How to Solo Carry From Mid in League of Legends
By Roger on May 22nd, 2025, 05:12
The mid lane in League of Legends is one of the most powerful spots on the map. It’s right in the center, so you can quickly access every other part of the map. If you want to carry a game, mid lane is the perfect place to make it happen. This role allows you to influence the game in a way few other lanes can, but it takes more than flashy plays to truly carry. Instead, it’s all about being smart, controlling the game, and knowing when and where to apply pressure.
Becoming a solo carry from mid requires good mechanics, understanding the game, being aware of the map, and picking the right champion for the job. The mid lane offers unique opportunities to make a huge impact, but you’ve got to play it right. Let’s break down how to take control of your lane, make the right moves, and carry your team to victory.
Why is the mid lane the most wanted spot for solo carry players? Location, location, location.
Positioned smack-bang in the middle of the rift, mid laners have the shortest distance to literally anywhere else. This geographical advantage translates directly into influence.
You're the jungler's closest ally (or potential victim). A strong mid laner can provide priority, helping secure Scuttle Crabs, invade the enemy jungle, or defend against invades. Winning mid often means winning the river, a critical zone for objectives.
Unlike top or bot lane, a mid laner can roam to either side lane efficiently. Pushing your wave (shove) and disappearing into the fog of war (areas of the map hidden from a player's view) puts immense pressure on the enemy top lane and bot lane. A successful gank can net kills, assists, and even objectives for your teammates, effectively spreading your lead across the map.
Void Grubs, Dragons, Rift Heralds, Atakhan, even Barons – the mid lane is central to contesting these key objectives. Your ability to quickly rotate and join a skirmish or team fight around these points is unmatched.
This constant potential to be everywhere makes the mid lane role so potent for carrying.
Not all mid lane champions are created equal when it comes to the solo carry potential. If your goal is to single-handedly influence the game's outcome, especially in solo/duo ranked, you often need champions with specific traits. Look for mid laners who excel in:
Champions that can convert an early lead into overwhelming power. Think assassins like Zed or Katarina, who thrive on picking up kills and using that gold advantage to obliterate key targets. The ability to snowball is paramount for a solo carry.
You need to be able to eliminate threats quickly. This means high burst damage or sustained damage that can melt through opponents in a team fight. Whether it's AP burst from someone like LeBlanc or the relentless AD threat of a Yasuo or Yone, the capacity to kill the enemy carries is vital. Some mid laners can even function similarly to an ADC regarding damage potential.
Champions who can move around the map quickly are ideal. Assassins like Talon with his wall vault, or battlemages like Sylas who can hijack ultimates for mobility or engage, fit this bill perfectly. Good roaming enables ganking and helps you get ahead.
Solo queue games often devolve into messy fights. Champions who perform well in 2v2s or 3v3s alongside their jungler or support usually find more success than those solely reliant on full 5v5 team fight setups.
While the meta constantly shifts due to buffs and nerfs, assassins and strong skirmishing mages consistently rank high among the best solo carry champions. Keep an eye on up-to-date insights on which champions excel in the current patch; these are often the champions to climb with.
However, understanding why certain champions work is more important than blindly following trends. Couldn’t decide what champions to play this season, or would like to learn how to maximize your one-trick’s potential? Try our LoL coaching for free and get the best headstart.
Now, how do you execute the carry plan? It starts here. You can't influence the map if you're pinned under your tower.
Learn wave management. Knowing when to freeze, slow push, or fast shove is fundamental. This dictates your ability to trade, roam, recall, and avoid ganks. Controlling the minion wave is controlling the lane.
Understand your champion's power spikes and the enemy laner's weaknesses. Look for opportunities to trade damage favourably. Chip away at their health to create kill pressure or force them out of lane.
The ultimate goal of laning for a carry mid laner is often killing the enemy laner. This denies them gold/XP and opens up the map for you. Coordinate with your jungler for ganks when appropriate.
Lane dominance is just the first step. A true solo carry knows how to spread the lead.
Don't just randomly wander off. The best time to roam is typically after crashing a large wave into the enemy tower. This denies the enemy mid laner minions and gives you time.
Place wards in the enemy jungle or river bushes to control vision. Knowing where the enemy jungler is makes your roam significantly safer and more likely to succeed. Denying enemy vision also helps.
Prioritize ganking lanes with kill potential or falling behind, but could recover with help. Often, bot lane is a prime target due to the presence of the potentially squishy ADC. A successful gank can secure Dragon control, too. Sometimes, invading the enemy jungle with your jungler can cripple the opposition.
This is non-negotiable. Constantly check your minimap and toggle teammates’ live actions. Where is the enemy jungler? Are side laners low? Are objectives spawning? A good mid laner processes this information constantly to make informed decisions about where to apply pressure around or across the map.
You got a kill or two. Now what? Don’t stop here.
Translate your lead into objectives. Force Dragons, take Rift Heralds, and siege towers. These provide global gold and permanent advantages for your team's victory.
If you're significantly ahead, make the enemy jungle your second home. Steal camps (counter jungle), place deep vision, and look to kill the enemy jungler. This starves them and protects your lanes.
Who on the enemy team is the biggest problem? Focus your burst damage or crowd control (CC) on them during skirmishes and team fights. Taking out the enemy ad carry or fed top laner can swing a fight.
Confidence is key, but arrogance leads to shutdowns and throws. Respect enemy damage and CC. Know when to push your advantage and when to play safe. Helping your team doesn't mean dying needlessly.
Solo queue can be a mental minefield. Tilt, toxic teammates, and bad luck happen. A true carry needs mental fortitude.
You can't control your teammate's decisions, but you can control yours. Focus on optimizing your gameplay, making smart choices, and executing your role flawlessly.
Don't engage with negativity. If someone is flaming, mute them instantly. It preserves your mental state and focus.
Even from behind, there's often a path to victory. Maybe it's scaling into the late game, catching out key targets, or securing a crucial objective. Good game knowledge helps identify these paths.
Every game is a learning opportunity, especially losses. Let pros review your gameplay and identify where you could have played better. This is crucial for climbing elo.
Becoming a reliable solo carry from the mid lane in League of Legends requires choosing a potent champion, winning your lane, applying pressure across the map, and maintaining a resilient mindset. You need sharp mechanics to use your abilities effectively, deep game knowledge to make the right calls, and the awareness to be in the right place at the right time. Our professional League of Legends coaches help you learn all the dos and don’ts, why, when, where, and how.
