Surprise! - An In-Depth AP Fiddlesticks Guide

Introduction

Welcome to my wonderful Fiddlesticks guide! After playing him extensively, I have decided to make my very own guide for The Harbinger of Doom. This guide focuses on him in lane, middle specifically. There is also a jungle section now too thought! I would also like to say that this is my first ever Mobafire build, so any and all tips are welcome! If you dislike this guide, please comment why you don't. Also, try it before you bash it. Now summoner, I present this guide full of fear.

Pros / Cons

Fiddlesticks has his great, unique things about him, but also some downfalls.

Pros Longest CC (besides Ashe's Enchanted Crystal Arrow at full range stun duration) Massive sustain Silence so he has the first say in combos A epic ultimate, built in flash into AoE damage.

SPACE

Cons Longish ult cooldown Drain and Crowstorm are channeled, and tend to get you focused. Is very squishy without Drain

Runes

For marks, I take Greater Mark of Insight, as it is the most efficient rune in my opinion, and helps out the most.

For seals, Greater Seal of Resilience for maximized survival throughout the early/mid game. Late game you should have enough armor supported.

For glyphs, Greater Glyph of Focus is the best route for the CDR. It helps you keep up Terrify and Drain and deal a much damage as possible while they're defenseless.

For quints, I take Greater Quintessence of Insight for magic penetration again, late game all the magic pen will really help vs. carries and people who try to counter you. You have items as-well remember!

Masteries (NEW MASTERIES! NOV 16)

NEW!

I take a 21/0/9 route for maximum AP, with 10% Magic Pen.

You may be raging at your screen saying, "Naheer, isn't Transmutation for spell vamp better than Runic Affinity 20% increased buff duration?" Well, think of it this way. Say Drain Has 100 damamge, plus 900 abillity power. Now take that 1000 damage, and say it does true damage. Now take 1% of 1000. That a tiny amount of 10 HEALTH DRAINED TO YOU A SECOND. THAT MAKES ABSOLUTELY NO DIFFRENCE. If you cant regen that just by standing there, then you dont deserve to live. That is of course, if you aren't ignited.

And there are so many new AP masteries, Its like heaven for casters now! And of course, Scout gives wards a slightly better range. A larger ward range is always helpful.

Summoner Spells (NEW SUMMONER SPELLS! NOV 16)

NEW!

As Fiddlesticks, there are a few options I recommend for summoner spells. I'll list them off from Good, Ok, and those that aren't mentioned, please don't use them. Do it for the crows.

Skill Sequence

Taking Drain first is one of the best ideas, as it is your main sustain and damage dealer. We also max it first due to the reasons just stated.

Terrify is put a point in at level 4 due to it not being a massive damage dealer, and a semi-weak cc early levels. It is maxed second for its great cc abilty when maxed though.

Dark Wind wasn't talked about much yet, but has a nice silence so you get the combo in first. It's also great when put between 2 champions or Annie + Tibbers. I find this a far too situational skill to be useful enough to max over Drain, Terrify, or of course Crowstorm.

Items

Finally, on to the good stuff! :D Keep in mind, this is only the suggested main build. Don't follow this like its the only path. Don't be afraid to experiment with your own builds too!

Doran's Ring is taken first for the mana regen, small ap buff, and +100 health. Its a great overall starting item.

Boots of Speed help you run to and away from those annoying champions, they wont catch you this time, but now you can catch them!

Catalyst the Protector is one of the best items to get this early. It gives you plenty of mana and health for a cheap price, plus a great passive for early-middle game transition. Dont upgrade this into Banshee's Veil yet unless your getting focused hard by ap.

Morello's Evil Tome is the king of items after Rabadon's Deathcap, it has AP, CDR, and mana regen! What more could you want? You can really start spamming that Drain now.

Sorcerer's Shoes help you get the magic pen you need this early since everyone has leveled up a bit by now. More move speed too! :3

Needlessly Large Rod This is where you start getting powerful. Your Terrify + Drain combo is now starting to fail as everyone is getting more hp. Congrats, you should have around 100 AP when you get this if you have all the required masteries and Doran's Ring. 100-150 damage a second sounds fun to me!

Rabadon's Deathcap, Jackpot, summoner. You should have a lot of AP now, and were just getting started. Of course, we did just finish our core build. The passive on this thing is just WAY too good to pass up!

I get Rylai's Crystal Scepter now for the slow on your drain, even MORE survivable, and just more AP.

Zhonya's Hourglass can help in so many ways. You now have armor, though you can get it earlier, even MORE AP, and a active that can make you invulnerable for 2 seconds, and it doesn't stop your ult! That is, if your done channeling. Its also great vs. Karthus's Requiem for example.

Banshee's Veil is last for it only gives mr bonus, but this late, that one cc will stop because of the passive that blocks a single spell, might save your Crowstorm channel or Drain. This is a great item this late game for the passive, otherwise i don't like it much.

Items I don't like, but aren't unnecessarily nonviable.

Rod of Ages isn't picked as i feel you can get better items for the gold you save. A simple Catalyst the Protector is all that is needed for enough survival.

Abyssal Scepter isn't picked, and I will get LOTS of hate for this, but I don't think its worth it unless you need the magic resist ALONG with Banshee's Veil! The passive is negligible with Sorcerer's Shoes if your going after the carry as you should.

Situational Items

First off, for Fiddlesticks I don't usally change my build items themselves, but the order they go in. I might put Banshee's Veil right after Rabadon's Deathcap. Or if its Zhonya's Hourglass, I get the Chain Vest then after Morello's Evil Tome I finish it.

If they are getting a lot of magic resist, get a Void Staff. The magic pen works better than Abyssal Scepter, but it may mean you need Banshee's Veil sooner.

Deathfire Grasp is always a viable option with a very health heavy enemy team.

If they have a LOT of CC, and I mean their ENTIRE team has hard cc of some sort, Moonflair Spellblade might be the way to go. Of course, you can always switch out Sorcerer's Shoes for Mercury's Treads.

Of course, you can always get more AP in general if your doing VERY well.

Early Game

Levels 1-8 Fiddlesticks

You'll want to start off with a Doran's Ring and head to mid. Make sure to always help your jungler by leashing if they start at blue. When the minions spawn and your done helping your jungler, if you had one that is, LAST HIT, LAST HIT, LAST HIT. The importance of you trying to get enough for Boots of Speed and Catalyst the Protector is vital to your survival. If you must base, make sure to get Boots of Speed then Sapphire Crystal so you can heal off minions that one extra time. It's also best to Drain the seige, or cannon minions for maximum effect.

While last hitting, remember that your range is extremely short. Almost all other AP casters can out range you. If they try to harass you though, make them pay. Terrify and Drain them! You'll gain health back from their harass and they'll take damage. Just make sure they cant knock you up. REMEMBER, your Drain is channeled! Almost any type of movement from your spot will stop it.

Mid Game

Levels 9-14 Fiddlesticks

Now you'll want to start ganking when your lane is pushed to their tower and the enemy mid is there. You should open up with Crowstorm from a brush or over a wall, then Terrify, Drain, and Dark Wind. Make sure Drain finishes before you use Dark Wind. When their mid isn't their, such as you just killed him, and the rest of the champions AREN'T mia/ss, destroy that tower!

If your losing, still try to gank. They need to go into you side of the map to get your towers. It is even EASIER to gank then. Remember, you can solo dragon, but its not wise to solo when your teamates can help kill it faster and protect you. More gold (especially when its global gold) will help immensely.

By this time, you should just be finishing your Rabadon's Deathcap and have Sorcerer's Shoes plus Catalyst the Protector if you ganked successfully and farmed well.

Late Game

Level 15-18 Fiddlesticks

Now you should be sticking with your team full time. Remember when your team wants Baron Nashor or Dragon to tank it with your Drain so your team takes little to no damage. By now you should have Morello's Evil Tome along with part of or the whole build of Abyssal Scepter. Always use your ultimate after a teamfight is initiated, don't be the one to take the blunt force of the CC. By now you should also have 2 of their towers a lane if your doing good, otherwise you should just teamfight together. Toss Dark Wind into them to do damage while they might hang back, it should be good to use by now due to the AP you have and it being high leveled.

Jungling (NEW: ARMORED BEAR PATCH!)

NEW ARMORED BEAR PATCH MAKES JUNGLE CREEPS GIVE LESS EXP!

This is a far more effective way of using Fiddlesticks, but is also very delicate. Also, the build doesn't change much unless you don't have armor runes.

The new jungle route makes you start at wolves, then blue, then wraiths, then wolves, then red, then golems. Feel free to gank ANY time!

OUT DATED JUNGLE ROUTE!
1. Blue Buff/Ancient Golem

This is where you start, it is essential to have blue buff to keep up your Drain.
Having your blue stolen is devastating, and can ruin your jungle. If this happens, You can skip blue, and hope for the best. Instead of going Blue-Wolves, just start at wolves and go from there. REMEMBER: The Ancient Golem does MASSIVE damage to you early. You NEED the armor runes, otherwise you will have to get a Cloth Armor.

Level your Dark Wind after clearing the camp.
2. Wolves

Start off here after Blue Buff to get your health back up and get well, more exp and gold. Isn't that why you're jungling? To give your team more exp and gold with basically 3 solo lanes?
FOCUS THE BIG WOLF FIRST

3. Wraiths

Make sure you Drain the big wraith first, go ahead and use Dark Wind to open it up, you have the mana (if you got blue)

Level up Drain after clearing the camp.

4. Double Golems

This is where Dark Wind is fun to watch bounce between 2 things. Don't forget to Drain though, you still take a bit of damage!

Level up Terrify before you do 5.

5. You should blue bill/base now.

6. Red Buff/Elder Lizard

And now you will get red buff, its simple enough. Just Drain that sucker down to Smite range.

Just repeat the old route (2,3,4) again and level up Drain at level 5. Its not hard, you can solo dragon now though with blue buff.

At level 6, you have killer ganks (literally!) with Crowstorm. Refer to the ganking section to get the idea.

Why the 6/3/21 you may ask? I pick it so smite has reduced cooldown, and that extra gold never hurt anyone. You also get more armor vs creeps so you can survive just that bit more.

Anything else is the same, check the "Item" and "Skill Sequence" sections for explanations.

Ganks

Crowstorm is a very unique skill on Fiddlesticks. It lets you flash and turn into a AoE bomb. Maxed out, you should be able to do around 400-500 Damage PER SECOND! You'll want to hide behind a wall or in a bush to gank onto someone. It's perfect when you combo it with Terrify into Drain. You'll be a MONSTER when fed. You can switch out items for more AP if your doing very well remember!


Here is a prime example of a perfect gank. You can Crowstorm from the bushes, Terrify the Taric and then Drain him.


Taric is taking red and losing a lot of health, so you don't need to Crowstorm, you can just do the Terrify + Drain combo.


This is one of MY favorite spots to Crowstorm gank. The enemy cant see you at all, they cant just ward a bush. You can jump RIGHT on him and destroy the living **** out of them.

The stronger you become, the more they fear you. >:)

Warding

I will put this in anything I make the involves League of Legends. Warding saves lives, dragons, and barons. This is the link to Panglot's Guide to Warding

Updates to Build (New 10/31/11)

10/31/11- Removed Abyssal Scepter, added Rylai's Crystal Scepter. Item build for explanations.

11/4/11- Added a Jungling section! Also changed the perseverance in masteries to good hands, much better, thanks to SirSpankAlot for the idea!

11/7/11- Top 5 Fids Guides! :D

Patches

November 15th (Fizz Patch): No changes to Fiddlesticks directly, but the new Summoner Spells and Masteries are really helpful! MOAR AP MASTERIES!

Summary

This is the end of my fearsome guide to Fiddlesticks, the Harbinger of Doom. I hope you enjoyed. Please tell me anything that I should fix or why you liked or disliked it! Now summoners, rush to the Fields of Justice and scare the living **** out of any team you meet!

Also, special thanks for jhoijhoi for making a guide to making guides, found here.