Kog’Maw has recently grabbed the number one overall spot for champion win rate according to League of Graphs and LoLAlytics. However, win rate is not the only thing going right for Kog’Maw. In multiple different ways, Kog’Maw has reached a perfect moment of glory: win rate, comparison to recent past performance, and his place in Bot Lane.
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Kog’Maw Win Rate
As previously stated, Kog’Maw currently has the best win rate of any champion, according to multiple sites. And although Patch 14.8 only released Tuesday, Kog’Maw has seen a +0.3% win rate change since then.
The changes around Kog’Maw could be good for him, too. He hasn’t seen any changes of his own this patch. But one of his key allies has, and one of his key enemies continues to struggle.
Key Allies
According to the top-rated Mobafire Kog’Maw guide, written by Afrente Do Tempo, Kog’Maw has a few critical threats, and ideal synergies, to look out for. Within the list of synergies, Afrente Do Tempo lists Lulu, Thresh, and Zilean as the best candidates to play alongside Kog’Maw.
Two of the three synergistic champions have recently received buffs. Lulu’s damage, shielding and AP ratios were increased back in 14.4, and she now ranks mid-level amongst all the Supports as far as win rate. Unfortunately, though, she also ranks D-tier on U.GG, so it seems that Kog’Maw is succeeding despite his connection to Lulu, not because of it.
However, Thresh also received a buff, and much more recently than Lulu. On Tuesday, Riot increased his tankiness, providing him more Armor and Magic Resist. And now, Thresh boasts an S+ rating on U.GG, placing him amongst the most viable 27 champions overall. But, this does not yet reflect in his win rate, which has actually decreased by 0.1% since 14.8 released.
Depending on how he performs going into the rest of this patch, Thresh could provide an even further boost to Kog’Maw. As Thresh becomes more popular following his buff, people may also be more inclined to play him alongside Kog’Maw, providing the ideal synergy. But, if Thresh’s win rates don’t stabilize, he might prove to be a detriment. Luckily, the state of Kog’Maw’s enemies is much more cut-and-dried.
Key Enemies
Another place that Kog’Maw benefits in this meta is in relation to his key opponents. From Afrente Do Tempo’s guide, Kog’Maw’s key opponents are Caitlyn, Varus, Nautilus, and Viktor, with Caitlyn the most extreme. In fact, the guide recommends banning Caitlyn every game.
So, Caitlyn’s recent poor performance in relation to other ADCs can only be great for Kog’Maw. Currently, she is listed as ADC #18 out of 24 on League of Graphs, and has a D rating on U.GG. So while she may still be a threat to Kog’Maw, it also appears that she is relatively weak overall.
Similar to Caitlyn, Varus’s win rate is also down in the dumps at #22 out of 24. However, he places a bit better on U.GG (although still not great), where he currently has a B.
Nautilus, too, is U.GG D-tier, and Support #31 out of 38. And Viktor is listed as a counter for Mid Lane Kog’Maws, so he does not factor in.
So, it appears that all of Kog’Maw’s Bot Lane enemies are performing poorly, leaving him plenty of room to continue on his current path. Players looking to counter Kog’Maw will have to choose already weak and under-performing champions, and may risk losing the match for reasons outside of lane. All of this is great for Kog’Maw and his win rate.
Past Kog’Maw
The most recent time that Kog’Maw exceeded a ~52% win rate in April 2023, he was nerfed shortly after. And although Kog’Maw has an even higher win rate now than he did then, he may be able to stay the way he is for at least a bit longer. This is because his current ban rate is much lower.
As the devs discussed in this balance blog, ban rate is one of a few key factors that plays into nerfs and buffs (or lack thereof). Back in April 2023, Kog’Maw’s ban rate reached all the way to 30%. Such a high ban rate was sure to put him on the map for nerfs, and he was of course changed immediately after in June 2023.
This time, though, Kog’Maw’s ban rate is a mere 2.6%. This ban rate is a far cry away from his ban rate from before, which means that he has a better chance of escaping nerfs today. Kog’Maw is not only currently successful, but may remain so for a while.
Final Thoughts
Overall, Kog’Maw is experiencing a sort of Golden Era. Not only does he excel in his win rates, but his enemies are weak and one of his allies is growing stronger. Additionally, he has lower ban rates now than he did last time he performed this well, meaning that players might be able to enjoy his strength for longer than last time.
Featured Image from Riot Games
All information as of April 17th, 2024
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- Source: https://thegamehaus.com/league-of-legends/kogmaw-moment-of-strength-continues-in-more-ways-than-one/2024/04/23/
