Annie, one of the oldest League of Legends champions, didn't get too many picks on the professional stage until recently. Since her inception, the Noxian child-mage has been mechanically straightforward and seems to have been created entirely for newer players.
However, the Dark Child has already established herself as a cult favorite among solo queue enthusiasts and professional League of Legends players alike. Over the past three days, she has made appearances in three of the top four competitive regions. Although, it is not in the role that most people would have anticipated.
Top players like Choi "huhi" of Golden Guardians, Ryu "Keria" of T1, and Cho "BeryL" of DRX have recently locked in the powerful mage (traditionally a mid-laner) in the support role. According to U.GG, Annie has a 54.79% win percentage for players in the Platinum rank and higher.
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When League of Legends players take into account the most recent buffs that Riot Games gave her in Patch 13.3, her unexpected spike in play makes too much sense, despite the fact that it might initially surprise the community.
Annie re-establised herself as a deadly pro-play support in the current League of Legends meta
Annie's Molten Shield now has a good amount of durability and a fast eight-second cooldown at the highest rank, thanks to her 'E' modifications made by Riot in Patch 13.3. Along with the ability to reflect a set amount of damage from anyone who attacks the shielded teammate, the shield also grants a movement boost.
Since she can consistently supply her League of Legends allies with shields during a heated early teamfight or a game-deciding skirmish, Annie players are maxing out her shield first.
While she can stun sizable groups of enemies with a single cast of her ultimate ability Summon: Tibbers or her 'W' - Incinerate, she also possesses a respectable level of crowd control, thanks to her Pyromania passive ability.
This little support may take the initiative as she surges ahead before setting her team up for a powerful wombo combo by choosing Shurelya's Battlesong as her Mythic build.
A few of the game's current meta AD Carries, including Zeri, who speeds up her movement every time she receives a shield, also complement Annie exceptionally well. With the latter's constant shielding, she can move through Summoner's Rift as rapidly as she likes, which is ideal for The Spark of Zaun, who thrives on preserving space and scurrying around a teamfight.
In contrast, Kalista will be attempting a powerful combo with her own ultimate ability, Fate's Call. She may toss her support into the team to knock them down, and Annie can immediately end the battle in a matter of seconds by releasing a deadly stun.
As she only has one source of CC at a time, Glacial Augment is also well-built on her and gives her stun a ton of added utility. Annie's future as a first pick/ban League of Legends champion is still up in the air. However, she has put on some impressive performances so far.
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