With the current competitive meta being chock full of flex picks due to their power in the heavily scrutinized draft phase (just look at the analysis of drafts we see from casters such as Vedius and Jatt in the EU and NA LCS) and this completive meta, as it has done so much in the past and present, has trickled down to the solo queue, so the power of flex picks has become prominent. In this piece, I hope to showcase some of these flex picks so that you can be aware of them in your games and maybe, just maybe, pick them up yourself.





Vladimir (Top, Mid and Bot Carry)

Probably the most prominent of the champs featured in this list when compared to the top flight meta but there is a reason for that. Vladimir has seen play in three separate roles within the last six months (Top, Mid and Bot Carry) and it is simply due to the fact that he is a scaling mage with the added benefit of having sustain, meaning he can solo lane as well make use of the protection/enablement that having a bot lane support provides. The power of this pick has been utilized frequently and while his presence in the bot lane may be limited by the state of the meta should marksmen make a return to their original role, Vladimir still remains as a powerful example of a flex pick.



Kayle (Top, Jungle, Mid, Bot Carry, and Support)

Kayle, the ultimate queen of the flex, is the only champion who can definitively be played in every role and has been in both the metas of competitive and solo queue in all five roles whether it be the top lane dominance of Top Kayle in mid-Season 4, the mid lane monster of late Season 3 (my mind tracks back to Overpow dumpstering Ninjas in Pyjamas to take KMT into the LCS with this pick), the spell of Bloodrazor Kayle Jungle having a 80% win rate, or the solo queue specials of having Kayle in either bot lane role throughout the seasons (Season 2 especially was a good time for this pick). It is this storied history and ultimate flexibility that makes Kayle the queen of flex picking and while she is not presently in the LCS meta, she may still be worth adding to your champion pool.

Ziggs (Mid and Bot carry)

Now I hear you ask, "Two roles? But that’s barely flexing!" Well, there is another reason that I am recommending Ziggs in this scenario. And it simply due to what Ziggs is good at and how he fits into the current meta that is full of funnel strategies (alongside the prevalence of flex picks) which feature a carry farming under turret while farming jungle camps between waves. However, this strategy can be shut down by taking that turret away, but to do this you need an AoE wave pushing and strong turret taker. This is where Ziggs shines, as what he does so well is farm with his AoE abilities (hence shoving the minion wave into the turret) and then delete turrets with his E, Satchel Charge, by using its turret execute element. And since Ziggs is a mage, he can currently be played in the bot lane too, making him a fantastic anti-meta pick that can also be flexed across the map.

Galio (Top, Mid, and Support)

Galio has spent the last six months on the mat prior to the shake-up of the spring split changes that have steadily comefrom Riot and this has pushed the Colossus from meta staple to fringe pick, but this may be a mistake as Galio can be flexed into many roles (primarily as a Mid and Top laner but he has seen the occasional use as a cheesy support pick [recently seen in use by Faker for SKT]) and he still bring as the strengths he did in Season 7 (which includes lane priority, semi-global supportive roaming ultimate, and, of course, tons of crowd control), which are all things that the completive meta and higher elo players value. I will admit that his mostly melee form can hinder him in certain matchups (seeing as to how his only real ranged ability is his Q, Winds of War) but if you can look past that and learn the Demacian gargoyle’s limitations, he may be an ideal flex pick in today's meta making him very valuable in the current League of Legends metagame.

Conclusion

To conclude, all these flex picks can bring power to the draft phase of champion selection while all being useful in their own right across a variety of roles. However, they all do it in their own way, whether it be as meta counters, meta outsiders, infinite adaptors, or even as power teamfighters and should each be analyzed for that purpose. Now, remember, don’t take a new pick into ranked as you won’t know the playstyle, power spikes, or even builds. Taking the time to learn whatever pick in normal games is always the smarter choice and, with that, I once again leave you with the thoughts of GL, HF, and GG.

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