The information in this post has been updated for 2024.
Of all the possible combinations in competitive League of Legends, none are as devastating as the union of Lucian and Nami. These two champions, when played together, create one of the most potent bottom lane duos in the game.
You’ve probably seen Lucian and Nami together in the bottom lane at some point, as the pair became popular in late 2021. Lucian received some changes to his passive during that season, making him a popular choice in the bottom lane and Nami has been his go-to partner. Whether in professional play or in solo queue games, the Lucian/Nami duo lane is a force to be reckoned with in competitive League.
The reason why these two champions are so valuable when paired together is because of Lucian’s new passive effect: Vigilance. In Patch 11.17, a new component was added to Lucian’s passive, Lightslinger. This new effect, called “Vigilance,” causes Lucian’s next two auto attacks to deal bonus damage whenever he is buffed or healed by an allied champion. This bonus damage also applies to turrets and structures, giving the champion added pushing power.
This new addition to his passive has made Lucian a more formidable damage dealer, especially during the laning phase of the game. This is when he and Nami have the most opportunities to shine, and if the two champions can gain an early lead, their snowballing potential is immense. Nami is the champion who’s most effective at triggering Lucian’s Vigilance passive frequently since all of her abilities heal and buff allied champions.
The easiest way to maximize the Lucian/Nami combo is through Nami’s Tidecaller’s Blessing (E) ability. This ability causes the affected champion to deal bonus magic damage with their next three attacks, which synergizes perfectly with the bonus damage caused by Lucian’s Vigilance passive. Even Nami’s offensive abilities like Aqua Prison (Q) and Tidal Wave (R) can proc Lucian’s passive and empower his next attacks since they increase the movement speed of any allies that they come in contact with thanks to her passive, Surging Tides.
Together, Lucian and Nami deal more damage than most other bottom lane pairings in the game, especially when the Nami player in the lane buffs Lucian with Tidecaller’s Blessing (E). In addition to their raw damage, they also have an added element of survivability and sustain through the use of Nami’s main source of healing, Ebb and Flow (W), which also procs Lucian’s Vigilance buff.
So far in the 2024 pro League season, Lucian and Nami hold a pick/ban rate of 95% in major region games, according to League stats site Games of Legends. They’ve been played 35 times each, pairing with each other on the same team in 34 of those games. The only game in which they did not appear on the same team, they were opponents.
The Lucian/Nami pairing is being considered for nerfing in League Patch 13.2.