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Best armor and MR champions in League of Legends (2025)
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Kristaps Krūze
Gamer
26 Jan 2025
Posted On
With so many League of Legends [1] champions in the game, it’s only natural that players can sometimes get overwhelmed when deciding which champions to play. While there’s no shortage of champions who have excellent damage-dealing capabilities, the same can’t be said for tanky champions.
Today, we’re here to go through the top 10 tankiest champions in League of Legends. We don’t want to just focus on armor, though, as we’ll focus on both armor and magic resistance to ensure you’re ready for any champion who could come against you. From Gnar to Braum, all of these champions can easily last a long time in a team fight to ensure their teammates can swoop in to safely get kills.
Without further ado, here are the best armor and magic resistance champions in League of Legends in 2025.
1. Mega Gnar
Mega Gnar tops the list with level 18 base armor being 149.4, plus an impressive growth coefficient of 6.7 per level, truly making him tanky. His base magic resistance is 33.5, making it 115.1 at level 18, one of the greatest rates in the game. This makes him durable against both AD and AP type enemies.
Armor
When transformed into Mega Gnar, his armor is key to tanking AD damage in the heat of battle. Boosting armor through items like Randuin’s Omen, Thornmail, and Frozen Heart enhances durability. It adds useful effects like reducing critical damage and slowing attackers, which helps him stay in the thick of fights. These items allow Mega Gnar to absorb damage while remaining a substantial frontline presence.
Magic Resistance
Although Mega Gnar mainly handles physical damage, his MR is critical against AP enemies. Items like Spirit Visage and Adaptive Helm help reduce magic damage and improve his healing, making him more resilient against poke or sustained magic damage. By stacking MR, Mega Gnar can survive longer against AP champions, allowing him to fulfill his tanking role even when facing magic-heavy teams.
Gameplay Tips:
Manage Rage Meter: Deal damage efficiently as Mini Gnar to control your transformation timing.
Engage Smartly: Use GNAR! (R) at the right moment to disrupt multiple enemies.
Combo in Mega Gnar: Follow up a Wallop (W) stun with GNAR! (R) or use Hyper (E) to chase or disengage.
Itemization: Build tank items like Frozen Heart in Mega Gnar and damage items like Black Cleaver for Mini Gnar.
2. Braum
Braum is a durable tank with an excellent base armor of 91 at level 18, growing by 3.5 per level. His base MR is 32.1, scaling up to 64.1 at level 18. These stats help him withstand and counter aggressive opponents and push his team through difficult battles.
Armor
Randuin's Omen, Thornmail, and Dead Man's Plate enhance Braum's effectiveness by allowing him to absorb AD and continue fighting. These items not only make Braum more durable but also add passive crit damage reduction and slow attack speed, making it harder for him to be killed in extended fights while keeping him a reliable frontline protector.
Magic Resistance
While Braum primarily focuses on physical defense, his MR does come into play against magic damage. Unbreakable (E) reduces incoming magic damage, and additional MR items like Spirit Visage or Adaptive Helm help improve his durability against AP champions and increase sustain through extended fights. These MR items help Braum weather the storm against magic threats and make him a pertinent tank.
Gameplay Tips
Engage with Winter’s Bite (Q): Slow enemies to set up for a Stand Behind Me (W) engage.
Combo in Team Fights: After using Glacial Fissure (R), follow up with Winter’s Bite (Q) and Unbreakable (E) to protect your team.
Itemization: Build tanky items like Randuin’s Omen and Gargoyle Stoneplate for maximum durability.
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3. Alistar
Alistar is a tanky support with strong crowd control and initiation. His base armor value is 47 with a growth of 3.8 per level, and his base magic resistance is 32.1. Though his base stats at level 18 aren’t as great as other champions, he has one of the strongest MR and armor values initially.
Armor
Alistar excels at absorbing physical damage, especially with his Unbreakable (W). Items like Randuin’s Omen, Thornmail, and Dead Man’s Plate enhance his tankiness and minimize damage from AD sources. These items also offer additional benefits like reflecting damage and reducing critical hits, making him a great frontline tank that can absorb incoming damage without being easily overwhelmed.
Magic Resistance
While Alistar is more focused on AD defense, MR is important for large amounts of AP. His Unbreakable helps mitigate some magic damage, and Spirit Visage or Adaptive Helm boost his resistance and healing, giving him the sustain necessary to survive through magical-heavy compositions. With solid MR, Alistar becomes much harder to burst down by magic damage dealers, allowing him to stay in fights and protect his team.
Gameplay Tips
Timing with Unbreakable (W): Use it wisely to block incoming damage and protect your team.
Initiate with Headbutt (Q): Displace enemies and follow up with Pulverize (W) to knock up multiple targets.
Combo in Team Fights: Disrupt enemies with Headbutt (Q) and Pulverize (W) to create opportunities for your team.
Itemization: Build items like Randuin’s Omen and Gargoyle Stoneplate to enhance your tankiness.
4. Rammus
Rammus is a tank with high armor and quick initiation. His base armor at level 18 is 144, after growing 4.5 per level, making him effective against AD champions. His base magic resistance is 32.1, scaling to 62.1 at level 18, giving him decent protection against AP damage as well.
Armor
Rammus excels at taking physical damage from his enemies with Defensive Ball Curl (W). Thornmail, Randuin's Omen, and Frozen Heart enhance his armor further and allow him to reflect damage onto the attacker. Combining these items reduces the rate of critical attacks, slows enemies down, and makes Rammus a nuisance in prolonged fights where he can soak up damage and punish opponents.
Magic Resistance
Although Rammus is famous for his armor, MR is equally important for AP damage. Defensive Ball Curl (W) gives him some natural MR, but items such as Spirit Visage or Adaptive Helm make him more resilient against AP threats, especially those relying on sustained damage or poke. These MR items enhance his resistance to magic and prolong his duration- allowing him to remain effective as a tank against any physical or magical threat.
Gameplay Tips
Use Powerball (Q) for Engagement: Roll into fights and disrupt enemies with Powerball.
Taunt with Puncturing Taunt (E): Force enemies to focus on you and lock down high-priority targets.
Defensive Ball Curl (W) for Durability: Activate Defensive Ball Curl to maximize armor and reflect damage during engagements.
Itemization: Build Thornmail and Gargoyle Stoneplate to increase your tankiness and overall durability.
5. Leona
Leona excels as a frontline tank, with solid base armor stats and itemization that allows her to soak up significant damage. With these stats, Leona can be a reliable tank for any team comp.
Armor
Leona thrives as a tanky frontline initiator, soaking up physical damage. Her ability to disrupt enemies with Solar Flare (R) and Shield of Daybreak (Q) is enhanced by building armor items like Randuin's Omen, Locket of the Iron Solari, and Thornmail, which increase her survivability and provide additional utility, such as reducing critical damage and offering shields. These items make Leona harder to take down and help her absorb hits while controlling the enemy team.
Magic Resistance
MR items are key when facing magic-heavy opponents: Her Solar Flare (R) provides some protection, but building items like Adaptive Helm or Spirit Visage further enhance her MR and healing, giving her better sustain against AP threats. With increased MR, Leona becomes more durable against sustained poke or burst magic damage, making her a reliable tank against AD and AP-heavy team compositions.
Gameplay Tips
Engage with Zenith Blade (E): Lock down enemies and immediately stun them with Shield of Daybreak (Q).
Use Solar Flare (R): Zoning and initiating fights with Solar Flare (R) can be game-changing in team fights.
Peel for Your Carries: Use Zenith Blade (E) and Shield of Daybreak (Q) to protect your carries from dive threats.
Itemization: Build Locket of the Iron Solari and Gargoyle Stoneplate for maximum tankiness and team protection.
FAQs
What is the difference between magic resistance and armor in League of Legends?
In League of Legends, armor reduces physical damage taken, countering attacks and abilities that scale with Attack Damage. These include auto-attacks or abilities from champions such as Zed or Miss Fortune.
On the other hand, magic resistance reduces magic damage, countering abilities, and effects from mages or champions that scale with Ability Power. AP mage champions include Ahri or Lux. Together, armor and MR allow you to adapt your defenses based on the enemy team's damage composition.