How Many Champions Do You Need for Ranked in League of Legends? (2026 Guide)

If you're preparing to play ranked in League of Legends, one of the first questions you'll ask is: how many champions do you need for ranked? Understanding the champion requirements is crucial before you start your ranked journey. This guide breaks down everything you need to know about champion requirements, recommended champion pools, and how to unlock champions efficiently.

The Official Ranked Requirements

Minimum Champions Required:

• 20 champions must be unlocked on your account
• This is a hard requirement enforced by Riot Games
• You cannot queue for ranked without at least 20 champions

Why 20 Champions? The 20-champion requirement exists to ensure fair draft pick/ban phases. In ranked, each team bans 5 champions, and each player picks 1 champion. With 10 players picking and 10 champions banned, you need at least 20 champions available in the pool to ensure everyone can pick.

Important Note: This is the minimum requirement. Having only 20 champions severely limits your options, especially if some of your champions get banned or picked by teammates. Most experienced players recommend having 30-40+ champions for a comfortable ranked experience.

Understanding Champion Costs

Before we dive into how many champions you need, let's understand how much champions cost:

Champion Pricing Tiers

450 Blue Essence (BE) Champions:

• Basic, simple champions
• Examples: Garen, Ashe, Annie, Master Yi
• Good for beginners, limited in high-ELO play
• Recommendation: Unlock 5-8 of these for your initial pool

1350 Blue Essence Champions:

• Mid-tier champions
• Examples: Ahri, Jinx, Thresh, Yasuo
• More complex, viable at all ranks
• Recommendation: Unlock 8-12 of these

3150 Blue Essence Champions:

• Higher-tier champions
• Examples: Zed, Vayne, Lee Sin, Riven
• Complex mechanics, high skill ceiling
• Recommendation: Unlock 5-10 based on your preferred roles

4800 Blue Essence Champions:

• Premium champions
• Examples: Jhin, Taliyah, Kled, Ivern
• Unique playstyles, often niche picks
• Recommendation: Unlock 2-5 based on interest

6300 Blue Essence Champions:

• Latest/recent champions
• Examples: Most champions released in the last 2-3 years
• Often meta-relevant, high demand
• Recommendation: Unlock 3-8 based on meta and preference

7800 Blue Essence Champions:

• Brand new champions (first week)
• Highest cost, newest releases
• Recommendation: Wait for price drop unless you're a collector

Total Blue Essence Needed

For Minimum 20 Champions (All 450 BE):

• 20 × 450 = 9,000 Blue Essence
• This is the absolute cheapest option
• Not recommended for ranked play

For a Balanced Pool (Mix of Tiers):

• 8 × 450 BE = 3,600 BE
• 8 × 1,350 BE = 10,800 BE
• 4 × 3,150 BE = 12,600 BE
• Total: ~27,000 Blue Essence for 20 champions

For a Comfortable Pool (30 Champions):

• Mix of all tiers
• Total: ~40,000-50,000 Blue Essence

For a Comprehensive Pool (40+ Champions):

• Covers multiple roles and playstyles
• Total: ~70,000-100,000 Blue Essence

Recommended Champion Pool Sizes

Minimum Pool: 20 Champions

What You Get:

• Meets ranked requirements
• Can queue for ranked games
• Very limited flexibility

Limitations:

• If 5+ of your champions get banned/picked, you're stuck
• Can't adapt to team compositions
• Limited role coverage
• Difficult to counter-pick

Best For:

• Players who only play 1-2 roles
• Budget-conscious players
• Those who want to start ranked immediately

Not Recommended For:

• Players who want flexibility
• Those who play multiple roles
• Competitive ranked climbing

Comfortable Pool: 30-35 Champions

What You Get:

• Meets requirements with buffer
• Can adapt to most situations
• Covers 2-3 roles comfortably
• Some counter-pick options

Advantages:

• Flexibility in draft phase
• Can fill multiple roles
• Less likely to be "champion-locked"
• Better ranked experience

Best For:

• Most ranked players
• Those who play 2-3 roles
• Players who want a balanced experience
• Mid-tier ranked climbing

Recommended Distribution:

• 8-10 champions for your main role
• 6-8 champions for your secondary role
• 4-6 champions for a third role
• 4-6 flex picks (support, utility)

Comprehensive Pool: 40-50+ Champions

What You Get:

• Maximum flexibility
• Can play any role
• Extensive counter-pick options
• Meta adaptation capability

Advantages:

• Never "champion-locked"
• Can adapt to any team composition
• Counter-pick advantage
• Playstyle variety

Best For:

• High-ELO players
• Those who play all roles
• Competitive players
• Players who enjoy variety

Investment:

• Requires significant Blue Essence (70,000-100,000+)
• Time investment to learn champions
• Higher skill requirement

Role-Specific Champion Recommendations

Top Lane Champions (8-10 Recommended)

Essential Picks:

• Tanks: Malphite (450 BE), Garen (450 BE), Sion (4800 BE)
• Fighters: Jax (1350 BE), Darius (4800 BE), Sett (6300 BE)
• Split Pushers: Tryndamere (1350 BE), Fiora (4800 BE)

Why These:

• Cover different playstyles
• Good for learning top lane fundamentals
• Viable at all ranks
• Reasonable Blue Essence costs

Jungle Champions (8-10 Recommended)

Essential Picks:

• Farmers: Master Yi (450 BE), Udyr (3150 BE), Shyvana (4800 BE)
• Gankers: Amumu (450 BE), Warwick (450 BE), Jarvan IV (4800 BE)
• Carries: Kha'Zix (6300 BE), Kayn (6300 BE)

Why These:

• Cover different jungle playstyles
• Good for learning jungle fundamentals
• Clear speed and gank potential
• Reasonable costs

Mid Lane Champions (8-10 Recommended)

Essential Picks:

• Mages: Annie (450 BE), Veigar (1350 BE), Lux (3150 BE)
• Assassins: Talon (4800 BE), Zed (4800 BE), Akali (3150 BE)
• Control: Orianna (4800 BE), Syndra (4800 BE)

Why These:

• Cover different mid lane archetypes
• Good for learning lane fundamentals
• Viable in most metas
• Reasonable costs

ADC/Bot Lane Champions (8-10 Recommended)

Essential Picks:

• Hyper Carries: Jinx (3150 BE), Vayne (4800 BE), Kog'Maw (4800 BE)
• Lane Bullies: Caitlyn (4800 BE), Draven (4800 BE)
• Utility: Ashe (450 BE), Sivir (1350 BE)

Why These:

• Cover different ADC playstyles
• Good for learning positioning
• Scale well into late game
• Reasonable costs

Support Champions (6-8 Recommended)

Essential Picks:

• Enchanters: Soraka (450 BE), Janna (1350 BE), Lulu (4800 BE)
• Tanks: Leona (4800 BE), Nautilus (4800 BE), Braum (6300 BE)
• Mages: Brand (3150 BE), Zyra (4800 BE)

Why These:

• Cover different support playstyles
• Good for learning support fundamentals
• Viable in most metas
• Reasonable costs

How to Unlock Champions Efficiently

Method 1: Blue Essence Grinding

How It Works:

• Play games to earn Blue Essence
• Disenchant champion shards for BE
• Complete missions and quests
• Level up for champion capsules

Time Investment:

• ~100-150 hours to unlock 20 champions
• ~200-300 hours to unlock 30 champions
• ~400-500 hours to unlock 40+ champions

Pros:

• Free method
• Learn champions as you unlock them
• Natural progression

Cons:

• Very time-consuming
• Delays ranked play significantly
• Can be frustrating

Method 2: Buying a Smurf Account

How It Works:

• Purchase a level 30 account with Blue Essence included
• Accounts typically come with 20,000-50,000+ BE
• Unlock champions immediately

Time Investment:

• Instant (minutes to receive account)
• Can start ranked immediately

Pros:

• Skip the grind
• Start ranked right away
• Choose your champion pool
• Time-efficient

Cons:

• Costs money ($15-$50+)
• Need to learn champions quickly
• Less "earned" feeling

Best For:

• Players who already know the game
• Those who want to start ranked immediately
• Players who value time over money

If you're interested in buying a smurf account with Blue Essence included, check out our LoL smurf accounts with instant delivery and lifetime warranty.

Method 3: Hybrid Approach

How It Works:

• Buy an account with some BE (20,000-30,000)
• Unlock essential champions immediately
• Grind for additional champions over time

Advantages:

• Start ranked quickly
• Expand pool gradually
• Balance of cost and time

Best For:

• Most players
• Those who want flexibility
• Budget-conscious players

Champion Pool Strategy for Ranked

Focus on 2-3 Roles

Why:

• Easier to master fewer roles
• More efficient champion pool
• Better ranked performance
• Less Blue Essence needed

Recommended Approach:

• Main role: 8-10 champions
• Secondary role: 6-8 champions
• Third role (optional): 4-6 champions

Learn Champions Gradually

Don't:

• Unlock 20 champions and try to learn them all at once
• Buy expensive champions before trying cheaper ones
• Focus only on meta champions

Do:

• Start with 2-3 champions per role
• Master those before expanding
• Learn fundamentals first
• Expand pool as you improve

Balance Your Pool

Include:

• Champions for different situations
• Tanks, damage dealers, utility
• Early game and late game champions
• Safe picks and aggressive picks

Why:

• Adapts to team compositions
• Handles different matchups
• Provides flexibility in draft

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Mistake 1: Only Unlocking 20 Champions

The Problem:

• Very limited flexibility
• Can't adapt to bans/picks
• Difficult to counter-pick
• Frustrating ranked experience

The Solution:

• Aim for 30+ champions minimum
• Build pool gradually
• Focus on roles you play

Mistake 2: Unlocking Only Expensive Champions

The Problem:

• Wastes Blue Essence
• Slower to build pool
• Many expensive champions are complex
• Harder to learn

The Solution:

• Mix of price tiers
• Start with cheaper, simpler champions
• Add expensive champions as you improve
• Balance cost and value

Mistake 3: Not Focusing on Roles

The Problem:

• Spreads Blue Essence too thin
• Can't master any role
• Poor ranked performance
• Wasted resources

The Solution:

• Focus on 2-3 roles
• Build deep pools for those roles
• Master fundamentals before expanding

Mistake 4: Ignoring Meta Champions

The Problem:

• Playing weak champions
• Harder to climb
• Frustrating experience
• Wasted time

The Solution:

• Include some meta champions
• Balance meta and comfort picks
• Adapt to patch changes
• Don't only play meta (learn fundamentals)

The Bottom Line: How Many Champions Do You Really Need?

Minimum for Ranked:

• 20 champions (hard requirement)
• Not recommended for serious ranked play

Comfortable for Ranked:

• 30-35 champions (recommended minimum)
• Covers 2-3 roles comfortably
• Provides flexibility in draft

Optimal for Ranked:

• 40-50+ champions (ideal)
• Maximum flexibility
• Can play any role
• Best for climbing

Key Takeaway: While you only need 20 champions to queue for ranked, having 30-35 champions provides a much better ranked experience. Focus on building a pool for 2-3 roles you enjoy, and expand gradually as you improve.

Quick Start Option: If you want to start ranked immediately without grinding for months, consider buying a LoL smurf account with Blue Essence included. Our accounts come with 20,000-50,000+ BE, allowing you to unlock 30-40 champions immediately and start your ranked journey right away.

Ready to build your champion pool? Browse our LoL smurf accounts with instant delivery, lifetime warranty, and Blue Essence included. Check our NA accounts and OCE accounts for region-specific options. Have questions? Visit our FAQs or contact support.