectiveness. It’s not just about one number looking good.
The 2025 Meta Shift (And Why It Matters)
Something interesting happened this year. We went from Fighter-dominated gameplay to this Assassin-centric meta that’s honestly more exciting to watch. Mobile burst heroes are king now—sustained damage dealers are struggling unless they bring something extra to the table.
Team fights? They’re all about wombo combos. If your hero doesn’t have AoE ultimate potential or crowd control synergy, you’re probably not making it to S-tier.
S-Tier: The Meta Monsters
Gold Lane Powerhouses
Granger is sitting pretty with a 58% win rate, and honestly? Deserved. His skill combo hits for 2,400+ damage at level 15 with proper itemization. That’s not theoretical damage—that’s what’s happening in real games.
Moskov brings something unique: superior late-game scaling with an 1,800 range advantage that most marksmen just can’t match. When games go past 20 minutes, he becomes a problem.
Clint rounds out the trinity with consistent DPS potential. 2.1 attack speed ceiling plus built-in penetration? Yeah, that’s why all three maintain 65%+ ban rates in Mythic.
Jungle Dominance
Hayabusa is broken. There, I said it. 62% win rate with the fastest jungle clear at 1:45 minutes, plus an ultimate that deals true damage scaling with enemy missing HP. The math just works too well.
Ling offers something no other jungler can: wall-walking mechanics that completely change map control. His 2,000+ burst combos are just the cherry on top.
Karina might surprise some people here, but her team fight presence with reset mechanics is unmatched. That 40% damage reduction during ultimate cast? Game-changing.
Mid Lane Control
Kagura maintains her 56% win rate through superior poke and escape options. Her umbrella combo hitting for 2,800+ magic damage at level 12 is still ridiculous.
Pharsa brings map control that’s honestly unfair—12-unit ultimate range with 3,200 burst potential. Good luck hiding from that.
EXP Lane Titans
Paquito leads with 59% win rate and crowd control immunity during combos. Those enhanced basic attacks dealing 180% physical damage? That’s not a typo.
Yu Zhong offers sustain that’s frankly annoying to play against. 25% spell vamp plus dragon form providing 2,000 additional HP makes him nearly unkillable in the right hands.
Roam Game-Changers
Mathilda dominates with 61% win rate and an ultimate that can single-handedly win team fights. That 60% team-wide movement speed boost on skill 2? Chef’s kiss.
Tigreal remains the reliable initiation king. 1.5-second area stun with 40% damage reduction during ultimate—sometimes the classics just work.
A-Tier: Solid Choices (But Not Broken)
Gold Lane Alternatives
Beatrix brings versatility with her four weapon systems. That 2,100 range on sniper mode is legitimately impressive. Brody offers percentage-based damage that scales beautifully, while Wanwan absolutely destroys tank-heavy comps with true damage ultimate dealing 16% max HP per shot.
Jungle Options
Lancelot still has those immunity frames and 2,400+ burst combos that make him viable. Fanny—look, she requires mechanical skill that most players don’t have, but unlimited mobility and 3,000+ damage potential in the right hands? Terrifying. Gusion’s 10-blade combo dealing 2,600+ magic damage keeps him relevant.
Mid Lane Picks
Lylia controls team fights with area denial and 2,400 magic damage ultimate. Cecilion scales infinitely—I’ve seen late-game Cecilions hitting 4,000+ damage, which is just silly. Yve offers zoning with 15-unit ultimate range that’s genuinely oppressive.
EXP Lane Choices
Esmeralda counters shield-based heroes while providing sustain through shield absorption—very meta-dependent but strong when she fits. Khaleed dominates early game with 1,800+ damage combos and crowd control immunity. Silvanna offers initiation with area ultimate and 2,200+ burst potential.
Roam Support
Khufra counters mobility heroes with displacement immunity—essential against Fanny/Ling comps. Atlas provides team fight initiation with hook mechanics and 2-second stun duration. Johnson offers map presence with car transformation and 2,800+ damage crash (when you don’t miss).
B-Tier: Situational But Viable
Gold Lane Specialists
Layla excels late game with 7.5 range advantage but—and this is crucial—lacks mobility in a mobility-heavy meta. Hanabi provides team fight damage through ricochet mechanics dealing 80% damage to secondary targets. Karrie specializes against tank compositions with true damage every third hit.
Jungle Alternatives
Aamon offers invisibility mechanics and 2,200+ burst damage but requires positioning mastery most players don’t have. Natalia provides pick-off potential with silence and 180% critical damage from stealth. Helcurt controls vision with map-wide darkness and 2,400+ assassination damage.
Mid Lane Options
Harith maintains mobility with dash resets and 2,000+ sustained damage output. Lunox provides versatility with light/dark mechanics and immunity during ultimate. Eudora offers burst potential with 2,800+ magic damage combo but lacks escape—classic glass cannon.
EXP Lane Picks
Dyrroth excels early game with 1,600+ damage combos and crowd control immunity. Jawhead provides utility with displacement mechanics and 2,000+ burst damage. Thamuz offers sustain through scythe mechanics and 25% spell vamp.
Roam Specialists
Franco specializes in picks with hook mechanics and 2.5-second suppression—still terrifying when played well. Grock provides early game dominance with wall enhancement and 1,800+ damage combos. Minotaur offers area crowd control with rage mechanics and 2-second area stun.
Team Compositions That Actually Work
The Burst Squad
Combine Hayabusa (Jungle) + Kagura (Mid) + Paquito (EXP) for 8,000+ combined burst damage. Add Mathilda (Roam) for displacement setup and Granger (Gold) for cleanup. This comp excels at eliminating priority targets within 3-second windows—it’s honestly unfair when executed properly.
The Sustain Wall
Yu Zhong (EXP) + Esmeralda (Mid) + Atlas (Roam) for frontline durability that’s genuinely annoying to break through. Support with Beatrix (Gold) for consistent DPS and Ling (Jungle) for backline access. You’re looking at 60%+ damage reduction and 4,000+ combined HP pool.
Split Push Chaos
Deploy Ling (Jungle) + Wanwan (Gold) + Khaleed (EXP) for multiple lane pressure that forces impossible decisions. Include Pharsa (Mid) for map control and Khufra (Roam) for disengage. Forces 1v1 scenarios while maintaining team fight potential.
Counter-Picking Like You Mean It
Shutting Down Mobility
Use Khufra against Fanny, Ling, and Chou—displacement immunity and crowd control make their lives miserable. Franco counters Hayabusa and Lancelot with hook interruption during dash animations (timing is everything). Tigreal provides area denial against multiple mobility heroes with 1.5-second stun radius.
Anti-Burst Defense
Deploy Mathilda against Kagura and Pharsa for displacement interruption and damage mitigation. Atlas counters Granger and Clint with hook engagement before they can complete burst combos. Johnson provides initiation advantage against squishy burst heroes.
Tank-Busting Solutions
Utilize Karrie against Atlas, Tigreal, and Khufra for percentage-based true damage that ignores their tankiness. Wanwan excels against Yu Zhong and Esmeralda with weakness mark mechanics. Cecilion scales effectively against tank-heavy compositions with infinite mana stacking.
Climbing Strategy by Rank
Epic to Legend: Master the Basics
Master 2-3 heroes per role with 70%+ win rates before expanding your pool. Seriously. I recommend Granger (Gold), Hayabusa (Jungle), and Tigreal (Roam) for consistent performance. Focus on 15-minute power spikes and objective control timing—games are won and lost around these moments.
Legend to Mythic: Adapt or Die
Expand your hero pool to include counter-picks and flex options. Master Kagura, Paquito, and Mathilda for draft versatility. Develop macro understanding of rotation timing and vision control around turtle/lord spawns. This is where game knowledge separates good players from great ones.
Mythic Climbing: Specialization Time
Specialize in 1-2 roles with complete hero mastery including situational picks. Understand draft priority and ban phase strategy—this becomes crucial. Maintain 60%+ win rate on main heroes while developing secondary role competency for draft flexibility.
Patch 2.1.23.11207: What Actually Changed
The Buffed Winners
Granger received a 15% damage increase on ultimate—that’s what pushed him into S-tier territory. Paquito gained crowd control immunity during enhanced basic attacks, improving team fight survivability significantly. Mathilda ultimate cooldown reduced by 20 seconds, increasing pick potential.
The Nerfed Casualties
Ling energy consumption increased by 25%, limiting wall-walking duration (finally). Kagura umbrella return speed decreased by 15%, affecting combo timing—you’ll need to adjust. Yu Zhong spell vamp reduced from 30% to 25%, impacting sustain capability.
Item Shake-ups
Blade of Despair damage increased from 160 to 170—physical damage dealers rejoice. Lightning Truncheon magic power reduced from 75 to 65, affecting burst mages. Dominance Ice attack speed reduction increased to 30%, strengthening anti-marksman builds.
Advanced Tactics (For When You’re Ready)
Draft Phase Mastery
First pick priority: Hayabusa, Granger, Mathilda for universal strength and low counter potential. Second rotation should focus on role completion and enemy counter-picks. Final picks address team composition gaps and provide situational advantages.
Objective Control Timing
Turtle spawns at 2:00 with 30-second respawn timer—coordinate level 4 power spikes for early attempts. Lord spawns at 8:00 requiring 3+ heroes for efficient clear. Prioritize lord after winning team fights with 15+ second death timers.
Vision Control Patterns
Place wards at river bushes before 1:30 for jungle invasion detection. Control enemy blue buff area during mid-game rotations. Establish vision around lord pit 30 seconds before spawn for positioning advantage.
Your Questions, Answered
Which heroes are best for solo queue climbing? Hayabusa (Jungle), Granger (Gold Lane), and Paquito (EXP Lane) offer highest solo carry potential with 58%+ win rates and low team dependency. They can win games even when teammates struggle.
What heroes counter the current meta? Khufra counters mobility-heavy compositions, Karrie destroys tank lineups, and Franco punishes positioning mistakes from burst heroes. Meta counters shift with patches, but these remain solid.
How often should I update my hero pool? Review tier lists after major patches (monthly). Master 2-3 heroes per role before expanding—seriously, don’t spread yourself too thin. Focus on meta-stable heroes like Tigreal and Kagura for consistent performance.
Which roles have highest impact for climbing? Jungle and Gold Lane provide highest carry potential. Roam offers game control through vision and initiation. Mid Lane excels in burst meta with map mobility.
What’s the minimum hero pool for ranked? 15 heroes minimum: 3 per role with 2 backup options. Include at least 5 S-tier heroes and counter-picks for popular meta heroes. Quality over quantity.
How do I adapt to patch changes quickly? Follow patch notes for damage/cooldown modifications. Test buffed heroes in Classic mode first. Monitor win rate changes for 48 hours post-patch before ranked adaptation.
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