Hi there

My names Will, I'm mainly an EUW player fro the UK (Exiaus) I was ranked Plat 4 in the CN servers (Night`Y) and my main role is Mid and Support.

I'm finally back in Europe! So feel free to add me if you need a support or you wanna learn more about how to play Azir support! :) (Exiaus)

Azir is a hyper carry which is a viable option if you need AP damage, poke and a good synergy with mana reliant AD carries. His early game damage source comes from his penetration runes and masteries which help towards his late game development. Azir is a hard champion to play but the rewards are endless once you get used to him.


I made this guide thanks to the encouragement of some pro players. During my time in China i got to meet the China Esports team OMG during a public training session in Beijing. I got to talk to Cloud and Luo (from OMG) about the possibilities of Azir support. they're still giving me advice n.n and suggest they might try my idea
Play Video


Note: Because of China's CN server and internet censorship, I haven't been able to take Printscreens and save them or go on EUW servers. I cannot do recordings and printscreen in the internet cafe (since they don't have Mac LOL clients) as well as they analyse every action you take and it's quite obvious for me since i use a passport not an ID card.

I will post more evidence on why Azir Support works and try to find ways to get more
evidence :) I may try to stream some sessions.

Proof IT WORKS + My road to Diamond with Azir

Since 18th January, was on a winning streak with Azir for 13 games (8 Support, 6 mid)
Plat 3 - 22nd January 2015 n.n - finally got PS!

From my games with Azir, I've noticed that Azir really fits into the support role incredibly well. Here are several reasons why he works.

1. Have you seen the CC?
Azir has an underrated ultimate and his E on collision. Remember that Azir works exceptionally well with Yasuo. Azir can start an engage by splitting the enemies team apart with Emperor's divide. Splitting the carries apart for 5/6/7 seconds apart will secure the kill on those pesky carries. The video below demonstrates how easy it is as long as you are aware on where your soldiers are placed

Play Video
2. Have you seen his defensive potential?
Azir's passive, Disc of the Sun is an incredible passive especially just after the laning phase. This passive is incredibly good to bait the enemy into attacking you by the tower without even noticing! If you have your Ulti up, it makes it impossible for them to reach you and once you've built a Zhonya's Hourglass, kills are Guaranteed. Oh did i mention it's also a good to use when pushing enemy lanes just in case you need to retreat?


3. Have you noticed no one attacks Support?
Mid and Late game is where Azir shines incredibly. Whats amazing about Azir is his strength to poke enemies without risking himself getting killed or hurt. Finding an opportunity to inflict some damage with the Q and W before a team fight can actually secure a winning teamfight. Also remember, you're the support! You will not be prioritised in a team fight thus, with a high DPS, you can still continue to fight even if one of your carries are gone.
Why u don't ignore Azir mid/late game. (damage dealt to champions)

Thus, to conclude:
Azir fits the support role in terms of:
+ The nasty harass in the early game with a simple Arise! and Conquering Sands combo.
+ Ability to create good TF engages with Shifting Sands AND Emperor's Divide
+ Shurima's Legacy passive is good for protecting your team during engages

Still unconvinced? Please check out the next few chapters for more details

NOTE: For people who use Azir Mid, note that you may need to adapt to playing Azir support. The reason is because the mechanics that you focus on during early/middle is too attack focused. Remember as your support is to protect your carries and not yourself. Furthermore, you will be more obliged to use your abilities more since the enemy is least likely to attack you. the support.

Pros

Extreme DPS Mid/Late game
Good Cognitive CC
Life saving CC's
Protective Passive for defence and offensive
Creates amazing engages


Cons

Squishy.
Item dependent
Takes a lot of skill
1 wrong move is costly in TF

The heart of mastering Azir is to be calm in a teamfight. Here's several tips on why:

1. Azir should not be in the heart of the battle. A good Azir player must be more aware of the surroundings than any ordinary champion especially when playing support. Emperor's Divide is an extremely useful tool for your carries because of the protection it gives when attacking. Note that your team can walk through so if your carries are being attacked they can run away by simply going through and the enemy would have to go around.

2. Be patient in a teamfight and identify the opportunities. With Azir becoming a semi AP carry, he can easily kill carries in a few seconds with the right timing and positioning. Simply observe the fight before you start to make decisions. For example, If you see a carry coming in too close quickly bring your soldiers to them and inflict half their HP. Small things like these make a hell of a difference

3. Synergise with your team! The more CC your teammate has the more effective Azir will be. Some AoE CC especially Chain of Corruption or Cataclysm really makes Azir's damage output shine and gives honestly can make support Azir into AP carry Azir. [[

4. Items. AZIR must be built to tailor well along with the team and the situation. During the loading screen have a thought about what you should start with. For example, If you have to fight a Sona and Sivir you would take Relic Shield for sustainability with your carry. This is literally what separate's the good and bad Azir's

5. Try to farm a bit! It's important that carries get good income but as Azir support you sometimes might be behind in terms of item build. Farm the Jungle or farm any free lanes. Your team may be open to this since they know that you can make a big contribution to the team mid/late game. However, remember if any of your carries want the farm give it to them since, they are the carries.

6. The side which you play in makes a hell of a difference playing Azir support or Azir in general. The reason is because you have to move around really quick and playing Azir at the bottom is easier since you can still see your soldiers more clearly than playing top.

Playing him on the blue side (you fight to the top nexus) is much more easier than playing at the bottom. So if it comes down to deciding whether to play him during your first try, make sure your at the blue side. Everytime I usually play on the blue side I'm probably 30% more likely to win my ranked games.

Seal of Armour x9 - Azir's Armour is incredibly low at laning phase. You'll want to bring defence runes to help you winning exchanges.

Glyph of Magic Resist x9 - Same reason. Most of the build you will get doesn't have any Magic Resist so Magic Resist is good for you throughout the game.

Mark of Magic Penetration 6x - 5.22 Magic Penetration goes a very long way especially during the laning phase. Plus the extra 15 from Sorcerer's Shoes gives you an overall 20. Most chmpions MR starts at 30 so reducing it to 25 makes your damage much more higher during the 2-6 stage which really pushes away the enemies from farming if you do hard damage

Mark and Quint of Ability Power 3x - with 17 AP including the extras you gained from Masteries, this really packs an incredible punch early in the game. The AP runes makes up for the priority of rushing Morellonomicon. After purchasing this, you would already have 130 AP with an attack speed of 0.9. This makes up for Azir's early game.

Your priority as secondary AP is the reason on why you should be taking 21 for attack. Attack speed isn't vital so there is no need to put points in Fury since Sorcery gives you CD and that CD gives you attack speed anyway.

For Azir, I prefer to use 9 of my remaining points on utility, Movement speed on Azir is important in terms of escaping, Kiting and attacking with your Q. Arise! attack range may be the key difference between a kill or not. Summoner's Insight is the next ones I max out since It gives a really fast CD on Clarity Finally, using the last 2 on Alchemist and Culinary Master ensures that you maximise your pots in laning phase as it's essential you stay healthy when poking. However, if you are new to Azir, I'd first use the 9 points on defensive

Are you serious?! Clarity?

Before you guys are like ARE YOU ****** CRAZY? WHO USES CLARITY REPORT REPORT! Lemme explain.

Azir has some seriously Mana problems. His mana pool is extremely low meaning you lose half of your mana after using Q,W,E.... I usually wouldn't use Clarity when i play Mid, but for support it's so much better than Exhaust. Why? If you and your carry can inflict some extra damage to the enemy, they will be too afraid to start a fight. An exhaust isn't going to make a massive difference when they're already half HP down.

Clarity heals 40% of MAX mana. As a support you want to help your team as much as possible. To summarise, with a 162 second CD, It helps not only let champions like Ezreal or Sivir join the poking game. Encourage your ADC to use more of their abilities so they reach around 50-60% and then refill it to maximise the benefit of Clarity

Clarity can be a life saver if your teammates needs mana urgently in a team fight if they have poor Mana management.

Oh and if you don't have any use for it cause you returned from base, why not pop over to midlane and share the mana? <3

So to conclude Clarity is really really good because:

Mana hungry ADC's can poke more often without worrying about mana (Early Game)
The most trolling bait ever when champions think you have no mana (All Game)
Azir can focus his build more on damage than mana management (Mid Game)
Gives AP carries the ability to continue fighting when low on mana (All Game)
Late game snowballing

Remember, Clarity is already useful for yourself however, if you pair up with champions who can spam their skills or require mana to use finish their enemy with an ult such as Ace in the Hole or Super Mega Death Rocket! OR Trueshot Barrage it is the best option to take. #YourADwillloveyou

I don't really need to explain this do I...? (Gap closers, Azir Insec, Repositioning) A must take Azir


If you're really looking to use your towers and you're against a squishy team, Barrier is a really good option. If you're against 3 by yourself just fight. When your low on HP, use your Hourglass then use your barrier. I sometimes like to bring this for some fun when I see how many champions I kill under a time-limited tower. n.n


Teleport is actually a decent option if you need to do some farming. Whether you want to gank, counter gank, split push (Azir is an amazing pusher!), or farm It's a very viable option.


Exhaust can sometimes be a viable option if you are against some hyper carries such as Tristana or Master Yi. If you feel that your team cannot CC down any of their strong DPS champions, Exhaust is sometimes a good option to take.


The CD on this is really problematic, however, it is a suitable choice if you are fighting visibility champions Twitch or Self-Healing champions Dr.Mundo. It may not guarantee kills but It's more useful than the other spells during Late Game.

Shurima's Legacy
Will of the Emperor: Azir gains 1.25% bonus attack speed for every 1% of his cooldown reduction.

Disc of the Sun: Azir places a marker above the ruins of destroyed turrets (both allied and enemy). Once within 400 units of the ruins, Azir can click on the marker to conjure a Sun Disc, which functions like a standard turret but grants Azir any gold it earns. A Sun Disc's health decays over 1 minute and will lose its armor if Azir dies or moves too far away. Azir cannot conjure Sun Discs within the enemy base.

The passive basically makes buying CDR much more worthwhile. This is why you should try to rush Morellonomicon first (read items section) Also the Disk of the Sun can be used if you want to continue farming in a dangerous area (usually the bottom turret) One thing I would warn you is that getting the turret up and ready does take a while!(roughly 5 seconds) So Once you are aware of a 3 v 2 fight by the tower be ready to set it up to get easy kills. Also be aware that as the games get later and later, the turrets will not be enough to save you so ensure that you use it to counter just before everyone builds their tanky items.
Did i mention the turrets give you gold too for minions too? :3


Conquering Sands
Azir orders all Sand Soldiers to rush toward the target location, dealing 75 / 105 / 135 / 165 / 195 (+50% of ability power) magic damage and slowing all enemies they pass through by 25% for 1 second. Enemies can be hit by multiple soldiers, but each soldier beyond the first will deal only 25% damage. The slow stacks additively.

Azir's Q is the bread and butter of his kit. Their would be no point to even max Shifting Sands or Arise! if you cannot position your warriors to attack.

Offensively, Conquering Sands applies a slow which is just enough to gain a few more pokes from [Arise!] and gives ganks a higher successful rate. Also use the Q to position the warriors just behind the enemy if you want to use Emperor's Divide to split the enemy team during teamfights. Finally, you can use Conquering Sands as a counter mechanism by jumping onto the ADC with Shifting Sands This is really good intangibly due to the ADC focusing on you instead giving the opportunity for your ADC to counter.

Defensively, you can position the warriors to a designated location to use Shifting Sands I find this very useful to escape ganks but be warned it can be interrupted, Similar to Tristana's Rocket Jump

Finally, in terms of Utility, Conquering Sands is quite nice to use if you want to face check anything just for safety measures just move near the bushes and Q to the area you wish to check. Oh you can remove Pink wards from a safe distance too!.


Arise!
Azir summons an untargetable Sand Soldier for 9 seconds. When Azir attacks an enemy in a soldier's range, the soldier attacks instead of Azir, dealing 50 / 55 / 60 / 65 / 70 / 75 / 80 / 85 / 90 / 95 / 100 / 110 / 120 / 130 / 140 / 150 / 160 / 170 (+60% of ability power) magic damage to all enemies in a line. If multiple soldiers strike the same target, each soldier after the first deals 25% damage, and the soldiers can't attack structures.

Azir can store up to 2 Sand Soldiers at a time (recharge time: 12 / 11 / 10 / 9 / 8 seconds), but there is no hard limit on the number of Sand Soldiers that can be active on the field at once. Sand Soldiers expire twice as fast while within range of an enemy turret, and will expire instantly if Azir moves too far away.

If Azir summons a Sand Soldier directly on top of an enemy turret, the soldier will sacrifice itself to deal (80 + 25 x level) (+60% of ability power) magic damage to the turret.
Arise! is the first ability that must be learned at level 1. With it's pre supply before jungle camps appear it makes it very useful when helping the jungler and gives the ADC the opportunity to start farming up to level 2 first.

It's very important you learn the casting range of Arise! because you can maximise damage During laning phase, make sure to try and poke the enemy with it once. Afterwards try to attack minions that are behind the enemy because the autoattack of Arise! damage champions an autoattack hits in a linear direction. This is a major skill which takes time to masterand is incredibly useful as carries usually don't realise they're taking damage. Once you cannot reach their range, use Conquering Sandsto slow them and land another auto attack.

This means at level 2 and using Arise! --> Autoattack --> Conquering Sands --> Autoattack you would inflict at least 200 Damage. Remember, this can increase to 300 - 350 if you can land a few more Autoattacks when attacking them via minions which gives them forces pressure for them to farm at a cost of losing health.

NOTE: The main use of Arise! is to try and harass them into camping by their turret. If they try to kill your ADC, Kite them and then send 2 soldiers and use Conquering Sands on their carry to compensate the damage inflicted.
Also note that Arise can be used on the turret or on the champions behind it but ensure you have one more available for an escape tool if the jungler is flanking from behind.



Shifting Sands
Azir dashes to one of his Sand Soldiers, dealing 60 / 90 / 120 / 150 / 180 (+40% of ability power) magic damage to enemies he passes through and knocking them up for 0.5 seconds. If Azir hits an enemy champion, he will stop and gain a shield which absorbs 80 / 120 / 160 / 200 / 240 (+ 15% bonus health) damage for 4 seconds.
An amazing skill which can be used for many scenarios. Firstly it can help forengaging in Teamfights in order for you to cast your ultimate. It can also be used for a gap closer, to stop enemies running or attacking. During laning phase, use it as a counter attack or use it as an escape tool. If you have reached level 6, Using your E into the ADC champion will provide a shield and damage to the ADC and if they are closeby to your own turret push them back with Emperor's Divide and begin the counterattack.


Emperor's Divide
Azir calls forth a phalanx of shield-wielding soldiers who press forward, knocking enemies back and dealing 150 / 225 / 300 (+60% of ability power) magic damage to them.
When the soldiers finish their charge, they stand as a wall for 5 / 6 / 7 seconds, blocking enemy champion movement and dashes. Allies can pass through the wall and gain 20% bonus movement speed when they do. These soldiers cannot be ordered to move or attack.
Azir's Emperor's Divide can be used for offense and defense. Not only it applies a damage but the barrier protects your carries from champions such as Riven and Pantheon. Not only it prevents people from moving but it'll stops other champions ultimates especially such as Death Lotus or Warwick Infinite Duress

Emperor's Divide can only be passed through such as Flash , Blinks like Shunpo or Malphite Unstoppable Force so be aware on when to use it because it's a game changer.

TBC: Sometimes, when the wall is up it can do extra damage when champions try to pass through and fail. Meaning extra damage for their stupidity haha!

1. R: Emperor's Divide
Always max this. The changes in skill sequence increases it's damage by 150 / 225 / 300 (+ 60% AP) but the most important reason why is the wall duration and width.

2. Q: Conquering Sands
As mentioned previously, faster CD and damage makes this the second most important skill. Without maxing this first, you cannot a. move your soldiers to the location and b. You cannot reposition your soldiers fast enough due to long CD.

3. W: Arise!
for support, Arise! is my next skill due to it's faster CD on soldier deposits or to use against turrets. With your soldier's stacking faster it ensures that the next one comes just in time for your escape or to do the final blow.

4. E: Shifting Sands
As this is mainly used as an escape tool and with the long CD even after maxing it, you can probably only use it once. Maxing this increases the damage and shield strength. But remember, this is a utility or defensive tool. DO NOT USE IT TO ATTACK UNLESS IT'S THE LAST RESORT.

Slow poke: W --> AA --> Q --> AA (autoattack)
- Set a W near the minions. Try to poke champions outside the line. Some may not even realise they're getting poked. Then once the soldier is about to fade (4/5 seconds) use your Q and poke again. Use this if u are running a little low on mana or if you can exploit the ADC's position (check minions to see this)

Fast poke: W --> Q --> AA
- Mainly a hit and run. Less mana efficient but does the job well. Summon a soldier then either directly Q into them and AA them. I tend to use this if i'm facing gap closing champions such as Leona or Blitzcrank

BYEEEEEE: W --> Q --> E --> Laugh at them
- I see a lot of people not realising that you can escape a further distance by moving your soldiers further. Sounds like a easy combo but when you start to panic you may forget to Q the soldiers further.

Defensive disengage: W --> Q --> E / R (Away) (depending on situation)
- Only use this when you know that the disengage can help your carry escape. Place the soldiers next the the enemy and just E them to stop them from chasing. They may switch their focus to u but as your role as support you are sacrifice yourself for the AD carry.

Botlane initiate (Pre-6) : W --> Q --> E
- Similar to the poke combo but ensure your Q goes behind the target. That way, you're more like to get some extra AA but also to ensure you hit them with your E.

Counter attack: W --> Q --> E --> R (to your turret)
- Another way to use this is when the champions are reaching the turret area. Counter attack them by using E walk a little back (about 0.3 seconds) if you can catch out 2/3 champions to the turret and R them into your turret. Make sure to read the situation in terms of whether you and your carry can survive even when the turret is attacking them.

Teamfight initiate(after 6) : W --> Q --> E --> R --> Q --> AA
- A little more difficult, it's almost the same as the botlane initiate however you need to make use of the Emperor's Divide effectively. This combo is much easier if you know the soldiers are in a good range. to get into a good range, either wait until the enemy is CC'd or if you flank. The measurement of the success depends on the post positioning of the enemy team. If you are able to push the carries into your teams side, you may have won the fight.

Insec, Azir style : W --> Q --> E --> FLASH --> R --> Q --> AA
- My god, if you can do one of these in a crucial teamfight you've generally done an amazing job. As shown in the video at the beginning. Only do this when after the combo:

a. You can protect your carries at the same time (they are behind the wall)

b. You can push the carries or split the team apart significantly.

Of course, this does take a lot of skill. The combo is fairly easy (i think it's easier than lee sin's one tbh) but the hardest part is make sure the combos leads to a positive impact overall.

Azir is a bully in lane. Your objective is to push back the ADC and support with your poke combos (read previous chapter) Your support role is to Poke until you can start a fight otherwise let your carry farm in peace.

At level 1. Play it extremely safe since you cannot move the soldiers thus, the enemies will just move away from them. Once you reach 2 onwards. Start using the slow poke combo (W,AA,Q,AA)

Warding varies, as a main support I am aware of the consequences about warding however, depending on enemy behaviour and the champion selection, you may not need to buy a sightstone. For example, having strong disengage champions such as Tristana Rocket Jump or Ezreal Arcane Shift would mean it'd be easy to get away (depends on enemy jungle champion too).

Note that during laning phase, don't use your E to engage if you are not warding and you don't know where the enemy jungler is as well as reserving 1 soldier just in case. Remember that using both soldiers doesn't double the damage. So it's more worthwhile to keep one for backup.

Azir has a luxury of items to choose from! It is really important to max your CD as soon as possible. As support, this is really easy due to every support item having 10% CD at the final build.

Support Items
Face of the mountain Talisman of Ascension
These 3 Items are a must build in order to gain the required income. Without these, You won't be able to catch up with your team and your damage will be terrible.

Frost Queen's Claim is the main one I take when I face a lane with no problems. When you're confident you can poke the champions without hesitation like Alistar, then this is the best for income gathering. The active is also amazing for you as it prevents any enemies from chasing your carries as Artic Embrace slows then by 80%. Not only that but it also can get in another 3/4 hits which packs a real punch late game

Face of the mountain If you are with a champion with low range such as Vayne or you have a squishy team, Face of the mountain is the best option for you. The passive helps you stay longer in lanes but the Active Clarity is incredibly useful throughout the game. Use it to bait people attacking you into your passive tower or use it to protect your carry. Oh and the health bonus is just ridiculously amazing.

Talisman of Ascension Is the final recommendation since I don't think it's active and passive is as good as the others. I would in a situation where your against your weakness champions like Blitzcrank or Malphite but you need some sustain and a gold income.

The main boots for any AP carry. I would try to build this after Morellonomicon but sometimes if we're behind I'd like to build this during laning phase because of the damage and the speed boost in case we get ganked.


If you still haven't got your boots yet, it may be worthwhile to go Ionian Boots of Lucidity With the 15% CD along with Morellonomicom, you just 40% exactly (due to 5% CD) from masteries. This lets you focus more on getting more AP. But this depends on that fighting style. Do you prefer more DPS or do you want to burst champions down?



After playing so many games with Azir, I feel that Nashor's tooth is the best for the first item. 20% CD along with 60 AP and 50% attack speed spikes up Azir so much. What I also love about it is the build from a Stinger because it has CD and attack speed and fairly cheap.


Oh wow. This item really compensates with Azir's recent nerf. the movement speed really gives you easier kiting opportunity which is incredibly helpful if you keep getting caught out. The second thing would be the passive. Using a Q already does unspeakable damage. Definitely would pick this after


OMG this item. It's just perfect for a support Azir. Along the 80 Damage, 20% CD and mana regen, the incredible passivs deals Grevious wounds to champions below 40% hp makes this so powerful. In a teamfight. Azir has the capability to attack multiple champions simultaneously therefore it'll effect almost every champion with Lifesteal, Spell vamp, and Health Regen. Take that Nasus! This should be the first item you upgrade. Unfortunately the patch has made it more expensive but it's still very worthwhile.


Although quite expensive, the active is really good especially if you need to engage with an Insec. Synergise this with the turrets and it'll give you the required time to reuse your abilities. This item will be more of a priority if you build Face of the mountain as you have the opportunity to be more tanky.


If you want damage, utility and health, this item is perfect for you! If your team is too squishy with champions like Master Yi or Kha'Zix It's quite important you build yourself as a tank mage.


Rod of Ages Is more of a future build if the game is heading to level 15-18. Rod of Ages is also a decent build if you notice laning phase is longer than intended. You can identify this if you have item dependent champions on your team such as Vayne. With full stacks on Rod of Ages, you'll be more sustianable with 650 HP, 650 Mana and 80 AP. Usually I'd don't build this because of the raw items you need to build such as Catalyst the Protector and Blasting Wind but if you have moderate amount of gold and looking to build tanky or more damage, It's a good final item.


Strangely, I'd want to build this item as one of the final items. The price to buy it is really high and as a support, gold income is lower than the others. Obviously if you can afford this at the end, but Zhonya's Hourglass is the bigger priority since your AP won't be high enough to benefit form the passive.


I feel that this item is better for actual carries because of the disposable income they have from farming. Simply put, It isn't worthwhile if you bring Clarity you'll have enough mana for you and your team. compared to Morellonomicon, the extra AP and price is way better for Azir. I also don't think that the passive is better than Mikael's Blessing or Morellonomicon. but if you are building Chalice of Harmony, build it into Mikael's Blessing because of it's active use. (Every ADC's dream item build for supports)


Ahaa! This item. I gotta say it's fairly underrated. With 80AP, 10% CD and 8% movement speed, It's an amazing item for Azir because his movement effects his attack range on his soldiers. Not only that the slow it applies on enemies it also grants vision, which is really useful especially if you are not going to buy a Sightstone. A synergy to Morellonomicon if you're looking for more damage and utility mid game.

Patch 5.2

Ouch. A massive nerf to Azir especially early game. However, items have been changed.

Patch 5.5
Major weeks on item build. Luden's Echo and build priority has been changed


I wanna thank Luo and Cloud for encouraging me to share out this potential meta 感谢谢你啊！ I also hope you guys provide me feedback and your opinion on Azir support.

Waiting for Arise! to do the work.