Kassadin
This is easily my favorite AP Carry, Ive listed the runes, masteries, and build that will pwn just about any team. Im not adding situational items as I'm betting most of you who might be reading this probably already know how to counter a fed AD carry/fed AP carry. Although Getting Abysall sceptar as your 4th item is generally early enough to counter any AP burst's like LeBlanc or Annie and give you time to escape, the reason you see no armor is because hey! Your kassadin. Your made to get away from Ad carrys before they send you on your long visit to spectator mode. With kassadin it is my firm belief that to have to counter an AD carry your obviously doing something wrong with positioning and or nuke skills. Played right kassadin will devastate even the best of champions.

Goodluck and enjoy everyone. Feedback is welcome, just dont downvote without giving reason. I know theres no pictures or anything but I'm an older guy who works and I've never had the time to learn how to do some of the stuff the rest of you guys can do.

Pros:

Great farmer with correct harassment
Great Nukes/Burst Damage
Pro Ganker
Best escape ability in the game
Amazing CC that includes a slow and a silence


Cons:

Focused Hard in teamfights
Easy to gank until level 6
Can be mana hungry without Blue buff

Teleport

Teleport: Makes farming a breeze even if you have been outlaned and need to blue to buy those 2 extra potions and boots. Although as a kass player I never really have to blue. This skill also allows coverage for a dead solo top which is still more farm for yourself. Gank opportunities via wards. Last but not least just that good old simple ability to be right back in the fight to finish off what you or your teamates started. Not so much late game but early game fights Ive died and had plenty of time to respawn tele and pick up a kill or two.

Ignite (This is a must have)

Ignite: Any kassadin player will tell you theres more missed kills and gold under a tower due to not having it than they wish to remember. This skill is your bread and butter from level's 6 to 18, it makes your nuke at the correctly timed opportunity a sure thing. Were as without it that pesky MR every champion has even at level 1 can sometimes and more than often leave your adversary laughing at you under his tower with 10 hp.

Flash (Take this over teleport if your new to Kassadin and need the extra survivability)

Flash: This is a summoner spell I have tried on kassadin but I just cant bring myself to use it anymore. I'm so used to warding correctly, having blue for quick ult retreats, and common sense with eyeing lanes its never been a necessary thing for kassadin with me. If your a new kassadin player by all means try it out as it will save you just like it will with any other champion, once you get your bearings drop it for teleport and you'll wonder why you ever went flash on kassadin to start with.

These are self-explanitory. They will give you the most damage for your dollar in the offense tree. As for the Utility tree I prefer to have the mana regen for levels 1-8 than the reduced time spent dead since I have teleport and you should rarely ever die with kassadin. Its takes a perfectly timed gank and some serious CC to stop you from making it back to your tower if your caught out of position. Some people laugh at me getting runic affinity but I wouldnt give it up for the world, that extra 20% on blue buff allows you to out harrass, out farm, and out travel just about anyone. As kassadin you want that blue buff at every possible moment of the game. Its a must untill you finish your 5th item Morello's sometimes its not needed but I always prefer it, its very cost efficient for the ammount of CDR and AP you get from it. So in most games its included in my build. After you build Morello's blue isnt necessary but its still extremely nice to have regardless.

These are simple. Damage, damage, damage. The seals will help with harass ability. As for the quints alot of kassadin players like HP, I prefer flat AP. It makes your Q pop for a pretty little pop at level 1 with your magic pen reds. New kassadin players should go HP quints instead of AP. Once you get the feel of him go to AP. You'll like the difference in your early game harassment I promise :)





PS: As someone pointed out if your on a team with a jungler who's going to give you blue everytime feel free to swap out those CDR glyphs for AP/Level glyphs. I personally like the early CD but either set will be efficient.

You can play with it if you like. Ive found mine to be to my favor. Some max Q asap but I prefer for my E to do alittle damage as well on top of providing a super slow. If anyone has any feedback on what I could try that may be better let me know. As of now Ive tried nearly everything and this skill sequence pays off the most for me.

Ah the good part.
Ive seen countless Kassadins harassing away with there superior Q damage early game as you should but the biggest mistake most kassadin players make is there farm. You should only harass to make a couple last hits. Your early farm is what makes or breaks you. Your made to farm with your AA while harassing your lane opponent with Q to keep him from doing the same. Get used to last hitting with your auto-attack while successfully keeping your lane partner from harassing you and you have mastered one of the best mid lane AP Carrys in the game. Once you get your ult dont be afraid to keep them zoned. I personally love R,E,Q, FARM. You'll dent that health faster than they can realize what happened and you should always go right back to farming them creeps. Creep kills are more important than trying to dive under a tower at 6 for a kill. They will eventually try to last hit something close giving you an easy opportunity to finish them off. If they dont and they dont blue there just killing there own farm and you should just go about giving yourself the edge by last hitting them minions :)

Positioning is very important with this guy. Never initiate a fight unless its a 1v1 you KNOW you can win. A death is a death. You dont want those and you dont have to have them with kass. Dont get cocky with him with no teamates around. He's made to burst and run from a 1v1 and if they chace long enough for your CD's to pop up again turn around and burst again, not your fault he was dumb enough to think you weak due to your retreat. Never stick around with kass to take damage. Burst, run, burst, circle, burst, run.
Teamfights are different. Allow your teamates to initiate. Wait for that malz to ult or that annie to appear or that WW to ult your AD carry. Something that can make there team win that fight. When you see this ult in, silence them AUTOMATICALLY, Then slow, I see many kass's who slow before silencing and in a suppression ult or with an annie it can cost a teamate his life. Always ignore the tanks and go for whosoever seems like a 1 burst kill for you after your initial entry. Generally you can burst an annie/leblanc/malz down before they do any serious harm which that in itself will most of the time win your team a teamfight. After this chase the squishy runners because at this stage of your entry and domination of there game changing carry they will generally scramble making them your supper for the day. Kassadin isnt a hard champ to learn but he is alittle hard to master. Anyone can get kills with him. Its knowing who to kill and when that makes the difference. Practice makes perfect and this basic guide should be enough for any new kassadins to enjoy him to the fullest and might even give some experienced kassadin players alittle intell they didnt already know. I dont assume to be the best or even close to the best kassadin players. I do know however playing kass my way turns games around even when bot and top lane fed instead of farmed.

Ganks are what get kass fed after level 6 when you've sent your lane partner to his spectator mode take the opportunity to grab blue or a kill from bot/top. I generally never farm mid if my lane partner is dead. It just seems a waste of time. You'll need that blue when mid comes back and you'll need them gank kills as well. And your team will love you for your ganks. There are some people with better CC ganks. But very few have the CC and the Amazing burst of a kassadin gank.

Core:

Sorcerer's Shoes Rod of Ages Rabadon's Deathcap Abyssal Mask

Preferred after Core

Morello's Evil Tome Void Staff

Situational Items:

Banshee's Veil For that super fed LeBlanc or Brand
Frozen Heart Ive only had to use this a couple of times and all those instances were due to a fed Ashe, It can definately keep you alive just long enough to finish her since she's always got that pesky Banshee's Veil at this point of the game.

Huge thanks to A Chubby Baby, Zoki, and Shizukani for there helpful constructive criticism. If not for them I would never have learned how to build a proper guide.

Huge shout out to jhoijhoi for her amazing step by step guide the above names pointed me in the direction of. I would definately play a game with this player any day of the week. If she's half as good at the game as she is making guides she would definately carry me :P