Engage-focused tanks who initiate fights decisively.
Champions tagged with Vanguard share a similar playstyle.
Use this list to discover new picks that fit how you like to play and expand your champion pool around this tag.
Best Vanguard Champions – Recommended Picks by Role
Alistar
SUPPORT
#1
Summoners
Flash
Teleports you a short distance toward your cursor.
Ignite
Deals true damage over time to target enemy champion and reduces healing effects on them for the duration.
Spell Order
Q ➜ W ➜ E
Items
Locket of the Iron Solari
Activate to shield nearby allies from damage
Zeke's Convergence
Grants you and your ally bonuses when you cast your ultimate.
Knight's Vow
Partner with an ally to protect each other
Protoplasm Harness
Thornmail
Echoes of Helia
Damage low-health enemies to trigger a cursed explosion, dealing damage and slowing nearby foes
Runes
Aftershock
After immobilizing an enemy champion gain defenses and later deal a burst of magic damage around you.
Font of Life
Impairing the movement of an enemy champion heals nearby allied champions.
Bone Plating
After taking damage from an enemy champion, the next 3 spells or attacks you receive from them deal 30-60 (based on level) less damage.Duration: 1.5sCooldown: 55s
Unflinching
Gain Armor and Magic Resist when receiving crowd control.
Hextech Flashtraption
While Flash is on cooldown it is replaced by Hexflash.Hexflash: Channel, then blink to a new location.
Cosmic Insight
+18 Summoner Spell Haste+10 Item Haste
Amumu
JUNGLE
#2
Summoners
Flash
Teleports you a short distance toward your cursor.
Smite
Deals true damage to a monster or minion.
Spell Order
E ➜ Q ➜ W
Items
Liandry's Torment
Charge up in combat to deal high damage over time, especially against durable enemies
Sunfire Aegis
High armor. Constantly deals damage to nearby enemies. Immobilize enemies to release a wave of damaging flame
Abyssal Mask
Jak'Sho, The Protean
Thornmail
Randuin's Omen
Greatly increases defenses, activate to slow nearby enemies
Runes
Conqueror
Gain stacks of adaptive force when attacking enemy champions. After reaching 12 stacks, heal for a portion of damage you deal to champions.
Triumph
Takedowns restore 5% of your missing health and grant an additional 20 gold.
Legend: Haste
Takedowns on enemies grant permanent Basic Ability Haste.
Last Stand
Deal more damage to champions while you are low on health.
Cheap Shot
Deal bonus true damage to enemy champions with impaired movement or actions.
Ultimate Hunter
Unique takedowns grant permanent cooldown reduction on your Ultimate.
Gragas
TOP
#3
Summoners
Flash
Teleports you a short distance toward your cursor.
Teleport
After a brief channel, become untargetable and travel to an allied unit. Upgrades into Unleashed Teleport, which significantly increases travel speed.
Spell Order
Q ➜ E ➜ W
Items
Hextech Rocketbelt
Activate to dash forward and unleash a fiery explosion
Lich Bane
Grants a bonus to next attack after spell cast
Shadowflame
Zhonya's Hourglass
Activate to become invincible but unable to take actions
Rabadon's Deathcap
Massively increases Ability Power
Stormsurge
Runes
Stormraider's Surge
Dealing 25% of a champion's maximum health grants a burst of MS and Slow Resist.
Manaflow Band
Hitting an enemy champion with an ability permanently increases your maximum mana by 25, up to 250 mana.After reaching 250 bonus mana, restore 1% of your missing mana every 5 seconds.
Transcendence
Gain bonuses upon reaching the following levels:Level 5: +5 Ability Haste Level 8: +5 Ability Haste Level 11: On Champion takedown, reduce the remaining cooldown of basic abilities by 20%.
Scorch
Your first damaging ability hit every 10s burns champions.
Biscuit Delivery
Gain a free Biscuit every 2 min, until 6 min. Consuming or selling a Biscuit permanently increases your max health and restores health.
Cosmic Insight
+18 Summoner Spell Haste+10 Item Haste
Leona
SUPPORT
#4
Summoners
Flash
Teleports you a short distance toward your cursor.
Ignite
Deals true damage over time to target enemy champion and reduces healing effects on them for the duration.
Spell Order
W ➜ E ➜ Q
Items
Locket of the Iron Solari
Activate to shield nearby allies from damage
Knight's Vow
Partner with an ally to protect each other
Bandlepipes
Protoplasm Harness
Randuin's Omen
Greatly increases defenses, activate to slow nearby enemies
Frozen Heart
Massively increases Armor and slows enemy basic attacks
Runes
Aftershock
After immobilizing an enemy champion gain defenses and later deal a burst of magic damage around you.
Font of Life
Impairing the movement of an enemy champion heals nearby allied champions.
Bone Plating
After taking damage from an enemy champion, the next 3 spells or attacks you receive from them deal 30-60 (based on level) less damage.Duration: 1.5sCooldown: 55s
Unflinching
Gain Armor and Magic Resist when receiving crowd control.
Biscuit Delivery
Gain a free Biscuit every 2 min, until 6 min. Consuming or selling a Biscuit permanently increases your max health and restores health.
Cosmic Insight
+18 Summoner Spell Haste+10 Item Haste
Malphite
TOP
#5
Summoners
Flash
Teleports you a short distance toward your cursor.
Teleport
After a brief channel, become untargetable and travel to an allied unit. Upgrades into Unleashed Teleport, which significantly increases travel speed.
Spell Order
Q ➜ E ➜ W
Items
Sunfire Aegis
High armor. Constantly deals damage to nearby enemies. Immobilize enemies to release a wave of damaging flame
Thornmail
Frozen Heart
Massively increases Armor and slows enemy basic attacks
Jak'Sho, The Protean
Randuin's Omen
Greatly increases defenses, activate to slow nearby enemies
Unending Despair
Runes
Arcane Comet
Damaging a champion with an ability hurls a damaging comet at their location.
Manaflow Band
Hitting an enemy champion with an ability permanently increases your maximum mana by 25, up to 250 mana.After reaching 250 bonus mana, restore 1% of your missing mana every 5 seconds.
Transcendence
Gain bonuses upon reaching the following levels:Level 5: +5 Ability Haste Level 8: +5 Ability Haste Level 11: On Champion takedown, reduce the remaining cooldown of basic abilities by 20%.
Scorch
Your first damaging ability hit every 10s burns champions.
Second Wind
After taking damage from an enemy champion heal back some missing health over time.
Overgrowth
Gain permanent max health when minions or monsters die near you.
Maokai
SUPPORT
#6
Summoners
Flash
Teleports you a short distance toward your cursor.
Ignite
Deals true damage over time to target enemy champion and reduces healing effects on them for the duration.
Spell Order
Q ➜ W ➜ E
Items
Bandlepipes
Locket of the Iron Solari
Activate to shield nearby allies from damage
Thornmail
Protoplasm Harness
Unending Despair
Randuin's Omen
Greatly increases defenses, activate to slow nearby enemies
Runes
Aftershock
After immobilizing an enemy champion gain defenses and later deal a burst of magic damage around you.
Font of Life
Impairing the movement of an enemy champion heals nearby allied champions.
Bone Plating
After taking damage from an enemy champion, the next 3 spells or attacks you receive from them deal 30-60 (based on level) less damage.Duration: 1.5sCooldown: 55s
Unflinching
Gain Armor and Magic Resist when receiving crowd control.
Biscuit Delivery
Gain a free Biscuit every 2 min, until 6 min. Consuming or selling a Biscuit permanently increases your max health and restores health.
Cosmic Insight
+18 Summoner Spell Haste+10 Item Haste
Nautilus
SUPPORT
#7
Summoners
Flash
Teleports you a short distance toward your cursor.
Ignite
Deals true damage over time to target enemy champion and reduces healing effects on them for the duration.
Spell Order
Q ➜ W ➜ E
Items
Locket of the Iron Solari
Activate to shield nearby allies from damage
Bandlepipes
Knight's Vow
Partner with an ally to protect each other
Protoplasm Harness
Frozen Heart
Massively increases Armor and slows enemy basic attacks
Thornmail
Runes
Aftershock
After immobilizing an enemy champion gain defenses and later deal a burst of magic damage around you.
Shield Bash
Whenever you gain a shield, your next basic attack against a champion deals bonus adaptive damage.
Bone Plating
After taking damage from an enemy champion, the next 3 spells or attacks you receive from them deal 30-60 (based on level) less damage.Duration: 1.5sCooldown: 55s
Unflinching
Gain Armor and Magic Resist when receiving crowd control.
Biscuit Delivery
Gain a free Biscuit every 2 min, until 6 min. Consuming or selling a Biscuit permanently increases your max health and restores health.
Cosmic Insight
+18 Summoner Spell Haste+10 Item Haste
Nunu & Willump
JUNGLE
#8
Summoners
Flash
Teleports you a short distance toward your cursor.
Smite
Deals true damage to a monster or minion.
Spell Order
Q ➜ E ➜ W
Items
Hextech Rocketbelt
Activate to dash forward and unleash a fiery explosion
Rabadon's Deathcap
Massively increases Ability Power
Shadowflame
Thornmail
Mejai's Soulstealer
Grants Ability Power for kills and assists
Stormsurge
Runes
Dark Harvest
Damaging a low health champion inflicts adaptive damage and harvests a soul from the victim.
Cheap Shot
Deal bonus true damage to enemy champions with impaired movement or actions.
Grisly Mementos
Collect 1 memento on champion takedowns, up to 18 total.Gain 6 Trinket Haste for each collected.
Relentless Hunter
Unique takedowns grant permanent out of combat MS.
Celerity
All Move Speed bonuses are 7% more effective on you and gain 1% Move Speed.
Waterwalking
Gain MS and AP or AD, adaptive in the river.
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