Mordekaiser Build Guide by Darc

Notes

- I made several changes and additions to the guide! Including changes to my Items section, some of my item builds, more rune options and random small improves in other sections.!

-Only my first build is in the correct item order, the other 2 just have the items i get not necessarily in the order i buy them. BUT my first build's items sequence is summed up, i don't just solely focus on buying things for the next item on the list, i may buy a piece of before i make my for example.

Introduction

This build is what i came up with after months of playing Morde, and through his patch changes. He is able to take quite a bit of dmg, and deal oh so much. This build is great for both 3v3 and 5v5 games. This is also my first build i have made so please be critical and give advice where needed. I am ALWAYS updating this guide so check back frequently!

Team 1 #1 - AP Masteries
Team 1 #2 - Defense Masteries/slightly more tanky build.
Team 2 #1 - Carry Morde

Items

Always start out with a and a .

Try to lane as long as you can then go back to shop and buy your and . This improves your lane sustainability by a lot as well as improves your damage. If you can't afford both get before .

-Explanation of Item choices.
- I take these so i can deal the most damage with the moves i do use all game, instead of say getting CDR boots, or tank boots because i want my shield to generate as fast as possible with the Bursty nature of Morde and my Item selections.
- A lot of people underestimate this item. Not only does it give a large amount of Magic Resist but it givings high scaling health regen which is vital because Morde uses health for his abilities and it allows him to not have to go back after each fight.
- I heard a lot of people say this is a bad item for morde. "There is other higher ability power items he could use, and the slow isn't needed on him" Is generally what i hear. On one part they are right there is higher AP items to pick. But i don't get this item solely for AP. Morde has 0 cc in his kit, he NEEDS the slow in order to be of any use to his team aside from dealing damage. It also gives health which makes him a little more beefy in the end.
- This is one of the most useful items in the game, It has cost efficient sub items, it provides armor, an aoe slow and it slows people who attack you making it a all around good tank item and the extra CC helps in team fights or when your chasing someone down.
- More AP = More Dmg = More Shields.
- This item is just a personal preference. I get it to make use of the i buy early on. I like that it gives some AD and Life Steal to benefit my Q and it also has a nuke/slow that works well with his overall build type i am going for.

-Alternative Items.
/ - Are good choices if you are going pure tank Morde for some reason.
- You could get these to get CDR capped.
- Is a great item to have if your team has alot of Magic dmg. It makes you more tanky while giving some AP and makes the enemy team take more damage from magic by reducing their Magic Resistance.
- I use this in my Defensive tree build. It gives nice AP some armor and makes you immune for a couple seconds possibly saving your life while your ghost annihilates your enemies.
- Some people like to take this item for the extra healing it gives you.
- If your fighting against a lot of people who got Magic Resist this will solve any problems like that right away.
- With the changes to this item it's now extremely good for Morde. It gives CDR which lets you spam your abilities more often, a lot of AP and a large nuke ability. I use this in my Carry Morde Build.
- This is a great alternative to turn your into instead of .
- This is actually a really strong item on morde, its proc combined with your Q makes you deal an insane amount of burst on a melee hit. I use this in my Carry Morde Build.
- If there is a high physical dmg carry like It's sometimes a good idea to get this to stop them.
- Great tank item to get both for stats and the revive you get every 5 minutes allowing you to go in first if you need to without worry.

Runes

I picked marks and Quints so his abilities cut through most champions base 30 mr early, as well as help his damage stay strong by end game when they build Magic Resist items.
Then i just put in seals and glyphs to help reduce the damage early and end game, its what makes him pretty beefy which helps a lot when taking on multiple opponents.

-Alternative runes.
Red - I wouldn't recommend any other reds.
Yellow - / , Greater Seal of Defense.
Blue - / , / , .
Quintessences - , / , .

Masteries

Build 1(Main Build)/Build 3(Carry Morde)- I go

I take all the ability power picks in offense, and the armor and magic resist in defense with the 3 points in health regen to help out your early game sustainability.

Build 2(Tanky Morde) - I go Taking all the AP stuff up to the cdr and Mpen in offense. For the defensive tree i make sure to get all the Damage Reduction, Health/Health Regen and CDR possible.

Skill Sequence

Iron Man
This is what makes Mordekaiser Mordekaiser, this is what wins fights and what makes Mordekaiser undeniably the best bruiser evar! This is also what makes stacking health with Mordekaiser redundant, this shield is essentially your health and without armor and magic resistance your shield will be weak in turn making you weak. With this, Cooldown Reduction is perfectly viable to contribute to. The faster you can use Siphon, the more often your shield can replenish as well as keeping up your W up for maximum damage reduction and damage output. As a side note though early game you should focus more on your actual health as your abilities take it away, focus on last hitting normally rather then taking out the entire wave as easy as it may be each time, late game on the other hand spam away!

Mace of Spades - Q
The mace has its niceness to it, but a bit more disadvantages to leveling it first, one because it does low damage at early levels, two it doesn't build up your shield like Siphon does, and three because its a melee ability so put a point in it at level 4 and leave it be till level 13.

Creeping Death - W
Creeping Death should be your second ability to max. It provides Armor and Magic Resistance which is great for both offensive and defensive play because it also dishes out considerable damage, if used around minion waves or multiple champions its the perfect way to keep your shield up over a sustained time rather then in bursts. Its a good tool for helping allies who are under attack as well. This is one of moves that benefit the best from CDR. By holding Alt and hitting W you will automatically apply this to yourself without having to click.

Siphon of Destruction - E
This is Mordekaiser's bread and butter. This is maxed first. Why? because not only does it generate your shield the best of all your abilites but it also does considerable amount of damage which is great for last hitting and harassing. At level 1 it doesn't do a terrible amount of damage but its a great tool for last hitting minions. Level 2 and up the damage greatly increases making it easier to dwindle down their squishes.

Children of the Grave - R
This is your ultimate, which is also a DoT and a HoT if you play wow (:. Which means not only does it do damage over time but it also heals you over time. With this in mind it can be used defensively just as well as it is used as an offensive ability, through it on a tank with alot of health you just healed up 35%+ of your health. Because this does damage over time it makes using in combo with it extremely effective. This is also what allows you to take on whole teams if you can turn a 1v5 into a 2v4 or in team cases a 5v5 into a 6v4. When you kill and enemy with it on them you get them as your pet! As a note your Pets damage also builds your shield.

Pure Damage Skill Build

Summoner Spells

I get because its great for chasing and running if need be, and because its Amazing to use it in coordination with your ultimate.

- Works as well if you prefer it over

- Is another option if you like it use it but I don't prefer it.

- Can really help if you are solo laneing and in some team situations but and are really a lot more useful.

- Can help if there is a lot of CC on their team.

- Is a decent spell for Morde it works great for chasing down players and always putting a stop to auto attackers in team fights, or just to run away.


- Is good for checking baron and dragon through out the match as well as checking brushes while laning, but again i feel this is more of a support spell and not worth it for Morde in comparison to and

- Is great for people who intend on pushing there lane and not going around and team fighting during mid game, but for me when i play Morde i never take it.

- Is a great new pick for almost any character, but i still prefer over Surge since it has a lot more use.

- This is not a jungling guide, if your here to do that you should leave now.

- Is probably the best possible Summoner Spell you could pick seeing as how Morde is always out of mana.

- Is ok kinda, so you can get right back into the fight, but for its Cooldown its pretty useless in my opinion.

Pros / Cons

+ Amazing solo laner
+ Nice farming abilities
+ Can solo groups of enemies with your ghost.
+ Can carry teams
- Has no abilities to help your teammates
- Very vulnerable to CC
- Has no CC
- Can take some dmg but cannot be a main tank
- Expensive build

Team Battles

In order for you to be successful as more in 5v5 matches it is vital that you come in near last to team fights, at the minimum after its already initiated so you can put your ultimate on one of the dps preferably a ranged carry and get your ghost out, so you can clean up the rest of the enemies.

As i mentioned before if you plan on tanking try to make it happen next to creeps or coming in late to a full 5 team battle so you can use your to build your shield so you can tank immense amounts of damage, while killing their entire team. Throughout the fight you should be spamming all of your abilities to keep your shield up, primarily targeting their squishes.

Some good Characters to try and get as your ghost are:

Melee

- Akali
- Fiora
- Fizz
- Irelia
- Jarvan
- Jax
- Kassadin
- Katarina
- Lee Sin
- Master Yi
- Olaf
- Pantheon
- Renekton
- Rumble
- Shaco
- Skarner
- Shyvana
- Talon
- Trundle
- Tyrndamere
- Volibear
- Warwick
- Xin Zhao
- Yorick

Ranged

- Ashe
- Caitlyn
- Corki
- Ezreal
- Graves
- Kog'maw
- Miss Fortune
- Sivir
- Teemo
- Tristana
- Twisted Fate
- Twitch
- Urgot
- Vayne
- Ziggs

Example