Ranked draft basics: who to ban, what to pick and when
In Ranked, choosing brawlers is part of the match itself. As you climb, bans and pick order come into play, and with equal skill the team that drafts better starts with a real advantage. Here are the basics.
Draft formats differ by rank
According to Supercell's support pages, Ranked uses three main formats:
- All Pick: teammates choose freely.
- Ban + All Pick: bans first, then free picks from what's left.
- Ban + Turn Pick: bans first, then the teams pick in alternating turns.
Lower ranks use simpler formats; higher ranks add bans, turn order and best-of-three. Which rank uses which format can change between seasons, so check the in-game Ranked info. In November 2026, ban suggestions, pick-order swaps and quick chat were added (summary).
Bans: remove what you can't beat
Common ban criteria:
- The dominant brawler on this map: top of the map ranking with a high pick rate. Letting the enemy have it puts you behind from the start.
- The brawler your team can't answer: the one that beats what you want to play. The "Best counters" list on a counter page helps.
- The enemy's comfort pick: if you can see their profiles, removing their most-played brawler is an option.
Avoid banning the brawler your own team wants. Use ban suggestions to agree in advance.
Picks: each slot has a job
In turn pick, one team usually picks 1, the other 2, then 2, then the last 1.
First pick
You know nothing about the enemy, so pick a reliably strong brawler that's hard to counter. A top-ranked brawler on the map with few weaknesses beats a niche pick.
Middle picks
Respond to the enemy picks already locked in while building synergy with your first pick. When picking two at once, avoid overlapping roles (for example, a long-range brawler plus a zone controller).
Last pick
The only slot that sees all three enemies. Pick the best counter to their lineup. Put all three into the counter picker and choose one that also does well on today's map.
Lineup checks
- Range: three close-range brawlers may never reach anyone on an open map.
- Walls: on wall-heavy maps, have at least one way to shoot over or break walls.
- Mode goal: a gem carrier in Gem Grab, safe damage in Heist, zone control in Hot Zone. Mode guides are in the guide list.
Summary
Ban the map's strongest and what you can't answer; first-pick something stable; last-pick the counter. Then check that range and the mode objective are covered.