Season 9 of Honor of Kings is shorter than the previous seasons, so it's better to know which heroes to play to maximise your climb.
Honor of Kings Season 9 is significantly shorter than the previous seasons of the game, as it only runs for 2 months. With a massively reduced time to climb, it's better to know which heroes are the best to efficiently reach the top of the leaderboard. While playing as your main always works, sometimes the ever-changing meta doesn't work in your favour.
For this list, we consider how likely certain heroes are to get banned by your team or the enemy. Hence, there will be no Loong, Augran, Arke, and Lam, as they are the four heroes with the highest ban rate according to HOK Camp. Here are the best heroes to play from each position in Honor of Kings Season 9.
1. Jungle - Dian Wei, Wukong
Perhaps the most broken jungler in the game right now and, for some reason, lacking a high ban rate, Dian Wei has one of the highest camp clear speed and can quickly take over the game if left unchecked. His high damage and ability to dispel any debuff with all his skill make him a very dangerous threat. Furthermore, he can sustain himself with his high lifesteal and HP, making him a very independent hero.
The same can be said for Wukong. He's undoubtedly the fastest camp clearer in the game with his high burst damage and execute mechanic from his Furious Advance. He can also negate one spell from the enemy, and if he successfully does so, he will gain a shield to further improve his survivability. His high burst damage early on means he can dive the backline, take out one person, and quickly get away. However, he's a little weak in the late game, so make sure to snowball and end the game as quickly as possible.
2. Midlane - Yixing, Nuwa
There is almost no doubt that Yixing is one of the best heroes in the game right now. His crowd control, combined with his ability to deal substantial damage from the mid game onward, can be a solo carry for the team if left unchecked. Furthermore, he is periodically immune to damage and got a boost of movement speed for a second after taking a death blow, making him almost impossible to gank when his passive is not on cooldown.
If Yixing is not a taste you favour, Nuwa is another hero with high damage and crowd control ability. She can snipe heroes from far away with her Divine Glow - Annihilation, and her teleportation makes her gank very potent and dangerous. Proper use of her box can disrupt enemy movement, making them stuck or forcing them to go around the box itself. However, she is very fragile, with her low HP and low Defense stats. Proper positioning is very crucial when playing her against Assassins.
3. Clash Lane - Dun, Li Xin
Undoubtedly the king of Clash Lane, Dun has insane survivability and is able to deal high damage, while delivering potent crowd control to his enemy. Furthermore, when his health goes below 50 per cent, he receives a very high lifesteal to his skill and basic attack, making him very hard to take down. His Unruly Blade is one of the best engaging tools in the game and can also be used to get away quickly if needed. His best trait might be his versatility. Whether making him a full tank or a bruiser, he can perform maximally to secure a victory for the team.
If a little bit of complexity is your type of play, Li Xin, particularly his Domination Form, is one of the heroes with the highest skill ceiling in the game. His Domination Form benefits greatly if the players know about animation cancel in Honor of Kings and stutter step, as his basic attack becomes ranged if he does it after using a skill. His Revenge Form, on the other hand, turns him into a devastating tower demolisher and basic attack monster. While the skill ceiling is lower, proper knowledge of lane equilibrium is vital to mastering this form.
4. Farm Lane - Di Renjie, Luara
The choice for Farm Lane wasn't the most obvious because this lane is currently weak. While other Farm Lane heroes can deal substantial damage in the late game, Di Renjie benefits greatly for being one of the heroes with the highest power spike when he reaches level 4. His Imperial Order can follow up the roamer's crowd control, or turn over a gank by stunning the ganker and reducing their defence to paper thin. Furthermore, he is also hard to gank with the ability to dispel all crowd control besides suppression with Legal Immunity.
If a more aggressive and offence-oriented hero is more to your liking, Luara can be an interesting choice with her great damage and crowd control. While she has no mobility, she can jump over any wall once when her Deadly Fang is active. However, unlike Di Renjie, Luara is very vulnerable to gank, especially as a magic damage-oriented hero, as she doesn't have any skills with survivability mechanics.
5. Roaming - Dyadia, Sakeer
Introduced in Season 7, Dyadia is still the best roamer in the game thanks to how much utility she provides. She has high heal, great damage, potent crowd control, and elusive mobility. Her only downside is her endurance, which is on the lower side. However, tank items can negate this weakness significantly, while damage-dealing items can boost her strength to the moon. The only decider is how the player wants to use her as a burst roamer or more of a disruptive one.
For almost the same reason as Dyadia, Sakeer is also favoured in this lane with his high heal, considerable damage, and potent crowd control. He also has high mobility near brushes and unlike Dyadia, he has a high health and defense. His firefly damage and healing are based on how high his health is, so tank items, espescially ones that give a lot of health, is a necessity for him. However, as opposed to Dyadia, he needs to be close to his target to stun them, making him riskier to play.
There are more heroes in contention, like Consort Yu in the Farm Lane, or Sun Ce in Clash Lane. However, both are relatively easier to counter and negate on the draft phase.
The heroes listed above have the potential to take over the game, whether they are played solo or with a five-man-stack. Ensure that your team knows your power spike and item timing by communicating with them.
