What are the recommended champions for solo laning? (2 vs. 1)

Question

At higher levels one can see more and more junglers. That means someone has to solo lane top. Which champions are a good choice for solo laning? Which ones should be avoided?

Thanks

edit: as pointed out by Raven Dreamer - I forgot to mention I was thinking mainly about 2v1 situation

Answer

First off, nearly every champion can solo top with the right masteries/runes and first item.

The first item has to bring you sustain, it really depends on your champion but usually recommended:

Ranged AD - Life steal! Either Doran's blade or (better - vampiric scepter) Non ranged - Regrowth pendent > Philosophers stone AP ranged - Regrowth pendent > Philosophers stone

I understand those items are really generic, but if you play defensively they can keep you in lane indefinitely.

As for champions, some are obviously better than others, and as already mentioned, sustain is THE main thing you need, along with an ability to help you last hit.

Do NOT pick a champ that can be ignored at a tower

So Leona, although tanky, isn't really an option because her damage is so ignorable. Same applies to champions like Soraka etc.

Recommended top lane champs for me are:

• Irelia - very tanky, hard to gank, in built sustain through life steal, especially post level 6
• Trundle - passive gives sustain, great anti gank + gank aiding skill
• Nidalee - really excels top, heal, big poke nuke, hard to gank post 6, hard to harass
• Swain - Hard CC, great sustain post level 6, hard to harass
• Vlad - Great sustain, very hard to gank, hard to harass
• Warwick - Great sustain, harassing is futile, nice lane to gank post 6.
• Singed - Good farming and sustain with the right set up
• Gangplank - Amazing farming, free cleanse, nice harass, global ult
• Pantheon - Great farming, can help gank mid quickly, hard to tower dive
• Shen - Quite weak at the moment, but global ult makes him a great top
• Jarvan - Similar to irelia with a little less sutain. Very hard to gank, dangerous when getting ganked
• Anivia / Annie - amazing farmers, nasty CC, nice harass, hard to harass
• Gragas - sustain from heal, nice harass, hard to gank
• Maokai - great sustain from passive, needs mana regen to effectively harass, great farmer

I think I covered most of the good solo tops, but to be honest it falls down to either tanky champs who can handle the harass and are hard to push out of lane, damage dealers with life steal that are hard to harass or casters with inbuilt sustain.

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