12.19 Power Picks

Now that the changes from the latest patch have settled, let's take a look at some of the best picks to climb with on 12.19.

Maokai

After receiving a round of buffs in 12.17, Maokai has been a stellar pick on the Rift. One of the major reasons why is his flexibility, as he can be picked in top, jungle or support. In all of these roles, he offers a ton of engage tools and is a very solid front line for your team.

As we've seen at Worlds, Maokai's ult can be used as a long range engage tool to either catch out enemies or zone them away from objectives. Furthermore, his saplings are fantastic in the late game when they can function as wards, or help control important brushes around objectives.

Amumu

The Sad Mummy is back to thriving in the support role after the mana cost on his Q was reduced. Additionally, several enchanters have been nerfed over the last few patches, increasing the value of engage supports.

With 2 charges on his Q and a deadly AoE CC for an ultimate, Amumu offers a ton of engage tools at every stage in the game. His most effective build is running Glacial Augment to provide another layer of CC after landing a Q.

Given your limited income as a support, you won't have enough gold to become tanky. Your job is to land your CC tools on as many enemies as possible before you get blown up. This makes Zhonya's Hourglass an excellent item on support Amumu, as it can buy you the precious time to get off your CC.

Sona

The Maven of the Strings has been flying under the radar for a while now, but received some damage buffs to her Q in 12.19. Putting 3 points into her Q during the laning phase is now much more valuable, as it makes her poke damage a real threat. However, maxing W starting at level 7 is still recommended given how huge the heals can be in team fights.

Sona's strength has also increased with the recent nerfs to Yuumi, Lulu and Nami. She's still very squishy and having good positioning is critical for survival, but if you're able to survive for long enough in team fights, your heals/shields can be game changing.