Ezreal is a great champion that isn't played enough. He has the ability to get up close and personal with an enemy, do tons of damage, and then just blink right on out. Being able to do this sort of thing allows for Ezreal to be a great middle lane champion. He is a fairly decent champion early game as well.

While many people feel that some champions are better at the middle lane, I can promise that Ezreal is the best. I often use him in ranked play and usually achieve victory. With a great global ultimate, Ezreal is hard to beat. Ever since Ezreal was nerfed a few too many times, he is now played as and AD champion. His passive does nothing but help his cause in this matter. FYI: This guide is for 5 v 5 matches specifically.

If you have any problems with terms please look at the LOL Terminology page in the forums. I will try to put the meaning for the abbreviations that I use the first time to help though.

Any feedback (especially constructive) is appreciated and I will read the comments for any changes if necessary.

Pros
Very high burst damage
Easy to last hit creeps
Has a skill like flash
Can usually get first blood
Global Ult
Great middle lane champion
Easy to chase enemies
Usually underestimated

Cons
Very squishy champion
Requires time for efficient use
Can get "oom" (out-of-mana) very quickly
Has no CC (Crowd Control, except for ult)
Usually hear a lot of **** from teammates that Ezreal is not a good champion (but they don't know).

Main Rune Build

For runes I get armor pen marks Greater Mark of Desolation, mana regen per 5 seals , cooldown reduction glyphs , and armor pen quints Greater Quintessence of Desolation.

The rune setup I have works great early game for those enemy champions that are feeling a little froggy. Most champions have 30 armor at level 1. Ezreal will be able to kill squishy champions quickly early game due to the armor pen. The CDR runes will come in handy when running or trying to catch enemies (chasing is not usually recommended). Mana regen always helps mid and late game for making sure that Ezreal isn't "oom" all the time.

Optional Rune Build

For the optional Rune build I go by Win10cent's guide for using AD marks and quints instead of Armor Pen by using 6 armor pen marks Greater Mark of Desolation, 3 AD marks , armor seals , magic resist glyphs , and finally AD quints [icon-Greater Quintessence of Strength size=20].

I have tried this setup and it does work very well, but most people like to stick with the standard rune build that I use.

I use the 21/0/9 mastery tree because it allows for massive damage output with an increase in experience gained to access all abilities as soon as possible.

This mastery setup seems to work the best with Ezreal because it provides the most damage output.

Main Build

- Doran's Blade -
I start out with Doran's Blade for obvious reasons.

- Boots of Speed - Sheen -
Next I set out to get Boots of Speed. The best way to know when to go back to get these items is if you are doing well in your lane. If you can hold your lane quite well then you should wait until you have enough for Sheen and the Boots of Speed (Sheen + Boots of Speed = 1600) because you will then not have to waste extra time visiting the shop twice for fear of losing a tower and other things etc...

- Ionian Boots of Lucidity - Vampiric Scepter -
Next I grab Ionian Boots of Lucidity and a Vampiric Scepter. I get Ionian Boots of Lucidity for CDR. I do understand that I am building Ezreal as an AD champion, but these boots work best for how I play Ezreal. The Vampiric Scepter is for starting on the Bloodthirster.

- The Bloodthirster -
Next I work on my The Bloodthirster. This item provides plenty of lifesteal, and only get better as time progresses. Getting Bloodthirster early game is essential for building its passive up. I get Sheen before The Bloodthirster so I have a cheaper route for getting quick and easy damage. I usually sell Doran's Blade to help purchase this item because he should be self sustainable by the time you can purchase this.

- Trinity Force -
I then work on Trinity Force. This item is awesome for Ezreal because of all the things that it does. You will already have a sound damage output, but this item will ensure the kill before they have time to escape. Having the chance to slow the enemy, have extra damage, and increased attack speed all benefit Ezreal in every way that he needs.

- Madred's Bloodrazer -
Next is Madred's Bloodrazer. This item gives a bit of AD and AS, which is very important for Ezreal. The armor does help for those enemy AD champions, but not very much. Then comes the passive that Madred's Bloodrazer offers. Its passive deals an extra 4% magic damage to the enemy. Having Madred's on top of Trinity Force will provide massive damage to the enemy. This item is awesome and has replaced Last Whisper due to trial in-game.

- Banshee's Veil -
By the time that you will be able to pick up Banshee's Veil, the game should be close to over. This item is great for those champions that hit hard with their skills. This protective "bubble" gives every champion that extra shield to the next incoming skill. Whether it be Karthus' Requiem, or it is Jax's Leap Strike, the bubble is essential for protecting those hard hitting attacks.

- The Black Cleaver -
I rarely every get to purchase this item in normal or ranked games because the game had ended. This item just gives Ezreal the extra "oomf" to kill his target with amazing speed.

Optional Items

- Last Whisper -
Last Whisper is a good item for killing those enemies with a lost of armor (namely tanks/tanky champions). Just an alternate for Madred's Bloodrazer.

- Infinity Edge -
This item isn't very important for Ezreal because he does not build crit very often. This item is good if you want to build crit Ezreal. Although this item does give a nice AD bonus.

- Sword of the Occult -
Sword of the Occult is awesome if you can get stacks. Usually in ranked play there are other good players that target you all the time due to stacks. IT is not recommended unless you are for sure that you will get stacks for it.

- Rising Spell Force - Passive
Rising Spell Force boosts your attack speed per skill that you use. This is very nice because the more skills you use the faster your auto-attacks will get. This comes in handy for checking bushes. You can activate your W ability into a bush and know exactly how many enemies there are in there because you gain the attack speed bonus per enemy hit. This is very nice for checking bushes.

Mystic Shot - Q
This skill will be the main damage doer for Ezreal. This attack uses on-hit effects like Sheen, when casted Sheen will activate, and then the damage will use Sheen's passive ability to do extra damage. This ability decreases the cooldowns of all other skills by 1 second. Use this extra ability to your advantage when chasing or running away. This skill hits the closet target that is within the line of its range. Make sure that you line yourself correctly to where you want it to hit. This skill also makes last hitting creeps a breeze. Having a high creep score is important especially during early game, this skill allows Ezreal to accomplish this task.

Essence Flux - W
This skill isn't very important for an AD Ezreal because it does so little damage. The only good part about this skill is that it gives an attack speed buff or debuff depending on whether the receiver is ally or enemy champion.

Arcane Shift - E
This skill allows Ezreal to align his skill shots correctly for massive amounts of damage. This ability is also like a flash because it allows Ezreal to blink anywhere within the radius of the skill (this includes over certain walls). This ability does a fair amount of damage but is mainly for increasing Ezreal's passive and aligning him for his Q ability.

Trueshot Barrage - R - Ultimate
This skill is Ezreal's ultimate. It provides a wave of energy that does damage across the map. Aiming this skill can be tricky though. You will have to get used to using this skill because it does have a delay between clicking and actually using the spell. This skill does a decreased amount of damage with every enemy that it passes through. This skill can be used for last hitting enemy champions or mowing down minions. Make sure that you have been aligned correctly because Ezreal's current location will affect where Trueshot Barrage enters from. This skill can also be used for initiating an enemy or for hurting many enemies. This skill is awesome because it can be used for taking away Baron/Dragon from the enemy. While this is quite hard to calculate, it can be very rewarding if done correctly. Just make sure that you give your skill enough time to cast, while making sure that you will do enough damage to kill the monster.

Skill Sequence

Your skill sequence obviously depends on the situation, but this is what I usually use for ganking.
E, W, Q, AA(auto-attack), AA, AA, R
Make sure to use your Q whenever possible on enemies because it does do quite a bit of damage (of course make sure you don't make yourself too oom).

Primary Chosen

- Ghost -
This spell just gives Ezreal another mechanism for chasing and escaping champions. This spell is better than Flash due to Ezreal already having a built in Flash.

- Ignite -
This spell is awesome for taking that last bit of health from the enemy. Ezreal being able to burst the way that he does can do massive amounts of damage, but not always enough to kill the enemy. This is what Ignite is for.

Alternates

- Flash -
This spell is very good and is what I initially used. Soelra's comment on chosing ghost instead of flash did prove worthy. This skill is an alternate to ghost and does allow Ezreal to have a double flash.

- Exhaust -
This is also nice for those extra kills because the enemy champions will try to escape and this will just slow them down so that you can stack up the damage on them. This can come in handy due to the fact that in this build Ezreal is an AD champion. Exhausting the enemy will allow you to do more damage due to the fact that they will be in range longer. This is still an alternate though.

- Clarity -
Clarity is also another alternate for Ezreal due to the fact that he can get "oom" very quickly. Having some good mana budgeting will be beneficial though.

The rest of the Summoner Spells can prove worthy in some situations, but I do not recommend them for Ezreal.

Ezreal is an awesome champion that does tons of damage. He has no CC skills which does turn some summoners away from him. He provides escape and chasing mechanisms that can make your enemy mad. Make sure that you are also very map aware because his ultimate can kill weakened enemies that got away. Make sure to keep your cool and calculate every move you make. A good Ezreal can change games. Please try this guide out before voting because many find that this works while some feel that this is wrong.

Early Game

Early game the whole point of Ezreal is to get good CS and kill viable champions when possible. Focus on last hitting minions. You can use your Q skill to make last hitting much easier. Level up your skills in the order that I have provided. Only take your W skill at level 7 as stated in my guide if you are laning with a partner, otherwise there is no need to waste mana on it. Remember that your Q skill does quite a bit of damage and with the proper runes you should be able to take out all enemy champions. Make sure to dodge the enemies skills that you can and use your Q skill often. Make sure to use your E to run away and to set up your other skills. Make sure to ward whenever possible.

Mid Game

Mid game the focus is taking down your lane's tower and ganking other lanes. Make sure to grab the neutral buffs as soon as they are up. Both buffs are very helpful in their own way. Ganking is important for team success. Make sure to ward whenever possible.

Late Game

Late game is when the team fights break out. Ezreal is not the champion that will be running in first. Make sure you stay behind your tank and use your Q for harassing. Use your E for dealing damage and setting up your other abilities, and make sure that you use your ult whenever you need it. Ezreal can do tons of damage but is very squishy.

July 18,2011:
-Published guide

July 19, 2011:
-Changed Summoner Spell Flash to Ghost due to trial in-game from request of soelra.
-Changed Item Last Whisper to Madred's Bloodrazer due to trial in-game from request of soelra.
-Moved skill Essence Flux to 7th level slot for skill sequence due to trial in-game from request of firefly6985.
-Added Rising Spell Force - Passive to skills list with explanation.
-Added Alternate Summoner Spells to Summoner Spells list

July 20,2011:
-Added picture to introduction
-Added pros/cons section
-Added alternate items
-Added alternate runes from Win10cent
-Added Gameplay section