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Tristana Build Guide by Wenvarien

Tristana - An In-depth Guide. Now with a Dominion build!

Tristana - An In-depth Guide. Now with a Dominion build!

Updated on March 2, 2012
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League of Legends Build Guide Author Wenvarien Build Guide By Wenvarien 9 0 72,060 Views 32 Comments
9 0 72,060 Views 32 Comments League of Legends Build Guide Author Wenvarien Tristana Build Guide By Wenvarien Updated on March 2, 2012
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Choose Champion Build:

  • LoL Champion: Tristana
  • LoL Champion: Tristana

Spells:

LoL Summoner Spell: Flash

Flash

LoL Summoner Spell: Ignite

Ignite

ATTENTION!!!!!!!

I am now a United States Sailor. I graduated from boot camp March 2nd. I know that in my absence the game has made some drastic changes and I will do my best to get my guide updated when I have the time to do so.
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Introduction

Hello, my name is Wenvarien. This is my first build on mobafire. Please be courteous and don't troll or down vote my build for no solid reason. I encourage you to at least give the build a play-through before you give positive or negative votes or feedback. Having said that this is simply my take on and how I like to build her. This build may not be for everyone but it suits my play style and I find it very addictive.

I would also like to point out that this guide is very in depth and requires A LOT of reading. So if you don't want to read through what I have to say simply copy the build and wing it :D.

If you like my build or want to give me some pointers/suggestions please do so below and give me the thumbs up if you like it.

I would also like to give everyone a thanks in advance for first taking the time to look at and read through my guide and another thanks for any positive votes. If this guide works for you, post screen shots in your comments and I will gladly put them up.
Another thanks goes out to JhoiJhoi for the line dividers and all of her hard work on her Karthus Guide. Thanks again Jai!
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Builds

Build 1

The first build is a Summoner's Rift build. The guide focuses on this build but much of the information is relevant to whatever map you play on.

Build 2

This build is focused on Dominion. I am currently in the process of going through the details of this build.
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Pros and Cons


Pros

  • Very strong early game harassment.
  • Great at chasing or escaping with the use of Rocket Jump
  • Progressively gets longer and longer range with her passive, Draw a Bead
  • Great farmer with the use of her Explosive Shot
  • Rocket Jump is much like Flash. It can be used to jump over walls, trees, etc.
  • Very high attack speed late game.
  • Does well in any lane.
  • Easy to play.

Cons

  • Can be very squishy, this depends on item selection.
  • Very little mana.
  • Vulnerable to Thornmail.
  • Slow movement speed.
  • Item dependent.
  • Ultimate can easily be used wrong because of knock back.
  • Difficult to master.
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Masteries

Offense. The second is Utility.


Offense


Tier 1

In the first tier there are honestly only 2 options that prove viable with the summoner spells in this build. Those 2 would be Brute Force and Summoner's Wrath . So you max Brute Force first for the higher attack damage. Then put 1 point into Summoner's Wrath so you can gain access to the second row, it benefits Ignite. If you prefer Exhaust over Ignite, Summoner's Wrath thankfully benefits both of these.


Tier 2

Start off by maxing Alacrity . The 6% increased attack speed helps maximize your DPS(Damage Per Second). Sorcery doesn't benefit Tristana so there is no need to get this. Demolitionist isn't needed on Tristana either. So the choice is obvious.


Tier 3

In tier 3 you want to grab Weapon Expertise for the armor penetration. Next you max Deadliness . This 4% from Deadliness boosts your end game Critical Strike chance to 89%.


Tier 4

Tier 4 is pretty self-explanatory. You can't access Blast so the only other options are Vampirism and Lethality . Both of these greatly benefit Tristana, so max them both. Lethality boosts our critical strike damage to 260% with an Infinity Edge.


Tier 5

Tier 5 is also self-explanatory. Sunder is by far the greater choice over Archmage . Sunder gives you 6 points of armor penetration which, coupled with the 9x Greater Marks of Desolation, and the 3x Greater Quintessence of Desolation brings your armor penetration to a whopping 30.93. This much armor penetration can turn your early game damage into true damage against any champion, with the exception of item selection and masteries/runes.


Tier 6

Tier 6. Executioner . 6% extra damage to champions below 40% health is impossible not to love. That's our 21 points into Offense. Next comes the last 9 points in the Utility Tree.


Utility


Tier 1



In the first tier we want 3 points into Good Hands . The 10% reduced time dead can really be a game changer. Put your next point into Summoner's Insight for the reduced cooldown on Flash. 4 points down 5 to go.


Tier 2

This tier should be a no brainer. You can only access 2 of the 3 masteries. So you're going to want to put the 4 points into Swiftness to help Tristana's slow movement speed and put your last point into Runic Affinity . Take advantage of this point and try and get the red and blue buff when you can.
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Runes

Marks

9x Greater Mark of Desolation 9 of these helps you rip through enemy champs early game and is the best mark for . Simply put armor penetration = more damage. Who doesn't want that?? 9 of these give you 15 armor penetration. This is enough armor penetration to get through almost all of the champions' base armor. If you couple this with the Offensive masteries and the Greater Quintessence of Desolation you will be doing true damage to any champion early game with the exception of runes and item selection. The Greater Mark of Desolation help you throughout the whole game. Early, mid and late.
Optional Marks

Seals

9x Greater Seal of Armor 9 of these gives you early game armor and better survivability through the game. I know that 9x Greater Seal of Defense has a better turnout at level 10 but I personally prefer the early game armor. Both are good choices for survival.

Optional Seals

Glyphs

9x Greater Glyph of Magic Resist. You can't have armor without magic resistance if you want that survivability. 9 of these help your early game magic resistance and just like the armor seals the turnout on the Greater Glyph of Scaling Magic Resist comes at level 10. Again I prefer the early game magic resistance, but it is up to you.

Optional Glyphs

Quintessences

3x Greater Quintessence of Desolation or 3x Greater Quintessence of Health. These 2 would be my personal top 2 picks for quints, but to me, the Greater Quintessence of Desolation is the best choice. More armor penetration again = more damage. But more health early game makes you that much harder to kill and lets you lane a little longer. This is always a plus.

Optional Quintessences
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Summoner Spells

The Good Choices

Flash is arguably one of the best summoner spells. Although it went through a pretty heavy nerf, Flash still has many uses. You can Flash over walls, trees, etc. Flash is also a great chaser or closer as well as a good escape mechanism. Ignite is a very powerful summoner spell. Ignite makes it very easy to pick up first blood or a kill in the first few minutes of the match. Ignite is also very useful in countering any champion who has life steal or spell vamp, such as Dr. Mundo, Warwick, Vladimir etc. Be wary that it can be removed by Cleanse. Exhaust is another great summoner spell. Exhaust can very easily turn a 1v1 in your favor. It's not only a offensive spell but can be used defensively if need be. Exhaust is a great way to stop enemy champions in their tracks so use it wisely. Crowstorm, Absolute Zero, Death Lotus etc. are all easily mitigated with the use of [Exhaust. Be wary Exhaust can be removed by Cleanse

The Alternative Choices

Ghost is a good replacement for Flash. Ghost is a good escape mechanism and a good closer. I find it less reliable then Flash but Flash is not always easily used and can get you killed. If you have difficulty using Flash pick up Ghost instead. Be wary of slows or stuns because you can still be affected by them under the effects of Ghost. Teleport requires a lot of map awareness to be really useful. It has many uses from switching lanes quickly to save a tower, set up a gank, or even return to your lane after a recall for minimal time lost. While Teleport has its uses it doesn't mean that you will always get a chance to take the full benefit from it. Heal is the face roll summoner spell. While it is considered a "noob" ability it has its uses BUT is a better choice for a tank or support. This is a very good option for lower level summoners who haven't accessed Flash or Ignite yet. Cleanse is a great defensive spell. While I wouldn't take it over Flash or Ignite, if you are facing a heavy CC team then it might be worth the investment to grab it. Remember Cleanse removes all CC effects with the exception of suppresion. It also removes Exhaust and Ignite.

The Ugly Choices

  • Smite is not a good choice. Period. You are not jungling as Tristana so don't take this spell.
  • Revive is a bad choice. You are aiming to stay alive and shouldn't have to rely on Revive to get you back in the game. If you are dying enough to need Revive you are doing something wrong.
  • Clairvoyance is better left to the supports. Try and avoid taking Clairvoyance while it does have its uses you are the CARRY and as such you shouldn't be the one to take Clairvoyance.
  • Surge only has one use for AD Tristana.....the extra attack speed but why waste a valuable summoner spell pick when you can simply take advantage of Rapid Fire. Surge is not a good pick. Avoid it if possible.
  • Promote.......to put it simply......don't take Promote. You should have no need of a giant cannon minion.
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Ability Explanations, Level Up Sequence, and A Few Tips Mixed in.

In this section I will explain Tristana's abilities and the order I prefer to level them up.
This is Tristana's passive. Tristana starts off with a small 550 range. While this outdistances some champions, she falls around the middle of the pack when all the ranged champions are lined up. Every level that you earn, you're range goes up by 9. Caitlyn has the highest starting range of ALL champions. BY level 13, Tristana out ranges Caitlyn. By level 18 your range is 703. There are only 2 champions that can get more range than this: Kog'Maw has a range of 750 when he maxes Bio-Arcane Barrage, and Twitch , whose range is 875 when he uses Spray and Pray. Tristana has the highest auto attack range end game, thanks to her passive. This makes chasing down enemy champions that much easier. Use this range to your advantage.
This ability pushes Tristana's attack speed to the cap of 2.5 late game. It also helps you win those close battles and overall simply increases the max damage you're able to dish out. This is a great way to burn through multiple squishies or through that pesky tank. Rapid Fire is also a very good way to destroy turrets, inhibitors, or even the enemy's nexus very quickly. BUT be wary of Thornmail. DO NOT use this ability on anyone that has Thornmail. Even with Bloodthirster maxed out you WILL kill yourself faster than you are able to steal your life back.
Probably Tristana's most useful ability. As mentioned before, this ability can function much like Flash. You can Rocket Jump over walls, trees, and most obstacles in your path. It can also give you that little boost ahead of anyone chasing you to allow you to make it safely away. Use it to clear harmful abilities from enemy champions. For example, if Nunu & Willump caught you in his Absolute Zero, Rocket Jump out of there and move those little legs as fast as you can. So it can be used defensively, but it also can be used offensively. Rocket Jump after someone if they are running away. Rocket Jump onto a squishy and blow them up before they can get away. Did Ashe just Flash through some trees to get away? Rocket Jump after her and possibly hit her or even pick up a kill in the fog of war. Rocket Jump has many uses. Simply be smart in its usage. Don't Rocket Jump into the middle of a team fight. Use your range to your advantage and save Rocket Jump to pick up a kill or get out of dodge.
PsiGuard said "It's definitely worth noting that Rocket Jump's cooldown is reset on champion kill or assist. It's what makes a fed Tristana such a deadly teamfighter." I had previously forgot to mention this. This is very true.
This ability is how Tristana is so effective at clearing minion waves. The passive rips through minion waves in mere seconds at high levels. Take advantage of the passive. If there is an enemy champion standing near low health minions, attack the minions so that enemy champion takes the exploding magic damage from it. The active on this ability is a good way to pick up a kill if you think the champion can get away from you. Simply drop it on them at low health and watch their life tick away. One of the best times to use it is when Tryndamere uses Undying Rage; both last for 5 seconds. So once he activates it, simply wait a second or two and then drop Explosive Shot on him and walk away. 9 times out of 10 this will kill him. This is also your early game harassment ability.
PsiGuard said " Explosive Shot reduces healing for several seconds when cast on an enemy. This is an incredibly useful and important effect, especially against regenerators, healers (like most supports) and anyone using a Health Potion. It really hurts the sustain of your target and can reduce the effectiveness of enemy clutch-heals when you're going for a kill." Another good point I had forgot to mention. Use this to your advantage.
Tristana's ultimate. Very fun ultimate to throw around, and the cooldown isn't horrible. It's not only fun, but can be used both offensively and defensively. BUT be mindful that while Buster Shot can help you, it can also very easily hurt you. If you're chasing an enemy champion, DO NOT use Buster Shot unless you are 110% positive it will pick up the kill. The reason behind this is after Buster Shot does its damage, your target gets knocked back a distance of 600 at level 6, which is farther than your auto attack, 800 at level 11, which is higher than your auto attack even at level 18, and a HUGE 1000 distance maxed out. So unless you're positive you can pick up the kill, do not use this in a chase. It will blow your target well out of your range and cost you a kill and possibly a few remarks from your teammates. The proper way to use Buster Shot is to get in front of your target by either surprise, or simply Rocket Jump on top of them, hustle over in front of them, then Buster Shot. This is a good way to knock back fleeing champions into your teammates or simply push them farther back so you can pick them off as they run towards you. It's also possible to hit multiple champions into your team or separate their team. Just aim for clumped targets and let her rip. Defensively, Buster Shot shines just as much as offensively. Instead of maneuvering around the enemy to blow them backwards, all you have to do is turn around, shoot, watch them fly off, then turn back around and high tail it. Buster Shot is a great way to get the enemy off your back or your allies back. If Rocket Jump is on cooldown or you just can't get out of dodge, a carefully aimed Buster Shot can make getting away simple. Another great defensive mechanism of Buster Shot is being able to interrupt an enemy champion's channel. Katarina's Death Lotus, Nunu & Willump's Absolute Zero, or Fiddlesticks' Crowstorm, along with any other enemy champion's channeling ability. So remember the multitude of ways you can use your ultimate and make sure you use it right.
PsiGuard said " Buster Shot can knock away dangerous enemies with CC or high DPS. Sometimes ulting a tank will give your allies an opportunity to focus their carries. Buster Shot can be used safely in chases and ganks if you position yourself so that the enemy will hit a thick wall (like the side of the map, not thin jungle walls). I use this a lot with Headbutt when I play Alistar, and it's very effective if you want to disable an enemy without knocking them too far away."

On to the leveling up sequence.

Put a point into Explosive Shot first. This is your early game harassment ability, and also you're farming tool. So first, we want to max Rocket Jump, which is your initiator in most fights early game. It's not only your chaser, but your number one escape method if Flash is on cooldown. Add the lower cooldown into the mix and it makes Rocket Jump better than Flash. So level 2 and 3, we put points into Rocket Jump. At level 4 you can do 1 of 2 things: put your second point into Explosive Shot which gives you a little more early harassment and a better farming capability. OR you can put your first point into Rapid Fire. I prefer to shy away from this because of the long cooldown, and it's still early game. It might help you to get some early game kills, but it's not guaranteed seeing as the enemy can still easily escape at this level. I feel that Explosive Shot gives you more options and can very easily give you early game kills as well. Level 5, you should put another point into Rocket Jump for less cooldown and more damage. Level 6 is an obvious choice. Buster Shot. At this point in the game, you can very easily burst down the squishier targets. So you max Rocket Jump first for low cooldown and good damage on your initiator. Next, max Explosive Shot so you can farm minions as quickly as possible. Max Rapid Fire last and make sure to only use it in 1v1 situations, team fights, on baron, dragon, or red/blue buff at lower levels and when bringing down turrets, inhibitors or the enemy nexus. Make sure you grab Buster Shot at level 6, 11 and 16.
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Items

YAY!!!!! ITEMS!!!!! :D
An all-around great starter item for Tristana. The extra AD is always an added bonus. Gotta have damage to pick up kills after all. The 100 HP is also a blessing, seeing as Tristana is extremely squishy throughout the game, so a little early game survivability never hurt. The 3% life steal, while a very small percentage, is just icing on the cake. It might only be 3%, but that 3% helps you get your health back just a little bit faster. As you progress later into the game and the build starts to come together, sell this when you need the room. On your first trip back to base, you should buy these if you have the money at the time. Unfortunately, Tristana's base move speed is only 300, which is extremely slow. The boots help fix that. That little bit of extra speed makes a difference in trying to get away from the enemy or hunt that enemy down. On your next trip back to base, make sure you have at least 450 gold to buy the Vampiric Scepter needed for Wriggles Lantern. If you have enough to buy either the Cloth Armor or Long Sword, pick one or both of those up, or even Madred's Razors if you can afford it. Then finally put your Wriggle's Lantern together A.S.A.P. The added damage from this helps pick up those kills and helps you last hit minions. The 30 armor is a great benefit simply for more survivability. More armor = less damage. The 15% life steal coupled with the 3% from Doran's Blade and the 3% from Vampirism gives you 21%, which makes it much easier for you to keep your health up and lane even longer. Do not forget to use your free Sight Ward from Wriggle's Lantern.



This is where you should ward with your Wriggle's Lantern.
Yellow: Vital to protect the jungler on your team
Blue: For protection depending on which lane you're in
Red: To guard Dragon and Baron
Orange: In order to Counter-Jungle After you obtain your Wriggle's Lantern, work up to getting enough gold to buy the Berserker's Greaves. These increase your movement speed greatly on Tristana, seeing as she is still slow with the Boots, and it increases your attack speed, which means more DPS(Damage Per Second). Work your way to getting the Infinity Edge as fast as you can. This is your big boost in power. The damage it provides is essential and it gives you a higher critical strike chance which we want. It also increases your critical strike damage up to 250%, which, on top of your masteries puts your critical strike damage at 260%. This is one of Tristana's most important items. Now that you have boosted your damage to nice levels, you need to get your attack speed higher and your critical strike chance even higher. The perfect item to do that with is the Phantom Dancer. The extra movement speed that the Phantom Dancer also grants is just more icing on the cake. Put your Phantom Dancer together piece by piece. Each piece will affect you positively. By this time, you're gonna want to get more life steal to help sustain yourself better. Bloodthirster is the best way to get the life steal you so desperately need by now. If you need any extra room to pick this item up, sell Doran's Blade. Make sure you farm Bloodthirster up before trying to throw yourself at enemies. Now for that extra armor penetration, pick up Black Cleaver when money permits. This is also the point where you need to sell your Wriggle's Lantern to make room. The attack speed from Black Cleaver boosts your DPS as well as the added damage, and you will now be able to land all 3 stacks from Black Cleaver in seconds. You're going to want to get a Guardian Angel to boost both your armor and magic resistance to help your survivability. When you do this is up to you. You can do it earlier if you are having a hard time surviving and need the extra armor and magic resistance or do it later in the game. After you obtain Guardian Angel, you're gonna need to pick up another Phantom Dancer. You're grabbing the second one for the same reasons as the first. Besides, good things come in twos. More attack speed and critical strike chance mean a higher DPS. The movement speed is just the cherry on a sundae. You are going to have to sell your Berserker's Greaves to make room for this but the trade off is worth it. Chances are you won't get to this point of the game but if you do this is the item to get.
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Optional/Situational Items

Offensive Items

The first item I would like to cover is Madred's Bloodrazor. This would be an item I would very easily make room for no matter what. It gives you 30 more attack damage, which is what you want; 40% increased attack speed, which increases your DPS; 25 extra armor for a little better survivability. But the real draw to this item that makes it shine so much is it's passive. On hit, you deal Magic Damage equal to 4% of your target's MAXIMUM health. Let's take Cho'Gath for example, and give him 3245 health (random number). Not figuring in Magic Resistance and Magic Penetration, just 1 shot from Madred's Bloodrazor will take 130 damage, on top of your attack damage. If your attack speed is 2.5, then you will do 260 damage in just the first second from this item. A total of 650 damage in two seconds, not including your auto attack damage or critical strikes. This is a very viable item on ANY AD build. It is very suitable on Tristana, and I would take this item if the enemy team has several high health champions. In my opinion, it should replace the spot of Black Cleaver in this build.
Last Whisper is an anti-tank item. It penetrates 40% of your target's armor. While it is good against tanks or anyone who stacks armor, it is only good against those 2. For example, a mage who only has 40 armor end game compared to a tank that has 200. Last Whisper is only going to penetrate 16 of that mage's armor. But on that tank with 200 armor, it will penetrate 80 of that. Black Cleaver is the better all-around choice if the team you are facing is balanced, but if you are facing a team that's stacking armor, get the Last Whisper.
Frozen Mallet is a very good item on Tristana. The 700 health improves survivability and the 20 damage is nice. It's not a lot of damage, but it's the passive on this item that makes it so great on Tristana. The 30% slow, along with Tristana's massive attack range at level 18, makes it very difficult for anyone to get away from you. I would replace one of the Phantom Dancers for Frozen Mallet.
Tiamat can do numerous things for Tristana. The 15 health regen per 5 seconds helps any and all champs. The 5 mana regen per 5 seconds is also nice on Tristana, seeing as she has a small mana pool. 50 damage is always good, even though there are higher damage items available. The passive adds even more AoE (Area of Effect) damage on top of the passive from Explosive Shot. Good item to help you farm minions even faster than Tristana already does, and a good way to deal extra damage on your auto attacks if the enemy team likes to clump together.
The Brutalizer is a good early game item to grab on Tristana. The 25 damage early game is very helpful along with the 15% cooldown reduction. But the biggest draw to this item would be the 15 armor penetration. After you get this item, if you followed the rune selection, your armor penetration will be 39.93. This greatly increases your damage and can even penetrate all of a targets armor.
Trinity Force is a great item, just very expensive for the stats that it gives you. All of the stats from Trinity Force benefit Tristana. Trinity Force's first passive isn't a very good reason to get it. You are much better off grabbing Frozen Mallet, because Frozen Mallet slows EVERY attack, not just 25% of the time, like Trinity Force. The second passive is much more lucrative. Even though you don't spam your abilities very much, the added damage after using an ability never hurt anyone....except maybe your target.
Hexdrinker is one of those situational items. It gives more attack damage, which is definitely a plus; Magic Resistance to help survivability; but the big reason to get this item is the passive. I would only get this item if you are going up against Karthus and you don't wanna grab Banshee's Veil. The passive on both Hexdrinker and Banshee's Veil negate Karthus's ultimate, Requiem, which, as we all know, is a serious pain in the 4$$.
Zeke's Harbinger would be the replacement for Bloodthirster, but you lose a good chunk of attack damage from doing this. The bonus attack speed is nice, along with the health regen. The only reason I would go for this item rather than Bloodthirster is the aura that drops the enemy champion's armor down 20. The life steal is also good because, it's a guaranteed 20%, unlike Bloodthirster, which is only 15%, and then depends on your kills from there.

Defensive Items


Just because Thornmail is Tristana's bane doesn't mean you can't turn the tables and use it on your enemy. If you don't want to go full AD, and want some survivability in your build, grab this if the enemy team is AD heavy.
Frozen Heart is another suitable item if you're facing an AD heavy team. Not only does Frozen Heart give you that armor you need against any AD champion, but you get the added bonuses of 500 mana, 20% cooldown reduction, and a nice aura that drops any nearby champions' attack speed by 20%.
Randuin's Omen is a good item to grab against an AD heavy team. It provides you with a good amount of armor, 350 health, and 25 HP regen per 5 seconds. All of this helps your survivability. The 5% cooldown reduction helps as well. Randuin's Omen's second passive can be a life saver if you are running away. The 20% chance to slow an enemy can very easily help you escape. The active on Randuin's Omen is pretty much useless on Tristana seeing as you will be in the back of the fight. The active is more geared to a tank or melee that is going to be in the thick of battle.
Banshee's Veil gives you 375 health and mana, which helps, because Tristana has little health in this build, and a small mana pool as well. It also gives you 50 magic resistance which is a good thing to have if the team is AP dominant. The passive on Banshee's Veil is the huge draw to this item. Being able to block ANY champion ability every 45 seconds can change the outcome of a battle very quickly. This is also a great way to block Karthus's ultimate Requiem, or Ashe's ultimate Enchanted Crystal Arrow, along with other numerous abilities.
Force of Nature gives you the most magic resistance of any item in the game. This is the best item to grab, in my opinion, if you really want that magic resistance. The 40 health regen per 5 seconds, coupled with the passive from Force of Nature, can very easily get you back to full health very quickly. I shouldn't need to tell anyone this, but grab this if the enemy team is AP heavy.
Chalice of Harmony is both cheap and efficient, although it doesn't build into anything else. It gives you 30 magic resistance, which is pretty good for its price. 7.5% mana regen per 5 seconds and a nice passive that increases your mana regen beyond this. Chalice of Harmony is a good buy for an AP heavy team, and it should solve all of Tristana's mana problems.
Quicksilver Sash is a cheap way to get a good deal of magic resistance. 56 magic resistance for only 1440 gold is pretty good, seeing as the highest magic resistance item, Force of Nature, only gives you 76 magic resistance and costs 2610 gold. The passive is also very nice. Being able to remove all debuffs from yourself every 90 seconds can save your life. Quicksilver Sash is a good buy if you need that magic resistance.
Wit's End is a little more on the expensive side if you're just going for the magic resistance, BUT this is a very good offensive and defensive item. It increases Tristana's attack speed, which in turn increases your damage output. The 30 magic resistance helps if you need it. The passives on Wit's End are also very nice. Your basic attacks deal 42 more magic damage, which is good, of course. Remember, this is before magic resistance and everything else is factored in. The other passive, coupled with the high attack speed Tristana can attain, boosts up your magic resistance very quickly in a fight.

Utility


Boots of Swiftness is a good option for Tristana. Her movement speed is horrible starting game, which is only 300. If you want a little more speed, this is the best choice.
Mobility Boots are a good option as well, if you plan on doing a lot of ganking and running from one end of the map to the other. If you do buy these, it's a good idea to sell them later in the game for another set of boots.
Ionian Boots of Lucidity are decent boots for Tristana. But this build focuses more on her auto attacks rather than her abilities. This can help you spam your abilities a bit more.
Mercury's Treads are a good choice if you need magic resistance against an AP heavy team or a team with a lot of CC (Crowd Control). Pick these if the situation warrants it.
Ninja Tabi is a good choice against an AD heavy team. Ninja Tabi is the opposite of Mercury's Treads. If you want more defense, these are the boots to get. Pick these if the situation warrants it.
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Who should I lane with?

Sometimes you don't always get a choice of who you want to lane with, but sometimes you do get a choice. There are certain champions as Tristana that you should really want to lane with over others, and I'm going to tell you about those certain champions.

Lane Partners

Alistar is a good lane partner. He is naturally beefy (no pun intended LOL) and makes for a good meat shield. Alistar's Pulverize + Headbutt combo can make for some very easy kills for both of you. Not only that, but Triumphant Roar makes it very easy to stay in lane as long as possible.
Amumu is a good choice as a lane partner. The stun from Bandage Toss makes it easy to pick up kills and Curse of the Sad Mummy coupled with your Rapid Fire can be devastating to your target. Unfortunately Amumu is not the best meat shield during early game so be mindful of that.
Blitzcrank isn't naturally beefy but he makes a good lane partner. While he isn't the best meat shield if Rocket Grab and Power Fist are used properly it can be nigh impossible to escape from the both of you. Make sure to exploit this if you do lane with him.
Cho'Gath is a natural meat shield no matter how he decides to build. He has a very large amount of HP so take advantage of this and hide behind him. Try and take advantage of the knock up from Rupture as this is an easy way to do a lot of damage rather quickly. Feral Scream can also make it difficult to lane against the both of you.
Dr. Mundo is a good meat shield seeing as he is built with a lot of hp. He makes a good laning partner if you need someone to hide behind. Take advantage of Dr. Mundo's slow from Infected Bonesaw if you lane with him.
Galio is a very nice champion to lane against. All of his abilities benefit you and make getting kills much easier. Galio is also built tanky making him a good meat shield. Do not be afraid to go out of your way to lane with a Galio if you get the chance.
Garen is a good lane partner as well. While he doesn't have any abilities that benefit Tristana greatly he has very high hit points and can take a beating. Garen makes a good lane partner because of this. He is very hard to bring down and can lane for a very long time. Take advantage of this. DEMACIA!!!!
Gragas is not the best laning partner but I chose to put him up here because he is sometimes played as a tank. He is naturally beefy and thanks to Drunken Rage can take a beating. If you do lane with Gragas make sure he is going tank. You DO NOT want to lane with AP Gragas because he can clear minion waves very quickly and will hog a lot of the minions. So tank Gragas is good and AP Gragas is bad, remember this.
Janna while not a meat shield is a very good lane partner, in that she can babysit you the whole time. Eye of the Storm is what makes Janna a good lane partner. Make sure you ask whoever it is that is playing her to keep this shield on you as much as possible. Also take advantage of the nice slow from Zephyr.
DEMACIA!!!! Jarvan IV makes a good lane partner. While he is not always centered on being a tank even an off tank Jarvan IV makes a good lane partner. He is naturally beefy and can take quite a beating. Demacian Standard is just awesome and boosts your AD quite nicely. Dragon Strike plus Demacian Standard provides a nice knock up allowing you to get a few shots in. On top of that the slow from Golden Aegis can make it very difficult for anyone to escape and Cataclysm clinches that chance even more. Jarvan IV has lots of advantages he can provide make sure you exploit these.
Leona is a decent lane partner. While she is not naturally beefy she is a tank and eventually reaches the beefiness that tanks require. Shield of Daybreak has a nice stun that can make getting kills easy as well as Leona's ultimate Solar Flare. While she is not the best lane partner, neither should you shy away from laning with her.
Malphite is a "rock solid" lane partner. Malphite is the perfect harasser with use of Seismic Shard. The slow from this also is very beneficial to getting those kills. Malphite is naturally beefy and is very tough to bring down. Seismic Shard is not the only ability that makes getting kills easy. Upon hitting level 6 Unstoppable Force can make getting away very difficult for your opponents.
Maokai can be a good lane partner or a bad lane partner. If you do lane with Maokai come to an agreement with him about not hogging minion waves with the use of Sapling Toss. If an agreement is reached Maokai can become a great partner to lane with thanks to his natural tankyness and the use of both Twisted Advance and Arcane Smash. Use these to net a couple of kills if possible.
Mordekaiser is a good champion to lane with. While none of his abilities have a CC effect that benefits you he is normally built tanky with a lot of hit points because of this Mordekaiser makes a good meat shield and can be a good person to hide behind in lane.
Nunu & Willump is a good choice for a lane partner. He is naturally beefy and can sustain himself in lane for a very long time. Nunu & Willump is generally built like an off-tank so he makes a very good lane partner to hide behind. Blood Boil if used properly can allow you both to dominate a lane as well. Ice Blast is another reason why Nunu & Willump becomes a good lane partner. The strength and duration on the slow from Ice Blast can make it very difficult to get away from the both of you and should be able to net you some early game kills nicely.
Olaf is a good choice to lane with if he is not jungling. Olaf is built with a lot if hit points most of the time to make up for Reckless Swings. Undertow is the only ability that really helps Tristana but Olaf still makes a good lane partner.
Rammus is a good lane partner although he can be fairly squishy early game. Rammus is a tank. Period. Puncturing taunt and Powerball can make it very difficult to get away from the both of you if used properly. With good communication Rammus can be a great lane partner. Just remember that he can be squishy early game.
Shen is arguably one of the best tanks in the game. Shen has several abilities that can be useful these being Vorpal Blade, Shadow Dash, and Stand United. Make sure you take advantage of the taunt from Shadow Dash and the healing effects from Vorpal Blade.
Singed can be a great lane partner or a very horrible one. The use of Fling and Mega Adhesive can make Singed a great lane partner by making it almost impossible to escape from both of you. On the other hand, Poison Trail can very easily make Singed a bad lane partner if he uses it in excess and takes all the minions. Make sure you come to an agreement about this if you lane with Singed.
Sion while not as beefy as some of the other choices for a lane partner still makes a good one. The major reason behind that is Cryptic Gaze. The 1.5 second stun from this can decimate your enemy if you focus fire the stunned target. This is the biggest reason why Sion is a good lane partner and with good communication it should be fairly easy to pick up kills.
Sona is a good babysitter. She is very squishy so she can't be a meat shield for you, but she can sustain you and help you stay in lane as long as possible with Aria of Perseverance. Crescendo can also help you net some kills if used properly. Just be mindful that Sona is very squishy and you are both very prone to ganks. So keep your eye on that map when laning with Sona.
Soraka much like Sona makes a good babysitter. Also like Sona she is very squishy. Soraka has the ability to keep you in lane for extended amounts of time with Infuse and Astral Blessing. ON the other hand, Soraka while a good babysitter, puts most of the pressure on you to pick up the kills.
Fabulous Taric can easily be the perfect lane partner. Taric can be rather tanky and still do good amounts of damage and still be able to support you as well. The stun from Dazzle can make it easy to pick up kills and the extra armor from Shatter makes you both much more durable against any AD champ. Imbue is a nice heal and can make both of you stay in lane longer than your counterparts. The aura from Radiance is also very handy in a fight and can make a difference in a battle. Taric is a great lane partner overall.
Volibear is a good laning partner. Volibear builds with a lot of HP to take advantage of his passive, The Relentless Storm and Frenzy . This is what makes him a good laning partner on top of his other 2 abilities; Thundering Smash and Sky Splitter.
Yorick is a beefy champion that can make a decent lane partner. While he only has one ability that really helps you he is a decent meat shield. Omen of Pestilence is that ability. The slow while not the most reliable is a slow none the less and can help you both.

So overall the best lane partners for Tristana are someone with a good amount of crowd control effects, someone beefy that can take some punishment, or someone who can babysit her. Remember this and try and stick with the right people. Having said that this is certainly not set in stone. While these are all good lane partners this doesn't mean that you and Veigar laning together is automatically going to be bad.
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Game Play (open for suggestions)

Early Game

No matter what lane you're in focus on last hitting minions. Plain and simple you need to farm as much as possible so that you can afford the build. Focus more on farming then harassing but if the opportunity presents itself to harass your lane opponent use Explosive Shot and auto-attacks when they get in range. Don't go out of your way to land Explosive Shot at lower levels because Tristana is very squishy. NEVER FACE CHECK. Bad things happen when squishy champions face check.

Mid Game

Continue to last hit minions and farm up more and more gold. By this point you should have acquired some items and you can be more aggressive but don't be over aggressive. If your lane is doing well consider ganking other lanes. Make sure you communicate with whoever's lane you are ganking and synergize your timing. Use Rocket Jump to get behind your target and quickly use Buster Shot after that to push them back into your ally. If your team doesn't have a jungler and no one is taking advantage of the red and blue buff grab them when you have the time to do so.

Late Game

Continue farming and pushing lanes when it is safe to do so. Also continue to grab the blue and red buff if they are open. But most importantly try to be there for the team fights that will happen. As Tristana, your positioning and target in team fights is paramount.
Whom you should focus in a team fight in order of importance:
  • Any AD or AP carry within range. Pick the deadliest champion first, or whoever your team called the focus fire on.
  • Any Support champion that is in your range. I.e., Sona, Soraka, and Janna.
  • Any AP/AD melee champion that is within range.
  • Any AP/AD ranged champion that is withing range.
  • The teams tank. This should always be your last target in a team fight.
As for positioning you want to stay where any ranged AD carry should, behind your tank and any melee champions that you have. Remeber Tristana has massive range late game and now is the time to take advantage of that. Try and position yourself away from the main mass of bodies but behind your melees and use your range to try and pick off the supports, and any AP/AD carries that are in range. Do not use Rocket Jump into the middle of the fight. This is a very quick way to wind up back in your base after a long wait. For the most part all you want to do in a team fight is pick a target and auto-attack. Save your abilities for the end of the team fight and use them to clean up the stragglers or use them to get out of dodge if you lost the battle.

I'm not sure what else needs to be said. If anyone has any suggestions or ideas that they think should be added into the section please leave me a comment.
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Scores

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Dominion Guide (under construction)

Seeing as this guides main focus is playing Tristana in a 5v5 situation, and not Dominion, I will be brief in this section.
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Summary

This is the end of my AD Tristana guide. Remember that Tristana is squishy all game unless you build more defensively. I would also like to thank you for taking the time to read this guide. Please vote if you liked the build and guide, and give me feedback. If you don't like the build or guide for any reason, please explain why or tell me what you think should be added in. I will gladly put in any screen shots or any suggestions into the build when the time permits. Thank you again.
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Teamfight Tactics Guide