Engage-focused tanks who initiate fights decisively.
Champions tagged with Vanguard share a similar playstyle.
Use this list to discover new picks that fit how you like to play and expand your champion pool around this tag.
Best Vanguard Champions – Recommended Picks by Role
Gragas
TOP
#1
Summoners
Flash
Teleports you a short distance toward your cursor.
Teleport
After a brief channel, become untargetable and travel to an allied unit. Upgrades into Unleashed Teleport, which significantly increases travel speed.
Spell Order
Q ➜ E ➜ W ➜ R
Items
Rod of Ages
Ionian Boots of Lucidity
Increases Move Speed and Cooldown Reduction
Winter's Approach
Cosmic Drive
Massive amounts of Cooldown Reduction
Zhonya's Hourglass
Activate to become invincible but unable to take actions
Rabadon's Deathcap
Massively increases Ability Power
Runes
Stormraider's Surge
Dealing 25% of a champion's maximum health grants a burst of MS and Slow Resist.
Manaflow Band
Hitting an enemy champion with an ability permanently increases your maximum mana by 25, up to 250 mana.After reaching 250 bonus mana, restore 1% of your missing mana every 5 seconds.
Transcendence
Gain bonuses upon reaching the following levels:Level 5: +5 Ability Haste Level 8: +5 Ability Haste Level 11: On Champion takedown, reduce the remaining cooldown of basic abilities by 20%.
Scorch
Your first damaging ability hit every 10s burns champions.
Biscuit Delivery
Gain a free Biscuit every 2 min, until 6 min. Consuming or selling a Biscuit permanently increases your max health and restores health.
Cosmic Insight
+18 Summoner Spell Haste+10 Item Haste
Malphite
TOP
#2
Summoners
Flash
Teleports you a short distance toward your cursor.
Teleport
After a brief channel, become untargetable and travel to an allied unit. Upgrades into Unleashed Teleport, which significantly increases travel speed.
Spell Order
Q ➜ E ➜ W ➜ R
Items
Sunfire Aegis
High armor. Constantly deals damage to nearby enemies. Immobilize enemies to release a wave of damaging flame
Plated Steelcaps
Enhances Move Speed and reduces incoming basic attack damage
Thornmail
Frozen Heart
Massively increases Armor and slows enemy basic attacks
Jak'Sho, The Protean
Randuin's Omen
Greatly increases defenses, activate to slow nearby enemies
Runes
Arcane Comet
Damaging a champion with an ability hurls a damaging comet at their location.
Manaflow Band
Hitting an enemy champion with an ability permanently increases your maximum mana by 25, up to 250 mana.After reaching 250 bonus mana, restore 1% of your missing mana every 5 seconds.
Transcendence
Gain bonuses upon reaching the following levels:Level 5: +5 Ability Haste Level 8: +5 Ability Haste Level 11: On Champion takedown, reduce the remaining cooldown of basic abilities by 20%.
Scorch
Your first damaging ability hit every 10s burns champions.
Second Wind
After taking damage from an enemy champion heal back some missing health over time.
Overgrowth
Gain permanent max health when minions or monsters die near you.
Maokai
TOP
#3
Summoners
Flash
Teleports you a short distance toward your cursor.
Teleport
After a brief channel, become untargetable and travel to an allied unit. Upgrades into Unleashed Teleport, which significantly increases travel speed.
Spell Order
Q ➜ W ➜ E ➜ R
Items
Sunfire Aegis
High armor. Constantly deals damage to nearby enemies. Immobilize enemies to release a wave of damaging flame
Plated Steelcaps
Enhances Move Speed and reduces incoming basic attack damage
Winter's Approach
Spirit Visage
Increases Health and healing effects
Thornmail
Unending Despair
Runes
Aftershock
After immobilizing an enemy champion gain defenses and later deal a burst of magic damage around you.
Font of Life
Impairing the movement of an enemy champion heals nearby allied champions.
Bone Plating
After taking damage from an enemy champion, the next 3 spells or attacks you receive from them deal 30-60 (based on level) less damage.Duration: 1.5sCooldown: 55s
Unflinching
Gain Armor and Magic Resist when receiving crowd control.
Biscuit Delivery
Gain a free Biscuit every 2 min, until 6 min. Consuming or selling a Biscuit permanently increases your max health and restores health.
Cosmic Insight
+18 Summoner Spell Haste+10 Item Haste
Ornn
TOP
#4
Summoners
Flash
Teleports you a short distance toward your cursor.
Teleport
After a brief channel, become untargetable and travel to an allied unit. Upgrades into Unleashed Teleport, which significantly increases travel speed.
Spell Order
W ➜ Q ➜ E ➜ R
Items
Sunfire Aegis
High armor. Constantly deals damage to nearby enemies. Immobilize enemies to release a wave of damaging flame
Plated Steelcaps
Enhances Move Speed and reduces incoming basic attack damage
Thornmail
Jak'Sho, The Protean
Unending Despair
Frozen Heart
Massively increases Armor and slows enemy basic attacks
Runes
Grasp of the Undying
Every 4s your next attack on a champion deals bonus magic damage, heals you, and permanently increases your health.
Demolish
Your third attack against turrets deals bonus damage.
Bone Plating
After taking damage from an enemy champion, the next 3 spells or attacks you receive from them deal 30-60 (based on level) less damage.Duration: 1.5sCooldown: 55s
Overgrowth
Gain permanent max health when minions or monsters die near you.
Magical Footwear
You get free boots at 12 min but you cannot buy boots before then. Each takedown you get makes your boots come 45s sooner.
Biscuit Delivery
Gain a free Biscuit every 2 min, until 6 min. Consuming or selling a Biscuit permanently increases your max health and restores health.
Sion
TOP
#5
Summoners
Flash
Teleports you a short distance toward your cursor.
Teleport
After a brief channel, become untargetable and travel to an allied unit. Upgrades into Unleashed Teleport, which significantly increases travel speed.
Spell Order
Q ➜ W ➜ E ➜ R
Items
Sunfire Aegis
High armor. Constantly deals damage to nearby enemies. Immobilize enemies to release a wave of damaging flame
Plated Steelcaps
Enhances Move Speed and reduces incoming basic attack damage
Unending Despair
Thornmail
Jak'Sho, The Protean
Overlord's Bloodmail
Runes
Grasp of the Undying
Every 4s your next attack on a champion deals bonus magic damage, heals you, and permanently increases your health.
Demolish
Your third attack against turrets deals bonus damage.
Conditioning
After 12 min gain +8 Armor and +8 Magic Resist and increase your Armor and Magic Resist by 3%.
Overgrowth
Gain permanent max health when minions or monsters die near you.
Cash Back
Get some gold back when you purchase Legendary Items.
Approach Velocity
Bonus MS towards nearby enemy champions that are movement impaired, increased for enemy champions that you impair.
Zac
TOP
#6
Summoners
Flash
Teleports you a short distance toward your cursor.
Ignite
Deals true damage over time to target enemy champion and reduces healing effects on them for the duration.
Spell Order
E ➜ W ➜ Q ➜ R
Items
Sunfire Aegis
High armor. Constantly deals damage to nearby enemies. Immobilize enemies to release a wave of damaging flame
Plated Steelcaps
Enhances Move Speed and reduces incoming basic attack damage
Spirit Visage
Increases Health and healing effects
Thornmail
Unending Despair
Randuin's Omen
Greatly increases defenses, activate to slow nearby enemies
Runes
Aftershock
After immobilizing an enemy champion gain defenses and later deal a burst of magic damage around you.
Font of Life
Impairing the movement of an enemy champion heals nearby allied champions.
Conditioning
After 12 min gain +8 Armor and +8 Magic Resist and increase your Armor and Magic Resist by 3%.
Revitalize
Gain 5% Heal and Shield Power.Heals and shields you cast or receive are 10% stronger on targets below 40% health.
Triumph
Takedowns restore 5% of your missing health and grant an additional 20 gold.
Legend: Haste
Takedowns on enemies grant permanent Basic Ability Haste.