What’s the optimal counter-pick build for the current dominant support meta post-patch?

Understanding the Post-Patch Support Landscape

The latest patch has undoubtedly shaken up the bottom lane, leading to a new hierarchy of dominant support champions. Understanding these prevailing archetypes is the first step towards effectively counter-picking and establishing lane control. Whether it’s the unkillable engage tank, the shield-and-heal bot, or the poke-heavy mage, each dominant style presents unique challenges and, more importantly, unique vulnerabilities.

Success in the current meta isn’t just about playing your best champion; it’s about anticipating your opponent’s pick, understanding their win conditions, and building a strategy that directly mitigates their strengths while amplifying your own. This article will dissect the dominant support archetypes and provide actionable counter-pick strategies, complete with champion suggestions and optimal item builds.

_ _

Analyzing Dominant Support Archetypes

The Unstoppable Engage/Tank Support

Champions like Leona, Nautilus, Rell, and Alistar are characterized by their strong crowd control, high base resistances, and ability to initiate fights. Their primary goal is to lock down high-priority targets and absorb damage, creating space for their AD carry to dish out damage. They thrive in aggressive lanes and can be incredibly oppressive if allowed to dictate the pace.

The Resilient Enchanter Support

Nami, Lulu, Janna, Soraka, and Milio define this category. Enchanters excel at protecting their allies with shields, heals, and potent buffs, often scaling incredibly well into the mid and late game. They aim to sustain their AD carry through the laning phase and empower them in team fights, making them notoriously difficult to burst down if played correctly.

_ _

The Annoying Poke/Mage Support

Brand, Zyra, Lux, and Karma fall into this group. These supports deal significant damage from a distance, zone enemies, and can quickly chip away at health bars. Their goal is to gain an HP advantage in lane, forcing the enemy off cs or setting up for early kills. They can be incredibly frustrating to play against if you lack sustain or reliable engage.

Optimal Counter-Pick Strategies & Builds

Now that we’ve identified the main threats, let’s explore how to dismantle them. Remember, a good counter-pick involves both champion selection and adaptive itemization.

Countering Engage/Tank Supports

To neutralize an engage tank, you need disengage, sustain, or the ability to out-trade their all-in. Champions like Janna and Morgana are prime choices. Janna’s tornadoes and ultimate can repeatedly interrupt their engages, while Morgana’s Black Shield makes a key target immune to their CC. Alternatively, picks like Ezreal (for ADC) combined with a ranged poke support can keep them at bay.

• Champion Picks: Janna, Morgana, Alistar (mirror pick for disengage), Senna (for poke and range).
• Key Itemization:
  • Mikael’s Blessing: Essential for cleansing key CC on your carry.
  • Redemption: Provides sustained healing in drawn-out fights, negating some of their initial burst.
  • Zhonya’s Hourglass (for AP supports): To dodge their key engage or survivability.
  • Serpent’s Fang (if they have shield enchanters too): Reduces shields from collateral damage.

_ _

Countering Enchanter Supports

Enchanters thrive on sustain and scaling. To beat them, you need to either burst them down before they can react, or apply so much pressure that their healing and shielding can’t keep up. Hard engage supports or high-damage poke mages are excellent choices.

• Champion Picks: Leona, Nautilus, Blitzcrank (for hard engage); Brand, Zyra (for burst damage and anti-heal pressure).
• Key Itemization:
  • Oblivion Orb / Morellonomicon: Crucial for applying Grievous Wounds and cutting their healing.
  • Locket of the Iron Solari: Provides a burst shield to counter their poke or block incoming damage.
  • Shadowflame (for AP supports): To pierce magic resist and amplify burst damage.

Countering Poke/Mage Supports

Poke supports are vulnerable to sustain and hard engage. If you can survive their initial barrage and close the distance, they often have limited defensive tools. Champions with strong all-in potential or significant healing/shielding work best.

• Champion Picks: Soraka, Sona (for sustain); Blitzcrank, Thresh, Pyke (for hard engage and pick potential).
• Key Itemization:
  • Early Boots (Mobility Boots/Swiftness Boots): To dodge skill shots and close gaps.
  • Locket of the Iron Solari: For burst shield against their poke.
  • Knight’s Vow: To redirect damage and protect your AD carry.
  • Null-Magic Mantle / Adaptive Helm components: For early magic resistance.

_ _

General Principles for Success

Beyond specific champion and item choices, remember these overarching principles:

• Vision Control: Deny the enemy vision to prevent their engages or roams, and establish your own to spot their movements.
• Early Aggression vs. Scaling: Understand if your counter-pick aims for an early lane advantage or scales better into the mid-game.
• Adaptability: The meta is always shifting. Don’t be afraid to adjust your build path based on how the game is progressing and which enemy champions are becoming a threat.
• Communication: Coordinate with your AD carry and jungler. A well-timed gank or a communicated all-in can turn a losing lane into a winning one.

_ _

Conclusion

Mastering the support role in the current post-patch meta is a dynamic challenge that rewards knowledge, foresight, and adaptability. By understanding the dominant support archetypes and applying these tailored counter-picking strategies and item builds, you can significantly improve your chances of dominating the bot lane and contributing to your team’s victory. Keep an eye on patch notes, practice new champions, and always be willing to adapt your strategy to the ever-evolving Summoner’s Rift.