Author's note: this article represents the blogger's opinion and not that of Team Dignitas, because let's face it... nobody likes Teemo.

I love Teemo, I really do. I know that many of you, upon reading the title of this post, might have assumed I was being sarcastic. You might be sitting there reading, waiting for the punch line, but there isn't one. I just like really like Teemo, ok?

But I understand why many other players don't like him. The way that he can appear seemingly out of nowhere can make him quite annoying. His ability to leave invisible mushroom landmines all over the damn place can amplify this level of annoyance. And the fact that, if you build him right, those 'shrooms can explode for over a thousand damage is more than enough to reduce many players to frothing rage.

But the fact that many players get annoyed at Teemo does not mean that he is OP. I'm sure we've all seen the clips on YouTube of people getting mushroom pentakills but what you've got to remember is that the reason why those clips amuse us is because they are so unlikely to happen. I have laughed myself silly at players who try to create a similar 'tunnel of death' only to have someone with an oracle's elixir come along and shoot the shrooms from a safe distance.

If Teemo bothers you in lane then, I hate to say it, but you will probably have difficulty against a lot of other champions. If you really think Teemo's harass is annoying then make sure that you never lane against Kennen, Urgot or Cassiopeia: you're gonna have a bad time.

There is also a perception that "everyone hates Teemo", but despite what some forum trolls might have you believe Teemo is actually still a very popular champion. According to one measurement he's the 5th most popular champion in the game. This was demonstrated eloquently when Facebook users decided to spare Teemo, rather than having him get 'dunked'.

If it is just Teemo's shrooms that bother you then allow me to recommend a counter pick: Singed. The Mad Chemist is, for my money, a really easy counter to Teemo in lane, and out of it. Once you have shoes you can settle into the regular combo of: glue, gas and toss. Teemo's blind won't affect you at all, the glue will counter his speed boost and the toss plus the gas will mean that you are doing more damage to him than he is doing to you (at least relative to total hit points, health regen etc). Once in the late game you should have Force of Nature and Mercury's Treads. Combined with your ulti Teemo's shrooms won't do a damn thing to you. When I play Singed against Teemo I make a point of sweeping hot spots for shrooms. I get a small swelling of pride whenever I find one because I know that each one means 30 seconds that my opponent won't get back.

Of course the other reason some people hate Teemo is because they think he's a troll pick that isn't really viable. I disagree with this too. I mean sure, Teemo is definitely underpowered compared to the big name ranged carries. His max DPS is far lower and his range is pretty pathetic. But that isn't the only thing a champion can bring to the table. His blind dart can shut down enemy carries. Only for a few seconds, but those first few seconds of a team fight can be key.

Secondly, the shrooms provide vision coverage of vital objectives. In some ways they are better than wards because they last longer and can actively discourage opponents. The shrooms can also help by providing safe lanes of escape for teammates who are being pursued, and dropping them in team fights is an easy way to deal large AOE damage.

Of course it's unlikely that the Teemo hate is going to stop any time soon. At least not until more people learn to buy more MR or to defend the guy with the oracle's.

Andrew Verrijdt