Even for players with years of experience in League of Legends, dealing with the enemy tanks is often a struggle, to put it lightly. The tricky part about understanding how tanks work is that there have been many changes over the years that significantly affect how tanks work, how anti-tank Champions work, and how all the items work. The culmination of these changes makes keeping up with the necessary build paths and optimal counter picks a frustrating task to enjoy a video game. Still, it's part of the game, so to help you deal with this and get a firm understanding of how to counter tanks in League of Legends, let's go over what makes tanks so good!

Most consider a tanky Champion boring because they act as a "meat shield" for their carries. While this is true, there's a lot more than meets the eye. Marksmen players might understand this best because they often struggle with the fact that tanks can 1-v-1 them, despite Marksmen supposedly being the countering class to tanks. Their severe damage despite only building tank items is because of their higher base stats and values. Tanks need to have higher base stats to be helpful other than just sitting in front of carries in the late game.

Especially considering League of Legends is a paced game that involves most tanks playing apart from carries until they get some items, and therefore, need to fend for themselves in some fashion. As a result, in the earlier stages of the game, they have unmatched stats. To add on, consider that these tanks must be able to deal damage to other tanks in their matchups for it to be worth their time. Otherwise, you get what's often referred to as a 'wet-noodle fight' (I hit you because you hit me; hitting you doesn't solve my problems, but now we are even). Overall, With this blank slate of having higher base stats, these Champions have a plethora of routes to take in their builds to deal with specific matchups in their lane and then transition into something to deal with the entire team at the later stages of the game. When they do this correctly and find an early snowball advantage, they can feel nearly impossible to kill by the mid-to-late game!

With that said, before reviewing the Champions and items that work best against tanks, let’s first differentiate between the types (or subclasses) of tanks. First, “vanguards” are offensive tanks. They specialize in initiating fights with their engaging abilities. Some examples include Alistar, Gragas, Rammus, and Malphite. The other type is the defensive tank, known as "wardens." These tanks specialize in peeling for their carries and dis-engaging/counter-engaging enemies.

Some examples include Braum, Galio, Poppy, and Shen. What's the point of classifying them? Part of understanding how to play against tanks is knowing exactly what purpose they serve for their team. It would be best if you didn't think of tanks as tanks alone. Instead, you should think of them as tanks that want to engage on me (if playing a carry role) or tanks that want to stop my initiation (if playing more supportive roles). This way, you know which ones you need to pay more attention to in your build and playstyle!

What Champions Counter Tanks

Top Lane Counters

Now that we know why tanks are the way they are and the difference between different types, we need to highlight some of the top picks to play if you're against tankier opponents. Starting with the top lane, if you need a Champion that can comfortably dive into the enemy backline despite them having wardens, consider picking Camille! Not only can she use her Hookshot and The Hextech Ultimatum to isolate carries and temporarily bypass the wardens, but she also has the true damage to deal with the tankier opponents afterward and even in lane!

Opposingly, if you're looking to pick a Champion that has the bulk of a tank but can deal with them as well, consider Trundle. Trundle's ability to Subjugate enemy tanks and become virtually invincible makes him exceptional for taking down the tanks. Additionally, his kit allows him to generate picks with a well-placed Pillar of Ice.

Finally, if you're looking to pick up a Champion that can reliably cut through tankier opponents but also aid in dis-engaging opponents' initiations, choose Cho’Gath. Cho’Gath’s Vorpal Spikes help punish tank matchups in lane and scales well into the game's later stages. Of course, Cho’Gath’s notorious Feast is also spectacular for punishing low health tanks. Combine his tank-killing power with his area-of-effect knock-up and silence, and it's easy to see how he can quickly put a stop to an incoming onslaught.

Jungle Counters

The jungle has a variety of Champions that could be on this list, but we will broadly cover each idea with a single Champion. First, when lacking tank-killing threat and late-game scaling, consider picking up Kindred. Kindred's kit and standard itemization shreds through tanks like butter if she can keep her distance. The added benefit to her kit is Lamb's Respite, allowing her to defy death for anyone in her vicinity for a short duration. When piloted well, Kindred can survive any burst of damage and use this period for whittling the enemy to kill after the ability expires.

If you're looking for a Champion that can sustain through the damage tanks dish out while also cutting through them with ease, try Kayn. Kayn, especially Darkin Kayn with Conqueror, can essentially sustain through any damage output coming from tanks in the later stages of the game while simultaneously having a standard build that punishes tanks heavily.

Finally, if you're looking to make your mark around the battlefield while proving some magic damage for your team, consider playing Lillia. Despite her low win rate, Lillia can indeed carry games when mastered. Ever since her release, Lillia has been like an easier version of Nidalee. Lillia has low cooldowns, area-of-effect damage, true damage, and a tank-shredding passive that deals max health damage over time. Combining these feats with a standard build that provides even more damage over time, Lillia walks all over tanks when she gets a lead.

Mid Lane Counters

The mid lane is tricky to cover because it is generally one of the better positions for dealing with tanks. In a way, nearly every mid laner can work well into tanks if in the right scenario. Nevertheless, let's cover some simple examples. Starting with a Champion that does exceptionally well into mid-lane tank matchups, Rumble. The tanks you'll encounter are all melee and have no option but to stare down a flamethrower. Rumble's low cooldown and manaless abilities make his shield a spammable ability to deal with much of a tank's damage.

Furthermore, Rumble's Electro Harpoon reduces the enemy's Magic Resist for four seconds, which even increases if they are already slowed or when in the Danger Zone. When tagged, Rumble’s damage over time from Flamespitter and The Equalizer is a terror for tanks!

The next Champion deals with tanks incredibly well but takes a lot of getting used to, Anivia. Most of her ability to deal with tanks is in her high-scaling, area-of-effect ultimate ability. Anivia’s standard build path will make a well-placed Glacial Storm a disaster to deal with. If you’re looking for a mage to play into an engage-heavy team, if you can keep yourself from being engaged on, Anivia does well to slow down enemy follow through.

Finally, if you’re looking to pilot a Champion that shreds through all types of tanks and can solo carry the late game, learn Corki! Flying his way onto this list, Corki’s ability to build virtually any offensive item in the game and just work is remarkable. There's certainly a lot to experiment with this Champion, but his Hextech Munitions gives him mixed damage on all sources of damage (and he has a lot). Shredding resistances with his Gatling Gun, poking down enemies with Missile Barrage, and laying waste to the front line with his basic attacks and The Package, Corki can play into any front line and be just fine so long as he can avoid their focus!

Bot Lane Counters

Transitioning to the bot lane, of course, Marksmen are exceptional at countering tanks, so long as you pick the right one. There are certainly a few Marksmen who do better than others in countering tanks, but the most important thing is to make sure the kit of the Marksmen can help you survive what the enemy tanks will come at you with. For example, if you need to self-peel from a heavily engaging enemy team, Vayne is an excellent option. Vayne’s self-peel with her Tumble, Final Hour, and Condemn is second-to-none when it comes to most Marksmen. Especially when you factor in her tank-shredding power with Silver Bolts, there aren't many that can compete!

Alternatively, if you're looking for a Marksman that does well-fighting front-to-back, and you have a massive frontline drafted on your team, Kog’Maw might be your best bet. If you’re confident in your front line’s ability to generate space between you and the enemies, Kog’Maw’s Bio-Arcane Barrage and range are incredibly potent!

Finally, if you're looking for a good mix of everything from utility to wave clear and armor penetration, consider Aphelios. While he is a challenging Champion to pick up, his abilities are designed to grant him armor penetration as he levels, without even needing to purchase any! Combine his insane damage output when piloted correctly, and you have a recipe for success.

Support Counters

Finally, are the Supports. While they aren't precisely countering tanks in terms of damage, they can make a tank's day miserable. However, starting the list off with a Support that does deal damage is Brand. Brand's abilities don't exactly slice through tanks, but his standard build path acts as a catalyst for his area-of-effect damage to melt through his enemies! With his area-of-effect damage and applying damage over time, building complimentary items makes him a red-hot threat to enemy tanks!

Alternatively, you can take the approach of minimizing the enemy tank's effectiveness with Lulu. Not only can Lulu dis-engage for her team, but she can also peel and shield her carries incredibly well. The cherry on top is her Polymorph. When polymorphed, the enemy cannot cast abilities, attack, and are slowed. This works as a highly efficient tool against the vanguards!

The last Support on this list is a mix of Brand and Lulu, Morgana! Morgana's ability to use Dark Binding on enemies that try to pass her to get on her carries is critical to her success against tanks. Not to mention, even if they do get past her, she can Black Shield her carries to minimize their influence. Of course, she can also work in the opposite way where she follows up on an engagement with her Soul Siphon to get a massive multi-person stun. Combining her utility with her magic damage over time and a complimenting build path, Morgana can even shred through the tanks herself if she must!

What Items Counter Tanks

Many items can work well into tanks. However, this list will provide you with the most standard and likely, best options in most scenarios. First, Black Cleaver. Black Cleaver is an often-forgotten item to deal with tanks in lower skill levels. Many players understand that it is good against tanks but fail to remember that it is good against tanks because it reduces their armor! Reducing armor is not the same as armor penetration, as armor penetration only helps your damage surpass their armor. On the other hand, Black Cleaver removes the armor from the Champion. This means that all attack-damaged sources on your team can make use of it when stacked!

Serpent's Fang. It may be confusing but hear me out. Serpent's Fang is not good against tanks because of the Lethality; it's good for its anti-shielding component! Many tanks exist in the game that have a self-shielding ability or passive, and when paired with a shielding ally, they can be shielded even more, to the point where you can barely break the shield, never mind kill them! This item, while it is very situational, solves that. Also, if you're already playing a Champion that needs Lethality in their build, then it's worthwhile for both features!

Serylda’s Grudge is an excellent option for Champions that need armor penetration while needing some of the other stats it provides. Especially if you need that little bit of self-peel that Serylda’s slow offers, it's a great option!

Divine Sunderer's passive grants your next attack after an ability to deal bonus damage based on the target's max health. Of course, against tanks, that's a lot! Additionally, the Mythic passive of this item grants all other Legendary items bonus armor and magic penetration that can assist with cutting through those tanks that don't just build health but also resistances!

Lord Dominik's Regards is a fantastic option for Champions looking to continue stacking critical strike chances while building armor penetration. The added benefit is the Giant Slayer passive, allowing you to deal up to 15% bonus damage against Champions with more max health than you. Which, as a Marksman, is most enemies!

Eclipse is another item on this list that doesn't seem like it belongs, but that's because of the Lethality aspect. Again, consider being an assassin in a game against tanks. Of the Mythics to choose from, Eclipse is your best bet for several reasons. The Omnivamp helps sustain through the enemy tank’s damage, but more importantly, the Mythic Passive grants all other Legendary items bonus armor penetration!

Shadowflame is one of League’s newest items, and of course, it’s excellent! Shadowflame helps mages continue building ability power, provides some bulk with health, but most of all, the Cinderbloom passive. Cinderbloom makes damaging champions benefit from additional magic penetration based on their current health. Additionally, the increased magic penetration is maxed out when the target was recently shielded. Against shielding tanks, whenever they use their shield, and you have Shadowflame built, you instantly gain 20 magic penetration!

Liandry’s Anguish applies the Agony and Torment passives on damage dealt. Agony deals up to 12% bonus magic damage based on the target’s bonus health, and Torment applies the burning effect based on a percentage of max health per second!

Demonic Embrace applies Azakana Gaze. This passive burns enemies for a percentage of their max health per second over time, just like Liandry’s! When combined with Liandry’s Demonic Embrace packs a real punch!

Void Staff is one of the staple mage items that is situationally built to provide insane magic penetration. Void Staff provides a decent sum of ability power at a low price and provides a whopping 45% magic penetration!

Riftmaker is the perfect item for any ability-powered bruisers still in the game, providing all the stats they could wish for and adding in the Void Corruption passive. For each second you damage enemy Champions, deal bonus damage that converts to true damage! For Champions like Kayle, Teemo, or Singed, Riftmaker makes them a true menace!

Finally, perhaps the most well-known Mythic for shredding through tanks, Kraken Slayer. Again, designed for marksmen, Kraken Slayer is an ideal Mythic to build when needing a critical strike chance and to deal some bonus damage as true damage! If you can survive long enough in fights to activate the Bring It Down passive several times, the true damage will quickly plow through the enemy front line!

Conclusion

Remember, to counter tanks in League of Legends, you must understand what they offer their team. Classify them as a vanguard or warden to pick a Champion that counters them well and pay attention to what they are building throughout the game so you can adapt your build to render them useless! It will take some trial and error but remember there's always the Practice Tool in the League of Legends client so you can practice your ideas against a dummy with added health and resistances!