This is a guide focused on Orianna. So why would I include other casters in it? Because the new caster item is really really really good and allows for a general mage archetype build that was impossible before.

Now, a word of warning: I will not bother to explain common LoL terms such as cc and MR. This is a guide for those who know the basic mechanics of the game is not an introduction by any means. And, while it is a guide for Orianna, it is a guide about a completely new build for Orianna centered around Athene's Holy Grail. Since the Grail is a completely new item I will spend much of this guide explaining what exactly is so good about this item and why this build works. If you want playstyle advice, until I make a video about that your best resource is other guides (many of which are very very good).

Orianna's role remains the same as it ever was. She is, simply, the most versatile caster in the game. She has ridiculous cc, ridiculous burst damage, even more ridiculous sustained damage, ridiculous zoning power, a ridiculous ability to push and "sharp things." But she is also the most difficult champion to pick up in the game, even more so than Leblanc, Xerath, Cass, Kass or Ziggs (and is a million times harder to master).

But because of the recent, or actually not-so-recent nerfs to her damage, without the new item she would be simply good and not

I will put up a video detailing how to play Orianna shortly. In the meantime, you can be best served learning how to play Orianna by looking guides like KillaTheNinja's or LaCorpse's.

KillaTheNinja's:http://www.mobafire.com/league-of-legends/build/orianna-iravage-complete-detailed-guide-92070
LaCorpse's:http://www.mobafire.com/league-of-legends/build/o-r-i-a-n-n-a-belle-of-the-ball-mid-lane-186803

I do not know what to call this section, for it is in essence a summary of the effectiveness of this build without having said anything about the build yet. However, because I believe this section is very useful...


Early Game

This build helps you win lane. It just does. You do not need to start with a Doran's Ring because you will get all of the mana regen and burst protection you need from rushing Chalice. Or, alternatively, you can rush a Codex if you feel like being more aggressive in lane. In either scenario, so long as the matchup isn't horrible and you're a sufficiently skilled player, you will win the lane. As a bonus, when you finish your Grail you will have enough mana regen and DAMAGE to come out on top of that final early-game teamfight (around level 7 or so).

Goal: Deny their AP mid of farm and pick up a few kill or two on them if at all possible. Make sure to harass their jungler if he tries to gank you.

Mid Game

Because the Grail gives a lot of AP and a literally bottomless supply of mana, at this point in the game you can start to build utility items and/or components of your essential Rabadon's Deathcap. I usually start with a Giant's Belt to make me more of a presence in teamfights and then proceed to pick up a Needlessly Large Rod, but you can also pick up a Hextech Revolver if you feel like you need the spellvamp or a Sheen if you really really like Lich Bane. But no matter what you build at this point in the game, you will be an asset to your team because Athene's Holy Grail is really all you need until level 14 or so.

Your base damages are high enough that you don't need any more AP until the Needlessly Large Rod or your Rabadon's. So, at this point in the game make sure to FARM, FARM, FARM, FARM, FARM, FARM, FARM, FARM, FARM, FARM, FARM - oh, and do try and show up to teamfights (don't worry, you will have enough mana left over for them as long as you don't spam your W too often to move around).

Goal: Get both farmed AND fed. Hopefully you shut down the enemy AP mid during early game, so build off of that and shut down their AD carry too.

Late Game

The awesome thing about this build is that it doesn't fall off late game like typical RoA builds do. I mean, by 50 min you will be less effective than you were at 40 min because of Ori's relatively low AP scalings, but for most of late game you should be so fed and farmed that you've simply outraced your opponents to your big-damaging items.

Don't forget that Rylai's Crystal Scepter gives you a bunch of utility (a short 15% slow combined with Boots of Swiftness is not something to laugh at) and that your autoattack is very painful.

Goal: Win teamfights and the game.

YES. YES. YES. No one counters Karthus harder than Ori. In lane you'll probably get a kill or two before level 6 and then at least one one more when you have you ultimate. Remember, if he ever tries to ult - ever - just pop your shield on the person he was trying to kill.



If your opponent is stupid enough to pick kat first, pick Ori and counter her. She has literally no hope against you. It almost doesn't matter how good you are with Ori, this matchup is just so bad for her.



Easy. You have slightly more range, a shield for when he snares and more, faster burst damage. You should always win this lane - at least, unless he rushes a Negatron Cloak. Be careful if he does.



Ziggs being Ziggs, no matter how hard you zone him he will still be able to farm. And you zone him pretty damn hard. Just be wary of overextending yourself in this lane.



Of relatively the same difficulty as Ziggs. Be very careful of overextending; always remember how OP Veig's stun-circle is.



It's easy to dodge Lux's skillshots with Ori if you stay the appropriate distance away and let your ball do the talking for you. Get in and poke the stuffing out of her when they're on CD.



You pretty much just outclass him. Your harass is simply better and your shield is awesome against his combo.

Vladmir

Between levels 3-8, you have the advantage. USE IT AND ZONE THAT MOFO.



He does a lot of damage and when he gets his ult he can wreck your stuff. Try to nom him in lane before then.



Dodge his skillshots and you can farm like normal. Just remember to play cautiously against him, and that he has a bunch of MR.



She is still terrifying, but you can outfarm AND outpush her. Just dodge her Q and you win the lane. However, if you aren't good at dodging skillshots you will probably lose it. Badly.



You do ok against him. His silence is evil, but while that is on CD you absolutely destroy him. You shouldn't have too much trouble outfarming and outharassing him.



I haven't faced many as Ori - if I see the enemy has a Cass I don't pick Ori against her. I imagine she does pretty well against you though, if she's good. Her damage is more consistent and, well, just more than your's is. Focus on farming and dodging her skillshots in this lane.



I haven't faced many Talons either. But I can imagine he hard counters you. DAT SILENCE

Is good. Like, hellagood. Borderline OP good.

Let's take a look.

Ok, so it gives Mana Regen, a little bit of AP and a little bit of MR.

Give it a second...

WHOAH

THAT'S ACTUALLY A LOT OF AP.

Yep. I knew you could figure it out eventually! This neat legendary item gives 80 AP, on par with Rylai's and only a little behind Zhonya's. It also solves all of your mana problems. ALL OF THEM.

Orianna used to be a champion with heavy mana problems and a lot of non-ideal builds for her. The main divide was between Rod of Ages and Archangel's Staff (when she first came out at least, this has been since mostly settled in favor of RoA); the former did not completely solve her mana problems although it gave her a ton of health, whereas the latter did but left her squishy as an amorphous blob of stuff I just happened to step on.

You may think that RoA is still a better item to rush on her and you aren't far wrong. ( Rod of Ages) is definitely good on her. But Chalice gives you MR. I know, 36 MR doesn't seem like a lot, but in reality it fulfills its dual purpose of providing an edge in the laning phase and KEEPING YOU FROM DYING INSTANTLY TO BURST DAMAGE IN TEAMFIGHTS. Oh, and its components provide for some flexibility in build order and are cheap as HELL to boot.

But, you say, there must be some downside to it!

...

Give it some time, you'll find a downside eventually!

...

No, really!

...

(trolololo)

Athene's Holy Grail is what you rush first. Therefore, because you're actually rushing it and not just getting it you don't want to start with Doran's Ring. This puts you down 475 gold. Instead, for survivability buy boots and pots. This works for most lanes, especially the difficult ones. But, because Athene's is so awesome you can also start with either Meki Pendant for better harass and an earlier Fiendish/Chalice or a Null-Magic Mantle for more survivability/sustain and an earlier Chalice. All three are viable options, but my personal preference is boots + pots.

So, in summary...

Starting Items

1. Boots and Health Potion
2. Meki Pendant and Health Potion
3. Null-Magic Mantle and Health Potion

There is no after Grail. There is only Grail. Grail is everything. You will live for the Grail. You will die for the Grail. You are the Grail's; everything is the Grail's. Everyone is the Grail's. There is no hope. There is no escape.

Ok, ok. So after Athene's Unholy Grail Orianna's options have been further cut down compared to what they were before. Although that 36 MR helps you a little extra HP is not out of the question. So the next item you want is a Giant's Belt, which you will later (much later) build into a Rylai's Crystal Scepter.

Item #1

1. Giant's Belt

So now you have HP. Cool story BRO. What next? RABAFLABADABADON'S OF COURSE (if you can afford the Needlessly Large Rod buy it first).

Item #2

1. Rabadon's Deathcap

So now you have damage. Cool story BRO. What next? Time to do something with that ol' Giant's Belt you have lying around. Or is it laying? WHO THE %@%# CARES ANYWAYS.

Item #3

1. Giant's Belt

And then to top it off, if you get to this point in the game, go for a Void Staff for the huge damage increase.

Item #4

1. Void Staff

(We'll talk about boots later)

Boots.

Boots.

BOOTS ALL OVER YOUR BODY

So I wrote Boots of Swiftness into this guide. Yea. The one no one ever uses.

I like them on Orianna. She's slow as HELL to begin with, while normal boots only get her to around 380 MS. With Boots of Swiftness she gets to around 400 MS and combined with Rylai's becomes a master kiter and baiter. These are, in essence, my pubstomping boots.

Other options include...

1. Sorcerer's Shoes
2. Mercury's Treads
3. Ninja Tabi
4. Berserker's Greaves

Why not Ionian Boots of Lucidity??? Well, little Charlie, Athene's Unholy Grail gives you 15% CDR and on top of your 4% CDR mastery leaves you at 19% CDR. If you get Ionian boots you end up the not-ideal 34% CDR. This is not what you want. What you can do, if you really want the perfect %39/40 CDR is rework your masteries or Glyphs.

Oh, and finish up these boots sometime after your Athene's Unholy Grail because the Grail is everything.

In summary...

1. 1: Boots
2. 2: Athene's Unholy Grail
3. 3: Giant's Belt
4. 4: Boots of Swiftness
5. 5: Rabadon's Deathcap
6. 6: Rylai's Crystal Scepter
7. 7: Void Staff
8. 8:Whatever the HELL you want.

If you are very observant or just cool <3 you will notice that I put Boots of Swiftness after Giant's Belt in this iteration of the build order. This to emphasis how flexible the build is.

Here is a section detailing Athene's Holy Grail and its interactions with other items, as per request.

+

The Grail gives you the aforementioned protection against burst damage and the little edge in the laning phase from its MR, and Rylai's gives you the flat health you need to survive in mid-late game. Better yet, because the individual components of each item are so cheap and give great advantages by themselves these two items allow for a lot of flexibility in build order. For example, in the archetype build you grab a Giant's Belt directly after either Boots of Swiftness or Athene's Holy Grail and then go on to build your Rabadon's Deathcap. You can always finish your Belt into a Rylai's before Rabadon's, or not finish your Boots of Swiftness completely before Rylai's or Rabadon's, or not finish all parts of your Grail before grabbing a Giant's Belt if you desperately need the survivability.

+

Cheap, cheap AP. And lots of it, too.

+

This combo destroys in the laning phase and also helps in mid-game teamfights. The extra mobility provided by the boots combined with the infinite mana provided by the grail makes you a huge asset to the team, capable of harassing infinitely with extra mana left for bursting or chasing. Just be careful, when playing Ori, not to spam your W toooo much to get around the map. That's the other reason we have Boots of Swiftness.

+

Not much synergy here but DAMAGE. Definitely don't rush this combo. Void Staff is a late-game item that only complements a caster's build. It isn't a core item.

AND NOW FOR OTHER ITEMS NOT INCLUDED IN THIS BUILD

+

There is a surprising amount of synergy between these two items. This a great combo if the enemy is running heavy magic resist and the extra MR provided by Abyssal Scepter lets you get in the middle of the teamfight and give no $%&#s. The only problem is that you'll have to forgo Void Staff in your finished build and probably delay your Rabadon's Deathcap too.

+

A good amount of synergy here too. Read the above description for Abyssal Mask because the same applies to Zhonya's Hourglass, except with armor instead of MR.

+

I dislike this combo personally. I don't think the components for Lich Bane are that good on Ori by themselves and if you buy it you want to buy it all at once. Hence, it doesn't allow for much flexibility in build order and the item itself, while great on Ori, doesn't work with this build.

Q:

Why did you include other champions in this guide?

A:

Because this build works on them as well, to varying degrees of effectiveness. This build is now my standard caster build for a lot of people. I honestly think it is the new archetype for caster builds. It gives casters everything they could ever need. Except love.

Q:

You didn't say anything about summoner spells.

A:

That wasn't a question. But yea, I did not mention them because I assume you know what you're doing with them. Flash/Ignite is freaking awesome, but you can also go Tele/Ignite or Tele/Flash or whatever it is your champion and playstyle demands.

Q:

And masteries and runes?

A:

Better. But yea, the same answer for the previous "question" applies to this one as well.

Q:

Why do you only write guides for Orianna?

A:

Because I like sharp things.

Q:

Is it ok to comment and rate this guide?

A:

YES YES OH PLEASE YES GIVE ME FEEEDDDBBBAACCKKK