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Annie Build Guide by

Annie - The Nukers Guide (S3)

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51 Comments League of Legends Build Guide Author 1000Lava

Annie Build Guide By Updated on

Guide Discussion (51) More Annie Guides

Choose Champion Build:

Beginners Nuker
Advanced Nuker

Spells:

Ignite

Flash

Items

Start

Early Game

Early Items

Standard Finish

Ability Order

Annie Passive Ability

Introduction

Welcome to my guide. This guide is aimed to help new players learn the ropes to , and help advanced players use her more properly. This guide should help any player in terms of items to buy, strategies, and some in depth looks at some areas. This guide does not focus on survivability aspect but more on the nuking aspect of .

Runes

Greater Mark of Magic Penetration

These are pretty self explanatory. It's magic pen which is a good stat to use for red runes. While you could use a full AP set, these are more aimed for late game where magic pen is more useful. These will do more damage then full AP runes anyway.

Greater Seal of Scaling Mana Regeneration///Greater Seal of Ability Power

I recommend the mana regeneration runes for new players because they are likely to burn up some mana. Once you become more familiar with Annie you shouldn't have any real mana issues unless you prefer the regeneration runes just in case.

Greater Glyph of Ability Power

Flat AP runes. People will often talk about how scaling runes are better because they reach the same potential at level 7, but by level 7 you would already be building a good amount of AP making the extra AP gained after rather useless. I find it more useful to use flat runes and start dealing more significant damage during those level 1-7 when Annie is at her best.

Greater Quintessence of Ability Power

Flat AP runes. These give you a powerful AP boost at the start and are standard for most AP champs.

Masteries & Summoner Spells

Summoner Spells

Ignite

It's ignite. Use it if your combo just wasn't enough and your enemy is as sure as yours even if they try to flash to safety. Combined with the mastery this gives you a small boost in power while on CD.

Flash

It's Flash. This is basically a must normally, but even more so on . Aside from making a nice escape, over half the time you will be using this as a surprise gap closer. Just get your stun ready then flash in and combo them into oblivion when the time is right.

Other Spells

Teleport

This can be useful for ganking. Make sure your teammate wards the enemy bush by their tower and when they get pushed you can teleport to it and gank them from behind. This is more effective if you have teamwork. If you are playing with friends I would recommend trying it if you feel you can go without (I wouldn't really recommend removing ).

Exhaust

Not something I would really recommend but if you are new to it might help you pick up some kills. I would only take this if nobody else has it.

Beginners Skill Sequence & Spells

Ability Sequence
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18

Pyromania

A great passive. One thing I often see beginners do however is cling onto this once they get it. If you cling on to your spell waiting for a moment to use it you will lose easy farm by not using your to last hit minions. If you have a chance to use this, great; if not then just waste it by continuing to farm with .

Disintegrate

I would get this first for beginners and use it to start farming by last hitting minions with it. When you get the kill with this spell it restores your mana which is what gives a great sustain in lane. It's also very easy to kill minions with it. Max this second for overall damage output.

Incinerate

I would get this second. This is what you will max first because it has higher base damage per level as well as AP ratio then . Likely you will stun them with and follow up with before backing off. If you are losing a bit more mana then expected to help save mana try stunning with then following up with an auto-attack.

Molten Shield

A nice spell to get for beginners at level 4. Once you get this you can use it to prevent some damage from the enemy pokes or to brace yourself when you get close with your own poke. Use this when you have 3 charges on your so you can quickly get your 4th charge while running at the enemy to stun them.

Summon: Tibbers

It's a flaming bear that not only deals damage to where it lands, but also does damage to whatever is near it. When you reach level 6 and get this it is time to start nuking down your enemy. Make sure you hurt them with a couple pokes first and that they have around 2/3 of their health or less. ing in and nuking them with your combo will instantly kill them if done right. If not just pop an and they are sure as dead unless you didn't harass enough beforehand.

Beginner Items

First off, let me explain by saying I'm expecting beginners to have no idea what they are doing. If you know the items in game well, I suggest looking at the advanced item guide.

Starting Items

Item Sequence

Standard items for most. These are good beginner items as it helps heal off any damage you might be taking and gives you a bit more mobility. If you think you can outplay your lane easily then go for a first if you're confident.

Early Game

Item Sequence

If you want more information about wards, go read the section on them. Stacking a couple 's early can really help your game if your new. If your getting a lot of farm, you might want to refer to the advanced item guide.

Early Beginner Items

Item Sequence

Good items to grab early. The cap will give you AP while the hourglass will give both AP, some Armor, and most importantly an active that gives 2 seconds of invulnerability. Use the hourglass right and it will save you from a nightmare.

Beginner Late Build

Item Sequence

Feel free to build these in whatever order you want. You will want to try and build the items you want for sure so you might want to go look at the advanced item guide for specific uses. If you didn't know already, you get the by maxing the charges on . Getting max charges can be annoying though so you might want to get sometime early so you can start stacking.

Advanced Skill Sequence & Spells

Ability Sequence
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18

Pyromania

As mentioned in the beginner guide, this is a great stun that you don't want to cling to. Clinging is bad, read the beginner section for obvious reasons.

Disintegrate

Again, it's your main farming tool, except this time your getting it second and maxing it second as well. In this case you will be putting a second point into it at 4 instead of a shield. This makes it even easier to last hit and will improve your damage.

Incinerate

Why are you getting this first? Because you have better things to do than rushing out of spawn at start and standing around dancing for a minute. Grab this first and quickly buy your items. Cast this in front of you 4 times while at the fountain(you will still get out before minions spawn). You now have a level 1 multipurpose AoE stun. This is a great thing to have in case they invade your jungle, if not then just use it on jungle buff to make it easier on jungler. You will be maxing it first since it does more damage then .

Molten Shield

unlike before you will be holding off on this until level 7. This is under the impression you can out harass your enemy without taking much damage. If your getting hurt, then take this like normal at level 4. You won't really need this until level 7 so you can sneak your 4th charge in before ing to the enemy with for your nuke combo. The defense from the shield when fully leveled is often overlooked however. It gives some decent bonuses for when you need them and even a little damage to the adc attacking you not that you want them to be though.

Summon: Tibbers

Same as beginner guide really. Just use it as an opener to nuke down your enemies. When you begin to go into late game you will need to decide who to start nuking between the 3 in front of you or that overfed adc in the back who will pentakill you all. Try coordinating with your team for a priority target or if you are experienced focus who you know you will want dead first.

Advanced Items

This is the advanced item guide which will not only look at build order, but will go more in depth as to how each item will affect and the game.

Starting Items

Item Sequence

Recently some testing had me found starting an and can prove useful as the book gives you more AP then the ring as well as give you a pot to heal off damage. The book can be upgraded into many things ether early on or later. If you are 99% sure you are going to rack up many kills this game you can turn it into a right off the bat.

Early Advanced Items

Item Sequence

Before you ask, no; this isn't an item purchase order. These are the items you will be getting in the beginning depending on the situation. Wards are always a must as they help you and your jungler. The is used if you are falling behind on your farm or if you have just enough gold after you got your desired item and wards. If your only a little behind in farm you should be able to get a couple of 's to help pick you up. Normally you would be going for 's along with wards for your lane. If you are dominating your lane to the point it's not even funny then enjoy your fancy new .

Standard Late Build

Item Sequence

A rather standard build. The end game build is more or less the same as the beginners. Depending on the situation you will want to change this up a bit. You can build these in whatever order you think you will need them. Below is a closer look at some of the items.

Rabadon's Deathcap

An obvious item for an AP caster. Something to note however is if you are doing good in farm such as mentioned before you don't want to rush this right away. After getting a it will be another 1600gold to upgrade it. It is better to spend this 1600 on a second because it is harder to save up 1600gold later and it will give you more AP then the caps passive anyway. I would normally get it right after the second .

Zhonya's Hourglass

You have no idea how important this item is. With little defense it's invaluable to have 2 seconds of invincibility while being focused. Use it at the right time and it's usually enough for your team to save you or to escape. It also gives you a great amount of ability power and some decent armor. This is the item you want to have by the time lategame starts for sure.

Sorcerer's Shoes

You can get these at any point really. I usually get them mid game when I know I need some magic pen and more movement speed. If you think one of the other boots will fit better though get the ones fitting the situation better.

Deathfire Grasp

A good item for nuking down those tankier enemies. I usually build this in mid to late game though as I prefer to get other items first. I would usually get this item depending on if anyone you need to nuke down is getting tanky. If you aren't having much trouble nuking them down maybe get it last or so.

Void Staff

Item that gives both AP and Magic Pen. This item is usually something you get midway when the enemy is starting to build up some MR. If the enemy team doesn't have a tank or anybody really with much MR consider replacing this for another item. It's not to uncommon considering more and more players are focusing health instead of defense.

Seraph's Embrace

Originally I thought this item was a waste, but after some math I realized it's true potential. If you stick to the core build then by the time you finish this item will probably give you a total AP boost of about 150ish all while giving you an amazing active as well. I would buy the sometime early so you can get the max charges early in the game. This item has good stats but is a bit hard to get in some cases. Try to get blue buff when you can to help you spam more abilities and faster to charge it up faster.

Situational Items

I was thinking of putting this in the advanced items section but it was starting to get a bit long and I figured it could use it's own section. Below are some situation items to look at for your advanced item build.

Boots

Item Sequence

If the enemy team doesn't have much MR then consider getting some other boots depending on the situation. I would use if they seem AD heavy, if they look to have a good amount of CC and if you are dominating your lane so you can go gank other lanes easier.

Elixir of Brilliance

Mentioned it before but it's good to do it again here. Use it if your farm isn't going so well and you need that extra boost. Also useful to get it if you just got an item and have a little left over but nothing else to get. People often underestimate it's power but it could be just what you are looking for in the situation. It lasts 3min and persists through death. You can also buy it with a full inventory for an instant starting effect making it a good late game item as well.

Oracle's Elixir

If the enemy has a stealth champion or is warding your area this might be a good buy if nobody else is getting it. With the recent nerf it's not as great as it used to be for the price.

Banner of Command

Okay, so I myself have never really had a need for it. But if you need a lane pushed then this isn't a bad item if no one else can do it. The promoted minion also gets you gold when it kills so it's not a bad item as it also gives some AP.

Mejai's Soulstealer

Probably one of the most situation items there is. If your lane is getting so dominated that you have enough time to go and gank another lane for kills then get this. Otherwise if your doing normal or just good I wouldn't really go for it unless you expect to go 20-0.

Morellonomicon

AP, CDR, and some mana regen. If your looking to replace one of your items it's not a bad item for the job.

Will of the Ancients

A nice item if you have another AP caster on your team.

Twin Shadows

Not an item you see often. It's a good item if that one enemy keeps getting away from you.

Banshee's Veil

A good defensive item if your getting focused by enemy AP casters. This item ironically is a great hard counter against champions like . If an enemy has this on when you go to flash in and nuke them with tibbers not only will tibbers initial damage be absorbed but so will the stun which will screw you over in the end.

Quicksilver Sash

If the enemy is heavily CC and your other defensive items aren't enough you might want to consider this.

Abyssal Scepter

Again, if your team has other AP champions then I would consider getting an item like this.

Guardian Angel

If your getting really focused this might be for you if you don't have enough from the other defensive items. The couple seconds it takes to revive you should be enough time for your teammates to already get their attention and help get you out or so. This is really just a pure defensive item though so I would only get it if you really need it.

Rod of Ages

This used to be a part of the core but got swapped out for a better item. This item is still good on if you want to buy it earlier but once you get around to your higher levels it's a good option to sell it off and finish your build as the bonuses are minor by that point.

Seeker's Armguard

This is going to be a part of your core build anyway, but you should probably go for it early if your lane is an AD so you can get some armor with your AP. If you do have a mid AD then I would get ether the cloth or tome as a starting item along with pots. Armor if you think you will get harassed or the tome if you think you can harass better at the start. Regardless of what you build first I would build it into an armguard as fast as possible to maximize it's effect.

Warmog's Armor

Still doing some testing, but it works on . Because of health is general a good stat on . This is an item I would get if they have assassin types on their team like . This will make it hard for them to quickly kill you and more importantly will give your teammates time to kill them while focusing you and failing.

Bad Items

Below are some items that might look good, but are actually bad with .

Rylai's Crystal Scepter

I've seen to many people make this mistake. AP and Health are good stats on right? Maybe if it was cheaper, but this item is expensive and the main reason is because you are paying for the slow. The thing is this item just doesn't reach it's potential on a nuker like . Annie is meant to almost instantly kill the opponent. There is no real need for any slows like this especially for it's cost. You can waste your gold on it if you want, but it's just not as great of an item on . There are better items to spend the gold on.

Liandry's Torment

Again, I've seen to many people make this mistake. This item has also been nerfed twice. Does this item sound OP? Maybe on other champions but the truth is it's near useless on . The passive that burns the enemies for a percentage of their current health isn't as great as you think. For starters, the effect is simply refreshed, not stacked. So when you go in and nuke the enemy down to 500 health, even if you get the double effect that's only 50 magic damage it will deal to the enemy. This items effect is just wasted on . Again, there are betters items to spend the gold on.

Athene's Unholy Grail

Again, it's more aimed at mana and restoration. Not that useful on .

Hextech Gunblade

It's pricey and more aimed for hybrid champions. I can see it being useful but you just have better things to spend the gold on.

Iceborn Gauntlet

I can see it looks like a nice defensive choice, but you are a nuker and will want to focus on offense more.

Lich Bane

Yes, it looks nice, but is a nuker. There's no time for auto-attacks to make it useful.

Spirit of the Spectral Wraith

Again, it's just not for you.

Trinity Force

Your not a hybrid, stop acting like one! When I first joined and had no idea what I was doing, this was the most expensive and fanciest looking item so naturally I thought "This must be the best item in the game". For the new players reading this let me tell you right now, it's not.

Combos & Tactics

This is more of a quick note on how to fight with .

Standard Lane(early):

Normally you would harass them a bit with a spell of your choice. Maybe chuck a couple 's at them or get them with a couple 's. Before level 6 just keep this up while watching your own health and if they get to about 1/3 of their health or so flash in and stun them then hit them with , , and in any order.

Standard Lane(level 6+):

At 6 you will be able to full out nuke them with your combo. As before hurt them a little with a couple spells. When they have about 2/3 health you can flash in and stun them with before following up with , , and in any order. It's important to start with tibbers as he does both basic attack damage and magic damage around him while he is summoned. If this doesn't kill them try working their health a bit lower next time before going in for the nuke.

Full power:

This combo is usually used to quickly take out tankier enemies in the teamfights. You will want to open with your then perform the full combo as mentioned above. Normally you would want to aim for the person who needs to die the most in order for you to win, that's usually a squishy who's dealing crazy damage anyway so this combo isn't always needed.

Jungler:

Normally you want your lane warded so you can see when the jungler gets there. Always be careful of how far you are in lane. Normally near your tower is safe, between the bushes is cautious, and near enemy tower is dangerous. If the enemy jungler is someone squishy like you might be able to get a kill. Usually you wait under tower and if one tries to rush you just stun them with a normal spell or if they hit you use for full nuke since tower will deal damage as well. When they are pushing you back ping your tower so your jungler can come help.

Multi-Lane:

If you have 3 or more on your lane because another lane came to push you will need someone to help guard tower or else you will have to abandon it since you don't want to die under it. Normally when a lane is getting pushed like that the other lane should be helping but they don't always do. Ping for any assistance anyway and most importantly avoid dying. Towers are important but in a case like this you will die and lose the tyower.

Side Note:

If you haven't already be sure to look at your key bindings. Bind important keys such as smart-casting to your normal spell keys and I prefer to bind my level up spells to the 1-4 keys above. Be sure to bind item slots as well for activatable items as well as other key binding you might want to look at depending on the character.

Match-ups

This is still being worked on. It should at least identify who you should be cautious with, but for now due to some reasons only the first half is ready. Expect the other half up tomorrow or the day after at most. Be sure to note that skill plays greatly into the game so even if someone is playing a counter if they don't have the skill you can likely still do good depending on the skill gap. Likewise just because they are playing someone you should own doesn't mean you will just by playing Annie.

Ahri

Essence Theft
Orb of Deception
Fox-Fire
Charm
Spirit Rush

Role: Counter

Ahri is a popular champion. That is why you will see skill gaps in the people who play her. Make no mistake that she has more range and higher mobility making it easy for her to counter you when played right. For the most part try to focus on farming and you should be fine. At level 6 it will be even more dangerous as she can easily tower dive you or run from a gank. If she does try to dive you at decent health use your stun and combo then run back or around the tower in an attempt to get the tower to finish her. A Deathfire Grasp may be your friend in this case. Blasting her out of lane isn't really on option, so never fall behind on your farm.
Counter Items:

Akali

Twin Disciplines
Mark of the Assassin
Twilight Shroud
Crescent Slash
Shadow Dance

Role: Normal

Akali might be a bit tricky to deal with. Her range however is close to yours meaning it will often be easy to harass her and get away before anything to big bursts out. You will need to be familiar with Annie's range and know how to move properly if you want to win this fight since it's more skill based. At level 6 things get a bit rougher since she can easily close the gap distance. If you do harass her at this stage try to keep a stun ready by harassing when you have 3 charges so if she jumps you cans tun her. Also try to stay near tower since it will be hard to escape from her normally.
Counter Items:

Anivia

Rebirth
Flash Frost
Crystallize
Frostbite
Glacial Storm

Role: Normal

Her Flash Frost has a good range but if you can sidestep it and dodge it she won't be to much trouble. Rebirth makes killing her a pain so I would focus more on farming lane as it will be hard if she gets under her tower before she dies. If the enemy knows how to play her she can become your worst nightmare, so play cautiously with this one. I would often get ready for an attack at any moment so try to have a stun ready. If lucky they might have a squishy jungler you can get kills off of instead.
Counter Items:

Annie

Pyromania
Disintegrate
Incinerate
Molten Shield
Summon: Tibbers

Role: Normal

It's another Annie. Granted you will only see this kind of a match-up in blind picks. It should mostly come down to who is the better Annie. Most other Annie's however follow a more sustainable build so things might work differently. You should use your advantage of greater nuking power to harass then nuke her while she is usually to busy building that rod of ages. Of course you should be extremely cautious post 6 since she just like you will flash to you and combo you for the kill. I would not recommend staying in the lane below 75% health by that point so consider grabbing some health pots to maintain lane sustain. Don't forget to keep up your farm and ganks should work effectively. If she is following a nuker build like yours then it's mostly who can burst who down first so be careful.
Counter Items:

Brand

Blaze
Sear
Pillar of Flame
Conflagration
Pyroclasm

Role: Counter

One of the more well known Annie counters. Like most he just out-ranges you and will make your life difficult. If the player is not to familiar with Brand, you may be able to keep up your farm and play it out. If you have a jungler with good stuns then a good gank could help you win the lane. I would only push his tower if he is not on the lane because you killed him. If he is off the lane going to another lane to gank you should predict which lane he went to and help it.
Counter Items:

Cassiopeia

Deadly Cadence
Noxious Blast
Miasma
Twin Fang
Petrifying Gaze

Role: Counter

She will out-range you. To make things worse she can easily combo as well as poison you. You will want to keep a good distance away as you try to last hit farm. If you feel you can take her down from %100 health then at 6 or 7 you can try to Flash in and nuke her down, although this is risky. As usual I would recommend trying to get your jungler to help gank.
Counter Items:

Cho'Gath

Carnivore
Rupture
Feral Scream
Vorpal Spikes
Feast

Role: Counter

He has 2 CC abilities along with an ult that does a large amount of true damage. Depending on his item build, he might be tankier then you can handle after awhile. Try and out farm him and avoid getting caught in any traps of his. If he eats you it will only set you back more. Jungler may be able to help gank if you think you can burst down most of his health. Farm is the biggest key to this lane. Roam a bit to other lanes if you think you can pick up kills.
Counter Items:

Diana

Moonsilver Blade
Crescent Strike
Pale Cascade
Moonfall
Lunar Rush

Role: Normal

This can be a tricky one if not careful enough. She has a little better range then you but most of the time her Crescent Strike can be avoided by moving to the right since it arcs from her right. If she is trying to hit from max range then back-stepping can avoid it sometimes as well. Like most champions be careful when she hits 6. For the most part she shouldn't be to much trouble but you should still be careful as it's more of a skill match-up. Be sure to focus on farming and get a jungler to gank if you need it.
Counter Items:

Elise

Spider Queen
Neurotoxin / Venomous Bite
Volatile Spiderling / Skittering Frenzy
Cocoon / Rappel
Spider Form / Human Form

Role: Normal

She might out-range you but it's not much of a problem like the others. If you can avoid her stun things should go rather fine depending on who plays better. You should be extremely cautious of ganks since she can easily help with those. Keep up your farm and don't worry to much about harassing her unless you think you can do it without getting hurt. Watch for her exploding spider which has a decent range. Usually you can run from it without to much hassle or use Molten Shield early do reduce damage. Elise is still a skill champion that can outplay you if used right so be cautious.
Counter Items:

Evelynn

Shadow Walk
Hate Spike
Dark Frenzy
Ravage
Agony's Embrace

Role: Easy

She has short range. If you are playing correctly she should be easy to take out. There isn't much to say in this match-up as you really just kill her in the end. Be sure to watch out for the enemy jungler however because if they have CC she can get close enough to burst you and actually make your day go bad. Don't forget to keep up your farm as it's sometimes forgotten with won lanes like this one.
Counter Items:

Ezreal

Rising Spell Force
Mystic Shot
Essence Flux
Arcane Shift
Trueshot Barrage

Role: Normal

He looks like an Annie counter at first, but that would need a decent amount of skill to pull off correctly. He has the range over you and a built in Flash but if you stun him you should be able to trade more damage to him in the end. Like others though he can become a danger to you at higher levels so play cautiously with him. It may be hard to gank him as he can Flash up to twice but if you can stun him at the right time you can pick up the kill before he gets the chance. Usually this guy is the adc but you will sometimes see him on mid with AP.
Counter Items:

Fiddlesticks

A Harmless Scarecrow
Terrify
Bountiful Harvest
Reap
Crowstorm

Role: Normal

Your not going to see this guy to often on mid. With the exception of his Reap most of his spells are shorter range then yours. If you use the distance right and avoid conflict after he's used Reap on you things should be fine. Have a stun ready in case he starts to Bountiful Harvest you since it's more effective to stun and harass then to try and run out of it. His Crowstorm is one of the strongest ults in the game so try to avoid getting ganked by the jungler as Fiddlesticks can deal some serious damage to you when given the chance.
Counter Items:

Fizz

Nimble Fighter
Urchin Strike
Seastone Trident
Playful / Trickster
Chum the Waters

Role: Counter

The other thing you need to watch for while playing Annie are champions with mobility/dodge/jump abilities. In the case of Fizz he will jump up to two times with his Playful / Trickster which will dodge your stun and at least 1 spell. Try to wait for right after he used it to use a stun and spell combo. As usual with counters try to out farm the lane. Getting a jungler to gank will be hard because he can escape easily. Be sure to avoid his ult, or you will become a snack.
Counter Items:

Galio

Runic Skin
Resolute Smite
Bulwark
Righteous Gust
Idol of Durand

Role: Counter

This guy will cause you deaths. Good news is nobody actually plays him for some reason. He will out-range you and can even taunt you with his Idol of Durand which will be the last thing you want when getting ganked. Just keep up your farm and avoid his skillshots then you should be fine. You can try to get a jungler to help gank but it might not be so effective. If you think you can avoid both his skillshots while strafing to him then it's worth a shot but I would just try to stay alive and farm.
Counter Items:

Gragas

Happy Hour
Barrel Roll
Drunken Rage
Body Slam
Explosive Cask

Role: Normal

This guy will take a bit of getting used to. His better range lets him more easily outharass you but you can take some measures to prevent it. First watch to see where he likes to use his Barrel Roll. It can only explode on the area it was cast to so if you notice he likes to aim it behind you then instead of running away dash forward past the barrel and not only avoid the explosion but maybe even get some harass in on him. It is still an AoE so it can be tricky to dodge. When you get close you also have to be cautious of his Body Slam. Although he can be a little tanky he does quickly run out of mana so just try to make him burn it all up then nuke if possible. In this situation it's easy to forget about jungler so watch for ganks and be sure to keep up your farm.
Counter Items:

Heimerdinger

Techmaturgical Repair Bots
H-28G Evolution Turret
Hextech Micro-Rockets
CH-1 Concussion Grenade
UPGRADE!!!

Role: Normal

This guy can be anywhere from easy to counter depending on the enemy skill level. He has the advatage in range, but only his CH-1 Concussion Grenade can hit you effectively since Hextech Micro-Rockets will only hit the 3 closets units which include minions. If you stay back and farm you should be fine as long as you watch for his attacks. If he is good with turret placement though he will easily zone you so don't let that happen. If you are getting pushed back easily then ask jungler for a gank and you should be able to kill him quickly. Remember that his H-28G Evolution Turret's will disappear when he dies so if they are attacking you while killing him don't worry to much about them.
Counter Items:

Karthus

Death Defied
Lay Waste
Wall of Pain
Defile
Requiem

Role: Normal

Karthus Plays a little strange compared to most champions. Most champions focus on hitting the enemy with one spell and doing lots of damage, while Karthus hits them with many weaker spells. Stay near minions and his Lay Waste is already cut in half. He has the advantage over range but you usually trade more damage when you strafe around making it hard for him to aim his spells and hit him with some harass. It's often useful to get your shield at 4 instead since you can stop some predictable damage like his Lay Waste or more importantly his Requiem. You should also use your shield right when you kill him to reduce all the damage he is about to do after death around him if you are close or try to save it for his Requiem he often uses when he dies. Don't forget to farm your own lane effectively and watch for the jungler who might gank.
Counter Items:

Kassadin

Void Stone
Null Sphere
Nether Blade
Force Pulse
Riftwalk

Role: Counter

This guy has it all. You should focus on farming and try to avoid pushing your lane out. If he gets close try to stun him under tower or something but really his skills just beat yours. You can try to roam for kills or get a jungler to gank before he hits 6 limiting his escape choices. There is really only so much you can do against this match-up.
Counter Items:

Katarina

Voracity
Bouncing Blades
Sinister Steel
Shunpo
Death Lotus

Role: Normal

A tricky one for some. Try to avoid getting hit by her Bouncing Blades and stick a little close to the waves so when she jumps to use Sinister Steel to finish them off you can get some harass off her. During the laning phase her ult is deadly so try to save your stun to see if you can cut her off when she uses it. Often times though she will only use it after your nuke just barely left her alive in an attempt to take you with her. May want to get some health pots for this lane because if you get caught with that ult and no way to stop it chances are you might die. In teamfights her most deadly ability is her Voracity which is what makes Katarina able to pentakill. All she needs to do is focus the near dead people and she can clean up easily.
Counter Items:

Kennen

Mark of the Storm
Thundering Shuriken
Electrical Surge
Lightning Rush
Slicing Maelstrom

Role: Normal

This can go ether way really. Depending on the enemy and his playstyle a few things can happen. The good news is Kennen is squishy so if you play your cards right you should come out on top in the end. Kennen in more useful early game then late so shutting him down does a lot. Avoiding getting any Mark of the Storm's on you and you should be good. Proceed with caution.
Counter Items:

LeBlanc

Mirror Image
Sigil of Silence
Distortion
Ethereal Chains
Mimic

Role: Counter

She has greater range and worst of all silences and stuns. Getting her on lane is tricky to fight against and you should try to get a jungler to help. A daring tactic is when she uses Distortion you should have a stun ready and quickly Incinerate her in which she should be in range even if she uses it again. If she is staying out of your reach and avoiding using such close range spells you may wan to let her push a bit then call for jungler. She often roams so be sure to let your teammates know if she's missing quickly. She is a bit squishy so if you do the right things you may be able to nuke her down. Priority however is the farming so don't fall behind on it.
Counter Items:

Orianna

Clockwork Windup
Command: Attack
Command: Dissonance
Command: Protect
Command: Shockwave

Role: Counter

Possibly the strongest counter to Annie. She not only out-ranges you but has low CD as well with decent damage. She will practically zone you the entire game leaving you with almost nothing to do. If you really have no chance on the lane try asking to switch for top or something because your going to have a better chance up there anyway unless you decide to just quit. I would avoid this match-up at all costs and if you have no choice then pray they are unskilled.
Counter Items:

Xerath

Ascended Form
Arcanopulse
Locus of Power
Mage Chains
Arcane Barrage

Role: Counter

As mentioned before anyone with range is an enemy to you. That being said this guy has the highest range in the game. His Arcanopulse and Arcane Barrage have a range of 900 by default and Locus of Power buffs it up to 1300. Thankfully there is some good news that comes with this. His Arcanopulse shoots in a strait line with about a second delay meaning you might be able to dodge it. His ult Arcane Barrage however will do you in so be play smart after he hits 6 and don't forget he can cast it up to three times. Thankfully he seems to be unpopular for some odd reason so you probably won't ever get this match-up in your lifetime.
Counter Items:

Zilean

Heightened Learning
Time Bomb
Rewind
Time Warp
Chronoshift

Role: Counter

If you got this guy on mid you better get ready to quit League of Legends. He will out-range you with his bomb and if he knows what he is doing he will get away before you can even touch him. It's possible to stun him if you think he is coming to place a bomb on you if you move quickly but that would mean he is a bit unskilled. In reality this guy will not only out harass you but can also revive in the case you do somehow kill him. All I can say is to keep up your farm and roam for kills because your not going to kill him on your lane.
Counter Items:

Zyra

Rise of the Thorns
Deadly Bloom
Rampant Growth
Grasping Roots
Stranglethorns

Role: Counter

Yet another champion that will out-range you. To make things worse she can combo you easily and leave 2 plants attacking you as well. Try to stay out of her range and farm. You should be able to coordinate with your jungler to help for a gank then if you quickly get a stun on her before she combo's you can score a kill. I would just focus mainly on farm so you can be on equal terms when it comes to teamfights.
Counter Items:

Other Stuff

Key Bindings

This is easily overlooked by new players. Smartcasting spells is almost a must for a champion like . I would also look into binding other keys as you need since it will help a lot in the end.

Wards

Wards stop you from getting ganked. They are also important for the jungler to use to his advantage. There are a lot of places you can place wards. Normally you place them a little past your bushes, but if I know the lane is going to be easy and the jungler isn't tanky then I will place them in the bushes so I can see the jungler clearly as I prepare to flash at him and nuke him before his teammate can help. For a more in depth guide to wards I would recommend panglot's guide: http://www.mobafire.com/league-of-legends/build/warding-helper-more-than-your-eyes-can-see-54337

For a more in depth item guide I would recommend theBMB's guide: http://www.mobafire.com/league-of-legends/build/in-depth-item-guide-97205

If you are new, I would recommend reading Xatxil's guide so you don't end up being "that guy": http://www.mobafire.com/league-of-legends/build/how-to-be-a-nicer-lol-player-dont-be-that-guy-211355

Changelog

1/15/2013 - Guide Created

1/15/2013 - small fixes

1/16/2013 - Core Build changed

1/17/2013 - Small Update

2/4/2013 - Small update with recent patch. Nothing to drastic changed, and a couple items already on the list have been buffed. Annie has received a visual upgrade!

2/14/2013 - Large update that changes the skill order along with updated items. Bigger updates still planned for the future. Guide name changed to a more fitting title. C2V taken off.

2/15/2013 - Major overhaul made to the guide. New BB-code to make things more orderly along with some larger icons. Enemy section added which will be expanded into a match-up section later.

2/18/2013 - Combos & Tactics section added.

2/19/2013 - Enemies changes to Math-ups. This was supposed to be done today but due to complications only the first half is ready. Expect the full list tomorrow. C2V temporally re-added.

4/2/2013 - Small update to advanced starting items. Full update on math-ups section to come within the next few weeks.