Wave clear is a great mechanic in League of Legends and can be used in multiple ways to benefit your team or yourself as a laner. You can use it to gain lain priority to set up for an upcoming major objective or roam other lanes. Both roaming and objective set is a huge thing for your team’s macro, it gives your team the upper hand as you can help your teammates score important things on the map.
All champions can kill lane minions but a select few have the capabilities to clear a huge wave of minions in no time and this is determined by whether their skills are targeted or AoE based. Targeted spells like Irelia’s Q can only damage one minion, therefore, killing only one at a time, but the fact that it can reset its cooldown, you can use it to trim a wave fast.
The same can’t be said of AoE-based champions, their spells deal damage to a certain location therefore all the minions in that location will receive the same damage. These AOE spells allow these champions to clear the waves of minions fast. Here we will show you 5 of the best top laners with powerful wave clears that you can use to easily gain lane priority.
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5. Rumble
Wave clearing doesn’t only mean in the lower levels, it can also happen during the late game where you have to defend your inner towers from huge waves of minions. Rumble is at the top of this list because he can wave clear both early and late games.
His Q is his primary wave clear ability and with it having no mana cost, you can wave clear without worrying about running out of mana. His ultimate is also an emergency wave clear ability that is similar to his Q but with an added bonus.
His ultimate deals much stronger damage and it slows the units that pass through it. You can simply lay it down horizontally and block all enemy minions.
Best item for Rumble when wave clearing
Liandry’s Anguish
This item improves Rumble’s wave clear damage and its passive adds more burn damage to his Q. This is also a great item to have if a champion is accompanying the wave, Liandry’s effect duration gets reset as long as Rumble keeps burning enemies with his Q or ultimate.
Different Playstyle For Each Phase
Early Game Playstyle
During the early game, rumble is a great trading champion because of the continuous damage he deals with his Q while basic attacking, he can also stack his E to this so he can throw multiple damage instances to his enemies during the early game.
Try to harass your enemy while in the laning phase, punish him every time he tries to take a cs so you will always have the upper hand.
Mid Game Playstyle
During the mid-game, this is where you can utilize your wave clearing mechanics. Rumble can easily fast push with his Q at a 50% danger level. If Rumble manages to secure a wave crash, he can either help his jungler take the rift herald or gank in mid lane.
Late Game Playstyle
Teamfighting is Rumble’s specialty, especially in the late game, his ultimate has a really wide casting range making it easy for him to initiate fights or defend a certain lane. It doesn’t matter how huge a wave is crashing towards Rumble’s inner turrets, his ultimate can quickly dispose of the minions no matter how many there are.
4. Swain
Swain is one of the strongest ranged top laners in the game, his abilities all deal AoE damage and has pretty low cooldowns. His Q is his most commonly used spell and it is his best wave clearing tool. All of his spells deal AoE damage and can be used to clear a huge wave of minions but his Q is his commonly used one because of its low cooldown, low mana cost, and high burst damage.
Swain is at the top 2 of this list because he can use his combo on minions to clear them in an instant. He is a mage that mostly builds mana items so you really don’t have to worry about using his abilities to clear a huge wave of minions.
Best item for Swain when wave clearing
Liandry’s Anguish
Aside from the burst damage he deals with his Q, he can burn minions with this item, it is also a great poking mechanic for Swain’s W as it doesn’t only deal decent damage to an enemy, this item also burns them.
Different Playstyle For Each Phase
Early Game Playstyle
During the early game, while it is tempting to burn your mana and poke away at your enemy, try to conserve it. Use your basic attacks to trade with your enemy top laner, this will be easy because people usually pick melee champions in the top lane and you can counter them with Swain. Only use your Q to thin the wave down whenever it crashes towards your tower.
Mid Game Playstyle
Mid game allows Swain to do his combos as he has already learned all of his spells. If a wave threatens to crash at your tower, you can slow them down first with your W and proceed to finish them off with your Q and E.
Late Game Playstyle
During the late game, Swain is a teamfighting tank champion that can 1v5 enemies thanks to the heals coming from his passive that is empowered by his ultimate.
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3. Jayce
Jayce’s kit is really strong when it comes to AoE damage, his Q from both forms deal insane amounts of burst damage. His W from his melee form lets him damage enemies beside him. You don’t have to worry about burning your mana as well because Jayce restores mana every time he scores a kill.
Best item for Jayce when wave clearing
Ravenous Hydra
Most top laners rush this item just so they can deal AoE damage while life-stealing. Ravenous Hydra now triggers even with your abilities, so it will definitely improve the AoE damage and range of your abilities.
Different Playstyle For Each Phase
Early Game Playstyle
During the early game, Jayce is the strongest top laner as he has two forms that he can use to either poke you are trade blows with you. Whatever form he is in, he easily wins any 1v1 because he already has 2 damage spells from the get-go.
Mid Game Playstyle
Try to manage the wave and gain a huge minion wave crash so you can gank your ally’s lane. Jayce is a great roaming champion because he always gets a movement speed boost whenever he switches form. His Q is also a great gank ability because its ranged form can be cast with a pretty long range, its speed and range can even be improved by using Jayce’s Ranged form E.
Late Game Playstyle
During the late game, if Jayce is defending and facing a huge minion wave, he can use his melee form instead because of all the AoE damaging abilities it has. Jayce’s melee form also has a W that deals continuous damage to enemies within his vicinity. Continue poking enemies whenever they are regrouping and preparing for a teamfight. Jayce’s Q has a low cooldown so use it whenever it is off cooldown.
2. Renekton
Renekton has a really strong kit when it comes to wave clearing, his AoE damage can clear any wave that comes from his Q and his E. He can also upgrade these abilities whenever he fills his passive bar.
When Renekton’s Q is empowered, not only will it deal additional damage, but it will also heal him. So whenever Renekton is trying to clear a wave, he doesn’t only clear them fast, he can also stay in the middle and not get risked being killed.
Best item for Renekton when wave clearing
Ravenous Hydra
Just like any other melee minion in the game, Hydra really is the best when it comes to wave clearing. It is a staple item to most bruisers because it doesn’t only help you clear the wave, it also gives you so much sustain.
Different Playstyle For Each Phase
Early Game Playstyle
During the early game, Renekton can be a great trading champion but you should wait until level 2 so you can have access to both of your AoE abilities. Only try to poke or trade with an enemy if you have already trimmed his minion wave down. Attacking a champion while in the range of lane minions, they will attack you instead of pushing the lane.
Mid Game Playstyle
During mid game, Renekton can roam the map because if he already has a Ravenous Hydra, he can already clear waves within a second. Another great alternative item for Renekton is the Gore Drinker. This will give Renekton sustain and heals him every time he faces champions, when wave clearing, however, there is an active effect with a low cooldown that you can also use to clear a wave.
Late Game Playstyle
During the late game, however, Renekton becomes the Vanguard of the team and focuses on peeling his carries. Renekton doesn’t really matter that much in the late game so he should divert to a protector role.
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1. Illaoi
Being able to sprout tentacle spirits that smack the ground every time you cast your W on a target is great especially since Illaoi can spawn these materials often. Illaoi is a tank bruiser champion that relies heavily on her tentacles.
Best item for Illaoi when wave clearing
Death’s Dance
Being the champion that will face the damage of all enemies she will have to get an item that will give her damage reduction.
Different Playstyle For Each Phase
Early Game Playstyle
During the early game, only try to poke your enemy with your E and your Q, when an enemy is constantly hit by your E, he will always be slowed and instead focus on dodging the hit of your tentacles.
Mid Game Playstyle
Mid game unlocks Illaoi’s ability to 1v5 because of the many tentacles she can spawn with her ultimate. Her Q’s cooldown also gets lower meaning she can use it to clear waves even faster now.
Late Game Playstyle
During the late game, Illaoi should look to split push as many people are required to be present to be able to stand a chance against her. She excels at fights involving many attackers because it lets her spawn more tentacles in one area.
Final Thoughts
While these are the most commonly used top laners that can clear a wave, there are still flex pick out there that can surprise the enemy they have a big time.
(5 votes, average: 4.80 out of 5)
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