Listen up Blackshoes! A revamped, updated Corki guide

Welcome to the World of Corki™

Welcome to my first guide, and it's on my first champion.

Corki, the Daring Bombadier

Now, before we head into the meat of the guide, a little of about myself.

My name is Darahas/Aharan and I've been playing LoL since sometime before January 1, of 2010. The date falls me, but I know it's been sometime around the Closed Beta and I own the rare UFO Corki skin, which got me playing him. I stopped playing the game in beta, because my old CRT monitor would screw with the game, making it unplayable. I came back sometime later, when a few of the people at another community started to. But, that isn't the subject. Got back in, tried Corki, failed HORRIBLY because I didn't know two things about MOBAs or that this was based on DotA. But as time went on, I got better, and learned to love that yordle.

What is so unique about Corki? Well, reader, I invite you to read on. This guide will focus on 2 Corki builds, AD/Manamune, and AD/Trinity Force.

Also, I would love to get your criticisms on this guide, please comment and vote. You have to do both.

Pros / Cons

This section will be focused on the pros/cons of Corki

+Pros

+Phenomenal poking power, amazing burst late game.
+Not your standard AD Carry, you use more spells then right-clicking everything (although you do do that :D).
+Built-in escape with Valkyrie
+Good bush-checker with Missile Barrage
+Gets absurdly dangerous when fed.

+Cons

+Squishy as all hell.
+Takes skill to play.
+Understanding of some military jargon to understand his jokes.
+Requires the ability to have fun.
+Very expensive to build.

Runes + Masteries (Reworked)

The runes I choose now are odd, but give a nice balance between early game damage, and late game Armor Penetration.

Greater Mark of Desolation and Greater Mark of Strength
I pick up four of the Desolation marks and five of the Strength marks. Why? Because with four desolation marks, you have 6.67 armor penetration. Along with one ArmPen quint, you have ten percent ArmPen at the beginning, along with 5 AD. It's a big bump from 48 AD to 53 AD.

Greater Seal of Resilience
I run these permanently now, that extra armor really does help out early game.

Greater Glyph of Warding and Greater Glyph of Shielding
Why chose between both, when you can BRING both! The Warding glyphs give you that early game protection, while the Shielding glyphs give you more MR into the late game, equaling at about

Greater Quintessence of Desolation and Greater Quintessence of Strength
I pick up one of the Desolation quints and two of the Strength quints, to get my ArmPen to ten percent, and to add some more AD.

AD/Manamune and AD/Trinity Force
After thinking, I went 21/9/0, still grabbing Armor and Health in defensive, and more attack damage-y stats in Offensive.

3 Attack Damage
6% Attack Speed
3% Lifesteal
1.5% additional damage
6 Armor Penetration
6 Magic Resistance
6 Armor
6 Health Per Level
30 health

This gives me the amount of damage and survivability I like so much.
If you prefer, go with 21/9/0 or any other combination,

Skills (Reworked)

Hextech Shrapnel Shards
Gives you 10% true damage against everything. Not as ridiculous as Vayne's Silver Bolts, but helps give you some added damage early game.

Phosphorus Bomb
Ahem. Phosphorus Bomb is a AoE, with the range akin to LeBlanc's Distortion. As the title indicates, it's a bomb that will do some magic damage and will expose the area for a few seconds. Definitely not as strong as it once was.

Valkyrie
Valkyrie is a escape/chaser ability, where Corki jumps into the air in a direction and carpet-bombs the area. AP-based, used extensively to escape and chase.

Gatling Gun
Gatling Gun is a conal-based AoE, similar to Ashe's Volley. It runs for 4 seconds, and is based on BONUS ad now. It also shreds armor, so it's very useful. It's also very counter-intuitive, as it has a short range and as you are a ranged DPS, you shouldn't be all that close up.

Missile Barrage
It's a missile. Every 4th missile, you fire a bigger missile. Not much to explain here, it's on an ammo system, so know your charges.

Summoner Spells (Reworked)

This section focuses on the Summoner Spells I highly recommend, sometimes use, and WANT TO SEE NO CORKI WITH EVER.

Highly Recommended

Ghost Great spell. Can save your ***. I would, however, not use it like this. Use it to chase, and escape quickly.

Exhaust
I now prefer Exhaust over Teleport, just to get that edge over that Ashe or Caitlyn. Exhaust just lowers their damage by so much. However, it's lasts only a short time, and they (being the AD carry, for example) are probably running also.

Cleanse
Cleanse has been upgraded so heavily, it's practically a Quicksilver Sash now. It's useful in ranked games, not so much normals.

Teleport
Teleport teleports you to lanes or team fights. Useful for transportation or going solo top if you are in that situation. Long cooldown, still very useful.

Use at your discretion

Ignite
Ignite halves the healing done on anyone inflicted with it, and does a true damage DoT. I don't see why not, it's just that there are spells I prefer over this.

Flash
It's nerfed into the ground. Which is good. Flash gets you out of so many cheap situations, and I don't like that. Personally, if you get yourself into a position where Valkyrie can't get you out alone, then you should die for getting yourself into that situation. I've died because I didn't run Flash, but it's purely up to you. I'm not used to it anymore.

Heal
Heal has become greatly more powerful then it's Season 1 counter-part. Although, it's more for inexperienced Corki's or with Ranked play where it can be used more wisely. I would run this 2/10 times.

I WILL SLAUGHTER YOU IF YOU USE THESE

Damn near every other summoner spell. They have no place on Corki.

AD/Manamune build.

Now we are down to the Nitty and the Gritty, this being the Nitty. The builds. I do have 2 builds here, each one is useful in their own right, but I do prefer this one, for multiple reasons.

1. You enjoy the benefits of 2k+ mana.
2. Let's say you have 2354 mana. That also gives you 47 Attack Damage.
3. You have very little mana problems when getting near full Manamune power

We start out with a Mana Crystal and 2 pots. This lets you harass more often, and builds into one of your main items. A Tear of the Goddess.

Pick up Boots one along with this, making the purchase around 1000 gold. Strive for that. Afterwards, teleport back to your land, and farm until you get around 1635 gold. This lets you buy your Manamune and Mercury's Treads.

Now, go ahead and gank, farm more, do what you want. Farm until you achieve your The Black Cleaver. The Core of AD/Manamune is now accomplished.

AD/Trinity Force build.

We are at the Gritty, the build in which you need to know that you'll be
A. Farmed.
B. Fed.
C. Smart in ganking.

Why? This build in all, requires a ridiculous amount in gold. A whopping 7855 gold is needed for the CORE. Not including anything else.

Start out with a Health Crystal. Why? It builds into your first item, a Phage. This gives you a slow, health, and 25 Damage. Next, get boots 1. If you are farmed enough, go ahead and get your Mercury's Treads Now, save up for a Sheen and build towards that very nice and welcomed Trinity Force. Now, pick up a Dagger and save up for The Black Cleaver
The Core is now complete.

Note about Items and Builds.

WARNING: MASSIVE WALL OF TEXT.
I'm not your babysitter, I'm not here to tell you exactly what you get every single game. If you are person who only follow MOBAfire or LeagueCraft builds, and stick straight to that then this guide IS NOT FOR YOU.

You have to take the remaining items into your own hands. I give you the 2 big items, and boots, and now you choose for yourself. All ad carries? Ramduin's Omen. (Thornmail is not all that good, they will obliterate you if they all focus you.) This slows, gives armor, health, and decreases their attack speed. AP centric? Banshee's Veil.
Blocks a spell, gives health, Mana, and Magic Resist
Understand? You have to change the items because of their team.

Laning 101

As a Corki, I feel you should be in a side lane, being babysat by a support, EURO STYLE instead of mid. Some champs just destroy you mid, and you should never be solo top when opposing a non-jungler team.
Of course, this requires you to get the feel of Corki down, how much damage he can do, and not get over your head.

Some general tips.

1. Don't facecheck that bush.
2. Don't facecheck that bush.
3. DO NOT FACECHECK THAT BUSH.
4. I'm serious. Don't facecheck anything. You are too squishy to withdraw that much damage from their checkbooks. As Stinger once said, "Son, your ego is writing checks your body can't cash." Now, imagine your ego is your life. (a la Duke Nukem.) JUST DON'T.
5. Get last hits. Focus on this, you have expensive core builds, and every gold coin matters.
6. Harass. Use Phosphorus Bomb and Gatling Gun. Unfortunately, you really can't deny anymore because of the removal of the blind on your Phosphorus Bomb, and Win Nao's will destronimate you.
7. DON'T FACECHECK THA-blahblahblahblahblahblah You get what I'm saying.
8. Be wary of your environments. Get wards for your lane, and dragon if you are bottom, the two side bushes and their wraith entrance if you are middle, and midway between baron and the bush into the river top and the triangle bush near purple base's outer tower if you are top. Do not put yourself into situations where ganks are easily put up.

It's not that mindblowingly difficult.

Laning Partners and Opponents (WiP, need more time to evaluate

To be added, and worked upon.

Summary

Alas, reader. We have reached the end of our journey. You have slogged through my guide, and hopefully, I have given you some insight on my favorite and very first champion.

Corki

Shoutouts go out to the MOBAfire community (specifically Matt and Searz for their respective Icons and Guide Template forum thread.), and Xaioli, for welcoming me very kindly into the MOBAfire Ventrilo, and making sure my experience is a good one, and lastly, thanks to JhoiJhoi for reviewing this, and helping it get better. You rock.

I'm out.

Darahas, Level 30 Summoner.