Updated Tier List for Patch 26.11 in League of Legends

Key Takeaways

• Patch 26.11 reshapes the support meta: enchanter keystones and items (Aery, Echoes of Helia, Moonstone Renewer) all nerfed while tank support keystones and items (Aftershock, Guardian, Knight's Vow, Locket, Heartsteel) all buffed.
• Nocturne leads the jungle with a 51.8% win rate, with Diana and Ekko joining him at S tier after direct buffs in this patch.
• Smolder drops from OP to A tier after losing over 15 percentage points of bonus damage scaling on Q and E.
• Enchanter supports (Lulu, Soraka, Sona) lose tier standing; tank supports (Leona, Rell, Thresh) gain.
• Kassadin and Ekko both received Q-cooldown and passive buffs: two mid-lane options worth adding to your pool this patch.
• Climbing the ladder this cycle means pivoting from Smolder ADC toward Karthus, Ashe, or Kog'Maw.
• Statikk Shiv gained 5 AD (40 → 45), a buff that strengthens Zeri, Tristana, and skirmisher builds across three roles.

The support meta shift cascades through every role's optimal composition in patch 26.11.

Patch 26.11 Overview

League of Legends Patch 26.11 (released May 27, 2026) is defined by a single macro shift: Riot nerfed enchanter support infrastructure across the board while reinforcing tank supports. Summon Aery's shielding was reduced, Echoes of Helia and Moonstone Renewer lost output, Dream Maker was trimmed, and Imperial Mandate was reworked entirely — shifting from an enchanter-oriented item to one that rewards engage supports and ability-spam tank builds. On the tank side, Aftershock and Guardian gained damage and resistances, Knight's Vow and Locket gained flat resistances, and Heartsteel's damage-to-health conversion increased from 8% to 10%.

Nine champions were directly patched. Diana, Ekko, Heimerdinger, Kassadin, and Quinn all received targeted buffs. Brand loses 3 base armor, Smolder takes meaningful scaling cuts to Q and E, Teemo sees reduced armor growth and halved E AD scaling. AP Xin Zhao's heal ratio was nerfed to pull back his off-meta build while his AD kit was left compensated.

Top Lane

The top lane meta in patch 26.11 favors durable frontliners and split-pushers. Tank support buffs carry over to top-side bruisers who run the same Aftershock and Heartsteel builds, and the enchanter nerf indirectly weakens compositions that relied on double-AP setups.

• Tryndamere: sustained duelist; benefits from the AD item environment and Statikk Shiv's buff in skirmisher builds.
• Malphite: team-fight anchor with point-and-click ultimate; Aftershock buff raises his initiation value against AD-heavy compositions.
• Garen: reliable lane sustain and a strong team-fight ultimate that scales off resistances; consistent S-tier pick in the current tank item landscape.
• Aurora: mobile mage-fighter rising into the S tier; strong into melee-dominant compositions and top-side dive patterns.
• Illaoi and Dr. Mundo: consistent S-tier threats in the current tank item environment; both run Heartsteel and benefit from its 10% conversion buff.
• Teemo: drops out of OP tier; armor growth reduced from 4.95 to 4.5 per level and E AD scaling cut in half. Viable in specific counter-matchups but no longer dominant.

Renekton, Ornn, and Sion round out the upper tier with strong team-fight contributions and favorable interactions with Locket and Knight's Vow.

Jungle

The jungle meta in patch 26.11 rewards early-skirmish champions and objective-controlling bruisers. Nocturne leads the tier list with a 51.8% win rate, combining reliable gank patterns with strong mid-game pressure once he hits level 6.

Diana is the standout jungle buff of the patch. Her monster damage increased from 230% to 270% and her W bonus health scaling from 9% to 11%, sharpening both her clear speed and her durability in contested objective fights. She is the S-tier AP jungle option in 26.11, confirmed by direct buffs in the official patch notes. Ekko also benefits from his passive per-enemy cooldown dropping from 5 seconds to 4, a change that speeds up his damage loop in skirmish scenarios where he is hitting multiple targets quickly.

✏️ Ekko jungle players: The passive cooldown buff from 5s to 4s is most noticeable in teamfights and skirmishes at objectives, where you are reliably hitting multiple targets. Build Dusk and Dawn into Shadowflame for the AP-spellblade path Riot references directly in the 26.11 notes.

• Nocturne: S tier, 51.8% win rate; strongest point-and-click gank pattern in the patch.
• Diana: S tier; monster damage and W health buffs; best AP jungle option in 26.11.
• Ekko: S tier; passive cooldown reduction buff; excels into clustered and multi-target compositions.
• Warwick: S tier, unchanged; benefits from Heartsteel and Knight's Vow buffs via tank-build paths.
• Bel'Veth: S tier; strong in void-build compositions; carries through sustained post-fight durability.
• Rek'Sai: high A tier; strong objective control through tunnel mobility and Unburrow burst on isolated targets.

Wukong and Shyvana also perform well in the current tank item environment, both running Heartsteel and scaling into the late game with reliable team-fight presence.

Mid Lane

Mid lane in patch 26.11 skews toward AP assassins and control mages with strong roaming patterns. Fizz and Swain lead the list with consistent win rates at Platinum+. Ekko and Kassadin both received buffs this patch and are strong additions to any mid-lane pool heading into the ranked sprint.

• Fizz: S tier; excels at finding picks on the squishy enchanters displaced from the support meta this patch.
• Swain: S tier; sustained damage and team-fight presence; benefits from the tank-heavy compositions the patch's system buffs promote.
• Kassadin: buffed in 26.11; Q cooldown reduced across all ranks (10/9.5/9/8.5/8 → 9/8.5/8/7.5/7), W base damage +5. Stronger early laning phase and more consistent trading at all stages.
• Ekko: also a strong mid pick after his passive per-enemy cooldown buff; works well against bunched compositions where his passive charges quickly off multiple targets.
• Lissandra: reliable engage mid; benefits from the tank-support presence that enables dive compositions in the current meta.
• Ziggs: consistent high win rate for poke-oriented teams; unchanged this patch but strong in the current item landscape.

✏️ Kassadin players: Rank 5 Q cooldown drops from 8 seconds to 7. In extended trades post-level 11, this extra second compounds with CDR from items and raises your trading frequency in sustained fights. The W base damage increase of 5 also improves your level 1 and 2 trading windows before you hit Q rank 5.

Vladimir and Taliyah are worth tracking at the high-A tier level as underplayed picks with favorable matchup spreads into the current roster of dominant supports.

ADC

The ADC role in patch 26.11 rewards sustained-damage carries who benefit from tank-support protection and the Statikk Shiv buff (40 → 45 AD). Karthus, Ashe, and Kog'Maw lead the tier list. All three deal consistent damage from a safe range and synergize with Locket and Knight's Vow support pairs. To climb the ranked ladder efficiently this patch, prioritize any of these three over Smolder.

• Karthus: S tier; highest win rate among ADC picks; Death Defied extends his team-fight contribution and his global ultimate punishes split-push compositions.
• Ashe: S tier; persistent kite-and-poke pattern; Enchanted Crystal Arrow provides long-range engage from a safe distance that pairs naturally with Leona and Rell.
• Kog'Maw: S tier; sustained damage output at max range; favors protected team compositions and benefits directly from Locket's improved aura resistance.
• Smolder: drops from OP to A tier; Q bonus damage scaling cut from 40% to 25%, E from 12% to 8%; loses the mid-game spike that made him dominant in earlier patches.
• Zeri: benefits from Statikk Shiv's 5 AD increase; consistent performer in poke-and-kite compositions.
• Kai'Sa: mid-tier performer; viable with the correct adaptive build path but does not have a patch-specific advantage in 26.11.

⚠️ Smolder ADC players: Q bonus damage scaling drops from 40% to 25% and E from 12% to 8%. The mid-game spike is gone. Karthus and Kog'Maw both outperform Smolder in this patch's protected-carry meta. Switch temporarily until 26.12.

Neeko in an off-meta ADC build remains a Platinum+ standout and worth noting for players who prefer mage-carry compositions.

Support

Patch 26.11 is the most decisive support meta shift in recent patches. Enchanter infrastructure was nerfed on multiple fronts simultaneously: Summon Aery shielding was cut, Echoes of Helia lost flat healing, a Moonstone Renewer bug that inflated its output was fixed, and Dream Maker was trimmed. Imperial Mandate was reworked away from the enchanter toolset entirely. Simultaneously, every major tank support keystone and item received a positive update.

📌 Enchanter mains: Janna is the safest transition pick this patch. Her W shield and ultimate are less dependent on Aery's shielding than Lulu or Soraka, so she keeps more of her kit value under the enchanter nerf. She is A tier with upside in coordinated play.

Leona is the direct beneficiary of the Aftershock buff — her Q + E + R engage chain now deals more burst damage on initiation. Rell's magnetic pull kit scales with the Guardian buff in protect-the-carry setups. Brand loses 3 base armor, a direct nerf to his laning phase against physical-damage opponents. If the enchanter nerfs are disrupting your climb, book a coaching session to accelerate the transition before patch 26.12 locks in.

FAQ

Who are the best junglers in LoL patch 26.11?

Nocturne, Diana, and Ekko are the S-tier junglers in patch 26.11. Nocturne leads with a 51.8% win rate. Diana received monster damage and W health buffs, making her the best AP jungle option. Ekko's passive per-enemy cooldown dropped from 5 to 4 seconds. Warwick and Bel'Veth are also S tier and unchanged from the previous patch.

Why are enchanter supports weaker in patch 26.11?

Riot nerfed multiple enchanter keystones and items in the same patch: Summon Aery shielding was reduced, Echoes of Helia lost flat healing output, Moonstone Renewer had an overperforming bug fixed, and Dream Maker was trimmed. Imperial Mandate was reworked away from enchanter builds entirely. These changes were offset by buffs to tank-support keystones (Aftershock, Guardian) and items (Knight's Vow, Locket, Heartsteel).

Is Smolder still good after the patch 26.11 nerfs?

Smolder drops from OP tier to A tier in patch 26.11. His Q bonus damage scaling was reduced from 40% to 25% and his E from 12% to 8%. He remains viable in patient scaling compositions but loses the mid-game spike that made him a priority pick in earlier patches.

What buffs did Kassadin receive in patch 26.11?

Kassadin received two buffs in patch 26.11: Q cooldown was reduced across all ranks (from 10/9.5/9/8.5/8 to 9/8.5/8/7.5/7) and W base damage increased by 5. This improves his pre-6 laning phase and his overall trading pattern throughout the game, making him a strong mid-lane pick into AP-heavy compositions.

What ADC should I play in patch 26.11?

Karthus, Ashe, and Kog'Maw are the S-tier ADC picks in patch 26.11. All three deal sustained damage from range and synergize with the tank-support meta the patch creates. Smolder falls a tier due to nerfs. Statikk Shiv users (Zeri, Tristana, Lucian) benefit from the item's 5 AD buff in their skirmisher builds.

Did Brand get nerfed in patch 26.11?

Yes. Brand's base armor was reduced from 27 to 24. This makes him more vulnerable to physical-damage trades in the early laning phase, particularly against auto-attack-heavy junglers invading his lane and opponents who build early armor penetration.

Is Diana good in the jungle for patch 26.11?

Yes. Diana is S tier in the jungle after direct buffs in patch 26.11. Her monster damage increased from 230% to 270% and her W bonus health scaling from 9% to 11%. She clears faster and survives contested objective fights better than in patch 26.10. Diana is the strongest AP jungle pick this cycle.

What changed with Statikk Shiv in patch 26.11?

Statikk Shiv received a 5 AD buff (40 → 45 AD) in patch 26.11. This strengthens all skirmisher builds that run it as a core item, including Zeri and Tristana (ADC), Tryndamere (top), and some on-hit bruiser builds. The chain lightning interaction it provides remains unchanged; the AD buff is a flat item-stat improvement.

Last reviewed 2026-05-27 against Patch 26.11. Maintained by WowCarry's League of Legends team.