Caitlyn Build Guide by Thyrael6

Introduction

Welcome Summoners,

In this guide I will show you how I play Caitlyn.
For me Caitlyn is one of the most powerful DPS Champion in the game.
A Caitlyn in your Team can turn the game to your win!

Don't play just like I play! I played many games with her and it need's train to play her with all her potential!

Pros / Cons

Space

Pros Space Space +Great damage +One of the best range in the game +Nice ult. +Easy escape with 90 Caliber Net

filler Space

.

filler

Cons Space Space -Often ganked -Not much life -Hard to master -Very slow at beginning

The story of Caitlyn

One of the reasons Piltover is known as the City of Progress is because it has an extraordinarily low crime rate. This hasn't always been the case; brigands and thieves of all sorts used to find the city-state an ideal mark for plunder, primarily due to the valuable resources it imports to fuel its techmaturgical research. Some even theorize that it would have fallen long ago to the chaos of organized crime if not for Caitlyn, the Sheriff of Piltover. Born the daughter of a wealthy statesman and a pioneering hextech researcher, Caitlyn discovered her natural gift for investigation when, at age 14, her father was assaulted and robbed on his way home. She snuck out of her house that night with her father's rifle and tracked down the muggers from the crime scene. At first, her parents did their best to discourage her from such risky hobbies, but she was incorrigible. Wishing to protect her daughter in the only way she knew how, Caitlyn's mother began outfitting her with techmaturgical devices tailored to her sleuthing needs. Caitlyn quickly gained notoriety, both because she was single handedly defeating crime in Piltover and also because she soon developed into a ravishing beauty. She never backed down from a case or a challenge, and she was one of the sharpest shots in the city-state. Her services were soon requested by Demacia to help track down a mysterious outlaw who had begun committing high-profile heists. The bandit, who always left a card with an ornate 'C' at the scene of the crime, became Caitlyn's arch-nemesis. To this day, Caitlyn still searches for this cat burglar, and the chase has led her all across Valoran. She has joined the League to hone her skills and gain the influence necessary to track down the only quarry that has managed to evade her. ''Go ahead, run. I'll give you a five minute head start.'' - Caitlyn, from her book 'Willing Apprehension'.

Summoner Spells

Best:

Exhaust
I agree that Exhaust is a great spell for Caitlyn, it can counteract burst champions like Akali and Xin Zhao and many dpsers. A 70% lowering of attack damage and turn tides instantly.

Flash

Flash There is really nothing much to say about this choice It is an escape, a chasing tool. One of the best spells in the game and a must-have for Caitlyn.

Good:

Ghost - Preferential. If you prefer this and not Flash. Or if [Flash is not as efficient. For an example against Akali, you can’t really out- Flash her. So Ghost is a better choice.

Teleport - Used only if the lineup of both teams makes high mobility an advantage. But it is super effective in maintaining lane presences and also with the help of wards. You can join in a team fight by teleporting to a minion.

Heal - This spell is also named the noob healer spell but in many situations the chance to survive. (A good spell for beginners)

Bad:

Smite - Your not the jungler you are need for lane dominance!

Clarity - Your not the supporter and with the write playing you doesn't need much Mana!

Revive - You DON'T want to die!

Clairvoyance- This is a supporter spell you shouldn’t go with this.

Abilities

Piltover Peacemaker - Caitlyn revs her rifle for 1 second to fire a penetrating shot that deals 20/60/100/140/180 (+1.3) physical damage. However, it deals 15% less to subsequent targets, down to a minimum of 40%.

Cost
50/60/70/80/90 Mana
Range
1250

Tips:

Don't Fire this all the time into the enemy minions you just lose Mana!
If an Enemy is stuned by Yordle Snap Trap fir it!
Yordle Snap Trap - Caitlyn sets up to three traps to find sneaky yordles, which trigger on champions. When sprung, the trap immobilizes the target, reveals them for a short duration, and deals 80/130/180/230/280 (+0.6) magic damage over 1.5 seconds.

Traps last for 4 minutes.

Cost
50 Mana
Range
800

Tips:

Look in laning there you can see how you should place your traps!
90 Caliber Net - Caitlyn fires a net to slow her target by 50% for 1/1.25/1.5/1.75/2 second(s). This deals 80/130/180/230/280 (+0.8) magic damage and knocks Caitlyn back.

Cost
75 Mana
Range
850

Tips:

If you stand near by a small wall you can jump over it!
It's your survival ability like Flash.
Ace in the Hole - Caitlyn takes time to line up the perfect shot, dealing 250/475/700 (+) physical damage at 1900/2050/2200 range.
Enemy champions can intercept the bullet for their ally.

Cost
100 Mana
Range
1900/2050/2200

Tips:

I just want to say NEVER fire it in a team fight.
Enemy champions can intercept the shot so you don’t kill anyone!

Headshot - Every eight basic attack, Caitlyn will fire a headshot dealing 150% damage to a champion or 250% damage to a minion.

Tips:

When you stand in a bush the Shot counts twice!
So fire three times when you stand in a bush and one outside the bush so the next shot deals more dmg.
Try to fire this eight shot on the enemy champion.

Skill Sequence

Why?
Yordle Snap Trap are taken first because they can "tighten a lane" literally. Plant traps in a straight horizontal line and you find your counterpart having difficulty walking past that area. But they are not maxed first! In fact, I max it last. Why? Because it adds on dmg per level, maxing Net 2nd is better as it reduces the Cooldown time on it, makes escaping easier and more often.

Peacemaker is maxed first. Why? For more Damage & shorter cooldown of course. Makes your harass even stronger than it already is. Makes farming easier too.

Runes

I play Caitlyn normally aggressive because your job in your team is to deal much dmg as you can!

For this aggressive playing style you need to make many dmg so I take it.
Greater Quintessence of Critical Damage 3x because of the high Crit dmg and that you needed at the beginning, the mid and the endgame!
You also need dmg runes so I go for Greater Mark of Attack Damage 9x and Greater Seal of Scaling Attack Damage 9x with this runes you become an OP dmg !
So the other runes I go for are Greater Glyph of Attack Speed 9x because if you attack more times you make more dmg !

Masteries

I go for a 24 6 0 mastery style because the armor penetration, the dmg, the life steal and the attack speed! All this are needed for a great Caitlyn!
The 6 in defense I go for because armor and magic resist. Are needed every time!

Items

Every game I start with Doran's Blade it gives you a great beginning dmg and life steal.

After that I go for Boots of Speed with that you are a little bit quicker and that is important for Caitlyn, because she is a very slow champion at the beginning and mid game.

Now I go for Long Sword this item gives you more dmg and is needed for your Last Whisper.

When I buy boots with a Dps champion I normally buy Berserker's Greaves or you think you need more Movement Speed go for Boots of Swiftness.

Now you first CORE item comes Last Whisper this item gives you much dmg and Armor Penetration and that is really important for Caitlyn.

Now we need to build an crit item for me this is Infinite Edge and also your next CORE item! For this we need Cloak of Agility and B. F. Sword these two items gives you your first crit and more dmg .

So now you has crit and much dmg but you will be killed to quick so we need life steal and for that I buy The Bloodthirster this item is your third CORE item it gives much life steal and attack dmg!
We need to buy Vampiric Scepter and again an B. F. Sword.
What you should do yet is to farm as much try to last hit every minion or go in the jungle if you think you’re safe and kill minions there! This all you need to stack your The Bloodthirster.

When your Bloodthirster is maxed I buy an Phantom Dancer this gives you a better crit chance and attack speed.

But you could also buy a second Bloodthirster for more dmg and life steal this is your one decision!

Other Items

Good:

Ionic Spark I would go for this item at the end instead of your second Phantom Dancer it gives you also great attack speed and a funny passive when you attack very often against minions and champions!

Frozen Mallet This item is also very great because the life that it gives and the little bit dmg! But the most interesting think of this item is the passive that you can slow your enemies and follow them better and kill them easier.

If you have any other items I should put in here write it to me. I' am happy for every other idea!

Tricks & Tipps

For 1on 1 situation, if you find yourself getting out-hit, fire , follow up with Peacemaker and then continue Auto attacking and when its low enough, MAKE SURE THAT IF THEY HAVE Heal, ITS USED. IF THEY CAN DODGE LIKE Vladimir MAKE SURE THAT THE SKILL USED TO DODGE IS IN COOLDOWN. With all that covered, Lock-on and press 'R' and wait for the lovely female announcer to say our favorite sentence "the enemy has been slain".


When fleeing, lead shot with your net when you’re running back towards your base, lead shot meaning, don’t wait for the opponent to get in range of your net then you fire, that would be too late. Fire it with estimation then by the time the enemy runs to the position you predicted. Your shot will just hit right smack in the face and slow them down and they will find that you are faraway ahead and give up chasing, most of the time.


If the enemy decides to tower dive you. Don’t panic, in fact smile. Plant a trap towards the direction, you are running to. When the enemy closes in fire a net seeing that you are limping away with one-hit-hp left, he will charge at you, fire Peacemaker and kite him around the turret and if he runs after making a terrible mistake to tower dive you, Ace-in-the-Hole that bugger!

Laning

This is how I place my traps in a lane. There isn’t much space for the opponent to walk. The minute they step on a trap. Punish with Piltover Peacemaker.

The main gist is to zone out the opponent by using the traps so that they can’t stay near the minion waves resulting in loss of EXP and GOLD. But also watch out for ganks when you are zoning. There is always the tendency to over-extend when you are trying to zone out your counterpart.

Solo Mid

Generally as Caitlyn your laning presence is very strong but there are some champs that will really get under your skin like LeBlanc with her insane spells or Brand. Basics of farming never over-extend when people are missing or jungler. Last hitting should be easy, my games with Caitlyn my Minion kills average from 150 - 350 per game.


Why so stable? Because of her passive and Peacemaker. Harass with your passive and Peacemaker but not all the time and when the time is right, just burst out your damage onto your opponent and finish off with ultimate. That’s the game plan for early to mid game.


Late game, you should hit like a truck, super high damage, with the time to time critical.
Your ulti will no longer be killing as often as your normal attacks will. Save your ultimate for champions that are too far away or running from low hp.

Warding the map

Summary

So this was my Guide how to play Caitlyn.
I hope you think this was interesting and helped you. When you have something that I forgot and should put in this guide tell it me or if you have any questions ask me I hope I could help you.

Your Thyrael6

So I wish you Good Luck and Have Fun to play Caitlyn!

Thanks to jhoijhoi for his great guide: Making a guide !