
The Shadowy Lane, in reality, is a solo skill-demanding lane that often operates independently. Currently, in the Season 4 Top lane meta, gamers typically opt for resilient picks like Skud, Taara, Maloch,... However, for those hovering around Master tier and above, seeking a champion proficient in lane dominance, resilience, initiating combos effectively, especially in carrying the team efficiently, then undoubtedly it's Florentino.
FlorentinoMany perceive Florentino as requiring an excessive amount of skill, and if one can't dance as smoothly as the top idols, then it's challenging to take him into ranked matches. However, in reality, one only needs to dance at a reasonable level, avoiding predictability and playing fair against opponents, then the ability to control the lane and pressure opponents becomes remarkably stable. During the mid-game phase, Florentino's ability to engage decisively should not be underestimated, especially with a teammate trailing behind.
However, Florentino's weakness lies in struggling to escape once engaged, as he lacks reliable fleeing abilities. If opponents pick counters like Murad, Ryoma,... then it's advisable to carefully consider before selecting him. Yet, if you trust your dancing skills and can adeptly handle situations, the losses won't be significant.
Raz
Mid-lane gamers often opt for versatile picks like Mganga, Iggy, Yue,... or hard crowd-control mages to become a secondary Support for the team, such as Aleister, Ilumia, Rouie,... However, for solo ranked matches, it's best to avoid these choices as they pose significant risks. Instead, Mytour suggests prioritizing Mid champions capable of self-sufficiency, delivering burst damage in one fell swoop without overly depending on teammates.
Within this group, alongside Liliana, Tulen, Paine,... we also have Raz. This lad falls into the category of swift Assassin with rapid burst damage, excelling in early and mid-game phases to secure substantial advantages for himself and teammates. Raz can proactively lurk in bushes and execute enemy isolations with just a basic combo. If he has Flicker, enemies can easily fall victim to a combination of his ultimate and Flicker for additional damage afterwards.
RazRaz's ganking prowess is highly proactive, boasting significant damage coupled with numerous annoying crowd controls; merely 2 to 3 successful ganks can establish dominance. In the new Abyssal Clash map version, Raz's ability to check bushes is quite effortless, especially the small bushes in the mid lane, requiring only a few safe checks for him to confidently maneuver.
Aoi
In the current meta, the Jungle lane often selects powerful burst damage Assassins, such as Zuka, Paine, Keera, Nakroth,... and among them, Aoi is an indispensable name. Of course, Taara, Skud, Wonder Woman,... are also viable in the Jungle, but in solo ranks, their carrying potential is undoubtedly inferior. Aoi truly has no unfavorable matchups. It's agreed that Aoi may struggle against Wonder Woman, Yan,... in the late game, but if Aoi plays in a fast-push style, out-farms opponents, disrupting the late-game setup, then that's a different story.
Playing Aoi in Jungle shifts significantly towards the late-game phase, where it's rather smooth sailing. It's like you don't need to engage directly, can invade the enemy jungle for some monsters, buffs,... then proactively gank early, controlling targets to make opponents flinch, which is more than enough. Considering her ability to find and bring enemy carries onto the scoreboard, there's not much debate needed; her grappling hook maneuvers are dangerous enough, just a few swings onto the tower combined with Dragon Fangs are sufficient to catch opponents off guard.
AoiEncountering incompetent teammates, Aoi can effectively play the split-pushing role thanks to her agility advantage. Unless there are three or four enemies blocking all paths, Aoi has the ability to find a safe retreat. However, if facing a team with too many early-game pressure champions like a Valhein rushing a lane before 6 minutes, Aoi can feel quite exhausted.
Elsu
The Marksman position is one with the least ability to operate independently throughout the match because if enemies force the Dragon, the Marksman can only hug the tower and wait for farm, sometimes even getting minion blocked. And you know, without farm, where do you get items and gold to upgrade? Then, AD getting cut off quickly is a certainty.
If you're seeking a Marksman capable of solo effectiveness without relying too much on teammates' assistance, then Elsu is definitely the one. In solo rank, the situation of Supports setting love with Junglers is too common, so picking Elsu is an incredibly excellent lifesaving solution. This Arena of Valor champion is the best farmer among Marksmen currently, simply needing to actively shoot 1-2 Far Sights to clear minions. Additionally, with three gigantic Trap Towers, he can defend himself if detecting opponents planning to gank and proactively retreat early.
ElsuIn the later stages, if you fail to level up quickly to shoot or suffer from heavy positional errors, Su's safety becomes even more terrifying due to her wider vision and longer-range control. Moreover, if enemy Assassins recklessly charge in and take a Close Combat followed by a flick shot, they might just vanish into thin air. However, if you want to play a Marksman in solo rank, focusing on clearing minions and actively opening paths, then picking Hayate might be better than Elsu. Nevertheless, his defensive capabilities won't be as strong, especially when facing long-range champions concentrating on Hayate first, it can be quite challenging.
Y'bneth
Support is a position that many believe is difficult to carry the team. However, this is still a misconception because in recent metas, Support has become quite a strong team-carrying role, with many champions even having more damage than carries like Maloch, Kaine,... But if you ask Mytour which Support to choose for solo rank, then it's definitely Y'bneth.
Ancient Golem has the ability to protect moderately, but can also shape with his claps. Its engagement capability is not bad either, but it must save mana beforehand to use Flicker efficiently, without this support along with the innate of Tree Surge, it's quite difficult to engage. Although the damage of this champion cannot be compared to Maloch's, don't underestimate a Y'bneth holding Binding Vines, just with a standard combo, mages and marksmen will be dizzying in no time.
Y'bnethOf course, Y'bneth is originally a tanker so it's quite difficult to fully build damage because even if he's well-built, well-pressed, or well-angled, once your team's Marksman is on the scoreboard, it's Y'bneth's turn, especially when he runs out of Life Seed then it's just 200 gold left. When picking Y'bneth, don't overextend alone, just play decently, provide sufficient cover, and know how to create shooting angles for the AD.
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