Buzz
Statistics from U.gg reveal that the Janna Top Lane strategy with Ignite boasts the highest win rate in League of Legends at 55.96%.
In a game with 160 champions and countless items like League of Legends, unconventional strategies are abundant. However, they often remain niche and seldom become trends in solo queue. For an off-meta strategy to gain traction, it must wield significant power, as exemplified by builds like Corki stacking multiple Serrated Dirks for devastating rocket barrages.
Once again, the League of Legends community has showcased its ingenuity by turning what seemed like a 'troll game' into a highly effective strategy: Janna Top Lane with Ignite. The mastermind behind this approach is HappyHappy2, a player on the EUW server, who climbed to the Challenger rank with a win rate of nearly 70% across two separate accounts. According to U.gg, this strategy currently holds the highest win rate in League of Legends at 55.96%. So, what's the true secret behind its success?
First and foremost, it's essential to understand that while Janna is theoretically a Top Laner, in practice, players must constantly rotate lanes and engage with opponents. With Ignite in hand, Janna 'Top Lane' can easily deprive enemy Junglers of resources. This positioning means that simply losing 1-2 camps or one buff can significantly weaken you compared to your opponent.
This often grants teams with a Janna Top Lane a significant advantage in the Jungle, transforming it into a crucial focal point. Meanwhile, the enemy Top Laner simply farms comfortably. It's worth noting that with changes to the Teleport spell, Top Laners typically refrain from early rotations, and their impact in the early game isn't substantial. Consequently, even with ample farm, if other lanes are too weak, they won't be able to achieve much.
Another factor to consider is the new Bonus Gold system introduced in League of Legends for the 2022 Preseason. Specifically, a team theoretically behind in gold when taking down towers or securing epic monsters will receive additional gold. This allows players, even when at a disadvantage, the chance to turn the tables and secure victory.
Exploiting this, players of Janna Top Lane constantly swap lanes to ensure their income matches that of a Support player. This puts your team in the underdog position in terms of gold, while in reality, they are stronger than the opponents. As a result, when your teammates take down towers and epic monsters, they'll receive additional gold, creating a significant gap between them and the opposing players in the same position.
To effectively build a Janna Top Lane, opt for the Glacial Augment rune tree along with choices like Future's Market, Cosmic Insight, and Perfect Timing. In the secondary tree, choose Domination with Zombie Ward and Relentless Hunter. These runes will allow you to rotate for ganks swiftly and establish a significant vision advantage over your opponents.
In summary, Janna Top Lane with Ignite is a playstyle that exploits the vulnerability of the Jungle role to render opponents ineffective early in the game. It also leverages the new Bonus Gold system of season 12 to funnel a large amount of gold to the carry while Janna herself doesn't require much gold to be impactful. If you're not proficient in laning mechanics but still want to secure victories in the Top Lane, Janna with Ignite is a highly viable choice.
