Right then welcome to my high-voltage/overloaded guide for Ryze, The Rogue Mage.

You can expect four things from this build. Consistency, Game Changing Q's, Tanky DPS, and End-Game Power.

I recommend changing your in-game settings slightly for this build by going to the smart cast setting as your main set. This allows you to move your mouse over a target and when you hit the button it will cast the spell. You won't have guide arrows on skill shots, luckily Ryze doesn't use them. This will greatly speed up your casts unless you happen to have an insanely fast twitch factor.

Think Street Fighter. Hadoken! D+DF+F+P/HP. The timing is not by any means dissimilar and both result in flying projectiles. Meanwhile your tightly controlling your movement with repetitive right clicks... (as the auto-pathing in the game is rather substandard and Will get you killed.)

Q: Where is the penetration?

A: Do you understand the mechanic behind penetration?

Explanation:

I know I don't. I've been playing for around six months, and I've spent several hours in that time frame trying to completely comprehend it. I don't like formulas and I find that strangely... I 'seem' to do more damage without. Which makes me happy. If all else fails I claim utility. I like to be able to cast More spells. Without blue buff even with 6k mana, you will run out, eventually. Usually within 4-5 drawn out engagements.

Spell Penetration: This number cuts through base resistance. Not percentile.
Marks .95
Glyphs .57

Mana per Level

Marks/Seals 21.06
Glyphs 25.56

Mana Conversion rates per rune at level 18.
Overload 8% 1.69-2.04
Cage 5% 1.05-1.28

Notably a penetration strategy would make sense. IF we weren't aiming for end game. Playing Ryze and aiming for under 20 minutes of play... It's a waste of your time. Even by reducing these stats by the 20-40% involved in your average damage resistance, they still come out ahead by a slim margin. With the added bonus of additional casts feel free to calculate the damage yourself.

A secondary note. I Do approve of percentile penetration. However this is not available on runes, only in masteries and on a specific item. The Void Staff.

Q: Spellvamp?? Ryze already has built in Spellvamp! Why not mana/level Quint's like everything else?

A: They are new and cool. Also... Strangely... Very cost/effective.

Explanation:

Hex-Tech Revolver. 1200 gold for 12% spellvamp. (and 40 ap)
Sapphire Crystal 400 gold for 200 mana.

Mana/level Quints
75.06x3=225.18 mana or 450 gold worth of mana
Spellvamp Quints
2%x3=6% or 600 gold worth of spellvamp

Note we do not want a.p. in this build at all. Thus the hextech's ability power is a non-issue. On Rod of Ages and Angel it's simply a side product. The hex-revolver is a completely wasted final item slot (or nearly).

Summary:

The spellvamp quint's allowed me to drop hextech entirely from my build without losing the sustain that made the item so very important to me early game and especially late game.

6%+3%+25%=34% Spellvamp. Which means on a 700 damage overload you will heal for 238 while your ultimate is active. This is extremely strong in duels and it can make a huge difference in tight situations. Especially if a friendly caster happens to have a will... This can get scary fast.

However I can still recommend mana/level quints as a secondary option. If for some reason you already own them for another character and don't want to buy the new spellvamp quints. It still provides an extra 18 damage per overload and 4 to 6 additional casts. Which isn't bad at all. I still prefer my extra 42 hp worth of heal per 700 damage overload. Firing one every 2 seconds results in an additional 21 hp/5 while your engaged just from that 6%. Note I'm just using that as an example, it doesn't actually provide hp/5 just the equivalent in reliable healing.

Q; 8/22 WTF! Your Crazy Man!
A: 9/21 works just fine, however I'm primarily a Defencive/Utility player.

Explanation:

That critical point, I've tossed and turned it every which way. I'm still undecided but honestly... Who can turn down 18 hp/5? or that critical 2% Cool Down?

Strength of Spirit
.4%/.7%/1% of Total Mana in hp/5
24/42/60 hp/5 at 6000 mana.

Cooldowns
Glyphs .65 which means you need 5 to exceed 2%. Which would cost us 127.8 mana at 18.
Per level is more efficient but it would still take 3. Equivalent to a Quintessence of Mana/Level.

Frozen Heart 20%, Overload 10%, 4%, and 6% from masteries = 40% cd the magic number.

This unforgettable statistic leaves overload on a 2.02 second cd timer. Which then drops by 1 second every time Ryze casts another spell. Including cast times? Just think of it as a .02 cd on Overload.

VS

Spell Penetration
10%

Of? Again the murky stat, the despicable one rears it's ugly head. Who art thou Pen? Why for did thou not go forth and trouble us no more like dodge? Worse they added Hybrid Pen... Pen is an 'unfun' stat. Far more than dodge ever was, Jax or no Gunblade Jax.

However I do approve of % penetration stats. It 'almost' makes sense. If they are resisting 40% and you reduce that resistance by 10%... That's awesome! 10% more damage got through! That's like upping my damage by 1/10th for one point!

But wait! It's not that simple! It only punches through 10% of their 40% resistance? So really it only penetrates 4% of their total resistance.

Summary

Well a 4% damage increase isn't bad really... That's what the offencive mastery tree is all about. It's actually a pretty awesome 1 point perk. However is it 18 hp5 or 225 mana worthy? I think not, however that is My Decision. Your play style and personality greatly effect the mastery tree.

In all honesty 4/8 of the points in offense are almost completely wasted. One adds a bit of 8% speed to ghost, another 1 ap, a bit of last hitting power in the 4 damage vs minions. However that 4% cd reduction is crucial and extremely cost effective.

Final Build.

Ideal
Tear of the Goddess/Arch-Angel
Sorcerers Boots/Merc Treads
Frozen Heart
x3 Rod of Ages

Usual build.

Tear of the Goddess
Sorc boots/Merc Treads
Glacial Shroud/Frozen Heart
Rod of Ages
Banshee's Veil
Rod of Ages

Usually the game ends before this point. 30-35 minutes in depending on how well your doing. Don't bother with banshees unless you actually Need the magic resist. Quite often you out dps the enemy casters, that combined with your health, heals, and regen usually means that you win one-on-one. Fed two on one or three on one is doable depending on the enemy champions involved.

Focus: 20% cd and tear jerking amounts of mana. Armor/resistances are a bonus. Hitting 3k-3.5k hp for a buffer is by no means a bad thing. Your tanky and throw a heavy Q. What else do you need?

Possibly a Void Staff if the other team goes ape on the magic resists. Only build this if you don't seem to be doing damage or if a Tank has completely shut down your team. (most common culprits are a fed Wukong, Galio, Leona, or Amumu.) If you have the spare money for this usually it's better to upgrade your tear to an angel for the bonus ap. The ratios are terrible however 180 ap (at 6k mana) from just the one item can be fairly nice.

Overload: Q is your friend, it's tied for your longest ranged skill and easily does the most damage. Level it often as it reduces your cd and constitutes what I consider to be Ryze's true 'ultimate'. If as I suggest you purchase a Meki Pendant to start you will have enough mana to poke with. Or better yet grab a cs or two you wouldn't have gotten otherwise. You won't be able to kill anyone early on unless they dive you. By level 5-6 if your pushing the lane, feel free to Q the enemy under their turret. It's slow and you have plenty of time to get out of range if you time things correctly.

Rune prison: This is really what makes Ryze tick. Get it second it gives you time to chain all those lovely combos together. If your playing against melee character in lane... You may wish to level this on par with overload. Usually doesn't happen, however if you end up at top or bottom who knows? Sometimes their jungle is more of a threat than the ap mid your facing.

Spell Flux: Good Ryze or Bad Ryze? Use of this spell can be similar to Corky with his Gatling. Early game this is practically useless except for the occasional cs. Late game it will ensure kills and thoroughly mess up the enemy team. It Massively Drops MR. Combined with your R's aoe, it can hit a target up to five times. Which results in the loss of 50-70 MR. Average is three bounces however, use yourself as a lightning rod as necessary. If your enemy is in the midst of the minion wave using r first is necessary to get the full effect. Q-R-Q-E-Q-W-Q is beautiful if you can get it off. Easily your best 'burst' chain. Rare that things work out that well. Occasionally I find myself opening with a w/Cage just to keep the individual in range.

Desperate Power: 6,11,16 Just like everyone else. Unlike everyone else this turns an ability focused caster into an unstoppable vamping aoe tank. At least until the spells run out. Like certain other champions I could mention, this ultimate doesn't stay down long. It isn't quite possible to have the spell back up again before the timer on it actually ends. However if your engines are running full tilt it will likely be back up again by the time you need it. It costs nothing and will heal you for 1/4 of damage dealt for the next few seconds.

Notably the best/Longest Damage Chain
Q-W-Q-E-Q-R-Q-W-Q-E-Q

By which point if they haven't died yet? Full health with decent mana, follow for a final Q two seconds later. Low health/mana? There will be another day. Nonetheless I still find myself chasing occasionally for that last Q if I think it will finish them.

Ghost: It's easily the Best spell available for gap closing at the moment. The utility is phenomenal Q-W-Ghost (run up)-Q-E-Q-R-Q can be a Very nice harassing combo. Or for kiting the enemy back into your territory. The second or two of walking usually means the cage is back up again in time to net them Again. Best to run right past them if you have room. I've killed a full health Tryndamere at less than 1/4th health by using Ghost at the right time. Despite his rage. Kited, Juked, and caged him to death. Occasionally he would get a swing or two off and nearly kill me only for me to vamp/cage desperately back up again.

The second spell? There are a couple candidates.

Teleport: I find myself using this more often than not. It's useful when trying to keep up the pressure and deny farm. Further it lets you shop and refill your mana when you start to run low. If things are going badly a well timed teleport can save a tower or secure a kill. Useful for backdooring as well, usually in support of an ad champ. Ryze like most casters can have a bit of trouble taking down towers. Utility wise, this is arguable the best spell available.

Flash: They nerfed it... Again, aaaaand theeeennnn? Still the best summoner spell in the game. If they were to bring in a short term cloak/stealth I would consider Flash to have finally met its match. Until then however.

Note: Flash is meant for individuals that pay attention to their surroundings and have a fast mouse hand. Ghost is much harder to screw up. IF your feeling particularly aggressive ghost/flash might be your best bet.

Alternate

Exhaust: I would only use this in a ranked match. It has possibilities and can be a better defencive pick than teleport. Cage/Exhaust can also be a good combo for keeping them in range for a few more hits.

Cleanse: Are you doing That Well? If you are being targeted by that much cc, buy Merc Treads. If that isn't enough then chances are your hammering the ever living **** out of your opponents. Laning against silence or stun this can be a game breaker. Kasadin for example or a skilled/cocky Ahri. I've actually played possum and netted several kills this way. Otherwise it's completely useless. Again this is more of a ranked pick and troublesome to use to best effect.

Pros:

No skill shots.
Late Game Carry
Late Game Tank 3.5k hp with 180 armor and 80-105 mr.
Vampire: 34% damage returned to caster.
Regen: Some hefty hp/5 regen coming in from his masteries. Even 2k mana is still 20 hp/5.
High Utility: Your Abilities are almost always up.
Can play any lane successfully. Not recommended for support.

Cons:

Squishy and underpowered until at least level six-twelve. This vulnerable period continues up until you have around 3000 mana. Burst casters can and will stomp you into the ground during this period. Take care, poke, and last hit.

CC will rock your world. The longer lived Silences especially. Early game a silence using opponent can stop you cold. Outside of his abilities Ryze has almost 0 offencive power.

I've lost some games and I've won some games. Ranked I've managed to keep around 1200 50%/50%. I'm by no means the best player around. I'm sure you will do better on occasion and there are no doubt some who will do far worse with this build.

Best advice, don't get greedy. Even if you are snowballing along at 17/3/22. Chances are the enemy team Really Really wants to kill you. I have been there, killed three before the other two finally got me halfway across the map.

I've lost count of the times that games were lost because I was being a little too aggressive. Take your time, don't always force a last hit on enemy champs if your leading... Try to feed your teammates kills whenever possible. If you fire your shots fast enough you can usually get the majority of your damage in before your teammates start cutting loose themselves.

I don't care how bad they are. Chances are they are just as good as you under the right circumstances. It's a team game. The worst thing you can do is become the 'center of attention'. Especially in a normal pug. I find keeping just ahead of your 1-1 kill death ratio can keep your opponents from being too concentrated on busting your brains. Although it is a Lot of Fun to be running on the razors edge. Your decision really.

Oh and a final note. If your jungle doesn't need it. Always! Always! grab blue at level 5-6. Especially if you already have your Tear. This is easier with teleport as you can get back to your lane quickly.

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