They sacrifice everything to keep their team ahead: their life, their KDA, their sanity and even their honor – yep. Accepting you’ll never get honored is just a part of being a support main. As is getting flamed for your ADC’s mistakes. But keeping the team in check – and withstanding the flame and lack of honors – is the best way to climb as a support. Another way you can easily gain that LP? Playing a tank support. Tank supports are exceptionally strong in the meta right now, no doubt thanks to their sustain and ability to make up for their team’s shortcomings (because, let’s be real, the tank top laner is always AFK farming). Virtually every tank support has CC as well, which can be a total gamechanger in teamfights.
5. Malphite
Built different (seriously, he’s a creature made of living stone), Malphite’s a tank support that’ll rock your world and turn your enemies into debris. Just like the stuff he’s made out of, Malphite’s strong and virtually unbreakable. He can withstand most damage thrown at him, while dishing out AoE damage and poke with his seismic shard. His level 6 ultimate is also groundbreaking (ba dum ts). He literally slams into the enemy, knocks them up and shatters their health bar into pieces. The only reason Malphite’s not higher up on this list? Although he’s a total beast once he hits level 6, his early is painfully weak. He can’t engage, can easily get outpoked, and won’t be of much help to the ADC.
4. Braum
Next up is Braum, the heart of the Freljord. Besides having a huge heart (and muscles), Braum has huge shielding: He can block incoming damage from projectiles and grant armor and magic resist to his allies. His kit is also brimming with CC: his ultimate can knock up enemies, and his passive stuns them if he lands 4 consecutive blows. Braum can even slow enemies with his Q. Unfortunately, while Braum’s a solid tank with plenty of CC, he lacks a reliable engage ability before level 6.
3. Alistar
Alistar’s a tank support that’s not afraid to charge headfirst into battle.
To be fair, he shouldn’t be afraid; his passive allows him to heal back any health he loses, and his ultimate cleanses crowd control effects and reduces incoming damage.
If that isn’t enough to convince you why this hot-tempered bull is a great tank support, you should know that his kit is also practically designed to let him engage and disengage effortlessly.
In other words, he can catch out low-health opponents, set up teamfights AND protect the ADC from the enemy’s frontline.
Alistar is truly a bull of all trades.
2. Nautilus
While Nautilus might be the titan of the depths in Bilgewater, on the Rift he’s the titan of laning phase: he’s a tank support with tons of health, shielding and hard CC. He can pull his enemies in close with his hook, slow them and then stun them for eternity. And while many tank supports can only engage, Nautilus can disengage easily; he can use his hook to pull himself away, or his ultimate to knock up anyone who dares to chase after him (or his ADC). Speaking of his ultimate, it’s probably the easiest CC ult to land out of all the tank supports. It’s literally a point and click with an extremely long range. Oh, and the frosting on the cupcake (as Caitlyn would say)? He’s even the spitting image of a tank!
1. Leona
So, what could top Nautilus, the tanky titan?
Well, how about a warrior literally imbued with the fire of the sun.
Leona is without a doubt the best tank support in the game – and she has been for seasons.
The reason for it is simple: her kit has everything you could possibly want in a tank support.
She has phenomenal sustain, tons of CC and can even engage easily thanks to her gap closer ability. She’s also a reliable and strong champion no matter the game stage.
What makes her particularly worthy of the no.1 spot, though, is her CC ultimate.
She can stun several champions at once without needing to be within their attack range. This allows her to make a huge impact while playing safely, and can honestly turn any teamfight in her favor.
To top it all off, her kit is also simple, making her exceptionally easy to pick up.
No other tank support can match Leona’s sustain, teamfighting capability, and accessibility.
She’s truly the queen of tank supports.
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