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Akali Build Guide by AngelPixe

Assassin Akali - The Shadow Killer

Assassin Akali - The Shadow Killer

Updated on June 5, 2013
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League of Legends Build Guide Author AngelPixe Build Guide By AngelPixe 19 5 73,078 Views 28 Comments
19 5 73,078 Views 28 Comments League of Legends Build Guide Author AngelPixe Akali Build Guide By AngelPixe Updated on June 5, 2013
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Introduction

Hello, and Welcome to my first guide. I enjoy playing Akali as she has been fun to use and to kill people with. She a very unique type of ninja where as she has the ability to stealth against the enemy champions. She able to juke very well, and does ton's of burst damage. Its best to first read through this before you decided whether to vote + or -. Since, it might come in handy for newcomers and to help people improve!
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Pros / Cons

~Pros~
-Does Great Amount of Damage gain from her Two Disciplines
-She able snowball
-She able to Solo top and Mid
-She can Juke Very well
-She Able to Jungle
-She can Stealth
-She a Ninja :3

~Cons~
-She very squishy
-Needs a good team comp
-Oracles and Visons Ward makes the game a little harder
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Masteries

~Why Should You Go 21/0/9?~


-The reason behind this is fact she will be lacking in the amount of physical damage than in the magic damage in her Disciplines from the build above until the Gun blade. You still need the little amount of Damage for both of the Disciplines.
-If you don't know what her Disciplines are. They are basically two little power up's that give her bonus Magic and Physical Damage Power to her Q, W, and R. It what makes her so strong early-late Game
-I always like to have some points in Utility for extra exp and less time spent dead.
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Runes

Greater Seal of Vitality


~Marks~
I decided to use 2 Magic Pen + 7 Attack Damage Marks because I wanted to try to get both of her Twin Disciplines at lvl 1 to help her early game and accomplish more damage so on.
Greater Seal of Vitality
~Seals~
I choose to get HP per level Seals because she needs a little more health to survive in the team fights and it also helps a lot as you wouldn't need to get health items. The more HP Akali has the more she going to be diving into the carries on the other team.

~Glyphs~
Since The Twin Disciplines require some Ability power to start it off, I decided to get AP Glyph to help with the magic damage on her buffs. This is the same with the Quints as having early bursts, means it will put pressure on the person you are laning against. They grow more scared of you by the minute.

~Quints~
If you don't have enough Ability Power for your Magic Damage for one of the Twin Discipline. Then Ability Power Quints should be able to do the trick :). This also boosts your magic damage early game and when you go for a early gank at the jungler blue or when you are starting in lane. Hitting a squishy with Mark of the Assassin and then a single auto attack with it still on. Its gives out a lot of burst damage.
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Summoner Spells


Ignite:The reason why I choose ignite, is because it not only makes akali more scary to go against, but it also adds a little more magic damage to her and could kill squishes that try to run away with barely any HP. Ignite also gives her a small ap boost, so if you happen to have a Doran's Blade you will get both of your Twin Disciplines at level 2 at most.



Flash: This is a great escape tool for Akali, due to the fact she might get stuck in tough situations. This could be the key to getting out of them :3. Also, Flash is helpfully for juking the opposing team when you get caught in a gank to a different kind of gank like facechecking that is, if you are still alive with Guardian Angel
~Optional Summoner Skills
- I can see this being a useful skill for her as it can slow down her opposing team member for a little more damage onto them or a possible kill.
- If you are very slow in catching up to people, this could solve the problem and could be replace with Ignite for two escapes.
-This could be a pretty useful summoner skill as it would remove all of the CC that the other team used on you and more crowd control for your team.
-This is when you are going to attempt to jungle as Akali as I don't recommend jungling with her. I just think its to slow and she better off ganking at lvl 6 so that she has her Shadow Dance. I think she depend on items and need to farm in a lane to be useful.
- Teleport isn't a bad summoner skill for her as if you have wards down in bushes. She will be able to gank different lanes to put more pressure on the lanes.
~Never to Get Summoner Skills!
- It was removed as well.
- It was removed :<
-Support Akali? Im Confused
-Since when does a Ninja have mana? Shen and Kennen sure dont..
-I can see this being useful. Pantheon and Karthus find it useful. Maybe this could work!
-You shouldn't need this summoner skill at all. There no point in heal when it Heal for such a little. I doubt it will save you from a fed Karthus Ult.
- I dont really see how usefully it would be. Since, it only buffs one minion that could die easily, before it reaches the tower.
- Surge seems to be helpfully for an odd reason. It gives both AP and AS that could pose for some usefullness in lane.
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Items

~Core Items~


Rylai's : It's to slow any champ that decides to get away from the fight.Since your able to Shadow Dance + Flash to the champ that running away. It makes it easier to kill them. Also, laying down your Twilight Shroud could also slow them down if they are still getting away.
Lich Bane: This helps with her Mark of the Assassin as it will give her a little more damage during the team fights and can come in handy at a early level.
Rabadon Deathcap: This is where you get the big money comes in with the big amounts of ability power :3. With the Deathcap the power on your Twin discipline should be around 97 percent or higher. It all depends if you have the runes for her Twin Disciplines in the beginning.
Hextech Gunblade: Some people tend to get it second or first but I get it last since it not really necessary til late game. It better to built up her Hextech Revolver to make it into the gunblade later on.

~Starting Items



OR
- Only if you don't have the runes for both disciplines. You could always start with this items to get both of them at level 1 and 2.

~Middle Game Items


- You should get Mercury Treads if they have a lot of CC on the opposing team.
- If they don't have as much as CC for Mercury Treads then you should go for Sorcerer Shoes. This way you will be focusing on more magic damage.
- You should have a Sheen ready to be made into a Lich Bane. A very early game Sheen is deadly due to its proc. It would be helping her Mark of the Assassindo more damage.

~Optional Items


- If you are getting feed like crazy, this makes Akali more deadly. I don't really prefer this item as a core because Akali is very squishy. She tends to go into the fights to take down the carries and you could still died, losing stacks in the process. Its a risky item to get.
- When you go with Mercury Treads you should get a Void Staff for more magic pen as it will help with your damage output.
- You should also have this item with you to start off your Rabadon Deathcap as it will become one of your main sources of ap late game.
- I honestly don't like this item. There several reasons why. One, the damage only comes from continously auto attacking while you only need to hit the opposing team member once when Mark of the Assassin is on them. It's not a very useful item unless you want to push there towers faster, then you should get this item if it pleases you.
Abyssal Sceptor - I naturally dont get this item all the time, but its actually very helpfully. Since, it also decreases they magic resist, making them more vulurable to an easy kill. It best to ask the support or the AP tank to get one.
- Depending on which boots you choose to get. This item will have with the tencity, which decreases the CC that was on you a tad less. Its better used on when you have Sorcerer's Shoes

~Need more Suvivabilty?


- If your being focus down in the beginning of the fight, you should get a Guardian Angel because they all should be either low hp or full hp. Depending on which they are, you should either go back to base(full/Most HP) or fight them(Low HP) since you could possibly get one or two kills.
- This item is very good for Enchanted Crystal Arrow, Infinite Duress, Nether Grasp, and it saves your butt from a Requiem when you are very low and your Banshee Veil comes back up. It sure works miracles! This is also in the case the other team has a lot of CC.
Quicksilver slash - This lovely item helps a lot inf control crowd teams. It could remove all of the debuffs that are thrown at you. A few examples of which skills its removes : Nether Grasp and Infinte Duress are two of the most common uses for this item. It will remove the suppression right away.

~Against Heavy AD~


- This item really helps with dealing with people that melee or range. They take damage for every autoattack that hits you, which will weaken them enough to kill.
- If you need a little more hp, then you should get this item. It has served it purposes many times in team fights. It help you live a bit longer to decide whether you want to go back into the fight or if you want to get out of it.
- I would get this when there a fed AD range carry, with crazy damage. It gives you 99 armor, with a slow. So, it could replace ryalis, but not necessary if you are doing fine against the carry.
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Skill Explanations


-This is her unique passive and what it does is it give you two little buffs. One is for magic damage and the other is physical damage. You know that you have them when you see a green and red glowing effect on your weapons. It also tells you the percentage of the amount of extra damage you will get.
-This should be your first skill to get as it is great for last hitting minions, but not only that, Mark of the Assassin is your main source of damage. When you hit someone with it. It will show her small weapon spinning on top of them where you should hit them with a auto attack that will release a lot of damage onto that person.
-Twilight Shroud is her stealth ability. It unique for you have a small circle to stealth around. It also comes with a slow when champion's or minions run over it. It's helpful for getting out of team fights when they don't have oracles to see you in the shroud.
-You should never get this skill first, because it doesn't do a lot of damage to the opposing team. It better for clearing waves of minions, but it also wastes a ton of energy. What the skill does, is you spin in a circle fast enough to do damage to whoever is around.
-This is her ultimate and what it does is allow you to jump towards the opposing champion to damage them and do another round of her combo. It's like a mini flash. Its similar to Irelia skill Bladesurge.
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Skill Sequence

~What You Should/Shouldn't Get First~


What you get First!
What I think is the best starting skill to get is her Mark of the Assassin,because once she throws her mark at the enemy Champ and auto attacks them once. They take more damage than her Crescent Slash and her Twilight Shroud(This doesn't even do damage!). Mark of the Assassinis a great tool for snowballing and Last hitting minions in the lane.
What you Should Never get First!
I see some people play akali and not get her Mark of the Assassin first for some reason. They tend to get her Crescent Slash because it's a AOE Skill that doesn't do a lot of damage early game unlike her Mark of the Assassin.You SHOULD NEVER EVER get her Twilight Shroud first! It doesn't help with anything, but trying to last hitting the creeps in stealth.
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Gameplay

~Early Game~



To start off the game, you should buy Boots and three Health Potion, if you have both passives at level one.
If you don't then that fine! Just start off with a Doran Blade and you will get both passives at level 2.

Depending on where you are place to start laning, it doesn't matter whether you are mid,soloing top, or duo bottom. If you are Mid or soloing top, you should always get at least one ward to be place in the river. Why? So you would know when the other team jungler is going to gank. It would be from the other side of the river and you wouldn't need to waste more gold on two.
Same goes for top lane, you just need one for the river as that one of the only way they could get you.

If you are Duo laning, its best if you have a support or a tank due to having to be close to the minions most of the time, your going to have be heal continously or someone taking the damage as you last hit and farm.

Once you are in lane,you should have taken Mark of the Assassin as it great for last hitting and snowballing. You shouldn't push your lane if your soloing and they have a jungler, then you want to stay closer between your tower range and minions. You will be less likely to be ganked.

Once you hit level 6 and if the person mid is pushing on your lane, hard. Then throw your Mark of the Assassin on them and then Shadow Dance to put pressure on them.

When you pushed them back enough and farm quite a bit. You should go back to base to get Mercury Treads or Sorcerer's Shoes+ an early game Sheen

~Middle Game~



At this point, you should be debating if the other lanes need help. If they seem to be dying a lot, then that when you know that is the lane you are going to gank. Make sure to wait for the others or one person is there to draw in the opposing team members.

You should also have your two core items, which are Lich Bane and Rylai's Crystal Scepter, since your not going to be ganking by throwing down your Twilight Shroud. Its a big mistake most people do on Akali, because your wasting a lot of energy on one skill when you have Rylai's, that can slow people when you throw your Mark of the Assassin and then Shadow Dance. You will kill them a lot faster than having to do little bit of damage once your low on energy.

You should be still farming til your able to get a Hextech Revolver and Needlessly Large Rodto start off for your big source of AP, the Rabadon's Deathcap

After, farming for those items you should get a survivability item like a Guardian Angel or Banshee Veil, they would come in handy late game.

This is when team fights start coming up. When the fight begins, you want to come in a little late behind the tanks to focus the Range AD carries and the AP carries. They are a threat in team fights. The way you want to start your combo is Q + Shadow Dance + Auto Attack + Crescent Slash. Rinse and Repeat.

~Late Game~



Late Game you should have all your core items made in from the little parts during Middle game. This is the point where you and your team should stay in a group and not separate. Being picked off is not going to help you win the game.

Once you are all together, you should push one of the lanes as a team towards there base.
If you don't see the enemy anywhere in sight. Here are the Possibly place they could be at:

1.Doing Baron
2.Doing Dragon for some odd reason
3.Base race?!
4.They are coming up from behind you.
5.There still at there base arguing about losing/winning.

These are nearly all possibly ways they could be out of sight, so watch your backs as they will take the squishes that stay in the back.

If you have a ward or CV then it would help to see baron, if they really are doing it. Since, you could actually steal it, if they are taking to long to get it.

There a low chance they could be doing dragon because losing your base for dragon is not worth it. Even with the extra gold. Protecting your base over dragon is more important.

It would be awesome to have a base race to see who will win the game.
If they are coming from behind you. You and your team need to stop attacking the tower or inhib and start killing the squishes.
Most people tend to argue a lot for no reason. They wont be moving and caring anymore, making your team have an easy win.

~If they didn't Surrender Yet....
During the Late game phase the opposing team will start to realize they are going to have to focus you down due to the fact that you are bursting down there carries and your overwhelmingly fed.

If your team is not pushing the lanes then your basically allowing the other team to come back. You don't want to do this as it can turn the tides and end very badly for your team.
You want to be pushing one of the lanes at all cost, it will drag all there members to that lane and prevent them from pushing towards your base.
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Team Fights

~Who You Should Focus Down!~


When a team fight is about to start you don't want to lay down your Twilight Shroud in the beginning of the fight. Why? You need to use it as your escape, when you are not winning in the team fight.During the fight, you should aim for there range AD carry, if they are fed and taking down your tank. Then you should go after there AP nuke if they are the problem in the fights.

~Range AD You Should Worry About~


- Her true damage is just insanely good as it scares most tanks away. There isn't a way to stop it, unless you focus her down and have a Frozen Heart or possibly a Thornmail. Which you shouldn't need these on Akali.
- You should be cautious when there is a Draven on the other team. One reason is that he has a global ult, Whirling Death that could get you killed if your low enough.
- Corki is not only a Range Carry, but he also does some magic damage. His Phosphorus Bomb and Gatling Gun hurt a lot in team fights. His Missile Barrage has a big *** range. The big one will hurt you don't kill him before he uses Valkyrie.
- Miss Fortune has two skills that tend to hurt a lot. Her Make it Rain and Bullet Time. They are both AoE skills that can hit you in Twilight Shroud. Her passive makes catching her increasingly hard when she isn't in combat. Its like chasing a girl Master Yi.
- Do I have to example :3?! He has tons of burst from his Buckshot. I would advise trying to dodge it as much as you can. His Collateral Damage is extremely deadly in teamfights or for just soloing someone.

~AP NUKES You Should Worry About~


- Annie was buff even more for her late game advantages. Once she hits level 6. Summon: Tibbers stun combo will kill you or force you to back with barely any HP. If you are Mid against her, you are in for a long trip of hell! She has a nasty combo and just by dropping Summon: Tibbers on a Team Fight, it will just blow up all your carries. You have to pray she misses with Summon: Tibbers or your done for.
- Brand is very annoying due to his Pillar of Flames that could hit you in a big area. When he uses Pyroclasm it goes to one person and the other in a big crowd as no one ever learns to move away from each other and tend to kill people with low HP.
- Her combos are very powerfully. Basically all of her skills could poison you, execpt for her Petrifying Gaze. Which will stun you if you are facing her. She also able to keep you from farming minions with her Noxious Blast and Miasma
- She has extremely huge burst damage. She has a stun, and a silence, plus her ult to make a double of one of the skills and the damage. It's insane! Her passive happens to be clones that are like "Which is me as im the one running away". She also has a built in flash like skill Distortion. She is like a female version of Veigar.
- His Null Zone could be place on top of your Twilight Shroud, if this happens then don't use the Twilight Shroud as much as you would for harassment. Malzahar has a deadly combo with his Null Zone, Nether Grasp, Malefic Visions, and Call of the Void. You want to go for him before he ults you as it even comes into the Twilight Shroud when you are stealth, it wont stop the ult, but it will stop his combo.
- People think Orianna is more of a support than ap nuke. Well, they are wrong as she might have Command: Protect, but honestly, she is more as an Ap nuke. Her Command: Shockwave can change the tides of the game. Her Command: Dissonance does plenty of damage. She very squishy and you want to kill her before she uses Command: Shockwave in the team fight. She also has a mini ghost with one of her skills.
- His ban for many reasons, one of them happens to be his insane burst damage from his Death's Caress. If you get stunned, then there a possible chance that he would use his shield next or has it charge up.
- If you get caught in Veigar Event Horizon, you better pray he doesn't have his Primordial Burst up or your pretty going to get nuke down. You want to enter the fight a little late because that is when his wouldn't be up and it will be easier to kill him.
- After encountering Xerath a few times. I decided to add him to this list. He has great damage and range. He is able to stun someone with just his Locus of Power and with the power of his Arcane Barrage. Its best to take him out of the teamfight to prevent any casualities.

~Champions Skills that Can See Her in Twilight Shroud~


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Farming

Here are some tips, when you are farming with Akali

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Farming for Solo Top and Mid Lane:
First, when you are farming for Solo top. You dont want to over extend of push your lane very far to there tower. Why? Because they could have a jungler, someone could possibly not call MIA for middle or bot lane. You need to be on guard and have wards at all times.
As much as you want to farm with Crescent Slash , you shouldn't use it to last hit or spam in large groups of minions. Your just wasting energy, when you could be using your Mark of the Assassin to last hit and farm better.
The more farm you get, the more likely you are to get your items! As well as beat the person in lane if they cant last hit, dont have a clue what to do, auto attacking, feeding, or beating you in lane.
In the beginning of the game, you should be focusing on farming with your Q or normal attacks and just use the Q to harass. Then you should be in a big group to be in team fights, not pushing the lanes.
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Summary

This concludes my guide for Akali.
~I hope this will help you understand how to play Akali better and that you enjoyed your time reading through the guide.
~If there are other items that you believe are useful to Akali, it doesn't hurt to ask at all ^_^.

Special Thanks To:
-Rubmed
-Bryun
-Da_Neo
-Jhoijhoi
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