Route: Beat the Meta Before the Match Starts

Most players try to counter the meta after they’re already losing. Your fastest wins come from handling meta heroes in the draft and the first 5 minutes.

Route Rule 1: Know which meta heroes are “ban-or-plan”

Some heroes are so hard to deal with that you should only let them through if you have a clear plan:

• You can counter-pick them and
• Your team comp can execute the counter and
• You personally know how to play the matchup

If any of those are missing, treat them as ban-or-plan.

Route Rule 2: Build your counter plan around roles, not just names

A good counter is often a “type” of hero:

• Hard CC / suppression (stops mobility assassins)
• Anti-heal (shuts down regen and sustain)
• Percent HP / true damage (melts tanks)
• Long-range poke / zoning (punishes short-range engages)
• Anti-dive protection (keeps carries alive when assassins jump)

If you memorize counter “types,” you’ll draft better even when the meta changes.

Route Rule 3: Your first 2 rotations matter more than your first 2 kills

Against meta heroes, you don’t need to force early highlights. You need positioning and timing:

• Arrive early to objective areas
• Don’t face-check bushes
• Don’t overextend without information
• Trade towers/camps when you can’t contest

Route Rule 4: Make a simple ban priority for your rank

Ban priority changes by skill level. In many ranked environments:

• High-mobility assassins dominate because teammates don’t peel.
• Late-game marksmen dominate because people don’t end games cleanly.
• Regen tanks dominate because players forget anti-heal.

Your ban list should reflect what actually beats you in your matches—not what you saw in a montage.

Top 10 Meta Heroes Right Now

Here are 10 heroes that consistently show up as high-impact picks or “must-ban” threats in recent competitive patterns and widely used tier discussions. You’ll see a mix of top picks (heroes teams happily lock) and top bans (heroes teams fear).

The list: Yi Sun-shin, Zhuxin, Gatotkaca, Lancelot, Granger, Baxia, Fanny, Wanwan, Cici, Uranus.

Use this page in two ways:

1. Drafting: decide who you ban, and what you pick if something slips through.
2. In-game: follow the counter rules and stop donating free snowballs.

Yi Sun-shin: Why He’s Meta and How to Counter Him

Why he’s meta

• He pressures the map with strong tempo and reliable damage.
• He scales well while still impacting early skirmishes.
• He punishes sloppy rotations because he turns small advantages into objective control.

Draft counters (best answers)

• Hard catch + lockdown: heroes that can stop his mobility and delete him when he shows.
• Objective-focused frontliners: tanks or fighters that can hold space so you don’t lose every Turtle/Lord setup.
• Backline protection: supports/roamers that prevent him from freely finishing low HP targets.

Item and build counters

• If you’re a squishy core, value survivability timing: one defensive option at the right moment often denies his snowball.
• If you’re frontline, prioritize durability vs sustained physical damage so you can keep zoning at objectives.
• If your comp is low damage into tanks, you’ll feel “stuck” and Yi Sun-shin thrives—make sure at least one damage dealer can handle frontliners.

Gameplay counters (practical rules)

• Don’t give free information: if you rotate late and show alone in river, you’re inviting a collapse.
• Contest smart, not emotional: if you can’t win the first objective fight, trade—take a tower plate, steal camps, or push the opposite lane instead of donating 3 deaths.
• Track his position by lanes: if he shows top side, don’t overextend bottom with no vision.
• Force him to choose: split pressure (waves) makes his “map control” harder to execute cleanly.

Counter checklist

• Arrive early to objective setup zones.
• Keep mid wave controlled so rotations aren’t delayed.
• Don’t take blind fights in river with no info.

Zhuxin: Why He’s Meta and How to Counter Him

Why he’s meta

• He’s often rated highly because he brings reliable teamfight value—wave pressure, damage threat, and strong control in grouped fights.
• He punishes teams that clump or walk into tight spaces without vision.

Draft counters (best answers)

• Dive assassins with clean exits: heroes that can reach the backline, force cooldowns, and escape before getting punished.
• Anti-control supports: heroes that reduce the impact of heavy control and keep your carry functional.
• Long-range mages / poke comps: if you can outrange and chip safely, you reduce his ability to “own” a zone.

Item and build counters

• If your team keeps getting trapped in objective zones, prioritize mobility and safety tools (spells, positioning discipline, and defensive timing).
• On supports/roamers, choose items that help your team survive initial bursts and keep fighting.

Gameplay counters (practical rules)

• Fight wide, not stacked: spread angles so one control zone doesn’t trap your whole team.
• Attack from two sides: flanks matter—if you only walk in from one choke point, you’re playing his game.
• Don’t overstay mid: clear waves and rotate; giving him free mid control makes every objective harder.
• Punish cooldown windows: when he uses major tools to clear or zone, that’s your moment to take space.

Counter checklist

• Split angles in fights.
• Push side waves to reduce grouped “choke” fights.
• Don’t enter objectives late and stacked.

Gatotkaca: Why He’s Meta and How to Counter Him

Why he’s meta

• He’s a frontline that can start fights and punish overextensions.
• He thrives when teams group tightly and stand in predictable positions.
• In ranked chaos, his engage and durability translate into consistent value.

Draft counters (best answers)

• Kite and slow: heroes that keep distance and punish his approach.
• Percent HP / tank shredders: damage dealers that melt high HP targets reliably.
• Anti-engage tools: heroes that interrupt or punish a forced engage.

Item and build counters

• Anti-heal helps because many frontline comps rely on sustain patterns.
• If your team lacks tank shredding, add it: you need at least one core that can remove frontliners.

Gameplay counters (practical rules)

• Don’t clump in bushes or pits: objective areas are where he’s most dangerous because you’re forced into tight spaces.
• Save disengage for his engage: don’t waste your escape tools on random poke—keep them for the moment he commits.
• Peel first, chase later: if you ignore him and run forward, you’ll lose your backline.

Counter checklist

• Spread out before big fights.
• Protect your carry’s spacing.
• Don’t fight inside tight choke points without vision.

Lancelot: Why He’s Meta and How to Counter Him

Why he’s meta

• He punishes mistakes instantly.
• He turns bad positioning into fast kills, then resets tempo.
• He’s strongest when your team has poor vision and poor discipline.

Draft counters (best answers)

• Hard CC that is easy to land: reliable stuns, knock-ups, or suppression that doesn’t require perfect timing.
• Peel roamers: heroes that keep your carry alive when he dives.
• Tanky cores: if he can’t one-shot, his risk increases.

Item and build counters

• Frontliners should value durability into physical burst.
• Carries should consider defensive timing when he starts targeting them consistently.
• Don’t “all damage” your build if you’re constantly dying first—one defensive choice can swing the match.

Gameplay counters (practical rules)

• Vision wins this matchup: if you see him first, he can’t surprise-delete your carry.
• Hold CC for his commit: don’t panic-cast. Wait until he’s in a position where he must finish or die.
• Protect flanks: Lancelot loves side angles. Control bushes and don’t walk alone through fog.
• Trade objectives if needed: don’t feed him early. If you lose early tempo, shift to safe farm and wave control until you stabilize.

Counter checklist

• Don’t face-check alone.
• Keep one CC tool reserved for his dive.
• Play tighter around your carry in mid game.

Granger: Why He’s Meta and How to Counter Him

Why he’s meta

• He spikes hard in the mid game and turns skirmishes into clean wins.
• He punishes squishy drafts that lack frontline or peel.
• He thrives when your team fights without structure.

Draft counters (best answers)

• Hard divers: heroes that can close the gap and force him to reposition constantly.
• Strong frontline + peel: if you can deny his easy targets, his damage becomes harder to apply safely.
• Wave control mids: clearing waves fast reduces his ability to rotate and snowball towers.

Item and build counters

• Build for survival when needed. If he’s deleting you every fight, you’re not “unlucky”—you’re underbuilt or overexposed.
• Frontliners should prioritize items that help them stay present and block angles.

Gameplay counters (practical rules)

• Deny free mid-game fights: Granger loves mid-game skirmishes near objectives. Either set up first or trade.
• Force him to hit frontline: if your frontline holds space properly, he wastes damage on targets that don’t die fast.
• Don’t chase into open space: he punishes straight-line chasing. Approach from sides or disengage.
• Push waves before objectives: make him choose between clearing and grouping.

Counter checklist

• Don’t give him free mid-game snowball fights.
• Take space with frontline first.
• Approach from angles, not in a straight line.

Baxia: Why He’s Meta and How to Counter Him

Why he’s meta

• He thrives as a durable tempo controller who disrupts fights and makes sustain strategies harder.
• He’s annoying because he reduces the value of “healing your way through mistakes.”

Draft counters (best answers)

• Tank shredders: percent HP damage and consistent DPS heroes.
• Burst mages: punishing him when he overcommits can break his tempo.
• Disengage and reset tools: if you can survive his first push, he loses value.

Item and build counters

• Don’t draft zero anti-tank: if your team can’t kill frontline, Baxia becomes a permanent wall.
• Keep your damage mix healthy (physical + magic) so he can’t itemize too easily.

Gameplay counters (practical rules)

• Don’t tunnel on him first: unless he’s isolated, focus on removing backliners while controlling him with CC and zoning.
• Punish his overextensions: Baxia players often push aggressively—bait him into taking damage while your team holds formation.
• Trade smart at objectives: if he arrives first and controls the pit, don’t donate—push lanes and force him to respond.

Counter checklist

• Ensure your comp has real tank damage.
• Don’t waste everything on him first.
• Avoid donating deaths in tight objective areas.

Fanny: Why She’s Meta and How to Counter Her

Why she’s meta

• In skilled hands, she turns the map into her playground: fast picks, fast escapes, constant pressure.
• She punishes bad vision and bad spacing harder than almost any hero.

Draft counters (best answers)

• Suppression / point-and-click CC: the most reliable way to stop her.
• Anti-dash / anti-mobility tools: anything that reduces her freedom to move.
• Peel + protect comps: if she can’t secure kills quickly, her risk rises.

Item and build counters

• Prioritize durability on the heroes she targets most.
• Frontliners should build to survive her burst long enough for teammates to respond.
• Carries should consider defensive timing earlier than usual if she is fed.

Gameplay counters (practical rules)

• Do not fight near walls for free: tight wall areas give her more angles. Respect terrain.
• Group your vulnerable heroes: solo side-lane farming with no vision is how she farms your team.
• Ward and protect jungle entrances: if she’s allowed to invade your side safely, she snowballs.
• Punish her failed attempts: when she dives and doesn’t get a kill, that’s your window to secure objectives or take towers.

Counter checklist

• Draft at least one reliable lockdown tool.
• Reduce isolated farming with no vision.
• Play safer around walls and jungle corners.

Wanwan: Why She’s Meta and How to Counter Her

Why she’s meta

• She thrives in ranked because she punishes poor CC discipline and poor focus.
• If a team can’t lock her down at the right moment, she can take over late fights.

Draft counters (best answers)

• Reliable CC chains: not “one random stun,” but layered control that keeps her from freely repositioning.
• Anti-mobility options: heroes that punish dash-heavy movement.
• Backline divers: if she’s left untouched, she becomes the win condition—so pressure her.

Item and build counters

• Don’t ignore defense when needed. If she consistently targets you, one smart defensive timing can deny her snowball.
• Frontliners should build to soak and disrupt so your damage dealers can focus safely.

Gameplay counters (practical rules)

• Don’t give her free fight resets: chase discipline matters—if you split and chase, she farms isolated targets.
• Protect your carry mirrors: if you’re a marksman, you need spacing and you need peel; don’t duel her alone unless you’re clearly ahead.
• Fight with cooldown awareness: engage when your team’s CC is ready, not when it’s down.
• End games faster: Wanwan-type late-game carries get stronger the longer you allow messy games to drag.

Counter checklist

• Layer CC instead of panicking with one stun.
• Keep formation; don’t split chase.
• Focus on clean endings, not endless fights.

Cici: Why She’s Meta and How to Counter Her

Why she’s meta

• She’s strong when fights get messy: mobility + sustained pressure can overwhelm teams that lack discipline.
• She thrives against drafts that can’t lock targets down or can’t stop sustain patterns.

Draft counters (best answers)

• Hard CC and control fighters: heroes that can stop her movement and force bad trades.
• Anti-heal support options: reducing sustain swings long fights in your favor.
• Burst focus comps: if you can delete her before she rotates through a fight, she loses value.

Item and build counters

• Anti-heal is non-negotiable if her sustain is deciding fights.
• If your team lacks control, add it: at least one hero should be able to reliably lock down mobile threats.

Gameplay counters (practical rules)

• Don’t 1v1 her on her timing: choose fights around your cooldowns and wave states, not when she wants.
• Punish her when she shows alone: many fighters get greedy pushing side lanes—collapse with numbers.
• Hold CC for her escape window: wait until she commits, then punish.

Counter checklist

• Build anti-heal when sustain is deciding fights.
• Rotate with numbers to punish side pressure.
• Save CC for commit moments, not for “poke.”

Uranus: Why He’s Meta and How to Counter Him

Why he’s meta

• He turns “small mistakes” into big problems because he doesn’t die easily and he eats space.
• In ranked, teams often fail to build anti-heal or fail to punish overextension, so Uranus gets to be unstoppable.

Draft counters (best answers)

• Anti-heal + percent HP damage: the most consistent answer.
• Control and displacement: tools that keep him away from your backline and stop him from soaking everything.
• Wave-clear + split pressure: force him to respond instead of endlessly walking at you.

Item and build counters

• Anti-heal should appear early when he’s strong.
• Make sure at least one core can shred tanky targets; otherwise you’ll “tickle” him while he wins space.

Gameplay counters (practical rules)

• Stop chasing him across the map: he wants you to waste time while his team takes objectives.
• Kill his teammates, not his fantasy: control Uranus while deleting the backline.
• Trade and rotate: if he’s holding one lane forever, punish the other side with objectives and towers.

Counter checklist

• Anti-heal early when needed.
• Don’t waste time chasing him.
• Focus on backline and objectives.

Loot: In-Game Rules That Beat Meta Heroes Consistently

Meta heroes feel “unfair” when you let them collect free Loot: gold, EXP, objectives, towers, and tempo. Follow these Loot rules and you’ll beat strong heroes even if they get picked.

Loot Rule 1: No donation deaths

Most meta heroes snowball off one mistake. Remove that fuel:

• Don’t face-check alone.
• Don’t defend dead towers alone.
• Don’t fight when your team is split.
• Don’t chase into fog after a won fight.

Loot Rule 2: Waves are your safety net

Waves do three important things:

• Give consistent gold even when fights are messy
• Force enemies to show on the map
• Create pressure that makes objectives easier

If your team is chaotic, your best “control” is often: push waves safely, then group.

Loot Rule 3: Objectives are decided before they spawn

Against meta heroes, arriving late is basically losing twice:

• You lose vision
• You lose positioning
• You lose the fight
• Then you lose the objective
• Then you lose the map

Start moving early. Push mid wave. Set up entrances. Make enemies walk into you.

Loot Rule 4: Trade when you can’t contest

If the enemy comp is stronger in the next fight:

• Take a tower on the other side
• Steal jungle camps
• Push waves and reset vision
• Avoid donating 3 deaths for nothing

Trading is not cowardice. Trading is how you keep the game playable until your timing is better.

Loot Rule 5: Build what the match demands

If a meta hero is deleting you, you’re not required to build “full damage.”

• One defensive timing choice can swing a whole match.
• One anti-heal pickup can delete a regen strategy.
• One penetration adjustment can make tanks stop feeling immortal.

Extraction: How to Close Wins So the Meta Doesn’t Come Back

Many ranked games are won at minute 12… then lost at minute 18 because the winning team throws. Extraction is how you end cleanly.

Extraction Rule 1: Cash out every win

After a won fight or pick:

1. Tower damage
2. Objective
3. Enemy camps
4. Deep vision
5. Then reset

Chasing kills into fog is how Fanny/Lancelot/Wanwan comeback happens.

Extraction Rule 2: Waves first, then major objectives

Don’t start big objectives while your lanes are collapsing.

• Push mid wave
• Stabilize at least one side lane
• Set vision
• Then commit

This reduces steals, wipes, and throws.

Extraction Rule 3: Siege slowly

Meta heroes punish impatient dives. Use boring wins:

• Walk with minions
• Hit towers when enemies must clear
• Don’t clump into one big engage
• Reset if the push isn’t clean

Extraction Rule 4: One pick can end the game—don’t waste it

Against meta picks, a single catch often decides the final push. When you get that pick:

• Don’t scatter for jungle camps
• Don’t chase the second kill
• Group, push, end

Practical Rules: Climb Ranked While the Meta Changes

Rule 1: Make a “3-hero emergency pool”

Meta shifts. Your consistency shouldn’t.

Pick:

• 1 safe blind pick
• 1 utility/control pick
• 1 comfort carry pick

Rule 2: Two-loss stop rule

If you want fast rank gains, protect your focus. Stop ranked after two losses in a row.

Rule 3: Mute fast if chat tilts you

Focus wins games. Drama loses them.

Rule 4: Don’t fight without a reason

Before you fight, ask:

• “Does this lead to a tower or objective?”
• If not, farm, push, reset, then fight on better timing.

Rule 5: If you can’t beat it, ban it

There’s no shame in banning what your team can’t handle. Ranked is about results.

BoostRoom: Get a Counter Plan Built for Your Rank

If you’re tired of losing to the same meta picks, the real fix is having a repeatable counter system: ban priorities for your rank, a small hero pool, matchup rules, and objective timing you can execute even in solo queue.

BoostRoom helps you turn “meta frustration” into a clean plan through:

• Draft and ban strategy tailored to your role and rank
• Hero pool building (safe pick + counter pick + comfort pick)
• VOD review that pinpoints exactly where you donate tempo or objectives
• Route → Loot → Extraction training so you stop throwing leads and start ending games

If you want to climb while the meta changes, you need structure that stays useful no matter what’s popular next patch.

FAQ

Q: Are these the best heroes for every rank?

A: Meta can vary by region and rank, but these heroes are widely valued because they either dominate pro drafts (high pick/ban) or stay consistently strong in ranked environments.

Q: What’s the fastest way to beat meta heroes in ranked?

A: Draft one reliable counter type (hard CC, anti-heal, tank shred, or anti-dive), arrive early to objectives, and stop donating deaths in fog of war.

Q: Should I always ban Fanny and Wanwan?

A: If your team struggles to lock them down or protect backliners, yes. If you have a confident counter plan and the right tools, you can let them through.

Q: I build anti-heal but still lose to regen heroes—why?

A: Anti-heal helps, but you also need correct target focus and wave control. If you chase the regen tank while their carry is free-hitting, you’ll still lose fights.

Q: What if my teammates ignore objectives?

A: Start the setup yourself: push mid wave, ping early, and move first. Many teammates follow your position even if they ignore chat.

Q: How do I counter assassins if my roamer won’t peel?

A: Pick safer positioning heroes, build one defensive timing item earlier, and avoid isolated farming with no vision. Also group around objectives instead of splitting randomly.

Q: How often should I update my ban list?

A: Every 1–2 weeks, or anytime you notice the same hero repeatedly deciding your matches.