Of all the bottom lane pairings in competitive League of Legends, none pack as much of a punch as Lucian and Nami. The two champions, when combined, make for one of the most efficient bottom lane duos in the game.
You’ve likely seen Lucian and Nami together in the bottom lane in some capacity since the lane came to prominence in late 2021. Since Lucian received some changes to his passive during that season, he’s been a popular choice in the bottom lane, and Nami has been his tried-and-true lane partner. Whether it’s on the professional stage or in your solo queue games, the Lucian/Nami duo lane is a significant force in competitive League.
Here’s why the two champions are so valuable when paired together.
Lucian’s new passive effect: Vigilance
In Patch 11.17, a new effect was added to Lucian’s passive, Lightslinger. This extra portion of his passive, called “Vigilance,” makes it so that every time Lucian is buffed or healed by an allied champion, his next two auto attacks deal bonus damage. The bonus damage also applies to turrets and structures, giving the champion extra pushing power as well.
This added effect to his passive has made Lucian a stronger damage dealer, particularly during the laning phase of the game. It’s in that phase when he and Nami have the most chances to shine, and if the two champions can grab a lead early, their snowballing potential is off-the-charts.
Nami is the champion who’s most effectively able to trigger 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 most direct buffing ability, Tidecaller’s Blessing (E). The ability causes the affected champion to deal bonus magic damage with their next three attacks, synergizing perfectly with the bonus damage caused by Lucian’s Vigilance passive.
Related: One bottom lane combo has been picked in 9 of the first 13 games in the 2023 LCK Spring Split
Even 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.
Lucian and Nami’s competitive strength
Together, Lucian and Nami put out 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). Beyond their raw damage, though, they 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 2023 pro League season, Lucian and Nami hold a pick/ban rate of 95 percent 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 on the table to be nerfed in League Patch 13.2
