TL;DR
- Akali remains dominant despite nerfs due to her unmatched lane flexibility and professional player mastery
- Lucian’s triple-flex capability across top, mid, and bot lanes makes him a draft priority
- Ashe provides unmatched utility and safety, maintaining her bot lane dominance through meta shifts
- Professional teams will prioritize these champions for their snowball potential and strategic value
- Understanding counterplay options is crucial for both players and spectators
The competitive stage is set for the 2020 League of Legends World Championship, with professional teams finalizing their preparations as the decisive patch 10.19 reaches live servers. This critical update traditionally shapes the entire tournament meta.
Riot Games meticulously crafts the Worlds patch to ensure optimal competitive integrity for their premier annual event. Each season introduces distinctive champion priorities that define the pick/ban phase dynamics.
Recent history demonstrates how specific champions can dominate—Pantheon achieved perfect 100% presence during the 2019 main event alongside Qiyana and Xayah. The development team actively works to prevent such extreme dominance patterns from recurring.
Akali: The Unstoppable Flex Threat
Despite receiving targeted damage reductions to her Five Point Strike (Q) ability in the Worlds patch, Akali maintains her formidable presence. Riot’s balancing attempts aim to reduce her dominance across multiple lanes, yet her core strengths remain largely intact.
Her enduring viability stems from exceptional adaptability in draft phases. Most elite mid laners competing at Worlds have mastered her unique mobility patterns and assassination potential. The capacity to flex into top lane dramatically increases her strategic value during champion selection.
Since her comprehensive 2018 rework, Akali has presented persistent balancing challenges for developers. She has evolved into a signature selection for aggressive mid lane specialists including Rasmus “Caps” Winther and Zhuo “Knight” Ding—players capable of dismantling opponents when granted access to this champion.
Top lane specialists like Martin “Wunder” Hansen and Jang “Nuguri” Ha-gwon may also utilize her, compelling opposing teams to expend valuable ban resources. Organizations like G2 Esports appear particularly positioned to exploit her dual-lane flexibility.
Common strategic errors against Akali include failing to track her energy resource management and underestimating her tower dive capabilities. Advanced players should focus on wave management to limit her roaming effectiveness and coordinate jungle pressure during her vulnerable early levels.
Lucian: The Ultimate Triple Flex Option
Lucian emerges as arguably the most versatile flex selection entering the tournament. Multiple regions demonstrated heavy prioritization during playoff competitions, primarily deploying him in top and mid lane roles. His established bot lane presence creates potential triple-flex scenarios, though traditional marksmen often receive higher priority in that position.
Patch 10.19 introduces reduced attack damage growth per level, yet this adjustment insufficiently counters his formidable early game strength. His trading patterns during initial levels rank among the most potent in the game, applicable across nearly all matchups. He counters mage champions effectively in mid lane while dominating tank and bruiser opponents in top lane. Teams seeking early game acceleration consistently value his snowball potential.
Optimal Lucian execution requires precise ability sequencing between auto attacks to maximize passive procs. Common mistakes include overextending without vision and failing to adapt build paths against specific team compositions. Advanced players should master animation canceling techniques to optimize damage output during critical skirmishes.
Ashe: The Reliable Bot Lane Anchor
Ashe continues her meta relevance and should maintain significant priority throughout the tournament. While Riot enhances champions like Vayne, Sivir, and Aphelios in the Worlds patch, these improvements likely won’t displace her from top contention.
Teams consistently prioritized Ashe during summer splits due to her secure laning phase and substantial utility in mid-to-late game scenarios. She represents a consistently solid bot lane choice despite lacking flashy mechanical appeal.
The marksman selection pool expands somewhat for Worlds, providing additional variety for bot lane specialists. Viewers should anticipate continued focus on Ashe, with secondary attention toward Caitlyn.
Strategic advantages include global vision control through Hawk Shot and engage potential with Enchanted Crystal Arrow. Common errors involve mispositioning due to her limited mobility and improper ultimate usage timing. Optimal play requires meticulous arrow accuracy and strategic positioning behind frontline champions.
Action Checklist
- Analyze patch 10.19 specific champion adjustments and their practical implications
- Study professional player VODs focusing on Akali, Lucian, and Ashe gameplay
- Practice animation canceling and ability sequencing with Lucian in practice tool
- Develop counter-strategies for dealing with flex picks in draft phase
- Create personal champion priority list based on team composition needs
No reproduction without permission：Game Guides Online » These champions could end up dominating LoL Worlds 2020 Master the 2020 Worlds meta with expert analysis of Akali, Lucian, and Ashe champion strategies