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Karma Build Guide by

Karma Support - A Dangerous Duchess | 6.9

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8 Comments League of Legends Build Guide Author Gatekeeperteddy

Karma Build Guide By Updated on

Guide Discussion (8) More Karma Guides

Spells:

Exhaust

Flash

Items

Starting Items

Early Items

Core Items

Aggressive Items

Defensive Items

Supportive Build

Damage Build

Experimental

Ability Order

Karma Passive Ability

Threats & Synergies

Threats

Synergies

Extreme Major Even Minor Tiny

Show All

None Low Ok Strong Ideal

Extreme Threats

Ideal Synergies

Blitzcrank

Extreme

Karma struggles versus anyone with a hook. When they engage onto you, Mantra W them (not their ADC)

Synergies

Ideal Strong Ok Low None

Introduction

My Rank: Platinum 3

I'm Karma Mechanix, a member of the NA server DuchessKarma[DoIK] club, and a moderator of the KarmaMains subreddit. Welcome to our guide! Make sure to visit and subscribe if you're interested. We sure need some more Dukes and Duchesses of Ionia.

Our community is filled with Karma mains, but we all main a different role. Some of us main Support, Mid, Jungle, or Top. We even have a few high elo Karma ADC players. In this guide, we will try to reflect the views and beliefs of our vast and diverse population of Karma enthusiasts.

Karma is often seen as weak but that is because most people don't know how to utilize her strengths and hide her weaknesses. Her potential in team-fights make many take a second look and her baiting potential make grown men smash their head on their keyboards in frustration. She can refresh her ultimate many times during a team-fight which may overwhelm a team with damage and utility.

Have fun and enjoy the guide!

Why play Karma? (Pros / Cons)

Pros

+ Extremely diverse
+ Ult at lvl 1
+ Strong AOE Shield + Haste
+ Great Kiting Potential

It should go without being said, but Karma is incredibly diverse She can be built in many ways (which is a good thing) and she can utilize more items than your typical champion. She has great AP ratios on her spells. At earlier levels she can afford to be aggressive with her ultimate at level 1. She has an AOE Shield (and mini Talisman of Ascension). Finally, she is an amazing kiter and can outplay, then surprise many of her foes.

Cons

- Squishy
- Falls off later (depends)
- Her damage will most likely hit the front line late game unless you catch someone out.
- Traditional Karma isn't available for purchase!

Karma is really good early on, but depending on what you do, will determine whether she is a shield-bot late game or if she effectively do damage (if that is one of your goals). Her main damage tool, doesn't pass through units as and might meaning that late game, when both teams have beefy front lines, you will be hitting the front lines only.

Abilities

Gathering Fire(Passive): Karma's passive is rather easy to use. You simply poke and you lower the cooldown of your ultimate, . Spells: 2 / 2.5 / 3 seconds & Auto-Attacks 1 / 1.25 / 1.5 seconds. It is worth noting that:

Inner Flame hitting all enemy champions at once will reduce the cooldown of Mantra by 10 / 12.5 / 15 seconds.
It is possible to cast Defiance multiple times in a small amount of time

Inner Flame(Q): You're going to want to max this out first because it is your main damage tool. It deals 80 / 125 / 170 / 215 / 260 (+ 60% AP) Magic damage and slows by 25% for 1.5 seconds.

Tips and Tricks

Hitting minions adjacent to a champion will damage both the champion and the minion.
Use the slow to land your other abilities and auto-attacks.
Use to clear waves and get creeps that you would otherwise miss

Focused Resolve(W) Max this last as a support and second as a mage. Karma roots an enemy for 1 / 1.25 / 1.50 / 1.75 / 2.0 seconds and deals 60 / 110 / 160 / 210 / 260 (+ 90% AP) magic damage.

Tips and Tricks

The leash is very...visually confusing and often fizzles out at sudden movements.
Once an enemy is rooted, land your abilities to ensure they dont miss.
Auto-attack while the leash is on an enemy to utilize Gathering Fire.

Inspire(E): Karma shields herself for 80 / 110 / 140 / 170 / 200 (+ 50% AP) for 4 seconds and increases movement speed by 40 / 45 / 50 / 55 / 60% for 1.5 seconds.

Tips and Tricks

You can shield minions in order to mess with an enemies CS
Combine with Focused Resolve to ensure that the enemy is rooted.
While poking, you can shield yourself to minimize incoming minion damage.

Mantra(R): Karma augments her next ability within 8 seconds.

Tips and Tricks

Soulflare: Inner Flame deals 25 / 75 / 125 / 175 (+ 30% AP) bonus magic damage leaves behind a damaging area that slows for 50% and deals 50 / 150 / 250 / 350 (+60% AP) magic damage
Renewal: Focused Resolve heals Karma for 20% (+ 1% per 100 AP) of her missing health at the start of the cast, and another 20% (+ 1% per 100 AP) of her missing health at the end (after 2 seconds). The root duration is also increased by .5 / .75 / 1.0 / 1.25 seconds.
Defiance: The shield and haste from Inspire is spread to nearby ally champions. Karma's primary target gets an increased shield by 30 / 100 / 170 / 240 (+ 60% AP) and Karma's nearby allies get half.

Runes

The Greater Mark of Hybrid Penetration makes sure your autoattacks and spells do a lot more damage. Though, I take for even more protection. With or you shouldn't be as squishy as but you won't be as tanky as (keep that in mind). Those defensive runes are help you survive and without them you would need near-flawless positioning in order to keep up. The also make sure that you do a good bit of damage early. strengthens your poke and increases the size of your shields. You can change to if needed but I wouldn't recommend it unless you're vs a Corki.

If you work well with a set of runes, then you should use those runes. Don't switch up to something that looks uncomfortable.

Masteries

Cunning Tree: 18 points - helps when you roam and ward. When paired with Inspire, you will be able to roam easily. helps increases healing on . complements Karma's constant poke lane. Helps increase your gold income as most of your Ability Power items aren't the cheapest. When paired with , your early game gold-income will help you scale into the mid-game. & are a preferential choice. I prefer for more damage in lane.

Keystones:I prefer but you can choose if you might have a harder lane or if they have a lot of damage.

Resolve Tree or Ferocity Tree

Ferocity Tree: 12 points - increases your overall poke. increases your ADC's damage in trades. grants some bonus damage stats. you have CC, so you might as well use it to increase your damage.

Resolve Tree: 12 points - helps you sustain slowly after trading. is amazing for when the enemy jungler comes. You can just run into the bush for a little speed boost. This also helps you ward the river a bit quicker. and are also preferential. I prefer because you already get some health from but if you take then you should probably go for more health. Finally, keeps and or up quicker than the enemy ADC's summoner spells.

Summoner Spells

Always Take Flash: Do NOT ever leave . The mobility potential that it gives you is too much. You don't know how many times I've + for a first blood. There isn't much else to say about it. Don't waste it, but don't die knowing that you could have lived by flashing.

Exhaust or Ignite

It Depends: If you're versus any difficult lane () high-dps () champion or assassin () then . If they have a squishy support () or a healer () then you should feel free to take .

Tips and Tricks

Ignite Effectively Try to predict the enemy's heal and heal before they do so that you can effectively half the gained health. If the enemy also has a good bit of lifesteal or you also can them during any duels to reduce their healing.

Exhaust Effectively When the enemy has shown enough dedication, the ADC to reduce not only their damage, but also their resistances, movement speed, and attack speed. This effect lasts for 2.25 seconds but I will say this: it never feels like 2.25 seconds. As someone who plays ADC a bit, it feels like I'm crippled.

Items

Starting Items

Biscuit of Rejuvinationx3 : This is the basic start for any AP based support. Don't buy until your second back or else you will end up having to back quicker (from getting poked down) and most likely the enemy will destroy your ward.

Early Items

: This will help you generate more gold in lane through poking. Place your responsibly. Don't die over protecting it and don't keep replacing it in commonly checked spots. Switch your trinket out as soon as you get

Core Items

+ + + : Switch out your trinket and possibly upgrade it if you're level 9. Make sure you ward the map to the best of your ability so you do not end up getting picked off.

Aggressive Items

/ / : Your first aggressive item should be because most enemies wont have too much MR that early on. If you want maximum sustain and cooldown reduction as soon as possible, purchase next. Then you should purchase either or depending on the enemy purchases.

Defensive Items

/ / : My personal favorites are for the huge shield potential but if they have single target crowd controls then you should get . With the new patch, is a really good choice on Karma. You can substitute it for if you're going full AP.

Supportive Items

/ / / : You generally want to aim for two of these if you're going a supportive build. Notice that and both have a good amount of AP and are my personal favorites. gives your team nice sustain, though it takes up a lot of your allotted CDR so don't go overboard with it. is an iffy item since you cannot get it in just any composition. I like to compare it with because they both increase your ADC's damage. It has less AP than and does not give defenses, but directly and more quickly augments your team's damage. It is a VERY good buy when you have a lot of auto-attackers.