Kog'Maw Build Guide by toka29

Introduction

Introduction


This is my first guide on MobaFire with the lovely Kog'Maw.
Kog'Maw is a very fun champion to play andhe can rape anything because of his Madred's Bloodrazor even tanks, like Amumu, Dr. Mundo, and Malphite.

He is also a very strong Ap carry because of his ultimate Living Artillery, which he can spam every 1-2 seconds. Living Artillery does more damage when you are going Ap which ends to a deadly end for your enemies. :)
Kog'Maw is so good to snipe people and get the kill but also to harrash people before they are going into a team fights.

If you have any errors that I made please feel free to tell me so I can fix them and please upvote this guide if you think it is good and if you are downvoting it please write to me what's wrong with my guide so i got a chance to chance the errors
and also +rep me if the guide helped you.

Story

Story about Kog'Maw


When the prophet Malzahar was reborn in Icathia, he was led there by an ominous voice which thereafter anchored itself to his psyche. From within, this voice bestowed upon him terrible purpose, and though Malzahar was no longer tormented by its call, the voice did not cease its unrelenting summons. This baleful beacon's gentle flicker - now fastened to Runeterra - drew forth a putrid beast that ambled across a threshold it did not understand, widening a fissure between spaces which were never meant to meet. There amongst the haunting ruins of Icathia, Kog'Maw manifested in Valoran with unsettling curiosity. The spark which led him to Runeterra teased him still, urging him gently towards Malzahar. It also encouraged him to familiarize himself with his new environment, to the stark horror of everything he encountered on his journey.

The enchanting colors and aromas of Runeterra intoxicated Kog'Maw, and he explored the fruits of the strange world the only way he knew how: by devouring them. At first he sampled only the wild flora and fauna he happened across. As he traversed the parched Tempest Flats, however, he came upon a tribe of nomads. Seemingly unhampered by conventional rules of physics, Kog'Maw consumed every nomad and any obstacles they put in his way, amounting to many times his own mass and volume. The most composed of his victims may have had time to wonder if this was due to the caustic enzymes which stung the ground as they dripped from his gaping mouth, although such musings were abruptly concluded. When his wake of catastrophe reached the Institute of War, an enthusiastic Malzahar greeted him with an enticing prospect: taste the best Runeterra could offer…on the Fields of Justice.

Ability Details

Ability Details



(passive]: Upon dying, Kog'Maw starts a chain reaction in his body which allows him to move faster for 4 seconds and detonate at the end of the duration, dealing 100 + (25 x level) true damage to surrounding enemies. When level 18 you can deal about 550 TRUE DAMAGE!
This is like Karthus' passive and Yorick's ultimate.


(Q): (Passive): Permanently increases Kog'Maw's attack speed.

• Attack Speed Bonus: 10 / 15 / 20 / 25 / 30%

(Active): Kog'Maw launches a corrosive projectile at a single target which deals magic damage and reduces its armor and magic resist for 4 seconds.

• Magic Damage: 60 / 110 / 160 / 210 / 260 (+0.7 per ability power)
• Armor and Magic Resist Reduction: 5 / 10 / 15 / 20 / 25

This ability is not that good on Ad Kog'Maw but on Ap its one of your nukes but it does help you in a fight because the ability will decrease the enemy defends.

(W): (Active): For 8 seconds, Kog'Maw's autoattacks gain range and deal additional magic damage which is equal to a percentage of the target's max health. The damage caps at 100 against minions and monsters.

• Bonus Range: 130 / 150 / 170 / 190 / 210
• Max Health to Damage Ratio: 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6% (+1% per 100 ability power)

This ability is the one you will use most when you are playing Ad Kog'Maw but when you are playing Ap you will use it but not as often. This ability make you range crazy and when you are against another Ad champion (ranged) you will attack them twice before they will attack you once.


(E): (Active): Kog'Maw launches a projectile in a line in front of him which deals magic damage to all enemies it passes through and leaves a trail for 4 seconds which slows enemies who stand on it.

• Cost: 80 / 90 / 100 / 110 / 120 mana
• Magic Damage: 60 / 110 / 160 / 210 / 260 (+0.7 per ability power)
• Slow: 20 / 28 / 36 / 44 / 52%

This ability is very good for slowing people down if they are fast runners or they are trying to excape from you.


(R): (Active): Kog'Maw launches a Living Artillery shell to a target location at a great distance which falls after a 0.6 second delay, dealing magic damage to all enemies hit and revealing them for 4 seconds. It deals 2.25 times as much base damage to champions.
Each subsequent Living Artillery in the next 6 seconds after a cast will cost 40 additional mana, capping at 200 per cast.

• Cooldown: 2 / 1.5 / 1 second(s
• Magic Damage: 80 / 120 / 160 (+0.3 per ability power) (+0.5 per bonus attack damage)
• Magic Damage to Champions: 180 / 270 / 360 [color=green(+0.3 per ability power)[/color] (+0.5 per bonus attack damage)
• Range to Center of AoE: 1,400 / 1,800 / 2,200

Living Artillery is you primary harrash ability. Living Artillery have amazing range and even damage so it's a win win situation. With it's very low cooldown Kog'Maw can spam it all the time and when you are playing Ap the damage is crazy.

Runes

Runes

• Greater Mark of Attack Damage is good because you are playing Ad and that's why you need some attack damage.
• Greater Seal of Attack Speed is attack speed so you can shoot/spit on your enemy faster.
• Greater Glyph of Critical Damage All Ad carry champions are buying Infinity Edge so you can get lots of crit chance and crit damage.
• Greater Quintessence of Desolation I took this because when you are going Ad many tanks are building armor and then because you dont deal so much damage on them you need armor penetration.

Masteries

Masteries

I use the traditional 29/0/9 focusing more on damage than mana. 29th mastery is Executioner and Madred's Bloodrazor together are very strong.
I use 9 on utility because Kog'Maw is very mana hungry if you spam his abilities and if you are playing Ap you have to spam the abilities. If I'm playing Ap carry Kog'Maw i will go for 9/0/29 focusing more on mana so i can spam my abilities.

Skill Sequence

Skill Sequence

I max my W Bio-Arcane Barrage because when you play Ad carry you have to much damage as possible and with Bio-Arcane Barrage you will deal more damage. Then i max out my E Void Ooze you will use that to slow your enemy. And last keep harrash your enemy with your ultimate Living Artillery.

Strategy

Skill Usage

• Remember not to run away from your enemies when you die, as Icathian Surprise will allow you to deal extra damage.
• Kog'Maw's Caustic Spittle can sometimes be used to deliver one last hit in a chase since Caustic Spittle has a longer range than Kog'Maw's auto attack.
• Most Kog'Maw's underestimate their true power with a full item set. Bio-Arcane Barrage should be used to help take down tanks or for the extra range in a team fight. When fighting opponents that are squishy e.g. Ashe, you can just right click and fire away.
• Kog'Maw can out-range most champions with his Bio-Arcane Barrage ability. Use this to your advantage by harrassing enemies through the minion wave, or grab last-hits when being zoned.
• Use Void Ooze's slow to set up a perfect Living Artillery.
• Void Ooze is Kog'Maw's only escape ability. In order to succeed in running away, point Void Ooze away from your enemy towards where you are running. You will be able to run over it without a problem, but they will be forced to run on top of it the whole time resulting a drastic speed reduction. Ghost or Flash can give you the "lead" needed to compensate for the short casting time.
• You can however, click on the map inmediatly after using Void Ooze to stop the animation, making the escape easier, though it can still be dangerous and [ghost]] or Flash can compensate when is really needed.
• Ability Power, combined with Living Artillery, can lead to devastating long range damage. This is a great way to prevent your enemies from camping by a turret.
• Be careful spamming Living Artillery as it can easily lead to mana starvation.
• Maxing your Bio-Arcane Barrage can be a good way to get kills early game.
• Using Living Artillery as often as possible without stacking the passive too high can be an extremely good way for getting kills during the laning phase.
• Living Artillery provides a very short time of vision when and where it lands. You can shoot into the bush and see if anyone is there. You can also shoot into areas such as Baron Nashor , Dragon , Ancient Golem , and Lizard Elder to see if those monsters are alive making Kog'Maw a great scouting champion.
• If the Living Artillery hits a champion, your team will be able to see that champion for 4 seconds. This can be useful to continue auto attacking or using other targeted abilities after an enemy has fled into the bush.
• You can use Living Artillery behind the enemy to scare them so the run towards you which can the let you use Bio-Arcane Barrage to shoot them once or twice.
• Living Artillery can be used to assist you in 1v1 scenarios due to its short Cooldown.

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Build Usage

• When building a hybrid Kog'Maw, be sure to get a Guinsoo's Rageblade. It is one of the most cost efficient items on any hybrid build.
• When building an AP Kog'Maw, a Rylai's Crystal Scepter when used with Living Artillery can make subsequent hits with the ability easier due to the slow.
• Grabbing Tear of the Goddess early allows the passive to be charged quickly by the low Cooldown and mana cost of Living Artillery which is a great way to prevent mana starvation.
• Depending on your build, the later upgrade into Archangel's Staff or Manamunecan prove a strong upgrade to your damage output.
• Nashor's Tooth is a good item choice for its synergy with Bio-Arcane Barrage and Living Artillery.
• Building both Nashor's Tooth and Youmuu's Ghostblade gives 50% attack speed, some much-needed mana regeneration, a bit of AD, some armor penetration, one bonus percent on Bio-Arcane Barrage, and cooldown reduction cap, all without activating Youmuu's Ghostblade's active effect.
• It is worth noting that while these two items together increase damage output by a good amount, it also leaves Kog'Maw very fragile. Building resistances and a Frozen Mallet will allow you to stick on one target very effectively while being much less squishy.
• With Bio-Arcane Barrage and Madred's Bloodrazor, Kog'Maw can tear down most high health champions. Because the effects are additive, it brings you to a total of 10% of your target's max health per attack, meaning with enough magic penetration/magic resist reduction, you can theoretically kill them in just 10 hits. Adding AP can boost this to 12% or more max health per attack.
• Malady is a very good item for Kog'Maw, as he benefits greatly from both ability power and attack speed, and the passive magic damage and magic resistance reduction increases the damage of all of his abilities.
• Wit's End is another early-game item you may want to consider for Kog'Maw, as it is a VERY efficient item for the price, and all stats on the item are useful to Kog'Maw.
  Getting some lifesteal at the beginning of the game is a good idea to help you survive in your lane longer.
• Starting with a Vampiric Scepter and building into a quick The Bloodthirster can lead to some great damage output for a DPS build.
• Building AP or DPS depends on what the enemy team consists of. Tanky DPS and tank enemies will call for DPS, while a balanced or assassin team will need AP. This is because DPS will kill faster but expose yourself to danger, while AP lets you take off health from a reasonably safe distance.

Counter

Countering Kog'Maw

• Laning with an enemy Kog'Maw can be a little hard because of his long range from his Bio-Arcane Barrage.
• Consider stacking magic resistance rather than health to mitigate the damage from his Bio-Arcane Barrage.
• Kog'Maw is fairly squishy at early game. Putting a pressure on him can make him underleveled.
• After killing Kog'Maw, quickly move away to avoid his Icathian Surprise.
• A good tactic is to juke Kog'Maw to a brush during his Icathian Surprise.
• Move eratically to avoid being hit by Living Artillery.
• Kog'Maw's only form of CC comes from his Void Ooze, so if you're chasing him or running away try to juke it to make your life a lot easier.

Summary

Summary


Hi, guys now it's the end and I will just say thank you for reading my guide and hope it helped you so it will be fun to play Kog'Maw.


Kog'Maw is an awesome champion which very high damage early (level 6) until the game is finished (late). I like playing Kog'Maw because he can rape anything that comes near him and his huge range of his ultimate make it the best harrashment in League of Legends (I think it is)! Kog'Maw is easy to play but hard to master, I feel like I'm the master when im playing. the things that are easy about him that you just have to right click on a minion or a enemy champion. The hard thing is his ultimate Living Artillery which is a long range skill shot and it's not wasy to hit someone every time. But i am. xD

Change log

Change log



15-06-2012: The original guide created.
16-06-2012: Changed the item purchase and added the change log. I also added a new chapter = Summary.