Being flexible with your playstyle and role choice is now more important than ever, but that doesn’t mean you need to learn a zillion new champions to keep up with the meta. There are champions out there who are famous for their “jack-of-all-trades” prowess — read on to discover who they are and whether you should add them to your roster.
Being flexible with your playstyle and role choice is now more important than ever, no doubt thanks to the new champ select system and the increased focus on team-oriented gameplay. However, that doesn’t mean you need to learn a zillion new champions to keep up with the meta. There are some champions out there who are famous for their “jack-of-all-trades” prowess.
These champions can fit into practically any team comp, have multiple viable build paths, and can even be played in different roles once mastered. By picking up one of these champions, you’ll be in the best position to support your team, no matter the enemy you’re up against.
Look, if you’re a veteran LoL player, it won’t be too much of a surprise that Gragas is featured on this list. He’s famous for being the most versatile champion in the game, with a high pick rate in various roles, especially in the top and jungle.
Take a close look at his abilities, and you’ll quickly understand why. His kit is loaded with damage, sustain, and CC that remains useful in various settings no matter his opponent’s defenses. His passive even allows him to heal just by using an ability every few seconds, giving him a reliable source of survivability that can work in any role.
Gragas particularly excels in team fights thanks to his strong engage and ultimate, though he has plenty of viable build paths and can effortlessly adapt to suit his team’s needs. He also doesn’t need to secure kills to get ahead.
To top it off? Gragas has exceptional wave clear as both a jungler and a laner. His barrels also make it easy for him to farm from a safe position, meaning he can still stay in the game even if he’s pressured by his opponent.
Just be mindful that while his ultimate is strong, it does take some time to master. It can also be easily dodged by opponents who have dashes or other forms of mobility. If you’re against a highly mobile team comp, you may want to lock in Poppy instead… cue her entrance.
Next up is Poppy. Poppy is a reliable champion who has held up through various meta changes, nerfs, and buffs. While she’s best known as a tank — and she certainly excels in this role thanks to her high sustain — her kit is flexible and can allow her to play both offensively and defensively. She even has an all-in engage that enables her to secure picks and change the tide of teamfights, no matter her role.
Notably, Poppy’s ultimate offers plenty of playmaking potential (and of course adds a whole other layer of versatility). She can use her ultimate to strategically isolate targets, disrupt the enemy team’s positioning, and even as a disengage tool to save a low-health carry.
Poppy doesn’t have as much damage as the likes of Gragas (our top pick), but she does have something that he lacks: The ability to hard counter dash champions. This makes her a great pick in the current meta, considering the rate Riot is pumping out those high-mobile champions as of late.
Just be mindful that Poppy is particularly vulnerable if she overextends with her E. If you’re looking to add her to your roster, it’s important to time this ability carefully and to ensure your teammates are in position to follow up.
Pantheon may not quite match up to his former glory days — remember when he had a 100% ban rate in Worlds 2019? — but he’s still a phenomenal, versatile champion to pick up.
His kit allows him to thrive (and carry) in every role. His Q offers reliable harass regardless of his build path, his W is a point-and-click CC, and his E shield provides invulnerability from virtually all incoming damage sources.
His global ultimate is also incredibly powerful and one of the most versatile abilities in the whole game. He can use his ult to gank, rotate in time for crucial objectives, secure picks, and even deter enemies from collapsing on his team’s carry — its potential is limitless.
Pantheon can dish out hefty damage and effortlessly assassinate low-health carries with his empowered Q. However, he is squishy when his shield is down. He also falls off late hard, which does limit his versatility to the early and mid-game.
While many of the champions featured here are undeniably versatile, they do require you to get to grips with some pretty complex mechanics… But hey, that’s where Warwick comes in.
Not only is Warwick’s playstyle versatile, but he’s also one of the easiest champions to play.
His abilities are simple, and even though he does still have a skillshot in his kit, it has a generous (and forgiving) hitbox. His W also provides him with a built-in visual indicator of low-health enemies, meaning you don’t need impeccable map awareness either.
Warwick’s versatility is a result of several different factors. To begin with, he has phenomenal sustain that stays relevant regardless of the enemy he’s up against. This is primarily because it works on lifesteal. He also excels in both teamfights and duels, has tons of mobility, and has various viable build paths (tank, bruiser, or damage). To top it off? He has fantastic pick potential thanks to his R ability.
Now, while Warwick is versatile and can be played in various roles and team comps, his playstyle is more one-dimensional than other champions featured here. He’s extremely dependent on auto-attacking and chasing down enemies to get ahead. If you’re after a champion with a flexible playstyle that enemies can’t predict, you’ll want to consider picking up Gragas instead.
Mastering a flexible champion means you won’t have to fear being auto-filled ever again. The best in our books are Gragas, Poppy, Pantheon, and Warwick. However, if you’re not fully won over by ‘em and are looking for more recommendations? Be sure to hop into our Discord community group. We’ll be happy to advise you on some other flexible champions worth your consideration.
In the meantime, be sure to check out the rest of our blog for in-depth LoL guides covering the basics to more advanced topics like wave management and kiting. Good luck with your climb — and remember, a jack of all trades can be a master of all in the right hands!
