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I'm Pants are Dragon, a CHALLENGER solo queue player and substitute jungler for team Reality Check Gaming in the MOBAFire Challenger Series. I've been playing since the release of Nocturne, my first champion was Teemo and I grew in love with his champion select quote ("Captain Teemo on duty!") and ultimately the game. I actually didn't make my name it was given to me by Riot! My old name was jlzzdragon and then Riot changed my name to this and I feel like I was trolled to oblivion, but at the same time I grew with great power, and from that day I knew I would be the very best!

For those interested, here's my summoner profile:


Elise is a very versatile champion, who can be very slippery, and who's damage and itemization are both really flexible. Check out my 4 minute challenger guide Elise!

12/7/2013 - updated to s4

11/21/2013 - ITEMS AND MASTERIES UPDATED only cheatsheet. ALSO NOT SURE ABOUT SPECTRAL WRAITH > ANCIENT GOLEM

8/1/2013
- Item builds changed

Pros

1. Very good ganks starting from Level 3
2. Scales into late game well with % dmg
3. Can basically build anything (BUT AD)
4. Spider form costs 0 mana to use skills
5. Two gap closers

Cons

1. Only has 1 form of crowd control
2. Not the best tank
3. No more free armor/mr stats
4. Medium-High Skill Cap

9x 9x 3x 6x 3x

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Greater Mark of Magic Penetration Greater Seal of Armor Greater Glyph of Magic Resist Greater Glyph of Cooldown Reduction Greater Quintessence of Movement Speed

Why MPEN? Why not Attack Speed? Because we want our ganks to be strong, attack speed is only used to jungle for her. After around level 6 her clears are pretty fast and they don't require attack speed.

Why 6 CDR runes and 3 MR? I think that CDR runes are good on a AP jungler, since most of their DPS will come from their skills. We can sacrifice some magic resist as 8 isn't a significant loss. Magic resist early is only useful if your ganking mid or in a skirmish with the enemy jungler (who usually has some magic damage)

Why MS quints over AP quints? Elise's AP ratio's aren't the best, so we'll use mobility so that we can be everywhere easier.

I go 21/9/0 for more damage early game, but the flaw in this is you lose your mid-game / late-game tankiness and her AP ratios aren't the best. This will increase her early game damage and effectiveness.

This is the standard jungle start for pretty much all junglers. Machete builds into one of your core items and the potions give you good sustain at the start. No need to change this for Elise, also start warding totem and get sweeping lens mid game.


We don't get an Amplifying Tome since we want to be mobile around the map, so we get boots and if you can afford a sight ward. This helps get around the map faster from camp to camp and from lane to lane. Map presence! The ward is great because vision is great.

When you have achieved your mid game items, your damage will hurt. Elise excels off Magic Penetration and she can burst most champions to really low HP with her full combo.

The HP from haunting guise is just a bonus.

When you get your Spirit of the Ancient Golem you'll be super durable in team fights and teancity will give you some more durability to lock downs.

Also get Sweeping Lens as you are going to try to clear wards around objectives.

These 2 items are core, Abyssal Mask is more Magic Penetration for you and for your team. Randuin's Omen we get because the enemy ADC probably has Bloodthirster/ Infinity Edge + Phantom Dancer by now and will shred us. Randuin's Omen is the best Anti ADC item since it reduces their attack speed.

We can finally get Liandry's Torment, this item is used for late game and not early game since its % current HP and by now champions have around 2000 HP, so we'll be seeing it do some damage.

Alternative Items:

Zhonya's Hourglass: This is by far the best item in the game, although it's an alternative since the AP isn't as valued on Elise. But this + Rappel makes you invulernable for about 4 seconds.

Spirit of the Spectral Wraith: Spell vamp works pretty decent on elise as her spells are mostly single target damage, the only thing is that it doesn't give the 500+ health from the ancient golem and the AP is sorta meh as Elise's AP ratio's aren't that great.

Sunfire Aegis: This item is good on elise, with the magic penetration you have and the armor + health. You'll be sticking to the enemy and burning them alive while you are in spider mode.

Rylai's Crystal Scepter: It's pretty decent on elise, as her Neurotoxin and venomous bite give a 30% slow. Go for it if you want, but the reason I don't get it is because I feel like elise has enough chase already, and the range on her spells except Volatile Spiderling isn't enough to kite. Though if you need that chase, go for it!

Void Staff: I don't recommend building damage after 4-5 items but if you really must, this item is the way to go since the way magic penetration is changed in season 3.

Guardian Angel: This item is beast in season 2, but with the change it has fallen a bit but still good. This item becomes useless though after it's passive is activated and is only good when it's passive is up so be careful when using it.

Spirit Visage: With the recent changes, this item has got a buff and synergizes with Elise, consider it well played.

Banshee's Veil: With the recent changes, this item has received a buff and is used for poke comps, get this if the enemy has a lot of poke.

Spider Swam (Passive) Human Form: Elise's Human Form spells will ready a spiderling when cast on an enemy. Spider Form: Elise summons her spiderlings to fight by her side. Spiderlings deal physical damage and take reduced damage from multi-target abilities.

Neurotoxin / Venomous Bite Human Form: This skill is good, it is capped on monsters but that's ok it's got a pretty big cap. But when using it in a gank it brings out some burst combined with her 2nd Q. Always try to use it at the beginning of fights as it's current % hp. This move is to get someone low. Spider Form: This skill is elise's finisher move and has more base damage than it's counter part, which is good for the jungle since it's a manaless skill. Since it's missing % hp, try to use it on enemies when they're low on health. Also your spiderlings + Volatile Spiderling will jump onto the opponent.

Volatile Spiderling / Skittering Frenzy Human Form: This skill is basically her only mage skill, but it's got a pretty good base damage and it follows people. Also when you use your Venomous bite it leaps to them for a 100% hit. Spider Form: This skill is really good for the jungle, and what makes elise can jungle. Giving her and her spiderlings a attack speed steroid and giving Elise some sustain for the jungle.

Cocoon / Rappel Human Form: Since when you put points into this it just reduces cooldown, not that much of a difference when leveling it. But this is a skill shot so try to land it, landing this in a gank is what will make a good elise player and a bad elise player. It's stun lasts 1.5 seconds so that will give you and your laner a good amount of time to burst the enemy. Spider Form: This skill is what makes Elise a good champion and arguably her best skill, this is like a free Zhonya's Hourglass, except you can move to an enemy and transport to them. Be creative with this skill, as it can escape you from a bad situation, look around yourself and find minions. This also works on jungle creep so you can cross a wall if a creep is there. I basically use this when I'm in danger and want the enemy to switch focus. Also this skill can dodge projectiles (Tower shots, Pick A Card, etc)

Spider Form / Human Form Turn into a spider or vice versa, anyways the way to use this skill is after you have used your skills in 1 of the forms, switch to the other and once those go on cooldown, repeat.

We get points into Human Form, since it gives us an extra spiderling and also boosts the durability. It gives our auto attacks in spider form more damage which will be good for jungling and ganking.

We max Neurotoxin first, because this is Elise's best damage output skill as it's base damage goes up. Basically the damage of her Q-Q combo goes up by 90 damage per level.

Then we max W for the Volatile Spiderling mostly because it does damage but not as much as Q.

Max Cocoon last since its mostly a utility skill and putting points into it just reduces the cooldown on it.

The reason we get W first is because it's got a 80% attack steroid and that is what will be more useful than the Q. And also the Q has a cap against monsters.

Since I don't know how to really write this part, I'll just say what goes through my head when I'm in early game and tips.

I feel that Elise is a strong ganker, and counter ganker because of the amount of burst she brings and has great mobility.

Usually when I jungle Elise, I always have the mentality of ganking crazy. So I will have about 30 cs while the enemy jungler has 50 cs. I always will have low CS because ganks win games. So look for ganks, look for potential tower dives and look for kills on the map.

Always keep tabs on your blue buff/red buff and do them immediately or have some ward coverage so the enemy jungler doesn't steal it, he will steal your red buff (blue side) if you're ganking top and he notices you started there and it's 7:15 minutes. I may not counter jungle a whole lot but I do like to protect my own jungle.

1. Bot Lane is dead/back. Reason: When doing dragon, it would be a 4v2 if they try to contest it.
2. You see bot lane recall and your mid and bot lane help do dragon.
3. Mid laner down. Reason: Mid is basically worth 1.5x of an ADC early game, because of the level advantage. So you have a clear advantage at dragon.
4. When you have have your Spirit Stone
5. You feel confident on doing it. You feel that the enemy team won't contest, feeling more powerful, etc.

You basically look at team advantages in numbers.

Ok if they do contest, and you know it's a clear advantage for your team, time for you to initiate and pick off the enemy team. Tell your team to turn, and you'll will win.

Mid game you should have Spirit of the Ancient Golem Sorcerer's Shoes Haunting Guise and really have strong damage.

Time for you to lead your team to push towers, maintain control over dragon/baron and win. So always have a Vision Ward on dragon. And if you feel real confident, do it on baron and try to secure it and estimate whether you should do baron or not.

This is where also the best team fights come alive, since everyone is around level 13 and multiple variables happen instead of late game where it's peel for carries.


Do this when your carries are behind their carries.

1. Coordinate with your assassin (zed/diana/irelia)
2. Ask if you are going for the ADC or APC
3. If you guys do not focus the same target the target will live that is why you'll need coordination
4. Initiate with Cocoon and use your Neurotoxin + Volatile Spiderling then switch to Spider Form and Venomous Bite + Skittering Frenzy. Once some damage is applied to you or you see a big ultimate incoming use Rappel

After you have initiated analyze the situation.

1. Target dead? Alright help your carries and make sure they live!
2. Target still not dead and you and your Assassin friend used all your cooldowns? Uhhh... RETREAT and peel!

Do this when your carries are ahead of enemy carries.

1. Anyone who is on your carry, use all neccessary cooldowns to assist in killing the anti-carry.
2. Do not dive straight into their back line, stay as a meat shield for your carries and be in front of them.

I can't emphasize this more, I see this happen in lower ELO. People will just go rampage on the enemy carries and just die. He will then say "I just tanked their whole team and died, how did you guys not win?" Well the other team just raped your carries because you weren't protecting him and instead tried to 1v1 their carries. That's why you need coordination with someone to assassinate them.

1. Turtle and farm.
2. Wait until other team throws (baron attempt, tower dive)
3. Kill any over extenders if you can

1. Keep tabs on dragon, baron and when they are up. Always try to get them or coordinate around them.
2. Group and push mid.
3. Do some really hard split pushing.
4. Pink baron, and try to do it.
5. My cheese tactic, send top lane bot and make him push really hard so the enemy team tries to kill him and let your team stick around baron so you can get it.

Baron is essential this time in the game, so always have a ward on it or pink it and whatever you can do to have some security over it. This point is also where 1 team fight or baron can change everything. If played wrongly you could lose the game.

You also will want to tell your team to group and push/defend and not to get picked off as baron is easier to do late game.

Alright, so your carries are now who do the real damage, and you do some damage. Still try to protect your carries though and stay in the frontline.

You should have a Randuin's Omen at this time as the enemy ADC should have a Bloodthirster/ Infinity Edge + Phantom Dancer and will do tons of damage. An Abyssal Mask would be nice if you think the magic damage is coming.

REMEMBER IF YOU ACE THEM, TELL YOUR TEAM NOT TO RECALL AND END IT (Maybe?). Death timers are extremely long at late game and gives a team an ability to end it.

Always get a leash, and no smite. This means you save your smite for the 2nd buff holder, why? Because it opens up an opportunity for a fast gank where you are 1 level ahead of every laner, and having all 3 of your skills available with red buff also so that you're ganks will be true terror.


If you have blue buff, just make sure to be in human form, and Neurotoxin + Volatile Spiderling the camps, then switch to spider form and Venomous Bite + Skittering Frenzy it again.

But if you don't have blue buff, I suggest you stick to Spider Form and just stay in that form to farm the jungle.


Red(smite)-Wraiths-Blue(smite)-Gank. This route is the most efficient on this side for ganking top, since you do this route you will be 1 level ahead of every lane giving you all of your skills in your kit.

Ok so 3 tips to analyze when your about to gank for top directly after your 2nd buff.

1. You will meet the enemy Jungler at top. So you can sit in your top lane's bush and wait for a counter gank (tell him to push) and go on the enemy Jungler or whoever is closest/most vulnerable and burst down.
2. Analyze the enemy top laner, did he start with a sight ward? Is it still in his pocket? If he did start with it and you see its gone, chances are he warded the baron pit. So what you want to do is go around through Tri-Bush.
3. If no ward, just walk straight from blue and gank him.

When ganking:

1. If he flashes and has no other escapes, it's best to flash with him and go for blood as long as you have the distance to kill him (half a lane maybe?).
2. Spider Combo: Rappel, Venomous Bite, Skittering Frenzy. Human Form - Cocoon - Neurotoxin - Volatile Spiderling. Landing the Cocoon is essential.
3. Human Combo: Cocoon - Neurotoxin - Volatile Spiderling - Spider Form - Venomous Bite - Skittering Frenzy then Rappel when he flashes or uses an escape. Landing the Cocoon is essential.

Reasons why I don't like starting blue golem on blue side / starting red lizard on purple side.

1. Bot lane is always warded when I'm done red. So the only other lane I can gank is mid, which at most I will make them burn a flash and since I can't flash with them to their tower, they will basically hug there tower until they have some security. I only come if they are past the river at some extent.

Blue(smite)-Wolves-Red(smite)-gank: Basically the mirror image of blue route, and going to top.

1. You will meet the enemy Jungler at top. So you can sit in your top lane's bush and wait for a counter gank (tell him to push) and go on the enemy Jungler or whoever is closest/most vulnerable and burst down.
2. Analyze the enemy top laner, did he start with a sight ward? Is it still in his pocket? If he did start with it and you see its gone, chances are he warded the baron pit. So what you want to do is go around through Tri-Bush.
3. If no ward, just walk straight from blue and gank him.

Since mid is a short lane, it's a hard lane to gank for and is one of the lanes in which most Counter Gank's occur. To me this lane is a farm lane and should be more cautiously planned.

Also usually one side of the river is warded, so its basically 50/50 if you can pull it off.

I'll only gank for mid most of the time if:

1. Enemy is over extended: It is easier to kill someone who is in your side of the map.
2. Flash is burnt: This means you can use everything on him and you and your mid can take him out.
3. Ally mid has some form of CC and is reliable: Kills are easier secured.
4. Has a reliable burst combo: The faster we can kill him the better we can get out of there without the enemy team coming.

Example champions I like to gank for: Ahri Diana Twisted Fate
Reason: They provide reliable follow-up and crowd control so that I can rely on a for sure kill.

Example champions I don't like to gank for: Vladimir Anivia Nidalee
These champions are a bit slow on the follow up and do not provide much crowd control.

I'm not saying you shouldn't gank for these champions, but it's a tad hard.

There are champions I really do not like to gank and would rather leave them alone, as they are really hard to kill and basically the only way you can kill them is to make them commit.

Champions I do not like ganking unless escape is burnt.

Ahri at Level 6, can spirit rush away.

Kassadin at Level 6, can Riftwalk away.

Kha'Zix can leap away.

Morgana is immune to CC.

Zed can warp backwards.

These ganks will simply not be kills unless they have fully committed to a fight.

You can set up a counter gank easily if you see the enemy jungler going to gank mid, inform your mid laner that you are here and you want him to bait something so you can come in and kill the squishiest champ there.


The hardest lane to gank, this lane is probably the trickiest to pull off as everything is warded most of the time. I will be talking about this from blue side perspective.

So what do you do? Well, you can gank them at most by going through river at 4-5 minutes, and they are over extended. Sometimes this could happen, other times they see you and run so you decide to back off. It works only half the time.

You'll also have to ask your bot lane where wards are, if they don't know it's best not to waste your time with it as maybe the other team could bait a counter gank or they just go back.

Another option is going for a lane gank where your support initiates and your about 5 champions back to follow up on a champion. This option is tricky to pull off but when experienced is really successful in a lot of situations.

The final option is to wait for their Jungler to come in and you wait behind your team and for him to initiate and his team to commit to something they do not want to fight. While you come in to counter gank. This option can be a game changer.

TIP: Aim the support, usually the ADC has some form of escape and will get away and sometimes have cleanse which is even harder to kill.

TIP 2: If it's Draven aim him, he'll kill you all.
If you don't feel like a gank will come out of either lane, that's fine just start farming jungle.


Get Venomous Bite or Cocoon first for invades.
As Venomous Bite, you can do damage then most level 1s
As Cocoon only get if you rely on your team for the catch.


Knowing when to dragon is key, remember its every 6 minutes.

Here is a checklist of when to dragon.

1. Bot Lane went back?
2. Enemy Jungler is top?
3. Killed enemy ADC
4. Killed Mid?
5. Vision ward on dragon, and pressure on bot/mid.

Here is when not to do dragon.

1. You don't have smite and enemy jungler is around.
2. Any time it could be an even fight. 4v4/5v5
3. Soloing it, unless you went Spirit of the Spectral Wraith otherwise it will take a long time without help.

If you attempt this you probably want to attempt this when you have some armor and are at least level 11 and its 25+ minutes, and depending on how far ahead you are.

Alright I have a trick for doing Baron Nashor and saying it will probably be exploited and people will probably never fall for it.

If I'm ahead, I'll tell our top to push bot really hard to make the other team chase him, even if he has to die for it. once we see the enemy team heading for him we will start Baron and get a free baron.

The reason this works is because in solo queue most of peoples' priorities are set on kills, and I play for team objectives. So since an opportunity to get an advantage by killing an over extender, this opens us to do Baron.

Other than my cheese tactic, your going to want to do Baron when:

1. The enemy team does not know
2. 2+ members are at bottom
3. Won a team fight.
4. ADC has Bloodthirster/Infinity Edge + Zeal

Yeah I never really counter jungle, I just don't like its high risk high reward play.

The only time I counter jungle is if I'm far ahead, or I know I can take there buffs with team coordination.

Other times I take their blue/red if I see the enemy Jungler far away from his blue/red buff at 7:05 (Which ever he started at.)


Find your enemy jungler, then set up in a place where he will come and you can come kill the enemy jungler or whoever is squishier with your allied laner.


First go in your spider form, and combine your Venomous Bite + Smite on dragons and barons to get like a 1.6k burst on them at level 18.

There are 2 ways to gank with Elise.

The first is starting in Human Form. This type of gank is more if you can get in range of your cocoon and typically good for lane ganks and when they are over extended and you can get behind them.

Basically your going to want to try to land your Cocoon, and then Neurotoxin + Volatile Spiderling them and right after switch to spider form and Venomous Bite + Skittering Frenzy them again. Keep sticking to them with your auto attacks and if they burn a escape just repel to them. Your Venomous Bite should be up again and keep auto attacking them. Switch to human form as those spells will be up again but he should be dead at this point.

The second gank is starting in Spider Form. This type of gank is generally for mid and lanes who know you are there and are trying to escape. So basically get in range for your repel, and repel to them immediately. Cast Neurotoxin + Volatile Spiderling and switch to Human Form, then land your Cocoon and Venomous Bite + Skittering Frenzy them. And as soon as your Spider Form is up again switch and finish them off.

Elise is a good tower diver as she can negate 1 tower shot from the tower by repelling and make it switch focus to another ally, so don't hesitate to tower dive someone if it looks like a good kill.

Elise's role in a team fight is to either be a front line caster, or to dive the enemy carry with another assassin.

Basically your mindset is to be in human form and poke with spells and when the fight initiates you switch to spider form and focus the target you want. After using your burst in Spider Form your human spells should be up now so switch to Human Form and use those spells, then of course alternate to Spider Form. Remember though don't try to dive the enemy if your alone, you won't be able to 1v2 an ADC and a support on you.

If you see someone diving your carry, you should switch your focus onto him and protect your carry, use all your spells to try and kill him.

Repel Usage:
The usage of your repel is basically when I'm 50% health or if I see a big incoming ultimate ( Kennen, Ezreal, Nunu & Willump) I will repel and try to dodge it.

Try and use it to chase targets who are really low, since her Venomous Bite is a finisher move.

Elise is a very versatile champion, she has a lot in her kit and brings a lot to a team composition.

Check me out on youtube, I make challenger guides on champions and there will be stream highlights along with montages and random other stuff!