There are probably a few Champions in League of Legends who strike fear into your heart time and time again — and you’re not alone in feeling this way. Every player has certain Champions they dread facing up against, whether because they struggle to counter their attacks or they’re simply overpowered in the current meta.

Some Champions have actually traumatized the whole LoL community and are constantly banned in champ select…

And today, we’ll be shining a pink ward on these nightmare-inducing Champions (aka the most banned champions in LoL). We’ll reveal why they’re so feared, and crucially, how to counter them.

By learning some tips and tricks to play around them, you’ll be able to face your fears and save your ban pick for other champions in the game. Let’s get started!

5. Blitzcrank

Blitzcrank is one of the most banned support Champions in League of Legends — and he’s proudly held this title since his release back in ‘09. If you’re a LoL player, you’re likely all too familiar with exactly why he’s so feared. His hook is by far the most tilt-inducing ability in the whole game. It allows him to pull off cheesy plays, punish any misposition, and turn every laning phase into a dodging simulator.

Conquering your fear of Blitzcrank means conquering his hook. During the laning phase, pay special attention to your positioning and ensure you’re standing behind the minions rather than out in the open. You’ll also want to keep track of when he misses his hook, as this ability has a long cool down and he’ll be left vulnerable without it.

As another tip, always prioritize hitting level 2 first to prevent Blitzcrank from getting the upperhand. Level 2 is a huge powerspike for Blitzcrank, and he’ll have plenty of kill potential if he manages to reach this before you do.

4. Darius

Darius is a top lane bully who often dunks his way to victory… And dunks his enemies’ mental at the same time. His laning phase is downright formidable, especially if you don’t know how to play around his bleed passive. This is all the truer in the current meta, which revolves around the early game and the snowballing playstyle.

While it can be tempting to ban him out to avoid ever facing him, countering Darius is relatively easy once you’re familiar with how his kit works. Darius thrives in extended trades thanks to his bleed passive, so you’ll want to avoid drawn-out fights and instead harass him from a distance. If you’re a melee champion and lack long-ranged poke, let Darius push out the lane — he’ll naturally do this due to his high damage early on — and ask the jungler for assistance.

Darius also uses his Q ability to sustain himself in lane. However, he’ll only gain health back if he hits you with the outer ring, so dodge inwards rather than outwards. The inner ring also deals less damage and won’t apply a Hemorrhage (bleed) stack.

3. Shaco

With an overall ban rate of 30-40% this season, Shaco isn’t exactly finding his way to kids’ parties anytime soon. Though, we’re confident he’ll be an award-winning actor in a horror show. Shaco is truly the king of tilt, with every ability designed to assassinate his enemies’ health bars (and mental). He is notorious for his underhanded tactics and for being able to turn the Rift into his personal playground with strategically placed “jack in the box” traps.

Shaco’s main strength is his ability to go unseen. So, the best way to counter his stealth — and uncover all those infuriating traps — is to establish effective vision control. Keep a close eye on the map and place your wards deeper into the jungle to catch him early and deny his ganking potential.

You should also invest in sweepers and buy control wards throughout the game, as these tools will allow you to locate him when he's stealthed. Strategically set up your control wards near jungle entrances, spawning objectives, and terrain he’s likely to use to jump over.

In addition to establishing vision control, you’ll also want to be cautious with your positioning in the early levels. Shaco will almost always look to pull off an early gank, so avoid pushing out the wave and play defensively.

2. Mel

Mel’s given Lulu a run for her pixie dust — and by that, we mean her early level harass is tenfold more tilt-inducing, no doubt because it’s significantly harder to dodge, has a much greater range, and is amplified by her passive. Still, that doesn’t mean you have to let her control your nightmares (and champ select).

Mel can feel oppressive in the early game, though she’s rendered vulnerable if you effectively play around her shield (her W.) Try to bait it out and time your trades with when this ability is on cool down. You should also be mindful of her passive. Mel is able to execute her targets once their health dips below a certain threshold, so you’ll want to avoid overstaying in lane at low health… And no matter how tempting it may be (yes, that caster minion isn’t worth handing over a gold bounty.)

Champions who can punish Mel’s immobility — think Cho’Gath, Irelia, Syndra, and Yasuo — are also great counter picks into her.

1. Draven

While some ADCs like to play it safe and bide their time, Draven is quite the opposite: He’s out for blood from the very first level. This aggressive, bordering on insane, approach makes him one of the most formidable ADCs in this current early game meta. If he manages to get ahead, he’s able to slaughter through enemy after enemy (provided his mental stays in place, that is).

So, if Draven is your go-to ban this season? We’re not too surprised. Luckily, surviving a Draven player is all about patience. The longer you’re able to play cautiously in the lane and avoid trading with him, the greater chance you have of coming out on top. This is because Draven needs a kill early to snowball his way to victory. Without an early level lead, he’s pretty much useless.

Draven will naturally push the wave to maintain his spinning axes, so focus on last hitting and let the wave push under your turret. Avoid drawn out trades and instead wait for him to misstep or miss his axe — you can then look to punish him. You should also aim to time your harass with when he goes to pick up his axes; he won’t be able to retaliate during this animation.

As Draven will often be in a vulnerable position in the lane, it’s a good idea to coordinate with your jungler to set up a gank. This will effectively tilt his mental too… Which, if they’re a true Draven main, is already weak to begin with (ba dum tis).

Conquer Your Fears (and Reclaim Your LP)!

While the most banned champions in LoL are all unique in their own right, there is one thing they all have in common: They’re downright infuriating to play against. Still, keeping a cool head and using our effective counter tips above will allow you to give them a taste of their own medicine (and gain LP in the process).

Good luck out on the Rift, Summoner, and remember to check out the rest of our blog for more LoL tips and tricks!