Orianna Scaling: Grade S
Yes. Orianna is one of the strongest late-game champions in the game. Grade S, Best late, in The Scaling Codex.
Reviewed for League of Legends Season 16 (2026).
Verdict. One of the top scaling mids. Game-changing combo ultimate with teammates puts her near the very top.
Why Orianna gets an S
Attaching the ball to an engaging teammate can extend her threat far beyond her own position. The ball rides the engage into the enemy team, and Command: Shockwave pulls everyone near it into one point, so she scales with her team's engage tools as well as her items.
Between ultimates the ball is still doing work. It shields the carry taking a dive, speeds up a rotation, and holds ground the enemy would rather stand on.
The combo needs a delivery vehicle
With no engage champion to carry the ball, she is casting Shockwave at her own feet as self-peel, which is a fraction of what the grade describes.
It also needs communication. The ball on the wrong teammate can remove the combo from the moment it is needed.
The ball is the champion. Put it on the player who is going in.
Common questions about Orianna scaling
Does Orianna scale well into the late game?
Yes. Orianna is one of the strongest late-game champions in the game. Grade S, Best late, in The Scaling Codex.
What holds Orianna back?
With no engage champion to carry the ball, she is casting Shockwave at her own feet as self-peel, which is a fraction of what the grade describes.
What is the late-game rule for Orianna?
The ball is the champion. Put it on the player who is going in.
How this grade was judged
The grade weighs range, target access, sustained and burst damage, crowd control, mobility, durability, healing and shielding, resets, cooldown structure, objective and formation control, split pressure, and how well the champion survives a long fight. Builds and forms that scale differently are graded separately. This is Vambient's gameplay evaluation of coordinated late-game fights, not a win-rate calculation. Full methodology.
Related champions
- Why Ambessa is also Grade S
- Why Aphelios is also Grade S
- Why Aurelion Sol is also Grade S
- Why Azir is also Grade S
- See the full Grade S tier
The grade measures one thing: how much a champion can influence a coordinated late-game objective fight once both teams reach full builds. It does not measure early strength, snowballing, or win rate. A weak late-game champion still wins by ending the game first, which is what the rest of the library teaches. How the grades are decided.