Why marksmen are struggling in 2021 preseason patch 10.23

It’s currently rough being a marksman in the 2021 LoL preseason. 

The preseason has taken Summoner’s Rift by storm, but not everything is quite balanced yet. The role that is struggling the most is that of the marksmen, who are currently sitting at some very poor win rates in solo queue.

On patch 10.23, only four marksmen are in the top 50 of the highest win rate champions, and only one is making it into the top 20, which is Jhin. The long-ranged marksman is sitting at a solid 53.51% win rate in Platinum rank and above, mainly because he has other viable build paths compared to some of his marksmen colleagues.

Who is the best marksman in League of Legends? 

On patch 10.23, Jhin is without comparison the best marksman in League of Legends. Jhin is succeeding with the Eclipse Mythic item, which gives him both attack damage and lethality to chunk out his enemies. Eclipse’s passive provides Jhin with extra damage and movement speed, giving him an ideal opportunity to dish out damage from a safe position. 

Sadly, Jhin is one of the only marksmen dominating in the current patch, while the rest of the top 20 is filled with tanks and assassins. Solid bot lane picks from season 10 such as Ezreal, Caitlyn, Senna, and Kai’Sa are all sitting below 50% win rate, which is a worrying trend. The marksmen have fallen so much in priority that many players are picking up AP champions such as Swain to do the job in the bot lane.

While Riot is still working hard to balance the preseason, bot lane players will need to wait patiently. The new item system has had a big impact on the marksmen, and not in a good way. It’s expected that Riot will be implementing some buffs to the marksmen Mythic items especially, but there is still no official news on such a move. 

The preseason will run until the beginning of 2021, when Season 11 is expected to start. 

What is a marksman in LoL? 

A marksman in League of Legends is a champion that relies on ranged and basic attacks. The marksmen are often found in the bot lane, alongside a support who keeps them safe and sets them up for kills. A marksman is a carry champion, which means that its job is to dish out as much damage as possible as the game goes on. The downside of a marksman is that they are very squishy and can easily die if they are caught off guard. They may also be much weaker earlier on. This is why marksmen often need a support by their side, as well as peel from other teammates. 

Unlike many mages, marksmen usually do continuous damage and are therefore often the team’s most consistent damage dealer. A marksman is often the best tool to take down tanks, towers, and big neutral objectives such as the Baron. 

Some of the most notable marksmen in League of Legends are Ashe, Caitlyn, Tristana, Senna, and Varus.