Sivir Build Guide by arcain93

Quick about me...

Hi there, I'm Arcain93 and this is my guide on how to play the reworked Sivir.

First I'd like to say that this is my first guide. I've not written anything like this before and I'll constantly be changing it around to fix up any mistakes I've made or any suggestions that you can offer me.
I live in Australia and have the Australian spelling so please don't mind all the extra U's everywhere, quite a pain when it comes to writing 'colour' and 'armour'. I've played LoL for almost a year now and I thought it should be time for me to give back to the community that has helped me grow as a player.

Who's Sivir?

Now most players shrug off Sivir as a useless champion because all she's good for is pushing. She has no health, no real defence, no real escaping capabilities, no CC and can use up all her mana instantly. She is a unappreciated champion. However she is very capable at carrying, pushing and getting the win for her team... like any other ranged AD carry.

What makes Sivir different from other ranged AD champions likes Ashe and Vayne is her ability to power through a lane. With Sivir's Boomerang Blade she can take down a whole lane of minions with 1 throw, and if there are any remaining she simply uses Ricochet to clean up what's left. When Sivir reaches a turret, activate her ultimate On The Hunt and take it down in a matter of seconds. Sivir is simply amazing and can lead her team to victory!

Change log.

18/02/2012 - Added Change log and Core item section. Changed a item build and situational items section.
25/01/2012 - Updated Masteries.
23/01/2012 - Added Situational Items.
23/01/2012 - Guide created.

Pros / Cons

Pros:
+ Can assist really well in team fights.
+ Great at pushing through minion waves and turrets.
+ Get farm easily.
+ Can help another champion farm.
+ Amazing at being a backdoor champion.
+ Banshee's Veil in a ability!
+ On The Hunt is useful throughout whole game.

Cons:
- Targeted first in team fights.
- Squishy.
- Spell Shield must block a ability or it wastes mana.
- Mana hungry champion with a small mana pool.
- If Sivir doesn't farm, will find later game very hard.

Runes

With runes I'm not too sure about what to get with Glyphs but I'm open for recommendations.

Runes, amazing little perks to increase your champions effectiveness in battle. I'm not a master at Runes but if you're unfamiliar with what Runes are and how they work then please check thisguide to learn about them.

Marks
For Marks I'd recommend using Greater Mark of Desolation because it is capable of helping you throughout the whole game. AD runes can be used but because I haven't used any Armour Piercing items in my build it's very useful to have the Greater Mark of Desolation instead.

Seals
Even though Seals are great for adding armour to a champion that needs it, I'd recommend having Greater Seal of Replenishment. Sivir is a mana hungry champion, especially if you spam her Boomerang Blade and Ricochet. Having these seals will help you restore your lost mana faster, saving you from having to recall or steal the blue buff from other champions that would need it.

Glyphs
With Glyphs I'm unsure what ones would be best for Sivir, I only have Greater Glyph of Cooldown Reduction because it's universal for both AD and AP champions and Sivir has no CDR any other way.

Quintessence
I have recommended Greater Quintessence of Desolation because it allows Sivir to ignore more armour that enemies may get and help her deal more damage. HP Quints are also helpful but lose their usefulness late game.

Masteries

As a AD carry/pusher Sivir needs to get as much damage output as possible, because of this I recommend a 21-0-9 build.

OFFENCE
+3 attack damage = Better last hits = More gold.


+4 damage to minions = Better last hits = More gold.


+10 damage to turrets. Great early game if you're pushing well.


4% attack speed. Not a huge bonus but still beneficial, especially to get the next mastery which is...


10% Armour Penetration = More damage! This is very helpful against other champions.


+0.5 attack damage per level. +9 damage at level 18. Each little boost helps.


+10% Critical Damage. Although this isn't beneficial unless you actually deal a critical strike, at late game when you can deal a critical strike every 2-3 attacks it really adds up.

+6 Armour Penetration. Just ignore any amour that enemy champions have and take them DOWN!


+6% damage to enemies below 40% health. If their health is low and still think they can hold their ground, finish them off.


UTILITY
Pushed a little too far, got caught and died? Not a problem, take 10% off that time and rush back in!


216 more mana at level 18. Have a few extra throws of your Boomerang Blade and Ricochet


3 mana regeneration per 5 seconds. This adds up with your Runes and helps Sivir stay in lane and push.

Optional

1/2/3 Lifesteal. Again this sounds helpful but that's only 3 health recovered at 100 damage. Only get this if you wish to build lots of lifesteal.

Be that little bit faster then everyone else. More movement speed is great and it can be the deciding point to if you live or die or get a kill! at 4 points it gives a 2% bonus, it's not much but it can help.

Summoner Spells

Depending on how you play Sivir your summoner spells will change.

- Flash. Not my favourite spell but it has its many uses as Flash can be used both aggressively and defensively. Ally about to be Ace in the Hole but you're too far away? Flash over to the champion, pop your Spell Shield and eat that bullet!! Flash into battle. Flash out of battle. Flash over walls or even Solo baron and Flash away! Flashs uses are many.

- Teleport is a amazing spell to have on hand with Sivir. It will help you defend a lane, allows you to recall and purchase items without worrying about running back and you can teleport to a enemy turret surrounded by your minions and knock it over. Teleport is a Backdoor players best friend.




Other great choices for Sivir

- Exhaust has saved my life on many occasions. It's helped me escape from an aggressive champion. Helped lessen the blow of Annie bot! Weakens the attack of a powerful champion as I kill them. This Spell is very useful to have on hand.

- Ghost. Need to get some place a little faster? Getting chased? Hoard of minions blocking your path to victory? Not a problem! Just activate Ghost and all those problems just fade away into the distance.


- Why Promote? Promote is a new spell that I never see being used, but it really benefits a pusher champion. Promote upgrades a special minion into a turret tank! It increases it's health, defence, attack AND attack speed. But wait! There's more. Everytime the minion kills other minions you'll be granted the gold! It's getting gold for you! What's not to like? I've used Promote to rush through two turrets before enemy champions noticed what was happening. Promote is a great spell to have.


- Clarity If you're new to Sivir you'll find that you run out of mana too quickly. With Clarity Sivir's mana problems are lessened.

Skill Sequence

Now that you know the champion, lets learn about her abilities.

Fleet of Foot Sivir gains movement speed when she lands a basic attack on an enemy champion. Since the rework of getting rid of dodge from champions Sivir's passive had to be changed and, in my opinion, it became better! Fleet of Foot add 50 movement speed for 2 seconds every time you hit a enemy with basic attacks helping you chase down those annoying Master Yi's and Teemo's.



For the first 4 levels I build Q>W>Q>E. HOWEVER if I'm against a enemy caster I will build Q>E>Q>W to have that extra protection as a 'Just In Case'.

Boomerang Blade Sivir hurls her crossblade like a boomerang, dealing physical damage to the first unit and 20% reduced damage to each subsequent target. Believed to be one of the most damaging abilities in LoL. Not on a single target but on a line of enemies. Dealing 20% less damage every time it passes through a enemy, to a minimum of 40%, this ability is one of the few that can pass through minions and hit enemy champions hiding behind them.
Boomerang Blade is great as a poke and it gives you TWO chances to hit a target, once on the initial throw and once on the return. Because it isn't a back and forth throw Sivir can move and position herself so the return hits your target. It's also good to check a brush although mana costs a bit to use constantly on a brush. Because it gives a sound if it hits a enemy, if there are any enemies in the bush you can hear and prepare.

Ricochet Sivir’s next autoattack deals additional physical damage and bounces to 5 additional targets, dealing 20% less damage with each bounce. With this new remake Sivir is able to utilise the power of Trinity Force, but I'll get into that later. Ricochet is a nice spamming ability, especially late game. Bouncing between 5 additional targets this ability can help take down a minion wave and even get a few last hits from low health minions. With Ricochet, Sivir can also attack enemy champions indirectly, even though the damage is decreased. If a enemy champion is 1 attack away from dying but are about to escape, use Ricochet to attack a minion nearby and the bouncing blade would take that champion down!
Ricochet is also great to use on turrets because it's like having a second auto attack! Because Ricochet isn't based on Sivir's attack speed you can deal good amounts of damage by activating it right after you attack, taking down the turrets faster. Along with that Ricochet will also bounce off the turret and into minion waves.

Spell Shield Creates a magical barrier which blocks a single enemy ability used on Sivir. Restores mana if an ability is blocked. This ability might not be a game deciding one but it can save you in from a OP, life destroying, rage quitting ability. Spell Shield is like a free Banshee Veil and if it blocks a enemy ability it restores 150 mana. What's not to like!? Spell Shield will help Sivir stay in lane as it will block damage and restore mana, a resource that Sivir is very low on. However because enemies know this they will try to trick you into using it, wasting your mana and leaving you unable to defend yourself. Knowing how to use this skill will determine whether you are an experienced Sivir player or not.

On the Hunt Sivir gives an aura that boosts the attack speed and movement speed of her team. This is a very nice ultimate as it benefits Sivir's whole team! Bonus movement speed and attack speed for Sivir and bonus movement speed and half the attack speed bonus for allies, this ultimate is great for taking down turrets, champions and Baron. Its great for chasing down champs, boosting damage in a team fight and also running away if it takes a turn for the worst.

Core Items

Attack speed is key for any pusher, being able to take down a tower quickly is your main objective. These boots will help you achieve that goal.


This item gives you more sustainability aswell as giving you a big increase in your damage output.

Your critical hits will deal massive amounts of damage to any champion that walks near you. And another big boost to your attack damage.

This will double your attack damage late game as you'll be able to spam your Ricochet. With a little boost to everything Sivir needs this item is very handy to have on hand.

Item Build

>>> Early Game <<<
Start with Boots of Speed and 3 Health Potions. This will give you a better chase with your passive and 450 extra health on hand if you run low. The reason I dont get Doran's Blade is because the 100 health doesn't give the same benefit as 3 health potions, the 3% lifesteal is wasted because you don't get any benefit from lifesteal until you start dealing damage. The only benefit is the 10 damage.
When you have enough gold, recall and purchase Berserker's Greaves and B. F. Sword. If you have enough buy a Vampiric Scepter and build it into a The Bloodthirster when you have the chance.

>>> Mid Game <<<
Buy a Sheen. As your Ricochet has a cooldown of 4-3 seconds you'll be able to get the full benefit from Sheen in battle and start to deal a lot of damage. You'll want to start building for a Infinity Edge and get some critical strikes out there.

With your critical hits dealing massive damage and the active from Sheen killing champions it's time you got yourself something to defend yourself with. If you're up against casters then a Banshee's Veil or a Force of Nature will come in handy. If you're versing alot of attack damage champions then a Randuin's Omen will help shut them down. If you're being targeted a lot and are dying a Guardian Angel will help you come back into battle.

>>> Late Game <<<
Now it's time to finish your build with a flourishing signature. This all comes down to what your and your team needs to achieve victory.

Situational Items

Now I realize that my item build is insanely expensive, costing almost 11k. So I thought I should make a little section to help surviving against enemy champs as well as still getting a good damage output.

Damage

If you're versing a very tanky team it's time you got some more armour penetration! The Brutalizer is a very handy item to have early game for that extra 'Oomph' in your damage output. It's very cheep at only 1337 (leet...GET IT!? That's how awesome it is!) whilst giving you attack damage, armour penetration AND cooldown reduction. This item really is 1337.


Once you've gotten over how awesome The Brutalizer is, it's time you upgraded it to a Youmuu's Ghostblade and be amazed all over again. Youmuu's Ghostblade gives you more attack damage, critical strike chance, better cooldown reduction, better armour penetration AND now it has a ACTIVE ability giving you more attack speed and movement speed. Wait, where have I heard this ability before? On The Hunt!! This item syncs great with your ultimate and helps you chase down those troublesome champs before they have a chance to get away. The only downside is is that the active only increases it's duration for melee champions, which Sivir is not.


I'm glad that they brought this item over to Summoners Rift as it works well on Sivir because it's basically her Ricochet in a item. Ionic Spark gives Sivir more attack speed, more health and every 4th attack will cause a lightning chain to hit 4 more targets, just like Ricochet. It's not going to be a game winning item but it's the icing on the cake to make the kills that much more sweeter.


More attack damage, more health AND a slow! A truly godly item for AD champions. This will help you chase down enemy champs and even prevent them from escaping from ganks. This item also works very well with Sivir's passive Fleet of Foot. You're faster, they're slowed and soon they'll be dead. This also works great when escaping from a champion. Increase the distance by attacking them, slowing them down and activating your passive, and if they reach you again just rinse and repeat till you're in the clear.


Gives you more armour, attack damage, lifesteal and a active that acts as a Sight Ward. It gives you a little security with sight and ((will test soon)) as a extra ward you have a renewable teleporting point to help you backdoor.

Defence

If you find that you're running out of mana too fast or you need that extra mana and health boost, get a Catalyst the Protector. This handy item not only gives you a little bit of both but it's basically a automatic potion when you level up, restoring enough mana for another boomerang throw and shield block. This can also be upgraded to a Banshee's Veil for extra defence against AP enemy champions.


A lot more health on a champion that needs it. Warmog's Armor is a survivalist item, if you're getting targeted all the time and get taken down in less then 3 seconds you might want to consider getting this. Giving a max health bonus of 1270 you'll be a tougher Sivir and survive those tricky 1v1's.


Health = Good. Armour = Good. 20% chance to slow attackers = Handy. Active = A quick, short shutdown for the enemy team. 5% CDR = Something extra to spoil Sivir with.


Armour and Magic resist and what's this? An extra life? Amazing! This item will help you if you've been targeted by the enemy team and get taken out. Whilst your team takes the enemy down you'll come back like and deal the finishing touches like a angel from the heavens and score an ace.

Utility

A handy mana pool fixer for the struggling AD champion. It increases your mana pool for every attack you make (given the 3 second cool down) and still builds up when you use your abilities. Along with helping your mana problems the Manamune also converts 2% of your mana into attack damage. Sure it's not much with 20 attack per 1000 mana, but it all adds up in the end to helping you become a more powerful Sivir.

Little more health, and Cooldown reduction and a aura that grants more attack speed lifesteal. This is a little helping hand to you and your team.


If you're still having mana problems then this baby will help fix that. If you're being targeted by a AD champions then this will shut them down with the armour and it's passive. The cooldown reduction is also great to help spam your Boomerang Blade.

Trinity Force!

Now this item has become amazing for Sivir since her remake because of her W. Ricochet has a very low cooldown and applies Trinity Force on the first target hit. Now as a last attacking item your critical hit chance will be at 95% (or 99% if Deadliness is taken)) allowing you to critical hit on every attack. With a Trinity Force your damage is doubled again from your critical hit. Let me show you an example if this build is completed in game.

With a full The Bloodthirster, Trinity Force, Infinity Edge & Phantom Dancer, Masteries (21-0-9 with Deadliness and Lethality ) and it gives me 99% chance of a critical hit and roughly around 300 attack damage. With a critical hit that's 780 damage. If I use Ricochet and activate Trinity Force's passive I'll deal 750 base attack damage and a critical hit would deal 1530 damage, then adding Ricochet attack bonus of 80, that will bring our max damage to 1610!

Green = Base damage
Pink = Ricochet attack bonus
Yellow = Critical Hit with Infinity and Lethality
Blue = Trinity Force Passive
Red = Result

~Normal Attack with critical hit~
300 * 2.6 = 780 Damage

~Ricochet activated~
300 * 2.5 = 750 + 80 = 830 Damage

~Ricochet activated and Critical Hit~
780 + 750 + 80 = 1610 damage!!!

Backdooring?

Now I've mentioned the word 'backdoor' a few times because it's what Sivir excels at, however a lot of people don't understand what a 'backdoor' is. Well let me explain...

Taken from the League of Legends Wikipedia.
Backdooring (also BDing or BD) is the commonly used term for a strategy whereupon one or more champions will attack the enemy team's structures such as turrets, inhibitors, or the Nexus without the support of their friendly minion wave. In other words, sneaking into the enemy base without having pushed the lane first.

This means that you must teleport or sneak over to a enemy structure and destroy it quickly, before the enemy team has a chance to react.

To do this the summoner spell Ghost or Teleport is handy to have.

First, place a ward in the near a enemy structure but somewhere hidden so enemy champions won't see you Teleport in, OR place a ward somewhere where you can see if enemy champions are coming to defend their structure. Once you've warded you can Teleport in and destroy the turret with minimum risk of being caught out.

Here is a picture that shows what to do. The RED is the turrets and the BLUE are where to place the wards. Notice how I place my wards in the brush. This is to make sure enemy champions don't notice you until it's too late and to spot any champions that may be advancing from the brush.

Ending notes...

I hope you found my guide insightful and and easy to understand. I did write this whilst I did a all nighter and if I made ANY mistakes please let me know.

Please comment any tips, criticisms, praise, etc. is all accounted for to helping me build a better guide and may inspire me to write more.

Thanks, Arcain93