The three heroes running Honor of Kings 8.0 ranked right now: Augran (55.1% win rate, Jungle), Lam (54.9%, Jungle), and Loong (55.3%, Farm Lane). Teams winning consistently aren't just picking these heroes — they're building entire squad identities around their synergies. Five fully-formed templates below, each with roster, synergy breakdown, three-phase macro, itemization notes, and solo queue / 5-stack ratings.
Why These Three Define the 8.0 Meta
They create team-building leverage most other picks can't match. Season 9 (January 16–April 9, 2026) consistently rewards drafting around at least one of them. Pro numbers confirm it: Loong sits at 96% pick/ban presence with a 71% pro win rate. Augran commands 94% pro presence with a 45.2% Diamond+ ban rate. Lam posted a 98% pick/ban rate at King's World Cup 2026 with a 67% pro win rate.
Augran — Frontline Disruptor (Fighter/Tank/Support Jungle) His value isn't raw damage — it's sustained engagement. He absorbs pressure, initiates, and chains CC to enable follow-up. The Augran + Daji synergy is one of the most reliable extended-fight combinations in the current patch: Augran initiates, Daji's CC locks targets, the fight extends long enough for his sustain to tip the scales. Recommended build: Giant's Grip → Boots of Resistance → Blood Rage → Doomsday → Axe of Torment → Cuirass of Savagery. Hard counter: heavy burst mage comps that concentrate magic damage before his sustain activates.
Lam — High-Mobility Assassin/Mage Jungle The snowball engine. Her jungle path (Crimson Golem at 00:30, Azure Golem at 00:45, level 3 by 01:15) sets up ganks between 01:15–01:30 with a 67% community-tracked success rate. Reaching level 4 by 02:00–02:30 boosts win probability by 73% per Diamond+ data. Weakness: tank-heavy comps that absorb her burst and outlast her cooldowns.
Loong — Teamfight Carry Marksman (Farm Lane) His ultimate, Infinite Vastness, gives him 4.5 seconds of untargetable flight mid-teamfight — repositioning in ways standard marksmen simply can't. His 26.8% pick rate at Diamond+ reflects consistent availability (Augran gets banned far more often), making him the most reliably draftable of the three. The Loong + Yaria duo generates above-average early sustain with strong late-game scaling.
Before the Templates: One Rule That Matters
Win condition beats hero quality. Five individually strong heroes with no coherent plan lose to four coordinated heroes with a clear game plan. Every template below is built around a specific win condition.
Solo Queue vs. 5-Stack ratings reflect coordination demand. ★★★★★ solo queue = works without communication. ★★★★★ 5-stack = reaches ceiling only with voice. Pick the comp that matches your actual environment.
Template #1: Rush Down (Lam + Daji Core) — 68% Win Rate
Lam + Marco Polo produces the highest damage output per community testing. Lam creates picks, Marco Polo punishes the disarray from range. Daji's CC turns Lam's engage into guaranteed kills rather than coin-flip trades. Charlotte doesn't need to win her lane — she just needs to exist as a split-push threat that prevents the enemy from grouping against Lam's jungle pressure.
Macro:
Early (0–5 min): Lam executes standard jungle path, ganks mid at 01:15–01:30 to enable Daji's roam
Mid (5–15 min): Power window. Force fights in the jungle where Lam's mobility is maximized. Contest every objective
Late (15+ min): Harder if the game isn't closed. Prioritize Baron/Dragon over extended teamfights; Marco Polo's sustained DPS becomes the primary win condition
Itemization: Lam's pro build — Boots of Resistance, Wavebreaker, Muramasa, Blade of Despair, Fenrir's Tooth. Build Wavebreaker early to address Charlotte's split-push mirror threat.
✅ Squishy/mobile enemy comps | ❌ Tank-heavy frontlines, comps with hard disengage
Solo Queue: ★★★★☆ | 5-Stack: ★★★★★
Template #2: Protect Carry (Augran + Loong Core) — 72% Win Rate
The highest win-rate template in the database. If you're climbing solo and can only learn one comp this season, this is it.
Augran initiates, the team collapses, Loong deals damage from a protected position. What makes it exceptional: Loong's 4.5-second untargetable flight lets him reposition mid-fight to avoid the burst that would normally punish a marksman caught in a dive. Angela's attachment creates a near-unkillable carry unit. Augran doesn't need to one-shot anyone — he needs to occupy two or three enemies long enough for Loong to work.
Macro:
Early: Augran prioritizes Dragon Lane — Loong needs farm security. Angela stays mid before transitioning to Loong attachment
Mid: First power spike hits when Loong completes core items. Group for Dragon/Baron. Augran creates space, not kills
Late: Comp peaks here. Force 5v5 in open areas where Loong's flight repositioning has maximum value. Avoid narrow jungle corridors
Itemization: Don't rush damage on Augran — his job is duration. Complete Cuirass of Savagery for the physical defense that keeps him in the frontline long enough for Loong to deal damage.
✅ Dive-heavy comps that can't reach Loong | ❌ Burst mage comps, heroes with displacement that separates Loong from Angela
Solo Queue: ★★★★★ | 5-Stack: ★★★★☆
Template #3: Poke & Siege (Loong + Lam Core)
Most guides skip this one. That's a mistake — Loong + Lam creates zone control and pick potential that punishes passive, defensive teams severely.
Lam creates picks around objectives. Loong and Daji apply poke from range, forcing the enemy to either engage on unfavorable terms or cede objectives. The comp doesn't need to win teamfights — it wins by making teamfights happen on its terms. Arthur is a deliberate choice: community experience confirms he outperforms flashier options in ranked until players have 15–20 games on more complex Baron Laners.
Macro:
Early: Lam's standard path, but early ganks prioritize Farm Lane (Loong needs items to siege), not mid
Mid: Rotate as a unit. Poke from range, never commit to a full fight unless the enemy has burned key abilities
Late: Full siege. Lam's pick threat makes it nearly impossible to defend structures — if they group, Lam picks off stragglers; if they split, Loong sieges freely
Itemization: Lam builds slightly more durably here — she's the pick threat, not the primary carry. Wavebreaker remains core; add a defensive item earlier than usual.
✅ Turtle-style enemy comps, teams without reliable engage | ❌ Hard engage comps that close distance before poke accumulates
Solo Queue: ★★★☆☆ | 5-Stack: ★★★★★
This comp demands coordination. Solo queue teammates will want to force fights. In a 5-stack with voice, it's devastating.
Template #4: Triple-Threat Burst (Augran + Lam + Loong)
High-risk, high-reward. Each hero covers the others' weaknesses — but this demands the most from your draft and execution.
Lam in mid is a flex pick — she roams to jungle camps and creates cross-map pressure while Augran handles primary jungle.
The burst window opens when Augran's CC chain connects: Lam's burst lands on the locked target, Loong's sustained DPS finishes the fight. No single enemy hero can address all three threats simultaneously. But the mid-game window is narrow — all three need to be online simultaneously. Close before 20 minutes.
Itemization adjustments:
Augran: Prioritize Blood Rage and Doomsday before completing the tank build — the comp needs his damage in mid-game burst windows
Lam: Wavebreaker and Muramasa non-negotiable
Loong: Build attack speed earlier than usual — contribute DPS during the burst sequence, not just extended fights
✅ Squishy, uncoordinated enemies | ❌ Coordinated teams with hard CC that interrupt the burst sequence, games past 20 minutes
Solo Queue: ★★★☆☆ | 5-Stack: ★★★★★
Template #5: Flex & Adapt (Augran as Wildcard)
Augran's 45.2% ban rate means you won't always get him. This template is built around his flex potential.
Augran's kit works across multiple archetypes — dive comp initiator, sustained disruptor, frontline anchor. Drafting him without committing to a specific win condition until you see the enemy's full draft is a legitimate solo queue strategy. Charlotte's split-push forces a decision: group to stop her and face Augran's initiation, or respond to Augran and cede her pressure.
Mid-draft pivots:
Augran banned → Lam jungle, shift to Template #1
Daji banned → Replace with any CC mage; initiation still functions
Marco Polo banned → Loong replaces naturally, shifts toward Template #2
Macro: Identify which win condition has emerged by mid-game — Augran-led teamfights or Charlotte split-push. Don't try to execute both simultaneously.
✅ Reactive drafters with no clear answer to both threats | ❌ Teams with a dominant win condition that ignores flex pressure
Solo Queue: ★★★★☆ | 5-Stack: ★★★★☆
How to Counter All Five Comps
Against Augran: Concentrated magic damage. Two or three mages with synchronized burst windows delete him before sustain activates. One mage is manageable; three simultaneous bursts are not.
Against Lam: Tank-heavy compositions. If her target survives the burst, she's exposed. Ward Crimson Golem and Azure Golem camps to track her path and deny the 01:15–01:30 gank window — it's predictable.
Against Loong: Bait his ultimate with a non-critical engage, then commit real burst when he lands. Displacement abilities that separate him from Angela are particularly effective. Burst assassins who can one-shot him before he activates the ultimate are the cleanest answer.
Universal counter-draft principles:
Draft at least one hard CC ability — all five comps rely on damage windows that CC interrupts
Include a tank or bruiser — Lam's burst and Loong's sustained DPS both struggle against high-health frontlines
Prioritize vision control — deny the unexpected angles that Lam's picks and Augran's initiations require
Ranked Draft Tips for April 2026
First-pick vs. last-pick:
Lam: Never first-pick. Her 98% pro pick/ban rate means she gets banned the moment you reveal intent
Augran: His flex potential makes him harder to counter-draft even when picked early, but his 45.2% ban rate is real
Loong: Safest first-pick of the three. Signals Farm Lane carry intent without revealing jungle or mid strategy
Ban priority when facing these comps: Lam (highest snowball threat) → Augran (initiation anchor for multiple archetypes) → Loong (most reliable carry, hardest to kill in Protect Carry)
When your core gets banned:
Augran banned → Lam jungle, Template #1
Lam banned → Augran jungle, Template #2
Both banned → Daji mid (54.7% win rate, proven). Community experience confirms Daji over Haya specifically — Haya launched January 22, 2026 and lacks sufficient win rate data for ranked trust
Solo queue ping shortcuts:
Ping Dragon Lane early → Protect Carry intent (Loong needs farm priority)
Ping enemy jungle camps → Rush Down intent (Lam's gank windows)
Ping Baron Lane → Split-push pressure (Template #5)
The Nerf Timing Window Most Players Miss
New heroes with win rates above 55% are historically nerfed within two weeks of a patch cycle. All three featured heroes sit in that zone right now. The 72% and 68% comp win rates are peak-strength numbers — post-nerf, well-designed heroes rarely fall below 52% in capable hands, but comp win rates will compress.
The practical implication: these comps are at or near their ceiling. The window to exploit them at maximum efficiency is the remainder of Season 9 (through April 9, 2026).
The flip side — spending 888–1388 tokens on Epic skins for heroes on the nerf watchlist is a trap. Sun Shangxiang's ultimate was nerfed from 200% to 180% ATK, dropping her win rate from 52.3% to 47.8% at Diamond+. Athena's CC duration dropped from 2.5s to 1.8s, resulting in 15% fewer successful engagements. Invest in the heroes, not the skins, until the meta stabilizes.
F2P token math: ~4 tokens/day from logins, first wins, and ranked play = ~168 tokens over 42 days in Season 9. Enough for one first-week hero purchase (294 tokens, versus standard 588) if supplemented. New heroes cost 294 tokens in their first week — timing your purchase to that window is the most efficient use of resources. For players looking to hit that threshold efficiently, Honor of Kings top up discount for new hero purchase April 2026 is worth checking before the season ends.
F2P unlock priority: Lam → Augran → Loong → Daji → Yaria. This sequence maximizes draft flexibility — snowball jungle first, sustained fight jungle second, support roles after. If you need to accelerate the timeline, Honor of Kings cheap token recharge to unlock meta heroes 2026 covers the gap.
FAQ
Which comp is best for solo queue climbing? Template #2 (Protect Carry). Highest documented win rate at 72%, roles are self-sufficient, and Loong's low ban rate means you can execute it in most games. The win condition — protect Loong, let him deal damage — is clear enough that uncoordinated teammates can follow it instinctively.
Can I run these without owning all three heroes? Yes. Template #1 runs independently without Augran. Template #2 runs without Lam. The only template requiring all three is Template #4 — also the highest-coordination comp and least recommended for solo queue.
Lam or Augran first if I can only afford one? Lam first. Her snowball potential and jungle flexibility make her the higher-impact solo queue pick. Augran's value is maximized in coordinated play. That said, if Lam is consistently banned in your bracket, Augran becomes the better investment for consistent game access.
What makes Loong different from a standard marksman? Standard marksmen position at max range and avoid all contact. Loong's Infinite Vastness lets him reposition into a fight during 4.5 seconds of untargetability, deal damage from an unexpected angle, and exit before the enemy responds. That's why the Protect Carry comp works even against aggressive dive compositions.
How often will these comps change with patches? Season 9 runs through April 9, 2026. Expect at least one balance patch before it ends. The templates remain structurally valid post-nerf — synergies are mechanical, not stat-dependent — but win rates will compress. Monitor official Honor of Kings patch notes for specific changes.
Biggest mistake players make running these comps? Forcing the win condition regardless of game state. Rush Down has a hard time limit — if Lam isn't ahead by minute 10, the snowball identity becomes a liability. Protect Carry requires Loong to have farm priority — if Augran is spending early jungle time in the Baron Lane instead of Dragon Lane, Loong falls behind and the late-game carry never materializes. Know when the game state has made your win condition unachievable, and adapt.
Season 9 ends April 9, 2026. Data reflects Diamond+ and pro-level play current as of late March 2026. Review after any major patch, particularly if Augran, Lam, or Loong receive balance changes.