League of Legends continues to dominate the MOBA scene and MMOAttack take a look at the most played Champions in February 2013. We’re only 2 months into the year but there’s already a pattern emerging, with a massive 8 Champions making a return for the second month in a row. That leaves space for Leona and Lux to enter the most played Champions list for the first time this year.
How do you feel about the current state of Champion balance in League of Legends? With over 100 Champions available to select, it seems a bit strange for 8 of them to make a second appearance in such a short time. Do you think this is due to current balance issues within the game or are people just sticking to what they know best? Leave your thoughts in the comment section below.
10 
Leona 
Leona, the Radiant Dawn, has been a big hit since her release in July 2011 and has since become one of the more popular Champions to play alongside the AD carry in bot lane. A common mistake with Leona is building as a typical support class, but this is not her most potent role. Typical support classes have abilities that aid allies and nearby Champions, whereas Leona only really has a single passive ability that aids allied Champions directly.
Leona’s price will be dropping to 4800 IP / 880 RP following the release of the second 2013 Champion later this year. Currently priced in the most expensive bracket, players are advised to wait until a new Champion is announced before purchasing. You can buy Leona up to two weeks before the new Champion is introduced, and you’ll be refunded the IP difference.
9 
Nidalee 
Currently the victim of an upcoming patch to nerf her scaling MR, Nidalee is a Champion to be reckoned with in almost any role. Primarily used as a poker early game, with her deadly Javelin Toss, Nidalee can pose serious problems for any players that are not quick to react. An ability that increases damage based on range to the target is deadly if players are unable to avoid it, making Nidalee a prime pick for players with high level skill-shot ability.
Even with the upcoming nerf Nidalee still has the potential to dominate games as she has proven by continuing to be one of the most selected Champions in League of Legends, 3 years after she was originally released.
9 
Lux 
It took some time before the true potential of Lux became apparent to the League of Legends player-base but since then she has remained one of the first picks for many of the pro players. Favored for her crowd control abilities and skill-shots, Lux’s burst damage is almost unrivaled in the League; making her a top choice for fans of mid-lane.
Although it’s her first appearance in the top 10 most played League of Legends Champions for 2013, I very much doubt it will be her last. Lux is also one of the few Champions without an obvious hard-counter and only really struggles when faced with a team of tank orientated Champions.
7 
Graves 
Graves exploded onto the League of Legends scene in October 2011 and has continued to dominate from every month onwards. Graves earned his spot as a regular pick due to his strong early-game abilities, especially when compared to previously popular Champions like Tristana and Vayne.
Many in the pro scene have placed Graves at the top of the ADC list alongside other popular Champions like Ezreal. Despite his basic abilities being quite easy to target and initiate, many players struggle with Graves due to errors in their build. Most regular League of Legends players will agree that a skilled Graves can quite often carry an entire team, whereas one with the wrong build can be the downfall of even the most prepared Champions.
6 
Lee Sin 
Considered by many to be one of the most difficult to play Junglers in the game, Lee Sin still manages to make a second appearance in the top played Champions of 2013 list, despite recent nerfs. He is a viable laner, but just barely; with the majority of players choosing to select a roaming role due to his questionable damage scaling.
The most difficult aspect of playing a successful Lee Sin game is having the ability to spot ganks and kills early on. Lee Sin can struggle severely in later stages if he’s unable to gather a few kills before mid-game; although many consider him to be an extremely strong Champion for early-game play.
5 
Miss Fortune 
Some consider her to be the hottest female Champion in League of Legends while others say she’s one of the best AD’s in the game; either way they’re not really wrong. Miss Fortune continues to prove popular in League of Legends, despite being one of the older Champions on this list.
A strange frequent occurrence with Miss Fortune is the behavior of her Summoners. Obviously it’s not always the case but many players report troll like behavior and basic douche baggery from the majority of MF players, prompting some to avoid her purely because of their own reputations. If only Make it Rain didn’t get touched by the special magic imbuing cloud monsters, she’d be even more deadly.
4 
Xin Zhao 
Xin Zhao has always been a Champion in the spotlight but he exploded in popularity last year due to his ability to solo turrets and backdoor the enemy Nexus. One of the few Champions that can excel in both the AP and AD roles, Xin Zhao can do everything from rolling top lane to roaming in the Jungle.
Another Champion that has been the victim of the nerf hammer in recent weeks, however it has hardly affected his ability in the League. Making his second appearance in the most played Champions lists of 2013, Xin Zhao rises an impressive 5 places from number 9 in January.
3 
Caitlyn 
Recently celebrating her second birthday as the hottest AD carry in League of Legends, Caitlyn is still a force to be reckoned with today. Having some of the longest ranged abilities available to League of Legends Champions Caitlyn is a safe pick for both new players and veterans alike.
Although she has always been considered a popular Champion she has become the talk of the town recently due to regular appearances in professional leagues and tournaments. If you’re after a voluptuous AD Champion and Miss Fortune doesn’t fit your play style, Caitlyn would be your next best bet.
2 
Ezreal 
The number one played Champion in January of 2013 has been knocked down to the number 2 spot this month as Taric squeezes in first. Ezreal has been the target of nerfs for a very long time now but despite Riot’s best efforts, he still remains one of the strongest and most popular Champions in the entire League.
Whether it’s his global ult or his free flash-like ability, Ezreal is an appealing Champion to a huge variety of League players. Complimenting this is his regular appearances in ranked matches and tournaments with some of the best players in the world. I don’t usually got for predictions but I would not be surprised to see Ezreal featured in every months top League of Legends champions list for 2013.
1 
Taric 
Previously the second most played Champion in January 2013 takes the number one spot this month as Taric the Gem Knight takes the crown. The oldest Champion on this months list, Taric has proven that you can still teach an old dog new tricks as he continues to dominate the support role almost 4 years after his original release.
A hard counter to any aggressive melee Champion, almost completely nullifying Volibear, Taric has become a top choice in ranked due to his powerful CC abilities and tanky sustain.
Care to make any predictions for next months list? January 2013’s most played League of Legends Champions featured 8 that reappeared in February, with only 2 new Champions making their debut. Do you think we’ll see as many return next month? If you had to predict a single Champion that will enter the top 10, who would it be?