{"id":16117,"date":"2026-08-14T13:59:49","date_gmt":"2026-08-14T13:59:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thunderpick.io\/blog\/?p=16117"},"modified":"2026-08-14T13:59:51","modified_gmt":"2026-08-14T13:59:51","slug":"league-classic-tier-list-patch-26-16","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thunderpick.io\/blog\/league-classic-tier-list-patch-26-16","title":{"rendered":"League Classic Tier List – Patch 26.16"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>\n

League Classic<\/a> returns as a featured mode in League of Legends, recreating the era\u2019s \u201cgreatest hits\u201d experience. In addition to the absence of certain comeback mechanics, the return of old-school items, runes, masteries<\/a>, and kits means certain champion builds and power spikes feel almost broken by today\u2019s standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Patch 26.16 has also shaken up the meta, bringing Akali, Kennen, and Shen to Summoner’s Rift<\/a>, alongside the mode\u2019s first major round of balance changes. That\u2019s why we\u2019ve ranked the best League Classic champions, highlighting the strongest picks for top lane, jungle, mid lane, ADC, and support roles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Note: This League Classic tier list is based on <\/strong>Patch 26.16<\/strong><\/a> as of Aug. 13<\/strong>, 2026. Champion rankings may change as the meta develops.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Overview: Who are the strongest champions in League Classic?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

These are the strongest champions in League Classic for every role:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Role<\/strong><\/td>Champions<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
Top lane<\/td>Jax and Nasus<\/td><\/tr>
ADC<\/td>Ezreal, Vayne, and Twitch<\/td><\/tr>
Mid lane<\/td>Kassadin, Ahri, and Gragas.<\/td><\/tr>
Jungle<\/td>Jarvan IV, Warwick, and Lee Sin<\/td><\/tr>
Support<\/td>Blitzcrank and Janna<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Best top lane champions in League Classic<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The strongest top laners in League Classic are Jax and Nasus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jax <\/strong>is an excellent duelist and provides some of the best scaling in the role. Equipment Mastery<\/em> converts attack damage and ability power directly into bonus health, while Grandmaster\u2019s Might<\/em> grants stacking attack speed and magic damage on every third hit. Counter-Strike<\/em> also lets him dodge basic attacks, making him resilient to auto-heavy champions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Essentially, this means the longer a fight lasts, the stronger he becomes. The absence of homeguard and turret plates also makes Jax a dangerous split-pusher. Interestingly, Riot neglected to nerf Jax in Patch 26.16, instead hitting competing top laners, making the Grandmaster at Arms an even more favorable pick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite receiving nerfs in Patch 26.16, Nasus<\/strong> remains a strong top lane pick. The lack of comeback mechanics in League Classic means that a fed Nasus can snowball into an unstoppable split pusher, forcing constant <\/em>rotations from the enemy team. Wither can also slow and cripple enemies, making Nasus even more frustrating to chase or shut down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Riot recently admitted that Nasus was \u201cperforming better than he ought to,\u201d but made it clear that they still want his infinitely stacking late-game damage to be his biggest strength. That said, Nasus\u2019 early game is weaker, making him slightly easier to punish in lane.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tier<\/strong><\/td>Champions<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
S-tier (meta)<\/em><\/td>Jax, Nasus<\/td><\/tr>
A-tier (strong)<\/em><\/td>Tryndamere, Singed, Nidalee, Wukong, Gangplank, Gragas, Pantheon, Kayle, Shen*, Kennen*<\/td><\/tr>
B-tier (good)<\/em><\/td>Vayne, Teemo, Malphite, Dr. Mundo, Cho\u2019Gath, Warwick, Ryze, Olaf, Garen, Heimerdinger<\/td><\/tr>
C-tier (situational)<\/em><\/td>Sion<\/td><\/tr>
D-tier (weak)<\/em><\/td>\u2013<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Note:<\/em><\/strong> We\u2019ve ranked Kennen and Shen in the A-tier provisionally because they have only recently been added to League Classic.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Best ADC champions in League Classic<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The strongest bot laners in League Classic are Ezreal, Vayne, and Twitch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ezreal<\/strong> is arguably the best ADC in League Classic. He has one of the strongest early power spikes, flexible item paths, sustained damage, and strong self-peel. Ezreal also boasts incredible <\/em>ranged control, meaning he can repeatedly poke and kite targets with limited ability to reach him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Prodigal Explorer received an indirect buff in Patch 26.16, after Riot fixed a bug that caused his base AD to be lower than intended. In addition to his already devastating poke and mobility, this correction means Ezreal should enjoy stronger laning, last-hitting, and basic attack damage in the bot lane.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vayne<\/strong> is another strong ADC that was relatively untouched in Patch 26.16. The main reason for her S-tier status is that she doesn\u2019t require safeguarding. Her Tumble lets her reposition constantly, Condemn offers self-peel, while Final Hour makes her almost impossible to pin down. Silver Bolts also make her a natural anti-tank, dealing a percentage of the target\u2019s max health as true damage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even after nerfs, Twitch<\/strong> remains one of the top ADCs in Classic. Ambush<\/em> grants invisibility that allows him to sneak up on enemies, while Deadly Venom <\/em>and Expunge<\/em> let him stack damage rapidly before finishing weakened targets. To make him even more oppressive, Spray and Pray<\/em>\u2019s extra range and piercing attacks let Twitch shred multiple enemies in a teamfight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tier<\/strong><\/td>Champions<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
S-tier (meta)<\/em><\/td>Ezreal, Vayne, Twitch<\/td><\/tr>
A-tier (strong)<\/em><\/td>Corki, Tristana, Sivir, Ashe<\/a><\/td><\/tr>
B-tier (good)<\/em><\/td>Miss Fortune<\/td><\/tr>
C-tier (situational)<\/em><\/td>Kog\u2019Maw<\/td><\/tr>
D-tier (weak)<\/em><\/td>\u2013<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Best mid lane champions in League Classic<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The strongest mid laners in League Classic include Kassadin, Ahri, and Gragas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kassadin <\/strong>remains one of the most overpowered champions, with a historic 95% ban rate.  Despite having an exploitable lane, he offers exceptional mobility, silence, burst damage, and late-game scaling, allowing him to completely take over once he hits his major item and level power spikes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kassadin\u2019s passive also reduces incoming magic damage and grants him bonus attack speed after taking spell damage, making him particularly effective against AP-heavy comps. Beyond that, Riftwalk lets him repeatedly dive enemy backlines, reposition during fights, and deal wild area-of-effect damage that can practically one-shot entire teams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Patch 26.16 fixed a bug that gave Riftwalk a higher AP ratio than intended, slightly reducing his burst \u2013 but the mobility and scaling that make Kassadin such a nightmare remain entirely intact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the likely event that Kassadin is banned, Ahri<\/strong> is a fantastic alt pick. As a mobile burst mage, she provides damage, wave clear, crowd control, and pick potential, giving her all the tools required to punish, chase, or disengage from enemies. Her roaming also gives her a strong early impact, while Charm <\/em>ensures she remains impactful even if she falls behind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gragas<\/strong> rounds out the strongest mid lane picks in League Classic, thanks to his unusually complete kit. He combines strong sustain and wave clear with burst damage, crowd control, and mobility, giving him tools for pretty much every job. Body Slam<\/em> makes him especially difficult to punish, while Explosive Cask<\/em> can either isolate priority targets or disrupt a teamfight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tier<\/strong><\/td>Champions<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
S-tier (meta)<\/em><\/td>Kassadin, Ahri, Gragas<\/td><\/tr>
A-tier (strong)<\/em><\/td>Katarina, Annie, Heimerdinger, Twisted Fate, Anivia, Karthus, Zilean, Corki, Pantheon, Akali*<\/td><\/tr>
B-tier (good)<\/em><\/td>Ryze, Malzahar, Brand, Morgana, Lux<\/a>, Veigar, Nidalee<\/td><\/tr>
C-tier (situational)<\/em><\/td>Sion, Master Yi<\/td><\/tr>
D-tier (weak)<\/em><\/td>\u2013<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Note:<\/em><\/strong> We\u2019ve ranked Akali in the A-tier provisionally because she has only recently been added to League Classic.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Best jungle champions in League Classic<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The strongest junglers in League Classic are Jarvan IV, Warwick, and Lee Sin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jarvan IV<\/strong> remains one of the best junglers even after being nerfed in Patch 26.16. He can gank as early as level two, with his E-Q combo providing a reliable gap close and knock-up to dive the enemy backline, heavily <\/em>punishing lanes without peel or escape tools. This allows Jarvan IV to establish early leads before later transitioning into an initiator capable of isolating carries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Riot deliberately left his \u201cFlag-N-Drag\u201d combo untouched, preserving Jarvan IV\u2019s early game pressure. Instead, they targeted his late-game strength by reducing his armor gain and Golden Aegis<\/em> shielding, while increasing Demacian Standard<\/em>\u2019s mana cost at later ranks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Warwick <\/strong>was the best-performing jungler in League Classic ahead of Patch 26.16. Although the reduction to his base attack speed affects his clear speed and dueling, he still has strong sustain. Additionally, Blood Scent <\/em>still lets him chase down weakened enemies, while Infinite Duress<\/em> grants the lockdown he needs to secure the takedown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While both Jarvan IV and Warwick were toned down, Lee Sin<\/strong> received no direct nerfs, thus rounding out our S-tier junglers in League Classic. His ability to create advantages before scaling champions come online makes him especially valuable, particularly when early deaths and lost objectives can be difficult to recover from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tier<\/strong><\/td>Champions<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
S-tier (meta)<\/em><\/td>Jarvan IV, Warwick, Lee Sin<\/td><\/tr>
A-tier (strong)<\/em><\/td>Master Yi, Rammus, Fiddlesticks, Nunu, Evelynn, Amumu, Skarner, Shaco<\/td><\/tr>
B-tier (good)<\/em><\/td>Cho\u2019Gath, Dr. Mundo<\/td><\/tr>
C-tier (situational)<\/em><\/td>Olaf, Nidalee<\/td><\/tr>
D-tier (weak)<\/em><\/td>\u2013<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Best support champions in League Classic<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The strongest supports in League Classic are Blitzcrank and Janna.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Blitzcrank <\/strong>is a strong support because his Rocket Grab not only applies psychological lane pressure but can instantly punish poor positioning, turning a pick into an objective or teamfight advantage. His kit also provides knock-up, silence, and natural durability, allowing him to engage, peel, and disrupt enemies without being easily zoned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Riot, Blitzcrank topped \u201call three of win rate, pick rate, and ban rate,\u201d prompting them to revert some buffs from 2011\u20132012. Even so, Rocket Grab, the ability that\u2019s so fundamental to his kit, hasn\u2019t changed, which is why we\u2019ve decided to keep him in the S-tier of our League Classic support tier list.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Janna <\/strong>is an excellent support, protecting carries with shields, slows, knock-ups, and Monsoon<\/em>. She is highly effective across a range of team compositions but is especially strong against engage-heavy teams, denying dives and creating space for scaling ADCs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While she offers less direct kill pressure, strong positioning and well-timed disengage can make her backline extremely difficult to reach. Riot nerfed Monsoon<\/em> by giving it a higher mana cost and reduced her AD to make her a little less of a lane bully, though, overall, her kit remains largely unchanged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tier<\/strong><\/td>Champions<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
S-tier (meta)<\/em><\/td>Blitzcrank, Janna<\/td><\/tr>
A-tier (strong)<\/em><\/td>Leona, Sona, Zilean, Lulu, Taric, Fiddlesticks<\/td><\/tr>
B-tier (good)<\/em><\/td>Soraka, Alistar, Morgana, Lux<\/a><\/td><\/tr>
C-tier (situational)<\/em><\/td>Teemo<\/td><\/tr>
D-tier (weak)<\/em><\/td>\u2013<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

How we ranked all League Classic champions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

These League Classic tier lists combine historical performance data with our expert analysis of every champion<\/a> in Patch 26.16. Match data is unavailable<\/a> through the Riot API, so these rankings place greater emphasis on champion kits, role suitability, consistency, power spikes, and the reliability of each pick’s influence on games.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We also considered how champions fit the returning meta, including older items, runes<\/a>, masteries, summoner spells<\/a>, and many pre-rework kits. Other factors include reduced mobility, limited comeback mechanics, traditional lane matchups, and League Classic\u2019s slower, more punishing combat pacing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

League Classic tier list FAQs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

What is League Classic?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

League Classic is a game mode inspired by the early days of League of Legends. Anchored around Season 3, it features champions, items, runes, masteries, and summoner spells from that era. It is also played on the early Summoner\u2019s Rift<\/a> map.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What champs are in League Classic?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

There are 63 champions in League Classic. The mode launched with 60 champions, including the original roster of 40 and 20 handpicked champions released between 2009 and 2013. Patch 26.16 added Akali, Kennen, and Shen. Riot confirmed<\/a> that more champions will be added in the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Who are the strongest champions in League Classic?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In Patch 26.16, Jax and Nasus are the best top laners, while Ezreal, Vayne, and Twitch lead the ADC rankings. Meanwhile, Kassadin, Ahri, and Gragas are elite mid laners, Jarvan IV, Warwick, and Lee Sin are the leading junglers, and Blitzcrank and Janna are the strongest supports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How often are Classic tier lists updated?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

League Classic tier lists are usually updated after major patches and whenever balance changes or reworks buff or nerf specific champions. The addition of new characters can also prompt tier list updates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Always practice <\/em>Responsible Gambling<\/em><\/a> and check out our <\/em>latest promo offers<\/em><\/a> and boosts. T&Cs apply. 18+ to play.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

League Classic returns as a featured mode in League of Legends, recreating the era\u2019s \u201cgreatest hits\u201d experience. In addition to the absence of certain comeback mechanics, the return of old-school items, runes, masteries, and kits means certain champion builds and power spikes feel almost broken by today\u2019s standards. Patch 26.16 has also shaken up the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":16119,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[52,100,57],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16117","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-esports","category-guides","category-league-of-legends"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thunderpick.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16117","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thunderpick.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thunderpick.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thunderpick.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thunderpick.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16117"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/thunderpick.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16117\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16118,"href":"https:\/\/thunderpick.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16117\/revisions\/16118"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thunderpick.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16119"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thunderpick.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16117"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thunderpick.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16117"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thunderpick.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16117"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}