When you're looking to climb in solo queue, it's important to make the game easy for yourself. One of the best ways to make the game easier is to know how to counter pick. In mid lane, there are obviously many matchups so it can be hard to have the right champions in your pool to always have a good counter pick ready to play. So how can you maximize your ability to counter pick matchups? Make sure you have counter picks for the most played mid laners! So far in Season 11, there have been four champions that have always been the most picked in solo queue across all levels of play and regions.

Who are the most played mid lane champions, and why?

1. Yasuo (13.5% pick rate)
2. Yone (13.3% pick rate)
3. Zed (11.3% pick rate)
4. Katarina (9.1% pick rate)

All four of these champions are highly contested picks for several reasons (aside from them being fun to play and awesome for montages). These four champions are melee assassins that offer high burst damage for one. More importantly however, they all have excellent gap close and movement abilities, while having good side lane presence and fit well into the highly volatile and skirmish heavy environment of solo queue. Aside from Yone, these champions are not played in professional play because they pray on disorganized gameplay and can easily snowball because of it. So, does that mean you're doomed if they are not all banned or picked by your team? Potentially… but another thing they all have in common is their weakness.

These champions must get up close and personal if they want to be effective in the game. If you draft matchups that thrive in that playstyle, then you can easily keep them under control. Furthermore, these champions are primarily good for killing squishy champions, so if you can pick a champion that is tankier than the average mid laner, you are already on the right track to minimizing the impact that these solo queue monsters can have. The last ingredient to a successful counter of these champions is reliable, heavy crowd control.

What champions counter all of them?

1. Galio

If you're looking for a great all-round champion this season, regardless of the matchup Galio is definitely up near the top of the list. Part of what makes him so successful is the fact that he does well into the majority of the most played solo queue champions, especially these four. Although he is not ranged, he can still effectively poke these champions down from far with his Q. More importantly, Galio is incredibly tanky while still having great base stats to keep up in trades and often come out on top because of his standard rune choices. With great gap close and heavy crowd control, Galio easily has the potential to solo kill any of these picks in the lane phase, or at the very least offer great gank setup to really shut down these champions.

Galio's ability to counter these champions doesn't even stop there! Galio can clear waves faster than these champions, allowing him to keep them in lane and preventing them from roaming to side lanes to snowball. Even if they do find a way into the side lanes, Galio has arguably the best ultimate ability to counter the roam by not only teleporting to the side lane and providing crowd control on his arrival, but also temporarily providing an ally with increased resistances to withstand the initial burst of damage that these picks tend to have. Overall, Galio is just built different!

Runes & Summoner Spells

For Runes, the best option in general is to take Resolve primary with Sorcery secondary. There is a recent trend for Galio players to run Predator, however, it is a very proactive, utility-focused playstyle that is more difficult to play. Additionally, in lane, against these champions, Aftershock and the Resolve primary tree are much more beneficial to minimizing the enemy's strengths and maximizing Galio's. As for Summoner Spells, Galio works best with Flash and Teleport. Ignite is an option for more kill pressure, but your goal in these lanes is not to get ahead, but to make sure that the enemy doesn't. With the right laning playstyle, Galio forces these champions to search for leads elsewhere, and having both Galio ultimate and Teleport make it that much easier to match roams.

Build

For Galio's build, the best mythic with these runes is definitely Hextech Rocketbelt. Hextech Rocketbelt provides Galio with a balance of ability power, health, ability haste, and an active that provides more wave clear and gap-close. It's really the perfect storm for Galio. From there, Zhonya's Hourglass is obviously fantastic into all of these champions and also is great for Galio either way considering he is in the middle of fights and needs more bulk. In terms of boot choice, it is best to pick what fits your team and works well into the enemy team (not just the mid lane matchup).

Against a heavy attack damage team, Plated Steelcaps works well. Against a heavy crowd controlling team or high magic damage team, Mercury's Treads are great. Otherwise, if Galio's team relies on him for magic damage, Sorcerer's Shoes work really well. If Galio is in a game where none of these options seem that great or if Galio is the primary source of engage, Ionian Boots of Lucidity are a fantastic choice and largely underrated. With Ionian Boots of Lucidity, Galio has increased ability haste, and has 10% Summoner Spell Haste allowing for more consistent Flash engages that may be required. Once those items are complete, Galio is pretty malleable and can build for more utility, damage, or tankiness. An example build would be adding Demonic Embrace, Void Staff, and Banshee's Veil.

General Playstyle

In the early stages of the lane phase, don't underestimate Galio's damage. Use Galio's Q and passive to clear waves. To optimally add in some poke, try to line up Galio's Q to hit the enemy when they attempt to CS and have the Q connect on the ranged minions. Try to only allow trading to occur when Aftershock is available. If it is available, Galio should try to make the trade last long enough to proc the Aftershock damage. If he does, he generally wins trades or at least comes out even against these champions. Use your W and E to prolong the trade or allow for gank setup.

Finally, in these matchups, it is not necessary for Galio to proactively roam to help side lanes. When he does, it leaves the enemy mid laner to counter roam and potentially clean up, or roam to the opposite side lane to get a lead there. It is much more important to keep these champions in lane and save your ultimate and teleport to counter their roams and continue shutting them down. Another reason to not use the ultimate proactively, is it gives the enemy a window to roam while it is on cooldown. As long as it is available, there is always going to be pressure on the enemy.

2. Anivia

Another option for a great all-round champion this season that also fits the outline to counter the top picks is Anivia. Although she isn't the tankiest champion, she builds into tankier items incredibly well and has the crowd control to keep these champions locked down. In the event she is fully engaged on, she does have her passive to prevent a kill from going over to these carries (assuming they cannot follow up and kill the egg). The main difference between Galio and Anivia in lane, is that Anivia is ranged and can therefore constantly harass these melee champions with auto-attacks and basic abilities. In lane, Anivia also has much better wave clear post-level 6 which can also prevent the enemy from roaming to snowball elsewhere. With well-placed wards, Anivia can safely keep these champions under tower for most of the lane phase. In later stages of the game, Anivia's bread-and-butter is her high-damage, area-of-effect abilities that can easily kill any of these champions if they get caught out or are crowd-controlled. Overall, Anivia offers great lane pressure to minimize the ability of these champions to snowball leads early and can easily provide more damage and utility to her team in later stages of the game.

Runes & Summoner Spells

For Anivia, Ignite and Teleport are great options to pair with Flash, but into these matchups specifically, it's probably best to use Teleport for the same reason Galio takes it. It's not necessary to get ahead of these champions by having kill pressure, it's more important to suffocate the enemy by minimizing their access to resources, forcing them to make desperate plays elsewhere on the map where Anivia can then match with her teleport. For Runes, Electrocute or Phase Rush are great options, it really depends on the what is best for the team. If more damage is needed, Electrocute is great. If more utility is needed, take Phase Rush. Phase Rush allows Anivia to kite out in team fights and stay alive longer, making her deal much more area-of-effect damage.

Build

For Anivia's build, Liandry's Anguish is definitely the best mythic item for damage. For more utility, Everfrost is definitely an option. For a general rule of thumb, if Anivia takes Electrocute, Liandry's Anguish is the best. If Anivia takes Phase Rush, Everfrost is better. After the mythic item, a similar option is available for boots. If Anivia takes Electrocute, take Sorcerer's Shoes. If Anivia takes Phase Rush, Ionian Boots of Lucidity are better. With those items aside, Anivia does really well with Seraph's Embrace and Zhonya's Hourglass. In terms of the order, it's best for Anivia to take Zhonya's Hourglass first into these champions, but it's worth mentioning the longer Anivia can sit on the stopwatch without using it, she can build straight into the Seraph's Embrace. The last two items can be any two of Morellonomicon, Rabadon's Deathcap, Void Staff, and Demonic Embrace.

General Playstyle

As Anivia against these champions, her job is to keep lane pressure by clearing waves and getting vision to stay safe. From there, Anivia is comfortable just clearing waves to eventually out scale these picks and teleport to match their roams whenever necessary. It's a very passive playstyle but very controlled. Pre-level 6 Anivia wants to zone these champions from CS with the threat of her Q into E trade. Post-level 6 Anivia is a basically a wave-shoving bot to ideally keep these champions under tower.

3. Renekton

Although he is rarely played in the mid lane, Renekton is an incredible counter to these high-priority picks. Renekton has high damage and bulkiness that minimizes their chances of getting solo kills, while also having access to sustain from an empowered Q to at least heal up after taking a bad trade (even though he generally will win trades). Renekton, like Galio, has access to great gap-close and easy crowd-control pre-level 6 that can make for easy gank setup and kill potential. Renekton's success in lane stems from several characteristics, making him arguably the best counter into these champions. Primarily, he has low cooldowns which have no cost to use. Compounding this with his great base stats (both offensively and defensively) he can easily win trades, trade often, and constantly has kill pressure because his ability rotations are so much shorter than these champions. Post-level 6, Renekton's kit just adds salt to the wound by giving him access to an ultimate that makes him harder to kill and deal more damage.

In later stages of the game, Renekton's greatest asset that the other two champions on this list lack is his ability to side lane very comfortably. Renekton can not only match these champions in the side lanes, but he can provide much more pressure onto them than they can to him. Either way, Renekton's presence in the game alone is enough to prevent these champions from even considering moving to the side lane because there isn't anything for them to do aside from catch waves. At that point, these champions are stuck waiting in bushes for picks or trying to find kills in teamfights. Although these are still valid ways for these champions to get ahead, Renekton still offers more in fights as he will likely have just as much backline kill pressure while also having the option to play for his backline and peel these champions away.

Runes & Summoner Spells

The best Summoner Spells for Renekton mid are Ignite and Flash. Unlike Galio and Anivia, Renekton's strength in these matchups is how easily and effectively he can punish. With Ignite Renekton has so much kill pressure he not only minimizes their strengths, but he can absolutely crush them in lane. In terms of Renekton's runes, it depends on the choice of playstyle given the team composition. For extended trades and more durability and damage in team fights, Conqueror is insane! For better lane presence and one-shot potential, Press The Attack is better. The choice of runes generally indicates what Renekton will be building in the game.

Build

With Conqueror, Renekton will be more of a bruiser and build Stridebreaker as his mythic, and Sterak's Gage second. The boots depends on what is needed, but Plated Steelcaps is great with this type of build. From there, Renekton wants more bulk with items like Randuin's Omen and Guardian Angel. To round out the build Renekton should pick an item that fills the gaps of his team. For example, Chempunk Chainsword to apply Greivous Wounds and have more damage, or Thornmail to apply Greivous Wounds and have more durability. The other option, when taking Press The Attack, is to build Lethality. Choosing Prowler's Claw as the mythic and building Sterak's Gage second with a similar choice of boots, will give Renekton a lot of burst damage and gap close.

From there, Renekton can build more lethality with items like Edge of Night or Blade of the Ruined King. Either way Black Cleaver is a great option later in the build that provides him with armor reduction and basically true damage. In this build it is almost essential to round it out with Guardian Angel to make it that much more difficult to take him down, while still giving him some extra damage.

General Playstyle

In these matchups, Renekton's general playstyle is to just be a pain to deal with. To play this lane perfectly, Renekton farms well by threatening to move in for trades. This zones these enemies from the wave (since they are melee) and makes it incredibly easy to get lane priority to ward and be a nuisance. Renekton should look to apply pressure in the jungle and soak up as much pressure from the enemy jungler while remaining safe in lane. Essentially, Renekton's prowess in these matchups is more than just minimizing the impact of these mid laners, but also applying so much pressure that it must be answered by the jungler. This alleviates so much pressure from the rest of the map that should create a huge advantage in the side lanes, or at the very least in the jungle.

Conclusion

Overall, Yasuo, Yone, Zed, and Katarina have been all over solo queue so far this year. They are picks that can easily become problematic because of how much they thrive in the chaotic solo queue environment. However, with effective counter picks (or even blind picks), like Galio, Anivia, and Renekton, it is easy to minimize the strengths of these champions while also being balanced picks that can fit into a wide variety of team compositions. I would definitely recommend having at least one of these champions in your pool and at the ready because these champions do not seem to be losing any steam and we will likely see them hotly contested for a long time!

Do your best, and keep asking questions.

Good luck, Summoners!