TL;DR
- Aurelion Sol dominates mid with 53.81% win rate using Imperial Mandate + Rylai’s synergy
- Swain flexes between bot (53.99%) and mid (53.41%) with superior healing and damage scaling
- Maokai redefines support role with 53.44% win rate and damage-focused builds
- Olaf maintains jungle dominance at 53.33% despite upcoming W nerf
- Mental fortitude and champion specialization are crucial for consistent climbing

League of Legends Season 11 has officially launched, bringing renewed competitive energy as players worldwide embark on their solo queue journeys. The critical question every ranked enthusiast faces: which champions provide the optimal foundation for accelerating your climb through the tiers?
With the implementation of patch 11.1, Riot Games has reactivated the competitive ladder system. Elite competitors across all regions are rapidly ascending to Challenger status, leveraging specific champion strengths to maximize their progress. Following the extensive preseason overhaul that introduced significant item system changes, the game’s equilibrium continues to stabilize through ongoing developer adjustments.
To equip you with the most effective tools for your Season 11 ranked campaign, we’ve analyzed the most potent solo queue performers currently dominating patch 11.1.
Aurelion Sol

Witnessing Aurelion Sol leading win rate statistics represents an extraordinary occurrence, yet Season 11 has proven exceptionally favorable for the cosmic dragon. Aurelion Sol currently stands as the premier mid lane champion with an impressive 53.81% victory rate. He has transformed into a persistent damage powerhouse that numerous close-combat specialists find challenging to counter.
Both casual competitors and professional athletes are extensively utilizing the Imperial Mandate Mythic equipment, delivering ability power enhancements, health bonuses, cooldown reduction, and mana regeneration. These attributes perfectly complement Aurelion Sol’s kit, particularly enhancing his Coordinated Fire passive ability. When combined with Rylai’s Crystal Scepter, the Star Forger consistently applies movement impairment effects, triggering additional damage through item interactions. For the upcoming patch 11.2 deployment, Riot intends to adjust Imperial Mandate’s effectiveness, potentially impacting Aurelion Sol’s competitive standing.
Strategic Insight: Aurelion Sol excels against melee assassins and short-range mages due to his consistent area denial capabilities. His orbiting stars create persistent threat zones that punish champions requiring close proximity for effectiveness.
Common Mistake: Many players incorrectly position their stars during skirmishes, failing to maximize damage output. Practice controlling star movement while maintaining optimal positioning relative to opponents.
Until patch 11.2 releases on January 21, incorporating Aurelion Sol into your champion pool represents a calculated approach to ranked advancement.
Swain

Swain currently represents one of League’s most adaptable combatants, capable of effective deployment in both bottom and middle lanes. The Noxian commander achieves exceptional performance metrics across both roles, establishing him as a formidable flexible selection in competitive matchmaking.
The strategic mastermind secures 53.99% of his engagements in the bot lane position during patch 11.1. This constitutes the second-highest success rate among all champions. Examining his mid lane performance reveals slightly reduced but still impressive statistics. His central lane victory percentage reaches 53.41%, indicating that selecting Swain rarely constitutes an unfavorable decision.
Swain’s current dominance stems from the persistent strength of healing mechanics within the game environment. The demonic tactician combines substantial sustain capabilities with significant damage output, creating challenging encounters for marksmen and other fragile champions. Constructing Liandry’s Anguish followed by Zhonya’s Hourglass provides Swain with the core components necessary for sustained game impact. Following these essential items, players may pursue additional ability power or defensive statistics based on match circumstances.
Pro Tip: Swain’s power spike occurs at level 6 with his ultimate ability, Demonflare. Coordinate with your jungler for aggressive tower dives once this power threshold is achieved.
Optimization Strategy: Master the E-W-Q combo for maximum burst potential. The Nevermove (E) into Vision of Empire (W) combination followed by Death’s Hand (Q) can eliminate squishy targets during mid-game engagements.
Regardless of circumstances, Swain represents an elite-tier selection for initiating your Season 11 advancement, particularly for competitors queuing for both middle and bottom positions.
Maokai

While perhaps not the initial support candidate that springs to consciousness, Maokai presently achieves remarkable results in the position. With a 53.44% success rate, the Twisted Treant performs as the most successful support champion currently available. Some might perceive him as a specialized choice excelling in particular scenarios, yet Maokai simultaneously ranks as the fifth-most selected support character.
Generally speaking, Maokai has controlled the support meta throughout most of the preseason period, continuing this pattern into Season 11 proper.
Utilizing the Arcane Comet keystone rune alongside the Imperial Mandate Mythic item transforms the ancient guardian into an intimidating early-game harasser capable of amplifying allied damage output. Despite his classification as a support specialist, most competitors prioritize damage-oriented equipment over purely defensive alternatives.
Advanced Technique: Maximize sapling placement in river bushes and jungle entrances for superior vision control and area denial.
Matchup Knowledge: Maokai struggles against enchantress supports with superior range and sustain. Focus on engaging during level 2-3 power spikes against these matchups.
Even considering Imperial Mandate’s forthcoming adjustment in patch 11.2, the modifications appear insufficient to displace Maokai from bot lane relevance.
Olaf
Regarding the jungle specialization, Olaf remains a champion deserving respect and represents an accessible character for ranked progression. The berserker warrior has maintained chart-topping performance across multiple patches, with 11.1 proving no exception. Olaf currently maintains a 53.33% victory percentage, sufficiently elevated to designate him as excessively powerful.
Based on the patch 11.2 preview information, Riot intends to moderate Olaf’s dominance, permitting alternative jungle selections increased representation. The planned adjustment involves reducing the healing amplification provided by Vicious Strikes (W), potentially improving skirmish balance. Notwithstanding this impending modification, Olaf should persist as a reliable selection for ladder advancement during patch 11.2.

Jungle Pathing Optimization: Start at your bot side camp for optimal leash efficiency. Clear toward your top laner for a level 3 gank opportunity, leveraging Olaf’s early-game aggression.
Clearing Efficiency: Olaf’s Axe Throw (Q) allows for exceptional clear speed. Practice kiting camps between auto-attacks to minimize damage taken during early clears.
How do you carry a solo queue game?
Achieving solo queue dominance presents increasing challenges, yet remains attainable through strategic approaches. The fundamental principle involves prioritizing comfort and familiarity, as these factors yield superior long-term outcomes. Developing expertise with limited champion selections facilitates mastery of specific game elements transferable to competitive matches. Individual carrying capacity additionally depends upon psychological resilience. Maintaining robust mental fortitude while concentrating on personal performance elevates carrying probability. Nevertheless, consistently engage in cooperative play, recognizing League’s inherently team-oriented nature.
Mindset Management: Implement the 3-game rule: after three consecutive losses, take a minimum 30-minute break to reset mental focus.
Communication Protocol: Use pings strategically rather than typing extensively. Target and objective pings typically generate better team coordination than chat messages.
Does LoL rank reset every season?
Affirmative, the competitive ladder undergoes reset procedures at each new season’s commencement. This reset mechanism provides participants with renewed starting points while preserving underlying MMR (Matchmaking Rating). Consequently, individuals concluding previous seasons at specific tiers will encounter similarly skilled opponents. This also ensures that former Challenger competitors won’t need to ascend from Silver rankings when fresh seasons initiate. Consequently, Riot’s seasonal reset implementation qualifies as a “soft reset” classification.
MMR Preservation Strategy: Your final 20 games before season end significantly impact your starting MMR for the subsequent season. Focus on maintaining consistent performance during this critical period.
Season Transition Planning: Begin analyzing patch notes 2-3 weeks before season end to anticipate meta shifts and prepare your champion pool accordingly.
Action Checklist
- Master 2-3 champions from the current meta list, focusing on their core mechanics and matchups
- Analyze your last 10 games to identify recurring mistakes and improvement areas
- Practice last-hitting and trading patterns in practice tool for 15 minutes before ranked sessions
- Review patch notes and adapt your playstyle to current balance changes
- Implement mental reset techniques after consecutive losses to maintain performance consistency
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