The thought of another tank-heavy meta in League of Legends strikes fear into the hearts of many players. The image of a 5,000-health tank annihilating your ADC in mere seconds is enough to send shivers down anyone’s spine.
Unfortunately, this is the reality of 2025, but one clever player might have uncovered a strategy to deal with these unstoppable juggernauts.
Tanks have historically posed significant challenges to the game’s balance. From the unkillable titans of the 2016-2017 metas to infamous moments like the ROX Tigers’ heroic defense against Albus Nox Luna. Add the oppressive Banner of Command era, where tank top laners ran wild with empowered minions, and the pattern becomes clear.
Now, according to Leagueofgraphs, tanks are once again reigning supreme. Over half of the top-performing top laners in Emerald and higher are tank champions. Poppy, K’Sante, Tahm Kench, and Cho’Gath are included. So, what’s the solution?
A way to counter the current tank meta
A Reddit user, iamkwang, suggested revisiting an old build path to help classes struggling against tanks. “A popular build path before was getting both Black Cleaver and Serylda’s Grudge on Assassins/Bruisers, but now you have to pick one or the other. Maybe allowing champions to buy both again could help,”
In the past, combining these two items provided a powerful counter to tanky enemies. Black Cleaver stacked up to 30% armor reduction, while Serylda’s Grudge offered 30% bonus armor penetration. Together, they allowed Assassins and Bruisers to shred through even the toughest tanks. However, Riot Games changed this interaction, limiting players to just one of the two items per build.
The fear among players is that the current meta could also open the door to unconventional and oppressive builds. For example, Tank LeBlanc has become increasingly popular, along with Tank Viktor.
These builds feature tanky items like Hollow Radiance, Iceborn Gauntlet, and Thornmail, turning a traditional burst mage into an unkillable menace.
As tanks dominate and unorthodox builds emerge, the community’s call for a solution grows louder. Will Riot revisit these item synergies to bring balance back to the Rift? Only time will tell.
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