Welcome to my Jax build. Here is where I'll explain a guide on how to play the Grandmaster at Arms, and my reasoning. If you have any comments, use the comment box. And if you object to this build in any way shape or form, please try it out before bashing it, thank you. :)


For those who are new to Jax, He's a bruiser/melee/fighter. He works off of Life steal, Spell-Vamp, Attack Damage, and Attack Speed. Jax is one of the fastest champions in the game, and this, makes him a great chaser. He's a hard hitter which makes him great for harrassing, and he can hold his own in team fights. He's been called the 1v1 master, as if he's far enough in his build, he can be at 200 health, and take down a fully built Alistar with full health. I'll explain all of this throughout this guide.


This guide was made for Summoner's Rift. (5v5)

Jax, in his shiny Jaximus skin.

One of Jax's few cons, is that he's very squishy early game. You'll want a reliable lane parter, such as Xin Xiao, Udyr, or Rammus. Somebody who can be aggressive and help you get kills early on. A vital part of Jax's early game is to farm off of minions long enough for his build to get going.

To start off, spend your beginning gold on Boots of Speed.

If you score First Blood, buy Ninja Tabi. If not, kill some minions until you have 300 gold, which is enough to buy Cloth Armor. After that, all you need is 200 gold Ninja Tabi.

After you have your Ninja Tabi, start working on your first Hextech Gunblade. Since Jax focuses on more on LifeSteal, you'll want the Bilgewater Cutlass side first. Once you're back to your lane, start working towards a Vampiric Scepter.

To make sure that you're working at full strength, three or four Health Potions are optional after buying your Boots of Speed. The lane strategy, would be of course, to coordinate with your lane partner. Jax has a high damage output, so be sure to focus on the same target, preferably squishy champions like Ashe or Teemo. Gank from bushes, harass, etc. If you're doing really well, you should be able to get your first Hextech Gunblade at anywhere from the 15-20 minute mark.

As you transition into Mid-Game, You should have at least one Hextech Gunblade, and have started on the next. If you've been getting kills and flowing well, then your level should be appropriate and you should be on your way to your second Hextech. Something to know about Jax - if he gets fed enough, all he'll ever need are the two Gunblades and Ninja Tabi. The Hextech Gunblade is an amazing item for Jax, and if you're doing well with him then nothing can stop you. If you're NOT doing so good, then your only hope is to backdoor and kill as many minions as you can, and do it fast. Jax can be a very good carry and take on multiple enemy champions by himself, if an only if he's caught up in level.

By this point, the lanes will have broken up now, and you'll be flowing back and forth. Work on backdooring turrets, and team fighting. DO NOT BE AFRAID TO JUMP INTO TEAM FIGHTS. Jax's life steal and speed deals more damage than he takes, and he'll melt the enemy's health. Keep up on your build, going for Phantom Dancer once you have your second Gunblade. Grab Zeal first, then Cloak of Agility, then a Dagger.

Hextech Gunblades are expensive, but fairly easy to get if you've gotten some kills. I've gone through many 5v5s where I usually only get up to Phantom Dancer. But if the game lasts this long, grab 1000 gold, and buy Madred's Razors to start you off on Madred's Bloodrazors.

You should only have one inventory slot left now, so get another 1050 gold, and buy another piece to the Bloodrazors - A Recurve Bow. From there, Madred's Bloodrazor should only be about 1700 gold. Then go for Rabadon's Deathcap. You'll have to buy it in it's entirety, as you only have one inventory slot left. It's the same price as a Hextech Gunblade - 3600 gold. Start icing some kill streaks!

The Late Game strategy isn't too complex. If you're winning, lane with your team to take down remaining turrets and win team fights. Your shiny new items will help you enormously. If you're losing, try to win any team fights that you can, and then backdoor a lane that has lots of allied minions charging it. Take down one turret, run to the Middle lane to team fight, repeat.

If you don't have a tank - Check the health of everybody on your team, it'll be likely that Jax will be the tank-iest one there. He can't dive turrets till Late Game, but he can act as a tank.

Using Relentless Assault (Your Ultimate) - It raises attack speed and magic resist by a very high amount. Always use it the moment before you jump into a fight, and before you attack a turret.

Relentless Assault in action.



Using Empower - This next tip may seem obvious but trust me, I've seen many Jax players neglect to do this with Empower. Empower is a short buff that, upon Jax's next successful attack, deals massive bonus damage. The trick to using Empower, is when ever your Leap Strike is ready, use Empower first, so it does double the damage. This is great for harassing, or landing decisive kills.

Another note with Empower, is that it's great for dealing with those pesky turret minions quickly, as it melts through their thick defense. So don't be afraid to use it on them.

Jax charged up with Empower.


Utilizing Leap Strike - Leap Strike has an enormous range. It's great for landing kills on fleeing enemies, and getting away. If you're caught in a bind and need to get out, Jax can jump to a friendly champion or minion using Leap Strike and escape. He can do the same to jump INTO a fight, as it were.

Leap Strike's awesome range.



Using Counter Strike - Jax's only CC move, is Counter Strike - A one second stun that does increasing damage + bonus magic damage as it's leveled up. Jax can only use this move once he's dodged an attack, so this is why I've stacked Dodge Chance runes. In a fight, you'll want to spam Counter Strike, then Empower, Then Leap Strike. Hit Relentless Assault if it's ready. You'll have to be as quick as possible if you want to win.
Something to Remember out this skill - It's okay to use it on minions! It's Crowd Control, and every time Jax uses it successfully, his attack speed increases.

Counter Strike in action.


Note about the Rabadon's Deathcap - Jax's final item, Rabadon's Deathcap, isn't necessarily needed. It's just a recommended item. That final space in his build is a free space. If you see that your match is calling for some more attack speed, build a second Phantom Dancer. Adapt. You don't NEED to get the Deathcap.


Note about Two Hextech Gunblades - Almost every Jax player I see builds Guinsoo's Rageblade, and then one Hextech Gunblade. Two Hextech Gunblades are more beneficial for Jax, really. The Gunblade gives you more Attack Damage, Ability Power (Even with a fully stacked Rageblade), and it also gives you Lifesteal and Spell Vamp. The Gunblade has an Active that allows you to deal a chunk of damage while slowing the enemy by 50% for 3 seconds, and it has a wide range.

Sure, the Rageblade gives you an Attack Speed bonus, but Jax gets more than enough from Counter Strike and Phantom Dancer. One Hextech alone is better than Guinsoo's, and the best way to reach Jax's full potential, is replacing it with a second Gunblade.

Pros

- Great Chaser
- Hard Hitter
- Long Leap Strike Range
- Offhand Tank

Cons

- Squishy Early Game
- Somewhat Reliant on Teammates In Teamfights
- Somewhat Slow Until Phantom Dancer
- Slightly Mana-Hungry Early Game

Some of you may be wondering why I chose Exhaust and Ignite. I'll explain that here.

Ghost - With boots of speed, Jax's movement speed is 375. With Ninja Tabi it's 395. He can chase down most enemies with this, combined with his Leap Stike's Range and stun. He doesn't need it.

Flash - His Leap Strike's range is farther than Flash's. If you're running away, you can jump to farther allied unit.

Cleanse - Jax may be affected by crippling effects like stuns, slows, taunts, etc. But his lifesteal and dodge chance outdo the effects put on him. The only time this could be useful would be Early Game, and it's not worth it.

Heal - Jax builds so much Lifesteal he doesn't need heal If you find yourself low on health and not wanting to recall, just kill some monsters in the jungle.

Revive - Takes much too long to cooldown. Not worth it.

Smite - For Junglers, which Jax is not.

Teleport - Jax may not be able to get someplace instantly, but he gets there fast enough to where this isn't needed.

Fortify - Not for Jax. Useful for Support Classes though.

Clarity - Would only be useful Early Game where mana is an issue. If you find that you're really eating through mana, buy three or four Mana Potions.

Rally - Good for support classes, which Jax is not.

Clairvoyance - Jax isn't a scout, he doesn't need it.

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Why Exhaust - If Jax is chasing a faster champion, such as Master Yi, Exhaust will ensure they don't get away. It will also raise the chance of a Leap Strike + Stun.

Why Ignite - If there's a champion that is just on the verge of death, but say, Leap Strike is on cooldown, or Jax would die if he jumped in because they're on their turret, then Ignite would finish the job.

All in all, Jax is a very fun champion to play. He's certainly not for everybody, but he's worth trying if you like jumping headfirst into the fray and seeing how many you can kill before getting overwhelmed. You'll have to be aggressive, of course. As Jax is strong, he has all the power in the world to be an intimidating opponent.

As of Week 44 of the Champion Rotation, Jax happens to be free. So if you're reading this and it's still Week 44, go ahead and try out this build! I assure that you won't be disappointed. Please leave any thoughts in the comments section, and happy slaying.

''Be advised - there has been an outbreak of lamppost-shaped bruises in the League of Legends.'' - Gragas