Hey, my name is Vahlokillo and welcome to this cursed guide. This is the only guide I'm going to make since I have only been playing one champ since 2013 (you guessed it, it's Thresh). Why would you trust me? I was diamond in season 9. I've got 1.9M mastery points (385 eternal goals). I literally only play this sexy warden if it's not banned Just look how I hold the beer with my head

I can show you some stats:

Flex Stats (I don't play SoloQ anymore)





Mastery Points:





Stats compared to Challenger Thresh players:




Finally, you can look at my profile here

I can't tell you much about him generally. I play him 100% of the times, with every matchup because I trust him, I know it's a good champ that can handle almost all situations at early - mid - late game.

Pros	Cons
It doesn't matter your comp or theirs Can engage or disengage easily Many times a hook means a kill. Especially at late game. You can control your own teammates with your Dark Passage Strong at every moment / situation of the game	Can't support poke champs, prefers all in His abilities are so powerful that if you waste them, enemy will take advantage of it It is always strong, so it will be nerfed at every season. Its nature is not being tank, even tho you need to stay close to your enemies to use Flay or The Box Death Sentence is not an instant skillshot, so they'll see it coming. Long CDs

Now, let's get in depth.

I barely describe it at the notes at the start of the guide, but there's only 2 decent choices to play Thresh.

First of all pick ALWAYS Flash, because if you don't, how are you gonna make those sick plays?

Then you have to choose between Exhaust or Ignite. Which one to pick?

- Pick Exhaust if:

• They got assassins that is a threat to your adc
• You think you can't win lane
• They got many enemies that you can't CC
• You prefer utility rather than killing

- Pick Ignite if:

• They heal a lot
• You think you will win lane
• You are an aggressive player
• You like to ks every time you can

Tip: Use Ignite when the enemy is 50% hp or less, since at that time they will use Heal and it will reduce its value.

If you don't know which one to pick, just go safe and take Exhaust.

Ok so why did I write 'Standard Customized'?

Well, Resolve and Inspiration are pretty good branches (and everybody plays them), but I will explain you why I changed some of the classical runes.

Resolve as main branch:

• Aftershock - You will be CC'ing your enemies and then move just in front of them, so you really need bonus resists (and why not, a little bit of damage).
• Demolish - You want to squeeze these tower plates so it's almost free gold! Be careful because sometimes it wont trigger the rune since Thresh is ranged and needs to be closer to the tower
• Bone Plating - You can't instant-engage, first of all you need to approach the enemy and then use Death Sentence or Flay. In your way to the enemy you will receive damage, so this rune really helps to be a bit tanky.
• Overgrowth - Thresh nature is not being tank, but you may need being tank since you will be in front of the enemies everytime. That's why this rune will help a bit.

Inspiration as a secondary branch:

• Biscuit Delivery - Free Health Potion and Mana Potion! I personally use them to regen quickly (sometimes combined with Health Potion) if i'm going to fight soon, or saving myself from Ignite or sometimes just as a font of mana regen.
• Cosmic Insight - It gives you a small advantage against their support CD's. You maybe won't notice, but your summoners can be ready just in time to fight, instead of regretting dying because your Flash was available in 5sec. As I wrote at the build section, you can take this rune out just to pick Perfect Timing and get Gargoyle Stoneplate cheaper (but I rarely do it).

Bonus:

• Adaptive Force - Depending on your playstyle, you will need this or Attack Speed. I prefer Adaptive Force because I'm usually walking through the lane and then poke with an AA with Flay fully charged. If you like to constantly aa your enemies, then pick Attack Speed, also it depends on the matchup.
• Adaptive Force - It's like an investment. If you gain damage, you can kill more and get more gold and then buy the armor you didn't take with runes.
• Shield - Thresh's passive Damnation makes him to gain armor through souls, not per level. So you need at least one of Shield

Ok now comes the juicy part. I will explain you my tricks with this lil boi.

Damnation - Passive

Well, Thresh does not gain armor per level, he will collecting souls (and ap!). That means you will be more squishy than a mage minion at early game, but tanky as hell at late game.


Tricks:

• Minions usually drop souls (they will drop more if you are behind the average collected in that moment of the game, also they will drop less if you got many-many souls).
• Champions and epic minions will drop you always a soul. Some champions like Nunu & Willump and spicy monsters like dragon or baron nashor will give you 2 souls (so don't leave the pit until you get them!).
• You can also get souls using your lantern, but I don't recommend you using it 100% of the times because your allies also need that lantern. I usually use it when i'm at mid and someone kills raptors (and I know I won't be in a fight in the next 15sec). You won't collect your souls with your lantern if your allies click at it too fast.
• Try to get as many as you can but don't risk your life, they are not that worth.
• If you are hiding and some souls appear, don't worry. If they got no vision on you they can't see the souls.

Death Sentence - Q

Everybody is afraid of this skillshot, even yourself when you're about to use it. Try to land it to CC enemies, engage and stop channelings.


Tricks:

• You can do quick Death Sentence -> Flay and your hook will be faster (don't forget your Flay is now on CD! So you will need your team behind you). - (video)
• Just remember that the real hitbox is at their feet, so aim at that point (you can see this video to understand what i'm talking about)
• Depending on enemy's elo, they will try to dodge your hook (or not). Keep in mind if they got any skill to jump or move faster to dodge your Death Sentence - (video). Around gold elo and higher, they won't need any ability to dodge you, they will sidestep you (video). So if you got rekted by a champ just walking, next time try to predict his dodge (video).
• You can use Dark Passage while you cast your hook, and while you recast it (video).
• While you cast Death Sentence, enemy won't know where are you going throw it. So you can aim at their support but use it against their adc (that's a way to counter Morgana and Sivir)
• If you failed and hooked a minion, you can still recast it so you get closer to the enemy and use your Flay - (video)
• Remember this is a powerful ability, so don't waste it killing minions or at baron nashor to deal damage. Keep it ready if an enemy gets close.
• You can make enemies go over thin walls (and Yorick's Dark Procession or Anivia's Crystallize) - (video).
• You can land a hook, then Flash and Dark Passage an ally, and then recast Death Sentence so you both fly to the enemy.
• There is a way to hook 'through minions'. Actually it seems going through them, but in hitbox terms it doesn't. It just requires practice. A lot.
• Be careful of doing some impossible things: You can't aa if you landed the hook (I mean, it's the same weapon you just used).
• If the enemy is close to a wall, he will probably dodge in the other direction - (video).
• If you're escaping, you can use it to hit any jungle monster and go through walls - (video).

Dark Passage - W

Use it to respositionate allies, to shield them, or to collect souls.


Tricks:

• If your adc is bad at positioning, just throw them a lantern so they will get the hint, same goes for your frontlane.
• Allies can take it through some walls.
• Sometimes it can save you from an Ignite. Don't be afraid of use it a shield too.
• At the time your ally clicks your lantern, you can go wherever you want and use as many spells as you want. He will travel with you.
• You can use it to bodyblock enemies - (video)

Flay - E

A useful tool to engage or disengage. It can also deal lots of damage with its passive.


Tricks:

• Every time you level up this skill, it will cost more mana (that's why I only upgrade it 2 times and then forget about it until level 15)
• It's the fastest way to stop a channeling.
• It can stop almost all dashes or jumps.
• Use its passive to poke with aa. First charge it and then aa. Don't spam aa or it won't do extra damage.
• Use it right before Death Sentence to make the hook go faster.
• It can make enemies go through thin walls.

The Box - R

Get close and slow them (plus you deal damage) with your walls.


Tricks:

• Only the first wall will deal damage, so try to prevent the support from tanking it for their adc.
• If the enemy didn't hit the wall, make them do it with your Death Sentence and your Flay.
• If you land your hook, you can cast The Box while you bring him to you and, depending on the distance, the enemy will instantly hit a wall. If not, cast Flay.

Early Game

Depending on your matchup, you have to decide if you are going to be aggressive or protective. I suggest you to see 'Threats & Synergies', but honestly, I play aggressive 99% of the times.

I learned from Madlife that if it is not needed, then you don't upgrade any ability until level 3 (You may need a lantern from an early gank). But if you want to ignore this tip, just upgrade Flay at min 1.20, so you can give a good leash.

If you want to invade, upgrade Death Sentence if you see someone and it's in range. If not, just go Flay as a standard.

Most of the lanes you play can be won at lvl 2. So just take 2 melee minions from the first wave and push the second one. When the third melee minion from the second wave is about to die, just walk straight to your opponents and engage with Flay and then use Death Sentence. Remember to use Ignite when your enemy is 50% hp or less.

Buy Mobility Boots as fast as you can, so you can roam mid, help your jungler to take control of the river and ward and return back to lane without losing much xp (it can also help you to get close to your enemies and then engage with Flay). After that, just follow the notes I wrote at the build section.

If you didn't synchronize your recalls at botlane, don't stay at lane solo (you will get hurt T.T and won't take any profit). Just roam mid or ward river carefully.

Mid Game

If you won lane and took their tower and drake, just talk to your teammates so you can put pressure with your adc at midlane or toplane. If you decided to go toplane, you must ward the river and tribush, since your objective there is to take the tower and rift herald. Then you go mid.

At midlane you just want to confuse their teammates. Their botlane being behind won't do much if they go mid. And they will be useless if they prefer to stay bot farming. Don't focus 100% on killing their midlaner, it is not necessary. Their jungle will eventually come mid (probably their support too), so you can make pressure at top.

Keep dragon and baron nashor warded when it's about 45~ sec to respawn.

Late Game

Keep important zones warded and positionate between frontlane and your adc / apc. You don't want to be a frontlane tank (because you can't give utility to your backlane) and you don't want to be at the backlane (because you wouldn't tank much).

Talking to your teammates will define your playstyle. You can be the playstar with hooks and awesome engages. Or if your allies got much engages, you can just protect your backlane.

If your adc got full build, just talk to him so you can last-hit minions and take free gold.