Annie has long been known as a mid lane champion, but recent buffs have transformed her into a viable support option, particularly due to the significantly reduced cooldown on her E ability (Molten Shield).
At max rank, the cooldown is now just eight seconds, making her an ideal support choice when paired with champions like Kalista or Draven who thrive on movement speed. Adding Shurelya’s Battlesong to the mix only amplifies her potential.
DRX’s support, Cho “BeryL” Geon-hee, was one of the first players to bring Annie support into the meta, but it was Golden Guardians who really demonstrated her strength in a game against TSM, where bot laner Trevor “Stixxay” Hayes secured a triple kill.
Pairing Annie with Zeri is also a popular choice, as Zeri’s passive ability grants her additional movement speed when shielded.
Annie’s resurgence has made her an attractive pick in the pro meta, and she even made her first appearance as a mid laner in the LCK with Kwangdong Freecs mid laner Lee “BuLLDoG” Tae-yeong playing her in the first two matches of a series against Gen.G.
Despite losing the first game, BuLLDoG racked up the most kills on his team, and went on to dominate on Annie in the second game, leading to her being banned in the final match of the series. As a result of her recent success, Annie is sure to become even more popular in solo queue games as well.
