League of Legends (LoL) introduces five main roles for each member of a team: Baron Laner, Jungler, Mid laner, Dragon Laner, and Support. But did you know that these have sub-roles depending on the champion’s abilities?
This list will take a look at the mid laner role which is usually occupied by mages. Mages deal magic damage and can burst down opponents or restrict their movement. The latter ability is called crowd control, and this is where the sub-role control mages come in.
Among the numerous mages in League of Legends, which ones are considered the best in crowd control? Here are the ten best control mages you can try in the game:
Twisted Fate
Twisted Fate’s only crowd control ability is in his Pick A Card, where the yellow card allows him to stun an opponent while the red card slows them down. Even when he can technically only use one of each card, it makes him an annoying champion to deal with since the slow effect goes up to 50% while the stun can last up to two seconds.
His other abilities allow him to reposition himself or deal more damage depending on what cards he has in his hands. This makes Twisted Fate a reliable hero for picking off enemies by himself or for helping out in team fights.
Viktor
Viktor mainly slows enemies down as part of his crowd control ability Gravity Field. What his ability does is conjure an area of effect. It reduces the movement speed of opponents inside that area and stuns them right before the field disappears. In addition to this, Viktor’s other abilities will have a slow effect after Gravity Field is unlocked.
His abilities can be maximized if he positions himself well on the backline and successfully kills enemies. Viktor’s ultimate is also noteworthy when it comes to nuking opponents in team fights.
Orianna
Orianna is arguably the best control mage in team fights due to her Command: Dissonance and Command: Shockwave. The former generates a field that slows opponents down and speeds up allies while the latter pulls opponents towards her orb after it generates a shockwave.
Orianna shines best in skirmishes if she only attacks one opponent at a time. This is why it is advisable for her to be around two teammates.
Cassiopeia
Cassiopeia has two main control abilities which are useful in picking off multiple enemies. First is her Miasma where the poison cloud she releases slows enemies down and prevents them from using mobility abilities. The other is her Petrifying Gaze which stuns enemies facing her while slowing those whose backs are turned against her.
However, this champion is not allowed to purchase boots and gains movement speed only upon leveling up. This is why careful positioning and getting lots of kills and assists are necessary when using her.
Ryze
Ryze’s crowd control ability, Rune Prison, slows opponents down if cast by itself. However, opponents will instead be trapped in their place if Spell Flux is cast before Rune Prison, allowing Ryze and his teammates to unleash a flurry of ability combos on the unfortunate soul caught within.
Aside from this, Ryze is heavily reliant on his base mana to boost his damage output. Always start your combos with Spell Flux as it grants additional effects to his other abilities.
Anivia
With an ice creature such as Anivia, you would expect it to use its cold attacks to slow enemies down. Her Glacial Storm does exactly that. While she generates a blizzard by flapping her wings, enemies who would dare approach her will be hindered by the cold wind. Also, her Flash Frost can stun enemies caught up in its explosion.
Anivia can also zone enemies out with her Crystallize which summons a wall of ice on the ground.
Syndra
Syndra is a versatile mage whose control abilities result from the manipulation of her Dark Spheres. Her Force of Will launches one Dark Sphere or an enemy minion to damage enemies and slow them down. Meanwhile, her Scatter the Weak ability pushes her Dark Spheres and nearby opponents back and stuns them if they get hit by the orbs.
Xerath
Just like Syndra, Xerath uses his second and third abilities to either slow or stun enemies. His Eye of Destruction summons a magical beam from the sky to deal damage and slow opponents down. His Shocking Orb stuns enemies upon hitting them.
Xerath mainly specializes in harassing opponents from a distance, but his control abilities are enough to give him a spot on this list.
Malzahar
Malzahar’s only control ability is his Call of the Void where he silences enemies hit for up to two seconds. What makes him an entry into this list, is his added ability to gain vision of the area around the portals he summons, allowing him to further secure his position while rendering opponents helpless even just for a while.
Azir
Azir is an incredibly difficult hero to use but if you can manage to utilize his abilities to its full potential, you’ll be unstoppable. His control abilities are his Conquering Sands which slows down targeted enemies and his Emperor’s divide which knocks enemies back from a charge of his Sand Soldiers.
One common tip when using control mages in League of Legends is to be aware of your positioning. Control mages have huge backline presence yet have no mobility and defense which is why before you unleash your barrage of abilities in a team fight, make sure there are no opponents who might pick you off from the flank or rear.
Additionally, remember to buy items that reduce the cooldown of your abilities to make yourself more useful in the later stages of the game. Keep your focus on securing lanes and victory is almost certain.