Lee Sin Build Guide by Maxeem

Introduction

This is my own opinion on how lee sin is played. Note that his is my way of playing him, and the cheat sheet is not to be followed item for item and rune for rune. However, I am able to back up my choices and explain why I choose these runes, masteries, and items.I am also an reviewer at jhoijhoi's review shop (Now Closed), and since the shop uses a "Trade System", I've decided to make my own guide. Ever since I've got Lee Sin, he has been my primary jungler. Recently, I've found that he can also top as a Off-Tank AD. Build one is my Lee sin top, and build two is my jungler Lee Sin This is my first build and I would like to get some feedback. If you would like a review from me, go to the review shop and request a review.

Check out this funny April Fools champion spotlight by Phreak:

Skills-What Can Lee Do?

This is okay in top lane, but it is your bread and butter for your jungling. One of the things i used to do wrong when I was playing lee sin is that I would spam my skills, thinking it would stack. I have warned you, use a skill, auto attack 2 times, use another skill. Because this is such a good passive and shouldn't go to waste.


This is one of the priority skills that makes Lee Sin who he is. It makes him what people like to call him, the "flying monkey". It is also a good skill for ganking and for finishing people. It does 8%, yes EIGHT PERCENT of the target's missing health. Another thing that makes this good with Trinity Force is that you can kick, jump to them, and your auto attack will proc a Trinity Force/ Sheen proc. Combined with a slow so they can't get away, you can easily kill targets while still staying alive with your tankiness.

Great shield and life steal/spell vamp. One trick I like to do is if someone has an ignite on me, I do Shift+W to use Safeguard on myself, W again to turn on the life-steal/spell vamp. Then smite as it works with spell vamp. You'll hear more of those "Lucky Lee Sin!!!" cry's from opponents. It is also a very useful skill for ward jumping (See "Ward Jumping" section). Ward jumping has saved my life numerous times as lee sin. Oh did I not mention that you can save allies by jumping to them and shielding them with this skill. It works also to block Caitlyn's Ace in the Hole.

This is a VERY UNDERESTIMATED skill. What makes it very anti-carry is that it slows attack speed by 60%. That is a whole Phantom Dancer's attack speed took away from the enemy AD carry. In fact, combined with exhaust, it reduces attack damage AND attack speed by 70 and 60%. That basically gives your team a big jump in the team fight if the ad carry cannot do enough damage. This is also a good ganking skill for jungle Lee Sins.

This is an all purpose ultimate that is great for characters who play off-tank like Lee Sin. Personally I make a big fussy deal about lining it up and kicking as many people, but quite frankly if you look at the tooltip, it does 600 DAMAGE at level 3. It is also very good to protect your ad carry or yourself

Ward Jumping

I've notice a number of Lee Sin players using their sight wards ONLY on dragon and baron. I am proud to present: WARD JUMPING

The following screenshot is an example:




In this picture, I place a ward over the wall, and when I use my Safeguard / Iron Will, I will safely make it across the wall, buying some time before the other team can catch up.



This picture can be used to steal baron with smite at the right time, or escape from the other team's jungle (if you are on the blue side) or run away from counter junglers (if you are on purple side)





You can also do something I like to call "Flying Sin". If you are getting dragon, and need to get out, you can place a ward on the other side of dragon. Quickly kick Sonic Wave / Resonating Strike dragon, and jump to the ward. If the other team flashes over to try to kill you, or if ur on the purple side and you still need to get out, use your q again, and kick Dragon Rage any remaining enemys. you then have an easy escape. another method is to drop a ward in the same place with the q landed on dragon, kick them away if they flash (hopefully it'll push them away back to dragon. If NOT, then:) Q if it did not reset. If it did, then flash, and try to get away.

Skill Sequence

Ultimate is obviously first priority for Lee Sin as it benefits a lot saving yourself and your teammates. As a AD Off-tank, you want to focus on raising your Sonic Wave first as it is you basic attack, and it helps you initiate. If you land a Sonic Wave on the enemy ad carry, you can travel to them, slow them, then kick them back for high damage to your team's ad carry to finish off. I raise Safeguard next for the great shield, helping you tank. It is also a great skill overall, as it can save your life when combined with a ward (See "Ward Jumping" Section). Last but not least, I raise Tempest. Many people totally underestimate Tempest but it can save your teammates with the slow.

Masteries

These are my masteries for the AD Top Lee Sin. I take 21/0/9, taking what ADs usually take in the offense tree, and dead timer, flash CDR, MS, and buff duration in the Utility Tree.

These are my masteries for the Jungle Lee Sin. In this one, I go 1/21/8, taking Exhaust's mastery in the offense, dead timer and movement speed in the Utility, and all minion damage, reduced damage, and health in the defense.

Items

*Update* New build is now up! Sorry for the delay
*Update* Based on feedback about "Rushing Trinity Force", I've changed up the item build a little, the new item planner/explanation will be up by 8-13-12

Above is the first build when it is finished. I start with Boots of Speed and 3 health potions. Boots of speed is good for running away from gankers when you spot them with your ward, or if you just spotted them and they're already jumping on you. I then get my Ruby Crystal and finish my Mercury Treads before my Phage. After my Phage, I get my Giant's Belt and upgrade it to Warmog's Armor to get the mid-game tankiness for team-fights. I get my hexdrinker to get some defense against mages, then finish my Trinity Force to deal damage to be noticed. I then finish my Maw of Malmortius and finish off with Atma's Impaler and The Bloodthirster.

This build is almost the same except that you get Wriggle's Lantern for sustain in the jungle, which you sell later, and Guardian Angel instead of The Bloodthirster


Core Items:

: Great boots for against magic damage champions and high crowd control champions like Alistar, Amunu, Galio, etc. See "What boots Should I Get?" section.
: Great damage output for shutting down enemy AD carry. Has alot of skills to proc Trinity Force/ Sheen
: This is what makes Lee Sin the off-tank he needs to be and to survive long enough to kill the ad carry.

What boots Should I Get?

. I have these listed as the boots for both jungle and top lane. This is the best choice as a tank against Crowd Control as you might be knocked around alot. There are many Viable other boot choices though. The following are what I consider "Viable":

This is good against Crowd Control during teamfights and against AP Casters that will try to kill your health bar. Great boots overall

Again, another great boot overall. When the opponent's AD Carry is super fed or farmed, you will need this to fend off their attacks as you try to reach them to Tempest them and Exhaust them.

I would not recommend this later game, but it is still viable to get into the teamfight fast and be the tank. This is decent early game though to get back into lane if you don't have Teleport as a Summoner Spell, or Teleport is on cooldown.

Runes

Lee Sin's Runes

Greater Mark of Desolation/ Greater Mark of Attack Damage Great armor penetration that helps go through early game armor built by opponents. It gives you just enough to be able to kill enemies early game. Jungle: Gives Attack Damage to boost your jungle speed and ganking power. Jungles do not have enough armor for ArP Marks to be effective in the jungle.

Greater Seal of Armor Defense against a lot of AD champions top. Examples include Tryndamere, Pantheon, Gangplank, etc.

Greater Glyph of Magic Resist I prefer Flat MR over MR/Level, but its your on choice. You don't have to follow my cheat sheet on everything. This is good for AP Champions that might be top like Akali, Vladimir, etc.

Greater Quintessence of Health The health from this helps you be the Off-Tank you need to be throughout the game. Giving 78 health flat, it is also good in the jungle to survive and gives you something to work with on your first camp.

Jungle Route

There are two good jungle routes on Lee Sin (these are not all of the possible ways, but 2 of the best.)

Jungle Route One

• 1. Raise Tempest and start at wolves. Try to get top/mid (if your on the blue side) or mid/bot (if you are on the purple side) to help you auto attack a bit.
• 2. Ask your teammates to help you leash blue, but you take it for the exp. and CDR.
• 3. Raise Safeguard if your going to wraiths (preferably), but if you want to gank, raise Sonic Wave. If you go Safeguard, go to wraiths.
• 4. Go to red buff, use your smite to kill it, then check all the lanes. Are any available to gank? If so, go to their lane and gank. If not, go to Mini Golemns
• 5. After Mini Golemns, if there STILL isn't any lane to gank, go back to wolves or go back if your too low health.
• 6. Remember to give your team mid or top (if they mana) blue. If they don't use mana, take it yourself or give it to bot lane

Jungle Route 2

• 1. Raise Tempest and head to Wraiths. Try to get mid/bot or mid/top to help auto attack wraiths, leash red.
• 2. Ask your teammates to leash red for you. When it gets low, Smite it for the kill.
• 3. If you want to pull out a Level 1/2 gank, you can raise Sonic Wave and gank. If not, raise Safeguard.
• 4. Go to golemns (if you have enough health) and kill it. Head to wolves after and kill that too.
• 5. You can give blue to your teammates, or you can take it yourself. After blue buff, gank again.
• 6. Go back, get boots and some potions, then go to wraiths. You can skip around camps anytime you want according to your location on the map.
• 7. Remember to give your team blue buff as Lee Sin does not have mana.

PLEASE NOTE THAT YOU CAN GANK ANYTIME YOU WANT IN YOUR ROUTE. IF A LANE IS STRUGGLING, YOU SHOULD HEAD ON TO THAT LANE INSTEAD OF FOLLOWING THIS ROUTE STEP-BY-STEP. ADJUST ACCORDINGLY TO YOUR LANES, NOT THE JUNGLER.

Summoner Spells

Advantages of Flash

• Escape over walls
• Flash for killing blow
• Line up ultimate for team fights.

Advantages of Exhaust

• Great slow for ganking and setting up a gank. Also counters ghost.
• Exhaust AD Carry for much less damage output combined with Tempest
• Slow enemies when they are chasing you.

Advantages of Smite

• Really high true damage skill, helps with jungling, and NO jungler can jungle FAST without this.
• Secure baron and dragon for your team, I've stolen dragon and baron a few times with smite.
• Smite gives good gold even after jungle phase, and comes back every minute.

Ignite would be good if you are going solo top against Dr. Mundo. Otherwise, I would not recommend it over exhaust.
Teleport would be good if your going 1v2 top and need to go back more than often. Again, I would not recommend it over exhaust.
Ghost would be good if your not a Flash fan. This could go in the more viable section, but personally, I am a Flash lover since Season 1

The other spells aren't very viable on Lee Sin, and I wouldn't try it on him.

Scary Lane Opponents/Junglers

Udyr, Jungler: This bear dude is pretty crazy at jungling. Hes got those AoE moves that make him clear jungle faster than you can blink. He can fight you if he finds you, and can pretty much just steal your jungle and run out.

Irelia, Top Lane: This might be hard depending on your skill level. If you try to engage 1 on 1, she can just stun you and run away, later healing herself back up with her Hiten Style. You wanna try to use your Sonic Wave, jump, then quickly shield back to your minion.

Riven, Top Lane: Riven probably would be hard since she does more damage than you and you would probably have to not spar 1v1, but you can win the lane with a help of a ganker. She will probably try to push your lane to harass you to your tower, and that is when your jungler can gank.

Renekton, Top Lane: Almost same reason as riven. He can stun you, deal high damage, then sustain himself back to deny your harass. Again, you should call your jungler to help when he pushes you to your tower, and you can win your lane with farm.

Nocturne, Jungler: Nocturne's fear is a pretty good CC, and he can counter jungle you, and if you find him, he can 1v1 with you. You should buy and ward your jungle with Sight Wards, and call your lanes to gank him if you find him.


There are much more opponents that are hard to face, except I cannot think of any more at this moment right now. Beware of counter junglers, and if you are struggling in lane, call your own jungler.

Updates

*Red detonates Last Update*

8/13/2012: Updated the build to fit the feedback. Thanks for the support and I'll be working on this build again :D
5/31/2012-8/11/12 : Haven't updated the build in a while, but have been playing Lee Sin. Found a new build to fit the feedback. Will be implanted on 8/13/12
5/30/2012 : *Update* on items. Based on feedback about "Rushing Trinity Force", I've decided to change the item build. However, the "Item" section has not been updated as I've been busy and still am. The planned date to edit the section is by 6/5/12. I'm still looking for feedback based on the new build updated.
5/17/2012 : Fixed ImageShack Images in "Ward Jumping" section
5/16/2012 7:36 PM EST (2 hrs after guide published): Forgot mastery trees. They are up now.
5/16/2012 : Published the guide. Please give constructive criticism in the comments sections to help this guide.

Special Thanks to JhoiJhoi

This Section is for the special thanks for jhoijhoi for showing people how to make guides, found here. She has explained BBCoding and many other special things included in this guide with her guide, and she has let me become a reviewer in her review shop. I would also like to thank YOU for reading this guide, and I assure you more updates will come.

Conclusion

If you don't like this guide for whatever reason, please don't vote and put "noob" or something in the comment section. If you do not like my build, please comment and say why, so that I can make this build as good as possible. If you are going to down vote, please tell me why and how i should fix my guide according to your comments. This is Maxeem, and this is my Lee Sin guide. Get out there, play Lee Sin and win those games. I trust you can master him!