The mid lane role has always been one of the strongest and most impactful ones, simply because it’s in the middle of the map. In this mid lane preseason meta guide, we will show you how to master the elements and achieve success in the ranked queues. 

Preseason mid lane meta 

The most notable change mid laners received this preseason, is the return of old items and the minion changes. Now every minion that you kill before 14 minutes in the mid-lane, gives one less gold. Previously the cannon minion in the mid lane gave 10 less gold when compared to other lanes. This is how Riot tries to balance the role that dominates the map. But a lot of that relies on the champion you are playing, and what items you are building.

Mid lane item changes in Preseason 13

Rod of Ages is back in League of Legends. While this might warm the hearts of many mage players, it’s a bit too late. In the two years, the item was removed from the game, Riot was figuring out ways to replace it. Many champions that used it received adjustments, we saw items like Crown and Everfrost being introduced, and Archangels being reworked.

That’s why now that we have it back, it feels rather lackluster. Mostly due to the fact that it’s a Mythic item. In most cases, the actives and passives the other mage Mythic items give outweigh the impact that a stacked RoA will have. Everfrost and Crown are great against engage and assassins while having the health to make you tankier. Ludens takes your damage to new levels the longer the game goes on and Liandry’s can burn through opponents in this meta.

When RoA was removed, the first adjustment Riot Games made was introducing Tear of the Goddess as a starting item. This made the item cheaper, and a great alternative for mana-hungry champions. Now that RoA is back, it doesn’t serve the purpose it used to since other items have taken up its spot.

Best mid lane champions in preseason 13

The mid-lane will always have an ever-changing meta mostly due to the fact that some champions abuse tendencies better than others. There will always be assassins since roaming is much easier to do if you play in the middle of the map. Mages will also keep showing up in the mid-lane since it’s the shortest and safest lane possible.  But item changes is what dictates the mid-lane meta this time around. 

Syndra

After a year of being gone, Syndra is back on her throne in the mid-lane. Syndra has always been a burst mage, looking to eliminate targets with 3 spells. Now she is even stronger than she used to be, thanks to her recent rework. And that’s before you into account how much magic penetration her build provides.

Overall, Syndra is a lot weaker early game, having bigger cooldowns and lower numbers. But she definitely makes up for it with an absurd late game thanks to her new stacking mechanic. She now has a 15% execute on her ultimate ability, two charges on her Q ability and her E stuns a wider area and slows. All thanks to her newly reworked passive. 

But what makes Syndra better than other mid lane champions in the preseason meta, is her powerful burst build. As we mentioned in our jungle meta guide, the burst build for mages has no counterplay. Shadowflame might have been added to combat the healing and shielding that dominated League of Legends before the durability update. But it now completely wrecks the balance of the game and is the best two-item power spike for any champion dealing magic damage. The build gives up to 500 ability power with 80 magic penetration, causing mages like Syndra to do true damage to their targets.  

Zed

You might be surprised to see this fella on our list but he will always dominate the mid-lane. What makes Zed different from other AD assassins, are his rune and item choices. Zed is the assassin best suited to utilize the effects of Ravenous Hydra, which we already said is overpowered. The Tiamat helps him clear waves even in hard matchups like Syndra, and get out on the map without losing anything. Bot lane is often the destination mid laners roam to, and nothing there can handle a Zed with 85 attack damage, AOE, and ominvamp.

The second reason Zed is so high on this list is his synergy with First Strike and the value it gives. In case you haven’t noticed, even after the nerfs, First Strike does more damage than Electrocute. Zed has enough range to utilize this rune to its full extent while generating gold with it. This gold and the help he gets from runes like Future’s Market helps him snowball and achieve item break points much easier.  

Kassadin

Welcome RoA enjoyers, we have missed you. Rod of Ages might be a failure as a Mythic item, but some champions just can’t live without it. Anivia and Cassiopeia might have found another love since the Mythic item rework two years ago, but Ryze and Kassadin welcome RoA back.

Ever since the durability update, AD assassins have had a hard time founding success. This has made mages more viable, and their items help them with that. Crown and Everfrost are great against engage and assassins, Zhonya still exists and almost every mage item now gives health. But if AD assassins can’t counter mages, Kassadin sure can. The entire theme and design of the champion is focused on destroying mages. And now that he has his favorite toy to play with, we might see season 9 Kassadin flashbacks. Things that every Kassadin montage was made of. 

Notable mentions: Katarina

Every preseason, new and different items are broken, shaping up the mid lane meta. But every preseason, the same champions manage to find a way to abuse them. That AP build we talked about? Katarina can build that. How about Heartsteel and the other tank items? Well, Katarina will add a Botrk or Nashors on top of it and still kill the backline. Ok so maybe they draft a team full of tanks? Don’t worry, Katarina will build Ravenous Hydra, Botrk and Divine Sunderer, and melt everything she touches. There is a reason Katarina mains are always dominant in ranked games. Their champion thrives out of chaos and items aren’t that important.

Header: Riot Games