Alright, I've been playing long enough that I think I can put my first build on here and confidentley say that I have a decent grasp of what I'm talking about. Kog'Maw is one of my first auto-attack oriented champions, and I don't see why I would choose another.

He requires a lot of brain power, quick reflexes, and better judgement. As the game progresses, with this build, you may very well find yourself being your team's primary shredder.. As such you will be relentlessly focused, and will need to rely on a good solid team to get anywhere.

I build Kog'Maw as a debuffer. Being that one of his abilities is a built in Madred's Bloodrazor, he shouldn't be built solely AD, and considering his range and capacity for the task, he definately needs a little AD for tower killing.

Pros
Best ranged health melter in the game
Long ranged ult, that reveals targets hit
Skill shot oriented slow trail, enabling unique CC
Armor/MR debuff ability
Built in early game madred's bloodrazors
Useful against any target, be they tank or otherwise.

Cons
Will always be a priority target
Has no GTFO ability, IE: Hard CC, IE: Stun/Snare
Is a skillshot oriented character
Dependent on good teammates who know how to engage properly

I start most games with one of the two starters

, x3
,


CORE: , ,

- The extra magic damage combined with the shredding will really maximize the damage of your Bio-Arcane Barrage early on. This is especially useful in opponents who take dorans items, or go a tanky build. You want to get Bio-Arcane Barrage doing almost pure damage to squishies early on. As such, I will normally rush this items as quickly as possible.

- With range like Kog'Maw's, he is ideal for shooting towers, making a 100% AP build sort of hindering. Even if you go hardcore AP from here on out, there's nothing like watching your opponents stumble about, wondering how they are supposed to defend their tower while you wail on it from afar. Also, the fact your Bio-Arcane Barrage improves with attack speed is a nice plus. Don't forget the fact your range makes you ideal for applying the armor sap.

- neccissary for dodging abilities, outrunning chasers, chasing runners, and maximizing the speed of your passive, god help you should you need it.
Upgrade to different defensive boots if you need them, but never go an offensive movement speed 2 boot, speed is your friend.

There are many roads you could go after these initial three items.

gives movement AND attack speed debuff. In addition to that it will speed you up, making you all the more slippery. The bonus health is nothing to turn your nose up at.

or/and will really helps when you are fighting opponents who are skilled at harrassing you effectively. Just remember: you need good damage scaling throughout the match, so getting those debuffers should still be a priority. If you have to focus hardcore into defensive items, your positioning needs a bit more practice, and/or buy some wards.

For the skilled enemy CC initiate. It will help you break free of stuns, slows, etc.. does pretty well the same thing, but is situational, which is why it is not a suggested summoner spell in this build. When you pick your summoner spells, you're stuck with them all match, and you'll want that exhaust.

is for those very skilled teams that seem to always have a way to initiate burst on you. If those 2 seconds of invulnerability would be game-changing, and you really see no other way to avoid the burst, get this item.

More max health % magic damage. This item will boost your overall performance in all the fields this build tries to highlight. I usually get this item if I feel I need just a tiny bit more armor, and/or want to be a bit more rounded. I normally don't have a problem landing my auto-attacks though, and if you are having trouble landing that focus, going AP would be an acceptable compromise.

- Should you see your enemy building , this will help you somewhat. Also good for when you and an AP carry are in a shootout.

- Will also aid you in countering an opponent's The spell vamp won't work with your Bio-Arcane Barrage, so make sure to cycle spells to maximize the healing effect should you need it. Don't forget the active of this item either.

- If you are focused down in teamfights, this item will require the enemy team to focus just a little longer on you. Your allies should be able to reclaim the fight in the few seconds it takes for you to revive, so who knows, you might even walk away from it to fight another day. :D

Alter the build as you see fit. If you are having trouble killing enemy champions, moving more and more towards an AP build might be warranted. Observe the equipment and skillsets of your opponents, and try to counter.

Should be clear as day, but if not, I'll clarify.

- is what will get you to a team fight, away from ganks, and give you that extra couple centimeters you need to land your ult to finish off a runner. Flash will give you a momentary distance coverage, but it simply does not compare when it comes to Kog'Maw's skillset.

- for the AD carry that will invariably charge through everything in his way with abandon to start beating on you in the hopes of shutting you down. While I cannot say this is the attitude all the time, you will be focused, and this WILL save you.

Laning - Focus on staying away, and fighting from behind minions. Get your last hits, and don't spam your abilities for killing minions, which should be a given. Should your enemies wander into a comfort zone you will soon discover, you can pop Bio-Arcane Barrage and focus them for several hits, which may be made more devastating by a well placed Void Ooze. Keep in mind minion focus, as well as secondary enemy champions that may be near by. Once you're comfortable enough with map awareness though, you should hopefully be able to know when to push in, and when to fall back.

KNOWING your opponents - Know the champion you face, and the summoner spells he has. Your glue trail will do nothing to someone who can over it, or to , , who can ult and charge you. These are easy things to forget, that will always lead to getting yourself killed, and with Kog'Maw, that should always be a concern. You are easier to kill than most other champions, and most skilled players know that. Make it your business to NEVER GET HIT. Feel out your enemies, and learn your limits. Kog'Maw is by no means easy to play, and requires practice to master.

Ganking - Should you be comfortable enough for such a task, you are equipped to do insane damage. Coordinate with team mates, and make sure you know what you're walking into. Your Living Artillery is an awesome snipe for when they think they've got away, and your Bio-Arcane Barrage combined with will make certain that when they do get away, one or two Living Artillery should finish the job. Bear in mind, it only really begins to feel badass after lvl 11.

Teamfights - Stay way the hell away from their damage outputters. This should not be a problem because you have such crazy range, but if it is.. Consider alternate planning for teamfights with your allies. As above, be aware of the champions you face and their summoner abilities. If you are able to comfortably fire in a little bit of auto attacks before the main fight, don't shy away from it. Land your Void Ooze, pop a few shots in, run away. The more you whittle them down, the easier things will be later. Your ult will suffice if your opponents do have some means of bursting in on you. When a teamfight begins, stay back. Let your tanks do their job, and let everyone else do their job. You should be at the very edge of your range, lobbing autoattacks in and avoiding damage. You are the secret (sometimes not so much) killer. If by chance you're focused, use Void Ooze strategically and your Caustic Spittle and as well should they be so crazily bloodthirsty as to pop right in on you. If you know you can get them, or are obviously doomed for death, stick around. There's no need to run screaming from every one on one opportunity. Just bear in mind what your enemy champion is capable of doing, and hopefully you will be able to make the right choices.

Remember target priority. Your crazy damage and passive might guarantee you a kill, but if you die as well, will it be worth it? As the game progresses, your death will become more and more significant, until, at the end, it will be an unnacceptable loss.

In my opinion, Kog'Maw was meant to be a ranged debuffer. While a might be sexy on , or a might be sexy on , no other champion has abilities that really scale off of both of these tools, as well as the range to comfortably apply these debuffs.

The target you focus, will be the target your team focuses. Kog'Maw was made to shred all champions, tanks included, and should be built to do so. You could build raw AP or raw AD, but you also have to think about maximizing potential. Take what Kog'Maw does best, and try to improve on it.

My counter arguements to AP and AD builds are right here.

AP = will definately maximize Kog'Maw's damage to champions, but will do next to nothing vs turrets, which he can hit at probably the farthest range of any champion. Though in the case of needing to kill champions, especially if late game is looking rough for your team, switching to this may be the way to go.

AD = why would someone do this? I honestly have no clue. ONE of Kog'Maw's abilities scales off of AD, but really, it's his Bio-Arcane Barrage that should be boosted. Save your full AD builds for champions that are significantly boosted by AD.

Positioning - As you will often times be focused, make it a nightmare for your enemies to reach you. You have crazy range, and can deal insane damage the more time goes on. Make them work to kill you. Don't allow yourself to be an easy kill. Map awareness is key to make sure you are not being flanked, and won't end up senselessly dead before anyone else on your team. Getting your team surrounded is not suggested.

Wards - Will enable you to forsee ganks before they come. Champions that are able to shrug off your slow will see to it that they make your life a living hell. Thankfully, the abilities that make them able to do so are limited to a few seconds. If you have time to spot them lining up for it, it might be just the precious few seconds you need.

Creative Void Ooze - Try aiming it in front of you if you are running a certain direction away from a melee champion. Who cares if it does no damage? When you gotta go, you gotta go.

Ult placement - Lead your opponents. Just a small ways in front of them is the sweet spot. You can kill a lot of players this way. If they are good at juking, save your mana until they're already slowed, or literally are forced into running a certain direction. Watch your fleeing opponent to see if he pops ghost, or some other speed buff. This will throw your shot off. If you have ghost too, and can comfortably chase, don't be afraid to pop it and chase him down, continually positioning that ult to line up damage.

This is my first build, so go easy on me. I have had great success with it, even though I have no screenshots of victories. Mainly, this is a hybrid build, and the rest of the text you'll see is me trying to explain a playstyle that is aquired over time.

Regardless, I hope this build is as helpful to the community as all of your's have been to me.