Last week I spent most of my League of Legends games playing Blitzcrank. The Crank, as I lovingly refer to him, has long been one of my favorite champions. I was just getting a handle on Pudge when I started playing LoL, so Blitz seemed liked a natural transition.

There’s been a lot of debate about Blitzcrank’s relative strength in the game, but for my buck, he’s as strong a toon as you could hope to have on your team. Blitzcrank dramatically changes the way the game is played for the people playing against him. The ability to remove an enemy from the safety of his team or turret while simultaneously pulling him into lethal danger is a mechanic no toon in the game can answer. Add to it the fact that he can silence his prey as they come in for a landing and even elusive targets, like Kassadin and Shaco, get turned into cash.

The real key to success with Blitzcrank is encouraging your team to push and push hard. If you can organize a five man rush down mid around level eight, you can cripple the enemy’s ability to farm. That kind of push typically results in a stalemate. Rocket Grab gives your team a massive advantage in that situation. Even if the push stalls, chances are you can pull a couple kills for your own carry while forcing the enemy team to defend a turret instead of farming their jungle or pushing your lanes.

If you’re in a funk or just need someone new to try, give Blitzcrank a shot. Be ready for criticism, though. As fun as it is when you land that hook, it’s also painfully obvious when you miss. For every “lol, bad blitzcrank,” I’ve heard, though, I’ve also seen “gg blitz” or “blitz won that one” in the post-game lobby.