How to climb as a Top Laner in S10
The massive season 10 changes have strongly impacted the meta together with the methods of climbing. At first glance, the top lane role can be seen as a weak role due to the dragon changes which are indeed powerful, but this is a huge misunderstanding as these changes do not work against the top lane but actually makes the role even more influential. My name is Verino and in this guide I will show you 10 tips that will help you climb as a top laner in S10, just like a challenger top laner does.
1 – Make a game plan and follow it
As a top laner in s10, you need to be decisive and confident in your next move in order to carry games efficiently.
Having a game plan to follow after the champion select phase will greatly increase your win ratio, as you will know what the win condition is and how you can achieve it.
If you are in a certain match-up, for example, bruiser vs. bruiser, then perhaps the best strategy would be to contest the wave and get an exp and minion lead over your opponent in order to force a level 2 trade or set up a kill!
Think ahead and know what to do at all times!
2 – Be mindful of the Top Lane champions you pick
All types of top laners CAN carry games, but in the current Top Lane meta of S10, the best type of top laners to carry with are SPLITPUSHERS.
*** I want to highlight that you can pick any type of champion you want and still be able to carry games and climb as a Top Laner , especially picking strong champions in Patch 10.1 you’re playing such as: Mordekaiser or Akali, which are not real splitpushers but can also be used to carry games easily.
Some examples of splitpushers that can carry games in League of Legends season 10 are:
– Fiora, Camille, Tryndamere, Jax, Kled.
Therefore, choosing a splitpushing top laner and mastering it can greatly increase your carry capabilities and I would strongly encourage you to do so.
3 – Take advantage of the S10 meta changes!
S10 is the best season for top laners! Why you ask?
It’s simple, the dragon changes! Yes, that is one of the biggest reasons why carrying and climbing as a top laner is way easier now in S10, than it was in the previous seasons.
The great impact that the dragons have in S10 translate into both junglers and the mid laners playing around the bot side of the map and leaving the top lane isolated in a duel for supremacy. Therefore, by picking strong duelists and splitpushers will allow you to dominate your top lane opponent and become an unstoppable force and no one in the game will be able to match you.
Now imagine not picking a strong splitpusher in the top lane in S10. That wouldn’t work out so well for you, as you will be left alone as a team fighting champion or a tank against a champion that focuses ONLY on killing you and your towers for a living.
4 – Have a limited champion pool!
Playing 1 to 3 champions is ideal if you want to have the best results in ranked! Trying to play more than this amount will put too much stress on mastering every individual champion and will reflect badly on your rank.
This allows you to learn your champion to the fullest! It is crucial for a top laner to know the strengths and weaknesses of his champions. Having more than this amount will leave a lot of room for error.
Understand every match-up: this is perhaps one of the most important tip for a top laner, as truly knowing every match-up of your champion will allow you to play confidently and with a plan in mind and will also improve the spotting of your opponent’s mistakes which you can capitalize on and gain the edge needed to become the ultimate carry.
5 – Minion wave management
Did you know that ¬14 minions are equal to a kill in gold?
I bet you did not worry too much about minions before and mainly focused on killing your opponent.
This might be the reason you are not climbing as a top laner!
The best players in the world have mastered minion wave management to the fullest in order to gain the edge over their opponent. Players like Dopa, which is one of the best solo que players in the world, will always focus on minion wave management more than anything in the laning phase.
There are three types of wave management tactics that you need to understand to carry as a top laner.
- Slow pushing
- Fast pushing or shoving
- Freezing
If you want to learn more about wave management and not only, check out our Coaching offer 👉 Solo Coaching
6 – Understand that EXP is as valuable as gold
It is important to note that minions are not worth only gold, but also EXPERIENCE.
Think of the last time you won against a champion that is 2 levels ahead of you in a solo duel. It probably did not happen, unless the enemy was trolling or the champion you were against was Fiora or Illaoi.
Levels give you stronger abilities but also give you more stats such as HP, resistances and damage. Therefore, the next time you’re thinking about having the perfect cs score and not giving up some cs that would cost you a bad trade, remember that gaining the experience can be good enough!
7 – Be mindful of the enemy jungler and his jungler camps
One of the elements that makes the top laner a great carry in s10 is how easy it is to take over your lane and translate your lead into killing the enemy jungler or taking his camps.
This is especially viable in season 10, since the catch-up EXP has been removed for junglers and they must rely mainly on their jungler camps to not get behind in levels. Therefore, by stealing their top side camps, you set the opposing jungler behind in experience and gold, while you gain both for yourself.
You also have to keep track of the opposing jungler to keep yourself safe from ganks and to know when to play aggressive or passive. As I have mentioned, dying as a top laner is one of the worst things you can do as you throw your EXP lead and also give your enemies shutdown gold and you lose out on pressure in your lane!
8 – Have a strong mental!
How to climb? Stay calm and play to improve: having a strong mental is essential to climbing not only as a top laner, but as any role there is. It is important not to let emotions guide your next move and use logic and a clear head to dictate your game.
At the end of the day, if you want to consistently win games, you need to give 100% at all times, and arguing/flaming your team mates or watching them fight in the chat will definitely not help you!
As a top laner, dying while you are 2 levels ahead can be the reason why you lost the game. Therefore, playing cool and calculated is a must. Best tip a challenger can give you is: /muteall in the chat.
9 – Play the map and improve your macro knowledge
Winning games often does not even require you to be the best mechanical player in the lobby. You just need to have a good understanding of the game!
Knowing when to be aggressive, passive, when to group for an objective or push for plates is crucial to carrying as a top laner. This knowledge comes with experience and initial guidance to understand what to look in deciding your next move.
Carrying as a top laner requires you to make close to zero mistakes in order to not throw away your lead. By doing so you lose out on so much pressure, therefore, know your game plan and your next move at all times!
I can help you with improving your game knowledge and anything related to carrying games as a top laner as a coach at L2P League. Just book a coaching with us here 👉 Solo Coaching 👈
10 – Closing thoughts and more reasons to carry as a top laner in S10!
I hope it is pretty obvious by now that the top lane has increased in carry potential in season 10 and is now one of the best lanes to carry from.
By following the principles I provided and by learning the concepts, you will be able to advance in rank easily in s10 and get to your desired division.
If these reasons were not enough to play as a top laner in season 10, then how about having DOUBLE RIFT HERALD. That’s right, in s10 riot has blessed us top laners with the potential of taking 2 rift heralds instead of 1. Imagine the impact you will have and the tower taking potential granted by this change.
Yes, pretty hard to believe this is true, but here we are!
These were 10 tips that should help you dominate and carry from the top lane in season 10! For those who want to go to a much higher level, I invite you to personal Coaching. I will be happy to show you how to play top lane well! Link below 
