Hello everyone I am Berzerk, and today I will be bringing the first of my new series, the Encyclopedia of Top Lane. This series will replace my old Top Facts series, which is outdated and was written when I was much less experienced as a player. I have decided my first installment in the series should be on Rumble, as he is a fun champion who I feel many people in the community disregard even after his recent buffs.

Champion Overview:


Rumble as a champion would be best categorized into the "Mage bruiser" role. Rumble as a top laner is one of the funner and more complex "viable" top laners. As a champion Rumble will require a decent time commitment to be used at a strong level; due to his unique system "heat" which penalizes the user for spamming spells, but rewards the user for managing their cooldowns. Along with this weakness, is a weak early levels (1-3). Until Rumble has a point in every skill and 2 points in flame spitter, he will not be able to play his heat game at a level that will allow him to correctly trade with top laners. To top it off his ability to CS NEEDS to be practiced otherwise you will fall behind simply from being outfarmed. Despite all these negatives a good Rumble player is able to manage all of these factors and use the heat system to allow rumble to be a lane bully capable of playing vs. When factored together with his game changing ultimate, rumble becomes a strong pick for anyone willing to put the time commitment in to practice him(which is why many rumble players you see will be "Rumble mains").

Skills Overview:


Junkyard Titan-When Rumble reaches 100 heat he overheats, silencing himself for 6 seconds to cooldown completely and causing his physical attacks to deal an additional 20 + (5 x level) + (25% of ability power) magic damage for the duration.

Rumble's passive is his unique type of resource "heat". This system fills up your heat bar by 20 every time you use a spell and decreases every second. At 50+ spells cast will gain an "overheat" bonus making you spells have bonus damage and utility. Once you reach 100 you are silenced for a few seconds, but in exchange your auto attacks will deal bonus damage. You will still have the effects of the skill you used to go into danger zone (IE flame spitter will still shoot the fire). Management of this passive is KEY to your trading and dueling as a Rumble player.


Flamespitter- Rumble begins torching the area in front of him with his flamethrower, dealing 25 / 45 / 65 / 85 / 105 (+33% of ability power) magic damage per second to all units in a cone in front of him every half second, for 3 seconds. Flamespitter only deals half damage to minions. He can move, attack and use other abilities while the flamethrower is on.While in the "Danger Zone", this spell deals 50% additional damage.

Rumble's first ability is flame spitter. This spell deals conal magic damage to targets in front of you over the next few seconds. In danger zone this move deals bonus magic damage. As a rumble player staying in danger zone and using this spell will be your consistent damage output and harass in lane. This spell is also ESSENTIAL to maximizing your overheat DPS. When you are at 80+ heat and want the 100 bonus AA damage you want to use this skill to do it, as the flame spitter + passive damage will allow you to hit very hard and outtrade many tops.


Scrap Shield- Rumble creates a shield blocking 50 / 80 / 110 / 140 / 170 (+40% of ability power) incoming damage for 2 seconds, in addition Rumble receives a 10 / 15 / 20 / 25 / 30% movement speed boost for 1 second. While in the "Danger Zone", the shield’s strength and movement speed boost are increased by 50%.

Rumble's second ability is a shield that gives you a boost of movement speed. In danger zone these values gain a 50% boost. This skill will mainly be used to trade better with enemies while amplifying your sticking ability to maximize your Q damage. This ability is you main escape tool in lane so be wary of using it if you think the enemy jungler is around.


Electro-Harpoon- Rumble shoots a taser that deals 45 / 70 / 95 / 120 / 145 (+40% of ability power) magic damage and applies a 15 / 20 / 25 / 30 / 35 % slow on the enemy hit for three seconds. A second shot can be fired for no additional cost within the next three seconds, even if Rumble overheats. If the second taser slows an enemy that has been slowed by the first, the slow is refreshed and its movement speed reduction is doubled. While in the "Danger Zone", the damage and slow percentage are increased by 50%.

Rumble's third skill is electro harpoons. This skill fires off a skillshot harpoon that slows whoever it hits for a few seconds. After you fire your first shot you load a second shot at no CD or extra heat cost. The danger zone effects amplify this ability. This ability will be used to allow you to stick to enemies as well as kite enemies back.


The Equalizer- Rumble calls down a line of rockets over the target linear location, it uses click and drag targeting. The rockets leave a trail of destruction for 5 seconds that slows by 35% and deals 130 / 185 / 240 (+30% of ability power) magic damage per second to all enemies standing on the area.

Rumble's final and ultimate ability is The Equalizer. This skill is drag and drop skillshot that drops a barrage of rockets from the sky in a line where you choose dealing damage and slowing enemies inside the burning area. This ultimate is GAME CHANGING and can completely win teamfights on its own. Aiming this skill is also one of the NECESSITIES of a good rumble player; as it can be used for initiating, damage, or zoning.


Skill Order:

Standard Lane
Ability Sequence
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

Until rumble gets all his skills and 2 points in his Q he cannot properly trade with most top laners.
Combos:

Keep heat up and use junkyard titan empowered spells. R when you want to go for a kill.

General Matchups:


Strong Vs

Renekton- This is by NO MEANS a counter. Rumble is far easier to lane vs renekton with then a majority of other top laners and will outscale him. Against most soloQ renektons you can even pick up some kills.

Nasus- Super easy to bully him and deny his farm, be careful of ganks.

Malphite- Hard counter on your end. Free farm and easy bully.


Weak Vs

Yorick- Once he gets a chalice you can do NOTHING in this lane but get bullied.

Jayce- He can stay at a good distance from your spells and harass you down. Although if he just tries to poke with Qs you can put some points in W and block them.

Lee Sin- He just needs some points in W and he will out sustain your harass.

Playing AS/VS:

As:
  • Be careful to always watch your heat and be able to add 20s.
  • Be extremely wary to never overheat if you think a gank may be coming.
  • Play extremely safe until lvl 4.
Vs:
  • Rumble is an easy gank if he is in "Bully mode" as he will be using his escape move to manage heat and be aggressive normally.
  • Once rumble comes out of his overheat(and near the end of it) he will be at 0 heat, this is a good time to trade with him.
  • Tell your jungler free kills and get fed. A behind rumble is only an ult.

Pros and Cons:


Pros:
-Good Teamfighting
-Ap Damage Top
-Bully in Lane
-High SkillCap

Cons:
-Hard to CS with
-No sustain.
-Time investment needed before being able to play at higher levels.

Example Build:


Spoiler: Click to view

Conclusion:


I got diamond elo again for the season, so I decided to start up my top encyclopedia series as maybe a once a week installment as my current blog series is outdated. Rumble is one of my favorite champions to play this season and he is a good pick into the many Renektons people who dont know how to play top play in soloQ. I feel Rumble is a good top who can adapt to alot of matchups and be very useful all game in the hands of a good player. As always summoners have fun and good luck on the fields of Justice.