ANIVIA - WILL YOU CATCH A COLD?

Hey Guys,
So this is my Guide to "birdy", ANIVIA - THE CRYOPHOENIX. When I started with League of Legends my first champion was ashe I think, but soon I wanted to play another champ, something special: a champ that I could identify with. I had a look at all champions and somehow I was sold on Anivias Spells, among others because her passive is very special and the wall is something most champions don't have and which can be very fun ;)
Firstly I played her in almost every match, but now I got used to playing other mid champs, too, because you should always be able to counter your opponent...
However, I seem to be pretty good with the icy cold bird because my friends got used to calling me FROGGEN² and so on.
I'm from germany and still attend school and I hope my english skills aren't too bad :)
please forgive my spelling mistakes...
I'm sorry that I don't write a lot here, but it's not easy for me to express my thoughts about Anivia in an appropriate way; I hope you understand that... :S
Well, I hope my guide helps you (at least a bit) and have fun playing Anivia!
Before I forget it, I suggest you listen to this song when playing Anivia ;) :
There's either the "normal song" : The Trashman - Surfin'Bird
Or the heavy version, which I prefer xD : SODOM - Surfin'Bird

The runes I use are typical AP-carry runes: MrP Marks, AP/lvl Glyphs, MP5/lvl Seals and AP Quints.
I think this is quite without controversy and I hope you'll agree that this is the most reasonable version which runes to use.
Magic penetration helps you doing damage to your opponents, when they start building magic resist against you, for example because you frighten them ;)
Mana regeneration is sooo important on Anivia. Anivia without mana could also stay in base and dance :D (second part of the video).
If you always have enough mana, you can easily harass your opponents (if you want to) and farm pretty well with your spells as well as push your lane very fast.
The additional AP from marks and Quints give you some extra damage which especially is very fun with your e-skill, frostbite. I've seen so many people, who became desperate when I combined q+e or r+e and they lost halflife.

With the masteries it's the same as with the runes. Basically the masteries I use are normal AP-carry ones with 21|0|9.
This version of masteries enhance:

-Your summoner spells (Flash & Ignite)
-AP
-Mana(regeneration)
-cooldown
-and some other small but not less usefull things

--> So all the things a midlaner loves :) These things give you sustain and help you bursting down your enemys.

Building Anivia, I start with boots to be able to dodge enemy spells and simply to be faster (for helping on other lanes et cetera). 3 Healthpots give you sustain and you can feel a bit more safe because it's not such a big problem if an enemy hits you.



Then I buy a dorans ring because in my opinion this is a great Item(gives you everything you need in early game : mana regen, AP and some health). Later in the game you sell it again becasue it loses its effectivity and you need the item slots for your main items.



and then, as soon as I can, I buy the Tear of the goddess so I'm able to get the max. mana on it. If you first want to buy one of the sub-items of it, I would prefer the meki pendant so you shouldn't run out of mana because Anivia is very Mana reliant.



The Catalyst has a related effect: on leveling up you regain mana and health which is great, among others because in early game you should level up pretty fast. Additionally the Catalyst gives you more max. mana and health which makes you kind of "tanky" and enables your use of spells for a longer duration, so you should be fine staying on your lane quite long.


After that, I buy improved shoes (magic penetration, what else?) and build the Rod of Ages out of the Catalyst. Depending of you play style this should still happen quite early in the game so the 10-minute stack time should fit fine.



Then, for more AP and as a consequence for more damage, I buy the Rabadons Deathcap, which almost every AP-carry should have (I said almost! ;) ). So far you should have about 380 AP, which makes your Frostbite very effective.



The Abyssal Scepter also gives you AP (DAMAGE!!! haha) but its your possibility to deal damage to those opponents, who start to stack Magic resistance. So you should be fine against more or less tanky teams (for example against a Galio, but I suggest then you should buy some more magic penetration...).



Afterwards I continue with Rylai's Crystall Scepter. I think its a good choice on anivia, cause you slow enemies even more, that your spells (q + r) do anyways. In addition it gives you health, which gives you sustain and lets you survive teamfights more easily. Last but not least the AP this item gives you....



Finally I build the Archangels's staff out of the tear of goddess. This Should give you a lot of AP and so much mana regeneration that you should never run out of mana again. Especially im combination with the mana from the Rod of ages and the (hopefully) already maxed Tear of the goddess, this is your complimentary ticket for destructive damage, primarily with your Frostbite.

Of course the selection of the right items always depends on the enemy team. Additionally it's a matter of taste!. Some other possibilities for items are:

-Hextech revolver: A little bit more sustain in the laning phase. It especially works well with your ultimate, giving you a good amount of Live per second, which is quite useful in teamfights as well.


-An Abyssal Scepter doesn't harm either, because it doesnt only help you doing more damage by reducing enemy's magic resist and reducing magic damage taken, but also your teammates if they're doing magic damage.


-Void Staff, same as the abyssal scepter, giving you more damage potential by reducing enemy magic resist. I'd only buy this, if the enemies really start builing tank/magic resist items. If they dont have an incredible amount of magic resist, I'd prefer the abyssal because of the additional magic resist.


-Zhonya's Hourglass, especially against ad teams or if you're a lot in danger of dying. Maybe you should consider buying this item if you're quite fed and should'nt die becasue your team needs the damage you deal. A guardians angel would have the same effect, but I prefer items giving you at least a bit AP for bursting enemies in fight.

or you could...

-...buy 2 dorans rings in the beginning
-...buy 2 Archangel's staffs for very much damage (I did this once and had about 950 AP, but then I had a lack of some other things)
-and I've seen people buying 2 Rod of Ages and I think it's not a bad idea

Of course you might also change the sequence of the items (more or less), but the tear of goddess and the rod of ages should always be bought early in the game.

AND: Please buy wards against enemy ganks! ;)

The spell you should max first is Frostbite, because it's your main damage output and when it's on the max rank at lvl 9, you're able to frighten your opponent a lot. The double damge effect on it makes it a combination spells with your Flash Frost and Glacial Storm.


After maximizing Frostbite, you should upgrade q & w by turns, because they're both important. Upgrading Flash Frost gives you more damage output, upgrading crystallize enables blocking wider areas and controlling your opponents among others by seperating and blocking them.

You should always use Frostbite in combination with Flash Frost or/and Glacial Storm. Possible combos are:

-very easy: q + e: you simplay shot your Flashfrost and if it hits the enemy, you shot your Frostbite. The version e + q doesn't work (like e + r), because Frostbite flies faster than Flashfrost



-r + e With your ultimate chilling the opponent, your Frostbite does huge damage. Also possible: r + e + q



-e + r The same thing, but you have to be skilled for this. You first shoot your Frostbite and then quick activate Glacial Storm so the opponent becomes chilled before your Frostbite hits him. The Advantage is, that it happens very fast and the enemy can't react well. Also possible: e + r + additional q; Example:

Play Video





-q + r + e This version is reliant on not missing your Flash Frost. If the opponent is stunned, you can easily place your Storm + Frostbite. Another possibility, which is quite similar, is q + e + r. The same thing, you only shot your Frostbite first and then have to place your Glacial Storm fast enough to get the target chilled:

Play Video





-r + q + e This way, the opponent is slowing by your ult, so it's easy to hit him with Flash Frost and then Frostbite





You can use your wall to force enemies to stay in your Glacial Storm or to force them to follow a special path so you can aim you Flash Frost pretty well. Additionally You can use Crystallize to seperate the enemy team so it becomes a 3 vs 5 or a 2 vs 5 for example. But don't fail your wall; it could make you lose a teamfight, for example if you seperate your own team. the wall also works as a "ward", it reveales the area, where you plaace it. This can be usefull to check, whether enemies are in brushes, do dragon or baron.
Especially in the jungle you can escape well with the wall because it blocks the whole path.
A very rare possibility is to "stun" enemys by pressing them against obstacles with your Crystallize:

Play Video




You can do double damage with your Flash Frost, if you let it pass through the enemy and let it explode right behind him.





Anivia's passive is very strong, especially in early game, when the enemies don't have enough damage output to destroy it. Use it to play kind of aggressivly, because you shouldn't die easily with your egg (and maybe flash) up. Sometimes you can even kill the attacker when he tries to kill your egg and you suddenly are alive again and can burst him down with the help of your combo and the devastatig damage of Frostbite.




Here's one example, how it might look like, if your pretty fed...
Personally I like the music (Breaking Benjamin - Blow Me Away)

Play Video

I always take Ignite + Flash as summoner spells.


Flash is a great spell: on the one hand for playing aggressive as a gap-closer, for example if you want to burst down an enemy who is too far away or to surprise him so he can't react fast enough. On the other hand as an escape spell. I favour flash here over ghost, because you can get over walls for example.


Ignite can help you to do even more damage and to avaoid enemys lucking away with low health. Additionally it's strong against champions with healing abailities or health pots. Ignite perfects your combo of Flash Frost, Glacial Storm and Frostbite (or in a different order).

Some other possibilities could be:

-Ignite + ghost


-Ignite + teleport (but no really good escape spell in this version)


-ghost + flash



personally, I'm not very convinced of Clarity on Anivia, but maybe for beginners it could be helpfull because, as already said, Anivia needs a lot of mana to be effective.

Pros:

-High Damage with combos, especially Frostbite
-Wall and passive (egg) are very special & fun
-Wall can change a lot in fights; save lives of your teammates
-good farming potential
-funny dance
-has stun & slow; even attack speed is slowed --> decrease of enemy damage, especially of their ad carry

cons:

-slow
-very mana reliant
-her spells don't strike always (you can miss them, for example Flash Frost or Glacial Storm if you don't place it well)
-In my opinion that's all, but I <3 this champ so maybe I overlook some minor things... ;)

Only to mention it again a bit more detailed:
Anivia has some usefull spells in teamfights, which help her team to be more succesfull.

With your Flashfrost you can stun high damage dealing opponents or you can use Glacial Storm to deal damage to all enemies but especially to decrease the attack speed of the enemy AD-carry so he can't destroy you team any more...
As already mentioned, Crystallize might change and decide teamfights by seperating the enemy team, for example preventing the enemies, who deal the most damage, from attacking your teammates.

Additionally you can gank well on the other lanes. With your stun, slow and your wall the enemies shouldnt get away easily.
You can also help your teammates in the jungle. Anivia can pull Blue and redbuff pretty well by stunning, bursting or/and catching them with your wall so they cant't attack while your teammates kill the golem.

Early game you have to farm with your auto attacks mainly. This shouldnt be a problem to skilled players, but maybe it is difficult for beginners. As the game goes on, you will be able to farm pretty well with your ult and Flashfrost.
You can easily kill a whole creepwave by using Glacial storm and letting Flashfrost pass through the whole minionwave. Finally you can use Frostbite for the big minion in every third minionwave.
With bluebuff you shouldn't have problems with farming if you're level 6 and higher.

Here is one game i played with this build. Unfortunately it was a defeat, but only because of my feeding teammates :/




This one was even against Anivia's strongest counter, Fizz (I can't prove this to you, you have to believe me ;) )



Crème de la Crème, probably one of my best Anivia games; it was much fun
! ;)





:D








more pictures comming soon ;)