League of Legends Classic brings players back to a very different version of Summoner’s Rift. Champions hit harder in some areas, weaker in others, mobility is limited, and plenty of mechanics that disappeared years ago are making a comeback. If you’re expecting modern League knowledge alone to carry you through ranked, you’re in for a surprise.
Classic follows a balance state that closely resembles Season 3, meaning plenty of forgotten champions suddenly become top-tier threats again. Some of today’s strongest picks fall off dramatically, while others return to their former glory thanks to old abilities, outdated scaling, and a much slower overall pace.
This tier list covers all 60 currently available champions in League of Legends Classic Patch 26.15. Off-meta picks like Top Alistar aren’t ranked for roles they weren’t designed for, though especially funny or surprisingly effective builds are still worth mentioning.
LoL Classic Champion Tier List (Patch 26.15)
| Tier | Champions |
|---|---|
| S-Tier | Jax, Nasus, Lee Sin, Jarvan IV, Master Yi, Rammus, Shaco, Kassadin, Ahri, Gragas, Ezreal, Vayne, Corki, Leona, Blitzcrank, Sona |
| A-Tier | Tryndamere, Singed, Nidalee, Wukong, Gangplank, Malphite, Amumu, Evelynn, Fiddlesticks, Nunu, Warwick, Annie, Pantheon, Brand, Karthus, Ryze, Morgana, Katarina, Twisted Fate, Miss Fortune, Tristana, Ashe, Janna, Lulu, Soraka |
| B-Tier | Garen, Kayle, Olaf, Teemo, Cho’Gath, Dr. Mundo, Anivia, Zilean, Heimerdinger, Malzahar, Lux, Veigar, Sivir, Twitch, Kog’Maw, Taric |
| C-Tier | Skarner, Sion, Alistar |
Anyone who played League back in the early days will immediately notice how different the game feels. Everything moves at a slower pace. Players aren’t flying across the map every few seconds, and mechanical outplays aren’t nearly as common. At the same time, today’s playerbase is vastly more experienced, so climbing the ladder won’t be anywhere near as easy as it once was.
That’s exactly why certain champions dominate this version of the game.
Many S-Tier picks benefit from mechanics Riot removed years ago. Kassadin still has his infamous silence alongside an incredibly short Riftwalk cooldown. Jax still gets access to dodge, turning countless melee matchups into a nightmare. Blitzcrank enjoys another huge advantage—he’s the only hook champion available, making every grab significantly more threatening than it feels in modern League.
A-Tier champions remain excellent choices, although they usually need favorable matchups or enough time to reach their power spikes. B-Tier champions generally struggle to keep up with the strongest options, while C-Tier is reserved for picks that are difficult to justify outside of experimentation… or producing entertaining highlight videos.
Best ADCs in LoL Classic
Marksmen weren’t nearly as dominant in early League as many players remember. Compared to Top lane bruisers or old-school junglers, bot lane was actually one of the calmer roles. Champion diversity was also much smaller, leaving only a handful of truly reliable carries.
ADC Tier List
| Tier | Champions |
|---|---|
| S-Tier | Ezreal, Vayne, Corki |
| A-Tier | Tristana, Ashe, Miss Fortune |
| B-Tier | Twitch, Sivir |
| C-Tier | Kog’Maw |
Ezreal, Vayne, and Corki clearly sit above the competition.
AP Ezreal was infamous thanks to an entirely different version of his kit, while Vayne already possessed everything that made her terrifying for tanks: percentage-health damage and an incredibly long stun. Corki, meanwhile, ruled bot lane long before The Package ever existed, combining excellent poke, mixed damage, and relentless lane pressure.
His kit feels clunky by today’s standards, but back then he was practically the face of the ADC role.
ADC Champion Changes Compared to Modern League
| Champion | Classic Version |
|---|---|
| Ezreal | W damages enemies while increasing allies’ attack speed, making AP Ezreal significantly stronger. |
| Vayne | Nearly identical overall. Modern mechanics simply make an already strong champion even easier to succeed with. |
| Corki | No Package, but his classic kit remains one of the strongest bot lane options available. |
| Tristana | AP Tristana is much more popular, while the rest of her gameplay remains familiar. |
| Ashe | Her Q is a mana-consuming toggle instead of today’s version. Overall weaker than modern Ashe, but still perfectly playable. |
| Miss Fortune | Bullet Time becomes much harder to avoid because very few champions have reliable dashes. |
| Twitch | Old stealth works completely differently. He’s still a devastating late-game hyper carry, but falling behind in farm is far more punishing. |
| Sivir | W is a toggle, while her movement speed passive is stronger than today’s version. |
| Kog’Maw | Excellent tank damage, but demands too much protection compared to other carries. |
One interesting thing about Classic is how much champion identity has shifted over the years. Corki, for example, is now one of the least popular ADCs in League, yet there was a time when almost every bot lane player considered him a premium pick.
Some champions simply aged better than others.
LoL Classic Support Tier List
Support players returning to Classic are going to notice one thing almost immediately—this role is far less overloaded than it is today.
Modern supports bring shields, mobility, crowd control, healing, vision tools, and enough utility to fill an entire item description. Classic supports were much simpler. Most of them excelled at one job, whether that meant keeping the ADC alive or starting fights, and they did it exceptionally well.
Well… unless you were playing against Blitzcrank.
Back then, landing a single Rocket Grab often decided the lane on the spot. Since very few champions had reliable escape tools, getting hooked usually meant burning Flash or watching the gray screen. Even hiding behind your turret wasn’t always enough.
LoL Classic Support Tier List
| Tier | Champions |
|---|---|
| S-Tier | Blitzcrank, Leona, Sona |
| A-Tier | Janna, Lulu, Soraka |
| B-Tier | Taric |
| C-Tier | Alistar |
Outside of Blitzcrank, traditional healing supports dominate Classic. Their ability to extend fights and keep carries alive is even more valuable in a slower-paced game where sustained skirmishes happen constantly.
Support Champion Differences
| Champion | Changes from Modern League |
|---|---|
| Blitzcrank | Overdrive has no self-slow, while Static Field continuously zaps nearby enemies without requiring modern passive stacks. |
| Leona | Her kit is largely unchanged, but opponents have far fewer mobility tools to escape her engage. |
| Sona | Classic Sona combines reliable poke with powerful healing, making her incredibly effective during long fights. |
| Janna | Her passive grants every ally a permanent 3% movement speed bonus across the map. |
| Lulu | Polymorph remains just as frustrating as ever, making her an excellent anti-carry support. |
| Soraka | Instead of only healing, Soraka can also restore mana, allowing her to function as the ultimate healbot. |
| Taric | His point-and-click stun is still useful, although the rest of his old kit feels noticeably outdated. He’s still fabulous, though. |
| Alistar | Before his reworks, Alistar’s E mainly served as a healing ability, leaving him much weaker as a traditional support. |
Sure, Top Alistar is a completely different story.
As an actual support, though, it’s difficult to recommend him over virtually every other option available. Unless your goal is making bot lane significantly harder than it needs to be, there are simply better choices.
Best Jungle Champions in LoL Classic
If you’ve only played modern League, Classic’s jungle might feel like stepping into another universe.
Some mechanics are easier. Others are significantly harsher. Blue Buff becomes a source of endless arguments, jungle routes demand more planning, and successful ganks have an even bigger impact because most champions lack reliable mobility.
A strong jungler can easily carry an entire match.
Jungle Tier List
| Tier | Champions |
|---|---|
| S-Tier | Lee Sin, Jarvan IV, Master Yi, Rammus, Shaco |
| A-Tier | Amumu, Evelynn, Fiddlesticks, Nunu, Warwick |
| B-Tier | Cho’Gath, Dr. Mundo |
| C-Tier | Skarner |
The S-Tier lineup stands out because every champion can pressure lanes consistently while scaling well into the later stages of the match. Picks below A-Tier either depend heavily on specific situations or demand far more effort than the payoff usually justifies.
Jungle Champion Differences
| Champion | Changes from Modern League |
|---|---|
| Lee Sin | His mechanics remain almost untouched, but larger hitboxes and slower enemies make him even stronger than today. |
| Jarvan IV | EQ combo, shield, Cataclysm, and the old attack speed bonus from Demacian Standard all remain incredibly effective. |
| Master Yi | Already one of Classic’s strongest late-game carries. AP Yi also returns with Alpha Strike AP scaling and absurd Meditate scaling. |
| Rammus | Features a three-second taunt alongside armor-to-damage scaling that makes him surprisingly deadly. |
| Shaco | His playstyle barely changes, making Classic feel immediately familiar to experienced Shaco mains. |
| Amumu | Almost identical, only missing one additional Bandage Toss charge. |
| Evelynn | Permanent stealth works under the old system, making her stronger mechanically, although experienced opponents can still shut her down. Sunfire Cape remains one of the funniest builds to use. |
| Fiddlesticks | Point-and-click Fear, jungle clears that don’t require leashes, and the old bouncing Crow give him plenty of power, just not enough for S-Tier. |
| Nunu | Boasts one of the fastest jungle clears in the game while still contributing useful utility. |
| Warwick | Extremely durable with a point-and-click ultimate that many veterans still remember… and probably still dislike. |
| Cho’Gath | Dying removes half of his Feast stacks, making mistakes much more punishing than in modern League. Otherwise, he plays similarly. |
| Dr. Mundo | Clears camps faster than today’s version, but heavy health costs prevent him from reaching the top tiers. He’ll improve once future updates arrive. |
| Skarner | Filled with awkward AP ratios that rarely provide enough value, leaving him among Classic’s weakest junglers. |
Evelynn deserves a special mention.
Permanent invisibility sounds completely broken on paper, especially since enemies can’t spot her without buying specific items. In practice, however, coordinated players know exactly how to limit her impact. Once the game reaches the 20-minute mark, her influence drops off sharply, although her early-game pressure remains extremely dangerous.
Then there’s Lee Sin.
Some champions age gracefully. Lee Sin simply refuses to age at all. His toolkit translates almost perfectly into Classic, except he’s even easier to pilot because enemy champions have fewer escape options and noticeably larger hitboxes. If you’ve always wanted to practice landing Sonic Wave, Classic is arguably the best place to do it.
LoL Classic Top Lane Tier List
Top lane has always been… different.
That hasn’t changed in League of Legends Classic. If anything, the role is even more isolated than modern players remember. Jungle attention is limited, teleport plays are rare, and many matchups become extended one-on-one duels where you’re expected to survive—or completely dominate—without much outside help.
As someone who spends most of their time in top lane, I’d argue this is where Classic differs the most from today’s League.
Top Lane Tier List
| Tier | Champions |
|---|---|
| S-Tier | Jax, Nasus |
| A-Tier | Tryndamere, Singed, Nidalee, Wukong, Gangplank, Malphite |
| B-Tier | Garen, Kayle, Olaf, Teemo |
Seeing Nasus sitting comfortably in S-Tier while Garen lands in B-Tier probably looks strange if you’ve only played modern League.
Back then, though, that was completely normal.
Jax was arguably one of the most frustrating lane opponents Riot had ever created. Even when you understood the matchup perfectly, his old mechanics often left you with only one realistic strategy: survive long enough for your jungler to show up.
Tryndamere came close to earning an S-Tier spot as well. The only reason he falls slightly behind is that today’s playerbase understands exactly how he wants to play. His strengths are still enormous, but they’re no longer the mystery they once were.
Top Lane Champion Differences
| Champion | Changes from Modern League |
|---|---|
| Jax | Auto attacks dominate Classic, making his dodge-based Counter Strike devastating against almost every melee champion. |
| Nasus | Wither scales much harder, even though Siphoning Strike stacks more slowly than today. |
| Tryndamere | Classic critical strike mechanics and sustain make him terrifying during lane phase. Jax remains one of his best counters. |
| Singed | Nearly identical gameplay with different scaling values. |
| Nidalee | Relies heavily on landing spear throws, with most of her damage concentrated in that single ability. |
| Wukong | Doesn’t have the double Cyclone, but the rest of his kit is largely unchanged. |
| Gangplank | Still brings Q poke, critical strike and on-hit pressure, Remove Scurvy, and Cannon Barrage. Powder Kegs don’t exist yet. |
| Malphite | Unstoppable Force becomes even stronger because fewer champions have the mobility to dodge it. |
| Garen | Familiar abilities with stronger AD scaling than today’s version. |
| Kayle | Doesn’t stay ranged permanently. Instead, her E temporarily grants ranged attacks. |
| Olaf | Ragnarok becomes much more valuable in a game where mobility options are scarce. |
| Teemo | Essentially the same annoying little rat. Blinding Dart and mushrooms continue ruining everyone’s day. |
To be honest, modern top lane is probably healthier.
Classic often feels like you’re stranded on an island while the rest of the match happens somewhere else. Junglers certainly can visit your lane—but unlike modern League, they won’t always be thrilled about making the trip.
Best Mid Lane Champions in LoL Classic
If there was one role packed with absurdly strong champions, it was mid.
Choosing the S-Tier wasn’t difficult. Sorting out A and B, however, was another story entirely. Plenty of mages and assassins remain incredibly dangerous thanks to mechanics that disappeared years ago, making Classic’s mid lane one of the strongest roles in the game.
Mid Lane Tier List
| Tier | Champions |
|---|---|
| S-Tier | Kassadin, Ahri, Gragas |
| A-Tier | Annie, Pantheon, Brand, Karthus, Ryze, Morgana, Katarina, Twisted Fate |
| B-Tier | Anivia, Zilean, Heimerdinger, Malzahar, Lux, Veigar |
| C-Tier | Sion |
Anyone who remembers Season 3 probably isn’t surprised to see Kassadin leading the list.
He was terrifying.
Old Riftwalk combined with silence allowed him to dominate games in ways modern Kassadin simply can’t. Once he started snowballing, very few champions had the mobility needed to stop him.
Ahri remains almost unchanged compared to today’s version, while Gragas might be the biggest surprise in S-Tier. Funny enough, he barely plays differently. The real difference is the rest of the roster simply lacked reliable ways to shut him down.
Twisted Fate also deserves a mention.
His global pressure is incredible when paired with modern macro knowledge, and there’s a reasonable argument for placing him in S-Tier instead. The catch is that TF still demands exceptional decision-making. Unless you’re Faker, you’ll probably leave some of his potential on the table.
Mid Lane Champion Differences
| Champion | Changes from Modern League |
|---|---|
| Kassadin | Silence combined with low-cooldown Riftwalk makes him one of Classic’s strongest champions. |
| Ahri | Almost identical to her modern version. |
| Gragas | Passive restores 2% of his maximum health after casting spells, giving him exceptional lane sustain. |
| Annie | Essentially unchanged. |
| Pantheon | Global ultimate, AP scaling, and his old turret-blocking passive allow him to punish opponents far more effectively. |
| Brand | Similar kit, but team fights become deadlier because escaping his spell spread is much harder. |
| Karthus | His AP scaling makes post-death pentakills significantly more realistic than in modern League. |
| Ryze | Point-and-click spell spam powered by mana scaling. This isn’t just old Ryze—it’s ancient Ryze. |
| Morgana | Dark Binding becomes much stronger when champions have fewer escape tools. |
| Katarina | No dagger pickups. She jumps in, secures resets, and keeps going. |
| Twisted Fate | Modern macro knowledge makes Destiny even more threatening than it used to be. |
| Anivia | Glacial Storm has limited range, while its mana costs are enormous. |
| Zilean | Almost unchanged. |
| Heimerdinger | Very similar overall, with stronger turrets and improved rockets among the biggest differences. |
| Malzahar | Voidlings function differently, while several effects—including silence—are distributed across other abilities. |
| Lux | Plays much like today’s version. |
| Veigar | Event Horizon activates instantly, trapping enemies immediately. |
| Sion | Before his rework, Sion was one of the weakest champions in the entire game. |
Final Thoughts
League of Legends Classic isn’t simply modern League with older graphics.
Champion balance shifts dramatically, forgotten mechanics suddenly matter again, and many legends from the early seasons return to the top of the meta. Picks like Jax, Kassadin, Blitzcrank, Lee Sin, and Nasus once again become game-defining threats, while several modern staples struggle to keep pace with Classic’s slower gameplay and older champion designs.
The biggest remaining question is how closely Riot intends to follow history.
Will League Classic repeat the same balance journey players experienced over a decade ago, or will Riot use its accumulated “200 years of game design experience” to steer the game in a completely different direction?
We’ll find out soon enough.
