Caitlyn Build Guide by risadito

Introduction

Hey there this is my guide of hope you find it useful.

Pros/Cons

Like any other champion Caitlyn has her strong points and flaws:

Pros: +Godlike range (650 base range) +Great zoning ability +Ultimates has highest ratio damage +Dominates early game easily +FUN!!!

SPACE

SPACE

Cons: -VERY squishy -Usually targeted first in team fights -Item dependant -Her ultimate can be blocked -Can be dead in an instant if not possitioned correctly -Loses to Kog'Maw and Tristana in range (st some point in the game) -Very difficult to have a come back if doing poorly - Only way to comeback is through KS (Kill Steal NOT Kill Secured)

Most of her cons are cons that almost any carry has (CC, focused, item dependant, gameplay, etc)

Masteries

This setup aims to allow you to have boots as a starter option while having 5 HP bars, this sometimes make people prefer kiling your support friend with 4 HP bars rather than you. Also the upgrade on Heal is good.

OR

This masteries are to reduce your death timer, which in all games is an issue. I take the mana masteires to inprove my overall mana in lane, you don't want to run out of mana when you need to ult or not have enough to net away.
The rest is pretty much standard on all AD carries. The offense tree, should not be modified or you risk losing damage output

Runes

These runes are not optional, take them. IT'S A MUST. They are your core runes, with these you'll be dealing true damage in your lane at lv1 (tanks that have armor lower than 31 will also take true damage so exploit your early game advantage). If you like AD runes you can change some, but its either you keep theMarks or the Quintessence.

Only runes worth swaping these for are listed above if you are not a fan of armor pen. (which you should be)

The glyphs and seals can be different:

You can always choose between:

Seals:Glyphs:
Note: Don't take attack damage runes, they give poor stats, and it will do little difference through every phase of the game. AD runes give such poor stats, late game, that they become a bit of a waste. Still they are an option for early game damage if you want, but only grab Greater Seal of Attack Damage and Greater Glyph of Attack Damage if you are willing to give up 18 rune slots, cause these 2 runes need to be paired up to actually be worth something. Also I don't recommend Greater Quintessence of Health, if you want more HP in the beggining you should buy a Doran's Blade or take the Veteran's Scars masteries otherwise you lose the damage from Greater Quintessence of Desolation.

Summoner Spells

Best Options:

Great for shutting down AD carries, thou not really THAT impressive vs AP carries, but still cuts their AP by 1/3. Also great for escaping. This spell is actually something a support should carry, since in the new meta Exhaust won't make a difference in who takes it, it's just that someone in bot lane has to have it. Unlike heal (which gives more benefits to who is taking it) it has benefits for anyone, so supports should carry this for you.

This is your second and last resource for Caitlyn to escape. Also it can make you go throw walls which is pretty OP. It cana lso be used to give that last hit on fleeing enemies, also Flash + 90 Caliber Net = mega escape mechanism anti fail ;D


Now heal is viable to carries :D Since if a support carries a heal you'll only receive 50% of the heal its more viable for carries to take it, so we can survive sticky situations where the support is OOM, has CDs, is not present, ganks and if your support is bad :( Also it's a kiter's best friend you can bait so many people into tower diving you, then BAM!!! you have about half HP again.

Viables:

If you are not a fan of Flash. Also you can pair it with flash for max mobility, positioning and escape.

This can be essential if you want a first blood, also shut downs any life steal super fed carry or Dr. Mundo. But remember, you have 650 attack range and ignite has far less, so why are you risking yourself so much by getting in ignite range? Still viable, but not the best choice.

Only if you want total mobility, to gank or just to return to tower quickly after your first recall without losing farm. But I believe this is better off with the solo top. Exhaust or Heal would be better. Also good for less experienced players or if your support is bad or does not have heals (thou boots and pots should cover lack of heal)

If you are new to Caitlyn Cleanse could be a good option, but if you can't press the button on the 2 seconds of the CC duration its not worth it, you just wasted space for another spell. Since the cleanse update this spell has gained more utility. Definately take this vs a heavy CC enemy team or against a Malzahar in mid lane (no joking, cleanse will destroy him, his ultimate Nether Grasp, Malefic Visions, Call of the Void's silence and Ignite can be cleansed, so half of his kit has gone down the drain)

NO!!!!!!!!!

This spell will only become viable to me when it gives AD instead of AP, until then horrible AS and AP can be gone

NOOOOOO!!!!! YOU ARE CALLED Caitlyn FOR PETE'S SAKE!!! YOU ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO EVEN BE DEAD + THIS SPELLS CD IS TOO LONG! YOU HAVE JUST WASTED A SUMMONER SPELL!

Do you wanna be ganked by enemy junglers ? Do you wanna be ganked by anyone? Well worry not! Promote is here to do this for you! No really... you will push your lane alot with promote + its not THAT appealing since it only works on cannon minions.

OMG YOU F*CKING NB!!!!! Really, the only time you will be mana hungry is early game and a bit mid game (from levels 1-13), your mana problems aren't so desperate that you'll need......you'll need.....THIS!!!

Does Caitlyn look like a freaking support? Unless you think that people carrying rifles are supports. SHE IS NOT A SUPPORT! Thus this spell is useless on her. Only utility this would have is with your ult, but the support can manage that for you.

!@#@$*&^%$#@!!@#$%^&**&^%$#@

Unique Skills

Passive:Headshot
Every few basic attacks, Caitlyn will fire a headshot dealing 150% damage to a champion or 250% damage to a minion.
This is your farming/harass tool while laning. Use this wisely. If all creeps are with low health don't waste this on them, use your net to get closer to your enemy and shot him/her with headshot. But always think when is the best time for using headshot. Also try to auto attack from bushes since your passive will trigger faster while inside bushes ( Caitlyn gains 2 stacks instead of 1 if she attacks from bushes).



[Q]:Piltover Peacemaker
Caitlyn revs up her rifle for 1 second to unleash a penetrating shot that deals physical damage (deals less damage to subsequent targets).
Your poking skill, and sometimes your finisher. At early levels if you happen to engage and win but they are escaping with low health don't hesitate to use your [Q] (only do this if the target is in the middle of the skill shot or you WILL miss). Only use this as a finisher in team fights and when you are certan it will hit your target. If a champion is within range and is stuck by a mob of minions or your trap, [Q] them. Remember that this skil has a 1 sec chanelling time so its fairly easy to dodge (the animation gives it away). Also this will drain your mana so fast when spammed that by lv. 6 you won't have enough mana to ult or anything. Trust me, mana issues with Caitlyn are frustrating.



[W]:Yordle Snap Trap
Caitlyn sets a trap to find sneaky yordles. When sprung, the trap immobilizes the champion, reveals them for a short duration, and deals magic damage over 1.5 seconds.
This is you zoning tool and also your only CC. ALWAYS have this spread around your lane, usually place them in key locations. Since the limit is three make sure you think before posioning them. What differs a good Caitlyn from a exellent Caitlyn is how she uses her traps. If you want to play aggressive and block your enemy's path of escape put your traps closer to their turret. But if your getting ganked often it is a good idea to put them close to your tower, for safety. ALWAYS lay traps during teamfights, it WILL make a difference. Also traps are efficient against people with Guardian Angel, just throw a trap on top of them and they'll be snared.



[E]:90 Caliber Net
Caitlyn fires a heavy net to slow her target. The recoil knocks Caitlyn back.
This is you ONLY escape mechanism (if flash is on CD), so use it wisely. You can use this to do a headshot combo but only, ONLY, if you are 2000% sure you are not gonna get ganked. Also this net can make you fly through thin walls but not thick ones. Sometimes you can throw your net but because there is a thick wall behind you'll not get sent backwards and the target will most likely be slowed. This is your only way of escaping, so its a good thing if you always save enough mana for a net (not mandatory).



[R]:Ace in the Hole
Caitlyn takes time to line up the perfect shot, dealing massive damage to a single target at a huge range. Enemy champions can intercept the bullet for their ally.
This is the best you have to offer and a KS tool but there are 2 major defects in this skill:

*Enemies champions can intercept the bullet
*If the target becomes stealthed or disapears from your vision range before a line appear betwen the two of you the ult will stop automatically.

But the other advantages are:

*It NEVER misses even if they do a curve or are knocked airbone by alistar (yes it happened with me once, the bullet curved upwards towards Ezreal)
*After the ult line has appeared you will get vision of your enemy even if they become stealthed or are gone from sight range
*Ratio is high
*Insane base damage.

Skill Sequence

OR

Any one of this skill sequences is good, but be aware of who you're against. If its someone you think will out burst you or has more sustain ( Heal or Soraka) get Yordle Snap Trap first. But if you are confident that you can burst them or grab a kill go with Piltover Peacemaker. This is actually really hard to figure out, but once I started with Piltover Peacemaker randomly and got a triple kill in when the enemy team tried to attack our jungler ( Moderkaiser, Warwick and Twich BEGONE!!!). So sometimes luck can help you

Now your skill priority is:
[r] Ace in the Hole Obviously your ultimate should be upgraded whenever possible
[q] Piltover Peacemaker Your main damage ability, also your poking tool
[w] Yordle Snap Trap Your only CC, and your zoning mechanism
[e] 90 Caliber Net Your escape tool

[w] & [e] can be changed as their priority varies in each game, but usually [w] is a better option

Items

Starting Items:

OR

Must Always Have Items:

As you all know this is basic carry knowledge. The other items are very situational and I'll talk about them further on in my guide.

Early Game Items:

Always aim to get a B. F. Sword on your first trip back. If you had an emergency, and had to recall before you had enough gold, buy a Pickaxe. After your B. F. Sword or Pickaxe aim to complete your Infinity Edge and your boots of choice Berserker's Greaves, Boots of Swiftness or Mercury's Treads).

Mid Game Goals:

, &

Get the Infinity Edge first of all, then go for a Phantom Dancer. After buil a The Bloodthirster. After all this items are done the next 2 are situational.

Note: This items may seem hard to get (because they are expensive) but if you have about 190 creeps you will have an infinity (if I'm correct, if not please tell me so). And now is the ganks and teamfights phase and your jungler/team have gone dragon alot (or at least some times). So no reason not to have this items completed (get at least the Infinity Edge + boots done).

Late Game/Situational:

Usually I don't build defensive items but I'm gonna state the ones you could get or if you don't want one go for more damage:

For Damage:
Good damage and attack speed + that passive that will shred through anything. :D This is better than Last Whisper if all enemies have less than 100 armor.
If you are a critical, attack speed or movement lover

If you really feel like trolling. :D

If your targets have high HP (ex: mages with Rylai's Crystal Scepter or Rod of Ages, also carries with a Banshee's Veil or Frozen Mallet, tanks are not an exeption)

This will make you destroy anyone and anything. Fed you + Last Whisper = LEGENDARY! But remember this item is only viable if they have 120 armor or +

Really not a fan of stacks, they aren't reliable. Only viable if you are snowballing too easily (try to get this before your legendary otherwise its a waste).

Now this baby is a monster. The passive also applies for your ult, meaning: 10HP left Shaco is running away but you ult on him, unfortunately Alistar is there to intercept the bullet. No worries, if he's close enough you should kill Shaco. Plus health and mana regen are good.

This is a pretty expensive item but its stats are worth it. AD, AS, crit, slow, 150% of your AD as bonus damage, AP (for traps), health AND movement. Overall this item is really good on Caitlyn. But try to buy this item as 4th or 5th, it does not take priority over your Infinity Edge, boots and The Bloodthirster/ Phantom Dancer.

This item is really underrated on carries, but extra armor pen won't hurt right? WRONG! It will hurt your enemies pretty bad :P Also the crit strike it gives wont be wasted neither will its passive. CDs on Caitlyn aren't bad at all.

The Defensive:

This is ONLY useful if they have a very AD heavy team (which is bad for them), but not a popular option.

Now this item is great! Its active can do so much to you but this item has become so underated, this is a free cleanse. Note: QQS can remove ults such as ( Infinite Duress- Warwick, Hemoplague- Vladimir, Hyper-Kinetic Position Reverser- Urgot, Diplomatic Immunity- Poppy, Paranoia- Nocturne, Destiny- Twisted Fate, Agony- Trundle and Nether Grasp- Malzahar)
Note: QQS does only remove debuffs but Requiem- Karthus cannot be stopped (for some reason), also Idol of Durand- Galio can't be removed because it refreshes until the ult s over (much like Blood Scent- Warwick it constantly refreshes)
If they are focusing you hard or if your support/tank are bad at protecting you

Against pesky casters (i.e. Malzahar, Janna, Taric, Sion, and others)

If you want HP and nothing else, the slow and AD is not a waste either

Finally an upgraded Hexdrinker! It has the same passive as the Hexdrinker but stronger and better stats :D But whats new about this item is its passive, you gain 1 AD for every 2.5% of max. health you're missing. So if you are low you will deal more damage :D (but you shouldn't be low EVER, but in those sticky situations it helps a lot)

This item is MR while still carrying, MR per hit and extra bonus damage. Its great, but underated.

When To Use Your Ult

Knowing when it is the right time to ult with Caitlyn is the key to becoming fed.
The only times when you ult are:

1) When enemy is low enough and you are sure NOBODY will block it
2) When all enemies are low enough that ANYONE will die from your ult

DO NOT use your ult to initiate. It's not worth it.
If you do here are some side effects:

1) How will you kill those annoying stealth, Tryndamere or Master Yi when they run off?
2) Before a teamfight the tank will block the bullet, then he will restore all the health in no time.
3) During a team fight while you channel Xin Zhao will rape you in 2 seconds.

Now aren't all those 3 options lovely?

Only ult with Caitlyn during a team fight when you need to recall. Run, ult then recall. Your ult deals such high damage that it will have helped your team.

Who Do I Lane With?

When duo laning your partner should ALWAYS be someone with a CC and a person that can initiate. Tanks are best fit for this role. The CC can't be a slow, its has to be a stun, or a fear, or a bind, or a taunt, or a surpress, or a knock back/airborne.



Now THIS is the best partner you could have. He can use that blade of his to make you life steal minions so sustain is guaranteed, he can taunt so you can attack without being afraid AND he can save your life with that annoying ult of his. Shen is the partner that makes Caitlyn truly shine.

Note: Shen is at his best when he is a premade, someone you can contact instantly (by skype, talking, etc.)

Other Good Options For Partner (not better than Shen but...)

he is a tank, he can initiate and hes got a taunt

he has 2 knocks, a heal, can initiate and a ult that makes him tower dive so you can get the kill

he can initiate, he has a stun and he has a heal

he can initiate, has a knock back, has a freaking slow and can poison enemies

he has a stun, a surpress and he can initiate

she has 2 stuns, a slow, a snare, can initiate and can make your attacks hit harder with her passive

he can initiate, has a snare and a great harass

he can taunt, he can initiate, he can increase your movement speed and he can shield you

he can fear, he can knock back, he can initiate and he can dish out high gamage

Support characters such as Soraka, Sona, Janna, Karma ans Zilean are good to babysit you. BUT what these characters lack is the ability to initiate, and Caitlyn cannot truly shine if someone doesn't initiate for her.

Note: NEVER EVER lane with another carry, you need the creeps and he will also need the creeps so it will become a mess in the end. Mages are only recommended if they have LOTS of CCs. Same goes for melees.

Dangerous And Annoying Ones

This bad boy will be annoying. He'll heal all or most of your pokes with Transfusion. But thats not the biggest problem, the real problem is that he CAN block your ult. With that f**king Sanguine Pool he'll dodge you ult making you cry everytime you ult on him, plus if you happen to engage in a 1 vs 1 with him you WILL lose since Sanguine Pool heals him and makes him untargetable.

Tip:

Don't ult on him if he has Sanguine Pool up.
Don't engage in 1 vs 1 if you do not have a clear advanatge.
Poke him more than he can heal in lane.


Another annoying person here his skill set is just so annoying and good that it frustates you. He has a skillshot that deals significant damage and its CD is ridiculously short ( Mystic Shot ). Thats not all he also has an in-built flash like spell, similar to Kassasin's, so whenever a fight is not to his favor he'll just Arcane Shift away before you can win. And to top off he has a global ult which is qjust like Karthus's Requiem and can be used for the famous KS and assists. Trueshot Barrage is like Ashes ult + Karthus ult together. You are not the only one with a long range finisher :(

Tips:

Lay traps on him when engaging so he can't escape
He will have an early game burst greater than yours, so try to play safe
Poke, Poke and Poke
Tell your team when he is level 6, Trueshot Barrage is an ult that can change the course of a fight in another lane
NEVER STAY IN LANE WITH LOW HP WHILE HE'S ALIVE!


This guy here is difficult to lane against. First of all he WILL out burst you at low levels, and if you let him farm or get kills he WILL own the lane against you. His Buckshot hits really hard, don't underestimate him. His Quickdraw is gonna surprise you and be extremelly annoying. For the finale his Smoke Screen can actually prevent you from using your ult since you won't be able to see him.

Tips:

Zone him BEFORE he zones you
Don't engage at low levels his burst is greater than yours, just out farm and poke him
Ask for as many ganks you can
Don't be aggressive if you notice you are losing.


She is almost the same as Graves, her burst is greater than yours. Early game she will deal alot of damage. But that is not all, Sivir's Spell Shield will be used to block your ultimate, resulting in a crying Caitlyn player. Besides her early burst and her Spell Shield she is not a threat. Have in mind she is EXTREMELY mana hungry and will go OOM pretty quick.

Tips:

Just farm until higher levels(9-11)
Don't ult on her if her shield is up
She will render your traps useless by walking over them with her shield and getting mana for free
Don't chase her, her ultimate will make her run alot and you can't keep up.


His presence in lane is a bad thing itself, just like Sivir he can use his Shroud of Darkness and shield your ult. Also he can use Paranoia to close gaps so you won't go far (no use juking or kiting). And because RIOT is evil they gave him Unspeakable Horror which will fear after a duration.

Tips:

His Shroud of Darkness of darknes will block your ult so be sure he has used it before ulting.
Don't chase him, his Duskbringer will make him move quicker
NEVER go 1 vs 1 with him, his Unspeakable Horror will make you lose.
If you are with low HP Paranoia is most likely gonna happen
His ultimate Paranoia can be used so you lose sight of your ultimate target
His ultimate can be used so that he gets assists or kills around the map, since its a global and affects all enemies it means he "assisted" someone (he can make an executed into a kill just by activating this spell).


Magic mirror on the wall...who's the most evil of them all? That's Sion! He will completly own a lane vs you if he is a good sion (AP sions, AD sions are easier). His zoning combo is basically Cryptic Gaze followed by Death's Caress explosion and auto attacks. Don't underestimate this combo, it WILL zone you so much you'll be farm deprived. But the real problem comes here, his Enrage not only gives him insane AD but it also permanently increases his HP when he kills a unit. Now do the maths Sion zoning you hard = no farm = no gold for more damage only pots = you don't deal enough damage to keep up with the game. Sion zoning you hard = Sion with free farming = more HP from Enrage = your pokes aren't hurting him anymore. Equation 1 + equation 2 = you have fed their Sion and now he hits like a truck.

Tips:

Try as much as possible to not let him zone you
Zone HIM so he can't farm
Buy early defensive items or a gold per 10 sec items if he still zones you
Try to farm but very carefully, only last hit
Play extremely safe, or try to make him scared of you by poking him earlier in the laning phase.
Call for as many ganks as you can from your jungler.


Vayne is in my opinion the most OP carry there is out there. Unlike you Vayne can focus tanks and still deal massive damage to them thanks to Silver Bolts. Try to zone her a s much as possible early on because shes a beast late game when fed. And unlike Caitlyn Vayne can make a come back pretty easily even if doing poorly. NEVER, EVER, EVER engage a Vayne in a 1 vs 1 her ultimate will turn the tables on you, also if you are near a wall her Condemn will stun you resulting in an easy kill. Her skill set gives her great burst, Tumble gives extra damage, Silver Bolts deal true damage, Condemn will deal aditional damage if it stuns you and her ult is a massive steroid.

Tips:

ZONE ZONE AND ZONE HER, her early game is extremely bad if you are present, you will usually dominate that lane but don't get cocky, if she farms well she can just beat you later
Vayne's range is short so use your range advantage to poke and run
Avoid the third shot, Silver Bolts deal massive damage
NEVER engage a Vayne alone
Stay away from walls
Tumble can be used to finish you so care if you have 2 stacks of Silver Bolts and low HP.


Your best friend is always your worst enemy. He can use his ult, Stand United to make your ult fail. His Shadow Dash is gonna lead you to your death, and Vorpal Blade will allow him and his partner to heal all your pokes.

Tips:

Remember he will ult on his partner when you ult
Avoid all of Shen's Shadow Dash
Zone him and his partner
Tower hug
Ask for ganks constantly
Buy tenacy items.


Mordekaiser's passive Iron Man is freaking annoying, it will allow him to harass you with Siphon of Destruction and not take harass back from you or minions. He becomes incredibly resilient with his passive, and his ult Children of the Grave is just bad news. I once gave a mord a pentakill because my ghost wiped my whole team out.

Tips:

ALWAYS buy a Quick Silver Sash it will cleanse away his ult and ignite which usually comes along with it (no pentakills for him, if you're fed).
Zone him without letting him zone you
Poke him before he uses Siphon of Destruction to gain his shield
Ask for ganks.


She is bad news she can harass you easily in a lane without taking a single harass back with her Distortion (to close big gaps) followed by Sigil of Silence. When she reaches lv 6 she will aim for a kill. I play LeBlanc and what I usually do is, as soon as I get my ultimate Mimic I use Distortion then Sigil of Silence + Mimic. This combo usually wipes half of my opponents HP, and since I just need to wait about 30 seconds before the going in for the kill. Yes, her ult has a ridiculous CD for such high burst. Her burst is no the only proble, her passive Mirror Image can block your ultimate or make you ult on the wrong person.

Tips:

Zone her early game
Try to take as little harass as possible
Recall when you have half your HP (good LeBlancs will kill you)
Buy early defensive items (i.e Hexdrinker or Banshee's Veil)
Ult on her before her passive, her passive does not come out if she is killed before, when her HP is not low enough to trigger Mirror Image, or if you are absolutely sure you will hit her.


He is not really a problem in lane, he's just annoying. He will constantly use his Nimbus Strike + Crushing Blow + Decoy combo to harass you, and there is not much you can do :( You can try to farm as much as possible and lay traps to zone him. But the catch is here: his Decoy CAN block your bullet, his clone can take the bullet for him. Also care for his ult

Tips:

Be wary of his harass combo, it will zone you.
Do not ult if he has Decoy.
Be careful when he reaches lv 6 Cyclone may lead to your death.
And tell your jungler to be more careful when ganking because his passive Stone Skin can detect champions, since it scales on champions nearby (just like Irelia's passive Ionian Fervor)


Shaco is a roamer, not only will he be a potential threat as a jungler or as a laner (due to great ganks) he can also block your ult with Hallucinate. Also Backstab will deal massive damage and Two-Shiv Poison will make it easier to kill you.

Tips:

Shaco's that lane are less of a threat, just call out your MIAs and pink ward your lane
Shaco junglers are the problem, ward your river, your bottom bush and the tri bush, don't forget to also pink ward the lane
Careful of his hallucination blocking your ultimate

Just keep an eye out for these people, they are either annoying or dangerous to you.

End

Thank You for reading my guide, hope it helped.

Please test it before downvoting, I don't mind down votes but when people downvote without a reason I get mad. Also tell me if there are any mistakes or things I could improve.

If this guide recieves enough positive comments I'll do a section about:
laning
farming

Thxs if you read it

Thats all for now folks
:D