Every League of Legends player who’s ever queued up for ranked has asked themselves the same question at some point: what’s the best role to climb? In a game where every match feels like a coin flip, the role you choose can make the difference between a hard-fought win and a frustrating loss. While all five roles play a critical part in a team’s success, some simply offer more carry potential, map impact, and independence—especially in the unpredictable world of solo queue.
Let’s break down each role and what makes it strong—or weak—when it comes to climbing the ranked ladder.
Jungle: The Strategist’s Role
If you want to dictate the flow of the game, jungle is arguably the most powerful role in solo queue. Junglers aren’t tied to a single lane, which means they can influence all three. A good jungler can snowball winning lanes, stabilize losing ones, and secure major objectives like dragons and Rift Heralds. They control the tempo, set up plays, and punish overextending enemies.
But jungle also comes with pressure. Mistakes are often punished hard, and teammates can be quick to blame you when things go wrong. It’s a high-skill, high-impact role for players who want to take charge of the map.
Mid Lane: Central Control
Mid laners enjoy a mix of solo power and roaming potential. The lane’s central position makes it easy to transition into side lanes, help with jungle fights, and rotate to objectives. Mid lane champions also tend to have strong burst damage or utility, allowing them to carry fights or set up key picks.
If you like being in the middle of the action with the freedom to impact every area of the map, mid lane is a great choice. It rewards mechanical skill and game awareness—but also punishes poor decision-making.
Top Lane: The Solo Island
Top lane is often described as an “island”—a long lane far from early objective fights and bot-side chaos. For players who prefer 1v1 outplays, strong dueling champions, and a more self-sufficient style, top lane offers a rewarding climb. With the right matchup, top laners can dominate lane, split-push, and draw multiple enemies to them, relieving pressure elsewhere.
However, it can be lonely. Games are sometimes decided before top lane gets to participate, and teleport timings or poor teamfights can make or break your impact. Still, for players who enjoy grinding small leads into big map pressure, it’s a solid path upward.
Support: The Underrated Enabler
Support might not always get the spotlight, but make no mistake—it’s one of the most strategic roles in League. Supports control vision, start fights, peel for carries, and set the pace in bot lane. A good support can make an average ADC look like a superstar—or completely shut down the enemy’s win condition.
While you won’t be topping the damage charts, support offers more control than people think. Roaming supports especially can snowball mid lane or help junglers secure key areas of the map. The challenge lies in your reliance on teammates to convert your plays into wins.
ADC: The Teamfight Finisher
The attack damage carry role is all about late-game impact. ADCs deal the most sustained damage in teamfights and can carry games with good positioning and awareness. If you’re confident in your mechanics and can play around your team’s front line, ADC can deliver hard-earned wins.
But climbing as an ADC is difficult. You’re vulnerable early, dependent on your support, and often the first to get blamed in a bad fight. It’s a role that rewards precision—but punishes mistakes harshly.
So, Which Role Should You Play?
The best role to climb with depends on your strengths. If you want to take control of the game and influence multiple lanes, jungle is the top pick. If you thrive on solo power and want to roam, mid lane is close behind. Prefer a more independent experience?
Top lane can get you far with the right champion pool. If you have strong map awareness and communication, support is a surprisingly powerful choice. And if you’re confident in your mechanics and decision-making under pressure, ADC can still be your path to victory.
No matter what role you choose, remember: climbing is less about which lane you’re in, and more about how well you play it.
Written by:
Christian