Hi guys!

My in-game name is snu***z and I've been playing league since season 2. I'm currently in Platinum Elo on the NA server, but I will be in Diamond very soon ;)

I've haven't played a ridiculous amount of Ryze mid in the past, but I've watched many challenger level solo que games (link to challenger Ryze game), and read all the good Ryze guides on Mobafire and decided I should make a guide of my own and share the insights I've picked up from playing and what I've learned from others.

The reason I love Ryze mid is because he has a lot of carry potential due to his insane damage per second and pick potential with his ultimate. There's a reason why Ryze is so often banned in pro play.

My mission with this guide is to cover the most important bits of information that will help you succeed when playing Ryze mid. The early, mid, and late game sections will tell you exactly what you should be doing at all points during the game in order to win.

Let's get on with the rest of the guide!

"Widely considered one of the most adept sorcerers on Runeterra, Ryze is an ancient, hard-bitten archmage with an impossibly heavy burden to bear. Armed with immense arcane power and a boundless constitution, he tirelessly hunts for World Runes—fragments of the raw magic that once shaped the world from nothingness. He must retrieve these artifacts before they fall into the wrong hands, for Ryze understands the horrors they could unleash on Runeterra."

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"Ryze was just a young apprentice when he first learned of the arcane powers that had shaped the world."

"His master, a sorcerer named Tyrus of Helia, was a member of an ancient order whose mission had been to gather and protect the most dangerous artifacts in Runeterra. Ryze overheard Tyrus speaking in hushed tones with another mage, discussing something called “World Runes.” When Tyrus noticed his apprentice, he abruptly ended the conversation, tightly clutching the scroll that never left his side."

"In spite of the order’s best efforts, knowledge of the Runes began to spread—few could even begin to understand their importance, or the sheer power held within them, and yet all saw them as weapons that could be turned against their rivals. Ryze and Tyrus traveled between the various peoples of Valoran, trying to quell paranoia and encourage restraint. But over time, their missions became increasingly precarious, and Ryze could sense his master’s growing desperation. Finally, in the Noxii territories where Ryze was born, the first cataclysmic blow was struck in what would eventually be known as the Rune Wars."

"Two nations were pitted against one another, and tensions were running high. Tyrus pleaded with their leaders in parley at the village of Khom, but he saw this conflict had already escalated beyond his ability to mediate. Fleeing into the hills, he and Ryze bore horrified witness to the destructive power of the World Runes firsthand."

"The earth fell away beneath them, the bedrock itself seeming to retch and squeal, while the sky above them recoiled as if mortally wounded. They looked back upon the valley where the rival armies had stood, and beheld insanity—destruction on a scale so massive that it defied all physical sense. The buildings, the people, all were gone, and the ocean, once a day’s journey to the east, now rushed to meet them."

"Ryze fell to his knees and stared into the great hole torn in the world. Nothing remained. Not even the village he once called home."

"Open warfare soon raged across Runeterra. Ryze felt compelled to join the conflict, to pick a side and lend his magical strength to the cause, but Tyrus stayed his hand. The two of them had to guide others back toward peace, and pray there was anything left of the world by the time it was all over."

"Wherever they met those who held the World Runes, Tyrus pleaded for restraint. Many were deeply sobered by the threat of total annihilation—indeed, those who had already suffered most bitterly in the war might have agreed to turn over their Runes to him, and yet none of them wished to be the first to do so."

"As time passed and the conflict spread, Ryze noticed his master growing more distant. While Tyrus attended clandestine meetings with great leaders and archmages, he sent his apprentice on errands that seemed of little importance, often for many weeks at a time. Eventually, Ryze decided to confront him and, to his horror, discovered that Tyrus of Helia had secretly come into possession of not one Rune, but two."

"Bitter and angry, the older mage insisted that common mortals were like reckless children, toying with powers they did not understand. He would no longer play diplomat to ignorant power-mongers. He had to stop them. Ryze tried to reason with Tyrus, but it was no use—before him stood a flawed man, susceptible to the same temptations as those he decried. The allure of the Runes had left its mark upon him. Where once he desired only peace, now he had the means to bring about the end of all things. Ryze had to act, even if it meant destroying his only true friend and ally in the world."

"In an instant, he unleashed all the magic he could muster. A moment later, Tyrus’s corpse lay smoldering on the floor."

"Ryze trembled as his mind struggled to process what he had done. If these deadly artifacts could corrupt a mage with the strength and integrity of Tyrus, how was Ryze to handle them? At the same time, he knew he could not entrust them to any other living soul..."

"Soon, the greatest civilizations all but destroyed one another, ending the war. Ryze now understood the task he had inherited—as long as any World Rune remained unsecured, Runeterra was surely doomed. This knowledge was to become a lonely burden indeed, for ever since that day he has scoured the world in search of the last remaining Runes. He continues to reject the promise of power within each one, choosing instead to bind them in secret locations, far from prying and greedy eyes."

"Even with his life abnormally prolonged by the magic he is exposed to, Ryze cannot afford to rest, for rumors of the World Runes have begun to emerge once more, and the peoples of Runeterra seem to have forgotten the price of wielding them."

https://lol.gamepedia.com/Ryze

Pros

+ Super high damage per second (one of the best in the game late) + High carry potential + Tanky once he gets items + Excellent waveclear + Great split pusher + Creates a lot of map pressure with TP & level 11 ult + Has a really cool sounding name :)

Cons

- Weak early - Runs out of mana quickly without items - Low mobility/gankable without Phase Rush & without ult - Low range so he's often in a dangerous position when dealing damage - Effective ult usage requires team coordination - High skill cap champion (takes a while to master)

* Phase Rush is a great rune for Ryze because it's going to let us chase down opponents and get kills, or to run away when we need to because Ryze has low mobility. Phase Rush is very easy for Ryze to proc because of his low cooldowns.

* Manaflow Band will give Ryze extra mana & mana regen, which he needs for spamming his abilities and clearing minion waves. This rune serves an extra bonus on Ryze giving him increased AP due to Ryze's passive, which gives him extra AP based on his bonus mana.

* Transcendence is going to reduce our cooldowns by 10% once we reach level 10. This is big for Ryze because it means we can spam our skills more often and do more damage.

* Gathering Storm is one of my favorite runes in the whole game. This rune will give you a ton of AP as the game progresses (which also means you'll get more mana as well due to Ryze's passive) and will make your damage even more ridiculous.

* Eyeball Collection is my favorite rune here because you can build up extra AP the quickest, as long as you are getting kills and assists.

* Ravenous Hunter is going to heal Ryze for a percentage of the damage you deal. This is huge because Ryze does a lot of damage which means the enemy will have a much harder time killing you due to all the extra healing you'll get while battling them.

PASSIVE ABILITY

ARCANE MASTERY (Passive): "Ryze's spells deal extra damage based on his Bonus Mana, and he gains a percentage increase to his maximum Mana based on his Ability Power." This ability is pretty straightforward but it is really nice. Basically, whenever you build mana your spells gain increased damage, and whenever you build AP you gain additional mana.

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Q

OVERLOAD (Q): "Passive: Ryze's other basic abilities reset Overload's cooldown and generate a Rune for 4 seconds, up to a maximum of 2. Active: Ryze unleashes a runic blast in the target direction, dealing 65 / 90 / 115 / 140 / 165 (+45% of ability power) (+3% of bonus mana) magic damage to the first enemy struck and consuming all of his Runes. If Ryze consumes 2 Runes, he gains 20 / 25 / 30 / 35 / 40% bonus movement speed for 2 seconds. Flux: Overload deals 10 / 40 / 70 / 100% bonus damage based on Realm Warps's rank and spreads to all nearby enemies marked with Flux, consuming the mark on all targets." This ability confused me at first but it becomes easier to use once you practice it. Whenever Ryze uses his W or E his cooldown for Q is reset, which allows Ryze to cast a lot of abilities very quickly and makes his damage insane. Each time you cast W or E you will store a rune for 4 seconds (maxed at 2 runes, W & E are each worth 1 rune), and if Ryze uses Overload with 2 runes stored he gains a bunch of extra movement speed. It's important to master this mechanic so that you can utilize it when you need to chase someone down, or if you need to run away.

Play Video

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W

RUNE PRISON (W): "Ryze instantly deals 80 / 100 / 120 / 140 / 160 (+60% of ability power) (+4% bonus mana) magic damage to a target enemy and slows them by 35% for 1.5 seconds. Flux: Rune Prison's slow is converted to a root for the same duration." This ability is very simple, it's a point and click ability (not a skillshot) that slows the enemy for 1.5 seconds if they aren't affected by Flux, but if they are then they are instead rooted for 1.5 seconds.

Play Video

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E

SPELL FLUX (E): "Ryze hurls an orb of runic energy at the target enemy, dealing 60 / 80 / 100 / 120 / 140 (+30% of ability power) (+2% bonus mana) magic damage and marking them and nearby enemies with Flux for 3 seconds, causing his next basic ability against them to consume the mark and gain bonus effects." This is another ability that confused me for a while but made sense after some practice. This is another one of Ryze's point and click abilities. It does damage and applies a special effect to the target that allows for additional effects to occur depending on which ability you cast next onto that target, including casting Spell Flux again on that target. If you can Spell Flux on a target already affected by Spell Flux then Spell Flux will be transfered to even more targets. If you cast Overload on a target that has Spell Flux then you will do bonus damage to the target and all nearby targets that are already effected by Spell Flux. If you cast Rune Prison on a target affected by Spell Flux then that target will be rooted for 1.5 seconds.

Play Video

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R

REALM WARP (R): "Ryze creates a portal to a nearby location. After a few seconds, allies standing near the portal are teleported to the target location. If Ryze becomes unable to cast or move, Realm Warp is cancelled." & "Passively, Overload deals even more damage against targets with Flux." This is Ryze's ultimate ability and it has a lot of uses. One cool thing about Realm Warp is that it will teleport not just allied champions but also allied minions so when Ulting into a fight, or when taking a tower, you can bring a big wave of minions with you to help you kill the enemy or take out the tower/s. You will sometimes want to use your ult to get back to lane quicker, to roam around the map for kills on enemies, to initiate team fights, or to help your allies escape from getting killed. Be aware that if you get CC'd while channeling your ult it will get cancelled.

Play Video

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Sorcerer's Shoes is my current favorite pick for Ryze mid. Sorcerer's Shoes gives Ryze magic penetration that he needs to maximize his damage. CDR boots can be a good choice as well but with our build and rune choices we'll have maximum CDR without them.

Rod of Ages is a great item from Ryze because it's going to give him a ton of AP, HP, and mana. This item will beef up our damage, sustain, and survivability. The unique passive of this item turns some of the damage we take into mana for us to use, and some of the damage we deal into healing for us. This item gets better as the game goes on, and so does Ryze, so this item makes that much more sense for Ryze.

Archangel's Staff is an amazing item that synergies extremely well with Ryze. This item gives Ryze AP, 20% CDR, mana, 1% extra AP based on Ryze's maximum mana, and refunds 25% of the mana he spends. Once Ryze stacks out all the extra mana that this item gives him this item turns into Seraph's Embrace and gives Ryze a toggleable shield that can tank quite of bit of enemy damage. Seraph's also gives Ryze 3% of his maximum mana as AP instead of the 1% it was before with Archangel's.

Morellonomicon is a great item for Ryze if the enemy isn't building too much magic resistance, or if the enemy has high heal/sustain champions like Soraka/Vladimir/Etc. Building Oblivion Orb, and waiting to finish Morello's, is also a great option because it gives you extra AP, HP, and magic penetration for only 1600 gold. If you suspect the enemy will be stacking MR, or is going to have 2+ tanky champions, then consider skipping Morello's and getting Void Staff instead.

Void Staff isn't always necessary to build on Ryze but it is a very nice item to grab if you think the enemy will be stacking magic resistance, or if they have 2+ tanky champions. You'll often want to skip Morello's and go straight for Void Staff if your team has 3+ AP champions (since they will/should build MR to counter your team comp), or if the enemy has 2+ tanks on their team.

Rabadon's Deathcap can be an incredibly good item on Ryze because it is going to give you way more damage on all of your abilities. The downside with getting Rabadon's is that it costs a lot of money and thus takes a long time to build. Within the time it takes your to build Rabadon's you might have already finished a whole item and picked up a piece or two for a different item, which could have been the difference between you/your team winning fights with your opponents. The other disadvantage of Rabadon's is that it doesn't give you any defensive stats or offensive stats other than AP, so you might not want to build it if the enemy has assassins on their team that can delete you. Generally speaking, only get Rabadon's when ahead and/or when the enemy can't easily delete you.

Zhonya's Hourglass is a great item that will save you in a pinch. This item is not always mandatory, but it is required when you play against high AD burst damage champions like Zed/Rengar. This item is also nice versus high AP burst champions (LeBlanc/Evelyn), or champions with long duration CC where you'd likely get killed before being able to move (Morgana/Lux).

Banshee's Veil is not always mandatory, but it is necessary when playing against high AP burst damage champions like LeBlanc/Fizz/Malphite/Etc.

Luden's Tempest is a very situational pick for Ryze since you'll already have plenty of mana and CDR, but with that said, it can be a big spike in your damage and waveclear if you choose to get it. I recommend not getting Luden's Echo if the enemy has a lot of tools to kill you and instead opt for more defensive items since Ryze is already going to be doing plenty of damage.

Frozen Heart is a situational pick for Ryze but it can be very effective when playing against enemy teams with 3+ AD champions, or a fed enemy ADC. Frozen Heart gives Ryze a TON of armor, CDR, mana, and reduces the enemy's attack speed by 15%. This item should really only be built when the enemy has a lot of AD, otherwise stick with items that will beef up your damage more.

Ryze is a fairly weak champion early & during the laning phase. His abilities don't do that much damage yet, and he runs out of mana very quickly. Because of this your main priority during laning phase is to get excellent farm so that you can get the items you need to start taking off. In higher elo's your opponents will know how weak you are early and will try to punish you, so be aware of that and be careful not to get harassed too low or killed by champions that have stronger early games than yours.

Don't use your abilities very often early unless you have to push waves because you will run out of mana very quickly. Once you get your Tear of the Goddess you can start using your spells more liberally to push and to harass the enemy laner now that you'll have the mana to do so.

Expect the enemy jungler to try to gank you since Ryze is weak early and not very good at avoiding ganks. For this reason, try not to push your lane, you ideally want to try to freeze your minion wave nearer to your turret than to theirs. Do this by not auto attacking your minion wave or using abilities unless the enemy mid laner does. If the enemy mid laner has good waveclear they will often try to push as fast as they can to force you to farm under your tower and miss CS/gold. If they are pushing hard you'll want to match their push by constantly auto attacking the wave and using your AA+E+Q & E+E+Q waveclear combos. If you do have to farm under your tower you can kill the caster minions easily by auto attacking the first caster minion that get hits by the tower and then using E to last hit it, this will cause flux to spread to the other caster minions making them last hitable by 1 auto attack after the tower hits them.

Although you have a weak early game you will want to abuse melee champions with your auto attacks, especially at level 1 (like Yasuo & Fizz), since they won't be able to retaliate.

Try to always keep a ward in/near one of the bushes in mid, and try to hover towards the side of the lane your ward is in, that way if the enemy jungler comes for a gank on the side you have warded you'll know and you can run away, and if they come for a gank on the side you don't have warded you'll have more time to run away.

Pay attention to the mini-map! If your jungler starts a fight with the enemy jungler you'll want to get to the fight first to swing the tide of the battle in your favor. An early kill on the enemy jungler, or just securing the scuttle, will make a massive difference in the eventual outcome of the game, as small leads early turn into big leads by the end of the game. (I repeat, early kills are more important than a few missed CS in the mid lane!)

Now let's move onto the mid game.

Ryze starts to pop off once the mid-game rolls around, especially once he gets his first two core items, Rod of Ages and Archangel's Staff.

Once Ryze gets his first two items he should be able to 1v1 most champions in the game, and because of this Ryze wants to be very aggressive so that he can get kills and snowball out of control.

Push waves and look for fights whenever you can. Ping the lane you want to roam to to let them know you are coming and ult in behind the target/s you want to pick off (even better if you can bring your jungler with you for the gank). Once you & your team get a pick or two push that lane and get a tower and/or go for an objective like a dragon or baron.

Ryze is a good duelist with good waveclear and map control due to his ultimate, this makes him a very good split pusher so don't be afraid to take a side lane, shove hard, and play aggressively to get a kill or tower. Try to maintain good vision in the enemy jungle so that you can run or ult away if the enemy team sends multiple members to gank you for pushing.

Now let's move onto the late game.

Late game Ryze is a sight to behold. His damage per second is insane and he is very hard to kill for a caster.

Ryze works well as a team fighter or as a split pusher. You can split push or you can group up with your team to fight, it just depends on your team comp, the state of the lanes (where the waves are at and which towers are up/down), and whether or not you have TP.

I'd recommend split pushing bot only if you have TP so that you can join the fight with TP if a team fight breaks out. You can split push top if you have your ultimate up so that you can run away or join a team fight if needed. You can stick with a few teammates mid and push and then use your ultimate to flank and kill their split pushers. Ryze's ult gives himself and his team a lot of options if used correctly.

During big 5v5 & 4v4 team fights Ryze wants to delete enemy squishies, but he can also melt tanks if he has to. Ryze doesn't want to get too close to the enemy team because he is vulnerable to getting deleted if he isn't careful because while he is tanky he isn't a full tank. Because of Ryze's shorter range he's best utilized in front of his back line but behind his front line. That way he can sometimes get within range of their carry's while still being somewhat protected by his own front line. Diving into the enemy front line to get at their carries is a surefire way to get yourself killed before you're able to dish out your amazing damage.

In summary, Ryze has a lot of options in the late game due to how powerful he is individually and how much utility/mobility he brings to the team with his ultimate. You'll want to play a lot of games with Ryze so that you can learn what works best in different situations.

Here is a great video guide by the one & only Faker (translated).

Play Video

That's it! Thanks for reading guys!

Don't forget to hit that like button at the top of the page if you learned some useful information here :)

Try out Ryze mid for yourselves, he takes a while to get good with and even longer to master, but he's one of the best champions out there to carry your team with!

If you have any additional questions, or want to see me play live, come join us on the stream.

That's it guys, peace!