The information in this post has been updated for 2024.
With the ever-evolving meta in League of Legends, many gamers are discovering potent champions to play and ban through their various solo queue endeavors. In Korea’s high Elo scene, for instance, a new trio of champions has emerged as the most-banned ones in Master rank and above.
As of the latest patch, the Spider Queen Elise, the Twisted Treant Maokai, and the Unshackled Sylas have become top picks for most players in the region. Specifically, Elise boasts a 67.8% ban rate, while maintaining a 55.38% win rate in Master and above, according to data from League stats site U.GG.
Similarly, Maokai, as a jungler, has garnered attention with a 59.8% ban rate and a 53.54% win rate in Master+. Meanwhile, Sylas holds the third-highest ban rate with 51.5%, though his win rate isn’t as impressive as his counterparts.
While Sylas may not be as successful in-game, Elise and Maokai have proven themselves as premier picks in both amateur and professional play. Elise, for example, is an excellent early-game ganking jungler who can initiate turret dives with quick damage before retreating and drawing turret attention to another ally. Her pick potential is high as she can single out and eliminate a target with her Cocoon ability.
Maokai, on the other hand, offers ample utility to his team, be it through vision with his Sapling Toss or massive crowd control with his abilities. He can control the tempo of battles and trigger teamfights with the press of a button. When he unleashes his ultimate Nature’s Grasp, he forces enemies to scurry for safety in the large areas affected by his abilities.