What is a tier list in LoL and how to read it

What each tier means

There is no official standard, but almost all of them follow the same idea: S are the champions that stand out most in their role, A very solid picks, B balanced champions and C those having a harder time right now. Some add S+ or D.

The key point is that tiers are per role: a champion can be S tier in the jungle and B tier in top lane.

How it is calculated

Data-driven tier lists mainly combine two numbers: win rate (how many games the champion wins in that role) and pick rate (how often it is picked). Some also factor in ban rate or performance in high elo.

Other tier lists are opinion-based: a player or a team makes them from experience. They are not bad, but it helps to know which kind you are reading.

Why the number of games matters

A 60% win rate over 20 games says little: a few more losses and it could drop to 50%. A 52% win rate over thousands of games is far more reliable. That is why a good tier list shows the sample size, or at least does not let a champion with little data reach the top.

Which games also matters: a champion does not perform the same in Iron as in Emerald+, and a new patch can change everything overnight.

How to use it without being misled

• Look at it for your role and on the current patch.
• A B-tier champion you have mastered usually performs better than an S-tier one you do not know.
• Use it to discover champions and to know what is strong against you.
• Be wary of numbers with no game count.

The Coach LoL IA tier list

In the app’s Champions section, each champion gets an S, A, B or C tier per role and per mode (Ranked, ARAM, ARAM: Mayhem and Arena) that combines win rate and pick rate, using games of Emerald+ players in EUW, LAN and LAS. Champions with fewer than 30 games never go above B and carry the “Limited data” warning. More about the data.