Let me start by saying this is my first guide here, so any sort of criticism is appreciated. :)

Kog'Maw is a powerful ranged carry possessing high single-target DPS and a lot of range on his skills. His W ( ) is his main main skill; it grants him a major increase in attack range as well as %-based damage per hit. Combined with a high AS and other on-hit effects, you can end up doing a lot of damage with just your auto-attacks alone.


Pros:
• Really high damage; %-based damage AND an auto-attack range increase in one is VERY strong, especially with max CDR.
• A mini-Clairvoyance in the form of his ultimate, Living Artillery ( ). Also doubles as a decent poking ability before teamfights.
• A strong AoE slow in the form of Void Ooze ( ). Can also be used to farm minions (explained in the point below).
• Easy farming once you reach level 9 or so. Void Ooze combined with a Living Artillery on a group of caster minions will either kill them off or bring them low enough so that they will die from one auto-attack or another Artillery.
• His range is really high. If your W is active, you can auto-attack from a huge distance from the back of your team. His ultimate has an incredible range as well, making it very useful to catch off any runners after a fight.

Cons:
• VERY squishy. If you have bad positioning or you get caught off-guard, you can expect to die really quickly. We try to fix this with our rune choices, as well as building survivability, such as a Banshee's Veil ( ).
• The enemy will obviously try to focus you every single time if they can, as you are the carry. The fact that you're squishy also makes champions such as Irelia ( ), Kassadin ( ), and Nocturne ( ) your worst enemies.
• Like most other carries, you need a lot of farm to be effective. Bloodrazor alone costs nearly 4000g, and that's just one item. As such, you should try to take a solo lane if necessary, or go duo-bot with a babysitter like Soraka ( ) or Janna ( ).
• No escape method aside from summoner spells. Combined with your squishyness, you will be dying a lot if you make bad plays and don't position yourself properly during fights.

The runes I personally use aim to make Kog'Maw a bit more durable earlier on.

Marks

: Flat magic pen. These are essential for Kog'Maw. On-hit effects such as Malady ( ) and Wit's End ( ) are all magic damage, as are all your abilities. The extra magic penetration provided by these runes will make you hit even harder.

Other viable choices include...

: Flat AS. More attack speed to proc your W and other on-hit effects. Keep in mind that although you will be attacking faster, each attack will not be doing as much since you do not have as much magic penetration.

Greater Mark of Desolation: Flat armor pen. Extra armor penetration if you decide to build items such as The Bloodthirster ( ) and/or Infinity Edge ( ) and go for a more "traditional" AD build. Not a bad choice, but I feel the magic pen marks are superior.

Seals

: Flat armor. The extra armor it gives early-game is extremely useful when you go against some of the other AD carries, such as Ashe ( ) or Ezreal ( ). You'll also take a less damage from minion aggro if you and your opponent exchange hits in lane, which is always nice.

Other viable choices include...

: Mana-regen/lvl. More mana-regen in lane if you ever find yourself going out-of-mana often. I usually do fine without these but if you feel like you need it, then go right ahead. Keep in mind you sacrifice a bit of early-game survivability though.

Greater Seal of Vitality: Health/lvl. Using these will give you around 200 more health when you're level 18, which is a lot. Again, a really good choice if you feel a bit too squishy, especially during late-game.

Glyphs

: Flat MR. Same reason I use the flat armor seals; to increase Kog'Maw's early-game survivability. The +13 MR right off the bat will help you mitigate some damage from those annoying AP carries such as Annie ( ), Malzahar ( ), and Brand ( ).

Other viable choices include...

: Flat CDR. A bit more CDR for early-game. With max CDR, Bio-Arcane Barrage's cooldown will be finished immediately after the effect ends. Essentially, it will have almost a 100% uptime!

: CDR/lvl. Same as above, except these offer more CDR during mid- and late-game. Whether or not you want to use CDR/lvl or flat CR runes is entirely up to you.

Quintessences

: Flat health. An extra 78 health right at the start. The bonus health will help offset Kog'Maw's squishiness in lane. Quite possibly one of the best quints, in my opinion. However, these runes become obsolete when mid- and late-game come around. Keep that in mind when choosing which quints to use.

Other viable choices include...

: Flat magic pen. Obviously makes your abilities hit even harder. Combined with a full set of magic pen marks, you will get an extra 14 magic pen. If you get Sorcerer's Shoes ( ), that will be 34 magic pen, which will mean your abilities do true damage to most enemies (as most champions have a base MR of 30)! Overall, an extremely powerful and solid choice.

: Flat movement speed. Since movement speed is a bit hard to itemize for, it makes these runes a good choice as well. The extra MS makes you a bit more mobile in and between the lanes, and will help running away some enemies a bit easier.

I find 9/0/21 to be optimal, taking improved Exhaust ( ) in the offense tree as well as improved Flash ( ) in the utility tree. Obviously, don't take the improved Exhaust if you aren't using Exhaust.

Going 9 down into the offense tree is good because you get the extra magic pen and CDR, both of which are essential. The rest of the points are put into the utility tree simply because the talents it offers are way too good to pass off. Extra mana-regen, longer buff times, and even more CDR is great. Presence of the Master is one of the best talents in the game; with it, you get a shorter cooldown on your summoner spells. Absolutely incredible.

Good Hands is taken over Perseverance simply because the reduce death timer is really useful late-game. 10% off your death timer can shave off a few precious seconds after teamfights, which I think is worth a lot more than the extra regen that Perseverance gives you.


Going 21/0/9 works as well. You trade off your increased cooldown reduction and mana-regen for the ability to hit harder. It's up to you.

Summoner spells are a major part of any character, consider each spell and its benefits before choosing them.

Personally, I run Exhaust and Flash.

: Exhaust is a great spell. The damage reduction is useful for stopping the opponent's AD carry from completely destroying your team. A well-timed Exhaust can only reduce quite a bit of damage AP carry such as Annie's infamous burst, and even Kat's ( ) ult ( ). The slow, along with the armor and MR reduction, can lead to some early game kills as well.

: Absolutely mandatory. Flash is the best summoner spell in the game. It's basically a "get out of jail free" card with a semi-long cooldown. A quick Flash will save you many times from a gank or certain death. The ability to quickly readjust your position in a team fight or blink away whenever you're being focused is extremely powerful. It's no wonder Flash is THE MOST used summoner spell of all. As I've said earlier, do not replace Flash with any other spell, it's needed.


Of course, taking Exhaust is personal preference. The below spells work nicely as well. Just remember to always take Flash.

: Another extremely useful summoner spell. Since Kog'Maw has no innate escape ability, the combination of Ghost and Flash well help you with getting away. Ghost is extremely versatile; it helps with chasing, escaping, and moving faster in general (although you usually shouldn't pop Ghost just to do that :P).

: Ignite will help you in fighting against those annoying champions that have a lot of sustain, such as Warwick ( ), Mundo ( ), and Swain ( ). If the other team has a lot of healers such as Sona ( ), Ignite will help in reducing the healing.

: If you take solo top, Teleport is a viable choice. If a fight breaks out near the Dragon area, you can Teleport to a nearby ward to immediately join the fight and assist your team. Late-game, Teleport can be useful for defending or pushing (only if it's safe) lanes.

: Cleanse is still a good choice if the other team has a lot of CC. However, the problem I have with Cleanse is that usually if you get hit by a strong CC effect such as Ashe's ult ( ) or Rammus' taunt (Puncturing Taunt), chances are you're gonna die anyways. That's just my view on it, though.

Every other summoner spell is not worth a slot.

The grey text represents a skill's base value. Blue shows its AP scaling, while orange shows its AD scaling.

Passive: Icathian Surprise
Upon dying, Kog'Maw starts a chain reaction in his body which causes him to move faster and detonate after 4 seconds; dealing 100 + (25 x lvl) true damage to surrounding enemies.

It deals a total of 550 true damage at level 18. That might sound nice, but you need to die in order for it to activate (which is kinda sad, really). Still, it's a decent skill for finishing off people who killed you. The true damage AoE is also nice in teamfights as it lets you contribute just a bit more right after you die. However, try to stay alive as much as possible; it's pretty silly to get yourself killed just to trigger your passive.


Q: Caustic Spittle
Passive: Increases attack speed by 10 / 15 / 20 / 25 / 30%.

Active: Kog'Maw launches a corrosive projectile which deals 60 / 110 / 160 / 210 / 260 (+70% of ability power) magic damage and reduces the target's magic resist and armor by 5 / 10 / 15 / 20 / 25 for 4 seconds.

Cooldown: 8 seconds
Cost: 60 mana
Range: 625

Not that powerful of a skill as its range is pretty low. The passive AS boost is nice though, as is the MR and armor reduction. For early-game, it does a decent amount of damage and can be used to last-hit minions if you ever need to.


W: Bio-Arcane Barrage
Kog'Maw's attacks gain 130 / 160 / 190 / 220 / 250 range and deal an additional 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6% (+1% of ability power) of the target's maximum Health as Magic Damage (Max: 100 Damage vs Monsters). Lasts 6 seconds.

Cooldown: 17 seconds
Cost: 50 mana
Range: 530

The skill that defines Kog'Maw. It increases your auto-attack range by a large amount at max rank. The %-based magic damage is nothing to laugh about, and it punishes health-stacking champions that don't have much MR. You'll be doing lots of damage to that Vladimir ( ) and Cho'Gath ( ) if they refuse to get any MR. With max CDR, this skill will be up nearly all the time, which makes you even more dangerous.


E: Void Ooze
Kog'Maw launches ooze which deals 60 / 110 / 160 / 210 / 260 (+70% of ability power) magic damage to enemies it passes through.

Additionally, it leaves a trail which slows enemies by 28 / 36 / 44 / 52 / 60% for 4 seconds.

Cooldown: 12 seconds
Cost: 80 / 90 / 100 / 110 / 120 mana
Range: 1000

Kog's only form of CC. However, do not underestimate it's usefulness. Void Ooze is an extremely versatile skill and has a myriad of uses. The AoE slow is very strong (60% at max rank!) and can be used to stop people who are running away or to save yourself from ganks. This skill is also very powerful in the jungle, where it can cover up critical choke points or escape routes. Combined with Living Artillery, you can easily farmed the caster minions. This skill, along with W, will be your main harass tools in lane.


R: Living Artillery
Kog'Maw fires artillery from a great distance. After a short delay, the artillery falls dealing 80 / 120 / 160 (+30% of ability power) and (+50% of attack damage) magic damage and reveals targets for 4 seconds (deals 150% bonus damage to Champions). Each subsequent Living Artillery in the next 6 seconds costs 40 additional mana (Max 250).

Cooldown: 2 / 1.5 / 1 seconds
Cost: 40 mana
Range: 1200

Kog's ultimate. As with your E, this skill has a lot of uses as well. As mentioned before, you can harass the opponent and farm with this skill + E. It's also a nice poking tool before a major teamfight starts. The reveal essentially makes this skill a mini-Clairvoyance as well. Keep in mind that your ult will also reveal any enemies hiding in the brush, and will reveal those pesky stealth characters such as Twitch ( ) and Akali ( ). Make sure you don't spam this ability too much in lane though. Your mana pool can easily be burned if you decide to do so.

Refer to the chart in the guide's "cheat sheet" for a visual representation.

I put my first point into Void Ooze as I find that the slow helps a lot during level 1 teamfights, especially since it's AoE. From there, I allocate my points to max E out first and then W next, putting a point into R whenever I can. Then, I will take and max Q at the end.

The reason I don't take Q until there is nothing left is simply because I feel that the skill is very lackluster compared to Kog'Maw's other skills. 30% bonus AS is not a lot early on, when your AS is coming from either items (Berserker's, Malady, etc). You generally won't be in a safe-enough range to cast it as well. If you want to, you can put a point into it at level 4 to help with last-hitting minions.

I max E over W simply because it simply provides more utility overall. Each rank increases the slow percentage, which is big. A stronger slow means a safer escape from ganks as well as an easier time landing more ults or Bio-Arcane hits. Maxing E first will also make your farming a lot easier.

You can, however, choose to max W first if you're laning with someone that has a lot of CC such as Taric ( ), Leona ( ), Lux ( ), or Alistar ( ).


For those who are too lazy to read all of that (shame on you):
> > >

OR

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Remember, item builds are not set in stone. They can and will change depending on various situations. The item list in the cheat sheet at the start of the guide is just an example of what a final build should look like. I'll go more in-depth in this section.

Starting Items

Starting items can vary. Almost all the time, I will start with either a Doran's Blade ( ) if I'm duo-laning with a support, or Boots ( ) and three Health Pots ( ) if I'm going to be solo-laning.

Doran's Blade is a nice item that's extremely cost-efficient. You won't have to worry about the lack of regen since your support should be babysitting you in lane. Starting with Boots will make you a lot more mobile and will give you an easier time dodging annoying some annoying skillshots and/or AoE skills such as Brand's Pillar ( ), Karthus' ( ) little bombs ( ), Ezreal's Mystic Shot ( ). The Boots are also a great starting item even if you are laning with a support for even more lane sustainability.


Some other items you can start with are...

: Extra mana-regen keeps your mana up for your spells. The additional AP will make your Void Ooze do a bit more damage as well. A decent choice, but I prefer the Doran's Blade.

: Gives you a ton of armor to shrug off harass from the other AD carry and minion aggro, and gives you an early start to your Madred's ( ). Starting with Cloth Armor will also leave you with 175g, which is enough for five Health Pots!

Core Items

The below items are the ones that I suggest you should try to get EVERY single game, as they are the essential pieces of your build.

: I know, I know. I listed this as a starting item as well. Seriously though, Doran's Blade is such a great item since it's not cost-efficient. If you ever find yourself shopping sooner than expected, picking up one or two Blades is never a bad idea.

: As your main damage is coming from auto-attacks, I feel that Berserker's Greaves is the best choice of boots for Kog. The extra AS really helps in continuously DPS'ing the opponents with your W, Malady, and Wit's End.

OR / : These boots are good choices as well. The extra magic pen from Sorc Shoes will help with your damage from your auto-attacks as well as your abilities. Merc Treads are great if the opposing team has a lot of dangerous CC (stuns, snares, silences). The extra +25 MR isn't bad either.

: This item is great for Kog. The magic reduction, along with your magic pen runes and Sorc Shoes (if you decide to use it), is extremely powerful and makes your Bio-Arcane hit A LOT harder. The magic damage is applies per hit is also nice, and synergizes with your W pretty nicely. The extra AP is good for making your E and ult hit a little more harder, and the +50% AS is incredible. A must-buy in every game.

: Combined with Malady's magic damage per hit, you'll be hitting for a raw 62 bonus damage per auto-attack. The real reason Wit's End is such a strong item, however, is because of the MR it gives. The base 30 MR is nice but with max stacks on it, you will gain +50 MR in total which makes you harder to kill. The +40% AS is awesome as well. The faster you attack, the faster your MR will build up. Faster AS will also make you do more damage with Malady + Wit's End, as well as more Bio-Arcane hits.

After your core, you should build items depending on what you need.

More Damage

If you want to make your auto-attacks hit even harder, consider the below.

: An extremely expensive item. The armor Bloodrazor provides will make you a bit bulkier, and the AS and AD will always be welcome stats. The main reason you would want this item is that combined with your W, you will be doing a raw 10% of their max health per hit that's further increased depending on how much AP you have. Wow.

: As always, Bloodthirster is a powerful item to have on any AD carry, provided that you can keep yourself alive. With max stacks on it, you will have a whopping AD boost of 100 as well as 25% life steal. Combined with your impressive attack range, you will be hitting for a lot of damage even without your W active. However if you find yourself dying a lot, you might not want to invest your gold into buying this item as you will have troubles maintaining your stacks.

: A bit more AS, and a nice boost of AD. The main reason you would want this is because of the armor reduction, which can put an enemy at negative armor combined with your Caustic Spittle. A decent item overall, but only if you are stacking other AD items. Keep in mind the reduction won't be as strong as Last Whisper's armor pen if the enemy has a ton of armor.

: Gives the most raw AD out of all items in the game (80!). The increased critical chance AND damage is huge. Combined with Phantom Dancer, you will have at least a 50% critical chance! Overall, a very powerful item to get. Do not neglect the critical benefits it gives!

: If you have a high AD and they have a lot of armor, this item will be essential if you do not want your AD damage being mitigated. It doesn't cost a lot either, and the 40% armor penetration is huge. Combined with items such as Bloodthirster and IE, you will be doing tons of damage, no matter who you're attacking. A solid item.

: Manamune gives 1350 mana when it is fully charged. That means that it will give you roughly 47 additional AD alone (not counting the mana you had without Manamune). The increased mana pool is welcomed so you can keep launching your Artillery. The problem I have with this item is that I find that I don't get a lot out of it since it takes a while for the mana to build up. That being said, your ult is a great way to charge it up; using it a few times when you are in your summoner platform is a nice way to do so.

More AP

Even though this guide is about AD Kog, AP is still a good stat for him. Extra AP gives you more damage on all of your abilities, as well as increasing the %-damage that your W does.

: Absolutely amazing item. This item alone gives you an astounding boost of 182 AP. Combined with Malady's +25 AP, you'll have at least 214 AP (which adds 2 more % to your W)! If you want your skills to hurt even more, you can't go wrong with Deathcap. It's arguably one of the most powerful items in the game.

: This is basically the Last Whisper for AP. The %-MR pen is extremely powerful vs. anyone that's stacking MR. MR will reduce the damage your abilities and your on-hit effects deal, so getting Void Staff will solve the problem of you not doing enough damage. The +70 AP is impressive as well.

: It might seem like an odd choice but if you think about it, Nashor's Tooth is a pretty decent item for Kog. The AS boost is huge, the AP it gives is decent, and so is the mana-regen. The real reason you would consider using this item is the 25% CDR, which is HUGE. The more CDR you have, the more your W can be active. That makes you a lot more menacing.

Survivability

Every character in the game needs survivability; Kog'Maw is no different. Remember, dead carries can't do any damage, so be sure to include at least one of the below in your build.

: A very good item for Kog'Maw. Although kind of expensive, the 700 health is incredible. The slow effect is very potent as well, especially when combined with all of your on-hit effects. Combined with Void Ooze, and Exhaust if you took it, you can make sure that nobody is getting way from you.

: The best survivability item in the game. Adds a good amount of health AND mana, and the +50 MR is nothing laugh at. The bubble is the best part about it; the ability to block an enemy spell every 45 seconds is an extremely valuable asset for any character. It can reduce burst and protect you from dangerous CC. This is pretty much THE survivability item you should get in all your games.

: Gives you more MR than a Banshee's as well as a free Cleanse ( ), AND for an extremely low price too? Yes please. The active is actually better than Cleanse itself because it removes everything Cleanse does and more. QSS can remove the suppress from the ults of Malz ( ) and Warwick ( ). Morde's ( ) combo of Ignite ( ) + his ult ( ) can be removed as well!

: More AP and armor as well. The +100 AP gives you 1% more damage on W, and the armor is always nice. The statis effect is the real reason you want this though. If you're being focused, activating Hourglass and being invincible for a while two seconds can really save your life. This item is a great choice if the other team has a very fed Trynd ( ), Yi ( ), Gangplank ( ), or any other powerful melee DPS.

: Gives a lot or armor and a decent chunk of MR as well. The revival effect -can- win teamfights since it prevents them from focusing you, but at the same time it won't be as useful if they just crowd around and wait for you to revive. However, the defensive stats it gives is still nice for the price.

: The other team has an annoying LeBlanc ( ) or Karthus? Hexdrinker will help you in reducing the damage from burst and ult respectively. Gives a decent amount of AD and MR as well. Keep in mind it isn't as strong late-game, and should be sold for stronger MR such as QSS or BV.

Other Situational Items

Items that are, well, situational. I'll explain each item one-by-one so you get a better idea of what I mean :P

: Gives a very high boost of AS, as well as additional magic damage on each fourth hit (synergizes nicely with your other on-hit affects). That may sound nice, but the stats it gives isn't really worth the 2000g price tag. The only reason you should get this is to stop that Jax ( ) from completely dodging all of your auto-attacks.

: A very powerful aura. Gives a good amount of AS and life steal to you and all other allies. The armor reduction is insanely good as well. It will benefit your other AD carries as well as you. It's a good item to get if your team has three or so AD DPSs in total.

: One of the most expensive items in the game since it gives SO MANY stats. The on-hit slow is nice and works similarly like Mallet ( ), and the upgraded Sheen ( ) effect makes your auto-attacks hit even harder, and is easy to proc with Artillery. However, as I've said before, it's very expensive. I probably wouldn't bother with this unless if you're EXTREMELY FED.

: Phantom Dancer is a strong item on nearly every ranged AD carry. It gives a hefty boost of AS and crit, and the movement speed boost is very valuable as well. Also, when used with Infinity Edge, that's a 50% critical chance! PD is a good item, but don't rush it. Rushing PD is pretty stupid.

: Another fairly expensive item. However, it gives a great mix of both AD, AP, life steal, and spell vamp. The active adds another slow to your arsenal and is a pretty strong nuke. I'm personally not a fan of this item due to its price but if you want, get it.

: Self-explanatory. Get it against a team that has a lot of healers such as the ones mentioned when I was talking about Ignite ( ). Gives a decent amount of life steal and crit chance as well.

Consumables

These items aren't part of your "item build", but they can help you out immensely.

: A few of these will make your laning phase a lot more easier by providing you with a lane sustainability, especially when your lane is tough. I tend to get around two to three of these whenever I recall early in the game.

: Not as useful as the above. The 100 mana is negligible, and you shouldn't be running into too many mana problems if you don't spam your skills (especially your ult) a lot. However, it never hurts to get a few of these during laning if you absolutely need them.

Sight Ward: One of the best items in the game. For a mere 75g, you can save yourself or your allies from a dangerous gank. Wards are one of the key things to dominate a game as they provide you and your team with valuable map control. Warding Dragon, the buffs, and Baron is very important. During late-game, keeping Baron warded is a priority. The buff and global 300g is game-changing.

: Get this if the opponent's Eve or Twitch is becoming an issue. You could and should also place one around Dragon and Baron at times to reveal any wards the opponent's might have there so you can destroy them, thus removing the enemy's vision of said areas.

: A good item to use whenever you're a bit behind. The stats it provides will help you catch up in the time that it is active. Of course, buy if after you complete all of your build.

: Same as above.

: Same as above.

: Let's you see stealthed enemy champions, wards (Sight Ward), JitBs ( ), and Shrooms ( ). However, I suggest not getting this item since you die very easily. If you die while having an Oracles, you just wasted 400g. It's better to let your support, tank, tanky DPS, or jungler get this.


If you have other items, suggest them in the comments below with a reason and I will consider it.

Also known as the "laning phase". Your early-game and laning phase can make or break the rest of the game.

The first thing you should do is protect your jungler, wherever they may be starting at. Your first point should go into either your E or W. If your team has a lot of CC and is strong at level 1 teamfights, such as Cho ( ), then feel free to take your W first. If your team has little to a decent amount of CC, the slow your E provides will be invaluable. After you're sure your jungler is safe, go into your lane.

Once in lane, your main objective is to farm, farm, farm, and farm some more. You should only be auto-attacking to last hit minions or to trade blows with your lane opponent. If you auto-attack creep after creep, you will end up doing two things. First, you will push your lane and make you more susceptible to jungle ganks, especially if their jungler has strong ganks such as Amumu ( ) or Xin ( ). The second thing you will end up doing is missing out on minion kills which is terrible because as an AD carry, the majority of your early- and mid-game NEEDS to be spent on farming. This means you need to get as many minion kills as possible, and miss as little as possible. When you get a few more levels, your E -> R combo will kill the caster minions in the back. Don't be afraid to turn on your W or use your skills to get a last-hit a minion if they are too far away.

Harassing your opponent is easy since you have your E. With your W active, you can also afford to trade some auto-attacks with your lane opponent especially when they were just hit by a Taric stun ( ) or Ali's combo ( ) -> ( ). If, however, the opponent is out-harassing you (doing more damage to you then you are to them) OR if they have strong sustain in the form of their skills or their laning partner's support (Soraka's ( )), I would suggest just staying back and farm rather than trying to get your opponent out of the lane. When you reach level 6 and get your ultimate, harassing becomes even easier. Just make sure not too spam it too much or your mana pool will go down easily.

In short, farm as much you can. Harass the opponent with W, E, and R unless if they're out-harassing you or have powerful sustain. In that case, just play it safe and farm.

You should still be farming during this time. Keeping Dragon warded is also a high priority. Teamfighting will occur more and more now.

Farming is still very important. Continue laning some more to get some last-hits. By now, farming should be a breeze; E -> R will kill of minion waves very quickly. Ask your jungler to give you the red buff if possible, which will help immensely if you and your lane opponent trade hits often.

Be sure to play more cautiously and passively if the opponent has either blue or red but you don't. This always applies if your summoner spells are down. It's almost guaranteed that you will die if you're overextended and ganked when your Ghost or Flash is on cooldown. Warding the entrances to your lane is extremely helpful.

If a fight breaks out at Dragon, it is imperative that you join the fight if you can. Dragon's global gold will help your team snowball to victory, especially if you get multiple Dragons. If you can kill of the other team's mid or bot (or at least get them very low), they will need to either recall to heal up, OR try fighting your team at Dragon with sub-par health. Be careful of Dragon steals though, it can happen if your jungler's Smite ( ) is down.

Pushing a tower down should also be an objective. However, you need to be careful when doing this. As always, use common sense and don't push too far if your summoner spells are down or if the area isn't warded. You could end up losing your own tower or a Dragon if you get ganked and die.

Basically, farm some more. Push if it's safe, and get Dragon whenever possible. Assist some other lanes if they need the help too. Be sure to join your team in any teamfights if you can.

Teamfights are everywhere now. Your core build should be finished (if not, you are severely underfarmed) and should be working on more powerful items. Good teamwork is essential if you want to win the game. Likewise, one mistake can cause you to lose. Keeping Baron warded is required.

Your core build should be completed now and you should be working on building things that you need (damage, survivability, etc). Push lanes as hard as you can, and try to get as many towers as possible. Be sure to back off if you suspect that the enemy team is going to gank you. Be sure to defend your own towers from being pushed down if you see many enemy champions pushing or a large minion wave. The large minions waves give a lot of gold as well, so be sure to get them!

Securing your jungle buffs is a good idea. As your mana costs are not that high (as long as you don't spam) the blue buff is better off on your AP carry such as Anivia ( ) or Gragas ( ). The red buff, however, is what you should strive to be grabbing every time. The slow per hit is extremely powerful, especially when combined with all your on-hit effects AND the true damage that the buff provides (50 true damage at level 18!). Taking the buffs on the enemy's size of the jungle will deny them of this advantage, but be careful when doing so as you can easily be caught.

Speaking of buffs, Baron needs to be warded as many times as humanly possible. The buff boosts your AD and AP by 40 each, and increases your health/5 and mana/5 by 3% and 1% by the maximum amounts respectively. The buff is EXTREMELY powerful and can often make or break games. Wards by Baron are very common, and your team should aim to destroy all of the enemy's wards with either the use or Oracle's ( ) or a pink ward ( ). If the other team has the Baron buff, you and your team should be very careful when engaging, as they have a massive advantage over you for the time being.

You should stick with your team as much as possible. You do not have the ability to split-push lanes well like TF ( ) or Nid ( ). If you get caught on your own and die, you could end up giving the other team a free Baron since a 4v5 teamfight is NOT a good idea especially if the other team is near-full health. If you get ganked and don't escape, your team will suffer severely if the enemy initiates a fight since the AD carry (you) is gone and your team won't be doing as much or not enough damage to the enemy. I've seen too many games where one team has a major advantage over the enemy (fed carries, overfarmed, etc), only to lose the entire game because of one mistake at the end. Don't let it happen to you!

Essentially, ward Baron and take it if and when the opportunity comes. Stick with your team as much as possible. Defend and push towers. Take the jungle buffs for yourself and your team.

Before an actual fight starts, poke the enemy a few times with your ult trying to hit the squishies. If you can't, then just try your best to hit as many champions possible. Remember not to spam it too much; wait for the "stacks" to reset so you don't have to use up too much mana for it.

You must activate your W as soon as it is off cooldown. Without it, you will lose a lot of your damage. Your W gives your auto-attacks a lot of range, so you should be taking advantage of this by staying as far back as the range allows it. When your W is on cooldown, just stay in the back and spam your Artillery and Ooze; Kog'Maw's regular auto-attack range is not that high and auto-attacking without your W can be dangerous. Of course if it's safe, feel free to do so.

A common misconception people have is that you should always target the enemy's carry. This is VERY untrue. More often than not, the enemy's carry is in the back of their team like you are. It's not worth it to suicide through four other people just to get their carry and then die right afterwards. As an AD carry, you need to be maximizing your damage output all throughout the fight. That means that you SHOULD be targetting their tank/tanky DPS if they are the only targets that are safe to attack. However, this doesn't mean you should always focus said champions. If the squishier enemies come into your auto-attack range, the best thing to do is switch your focus to them especially if they are out of position and cannot escape. Basically, use your common sense.

Your range allows you to easily pick off any stragglers at the end of the fight. Some ways you can finish off any runners are with your W active in conjunction with red buff or Mallet, with Void Ooze or Exhaust's slow, or with Living Artillery (keep in mind they WILL be running erratically to avoid this).

That's all there is to it. I hope you guys enjoyed the read!

As I've mentioned earlier, this is my first guide here on Mobafire. As always, I'm open to constructive criticism and comments. If you have something you think I can improve on or items/builds/etc to suggest, leave a comment below. Similarly, if you disagree with something, tell me. I'm always opened to seeing a different view in things.

Thanks for reading. :)

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July 24th, 2011: Guide first published.