Soraka and Sona got nerfed, so G2 Esports played the next best thing: Janna in the top lane.
In a match against Fnatic, G2 showed the next support flex that could take over the top lane, Janna. The pick was piloted by Martin “Wunder” Hansen.
Janna in the top lane works like other supports in the top lane. Janna can harass her opponents in through the laning phase and brings utility in the late game.
Because Week 7 in the LEC is played in patch 10.4, Wunder was able to buy an early Spellthief’s Edge. In patch 10.5, the support items only proc when an ally is nearby, so this strategy is not viable on the live server.
Wunder was able to pilot the champion to a succesful performance and a win over Fnatic. The European top laner admitted in the post-game interview that the pick was specifically a counter to Sett, rather than something that fit into a particular team composition. G2 ended up drafting champions Olaf and Yuumi to compliment their Janna.
Janna is not a lane bully that will allow players to fight one-versus-two in the lane. On the contrary, Janna must poke from a safe distance in the early stages of the game. Janna is an easy target for opposing junglers, so placing vision and keeping track of the enemy jungler is key.
Without Spellthief’s Edge as the first buy, the itemization for Janna in the solo lane changes. The first item should be a Doran’s Ring with two potions. As a caster, Janna can easily burn through her mana bar, so the mana items and the cooldown reduction are the priority.
The core items for solo lane Janna are Ionian Boots of Lucidity, Athene’s Unholy Grail, and Mejai’s Soulstealer. Janna’s fourth item could be Ardent Censer or Redemption depending on the situation.
Once the laning phase is over, the best option for Janna is to partner up with her teammates as she remains a supportive champion. These picks cannot go for a split push on their own. The value of Janna is the crowd control with her Q and the healing from her R. These two skills are extremely important in the team fights.
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