Hello Everyone! My name is Aria Legend (EUW); CURRENTLY named as Isophene (EUW) and I'm the Supersonic Ahri (EUNE), inventor of the supersonic combo movement for Ahri.
I am one of the hugest competitive-Ahri OTP fanats of all, with a lot of experience with Ahri. I tried everything with Ahri (Aery Ahri, Phase Rush Ahri, Ahri with Ghost, Ahri with First Strike, etc.) but playing her AD (I don't think it is necessary);)
I have played Ahri over 1000 games this last season.
I finished diamond EUW in S11.
So this guide is the conclusion out of a lot of testing I did, when it comes to grasping the most amount of elo in this game.
I stream on twitch frequently: This is my Twitch!
and sometimes I uplod my own montages in my youtube: This is my Youtube!.
My best montage so far is: This is my best montage!
I have a discord community to know when I go live: Accept my Discord Invitation!

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TEMPORARY META BUILD AND RUNES INFO SECTION (because in the notes section it is cut out so it is unreadable.

1) Rod of Ages is here! It is meta! And despite not being acknowladged on Ahri, it gives her an insane amount of stats! All you need is good farming, so this item that only costs 2800G, gives stats that are worth much more; being more gold efficient than any other mythic. This is why it is that strong.

Here's a comparison of how much each stat is worth in gold:

ROD OF AGES: -2800 GOLD COST

+100 ABILITY POWER = 2175 gold
+600 HP = 1602 gold
+600 MANA = 840 gold

+5 ABILITY HASTE/LEGENDARY = 533 gold
= 5150 gold (TOTAL GOLD EFFICIENT)


LUDEN'S TEMPEST: -3200 GOLD COST

+80 ABILITY POWER = 1740 gold
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+600 MANA = 840 gold
+20 ABILITY HASTE = 533 gold
+6 MAGIC PENETRATION = 187 gold

+5 MAGIC PENETRATION/LEGENDARY = 622 gold
= 3922 gold (TOTAL GOLD EFFICIENT)

*So, what does make ROA strong on Ahri?*

Im noticing some patterns or situations as to when rod+seraphs are good or better than the traditional build
But its obv depending on the enemy team comp
Its good due to the damage output from other champions and the low defences from Ahri
Lets put a good example
If you build luden on Ahri and get unfortunately stunned by Syndra then comboed you can get oneshotted
If you build Roa on Ahri and get unfortunately stunned by Syndra then comboed you don't get oneshotted, and you can oneshot her instead even if you have some less damage for not building Luden
Plus it gives survavility in teamfights which is very needed as a damage dealer for a small trade-off of damage
Only reason to build Luden is to if you need to really one-shot an enemy squishy that is taking over the game.. which from my experience, those are the hypercarries: Jinx and Kayle
Because hypercarries when unleashed just deal too much dmg per sec
However against normal carries like a Jhin... even if hes going 7/0 you can deal with him with Rod, if you can wait enough to get your 3rd item: Rabaddon.
With Rabaddon, your build ROA+Seraph powerspikes harder and becomes stronger than the traditional Luden+Shadowflame because you're capable of oneshotting squishies while being tankier.

*All in all, when to go Luden and when ROA on Ahri?*

ROA+seraphs added tankiness to your build is effective against enemy assassins, mages, and adc's that aren't hypercarries.
This is a build that works appropriately in many games.
However, don't build it when you're against champions that are designed to 1v9 and are taking over the game (are fed) OR you're afraid they'll get fed, such as: Katarina (Luden's is better); Jinx (Luden's is better); Kayle (Luden's is better); Olaf (Liandry is better); Nasus (Liandry is better); Wukong (Liandry is better).

Enemy champion comparison:

SYNDRA (ROA is more effective against her): She's squishier than katarina, due to her ranged nature, so having a small tradeoff in damage from getting Luden to be getting ROA, you'll still have enough damage to oneshot her, while having more survavility to not get one-shotted back.

KATARINA (LUDENS is more effective against her): She's a 1v9 designed champ that if you don't kill fast in a teamfight she can take over. She's a melee, means she's tankier than Syndra, which also means that building ROA and sacrificing on some damage can make it so you lack in damage to kill her.
You also, need your build to be stronger earlier, you can't wait to scale against her because she wants to roam early, so you must pressure her in lane and poke her.
If you play passive and scale, she'll roam and take kills which will make the game harder for you.
However, Syndra doesn't look to roam, so you can play more passive and scale to get a stronger build than traditional that will counter her later in the game and be generally more useful in teamfights.


2) Sorcerers' boots: are the most common to take in most games to able to one-shot squishy members (REQUIRED AGAINST HYPER-CARRIES: Kayle or Jinx)...

*Lucidity boots are the best option against very tanky comps to be able to spam your abilities.

*Mercury's Treads: are the best optiion if they have a comp that is very heavy on magic damage: Aniivia mid and Diana jungle.

*Plated Steelcaps: strong against teams heavy on AD, specially AD 'assassins' like Akshan mid. NOT STRONG if you plan to build this only against ADC's! Against adc's shutting them down with sorcerer boots damage, but if their comp based on AD is heavier than traditional then taking Plated Steelcaps can be strong.


3) Seraph's Embrace: Very strong item currently, this iis why we take Tear+2 pots as first item so, after shoes, this one gets transformed into Seraph's instantly.
Gives slightly more AP than Shadowflame and even gives you a shield if they take you low, which Ahri VERY MUCH needs due to her squishiness despite her mobiility,

SERAPH'S EMBRACE: -3000 GOLD COST


+80 ABILITY POWER (101,5) + 15 AP = 116 AP = 2523 gold
+10 ABILITY HASTE = 267 gold
+250 HP = 667 gold
+860 MANA = 1204 gold
+SHIELD = ???
= 4661 gold (TOTAL GOLD EFFICIENT)

SHADOWFLAME: -3000 GOLD COST

+100 ABILITY POWER = 2175 gold
+200 HP = 534 gold
+20-10 MAGIC PENETRATION = 467 gold
= 3176 gold (TOTAL GOLD EFFICIENT)

4) Rabadon's Deathcap or Void Staff: Since you have a bit less of damage as a trade-off for other stats to make your Ahri strong, I suggest Rabaddon after Seraphs,, (or void staff if they're building MR much), necessarily, so you can carry the game when it most matters and is mostly decided.

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RUNES INFO SECTION FITTING THE META BUILD:

AGAINST RANGEDS:


DOMINATION:

*Electrocute: I'm slowly updating the guiide with the 13.1b patch, so, electrocute is the preferred choice for safe early for scaling AGAINST RANGEDS: (Syndra, Viktor, Zoe, Anivia, Ryze, Lux...) OR champions that can cancel your first strike for which taking electrocute is the safest option: (Katarina - with her daggers) or Zed with his W+Q mechanic that outranges you.

Electrocute Is the most safest and most reliable keystone, suitable for any league circumstance, from all I had tried with Ahri (Aery, Comet, Phase Rush, First Strike).

There's a solid reason why this keystone is the most picked one: it is easy to proc specially with W. It is good in order to have kill pressure with Ahri. It is also good in 2v2 where you focus the same target. Makes your champ to be stronger in the laning phase.

*Taste of Blood: Also the most suitable option for any game, while "sudden impact" being more specific.
As Ahri, the laning phase from lv 1-5 is the toughest experience and you want to have an additional sustain to make the laning phase less tough and more consistent.

*Cheap shot: is not recommended at all unless you build Rylai, which is an item I don't recommend either because it's currently weak in the 13.1B patch.

*Sudden Impact: is weak early until 20 minutes mark...Only build it, if you don't need taste blood.
You don't need taste of blood when you aren't looking to be fighting much in the laning phase and you aren't against a 'counter' that can one-shot you (talon, katarina, qiyana, akalii) (taste of blood can give you a bit of an extra safety against those..), or a tough poking opponent (syndra, viktor), where you'll need the HP recovery to survive the poking in the long run.


*Eyeball Collection: The best because it is the easiest way to reach the 10 stacks for the damage Ahri needs as a champion. The other 2 options are for vision.
In my opinion, vision is overrated in soloq, there's also something called 'intuition' or 'game knowledge' and you don't need to ward every bush. Warding or warding appropriately becomes more important in high elo (master or diamond+?).

*Ultimate Hunter: The best for Ahri.
Ahri only is a champion when she has ult. So take it, if you wanna play with a champion. If not, then in all honestly explain to me why you pick Ahri for. xD

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SORCERY:

*Manaflow Band: Okay so, here comes my recent update of the guide with the 13.1B patch, where I'm giving more priority to manaflow band (for scaling) rather than having an early game power with biscuits.
Why's that? Because I noticed, with the recent buffs on Rod of Ages and Seraphs, these items make Ahri very strong in the mid-game.
So in this patch, instead of playing Ahri for the early game edge, we want to take it slow and scale appropriately till 20th minute mark, when Baron spawns, to be able to take over the game with more runes designed for mid-game spike and with the items that got recently buffed.

*Gathering Storm: It's the ultimate rune for scaling and gives a good enough power at the 20th minute mark with 24 AP, time when we want to start carrying the game.
This AP is also necessary because, since in many games taking Rod of Ages + Seraph will be the optimal (note: NOT in all games), but in many... Just take into account that Rod of Ages despite being very powerful it gives somewhat less damage so we want to remedy the small lack of dmg with extra AP from Gathering Storm, whiich potential into late game is unlimited.

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+10% Attack Speed: Necessary for farming well in the laning phase, having the character smoother or more fast reactionary to dodge enemy's abilties.

+9 AP: Self-explanatory - we need damage to carry.

+Armor, Magic Resist or Health: Are SITUATIONAL. It depends on the enemy's picks... If they take in mid something predatory that can bully you like Anivia, Viktor or Syndra, I'd take magic resist...
but if you're going against something like Yone mid and Elise jungle... Since Yone mid is not as annoying in the laning phase (or doesn't one-shot you like a katarina or qiyana), and Elise is AP.. Taking Health (that btw it scales) is probably the best option.

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RUNES INFO SECTION FITTING THE META BUILD:

AGAINST MELEES:

INSPIRATION:

*First Strike: With the 13.1b update where we want to play ahri more for scaling, First Strike, despite being a rune that in my eyes, have always been a bit broken, frankly, and Riot not nerfing it, it actually shines more in this meta of scaling, so I'm bringing it here.
Only take it against MELEES that can't poke you (Yone, Yasuo, Akali) or lower range champions (Vayne..)

*Magical Footwear: It's a 300 gold that you save from buying boots, with the addition of +10 movement speed.

*Perfect Timing: Grants a free stopwatch at minute 14, however, not as good as magical footwear because it only reduces 250g the gold you need to complete the zhonya (while with magical footwear you save 300g).
While this one also 'forces' you to complete Zhonya, and in some games you shouldn't.

*Future Market: It is a fine rune, It is nice to have, but complicated to explain.. you shouldn't over-abuse it because you get a charged a fee, and you want to take the least fee's possible.
However, in some moments you need the extra 100g to complete and item; then this rune is when it shines in its value for you to carry the game. As you remember we play for scaling in 13.1b patch, so any extra gold is valuable into you.

*Minion Dematerialiizer: Is a good alternative to Future Market. Allows you better wave management, recalling, pushing, wave clearing, might even allow you to roam.
It depends on which minion you want to use it... You get the highest value of damage against minions if you use 1 of those for every type: 1 to melee, 1 to canoon, 1 to ranged; because if you use a 2nd demat into the same type the extra damage added will be halved.
However, you may want to use 2 or even 3 into the canoon to crash your 3x waves faster into the enemy turret, strategically speaking, for better recalling or roaming.
I personally wouldn't use it for any other situation..

*Biscuit Delivery: This rune is for early game sustain. You shouldn't need this because we want to scale.. not trade early. In the long run, the extra 150 mana added to your mana pool is nothing compared to the value that minion demat or future market can give you later in the game.

*Cosmic Insight: The best one because it reduces the CD from valuable summoner spells or items.

*Time warp tonic: just like biscuits, is a more early game oriented rune, and the extra movement speed is temporary.

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DOMINATION:

*Eyeball Collection: the best one for scaling to get the most AP.

*Ultimate Hunter: Simply the best for Ahri to reduce her very needed R cd.

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*+10% Attack Speed: Makes laning phase much smoother and easier to trade and to farm with.
*+9 AP: to make more damage.
*+6 Armor: Usually if you're going with First Strike, melee's are usually AD... But this one is obviously circumstational, if they pick Akali then pick +8 Magiic resist.