First picks: safe or contested
An early pick should be strong whatever comes next, or a champion you want before the other team can take it. Revealing a safe or flexible champion gives the enemy little to answer.
Pick order and lane swaps
The order your team picks in is a choice. Show the roles that are safe early, and keep the roles that gain most from a counter for last.
How it works
Last picks: the counter slots
The last picks see almost the whole enemy team. Spend them on the roles where a counter changes the lane most.
Flex picks hide your plan
A champion that can go to two roles keeps the enemy guessing which lane it is for, so they cannot counter it yet.
Swapping in the lobby
In solo queue the roles are fixed but the pick turns are not. The player whose champion is easiest to counter should usually pick last; ask for the swap before the draft starts.
What our data says
Measured on ranked games and pro matches, read when this page was built. Follow the links for the full tables.
- Pro teams lock in first: Mid 26%, Jungle 26%, Bot 23%, Top 17%, Support 8% (83,115 games).
- And last: Top 37%, Support 28%, Mid 17%, Bot 10%, Jungle 8%. The roles picked last are the ones teams keep for the counter.
- Pick order & swaps
What players say
What the champion communities say, with how many people said it. Opinion, not measured; disputed means others disagreed.
On flex picks
31 ideas from 27 champion communities, said by 644 people in all.
- Irelia is a flex pick for mid and top lane.Irelia community · 114 people · disputed
- Rek'Sai is a versatile champion with flexible itemization.Rek'Sai community · 72 people · disputed
- Malphite is a flexible champion.Malphite community · 61 people · disputed
- Akali's build should be flexible.Akali community · 48 people · disputed
- Kayn has a flexible playstyle and build paths.Kayn community · 47 people · disputed
- Sejuani's build should be flexible.Sejuani community · 39 people · disputed
Practise it
Draft a full game in the arena in the real pick order, then read the report: it shows which pick cost your side the most. The Pick order page shows what each turn is worth.