Who am I ?

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Hello everyone ! I'm A for Aramis, an humble player here, currently in Silver.
Fiddlesticks is the first champion I decided to main, a few months ago. I originally played it as a jungler, then I realized I was a terrible jungler, and stopped playing it.

I discovered him once again one month ago, when I picked him mid to counter my opponent. And right now, I felt in love (again) with Middlesticks.
This is a kinda underplayed champion, and I decided to start a guide proposing a different build, focused on Magic Penetration.

However, I'll try to explain how Fiddlesticks works; so you should be able to understand this guide even if you never really played with Fiddlesticks before.

If something isn't clear, feel free to comment this guide. I do not pretend to be a perfect writer, and English isn't my mother tongue.

+ Excellent Crowd Control with Terrify and Reap
+ Great Area of Effect damage with Crowstorm
+ Good survivability with Bountiful Harvest
+ Surprise effect (jump through walls) with Crowstorm
+ Surprise dive with Crowstorm and Zhonya's Hourglass

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- Very squishy
- Ultimate can be interrupted during cast time
- Needs blue buff and wards

A nice passive decreasing the Magic Resistance of close enemies by 10. It perfectly fits in my build, as I want to nullify the enemy's MR to deal true damage.
Be careful though: if an enemy can't see you but can see your debuff, he'll guess that you're here for him. He may flee, or ask for a counter-gank.

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Your first tool to enrage your foes. Can be used to neutralize an enemy carry, an evil jungler trying to gank you, or just someone you want to piss off.

Useful to interrupt Katarina's and Karthus' ultimate if E not available.
Start with only 1 second of CC, but up to 3 seconds when maxed. This is why I want to max this skill before real team-fights.

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Your main source of damage and life. Incredibly powerful in 1v1 fights if the enemy champion cannot burst you. They'll probably run away before the end of the spell (5 seconds), but you'll be full life, and they'll be mid life. Basically, you won.

Be careful: this spell can be easily interrupted by any CC. This spell also allows you to solo the dragon at level 8 (or even sooner if you have some time) with the blue buff.

Bonus: with some CDR (so, with the blue buff), you'll be able to cast it again right when it ends. The cooldown is pretty low.
Be careful: it still costs a lot of mana. Don't use it to harass or farm. Use it against a champion (after Terrify ), or against a minion/monster if you need health.

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It's basically a multiple-target silence, useful in team-fights, but it's also your main farming and harassing skill. It does extra damage on minions, which helps a lot, as Fiddlesticks is a terrible farmer. Be careful, it needs some time to hit its target.

Fun fact: as it bounces between enemies, if you are lucky, you can kill someone out of range with this skill.

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Your ultimate is one of the most feared ones. It's an extremely powerful AoE spell, with a high cooldown. Be careful, you have a 1.5 second cast time. DO NOT cast it if your enemy sees you, as he'll escape or stun you, and you'll lose your ult.

A good ultimate is:
- Used to jump through a wall / used when your tank already engaged, so when the enemy team is not looking at you
- Used on as much enemies as possible
- Used to focus the AD/AP carry. As you'll 'flash' into their team, you have to kill the most dangerous enemies as soon as possible, or they'll focus you. Zhonya's Hourglass can give you some survivability, as it does NOT interrupt your ultimate, but you won't be able to use Drain (which IS interrupted).

The classic combo is R -> Q (on the ADC) -> E (on the APC) -> W (on the ADC, if still alive).

As I said, you can use your ultimate to jump through walls. This is useful, especially when you see the enemy team and they don't see you, for example if the enemy ADC is fighting the dragon alone. This is why you need wards (and why the enemy team will need wards too).

Moreover, using it on some walls will make you jump further than the 'normal' range of the spell. I used my awesome MS Paint skills to make this picture: You'll need to practice it. And you may fail this jump and appear somewhere unexpected. But you'll soon master it. The only thing you have to remember is that as you can't appear in the wall, you'll appear on the other side.

A successful ultimate combo means your target dies. Use it to help your bot/top lane, or in team-fights. DO NOT use it to farm, unless the situation is desperate (example: you are the only one alive and 3 waves of minions are going to crush your inhibitor).

If you aren't fed, you may die in the process, as Fiddlesticks is squishy. But if you managed to kill the ADC, maybe the APC too, and severely hurt the rest of the team, you've done your job.
If you are fed, you'll kill 2-3 people, and the survivors won't be able to kill you, as you'll Bountiful Harvest them when cooldown is over.

A must-have. You can use it right after launching your ultimate to do a 'double-jump' if you need to go closer.

Can help you to secure an early kill and take an advantage on your lane.

Can be useful to react to an opportunity (a lane is pushed, some enemies are attacking the dragon...). Sometimes it'll give you several kills, sometimes you won't need it at all.

I still have to test this, but it could give you some CC, and another 10 magic resistance reduction if you pick Summoner's Wrath .

A classic Mastery tree for an AP-carry.
Runic Affinity is useful, as you'll keep your blue buff longer.

If you want to farm a bit easier, feel free to put 2 points in Butcher instead of Havoc .
You can also invest in Summoner's Wrath if you choose Exhaust as summoner spell, for the extra 10 magic resist reduction. (I still have to test this, as Ignite often help me securing my first kill)

My marks and seals are quite classic. Marks give you a lot of Magic Penetration, which indirectly increase your damage, and seals give you some mana regeneration, and will help you until you get the blue buff.

I chose to pick Magic Penetration glyphs because Fiddlestick's AP ratios are pretty low. As I said before, I think it's more viable to deal true damage than building AP and being countered by Magic Resistance.

I also chose to pick Cooldown Reduction quints. They give a quite high bonus (5%), and trust me, nothing is more frustrating than seeing the enemy team coming for a team-fight and still having your ultimate on cooldown. This is the main reason why you have to get the blue buff (not the first one, leave it to your jungler).

Start with:

Boots and 3 health pots. It is a safe start, and honestly, if you fail your start with Fiddlesticks, it'll be hard later. You probably won't use the health pots, as you'll take Drain at level 2. But you'll feel safe. The boots are here to help you dodge skillshots.

If you are really confident in your skills, you can pick Amplifying Tome or Doran's Ring. I don't like Doran's, as I don't waste my mana early game, and as you'll lose gold when selling it.

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First back:

Take Seeker's Armguard to be sure to get the +15 AP/Armor bonus when you'll buy your Zhonya's Hourglass.
Sorcerer's Shoes are here to give you a lot of Magic Penetration, increasing your damage. You'll find it on basically every AP mid.

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Core build:

Finish Zhonya's Hourglass first to be able to dive into the enemy team with more survivability. As said before, it won't stop your ultimate, but it'll stop your drain, so use it only if needed (under a turret / if you are focused, for example). Remember that only death can stop your ultimate, and that your drain, even if powerful, can't help you if 4 players are focusing you (the ADC should be disabled by Terrify.

Abyssal Mask gives you everything you need: AP, some survivability (through MR), and 20 flat magic resistance reduction on every enemy if a quite big range (like your passive, A Harmless Scarecrow, but more powerful). If you feel safe, start with Blasting Wand. If you want to be cautious, start with Negatron Cloak.

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Thou cannot stop me, humans:

Even if your AP ratios are low, Rabadon's Deathcap will greatly increase your AP and your damage output. This is another classic item for most AP-carry champions.

As the enemy team is probably buying at least one defensive item, buy Void Staff if they haven't surrendered yet to show them that resistance is futile. Gives you some nice AP, and an incredible 35% magic penetration.

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Last item: pick what you want

Choose Liandry's Torment to get some more magic penetration, especially if your friend the enemy ADC picked a defensive item giving him Magic Resist, and/or if his support bought a Runic Bulwark. The passive burning is nice too, even if not that awesome.

Choose Deathfire Grasp if you don't need the extra 15 magic penetration. You'll get a lot of AP, and as you already deal true damage, the active will be very powerful (just don't forget to use it).

Choose Rylai's Crystal Scepter if you absolutely want more HP. Maybe you cannot play with less than 2k HP. Maybe an enemy champion has the power to burst you. This is a defensive choice, which can be useful. But you don't always need this.

As my build focus on magic penetration / MR reduction, I want to take some time to explain how it actually works.
(Source: LoL Wiki)

1) Enemy's Magic Resist is reduced by Flat Magic Reduction (given by Abyssal Mask and A Harmless Scarecrow, for example). If negative, you'll deal more than true damage.
2) Enemy's remaining MR, if positive, is reduced by Percentage Magic Reduction (does not apply here).

3) Enemy's remaining MR, if positive, is reduced by Percentage Magic Penetration (given by Arcane Knowledge and Void Staff, for example.

4) Enemy's remaining MR, if positive, is reduced by Flat Magic Penetration (given by Sorcerer's Shoes, Magic Penetration Runes, and Liandry's Torment, for example). It cannot go below 0. At 0, you'll deal true damage.

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With my build ( Liandry's Torment as last item), you have:
- 30 flat MR reduction
- 0% MR reduction
- 43% magic penetration
- 43 flat magic penetration.

It means that even an enemy with 105 magic resistance will take true damage from your attacks. 105 seems really high, but in late game, even a carry will have at least 30 raw MR, probably a bonus from a defensive item, and may get another bonus from a support item like Runic Bulwark. Moreover, even the tanks will be afraid of you, as you'll drain their HP like if they were naked.

Of course, if the enemy team doesn't build MR, feel free to pick Deathfire Grasp instead of Liandry's Torment. Deathfire grasp will also benefit from your magic penetration, as it deals magic damage.

- Use wards. You have to know if the spot you'll use to launch your ultimate is safe, or it may ruin your attack.

- You need blue buff. You'll use a lot of mana when ganking or in team-fights, and the cooldown reduction will really help you.

- Use your ultimate when the target can't see you / is focused on someone else.

- In early game, using your E too often may push the lane. This is dangerous, as you may get ganked. Be careful.

- Farming with Fiddlesticks is difficult. You need time to clear a wave. It sucks. But you have to create an opportunity to gank top/bot lane with your ultimate. Try to harass the other mid. Ask for a gank. You can even gank your own mid. Retreat, go into a mid bush not warded, and ult (flash may be necessary) on the enemy champion. You are alone, so play safe: Ult, fear, drain, and use ignite when fear ends. Finish the enemy with your E if necessary.

- If all lanes are doing well, you can try to solo the dragon, if you have the blue buff, with your drain. But please put enough wards to cover your exit.

- If you are in a draft game, don't pick Fiddlesticks against champions with a big burst and a gap closer ( LeBlanc or Kassadin will destroy you, as they can 'flash' in, burst you, and 'flash out'. On the contrary, Katarina will 'flash' in, but your CC will interrupt her ultimate, and give you enough time to punish her.)

- Train. Fiddlesticks needs some training to be effective. In the beginning, you may fail your 'jumps' often. Just think about what you did, and try to act smarter the next time.

- Have fun. Fiddlesticks is a fun champion. He's quite exotic, got fun abilities, and is powerful.

- Never forget that League of Legends is a psychological game. Always be a gentleman. Don't flame. Tell people to calm down. And if you want to be a little evil, try a nice taunt after a successful move. Something light, that may decrease the other team morale and/or concentration. ('Why aren't you attacking, Vayne ? Are you... afraid ?')

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Well, I had fun writing this little guide.
It's my first one, and I know it's still kinda incomplete. I need to speak more about strategy, about enemy champions (is Fiddlesticks a safe pick / a suicide pick against X). And I may need to add some videos to show some tips, as videos are funnier and more useful than text).
Anyway, feel free to comment. I'm open to suggestions, and I never pretended to be perfect.
I'll try to update this guide as soon as I have something interesting to say.