Let alone choosing Rune and Masteries pages, which we often have clear ideas beforehand, there is still one more important task we must and only can do in the null phase of bans and picks: choose two summoner spells. So, which are the best and why those should be the best?!
Reasoning
First of all, due to the priority of Flash, we always have one summoner spell to be Flash. The reason how and why the summoner spell Flash is so important and popular should not be of discussion, since all of us almost had enough experience to see that already. Discussing about this would be just as bored as discussing how and why we have to eat food and drink... Coca-Cola (CoKe) daily. Not to mention some exceptions like Hecarim, which we may talk about at other times. We will skim the roles and lanes to find out which summoner spell is the best to pick for each:
+) Jungle: due to the role's nature, jungler always takes the second spell to be Smite. Discussing about how and why on this would have no difference from discussing the priority of Flash. This is simply so important, so popular, and so classic as well.
+) AP mage is supposed to be the major magic damage dealer. It is kinda like ADC on these considerations: ADC is the physical damage dealer or the AD Carrier, and AP mage is the magic damage dealer or the AP Carrier. The best for this role should be the same for ADC: Heal, Barrier, or Cleanse.
+) Assassin (AD or AP) is supposed to have the power to take down the opponent(s) within just a single combo then immediately disappear with excellent escaping capability (while the enemies even still don't understand what has just happened, ideally). This must be the most aggressive playstyles focusing on building full damage. Ignite should be the best among all the spells for this role.
Also note that, though these two roles often go mid, in my descriptions an AP assassin is very different from a mage. Most typically in the playstyles: taking down then disappear for (AP) Assassins and dealing (magic) damage in a kinda steady rate for a mage.
+) Support is supposed to be the CC-holder with main duties to support team. The second spell so would be a support one for the best: Exhaust.
+) Tank is supposed to suffer damage, the shield of a team, and the one who can reach the enemy carriers on their back line (enemy ADC and mage). Team should not fight without their tanks, the presence of tanks should be the necessary and complete factor for a team to engage fighting. A sudden presence of a tank, especially in disadvantageous situations, so would be a powerful tactic to pivot the fights (and the games). Consequentially, Teleport should be most suitable for this role.
+) For the role of fighter, one more time, fighters can be considered to vary from a semi-assassin to a semi-tank. The two spells which are the best for this role would be Ignite or Teleport, depending on the particular games and champions and playstyles and the like.
Finally, just like the roles and lanes and meta and the map, summoner spells can not be out side of the cover of pragmatism. Players, over all of the very long time, will always choose what they find to be the highest chance for them to win the game. And the summoner spells, on this angle of view, are simply the "chosen ones" just like the meta and the maps[2].
Some suggestions
Base on the reasoning, I came to some different meta(s) from the contemporary one. But notice for these suggestions that Teleport's power has its own cost: Teleport is useless in fighting. Consequentially, more Teleport means your team will have fewer other powerful-in-fighting spells (Ignite, Exhaust, etc.) and means the chance of winning team fights (and so winning the games) will be decreased. In my assessments, it should be best for team (highest chance to win) to have two Teleport on two tanks.
Another meta
We need 1.5 or 2 tanks for the best chance of winning[3], and if jungler goes tank, the tank will not be able to take Teleport. Meanwhile jungle is the hardest role to be counter played[4], so assassins (or mages, but most typical for assassins) can completely go jungle and leave mid for the second tank with Teleport (instead of Ignite).
This way assassins won't be able to take Ignite, however they will have some advantage on the jungle items and Smite in exchange. And with this meta, team will have two Teleport on the two tanks to exploit the power of sudden presence of Teleport on tanks to pivot the fights and the games.
Yet another meta(s)
Furthermore, due to the symmetric property of the map, bot can completely be a solo lane as top: two tanky laners at top and bot, leave mid and jungle for ADC and assassin (or AP mage but most typically assassins).
In this meta(s), support would become very flexible; support now can roam by following jungle or support mid, or even go top or bot. And if we want to exploit the power of Teleport further, support would go semi-tank with the second summoner spell to be Teleport. This way, we have 3 tanks (maybe 3 semi-tanks for the best) with 3 Teleports to pivot the fights and the games.
Reasoning
+) AP mage is supposed to be the major magic damage dealer. It is kinda like ADC on these considerations: ADC is the physical damage dealer or the AD Carrier, and AP mage is the magic damage dealer or the AP Carrier. The best for this role should be the same for ADC: Heal, Barrier, or Cleanse.
+) Assassin (AD or AP) is supposed to have the power to take down the opponent(s) within just a single combo then immediately disappear with excellent escaping capability (while the enemies even still don't understand what has just happened, ideally). This must be the most aggressive playstyles focusing on building full damage. Ignite should be the best among all the spells for this role.
Also note that, though these two roles often go mid, in my descriptions an AP assassin is very different from a mage. Most typically in the playstyles: taking down then disappear for (AP) Assassins and dealing (magic) damage in a kinda steady rate for a mage.
+) Support is supposed to be the CC-holder with main duties to support team. The second spell so would be a support one for the best: Exhaust.
+) Tank is supposed to suffer damage, the shield of a team, and the one who can reach the enemy carriers on their back line (enemy ADC and mage). Team should not fight without their tanks, the presence of tanks should be the necessary and complete factor for a team to engage fighting. A sudden presence of a tank, especially in disadvantageous situations, so would be a powerful tactic to pivot the fights (and the games). Consequentially, Teleport should be most suitable for this role.
+) For the role of fighter, one more time, fighters can be considered to vary from a semi-assassin to a semi-tank. The two spells which are the best for this role would be Ignite or Teleport, depending on the particular games and champions and playstyles and the like.
Finally, just like the roles and lanes and meta and the map, summoner spells can not be out side of the cover of pragmatism. Players, over all of the very long time, will always choose what they find to be the highest chance for them to win the game. And the summoner spells, on this angle of view, are simply the "chosen ones" just like the meta and the maps[2].
Some suggestions
Base on the reasoning, I came to some different meta(s) from the contemporary one. But notice for these suggestions that Teleport's power has its own cost: Teleport is useless in fighting. Consequentially, more Teleport means your team will have fewer other powerful-in-fighting spells (Ignite, Exhaust, etc.) and means the chance of winning team fights (and so winning the games) will be decreased. In my assessments, it should be best for team (highest chance to win) to have two Teleport on two tanks.
Another meta
We need 1.5 or 2 tanks for the best chance of winning[3], and if jungler goes tank, the tank will not be able to take Teleport. Meanwhile jungle is the hardest role to be counter played[4], so assassins (or mages, but most typical for assassins) can completely go jungle and leave mid for the second tank with Teleport (instead of Ignite).
This way assassins won't be able to take Ignite, however they will have some advantage on the jungle items and Smite in exchange. And with this meta, team will have two Teleport on the two tanks to exploit the power of sudden presence of Teleport on tanks to pivot the fights and the games.
Yet another meta(s)
Furthermore, due to the symmetric property of the map, bot can completely be a solo lane as top: two tanky laners at top and bot, leave mid and jungle for ADC and assassin (or AP mage but most typically assassins).
In this meta(s), support would become very flexible; support now can roam by following jungle or support mid, or even go top or bot. And if we want to exploit the power of Teleport further, support would go semi-tank with the second summoner spell to be Teleport. This way, we have 3 tanks (maybe 3 semi-tanks for the best) with 3 Teleports to pivot the fights and the games.
This post was completed
There would be just minor adjustments if any on this post
The Silencekeeper
References
[1] Note that, these are just technical considerations. The optimizational choices should depend on the particular games, teams' compositions, tactics, strategies, etc. In my view, however, these very simple ideas can serve as the basic reference for the much more complicated cases as well.
[2] [3] This was discussed on the post: Roles and Lanes: How and Why? Meta Breakdown!
[4] This was discussed on the post: The 'null phase' of a game: bans and picks. How?!
[1] Note that, these are just technical considerations. The optimizational choices should depend on the particular games, teams' compositions, tactics, strategies, etc. In my view, however, these very simple ideas can serve as the basic reference for the much more complicated cases as well.
[2] [3] This was discussed on the post: Roles and Lanes: How and Why? Meta Breakdown!
[4] This was discussed on the post: The 'null phase' of a game: bans and picks. How?!
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