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Spells:
Flash
Exhaust
Ability Order
Headshot (PASSIVE)
Caitlyn Passive Ability
Intro
How to carry! Featuring, Caitlyn the really pro sniper chick.
No time for intros, we have *** to kick!
- You need a ranged carry: A lot more where she came from.
- Someone who can bring utility AND damage to the team: Doing this will allow you to both; get kills and assists, and fumble like an idiot and still not get raged at (Trust me).
- Someone who just flat out wrecks people if left alone: Caitlyn has 2 strong damage abilities: Piltover Peacemaker, and Ace in the Hole (more on this later.) A ward-like snare tool, that is almost utterly useless. And the jumpy net. When you get a few kills, and a few minions, it adds up.
- Someone who can remain behind the tanks, yet not cower like a wimp: Caitlyn may often seem useless, camping at the tower but she's still an AD carry, kicking *** and taking names, with that huge gun, and amazing auto attack range.
- Someone fun: I find Caitlyn to be ridiculously fun to play. She just rocks so hard, her voice is yeah and her kit is just fun to play with. I guess I'm trying to say, SHE IS GOOD, seeing as how, there is only one ****ty, British, police officer; Caitlyn.
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Caitlyn is a huge squishy who needs a babysitter like Soraka, so usually building tanky won't help getting eaten. However, don't build her flat glass-cannon, survivability is key. Longer you live, longer you fight. You're a big asset to your team, and you owe it to them to know what actually to do. Right then, on to that.
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Runes
Either attack damage or armor penetration here, really no other ones you can take. Or attack speed, sub-optimal though.
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Runes
Also, the only viable seals for Caitlyn.
Greater Seal of Health: Free early-game HP helps survive those level 1 skirmishes.
Greater Seal of Armor: Since you're going against another AD carry, armor should keep them at bay... for now.
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Runes
Only one choice here, without them, you get ripped by the AP carry.
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Runes
It gets a bit trickier here, choosing between three quints, maybe four, the last which I won't mention.
Greater Quintessence of Attack Speed: The weakest of the three, still a very used choice.
Greater Quintessence of Attack Damage: Great rune pickup, just causes chaos to the enemies early-game, and slowly guide you to late game, using these however, nets no early attack speed.
Greater Quintessence of desolation: Great pairup with the marks, just punches early-game armor in the face. You deal lots of damage grabbing these, although your skills don't hit harder.
Also, movespeed is acceptable.
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This is what I run on Caitlyn. Fairly run-of-the-mill setup. I keep using this because it works, and I don't really want to try something new. Runes are important, so try different runes and see their usefulness, just not hugely important. Cut and dry, but tried and true.
Now, seeing as how you're a ranged AD, you want to be as offensive as possible, while still maintaining a bit of defence.
21/9/0, gives you attack damage, attack speed, lifesteal, armor pen, attack damage per level, crit damage, bonus damage vs <40% targets, armor, and lots of hp.
I like it, moving on!
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Probably the most versatile summoner in the game, get you into fights, get you out, and anything in between, the main uses for Flash are:
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Since most AD carries only have a slow, snare, and 2 have stuns.. you need some way to keep enemies near you without them being a problem, and Caitlyn, one of those people. Since it lowers enemy damage and basically makes them useless, it's smart to take, lets say you get ganked by one guy, Exhaust and you pretty much win.
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If you aren't taking Exhaust and you hate dying, Heal is for you. It's a mega-clutch summoner, seeing as how it... well, heals you greatly and all around you for a diminshed amount. Though, once you get some lifesteal, it's less useful, but still is. Also amazing for living through ganks and baiting.
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It's Quicksilver Sash as an item, but this spell also reduces the effects of the next incoming CC by a portion. If the enemy has tons of CC that prevents you from using your skills, you could take this skill (or just buy Quicksilver Sash).
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Also very useful, it helps steal... secure kills well, you could take this spell over Exhaust. With the new masteries and
Summoner's Wrath
, you can gain bonus AD while on cooldown. This means you deal slightly more damage, while they take true DoT and have reduced healing.
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If you hate Flash because you either don't like it or you've had enough with Wall Flashing, then you could also take this spell over Flash. Personally, Flash DOES take a higher skill level to perfect, but sometimes you just want to move really fast. Of course, always an option, and I'm not limiting you or anything.
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Tips and Tricks:
If you drop Yordle Snap Trap BEFORE casting Piltover Peacemaker, you will most likely hit the enemy. Also if you use 90 Caliber Net then fire Piltover Peacemaker you can do this cool trick where the Piltover Peacemaker shoots out of the starting place, not the ending.
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Yordle Snap Trap: |
Caitlyn sets a trap at the target nearby location. The trap triggers when a champion walks over it. This trap is visible to both allies and enemies. When sprung, the trap immobilizes the champion for 1.5 seconds, dealing magic damage over the duration and additionally revealing the target for 9 seconds. Caitlyn can set up to 3 traps and they last 4 minutes. When she sets a trap once the cap has been reached, the oldest trap will deactivate itself, dealing Magic Damage: 80 / 130 / 180 / 230 / 280 (+0.6 per ability power). A single target snare that lasts for 1.5 seconds just wrecks the unlucky duck that steps on it. A great disrupting skill, it's no Nevermove but it still works. You could also play AP and make this NUKE for like 1000 damage... Trust me, you'd be surprised how much damage this skill can deal. |
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90 Caliber Net: |
Caitlyn fires a heavy net in front of her, knocking herself back in the opposite direction. The net will slow down the first target hit by 50% and will deal magic damage to it dealing Magic Damage: 80 / 130 / 180 / 230 / 280 (+0.8 per ability power). Hey look! It's Flash! Well, not quite. 90 Caliber Net basically knocks Caitlyn and ONLY Caitlyn backwards. In order to Flash with this, fire it AWAY from the direction you want to go in. Also does adequate damage, not enough to consider building ap though. |
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Ace in the Hole:
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Caitlyn marks an enemy champion at a huge range and channels for 2 seconds to line up the perfect shot, providing vision of the target for the duration. She then fires the projectile to deal massive physical damage. Enemy champions can intercept the bullet for their ally dealing Physical Damage: 250 / 475 / 700 (+2.0 per bonus attack damage) Once this skill is accessible, Caitlyn becomes a big bully in lane. You can use it for stupid poke (the cool-down is actually low to use, then recall then walk back to lane and have it back up.)I love it as a finisher move, or if someone is dumb enough to step in a Yordle Snap Trap and blast their face off! Make sure never to use it BEFORE a teamfight, unless you're sure that it'll be up after the fight, you need something to kill the runners right? |
The main idea here is to max out Piltover Peacemaker as soon as possible, it's your best farming tool, biggest damage output, and coolest looking ability too. Soon after max out Yordle Snap Trap, because the only thing that 90 Caliber Net has to offer is the knockback, which you only really need at level 4, to escape ganks. Other than that, get Ace in the Hole anytime you can.
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: The only useful choice for a ranged AD carry. They're boots, they give attack speed. Win win?
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: Theoretically speaking, this is the MOST cost-stat efficient mid-late game item, 18% lifesteal 15% crit, and an active that rapes Dr. Mundo and pops Banshee's Veil, awesome lane item.
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: Gives good lifesteal, and armor. Lets you farm WAY easier too. The free ward doesn't hurt either, vision while pushing is a good thing.
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: Seeing as how Caitlyn has one of the lowest base movement speeds in the game, and that Phantom Dancer gives movement speed, critical chance, AND attack speed, I thought... Sweet.
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: Infinity Edge, every ranged AD carry's best friend, lets you hit harder and... harder? But mostly harder.
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: Lifesteal is really our only form of survivability, if you can even call it that. This gives a TON of lifesteal and attack damage to boot. I'm thinking that we got enough damage as it is. But too bad.
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: A very useful item for punching holes in tanks, even if they don't have a tank it's still useful. From criting 1k to criting 1.8k. No jokes, I've hit that hard O.o
- : A good item if you know that you're going to get focused ASAP. Not useful if you get focused while they have lots of CC.
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: Not the preferred boots of a Ranged DPS, but some times we just have to change. These are good if the enemies have a LOT of CC, or alternatively...
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: A quite good choice if you feel you're getting outran by everybody, including Ashe and Anivia. No don't worry, I'm not going to suggest getting Ninja Tabi... yet.
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: One of the more rare items, along with Moonflair Spellblade. It's usable, however not much you can replace it with, aside from your Phantom Dancer. Not advised but still plausible.
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: Really useful if the enemies have an HP tank, like Cho'Gath or Dr. Mundo.
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: A fairly good item to get, only if the enemies DIDN'T stack armor, because Last Whisper does that job better.
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: Really good if the enemies have a lot of spellcasters, or have a Teemo. You never know.
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: The lifesteal and spellvamp are really good, it gives attack damage, and some AP, but who really cares? The spellvamp is particularly useful if you use Ace in the Hole on someone while you have low health.
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: Gives great stats. Armor penetration, and cooldown reduction are really useful. The active gives you that extra edge you need when one on one fighting.
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: Lots of health, gives a perma-slow, so now people wont be getting away anymore. Slight AD, but it's unnoticeable.
Xerath is a high priority, AP, long ranged, tanky mage carry. You're his worst nightmare. Piltover Peacemaker is the same range as Arcanopulse, so if he can poke you, poke him back. Locus of Power roots Xerath to the ground for a short time. Yordle Snap Trap, does the same thing. Drop one under him, and watch him lose the range buff, seeing as how it's a hard CC. 90 Caliber Net lets you dodge Arcane Barrage, it has a small cast animation, and a fairly noticeable channel time. And lastly Ace in the Hole can poke him from outside his max range, and if you use it to start a team fight, it might deal enough damage to force the carry out of the place for the duration of the fight. Remember Caitlyn > Xerath!
Kog'Maw is just a little walking piggy bank. He is quite possibly the squishiest character in the game, seriously. Low HP, low armor and magic resist. He also has fairly low stats for a ranged AD carry. The only thing you need to watch out for is when he uses Bio-Arcane Barrage, it's fairly noticeable, he makes a loud gurgle noise and changes colour. It just increases his base attack range to slightly higher than yours. Living Artillery is some what like Ace in the Hole, but it isn't targeted, it's AoE and it has a fairly large delay on it. Other than that he can't really do anything else. Just right-click and win. Remember, Caitlyn > Kog'Maw!
Kassadin is just another lamb to the slaughter, here's a few tips to eat him up. Firstly, and namely his biggest flaw, Riftwalk has a half-second delay on it, the moment he does it, try and predict where he goes, and drop a Yordle Snap Trap where he goes. He gets snared, and before he can cast Force Pulse you have to 90 Caliber Net + Piltover Peacemaker combo him, then drop the hurt with your auto attacks. If he tries too Riftwalk out, then snipe his purple *** with an Ace in the Hole. Works everytime. Remember, Caitlyn > Kassadin!
Taric, is your very amazing bot buddy. Imbue straight up keeps you alive almost always. He can combine Dazzle and Yordle Snap Trap to make a very, VERY devastating CC combo, that essentially locks someone out for 3 seconds. Shatter Aura can keep you alive in some nasty situations, seeing as how it gives you bonus armor, along with Wriggle's Lantern and your greater seals of resilience, that's quite some bit of armor. Radiance, does nice damage along with his other skills, and in synergy with yours, most people should be dead. Seeing as how it gives bonus AD/AP, you should stick around with your Taric so you can execute more people with your sword-firing gun.
Soraka is your run of the mill support, and she is very useful with every single AD ranged carry in the game, at least that I can think of. Starcall doesn't do anything for you, but it does lower the minion HP quite a bit. Infuse either silences an enemy target, dealing not so significant damage, or it restores mana to both her and her target. Very useful, since early-game Caitlyn is kinda mana-hungry. Astral Blessing heals a target unit, and increases armor by a LOT! Soraka should drop this on you right before you jump into the fray, and then when you get low enough she'll cast Wish which is the opposite of Requiem, it heals all allies currently alive. Very useful to support, seeing as she is a support.
Janna, is one of my mains, and I know how she works inside and out, not literally (I wish). Howling Gale is a skillshot like ability, with a non-channeled charge time, that can be recast earlier to do less damage and travel less distance. It knocks up everything that it hits. Usually used in conjunction with Yordle Snap Trap to score some unreal lockout time. Tailwind, her passive, gives bonus 3% movespeed, useful by a bit. Zephyr is a single target nuke, that slows by a very large margin at max level, combine this with Yordle Snap Trap as well, they get slowed so much, that the trap is guaranteed to land, at which Janna will knock them up, then use Monsoon which heals everyone in a large AoE, and knocks back every enemy. Then you'd get a nice attack damage boost from Eye of the Storm which is a very nice shield that also gives to 50 bonus AD at max level. Figure out what that combines with, and I'll give you a cupcake.
By now, you should love the Caitlyn, and know how to play her atleast. She is fairly aggressive in play-style. Just remember, your ace in the hole literally is your Ace in the Hole.
Again, credits to jhoijhoi for the template, which you can find here.
And thanks to CasterMaster for showing me jhoijhoi's guide on guides.
Thanks to Searzocom for being a ****, and pushing me harder so my guide could truly be what it truly can be.
12/23/11- Got yelled at and fixed guide.
12/24/11- Added: Other possible runes section. Few minor changes.
12/24/11- Added: Champions to mess with, and Xerath to Champions to mess with.
12/25/11- Added: Kassadin to Champions to mess with.
12/26/11- Added: Champions to love, and Taric, Janna, and Soraka to Champions to love.
1/1/12- Added: Kog'Maw to Champions to mess with.
1/9/12- Changed: Glyphs from alacrity to warding.
3/12/12- Massive re-vamp of the guide, got almost half done.
5/20/12- Hit #1 Caitlyn guide, but then once everyone saw it they downvoted it because they were jealous.
Good job Mobafire, no wonder I quit.
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