Jax has been a powerful pick in League of Legends for a long time, and many players feel he is overpowered right now. As a scaling hyper-carry champion that excels at both splitting and teamfighting, Jax poses problems for opponents in the current meta. Let’s break down some of the key reasons why Jax is overtuned:
Insane Scaling
Jax is one of the hardest scaling champions in League, gaining massive damage and survivability from his kit and items as the game goes on. His innate ability, Grandmaster’s Might, gives him bonus armor and magic resist for building attack damage and ability power respectively.
This combined with his ultimate, Grandmaster’s Might, provides him with immense resistances in the late game. Items like Trinity Force, Blade of the Ruined King and Sterak’s Gage synergize incredibly well with his kit, making him practically unstoppable in the side lane past 30 minutes. Even when behind, he can farm his way back into relevance.
Powerful Dueling
Very few champions can go toe-to-toe with a late game Jax. Not only does he have the damage to shred through even the tankiest foes, but his Counter Strike ability allows him to avoid enemy basic attacks for 2 seconds. This gives him a strong edge in 1v1 duels, allowing him to outplay his opponent’s damage.
His leap ability also grants him burst damage and helps him stick to his targets. Once Jax gets ahead, he’s nearly impossible to deal with split pushing.
Versatile Build Paths
Jax’s flexible nature lets him tailor his build to each game. If ahead, he can build damage to explode squishies. If behind, he can opt for tankier items to stay relevant in fights. Items like Hextech Gunblade, Shojin, and Titanic Hydra give him a wide range of offensive options, while Spirit Visage and Guardian Angel shore up his durability.
This build versatility combined with his scaling means Jax always has carry potential, able to output big damage even with just 1-2 damage items. Other top laners lack his flexibility.
Strong Teamfighting
Unlike some split pushers, Jax retains a lot of value in 5v5 teamfights. By leaping onto the backline and stunning priority targets, he can wreak havoc on enemy carries. His AoE damage from Counter Strike and Titanic Hydra also dish out pain.
With his resistances from ultimate, Jax stays deceptively hard to take down in teamfights. His flexibility allows him to excel in nearly all phases of the game.
Limited Counterplay
Jax’s primary weakness is supposed to be early game, but with the right summoner spells and runes, he can safely farm or even bully weaker top laners. Additionally, his Counter Strike and leap give him ways to outplay aggressive junglers. Once he hits core items, he truly lacks glaring flaws.
The combination of mobility, damage, and durability in his kit makes him a nightmare for squishies that rely on kiting him. Shutting a fed Jax down requires immense coordination and vision control. In solo queue, this level of teamwork is rare, making his weaknesses easier to exploit.
High Pro Presence
Jax enjoys one of the highest pro presence rates among top laners in seasons past and present. His global 66% pro pick/ban rate shows how respected his power is at the highest levels of play. Most metas suit him well due to his self-reliance as a split pusher and flexible build paths.
With pros unwilling to allow opponents Jax, it illustrates how threatening his kit is compared to other bruisers. He warps draft strategy and can single-handedly win games if not contained.
Conclusion
In summary, Jax overpowers foes with insane late game scaling, potent dueling, versatile builds, impactful teamfighting and limited counterplay. His pro presence also reveals the respect and caution pros have for his capabilities. To bring Jax in line, tuning down his early safety and late game resistances could open more windows of vulnerability without gutting his core design. But for now, Jax remains a dominant force few top laners can stand against once he hits his power spikes. He is truly the Grandmaster at Arms.