This is my Akali Top Guide. I will go through several things, such as explanations for the runes, items, and summoner spells I use, why I think Akali top is better than mid, and different counters and synergies.

This guide is still a work in progress and will be updated to each patch as they come.

Ever since patch 12.1, Ignite TP Akali has been not as popular. While in the mid lane this makes sense, in top lane we still want these runes just about every game. The preference of TP over flash is just to large. Flash was never super important in combo's and you dont need its mobility. TP on the other hand provides you with a safety net and a way to get more cs/xp in lane. It also provides you with the ability to sidelane mid-late game while still being able to fight for objectives. Overall, it's just better, at least for top Akali.

Dorans Blade vs Dorans Ring - Both of these items provide similar damage, HP, and ability to last hit, but the main thing that they differ in is their difference in healing. In more passive last hitting lanes, the healing from Ring and the extra pot will be more beneficial, but in heavy trade lanes, Blade omnivamp and 40 extra health will be better.

Dorans Shield - Should only be built in ranged matchup and really hard matchups like pantheon, kled, and renekton.

Long Sword - You should only go this if you are going Divine Sunderer and think you can snowball the lane.

The AP Burst Build should be built in games in which you expect to spend most of your time side laning and only teamfighting for objectives. It provides excellent one shot potential and can work in most top lane matchups unless you fall behind a tank in lane.

Rocketbelt - This is our mythic for this build. Akali really just needs 3 stats early game, AP, Health, and Magic Pen. Rocketbelt provides all of these things along with a dash that can be used for engages to make up for the lack of flash, and for advanced fast combos. I see a lot of people going Night Harvester, but in every situation that Harvester is good, Rocketbelt is better, so going Harvester just doesn't make sense.

Sorc Shoes - This item provides pretty huge damage potential, the other boots just dont match up.

Shadowflame - Our second and last core item, Shadowflame is just "Rocketbelt: The Legendary Item" that just happens to counter shields. Rush this item into champions that have shields/dont build early health.

Zhonyas - Because this build is particularly squishy, Zhonyas is immensely helpful for survival. Build this third most games unless you feel you dont need it.

Lich Bane - After its recent buff, I think that Lich Bane is a staple on Burst Akali. The shean will proc more and it will deal more damage. Great for just straight damage.

Void Staff - Great if the enemy squishies are building against you.

Deathcap - Always last, but the damage it provides is immense, but again, its just straight damage, and REALLY expensive.

Banshees - If the enemy team has that one cc that you need to avoid to be able to get a clean engage off, this is a great item, also good against cc heavy teams.

Mejais - Only good if you are snowballing and already have a 8-10 stack dark seal.

Morello's - Antiheal

The Tanky Akali Build should be built in games where you expect to do a lot of teamfighting with a bit less sidelaning. You can still do exceptional damage while also tanking a lot of damage. It does well in just about every lane matchup despite if you are ahead or behind.

Turbo Chemtank - This item was 100% the mythic to go for a patch, but after its nerf its more of a viable option. It provides engage mobility, huge tankiness, and good damage and wave clear with its passive. Take this in games where there are more damage carries/glass cannons

Riftmaker - This item is more balanced in the stats it provides. It still makes Akali a little more tanky with the life and omnivamp, but gives more damage. Take this mythic in games where there are not as many damage carries/glass cannons.

Sorc Shoes - This item is still king even in the Tanky build, but you can swap out for tanky boots if you feel you really need them to live.

Demonic Embrace - This is your second core item for the Tanky Akali Build. It pairs well with the health stacking that this build provides.

Shadowflame - Your third and final core item for the Tanky Akali Build. While this item seems kind of counter intuitive as it is an assassin item, it still provides health, and the damage that Akali can take from it is to much to pass up. Unless you need one of the situational items as your third purchase, go this third.

Titanic Hydra - While this seems a bit weird(again lol)Akali benefits highly off of this item. It gives her health and AD, both stats that she likes, while also giving her AD scaling based on her bonus health. It also gives on-hit damage which helps with damage and waveclear.

Cosmic Drive - Gives health and AP. The main reason we would build this is for its phase rush like passive. If you feel you need that move speed in a teamfight then this is a decent pickup.

Zhonyas - This fulfills the role of being a primary engage. Despite giving no health, it is kinda needed if you are expected to engage fights.

Dead Mans - Dead mans is a really good anti armor item that can amplify your burst with its passive.

Abyssal Mask - Good anti AP damage, while amplifying your own damage.

Morellonomicon - Antiheal

Randuins Omen - Really good to counter fed crit based champs if you feel you are getting shredded by one.

Force Of Nature - This item really counters AP heavy comps due to the fact that it will give large amounts of move speed, which akali LOVES. It allows for quicker combos and just more combat mobility. The tankiness also really helps

The Tank Buster Akali Build should be used in game where there are 3+ bruisers. This build can both sidelane and teamfight effectively and does well into most lane matchups despite being ahead or behind.

Divine Sunderer - This item is kind of a meme among Akali players, but in the right games can be really devistating. Its like rushing lich bane except you get healing and % health damage. Build when you want to split push more than teamfight.

Riftmaker - Riftmaker still provides anti tank properties such as true damage, but it provides better teamfight due to its ease of use and omnivamp. Go this mythic in games where you expect to teamfight more.

Sorc Shoes - This item provides pretty huge damage potential, the other boots just dont match up.

Demonic Embrace - This is your second and final core item for the Tank Buster Akali Build. It pairs well with the health stacking that this build provides, while also applying a % max health burn.

Zhonyas - This item should be built most games as a third item, especially if you went Riftmaker. Unless you think you dont need it, get this third.

Shadowflame - If the enemy team has 3+ shielders, this is still a good pickup.

Titanic Hydra - This item is still good in this build because of all the HP you build, but if you have or plan to have more than two non health items, you shouldnt be going Titanic.

Morellonomicon - Antiheal

Void Staff - Good if they start to build lots of MR

Banshees - Tanky team comps tend to have quite a bit of CC, so this can be a good pickup.

If you are going with the AP burst build, just take runes based on the lane (conq against tanks/bruisers, elec against squishy targets)

If you are going with the tank/tank buster build, always go conq, it pairs to well with the extended fight playstyle.

You go this rune page in most games. It should be used in every game when you go against a tank/bruiser matchup, regardless of the rest of the enemy team. It still allows you to do lots of burst damage and it allows for strong extended fight

Conq - This keystone synergizes well with akali's ability/auto attack spam playstyle, and allows you to go ham and just kill person after person.

Presence of Mind - This rune is going to allow us to regen energy faster, thus allowing us to have more chances to kill.

Tenacity - The other options aren't very appealing. Attack speed can make for a cleaner combo, but not needed. Bloodline wont heal enough to be worth.

Last Stand/Coup de Grace - Take Coup de Grace against squishy team, last stand into tankier team. Reason being is that coup de grace just does better with assassinating, and last stand does better in extended fights.

Bone Plating/Second Wind - Bone Plating against combo champions to reduce their burst, take Second Wind against ranged/poke heavy laners.

Overgrowth - The health from this rune is really valuable, especially in the bruiser/tank builds.

Go this runepage when the enemy team consists of 3 or more non bruiser/tanks, including your own laner.

Electrocute - This synergizes well with most forms of burst builds and is easily proced by akali.

Taste of Blood/Sudden Impact - Taste of Blood creates good sustain in lane, but into ranged champs, go sudden impact.

Eyeball Collection - This is just good for the snowball. You wont stack it early but it creates nice amount of damage by mid-late game.

Ultimate Hunter- With the removal of ravenous hunter, this is now the best rune to take its place. Akali can be heavily reliant on ult so having it on a lower CD increases your game impact.

Secondary Runes already Explained

Go this into games where you would normally go electrocute, but your laner is a bruiser/tank that you can beat up

Runes Already Explained

Akali mid is vastly more popular role for Akali than is top. While Top lane is still a role that Akali is known to suceed in, its kind of rare to find one going to top lane.

Akali is just straight up better in top for these reasons.

Matchups - In the mid lane, Akali can struggle in a lot of matchups. In ranged matchups, the combonation of lack of pre 6 engage and the short lane make it hard to get kills or generate pressure in lane, causing a losing lane in most games. Some assassins can also present some trouble if being piloted by a skilled player. However, in top lane the only bad matchups are dedicated lane bullies(Panth, Renekton) and damage tanks(Shen, Voli, Mundo). Even the hard matchups can be outplayed early game. Overall, you can function in more lanes allowing for cleaner snowballs.

Long Lane - Akali, despite her high burst, needs some space in lane to get kills. Thus, having more space allows her to get more kills. With the long lane in top, you can easily chase people down that you never could in mid lane.

Punishing - My last point, is that top lane is a punishing role. So in the hands of a good Akali that can create early game leads, you can virtually create 4v5s that could never happen in mid. In mid, you can farm under tower, roam, and fight in skirmishes to get back in the game. However, in top, it is very risky and dangerous to do any of these things, as if they dont work out, you end up with an even greater deficit.