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Patch 26.8 drops on April 15 and it shakes up the support lane harder than any patch this split. Yuumi is finally getting meaningful buffs, and the meta shift that started in 26.7 with the support farm penalty removal is still paying dividends. Here is your complete tier list for ranked climbing.
Two things are moving the needle simultaneously: Yuumi gets direct buffs to her W and Q, pushing her from unplayable to actually viable. And Lux, Veigar, and Zyra are still reaping the rewards from last patch's removal of the support farm penalty. The support pool is broader than it has been in months.
Use Amber.gg's LoL meta page to track champion win rates as the patch settles.
Thresh holds his ground at the top. His playmaking flexibility makes him unaffected by meta shifts. Hook, engage, peel, roam: he does it all regardless of what the opponent picks.
Nautilus stays S tier for the same reasons he always does. His hook-into-ult combo creates guaranteed picks. The support meta shift toward mage supports doesn't hurt him since he wins through engage, not poke.
Yuumi was sitting comfortably in D tier thanks to her passive early laning phase and low utility floor. Patch 26.8 changes that with buffs to her W (Zoomies heal increased) and Q (projectile speed increased). These changes give her enough sustain and poke to function properly.
Expected tier shift: D tier to B tier. Potentially A tier with the right ADC.
Lux keeps climbing. The support farm penalty removal from 26.7 lets her generate gold via support items while maintaining her poke pattern. By mid game, her burst combo deletes backline targets consistently. She does not need jungle priority to be effective.
Veigar's Phenomenal Evil passive (infinite AP stacking per takedown) gets dramatically more impactful when he also collects support item stacks. By late game, his cage into E into Q combo is essentially unanswerable from range. High ceiling for supports who want to carry.
Zyra benefits from the same penalty removal and adds plant uptime that punishes melee supports in lane. Her damage is underestimated and her zone control is among the best in the role.
Lux, Veigar, and Zyra benefit from the support farm penalty removal.
Hook supports still have value even when poke mages dominate. One missed hook costs more in this meta, but Blitz remains solid if your team needs mechanical pick potential. Lane is harder than usual against Lux and Zyra.
Senna accumulates gold through soul collection rather than minion farming, which means the support penalty removal doesn't affect her. She scales quietly and remains a self-sufficient pick for players who want a utility carry hybrid.
Soraka's global healing keeps her relevant regardless of meta changes. She doesn't directly benefit from the patch but her kit is strong enough to stay in B tier.
Leona is not weaker on paper, but the meta is punishing her. Mage support poke in lane (Lux, Veigar, Zyra) burns through her HP faster than she can engage. Her all-in window requires getting close, which is exactly what these champions prevent.
Alistar faces the same challenge. His W-Q combo is still powerful, but poke-heavy supports mean he has to burn healing resources before his engage windows even open.
Brand does not benefit from the mage support meta shift as much as Lux or Veigar because his kit is purely damage with no sustained utility outside of combos. The champions rising above him offer more value even when ahead.
Situational at best. Shaco support requires a very specific strategy and coordinated team to work. Patch 26.8 adds nothing to his toolkit.
Victorious Braum is the Season 26 ranked reward. No gameplay changes, purely a cosmetic unlock for hitting the required rank threshold. Braum himself is A tier as an engage support. If you want the skin, this patch is a good opportunity to push your rank before the seasonal cutoff.
Two skin lines drop with Patch 26.8. Neither has any impact on gameplay:
For the full skin showcase and complete PBE change breakdown, check the LoL Patch 26.8 Preview.
Tier lists are a starting point, not a script. A B-tier champion you play at a high level beats an S-tier champion you are still learning. That said, Yuumi, Lux, and Veigar support are genuinely high-EV picks in 26.8 if you play them with intention.
For context on how the support meta arrived at this point, check the Patch 26.07 tier list which covers the farm penalty removal that set this shift in motion.
Want to track how your support champion actually performs across the patch cycle? Compete in ranked ladders on Amber.gg and earn real cash prizes based on your results.
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W (Zoomies): heal amount increased. Q (Prowling Projectile): projectile speed increased, making landing easier in lane.
W (Zoomies): heal amount increased. Q (Prowling Projectile): projectile speed increased, making landing easier in lane.
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