In just over a week Viktor has risen from a solo queue hero to a common pick across most regions. Viktor's rise in popularity is correlated to a series of nerfs targeted at assassin mid laners over the past few months. With changes to Fizz and Ahri following the removal of DFG, Viktor gained more safety in the mid lane, allowing him to transition into mid and late game team fights. Another nerf that benefited Viktor were the changes to Azir in Patch 5.3. In many ways Azir was what Viktor strived to be: a zone controlling, high DPS mid-range mage that scaled well through the first 20-30 minutes of the game.

Who brought Viktor into the spotlight?

Many meta changes are brought about in Korea's LCK and Viktor's no exception. The first place GE Tigers were the first to bust out Viktor this past week, going 5-0 in total (along with drawing a ban vs Jin Air). Three other mid laners took a crack at Viktor, with Coco and Faker pulling out wins vs Najin and KT Rolster respectively. The only loss on Viktor's resume in the LCK is on the shoulders of Frozen, whom ended up taking the loss vs Samsung (which led to Samsung's first series win of the season). The Chinese LPL had similar results to the LCK as Viktor holds a respectable 3-1 W/L ratio.

On the other side of the coin, both the EU and NA LCS have struggled to secure a VIKtory..

The Machine Herald is boasting an 0-5 record across both regions, with 4 of those losses coming from North America. It's apparent the West hasn't quite adapted their Viktor play to the level of Korea and China, but I applaud teams for taking a gamble on a pick that will seemingly be a strong pick/ban for week 8.

Breaking down Viktor's kit:

Passive: “Glorious Evolution”: This passive does take up an item slot (which at one point Riot discussed removing as a buff to Viktor), but it allows players a degree of versatility in how they prefer to play Viktor. The Augment is also an incredibly gold efficient buy that allows for a solid first item power spike.

Q: “Siphon Power”: An incredible tool for trading in lane as it deals damage, provides a shield (similar to Kassadin's Q), and includes a Lich Bane-like auto attack enhancement. Augementing Siphon Power grants movement speed, excellent for an immobile mage.

W: “Gravity Field”: An AOE slow that stuns after a short duration. One of Viktor's main zoning tools, which becomes more potent when augmented (adds an Orianna “Shockwave” type effect dragging champions towards the center).

E: “Death Ray”: Lined skill-shot (Similar to Rumble's “Equalizer”) that deals an incredible amount of damage. Coupled with the augmentation that provides bonus magic damage on the lines path, this becomes Viktor's primary source of damage and wave clear.

R: “Chaos Storm”: Who says you need DFG to 100-0 someone? Viktor's ultimate not only does insane burst damage in an AOE, but it also silences, and then continues to add damage every second. Augmenting “Chaos Storm” adds movement speed, making a W-R combo an incredible 1-2 punch for team fight control.

In all, after a series of changes to champions like Azir and Fizz, Viktor is an incredibly strong mid laner with the ability to zone an enemy back-line while maintaining a high amount of consistent damage. Viktor could just be a flavor of the month pick, but in my opinion the Machine Herald is here to stay until things change (whether it be a nerf to Viktor, changes to the jungle, etc.).