User blog comment:QuantumFeint/Botlane meta - where did all the supports go?/@comment-31656015-20140906131755/@comment-24474109-20140906142515

But Thresh's main tag literally is Support so how is he not a support champion, he has almost everything a support needs anyways.

I don't think it's necessary do make a difference between support role and support champion, since the main role of any support ever is to help others out which is exactly what every meta support is doing. It's just that there are different ways of supporting, some champions use heals, poke and buffs (e.g. Soraka, Janna, Nami, Sona), some provide lower forms of CC, damage and certain safety for their teams (e.g. Lulu, Taric, Zilean, Nunu, Zyra, Morgana, Karma, Kayle, Janna again), and some provide heavy CC, initiation and tankiness (e.g. Leona, Thresh, Blitzcrank, Gragas, Braum).

Each support is a different champion and each unique champion has a different way of being played, even though they fill the same role as others. The support role is the most veriable but all of them are support champions, some are missing poke, some are missing heals, some are missing buffs, some are missing CC, some are extremely fragile. Those are their weaknesses. Overall I don't think your definition of supports is right, the definiton of Bloodstrider is a lot more accurate.

And where do you want champions to be played that you do not classify as a support champion? Ofc, Zyra, Morgana, Vel'Koz and other meta supports can be played in mid lane, but they are mostly outclassed, easily countered, and/or outdamaged by other mid laners and thus not very viable on mid. Thresh and Leona though are not viable at all on any other lane. Their clear speed is too slow for jungle and their solo kill potential is too low for top lane. Both of them were designed to fill the support role.