NOTE: This is what I call a dynamic build. Meaning that if you have any suggestions or new ideas, I will change the guide so that I include such ideas. Example, I had a friend who suggested attempting to include a in my build. So I have included my thoughts in the ITEM POSSIBILITIES section.

Let me begin by making some things clear and answering any questions lingering in your head but you don't prefer to ask out loud.
1. Why this build?
I am an experienced Anivia player who has tried a large number of builds and would like to share what has worked best for me.

2. Why should I play Anivia?
Anivia is not for those who want an auto-win button. The easiest thing about Anivia you will find is picking her in the champion select. She can drop huge amounts of damage with two spells. can hit twice and can hit for double damage. Her is an amazing spell that can change the tide of any battle if used correctly.
In conclusion, Anivia is a high-skill cap champion who can dominate as a potent nuker.

3. Do I follow this build exactly as presented?
No, this is what I have found to work best for ME. This does not mean that it will work for everyone. I will provide alternatives that have also proven successful.

4. Nothing is set-and-stone. I am open to other ideas and critiques. I only have one rule, if you do see something you do not like, tell me what it is, why you hold your position and what solutions/alternatives you suggest. This also applies to concepts that you find strong in this build. Information is power and the more feedback I have the better guides I can make.

So lets begin. I am going to be covering a lot of ground, so I will assume most of you know the skills well enough to just need a refresher.


Skills

Q - Flash frost: Sends a slow-moving projectile in the direction of your cursor. Press Q after launch to make the projectile burst. Slows on impact and stuns if target is hit by burst. Will damage twice if the target is hit by the projectile then the burst.

W - Crystallize: Creates a wall at the desired location. Angle depends on relative position between you and the cursor.

E - Frost Bite: Sends a shard of ice at your target. If target is already affected by ice, will do double damage.

R - Glacial Storm: An AoE spell that deals damage per second and slows move and attack speed of anyone in it.

To make things shorter, I am just going to cover the main items, why I chose them, and other ideas that could replace them in other sections.

Rush Catalyst the Protector This will help you stay in lane and builds into other items later on. A strong choice for any Anivia build IMO.

Then get Kage's Lucky Pick. This will help you earn gold a bit quicker and it is needed for

Now get your . I have found that this is a little bit later than what most people like, so you might want to get before Kage's Lucky Pick.

is next. This will help tremendously with any mana issues and builds into .

Then comes . It is key that you have the bonus 1000 mana ASAP, so be sure to check bushes with your wall, use your Q to farm minions and make sure to use your ult to slow enemies.

is next on our list. Early CDR and nice mana regen to compliment archangel's staff makes this a prime choice for Anivia. See below for further explanation.

Now we get to the fun stuff, . I usually start off by buying a so that by my next recall I will have enough to buy .

Nearing the end of the item sequence, sell Catalyst the Protector, grab a and upgrade that into a ASAP! I sometimes trade this for other items which I will explain later. I just like the extra magic pen.

The last item (learn to use it) is . I have found that this helps with tanks and cool down reduction. It is key that you use this when your target has full HP. This item I only started using recently. Before this I would get because it gives a much larger AP boost and at 20 stacks it provides a nice cool down. The only issue was that tanks were still a small issue. seemed like an option that was viable. However I do still have the urge to go back to . Either will do nicely.

UPDATE 12/21/2010 - The ideal replacement would have been mejai's. Mejai's gives 20 AP + 8 per stack. So max it would give an additional 180 AP. However Deathfire already gives the 15% cool down and it's active deals 1/3 of the current target HP. So lets assume on average most champions have 2k health. 1/3 of 2000 is 633 (also .333333333.. but who's counting?). Mejai's could boost your AP to deal an equal amount. But 20 stacks is not easy to obtain. So deathfire is like a mejai's (fully stacked) designed to single out one target.


UPDATE 02/17/2011
After much consideration, I actually find that is a great item for Anivia. CDR, mana regen and AP. I have changed it so that it replaces Rod of Ages. Here's my reason why.
Yes RoAs gives more actual mana, HP and 5 more AP. However 15% CDR means that you can use spells more often. Also the mana regen also means that you can stay in lane for longer periods. While 15% may not seem like much, add on deathfire grasp and then you have the ability to cast a much larger number of spells in team fights.

There are a few items in the initial build sequence that I would consider replacing. These items are as follows


The first two items listed can be replaced by
or or or
MS is best used if you are feeling confident and the enemy has little magic resistance. Consider getting this right before .
For WotA, I would get this after but I have found that you can get it earlier or later without any noticeable downsides.
AS is nice if the team is heavy on AP characters and it helps in team fights. If anything would be the item to replace for AS.
is a great item.I would trade for lich bane so I could move a bit quicker, I could drop more damage without much micro and it gives 30 magic resist. A strong choice for a replacement.

Now for , the best alternative would be OR . The passive from Catalyst is just so helpful that I can't find a situation where it's not welcome. If you find that you are too squishy and often in bad positioning, either will help give you some slack. So instead of selling Catalyst keep it until level 16 at least.

UPDATE 12/22/2010 Another option if you want higher AP is to keep
Catalyst theProtector until level 18. At this point it no longer is much use to you so you can sell it and buy another AP item. Radon has a good idea to substitute the item for Archangel Staff.

UPDATE 02/17/2011
With recent changes to Anivia, I have slightly changed the item build which means more options for alternatives.

Suggestions are welcome! All I need is a good reason why you think XYZ item should be considered! These suggestions will go into the ITEM POSSIBILITIES section until fully tested and reviewed.




Item Possibilities

These are items that I have considered including in my build. However the ideas I have are still in the prototype stage and haven't fully been tested. Once I test them I will either place them in the alternatives list or leave them here.

Good if the enemy has heavy AD, might consider this over RoA or BV.

Kind of on the border with this. The majority of Anivia's skills already slow, but the extra HP boost is something to consider. I would be cautious with this, it's a lot of gold for a passive you basically already have.

Now this one I initially dropped completely. is basically a for attack. It would help survivability, but consider that froste bite has a very short CD at max level. This would allow you to auto-attack once, hit them with frost bite, drop your wall and glacial storm, stun them with flash frost and then hit them again with frost bite. Just a thought.

Compared to seals and marks, glyphs give the greatest AP boost.

UPDATED 01/31/2011
I considered getting AP, but I find that even 1.8 AP at level 18 per 9 seals doesn't give you that strong of a boost. I already have magic pen, so the cool down reduction is a nice addition. CD is a strong choice for runes, but so is mana regen. So I am going to say get which ever one you can use more often. Since most of the champions I play are somewhat mana hungry I typically go with mana regen.



Like glyphs, marks have the highest magic pen when compared to glyphs and seals. Since flat magic pen stacks (unlike which gives diminishing returns if stacked) I have 9 of them to make my spells early game hurt considerably more.

I know this doesn't give you the greatest AP possible, but flat AP is nice to have early game. It allows you to have strong spells without needing your first item AP booster like
or .

Rune's aren't my focal point, so feel free to make any suggestions! I will post any suggestions with their explanations below this line!

I love flash, most people use it as an escape mechanism, but I prefer to use it as a offensive maneuver. Flash in range of your glacial storm and throw down your wall. A great way to catch the enemy by surprise.

Minimum time spent losing experience and gold? Yes! The longer you lane the better, but the longer you lane and less time spent walking is even better. Late game it helps you be able to move around the map quicker.

Another useful skill early game, but not necessary if you play smart. If you have issues managing your mana, go for it.

I've seen it work, I have used it, just nice all around. I would trade teleport for this if I am in a 3v3.

Who doesn't like a skill that is the bane for DPS champions? Also include the fact that glacial storm drops attack and movement speed.

A common spell, helps with chasing and escaping.


UPDATE 01/31/2011 After reviewing a fellow Anivia build, I suggested that he included some research in his guide. I gave him an example that I find you help in this area. So thanks to Rayjax for encouraging me to do some research on runes vs summoner spells. Go check it out sometime.

Level 1:
Clarity will give 190 mana every 153 seconds.
Seal of clarity would give you 27.54 mana in 153 seconds. (if you have 9)
S. of replenishment would give 112.914 mana in 153 seconds. (also if you have 9)

Level 9:
Clarity: 430 mana every 153 seconds
S. of clarity: 247.86 mana every 153 seconds
S. of replenishment: still 112.914 mana in 153 seconds

level 18:
Clarity: 700 mana every 153 seconds
S. of clarity: 495.72 mana every 153 seconds
See above for replen.

So it looks like clarity (the summoner spell) is better, but you are not going to be casting it every chance you get. So lets say you only use it every other 153 seconds cause you don't need it very often. Well then it is still better at low levels but then is much less effective late game.



Should I say it again? Sure. Suggestions are welcome! Just make sure you explain why you think XYZ summoner spell would work well.

Normally I would not make a farming section, but I have seen many Anivia's that have issues farming.

First of all don't use your ult to farm until level 11. I am going to say this again below but just to make sure I get my point across, you ult is mana hungry. by rank 3 can clear all three of the mage minions if you can land the spell both times.

Practice last hitting. Anivia's auto-attack projectile speed is very slow. You will need to learn the timing of it to last hit effectively. Anivia's range also makes it a bit harder as you will need your attack to land within a specific time that your minions are attacking. Last hitting then takes extreme focus to do proerly as you have to know which minion you will kill first and last and how quickly all the others are dieing.


UPDATE 02/17/2011
Correction, your ult is THE MOST MANA HUNGRY FARMING SPELL IN THE GAME! So please refrain from using it to farm until you are a high level.

First things first, this guide is not compatible with MacLaren's pro method of playing Anivia. Very few builds are so here's a video of a style that is NOT recommended for this build.


So apparently there is an unknown embedded type... so here is the link.
MacLaren's Pro Player Anivia Pro Guide Pro

Yes... I know all of you are truly disappointed. But we must move past this unfortunate lost.
The list of what not to do is pretty simple.

1. Do not let be the last spell you cast. It has a very short cool down and the sooner you cast it, the sooner you can cast it again. However make sure that the enemy has been hit by some other ice move.

2. Don't waste mana early game. If you can use and get some minion kills and harass, go ahead. Don't use it to harass alone due to it being very simple to dodge.

3. Don't abuse your ult early game. When you hit level 6, it is very tempting to use . The only time when you should use it is when attacking an enemy champion, making an escape, or getting the last 1-2 hits on minions. At it's first level will spend more mana than it's worth farming a wave. If you are good with you will find that it can farm minions just fine by level 3-4.

4. Don't be in the front lines! Yes Anivia has her egg, but mid and late game it is very easy to kill. Stay in the rear of the team dropping spells.

5. If you have little or no mana, it would not be wise to avoid in a team fighting unless it is at a tower. One well placed wall or stun can stop a push.

6. Don't avoid blue buff! You are a caster, a very mana-hungry caster. If you don't have a jungle, have someone help you get blue buff early game. Mid-late game, try to always get blue buff if it's free. Extra mana regen and cool down reduction helps *insert some adverb that makes the buff seem very helpful*!

Should I... why not? Suggestions as to what NOT to do as Anivia are welcome! (We might get some funny things out of this)

TEAM WORK IS VITAL!! IT IS SO VITAL IN FACT THAT ALL OF THESE WORDS WILL BE IN CAPS TO STRESS THE POINT! ANIVIA HAS A TENDENCY TO ONLY BE AS GOOD AS THE TEAM! BASICALLY SHE IS A TEAM RELIANT CHAMPION IN MOST CASES. IF YOUR TEAM FEEDS THEN DO NOT EXPECT TO BE CHANGING THE GAME ANYTIME SOON! IT CAN BE DONE HOWEVER BUT IT IS MUCH MORE DIFFICULT!
KNOW HOW YOUR TEAM WORKS, ADAPT THEN ACT. IF YOUR TEAM TANK IS NERVOUS OF INITIATING, USE FLASH FROST TO STUN A TARGET OR TWO TO HELP THEM OUT. IF THE ENEMY TARGETS YOUR CARRY, HELP THEM OUT. YOUR WALL, ULT AND STUN WILL BE MOST WELCOME!

BE A POSITIVE FORCE FOR YOUR TEAM! I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MANY GAMES I LOST CAUSE TWO OF MY TEAMMATES WERE FIGHTING WITH EACH OTHER AS THE REST OF US WERE TRYING TO WIN A 3V5 TEAM FIGHT!

Anivia in a ranked game is a scary sight. The line between decent and good Anivia's is very hard to cross over. With the right skills you can effectively hold off 3-4 guys on your own as Anivia late game. However since it is ranked and the skill is much higher you must be on your best game as well.

is almost a must. Many people in ranked know that Anivia can be a devastating mid. However Anivia is very simple to harass so you must play very carefully. If you have low health but you have enough money to buy your next item and is up, go ahead and recall and get your item then teleport back up.

As master Yoda would say... "Use the wall you must!". From my experience the greatest game changing skill at Anivia's disposal is . It can stop someone from running, can split an enemy team in half, give you the perfect set up for and provide a means for escape. Master this first and you will be loved by your team. I actually miss the bug where you could make a champion be stuck in your wall, I got quite good at doing it so it was basically to me a snare so then I can stun them with FF.

Stay in proper positioning. Ranked players are often much smarter than others and will focus you down if they get the chance. Do not give them that opportunity.

Take out high priority targets. These are targets that if left alone will rip your team apart. Members of these groups include (but not limited to)...
Yi
Tristana
Ashe
Sivir
Warwick
Corki
Akali
Annie
Other Anivias
Evelyn
Fiddlesticks
Jax (note: whenever you face an enemy Jax, kill him. His greatest weakness is the presence of a caster and will destroy anyone else that isn't.)
Katarina
Kennen (make sure you hit him from long range)
Malzahar
Miss Fortune
Pantheon
Teemo
Twisted Fate
Xin Zhao

Also be careful for champions who have no problem in killing you. This includes anyone with an easy silence (Kassadin or LeBlanc) or ignore your damage until late game (magic tanks and specifically Olaf).

In conclusion, just play smart and you will do fine.

READ!! READ!! READ!! READ!! READ!!
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Like stated at the beginning, this is a DYNAMIC BUILD. So please post ideas and suggestions so that I may enhance the build to include those ideas. No build is the perfect build, hence why I want you to share your ideas.

I am also looking for comments on the formatting. I am new to making builds (you could count my Sivir build but it is rather lackluster even IMO) so I would love any helpful tips.
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READ!! READ!! READ!! READ!! READ!!

I thought it would be nice if I included some pictures. Post your own of you playing with this build and if they are impressive enough I will post them!