This is my first guide for Lux but I'll tell ya what I know and what I think. I spent the last 3 days playing her for the first time, tried out several different builds and setups. From these experiences I found it most rewarding to play solo mid Lux on Summoner's Rift, and if your going to play solo mid why not play as a carry......and if your going to be an AP carry you might as well pack a big punch right?

This guide will focus on X points of interest
1. Ability to kill the enemy
2. Ability to avoid getting killed
3. Ability to keep the threat constant "not running out of mana"

While the first 2 are obvious for a carry the third is mostly unique to AP carries and often overlooked by players.

Lets get started with runes, Since this is the only aspect of a game that you MUST decide on before the game starts. It should come first, the rest of the guide you can read and do as you go. It might help pass that "Waiting for Game" timer.

For runes I found the best runes for early game were AP at 18 Blue/Yellow/Quints with MagicPen Reds, while All the AP at 18 doesn't amount to all that much by lvl 6-7 you will certainly see a difference. A lot of people prefer to take mana regen or health runes, but I really hate letting the opponent get away with <10 health so I maximize early dmg to avoid that where possible. I wont need the mana regen because of the summoner spells I selected and the way I use them. Health should not be an issue for you "if" you are careful and don't let your self get over extended. Your goal should be to use your ranged auto attack to last hit, avoid excessive auto-attacking so you wont push the lane out to far. The more distance your opponent has to run to his tower the greater chance of a future kill for you, and the less likely you are to get effectively ganked.

I could write you a whole chapter on the importance of good spells but I'll save you the read as hopefully you are reading this as you setting up for a game. For spells I like Flash and Teleport, I'm old school and can fondly remember the days where Flash as better, but that being said its still extremely useful for closing distance for a kill, or escaping over a nearby wall to survive. For a mid it can give you and instant trip to a tower if you get a little over extended and see a gank coming. You could also substitute Ghost but I find that most situations a well used [flash]] will save you just as well "if not more often" Ever dodged an Ashe arrow with Flash or a amummu ult... not as easily done with Ghost. For my second spell I choose Teleport, this is a great carry spell as you can use it defensively or offensively.

Teleport Strategies "Read this if you want additional info, not part of the guide."
I often find with many champions its very useful to take [teleport]] to save you time, time loss is gold loss. Usually when I hit level six with Lux ill fire off a lazer aiming to instantly take out a line of creeps and do significant dmg to the enemy champion, then I am free to port back an purchase items, quickly Teleport back and miss not a single creep. If the enemy didn't go back after the ult they are set up to either take a lot of tower dmg in the near future or give you a kill when its ready again "should be about 45 sec at this point"

Often with many champions I will purchase a sight ward or Vision Ward when I return for my usual items. Don't use it right away but instead hold on to it until Teleport is off cooldown then place it a little past half way into the mid lane. It doesn't matter if they see you place it as it'll work as a constant threat to them. The next time they advance beyond your ward you can Teleport to the ward instead of attacking them the usual way. Starting behind you enemy will restrict there means to escape, played correctly will get you a kill nearly every time.

Telport is also a lifesaver for your team if they need it. Ever had one of those games where you see a jungler ganking top or bot and just know if you could get there you might turn the tides? A quick Teleport to there tower and a well placed lazer will do just that usually.

For extra fun try taking Teemo's with you when you play, he'll provide the wards and you'll provide the lazers. The fun never ends.

I know the last chapter was long and you probably only have a few seconds to do your mastery's so ill keep this short. I do a basic cookie cutter 9/0/21 build, with these exceptions.

2 points in Utility Mastery
0 points in Intelligence, While it is useful really early game you wont need it later with the items you'll be getting.

If your considering taking Intelligence instead of Meditation or Utility Mastery consider this.
Later in game you "should" have golem buff on at all times, if you don't have it try to stick to farming until you can get it. "Unless there is a team fight" Early game, what good does it do you to have CD reduction if you don't have mana, late game mana wont be an issue. As for Utility Mastery... its the best mastery in the game and absolutely critical later to keep your golem on at all times.

Basically I start off with Lucent Singularity Alternating between this and Light Binding at every level except where you can pick up Finales Funkeln "Ult". Saving Prismatic Barrier for levels 13 through 17.

Lucent Singularity will be your bread and butter for farming, I usually end the game with 90%+ minion kills using this spell, after its maxed out and if you have gotten yourself a few kills you should be able to clear an entire creep wave with this. Early game it greatly increases your dmg on the next auto attack due to your passive, take advantage of this and last hit everything. Its also a great lane controller. Not to many enemies will want to come near the circle this places and you can leave it there for the full duration and detonate it at any time.

Light Binding is my next spell to max out, this is purely for holding down enemies for full duration and adding to your burst dmg. A full LB insures that you can land an Ult without them escaping and also helps you when you need to escape from them. "Remember if you have 2 enemies chasing you to try and trap both of them with this"

Prismatic Barrier I find this spell to be very helpful late game after you have plenty of AP to up its shield but pretty useless early game, if you use the defensive farming methods described and lane control you should never need to shield yourself.

Finales Funkeln Its your Ult and your best friend. Used properly this ult wins battles. Used incorrectly gets your enemies to say comments like "That was pretty, what does it do?" Remember with Ion boots and golem buff you are cood-down reduction cap'd "40%" so take advantage of that and when there are no team fights that you can see breaking out in the next 20sec use this to clear a creep wave and damage anyone nearby as well.

I start off with Boots and 3 HPots, I like to feel out my opponent in mid for the first few levels. In doing do I usually take a little dmg so the health pots come in handy, If you don't use them you can sell them for a little gold or just hold on to them for later use. I can't count how many times a health pot has saved me from a Karthus ult or the like.

I play passive farming and aiming to get every single creep. Its more difficult in the early stages for most players but for Lux if you are leveling up Lucent Singularity and timing it to kill the melee creeps when they are low and then using your auto to finish the rest you should have an edge on minion killing, Also you can use it to keep your opponent off one side of the lane as a method of area control. I don't spam this on every wave just when I feel its needed, after level 2 if they give you a chance to snare and combo this, you can snake auto attack cast this and get another auto attack. Attacks like this take little time and show off Lux's real burst ability early game. If you can get them low enough you might even get a kill at 6 if they are careless. Remember that light bindings hits 2 targets so you can hit them behind enemy lines where they feel they are safe, fire the Lucent Singularity to add your passive and slow them again and if they are sill walking finish them with a lazor. They will likely type something that gets star'd out and have a angry feel to it.

After level 6 and when you have 995+ gold you can go back for your first item, If you have killed them already I would suggest getting Tear of the Goddess, if not and they are still lingering around with low health get yourself a blasting wand and teleport back for a quick lazer kill. When you go back they will usually finish the wave and head back themselves, if you time it right and get back quickly usually a well placed lazer will disrupt or kill them next to there tower "people are to predictable" The reason I build for Archangels staff is simple, you want to stop running out of mana mid game "before you can solo golem" and max out the stacks on the item so when you do get deathcap i'll be finished.

After you finish Archangel the next item I get is your T2 boots, pick your self up Ionian boots when you have the cash. "If you get first blood at 6 or 7 you might have it already. If you don't have teleport or your ult ready I suggest waiting for one of those. You can always use your ult to clear a creep wave when you get back, its a great emergency creep clear button.

After your boots it gets pretty simple, farm and kill when you can. If you see someone ganking bot or top feel free to teleport in and join them, an extra lazer never hurts and most people shouldn't complain if you kill a few runners with lazor. "I like to wait until they think they are well and clear, just adds to the evilness"
Once you get the gold your next items will be in this order, Deathcap, Either Void Staff or Abyssal Scepter, Void if they are stacking MR heavy, Abyssal if your team has a lot of casters or if they are only stacking a bit of MR. For your final 2 spots if the game goes this long which unfortunately it does some times 2 more Archangel Staffs fit best, They are cheaper than Deathcaps and you get extra mana/mana regen/3% of your mana converted to AP per staff. Overall once you finish you'll have more AP than you'll know what to do with.

Lux is hands down one of the funnest champs I have played in LoL, and fairly easy to learn as well. I have greatly enjoyed making this guide and I hope anyone that has made it this far will find it useful. If you ever want to see my Lux in person just message me online and I'll join you for a game.

Thx,
Domainoft