What a blind pick needs
Picking first lets your opponent answer you. A good blind pick has no matchup it simply loses: it can survive lane against anything, and it helps the team whatever the enemy picks.
Blind pick or counterpick?
Pick before your lane opponent and you are picking blind; pick after and you can counter. Here is how to handle both, and how much a counter is really worth.
How it works
When a counterpick pays
Picking after your lane opponent lets you choose into a known matchup. It is worth most when the matchup swings hard, and when you know the counter well. A counter you rarely play can lose more than it gains.
Your main is a strong answer
A champion you know well in an even matchup often beats an unfamiliar counter. Our study below measured exactly that.
Trade the pick, not the role
In solo queue the pick order is set, but teammates can swap turns. If your champion is easy to counter, ask to pick later; if you have a safe blind pick, offer to go early.
What our data says
Measured on ranked games and pro matches, read when this page was built. Follow the links for the full tables.
- Top: a typical champion gives up 0.6 points of win chance when counterpicked, 2.3 in its worst matchup. Safest blind picks right now: Lissandra, Urgot, Sejuani.
- Jungle: a typical champion gives up 0.3 points of win chance when counterpicked, 1.1 in its worst matchup. Safest blind picks right now: Gragas, Poppy, Sion.
- Mid: a typical champion gives up 0.5 points of win chance when counterpicked, 1.8 in its worst matchup. Safest blind picks right now: Ambessa, Gangplank, Caitlyn.
- Bot: a typical champion gives up 0.2 points of win chance when counterpicked, 0.8 in its worst matchup. Safest blind picks right now: Heimerdinger, Twisted Fate, Master Yi.
- Support: a typical champion gives up 0.2 points of win chance when counterpicked, 1.0 in its worst matchup. Safest blind picks right now: Zac, Sion, Annie.
- Play your main. Against an experienced lane opponent, a main in an even matchup won 49.9%; a champion the player barely knew, holding the counter, won 48.2%. The gap is 4.4 points in Iron and under a point from Platinum to Diamond. Read the study →
What players say
What the champion communities say, with how many people said it. Opinion, not measured; disputed means others disagreed.
On blind picking
53 ideas from 49 champion communities, said by 1,048 people in all.
- Fiora should not blind pick.Fiora community · 159 people · disputed
- Lillia is not a good blind pick.Lillia community · 143 people · disputed
- LeBlanc is not a strong blind pick champion.LeBlanc community · 142 people · disputed
- Riven should not be blind picked because she is easily counter-picked.Riven community · 59 people · disputed
- Caitlyn is not a good blind pick.Caitlyn community · 56 people · disputed
- Darius cannot be blind picked.Darius community · 51 people · disputed
On counterpicking
56 ideas from 46 champion communities, said by 546 people in all.
- Kassadin is a counterpick champion.Kassadin community · 121 people · disputed
- Malphite is a strong counter-pick.Malphite community · 51 people · disputed
- Lissandra is a counterpick champion and should not be blind picked.Lissandra community · 50 people · disputed
- Olaf is a good counterpick against CC-heavy teams.Olaf community · 23 people · disputed
- Vex is a counter-pick champion and should not be blind picked.Vex community · 21 people · disputed
Practise it
Play today's Daily board: one seat, the picks so far, and you choose. Then open Counters to see who beats your champion and who it beats.