To play Tryndamere well is not to stick to one exact formula.
Thus, nothing listed above (masteries, runes, summoner spells or item purchases) are locked in as the 'correct formula'. In fact, that is not what this guide is about.
It's more about how to get the most out of Tryndamere in this map.
I want you to do what will work best for you in the game you are currently in.
I hope that this is what you get out of this guide.

21 Nov 2011 - Updated mastery trees, changed summoner spell to include surge.

This guide is aimed almost exclusively to playing Tryndamere within the Twisted Treeline map.
It is aimed at players who are new to Tryndamere (even if they are experienced at playing League of Legends), and also skilled Tryndamere players who are looking to improve their game within The Twisted Treeline map. It is applicable to normal games and ranked games.
This guide is a work in progress, and I intend to be very thorough in the "TTT" experience.

Co-Op versus AI doesn't deem worthy enough to get a full guide of its own, but there are some interesting and valuable adaptations to be seen in this environment, so I have included a (perhaps lengthy) chapter on it.

I have long desired to make a Tryndamere guide, but I've always felt that everything worth saying had already been said in a guide that couldn't be improved. I hate to overlap with other guides but that is unfortunately necessary. I feel that I have found an element of the game with a relatively small exposure, and so I hope to cover it in full.

So I begin with some basics about Tryndamere that are true in which ever map you play. I then discuss play within the 3v3 environment, in the Twisted Treeline map. I do not intend to discuss elements that are strictly relative to The Summoner's Rift.

Pros

Easy champion to learn
High damage output, with innate critical strike chance
Damage scales with equipment
Great utility, including passing through walls
All buffs in The Twisted Treeline help Tryndamere
Reasonably good synergy within his skills
Undying Rage can prevent your death

Cons

Melee fighter with no ranged abilities
Auto attack causes you to chase enemies
Equipment for Tryndamere is generally expensive
thus, Tryn is very gold dependant.
Timing is extremely important for his ultimate to be effective
Tryndamere has relatively low health, and is considered a 'glass cannon'.

Battle Fury
In a nutshell, 100 fury = 35% critical strike chance.
If we remain outside of combat for approximately six seconds, fury decays by 5 at a time until we either have none left, or we rejoin combat.
Striking turrets does not build fury, but it does retain fury.
Striking illusions such as Wu Kong or Shaco builds fury.
Striking wards and mushrooms (unknown).

The maximum number of hits it will take to build fury to 100 is 20. However, this is reduced each time we get a critical strike, or if we get a kill.
The minimum number of strikes to refill fury from zero is, in theory, four strikes - if you crit and kill four times in a row. I must test this facet. I don't feel this is correctly achievable.

'Last hitting' is a very major factor in League of Legends. It is a major source of gold, which Tryndamere is dependant on. Earning 5 fury for a standard hit is nice to have, but in reality you only rely on it in very early levels of the game.

Bloodlust
Bloodlust is a utility skill that grants us one of two things:
Passively it increases our damage, especially when we have lost some health.
At skill level 5, we gain 25 damage plus 34 damage when we hit 1 health in our undying rage.

Actively, we consume any fury we have to heal. We can heal a small amount with zero fury.
At level 1, this is very minor - a meagre 30 health returned. At level 5, it's still small - granting 70 health. (These are modified by Ability Power).
However, with full fury, at level 5 we heal for 335, which is respectable.

Quick Tip
Quite often, consuming my fury does not fully heal me and I find that even though I am relatively safe I could still use more healing. In these situations, I continually consume all my fury every time Bloodlust comes off cooldown. Once I am ready to engage with the enemy again, I build my fury back up for its critical strike component.

Mocking Shout
There are two main ways to use this utility spell. The first is before or during a combat where you (or your team) are engaged by a champion who deals physical damage. While engaged, you take less damage per second, and they take everything you can deal out.
The second way to use it is to time the casting to when the enemy is facing away from you.
Not only is their damage reduced once you engage, but also they are slowed - allowing you to engage sooner. If your opponent does not deal physical damage, this is the only effect that will affect them.

Casting it early in a fight, and late, both have their place but both have their obvious drawbacks.

I enjoy a third use of the spell, which is to cast it when the enemy are farming minions. Their initial reaction is to retreat, and even if they don't it can cost them some of their minion kills.

Spinning Slash
Spinning Slash deals physical damage. However, it does not benefit from life leech.
Spinning Slash DOES benefit from spell vamp.
Spinning Slash can be used at variable ranges. This is very important if you need to get an extra attack in (between autoattacks) but do not, for example, want to enter the turret range.
Spinning slash deals damage in an area of effect, and applies fury for all hits.
Spinning Slash can penetrate thin and medium walls, but if you get the range incorrect you will stop before you penetrate the wall.
Spinning Slash scales off equipment attack damage, and not the attack damage of Tryndamere.
Spinning Slash also scales off Ability Power.

Undying Rage
5 seconds of Undying Rage will prevent you from losing your last hit point during that time.
Undying Rage grants fury. If you already have maximum fury when you cast it, the excess fury (above 100) is lost.
Undying Rage grants an unlisted increase in run speed.


FAQ about skills:
Why get Spinning Slash at level 1?
I get it for the utility. You can get into position quickly, cutting across the terrain of the map. You can set up ganks. You can switch lanes quickly after a gank. You can escape a lost battle. Or you can use it to secure first blood.
The other options, Mocking Shout and Bloodlust, are inferior at level 1.
Bloodlust grants 5 attack damage at level 1 (to a single target), but spinning slash grants 70 (area of effect!).
Bloodlust consumes rage for healing, the values range between 30-95 health returned. However, fury is hard to get at level 1, so in reality, it grants 30-50 or so. This doesn't help or save you, especially because you're running away with no abilities to assist you.
Mocking Shout grants 20 damage reduction (area of effect) and sometimes slows the enemy, which can allow your team to get first blood. Also, it can show you the enemy location without facechecking a bush, but I still think it's better to be able to get in position first, and escape a lost battle.

Runes

I'm not forcing anyone to take my rune setup as the only solution. Since the introduction of fury to Tryndamere, his rune gameplan is a lot more flexible.
You want dodge instead of malice? Take it. You want Fortitude instead of Armour Penetration? Take it. You want cooldown instead of Magic Resist? Take it.
As long as whatever you take benefits you somehow then it isn't wrong.
However, through testing (and some calculations), I have found these runes suit my play style.

I'll say two things, however.
One is that having straight malice runes are unnecessary and is a thing of the past. Before fury, we needed malice to capitalise on the very random nature of critical strikes. This has been changed. With the introduction of fury, we can have 35% critical strike while we fight, and with the changes to dodge and critical strike calculations, it is less random when you crit.

My other statement is that flat runes outweigh scaling runes (ie, runes that grant X/level) on this map.
Tryndamere is a hard carry. In short, his early game is weaker than his late game. Flat runes help more in the early game, when we need it, and less in the late game when we don't.
Also, (as I'll later discuss,) these games are shorter, so having flat runes has a better average value over the length of the game compared to scaling runes.

Summoner Spells

Again, I don't demand you use my choice of summoner spells, but I have come to these decisions through hundreds of trialled games.

Exhaust is a godsend to Tryndamere. You can chain slow opponents who try to escape. You can reduce their damage output twice also. If they exhaust you, you return the balance.
In a team fight, exhaust the damage threat rather than slowing prey.

Flash is absolutely awesome, and allows for extremely versatile terrain advantage when combined with spinning slash. Further, flash can outrange spinning slash, so can escape over walls that spinning slash cannot pass through.

This spell has some awesome potential, especially when combined with high damage and life leech. And, of course, Undying Rage. It can turn imminent death into awesome triple kill. It can also make mince meat out of dragons.

Take whichever two of these you like, but exhaust and surge are both improved by the same mastery. The cost of mobility makes it a hard choice, mind you.

Other spells:
Cleanse is a great spell for Tryndamere. Time and time again, getting locked in CC means Tryndamere's death. This is true in Twisted Treeline, but with only 3 opponents it is not as bad as it is in Summoner's Rift.
However, if you tend to die a lot after you use undying rage due to ignite, by all means get this spell.

I have no problem with using Ghost in place of Flash. In fact it was my preference for a long time.
Further, it is enhanced by the same mastery as surge and exhaust, so it combines well again.

I find that Smite isn't necessary in this map, even though there are four neutral monsters providing buffs in close proximity. By mid game you can kill the dragon in seven hits, without the use of smite.
There are times when you establish a team with one player per lane, and a jungler. If you are forced to be that jungler, you can consider getting this spell - and switch Cripple for Improved Mastery. It will quickly become redundant, though, while exhaust, ghost, cleanse and flash never do.

We're moving down the list in priority here. Heal can be useful, but it only has utility in defensive applications. It cannot be used in offense, so I recommend against it.
However, if you find you die after you use undying rage, this can be used to supplement your heal, and perhaps get you back into the game. I'd use it if you need it as a learning tool, but as soon as you can, grab something with more utility.

In one game, I encountered a Tryndamere who was using Revive. My team laughed. Until mid game, when he Zergling Rushed us.
I believe that had his team been better prepared for this style of play, it could have been successful. Having a mass-crit high damage output fury generating angry barbarian screaming at you, then not dying, and then finally dying, and then returning within 30 seconds can wreak havoc to your game plan. Not to mention he can just sneak off and steal the dragon while you're still recovering from a team fight.
This spell is not recommended for ranked play. In fact, I don't recommend it at all! But it is definitely a scary thought. For extra laughs, grab Guardian Angel.

Teleport is a waste on this map. You can run and spin to most locations in the time it takes to teleport there. Offensive and defensive spells serve a better purpose.

Masteries

The new masteries make for some very interesting decisions. Overall, I find a marked improvement in Tryndamere's damage output and survivability, and can only think they are awesome.

Improves exhaust, Ignite, surge, ghost. Three of these are awesome for Tryn. It even gives some small flexibility on summoner spell choice in the lobby too.

I haven't tried this yet, but I'm tempted to put two points in this. 4 damage (plus crit) for minions doesn't seem like much, but it could shave an entire attack off the time it takes to kill a minion wave. Not to mention it could improve last hitting, especially on buff monsters.

I choose over .
might be worth it if it also works on nexus and inhibitors.
At this time, I chose not to get it.

Weapon Expertise and Lethality are essential, as is 3 points in Vampirism .
Sunder and execution are essential, and I also like the extra damage from Havoc .

With 24 points spent, I have six remaining, so I put them in defence.
The things I used to enjoy from utility aren't as easy to get any more.
My thoughts on the utility tree are as follows:
Summoner's Insight only improves Flash by 15 second cooldown. Not worth it.
Good Hands sure, that's not bad, but I'd rather *not* die in the first place.
Expanded mind and Improved recall: No. Just No. We are faster to use Spinning Slash

Swiftness would be nice, but to get more than 1% I'd need four points, which means reducing two from offense. Scout and Meditation: Not interested.
So all I desire from the first two levels of utility are 1% swiftness. Even if I went 21/0/9, the best I could hope for is 2% run speed and Runic affinity (20% monster buff duration, which IS nice).
Perhaps I can give up my havoc and get that, it's definitely worth thinking about and even trying.

Getting 9 in the defence tree doesn't really appeal to me, however, while I can use 6 in a variety of ways.
6 MR is better than 6 armour, for me. 2 armour is nice, though, or a point in Tough Skin could also be beneficial.
Durability has some benefits, and if I went 21/9/0 I'd take verteran's scars.

I'm not unhappy with 24/6/0, and I'm even tempted to go 27/3/0

The Twisted Treeline presents different game factors to consider compared to Summoner's Rift.
Many that affect Tryndamere's game are:

• Generally shorter games
• Smaller map
• Close quarter walls
• Jungle more accessible from lanes
• Smaller team fights

Overall, Tryndamere is stronger on Twisted Treeline than on Summoner's Rift. But how does this come about? It's a combination of all of the above. Here's my thoughts.

Shorter Games
An average game of Twisted Treeline runs for 30 minutes. The opponent often surrenders at 15-18 minutes, but if you have a bad early game that you turn around, it can on rare occasion take about 45 minutes.
How does this affect Tryndamere?
If Tryndamere has a bad early game, he doesn't have the guarantee that he can finish his build just by waiting it out and farming. And Tryndamere, as we know, is very item dependant.
Getting cash as quickly as possible must always be Tryndamere's focus.

Also, (and this is a very minor point) Tryndamere will spend less time per game at level 18 than he does in Summoner's Rift. More than half the game will see Tryndamere < level 15. This means that runes that give effect / level have slightly less intrinsic value than they do in Summoner's Rift.
It does not mean "do not get them", by all means get them if your build is a late game build, but I find flat runes help with your early game, which offers the chance to take the ingame lead.

Smaller Map.
The distance end to end on Twisted Treeline is much less than that of Summoner's Rift.
This means that champions which are able to dominate an enclosed map fare better. Tryndamere has a huge advantage that he can quickly pass through walls with his spin. This means that he can change lanes extremely quickly, and return again just as fast. Being able to be exactly where you need on the map is highly advantageous.
Being able to take shortcuts through the map can mean you overtake a fleeing champion, or escape one who chases.
Effectively, Spinning Slash is much stronger in this map, while a teleport spell such as Pantheon or Twisted Fate's ultimates are weaker.
Tryndamere can run to most parts of the map quicker than a teleport can close the same distance. At the same time, it's usually quicker and safer to run back to base than to pop the blue pill.

Close Quarter Walls
There are so many thin walls within this map. Most parts of the jungle are only as wide as a lane, with thin walls to either side. Many areas with large sections of grass surround a small wall. These allow Tryndamere to take many unexpected shortcuts, and these usually make a large difference in travelling time. Also, they break line of sight. This closes the gap between the strength of ranged and melee DPS champions. Being able to hit and run, or ambush is a huge part of the map design.
There are some extraordinary opportunities to juke the opponent, and this allows for more successful escapes, especially when combined with five seconds of "I cannot die".

More accessible jungle
Tryndamere gets so much benefit in Twisted Treeline from the jungle being easily accessed from the top lane. You can finish a minion wave, spin through the top wall to take the dragon, then spin back through the same wall to take the next minion wave.
Or you can access the red buff lizard in the centre of the map to then proceed to either lane as you desire.
All four buff types in this map are extremely beneficial to Tryndamere.
There's attack speed from the wolves, run speed from the wraiths, pure damage from the dragon, and of course red buff from the lizard, which slows the enemy and applies damage over time.
Further, if you begin in your base, you can spin through the outer wall into the jungle and be in position to gank whichever lane you require, or quickly join an ongoing combat.

Smaller team fights
Tryndamere's biggest downfall is is health bar. Having generally 2200 hp at end game build is easily burst down in large team fights.
In a 5v5 you can get focused so quickly you don't even see what hit you. Chain cc's prevent your escape and guarantee your death. And so on.
In a 3v3 fight, Tryndamere has less of that to worry about. If he gets one kill in a team fight, a 3v2 fight has a better chance to win than a 5v4.
Also, if he was focused, it's easier for him to escape because your two team mates have a better chance of tying up two to three enemies than in a 5v5 fight, meaning they can't give chase. As easily, at least.
You still need to fight smart. Only engage once the enemies are focused elsewhere. Pick their carry and obliterate. And so on. But Tryndamere fares better in smaller focus groups, with 1v1 being his specialty. So this map has that in his favour.

I will break this section into subsections. These will include:-

• Pre Game
• Start Game
• Laning, and champion roles
• Map Control
• Ward Placement
• Buffs
• Bad Matchups
• Spin Paths
• Team Fights
• Item Build

So let's take a look at the map.
I break the map down into 6 sections.
Section 1. Your base
Section 2. Top Lane
Section 3. Bottom Lane
Section 4. Top jungle
Section 5. Middle jungle
Section 6. Their base.
You can also see the location of neutral camps, the two most significant being Ebonmaw, the terror of Zaun (referred to as 'dragon') and Grez, the Lizard Lord (often referred to as 'lizard' or 'red buff lizard').

In this section I want to quickly gloss over team composition, factoring in that you will be playing Tryndamere (because you are reading this guide, after all.)
There are effectively four different combinations of teams you can oppose.
1. All opponents deal physical damage.
2. Two opponents deal physical damage, one deals magic damage
3. One opponent deals physical damage, two deal magic damage.
4. All opponents deal magic damage.
Clearly, many champions have multiple damage types. What I'm considering though, is their primary source and type of damage.

In the lobby, I want to make sure that we do not establish ourself as a type 1 team.
A team that deals strictly physical damage can win if it overpowers the enemy team, but you allow them to counter your entire team with just a few select item purchases, and there are several to choose from.
As Tryndamere is physical damage, we already can't be type 4 (all champions deal magic damage).
So now, you can only be a type 2 or type 3 team.
Either style works fine, in my experience.
If you have two physical damage champs, then plan to feed kills to your magic damage dealing ally.
If you are the only physical damage champion, then it is less likely that they will purchase armour to counter you. This makes your life easy ;)

Personally, I do not subscribe to any other team composition theories. If somebody says "you need a tank" or "you need a ranged carry" or "you need a support" or "you can't afford a support" or whatever the flavour of the day is, I disagree.
As long as you break up your damage types, you can have any other team composition you like. Three carries can win. One carry, one tank, one support can win. And so on. It's all about getting your champion to perform his 'job' well. Carries must carry. Bruiser have to bruise. Tanks have to tank. And so on. Personally, I believe all you have to do to win is [perform your job well]+[prevent an opponent from doing his job well]. When you do that to them, you win. If they do it to you, you lose.


During the loading screen, I look for the strengths and weaknesses of the opposing team.
Are they all ranged attackers? Do they have more offensive summoner spells than our team?
Do I presume to need a lot of Magic Resist in this match? Or will Armour Penetration be more likely? Do I need champion specific items, to counter champions such as Jax?
Which opponent is most likely to take the solo lane?
Are there any champions who particularly are a bad matchup for Tryndamere?
What crowd control do they have? Will tenacity help or be required?
If I'm on skype I try to mention a few of these things, so that my team and I are on the same track.

Be quick to shop. Extremely quick. LIGHTNING quick. As soon as I hear the game music, I press 'P'. I hover over the key during the load screen. (This tip is so simple, and yet, nobody I have told seems to have already known it. I now include it for your benefit. Please +1 me! (And my guide!) :)
I grab my start items (usually brawler's gloves and two health potions) in under a second, and I begin running. While I run toward the outer wall of the base, I press ALT+E (which I have hot-keyed to level up spinning slash) and then spin through the wall.

To gank, or not to gank?
There are many factors that most people do not seem to consider here. Instead, they assume that ganking is always the best choice. Winning the gank always is, but most of the time somebody loses. They would have been better off to stay by their turrets, no?
If that team is mine, I try to make it happen. (It took me SO MANY failed attempts to work this out, too!!)
Sometimes the gank is a standoff. Neither team gets a kill, but I use up 1 or even 2 potions, and at least one of my summoner spells, and now I start the laning phase at a disadvantage. I need those potions to lane (unless I get a kill, because a kill feeds me a dagger).

The first point that needs to be factored is team composition - yours versus theirs.
If they have a team full of level 1 hard cc, and at least one champion that deals punishing damage at level 1, then I'd say 'no gank'. Unless you have the same amount of CC (because you deal the damage).
If their team are known to have more ranged skill shots than yours, then I recommend against standard opening gambits. Champions like Mundo, Sion, Lux, Maokai, Kennen and so forth make bad gank experiences.
If any of your team are not quick off the fountain, then do not gank.
If only two of your team can make it to the chosen location, this is not favourable.
If the opponent has Shaco, then either be extremely quick or extremely careful. Jack in the box will destroy you if you let him get setup. Especially if he sets up inside the jungle area.

However, if the enemy arrive one at a time, this is extremely favourable. :)
If one of your team mates activates a clairvoyance spell, this provides great information in seeing how closely the team are running when they approach you, and whether they approach from the expected direction. (Always a plus!!)

Where to gank?
Of course, the tuft of grass in the centre of the bottom lane is definitely a choice battle field. Owning that tuft gives you a dominating presence in the bottom lane. It forces a quick combat, and the outcome of this battle usually lets all players base (or revive) and return before minions engage. The team that wins this fight usually has a gold advantage and can still take up laning positions without wasting xp resources.
When arriving in this position, many champions (including allies) stand at the foremost point, closest to the enemy turret. They do this for the additional vision, but it has a major drawback that every champion who uses a skill shot into the grass will hit you. Most champions aim their skill shot to the 'centre' of the tuft. Thus I stand at the rear most point. Occasionally the skill shot misses me. Other times you see it coming quick enough to step out to safety.

However, there are other options for gank locations. Either tuft of grass that enter the jungle from the bottom lane are viable, but are reasonable risky choices. People frequently throw skill shots into these grass patches as well, just in case. Also, you can become trapped if you're on the losing side of the battle. But when you're successful, you have the ability to flank any survivors which means you often get multiple kills when it works.
The tuft of grass that runs alongside the enemy base outer wall can be used. If you camp in the east+north+north west of that grass, you can often catch an unsuspecting top-laner as they try to change lane for the minions that have engaged.
You will only secure one kill, but it will be an easy one. From here, you can quickly reach top lane and get a level and gold advantage, while pushing the lane enough that you can return to the base to purchase an item or two.
Occasionally, seeing one team mate die can throw the other two (who think they are laning for free) into a measure of turmoil. They'll run north into the jungle to help their already-dead team mate. Be ready for this, as they have (in theory) more of their resources available than you do. But if you see them approaching, you can sometimes get a cheap shot off on them as well.
Otherwise, you have the advantage of timing your grand entrance in your lane.

The last location I've seen used, albeit very rarely, is the tuft of grass on the south wall of the top lane. It is harder to set up in this location, and usually easier for the enemy to escape.
The biggest advantage of this location is that they really don't expect a gank to be here.

If you set up for a gank in any location, but the opponents do not show up, make sure to take extreme care not to fall for any of the above traps.
If you are going to run from bottom lane to top lane, and don't know the enemy position, do so within the safety of your base. Or have an ally accompany you until you know their locations.

This map is a three champion team with two lanes.
This doesn't allow many compositions.
The most frequently seen setup is two players pushing the bottom lane, and one player pushing the top lane "solo".
Another viable option is a solo champion in each lane, and one roaming champion who slaughters the jungle, and creates ganking opportunities in each lane. If both teams use this setup, the game can quickly devolve into eternal ganking attempts and team fights. I don't recommend allowing this, unless you already had an upper hand from the start of the game. One of Tryndamere's cons (as mentioned in the Pros/Cons section for this map) is that the larger the team fight, the more he gets focused. Early game this is a large weakness.

I've never seen a game where one person defends the bottom lane, while two players push the top lane, although I often wonder why. There is more mobility from the top lane, than there is from the bottom.
However, it must be noted that the bottom lane is shorter than the top lane, which is curved.
Being strong in this lane is important or it can be quickly taken advantage of.

Both lanes are shorter than mid lane in the Summoner's Rift, yet they have only one turret per team per lane, and these turrets are relatively close to the base.
This means the distance between opposing turrets is slightly longer than in the Summoner's Rift.

Generally, I find two players in the bottom lane allows for better defence if they are aggressive opponents and allows for better aggression when you want to destroy the enemy turret.
Also, generally, I find that it is usually easier to 'disappear' from bottom lane to establish a ganking position in the top lane than it is to do the reverse.

In almost all situations, Tryndamere needs to take the top lane.

• Laning solo allows for greater xp gain. Having a level advantage over two opponents increases your melee ability against them. Take advantage of it.
• Laning solo allows for greater gold accumulation. More gold is better shopping experiences, and this is greater killing power. (And we all know how much Tryndamere loves to shop!!)
• The top lane is longer, which suits Tryndamere who often struggles to close the gap on a fleeing champion after you've almost killed them.
• The top lane has thin walls on both the north and south side of the lane, allowing much greater flexibility in escape plans if you are ganked or outgunned.
• The top lane allows control of the dragon and the lizard - both are key points for Tryndamere.
• The bottom lane has sections of thick walls which cannot be spun through; these are death traps.
• The top lane allows for more jungling opportunity when laning is slow or dangerous, allowing you to continue farming.
• It is easier for Tryndamere to 'disappear' from top lane and assist the bottom lane than most other champions.
• Tryndamere shines 1v1, while in 2v2 he can be focused.

However, if you do find yourself dual laning instead, not all is lost.

• Tryndamere can often run to top lane, spin through the wall into a tuft of grass and initiate ganks. (I begin with mocking shout because I've just used my spin.)
• From the bottom lane you can often catch the enemy unaware as they jungle.
• When you escape to the top lane, you should have support already waiting for you.
• You can have a lane partner who supplements your strengths and covers your weaknesses.

I don't recommend Tryndamere as a primary jungler in The Twisted Treeline. Recent patch modifications have indicated that jungling is his new strength, but in this map this is not true. Jungling is very risky, as you are always able to be attacked from a concealed position, and Tryndamere is very fragile, and burst damage quickly kills him.
Essentially, Tryndamere is a 'convenience' jungler. When passing a (non-buff) jungle camp - if the area is safe - you can use the neutral monsters to build or retain your fury, regain some health or earn some extra gold and xp.

I find that there are two modes in laning, aggressive and defensive.

Aggressive Laning
I prefer aggressive laning because it means I am putting more pressure on my opponent. If they make a mistake I can capitalise by damaging (or destroying) their turret.
However, aggressive laning requires very defensive play.
The closer you are to the opposing turret, the greater expectency that the enemy will approach through the middle jungle. They usually appear at the opening just south of that turret. Don't get caught. Just don't.
In the laning phase, you don't have Undying Rage. You barely have an escape mechanic in your repertoire, and heaven forbid you just span within the last 11 seconds...
When I lane aggressively, I do so by running back and forth along the dragon wall.
When I have the opportunity to last hit a minion, I run in, and immediately run out.
I do not harass the opponent. I am aware that they are likely to harass me.
I try to keep my health higher than half full. If it drops, I watch for their attempt to slay me, and if it happens I spin north through the dragon wall.
- Be careful not to hit the dragon when you do this.
I try to keep the minion wave at the corner of the dragon wall closest to the enemy turret. The reason for this is that if the opponent falls back for any reason, I am only a few minion kills away from putting the pressure on the turret.

When laning aggressively I prioritise as follows:
[*] Stay safe. Run against the dragon wall. Try not to even make a gap.
[*] Gank-Prevention. Watch the bottom lane's activity on the mini map. If they are missing, I get an itchy "E" finger.
[*] Stay healthy. Try to keep your fury for kill power, but don't be afraid to use it if it prevents an attack.
[*] Attack the turret if your minions reach it. I'll even allow the enemy to take a few free shot while I do it. However, I do not 'auto attack' the turret by just right clicking it. First I move into position. If you let the game choose where you attack from, you'll position yourself where you can get ganked and also where you have no escape. Always take the northern corner of the turret, so if required, you can spin into the jungle toward the dragon. Obviously, know where the enemy are. Don't let yourself get stunned in the turret range! Don't attack champions from this position either.
[*] Last hit minions. Gold is always great.
[*] Build fury. It's offensive power and it's preventative maintenance.
[*] Burst and kill the opponent when the opportunity prevents itself.
[*] Harass the opponent. I usually do this if I can see them approaching to harass me. Any melee that chooses to go hit for hit with Tryndamere is asking for it. If they break off, I last hit the closest minion. (I might even heal just before I do so.)
I rarely chase the opponent just to harass them. It lets them get the first hit in.

Defensive Laning
When I am laning defensively, I find myself on the back foot. It means they are being 'more successful' in a) last hitting minions, and b) harassing me.
If it's just that they have pushed their minions harder than I have, I'm not too concerned.
The best defensive laning position is at the corner of the dragon wall closest to your turret.
From this position you can still control last hits, if you are harassed you can fall back to the safety of your turret and recover, and if you need to, you can run into the tuft of grass between your turret and your base. From here, press up against the wall of your base, spin through and run to the fountain. Heal, (shop if you can) and run back the same way.
As soon as your spin comes off cooldown, you're still able to get the xp from the minion wave in your turret range.
The best thing about laning defensively is the opportunity for aggressive play.
Make sure to keep your fury as high and as long as possible when laning defensively, as this is your best asset to turn the balance of power against them.
When the moment is right, spin in to attack, exhaust them and strike them down. When they turn to run, mocking shout, give chase. Less than 11 seconds later, you can spin again and finish them off. Unfortunately, this usually requires the entire length of the dragon wall to achieve. Thus I choose that location to hold the minions.

Sometimes you're pushed back to this position because you just can't get the upper hand - constant harassment from the enemy prevents fury, prevents joy.
If you can't get a lane swap, one thing I've used on occasion is to 'flee' (before I need to) when the minions are roughly in the middle of the lane. Then I run back around to the north side of the dragon wall. Usually they are focused on pushing the lane, so none of their minions die before you get into position. From here, I just run along the wall receiving xp for minion deaths. I get no gold, and that sucks, but at least they aren't just soaking up all my xp.
Once the minions get pushed back toward the turret, I spin through the wall back to the turret and defend from there, getting last hits where possible.
Eventually they'll work out what you're doing, but hopefully by then you can buy a zeal or something.

When to leave your lane
Obviously you need to leave to prevent your death. But what about when you're successful in your lane?
Sometimes you can secure a kill 1v1 in the top lane. Is that the best time to leave your lane, when nobody can push the lane in your absence?
Sometimes. But not always.
I always stay to finish off the minion wave before I leave. While I do this, I like to assess certain things.
Have I got enough cash to buy a MAJOR item? By that, I mean any of: Zeal, BF Sword, Infinity Edge, Mercury's Treads (but not Berserker's Greaves), or any other major item (The Bloodthirster, etc).
Even if I have got the cash, I don't always go to the shop, but I actually believe that's a shortcoming of my game.
But before I consider my cash levels, there's two other things I ask myself.
1. Can I destroy his turret before he returns? If I can, I push as hard as I can to achieve this.
2. Can I gank right now?

When I consider lane positions, I see four possible situations.
1. We are laning defensively in the top, and defensively in the bottom (ie, closer to our turrets than theirs.)
2. We are laning defensively in the top, offensively on the bottom.
3. We are laning offensively in the top, defensively in the bottom.
4. We are laning offensively in both lanes.

In the first case, I have the most options available to me. Shopping is possible, with time to return to my lane and push minion waves back into a more neutral position. This is quickest to do, and can be considered efficient use of my time. However, if I lose a turret for doing this, I suck.
Highest priority is to protect that turret, and can be achieved one of two ways.
A. Follow the wall of the base, to arrive in a defensive position. (Safest choice)
B. Journey through the jungle to flank the enemy. (Greater Risk and reward.)

I try to factor in that when I arrive, I will be focused. They need to focus me if they want to safely retreat. However, if they are physically focusing on the turret, they will be less likely to focus me, but it was faster to arrive via the base wall. Also, when I arrive, I will have no spinning slash available because I will always take a short cut through the jungle to save time.
However, I may still have exhaust and/or flash available. If both spells are on cooldown, again, I need to be defensive.
We're Tryndamere. We like to play offensively. ;)

In case 2, defensive top lane, but offensive bottom lane, I only have two choices. To go to the shop, or just begin pushing the lane. I usually take the choice of gaining more gold before I return.

In case 3, offensive laning in top, defensive in the bottom, this is the ideal time to gank. You will always be able to flank the enemy as you arrive in the lane, and defending a turret is more important than taking one. But only barely.

In case 4, offensive laning in both lanes, I will always try to damage or destroy a turret. When they return, I will consider taking a couple jungle camps in my exit plan. If I get the turret, I will then choose what to do based on the situation that presents itself.


However, there is another case, when you or your other lane is still quite evenly matched.
This is a great time to shop. You can try ganking, but you don't know what position they'll be in when you arrive. If the opponents fall back, or they see you coming, it was just better to return to base. This, for me, is a great time to go and buy equipment and wards, and return to your lane through the middle of the jungle.

Twisted Treeline is very binary in map control.
The only time you can be perfectly aggressive on this map when you 'own the map'. Conversely, if you do not own the map, you must play defensively or you will be in trouble.

If you do own the map, you can go anywhere you like, be where you want (or need) to be, and take any path (usually the shortest) to get there.
So what are the factors to 'owning' the map, how do you get them, and how did it help?
When I discuss owning the map, I'm talking about your safety and your ability to farm with reckless abandon.
Thus, jungling is a major factor. If you can control the map, you control who gets to jungle, who can take the auras, and you will always know when any camp respawns while the enemy may not. The extra gold, the extra xp, it's all yours.
Turrets play a large part in map ownership. While the enemy has their turret alive, a certain section of the map is theirs to roam freely. As soon as it is destroyed, they can no longer travel there safely. Perhaps neither can you, but at least 'neutral' is better for you than 'theirs'.
Wards play a large part in map control. Visibility is king of the jungle. When you know where the enemy are, you know their strength, their path of approach, where you can intercept them (if you want) and their timing to arrive there. Or you can choose to flee if they are stronger, avoid until a better situation arises.

You don't have to have the place filled with wards to 'own it' but it helps.
Even just one ward in the major locations can be enough.

The advantage of owning the map is that you know where to be and when to be there. Your decisions are simple. When the opponents minions are massing up you are aggressively pushing lanes. You probably have destroyed the lane turrets, or at least are applying pressure to each one until they arrive, and then diverting to the other. In these cases, it is very hard for the enemy to establish a gank position against your team, and if they don't play defensively, you will pick them to pieces.
If they DO play defensively, then you will keep killing all jungle camps as they respawn, while at the same time keeping pressure on both lanes to keep the pressure on.

When you don't own the map, you must be completely defensive until you can secure it back again. There's very little middle ground. Whenever you believe there *is* a middle ground, you'll have 30 seconds or so to reflect on that decision while your corpse decays and you shop.

The greatest focal point for control is the jungle centre where the lizard spawns. If you only place wards in one single location, put it next to that lizard. You just absolutely need to see who is running north and south through this location. If they are attacking the lizard, you need to prevent that if possible. If they are coming to gank you, you need to retreat pro-actively.

A second place is to secure the jungle north of the dragon, perhaps in the main path. Also you can place it just inside the dragon wall somewhere, or in a grass tuft near the other two auras.
However, there are several beneficial ward locations. I am in the process of drafting an image with ward locations.

Personally I rate the following factors in the given order, regarding map control.

1. Defending your turrets. If your turrets are under attack, that requires immediate attention.
2. Killing the dragon. Be in position to kill it as soon as it respawns. Also, be the first to kill it.
3. Staying alive.
4. Killing the red buff lizard. See above (Dragon), but if the two respawned together, I'd take the dragon first.
5. Replacing wards required for map visibility
6. Destroying an enemy turret.
7. Killing an enemy champion. Always good! (Unless you die too.)

Note that I would prefer to destroy a turret with an opponent feebly trying to focus me, than 'turret dive' and attack that champion. If their focus is a little strong, then I can flee, and I've made a positive tactical gain. (That damage cannot be repaired.)

A lot of people discuss (and hate) that Tryndamere is the ultimate turret diving champion slayer.
I have no problems using a resource (undying rage, health bar, fury, exhaust or flash, etc) to secure a kill, that's a large part of why I have these resources in the first place. However, securing a kill only to have to retreat (due to expired resources) isn't always advancing your position toward the goal: winning. You win by destroying the nexus, and you cannot destroy the nexus before you destroy the outer turret.

We lost map control. My team wants to surrender. How do we recover?
Well truth be told, as you're well aware, this is a bad place to be. But not all is lost. For you are Tryndamere.
I hate giving up, even at this point, on this map. I will only surrender if:

• Both base turrets are destroyed, AND
• We are aced, OR
• All of their team is far stronger than ours and includes a hard carry such as a stronger Tryndamere. Yes, a stronger Tryn than me. It happens, I will discuss it later.

If we even have ONE base turret standing I will 99% click 'no' to a surrender request, because Tryndamere can turn this game on its head.

The key is DEFEND. FARM those minions. Super minions are worth stacks of gold, and Tryndamere makes short work of mincing them.
Defend the turrets. Don't let them into your base.
And for the love of God, DO NOT CHASE.
At this stage of the game, it is just so risky to leave your base. There are only a few situations where I'll even try.

1. The dragon just respawned, and the opponents might not have that information, (or I know they are nowhere close to it) and I believe I can kill it single handedly and get back in one piece.
2. I have seen the opponents retreat, I will push the lane back to where our lane turret used to be
3. There is a gap in the pressing onslaught where I can place defensive wards.

These are the three steps that need to happen to begin a turnaround.
Alternatively, you can take the easier path and ace the opposing team when they try to attack you in your base.
As Tryndamere, you are usually one of the key team members for pushing lanes, so as soon as you get that ace, push that lane. Don't shop, don't heal in the fountain, don't waste a second. Heal with fury if you have to, just farm those waves. Pick a lane and push it.
One person must remain behind to prevent the other lane from overwhelming the base.
The other person can be where he likes, but hopefully he is keeping a very close eye on the respawn times of the enemy.
As soon as one respawns, return to base and set up to ace them again. Place a ward down if you were holding onto one, grab a quick jungle if it's convenient, but do not get caught out in the jungle, and definitely don't jungle if it encourages your ally to also remain outside the base.

If you can secure either the dragon or red buff lizard during one of these plays, it greatly speeds your recovery. But remember that defensive play requires defensive wards.

We own the map but we just can't get one of their base turrets!!
Are you kidding me? These guys must have read my guide!
OK, so you know what to do. Keep the pressure on so that they can't just wander out of their base.
But they are holding those turrets? Get an oracle. Run around their outer wall, get rid of those wards. That's highly useful. If you are switching from one turret to the other, and they are beating you there, that's probably why.
Time is on your side, so don't get impatient. Capitalise on buffs to keep the upper hand.
Now you have two choices. Form up in a group of three, and destroy a turret through overwhelming force (risky), or split push (less risky but lower chance of success).
The risk with a give-it-all push is that you are 3 champions, probably level 18, they are three champions, probably level 18, plus their turret. That's 4v3 in anyone's book. If you fail, you get aced. If you attack (hopefully kill) a champion in that group, you're getting targeted by the turret. They lose one but you must also retreat to remove the targeting. If you don't attack an enemy champion you focus the turret, but you're getting focused by three champions. It's extremely risky.

Alternatively, split pushing. 2 on one side, 1 on the other.
They'll split up as well (or you get a turret).
If they split up the same, it's 3v2 and 2v1. Not good odds, but you have less chance of being aced.
Also, in the 2v1 situation, if it's Tryndamere vs (I can kill you in 3 hits) then you do it. Then you spin away before the turret kills you. Now you have the upper hand.

If they split the other way, they send 2 against your 1, the turret makes 3. Don't die. Hold just long enough for them to commit, and then leave. The other side will be 1 + turret vs 2, and they should hopefully achieve great and notable things.

In all cases, if any of you die, fall back. You cannot afford to give them an upper hand, and especially not an ace. Map control is nothing if there is nobody left to control it.

x If you only place wards in two locations all game, make it these two.
Otherwise, for people who like to use wards to great advantage, let's look at some other possibilities.

1. Currently, I don't ward here much unless we've been pushed back into our base. However, if this guide becomes relatively popular, people will realise that this point is such an important location for Tryndamere and controlling this location will be key. For that reason, I will start warding here during other phases of the game. Sometimes I'm concerned that I am about to spin into an unseen space.
2. The bottom lane needs to know when they are about to be ganked, and once they pass this point it is fundamental to know if any opponents are in this location.
3. Similarly, if they are pushing the turret, the enemy will come from this location. Knowing when will save their lives and perhaps give them a free kill.
4. This point grants some visibility on the western jungle area, but is hardly needed if you have a ward near the red buff lizard.
5. Having some visibility in this location helps if you are being pushed back to your turret. It prevents being ganked from the north, and lets you know if you can enter the jungle.
6. This location is only needed if you are pushed back into your base. However, if you are, this location is vital to have vision of.
7. When I am pushing top lane turret, I like to have vision of this location, because it is my escape route. I do not wish to be flanked by a jungler. Also, this location is extremely useful if you are about to initiate with the dragon, because it gives advance warning if the enemy is going to try and steal your kill or engage a team fight.
8. Vision in this location is useful for seeing when the enemy approach through the jungle, or which direction they retreat if you give chase. Also, vision in this grass prevents ganks, protects you when you initiate with the red lizard and is often trapped by Teemos, Shacos and other nasty enemies.
9. A ward in this location provides so much information of enemy movements, as they enter the jungle, or change lanes.
0. One of the reasons I don't often bother with the two northern auras is that there is so much grass cover it is difficult to see enemy movement within the grass. No single ward can really clear that up. There are four places to enter from, so it's just better not to be there when the enemy are MIA.

Sight Ward or Vision Ward?
Mostly, I grab sight wards. However, the two x locations are frequently warded by every team, so vision wards can offer a little more assistance there.
If I play against Twitch, Shaco, Akali, or any other champions that frequently go invisible, I do like to have Vision Wards in these two locations, and any other place which is currently essential for your survival.
However, for these champions, I get an oracle's Elixir as soon as it is affordable.

There are four neutral monster camps where the neutral monsters provide a 'buff' aura on death.
Two of these are the dragon and lizard, and I consider control of these buffs to be vital to map control.
Whoever controls both of these locations is likely winning.

Grez, The Lizard Lord, provides red buff which grants the Blessing of the Lizard Elder aura.
Blessing of the Lizard Elder deals true damage (3x champion level damage per second) and slows enemies )10/20/30% for Tryndamere)
If an opposing champion kills you while you have this aura, they earn the aura.

Grez has typically 2450 health, 12 armour, and deals 95 damage per attack, 0.625 attacks per second.
He grants 50 gold, 160 experience, and of course the aura upon his death.
He initially spawns at 2:10 minutes, and respawns every four minutes after his death.

Ebonmaw, Terror of Zaun grants the Crest of Crushing Wraith as a buff aura upon his death.
This aura increases damage dealt from attacks and spells by 1% per champion level.
Killing this dragon provides this buff to all living allies, regardless of whether they assisted in killing it or not. Also, every member of the team receives 280 gold.
If an enemy champion kills you when you have this aura, the aura is lost.

Ebonmaw typically has 3650 health, with 10 armour. He deals 275 damage at 0.675 attacks per second.
He initially spawns at 4:40 and respawns 5 minutes after his death.

For all other neutral camps within the map, the spawning creature can alternate between two choices. For example, in the middle jungle, the two neutral camps (that are not Grez) can spawn either [A Golem + Lizard + Young Lizard] or it can spawn [Wraith + 3 Lesser Wraiths]

To the north east and the north west of the dragon, there are two neutral camps where buff auras can be obtained.
The two types of camps that can spawn here are:
1. Rabid Wolf + 2 Giant Wolves
2. Ghast + 2 Wraiths

Both of these camps take 3:30 to respawn after death.
However, they provide different aura buffs. Although both auras are transferred if killed by opponents.
The Rabid Wolf provides the Crest of Nature's Fury.
It increases Cooldown Reduction and Attack Speed.

The Ghast provides the Crest of the Flowing Water buff, which increases your movement speed.

However, be aware of the enemy locations before engaging any of these four camps that provide buff auras. These neutral monsters can often be drawn out combats, and it is costly to deal most of the damage to the monsters only to have an enemy champion take the kill, or kill you as soon as you have achieved the kill.

There are always going to be good and bad matchups for each champion; that is part of the magic of League of Legends.
Some champions are just phenomenal at starving Tryndamere of his farming experience (and gold). My three worst cases have been Fiddlesticks, Karthus and Xin Zhao.
Each of these champions had a slightly different method.
Fiddlesticks literally stood between me and the minion battle, and if I came close, he cast fear one time, drain the next. He didn't even last-hit minions unless it was perfectly convenient. He didn't need the gold because he gained so many levels from where he stood, and the battle never moved as the minions fought evenly.
Karthus danced with me. If I moved into range, he turned on his defile (red circle) and drained me. If I tried to moved back, he followed. If I tried to engage, he fell back. I had to spin all the way in or all the way out.
If I moved in, he Laid Waste. If I moved out, I was dezoned and needed to base.
Xin Zhao was farming minions. If I tried to do so, he used audacious charge to close the gap, and three talon strike to burst and throw me into the air. I'd have to spin away.
If I tried to engage him, he did the reverse, three talon strike, then if he needed to, charged to a minion. My early game damage was far far inferior to his, and I could not survive.
In some cases, you are able to play defensively and farm the minions as they come into the turret range. But if they are not pushing the lane, or if they are harassing you even then, you just need to swap lanes with someone else who can handle these champs.
The longer you take to make the swap, the worse off you will be, and also the higher level your opponent will be when facing your ally.

I'll take a quick moment here to address one particular matchup, which is none too rare in normal. It's Tryndamere vs Tryndamere.
If your opponents are any good, it will be Tryn vs Tryn in top lane.
If not, I hope your allies are good enough to starve him.

But TvT in top lane the little things do make a difference, things like who has the most fury, which runes do you have, which does he have? If he's got attack speed glyphs and you have magic resist glyphs he has a small edge, for example. Armour Seals vs Malice, and so on.
Did he take vampiric sceptre, or the standard brawlers plus pots?
But ultimately, the biggest factor is this. If he (or you) commit to the fight, who gets the first hit in? Crit hits still play a part, but if he got that first hit in, and you're going one for one, his death strike will land and yours will not. Having a full fury bar will obviously help if he doesn't, but he'd be a fool to engage you at that time.
After that first kill, make sure you can withstand a full health, better equipped Tryn on his return, or you'll give him the upper hand. Kill the minion wave but base if you have to.

If he gets that first kill, even to a lucky crit, or he catches you on cooldown, or whatever reason, it becomes extremely difficult to recover. As you know, Tryndamere snowballs when he starts winning. Winning becomes equipment, equipment becomes winning.
So just be better than them in that first fight and you'll probably do well overall that game ;)

This section is still partly under construction.
Red arrows indicate the most important and most often used spins
Green arrows are mostly used as shortcuts when jungling or lane changing
Blue arrows are mostly used to gank, initiate, or chase enemies when they attempt to flee
Black arrows are mostly used to juke or escape combat.

But what does it all mean?
Red Arrows
These four arrows are fundamental to Tryndamere's game on Twisted Treeline.
Two locations in the base, one to the top lane, one to the bottom lane.
The top lane spin path is into a tuft of grass, nearby the turret.
It is used mostly as a shortcut to and from the lane. If you are being harassed in lane, and you are pushed back into your turret, you can kill the minion wave, spin through this location to shop and heal, and return in time to get the xp from about half of the next wave. If the opponent is attacking your turret then you can cast mocking shout from within the turret to lower their damage, and step out to defend. Your spin will of course be on cooldown, so it is hard to gank from this location or situation.

The lower red arrow passing through the base wall lets you run on a south easterly path straight past your turret into the bottom lane. This is quite a large shortcut and saves a lot of time to recover or travel along the bottom lane.

The other two red arrows traverse between the top lane and the middle jungle. You must be closely pressed against the wall before you spin here, or you will often fail the spin.
However, spinning into the tuft of grass allows for flanking positions in the top lane.
Also, the fact you can spin from this concealed position allows you to assist control of the middle jungle with but a moment's thought. It allows to cover the distance quickly to assist (or gank) bottom lane. And you can return quickly to push the top lane once more.
Once you are strong enough to one-shot kill minions, this single spin path can allow you to defend or push both lanes in quick alternating succession.

Green Arrows
These arrows serve their biggest purpose in being a shortcut to save travel time.
Of course, they can always be used to gank, juke, or escape as well.
The green arrow that starts in your home base can be used at the beginning of the game to set up a flanking position for the early game flank. You can usually arrive in the grass positions below the red buff lizard at the same time that your ally arrives in the grass in the middle of the bottom lane.
This can be risky if the opponents discover you first, but otherwise it cuts off their retreat path and earns you a quick first blood.

I very frequently use the two green arrows in the middle jungle, to pass through the walls that are beside the red buff lizard, especially in a juke - run one direction then change direction by spinning through.

Blue Arrows
Just looking at how many different places you can spin through the walls just shows how effective Tryndamere can be on this map. Not only that, but the surprise element of spinning through the wall also deals damage to anything you come in contact with.
These arrows generally speak for themselves I feel, it really does come down to "I want to attack the person that is over there".

Black Arrows
Obviously, if you need to flee, you need to flee. Any colour arrow can be a place you spin through to get away from an opponent. Yet these locations seem to be most often used TO flee, for me.
The three arrows in the top jungle I almost placed as blue arrows, as I do frequently need to chase down kills across the top of the map, or cut across the corner as they juke me in the grass.
The two left most arrows are not used in conjunction, but using either one usually saves your life.

Team fights on The Twisted Treeline are usually quite straightforward.

With only 3 people per team, they are usually quite manageable, but they also often feature long chases.
The advantage to team fights, over 1v1 fights is not a "greater chance of success". It's not even about having superior numbers although it often helps.
It's about securing more gold per kill.
When you kill someone 1v1, you get gold for killing them. They are out of action for a duration. That's win+win.
When you kill someone 2v1 (or 2v2) and neither of you die for the effort, you get gold for killing them. Your ally gets gold for assisting them. They are out of action for a duration. That's win+win+win.
Mind you, there is a chance that your third ally is now out of position against two opponents. Hopefully that does not detract from your advantage.
But you see that team fights earn more gold PER KILL.
When I look at the end game score board, among everything else I gloat over, I like to consider these two things:

1. Our team's kills versus our team's deaths. I like this to be a positive ratio, obviously.
2. Our team's assists versus their teams assists. I would also like this to be a positive ratio.

If they won, and everything else is close, I'd say it was their assists that put them over the edge.
In this regard, Tryndamere is actually detrimental to the team when he solo-kills an opponent in an otherwise evenly matched game. If you have a tank or support, try to let them get that assist every fight unless the delay means the opponent gets away.
I'd like to think it is the job of the tank/support to BE there when you fight, but unfortunately, Tryndamere's mobility makes it hard to keep up.
Keep that in mind when you play next and see how much it factors.

My general rules with Tryndamere regarding team fights aren't overly detailed.

• Don't initiate if it means they focus Tryndamere.
• Don't chase unless it's an easy kill.
• Get an assist even if it isn't helpful in the kill.
• Don't engage if you will lose.

As always when making rules, it's easier to say it than do it. So here are some guidelines to help provide insight.

If Tryndamere is the first champion that a group of opponents will see, they will focus you. That won't end until you die or flee, no matter how many of your team show up. And good players will make sure that when you flee, you die.
Half the time, you will end up fleeing without even being able to engage, and if your team get a kill, you miss out on the gold for the assist. This is a double loss.

So just let (or encourage, or force) someone else to engage with ranged abilities, spells, etc.
Then you can engage via spinning slash, or such.

Don't chase. Tryndamere isn't great at chasing. He isn't even great at escaping except that this map sets up some great jukes for spinning slash/flash.
When you chase, many things happen.

1. You detach yourself from your group, or your group separates from you. Bad.
2. You follow where the opponent makes you follow. If they have a plan, this is bad.
3. If an opponent joins in, you could die! Bad!!
4. If an opponent joins in, you'll probably end up fleeing from them. Bad!
5. You didn't even get the kill and you spent all that time running instead of farming. Where was the advantage? You had an opportunity to take advantage, and you let it go.
   And if you have to then flee as well, that's twice as much time wasted!!

I could probably think of more, over time. So feel free to check this again some time!
(Yes. I want to re-inforce the idea "DON'T CHASE!")

So you didn't initiate. Well done. And you see how awesome your team mates are. They have already secured the kill. Awesome sauce. Cast Mocking Shout. Or spin in. You might accidentally "kill steal" but that's still advantage:team you. Even if Mocking Shout isn't required to secure the kill, cast it anyway, because now you get gold for 'assisting', and that gold is free gold. Well the cost is an 11 second timer.

And my last point, which is my most important, don't engage if you will lose.
It frustrates me to NO END when I play solo queue, and for whatever reason we're losing, and my ally (or allies) STILL chase down the enemy trying to engage a team fight.
When I don't do the same they scream "HEY NOOB! Where were you!?" (but with poor spelling)
I was "not dying by your side".
It's a simple formula. They have a level greater than my level. They have earned more gold than me. They have bought more impressive equipment. That have a greater damage output. They have bonuses to attack me, and I have penalty to attack them. Nothing is in my favour without a turret at my back.
I'm better off killing a minion wave, plain and simple.

But there's other fights I don't engage.
I don't engage 1v1 Xin Zhao or Jax, or Pantheon, or Warwick, or seriously, any other champ who can burst me down (or sustain themself) while we are both low level. If they aren't a carry champion, and I am, my weakness is early game, my strength late game.

If it's 2v2 and my ally can't control the Xin or Jax, or whatever, then again, I just can't afford to join that fight. I get knocked up and burst down, or I swing and my massive DPS learns the word 'dodge' and I'm stunned in disbelief. Literally.
I'd rather win the game than lose by playing theirs.

This section is incomplete, but it contains the basic stuff.
The core items for Tryndamere when I play him are:
Boots Zeal Vampiric Scepter Infinity Edge

Given that I start the game with Brawler's Gloves I otherwise get any of the other parts based on how much cash I have when I return to base. If I can build Zeal, I do so as soon as possible.
Otherwise, I'll buy what ever part of Infinity Edge I can afford (but I'll buy Cloak of Agility before I buy Pickaxe.) If I have leftover cash I get the boots and the scepter.

Then I upgrade the boots depending on my opponents. If I need the tenacity or the magic resist, I get Mercury's Treads. Otherwise I get Berserker's Greaves.
Once I have zeal, boots, infinity's edge and vampiric scepter, I then assess my needs.
I will always upgrade vampiric scepter into Bloodthirster but if I am needing magic resist or Quicksilver Sash, I begin getting them at this point.
I usually pick up The Bloodthirster before getting more armour pentration (such as Youmuu's Ghostblade )

In this chapter, I will list some other seemingly random items, and discuss why they can be useful, or why they are not.

Hextech Gunblade On paper, I don't mind this item. In practice, when do you build it? What does it replace? I guess from time to time I'd like to try it as my sixth item.
It's drawback is that it costs 3625 gold, which is comparable to Bloodthirster at 3000.
So let's compare.
Base Attack damage: Bloodthirster +60, Hextech +60
Best Attack damage: Bloodthirster +100, Hextech +60
Base Lifesteal: Bloodthirster +15%, Hextech +20%
Best Lifesteal: Bloodthirster +25%, Hextech +20%
Ability Power: Bloodthirster +0, Hextech +75
Spell Vamp: Bloodthirster +0, Hextech +25%

Individual traits:
Bloodthirster - increases power with everything you kill, loses power if you die.
Hextech Gunblade - Unique Active: 300 magic damage @ range 700 and slow target by 50% once / 60 seconds.

When it comes to straight auto attacking, Bloodthirster is better and cheaper.
When it comes to Spinning Slash, hextech is better in every way.
Even at its best, Bloodthirster grants to Spinning Slash 120 damage, and zero lifesteal.
Hextech grants 72+75 damage, (ie 147 damage) and 25% lifesteal via spell vamp.

The extra unique active is useful, and that 300 damage also heals for 75 health. It's the slow that is what the unique is useful for, however. Chaining three slow abilities over a number of champions is extremely powerful, when done well.

The other factor is what these items build from. The Bloodthirster builds from Vampiric Scepter (awesome) plus B. F. Sword (awesome) so it doesn't matter where you are in the build you're getting a beneficial bonus.
Hextech Gunblade builds from Bilgewater Cutlass and Hextech Revolver. In the short term, I like the cutlass. I don't like the revolver. Hence, if I was to build hextech as my sixth item I would build the cutlass, and then save the cash to jump straight to gunblade. I could even build the cutlass reasonably early, for the lifesteal bonus it provides. But I would never work on the rest of the item unless I could buy it outright.

Avarice Blade If you plan to get Youmuu's Ghostblade, you can get this as early as you have a spare 750 gold. My only issue is that I desire Infinity's Edge immediately, and without zeal I have ghastly running speed, and my attack speed isn't awesome either.
The gold per 5 is quite a low return in this map, and rarely makes this item worth getting early.

Cloak and Dagger I like this item, but the problem I have is that I don't need any more critical strike. It would mean that I do not build Youmuu's Ghostblade or Mercury's Treads so it isn't terrible, but it still isn't great. For 1450 gold though, I really would like to be getting a BF Sword instead.

emblem of valour and later Zeke's Harbinger I don't mind the value presented here. 17% life steal for 800 gold is actually good value. Stark's Fervor isn't bad either. For 2550 gold, you get +20% attack speed, and your team (and yourself) get +20 attack speed, +30 health regen, +20% life steal. Further, nearby enemies get -20 armour, and this is at range 1200.
I would get this instead of Youmuu's if my team could all get benefit from the life steal and attack speed. But I'd prefer it more if someone else on my team got it to help me.

Last Whisper This is a great item for Tryndamere. +40 attack damage is reasonable, and 40% armour penetration stacks with your armour pen runes. It's not a quick build, though, at 2290 gold, and I rather detest being stuck on Long Sword + Pickaxe for 1000 gold.

An interesting point is that if your opponents all have less than 38 armour, you are better off getting The Brutalizer anyway.

Quicksilver Sash the 56 magic resist is great value for 1440 gold, it's a quick build from a Negatron Cloak (which cost you 740 gold already) and it has an awesome unique active. It is BETTER for you in Summoner's Rift than it is in Twisted Treeline, but it is still worth considering if you oppose a team such as Miss Fortune with ignite, Teemo, Brand and it's absolutely essential opposing a team such as Nunu, Ryze, Fiddlesticks.

Sword of the Divine when you oppose Jax or anyone else who continually dodges you. (Jax is worse for dodge, because he stuns you afterward) <-- yeah I state the obvious.

Black Cleaver I like its attack speed, and armour reduction is always welcome, but this item works on stacking armour reduction from attacking a same target multiple times. It grants up to 3 stacks, which means you have to hit them 3 times consecutively. I'd rather just kill them in 3 hits and spend my 2865 gold to make that happen.

Wit's End I wish I could say I like getting this. 40% attack speed is awesome. +30 magic resistance is awesome. Dealing 42 magic damage seems good, unless the target stacks magic resist. Gaining 5-20 magic resist for 5 seconds seems better on paper than the success I've had with it.
If I wanted 50 magic resist, though, Quicksilver Sash is cheaper.
I guess it depends what sort of magic casters I oppose, but having to remember too many different options makes my brain hurt, so I never consider this item.

Warmog's Armor + Atma's Impaler
Atma's on its own isn't great for Tryndamere. It grants 45 armour and approximately 45 attack damage for 2355 gold, and we can do better elsewhere.
Warmog's provides 920 health base (which converts to 18 more damage with Atma's) and up to 45 more after kills. All up, our 2200 health base +920 + 45 health would be 3165, which would grant an additional 62 damage. For so much gold, I'd buy two BF swords. Next!

Sword of the Occult this item is absolutely awesome. As long as you aren't dying.

Spirit Visage I don't mind this item, and I get it if I cannot afford Force of Nature. It's biggest benefit is that it's cheap. For 1550 gold, I get +250 health (useful), +30 magic resistance (useful), +10% cooldown reduction (useful), 15% increased life regeneration, 15% increased life steal from items, 15% increased spell vamp from hextech and 15% increased healing from bloodlust.
I am still looking for the right opportunity to buy this plus hextech gunblade, plus the bloodthirster, and just be immune to pain.

Banshee's Veil I like the extra health, and +50 magic resist. And blocking one spell every 45 seconds (or in the least, once per team fight) seems good. I hate paying for 375 mana, so I'm more likely going to pick up Force of Nature or Quicksilver Sash over this. My problem is that I don't get a good sense of when this has helped me. I don't know what spell it blocked and I don't have time to factor in how much that saved me. But it's got to be a benefit, right? So ... I sometimes buy it anyways...

Frozen Mallet We like slowing enemies, right? I've said so SO many times already! However, I'm not willing to pay 3250 gold for it when I can get it elsewhere. I'd rather have it as a 'bonus' effect on my 3600 gold Hextech than the major feature on a frozen mallet (with 20 attack damage and 700 health)

Madred's Bloodrazor my biggest problem with this item is the cost. 3800 gold, when we already have so much to buy. I'd only get this if - say - there was a double tank opposing us. I'd have to give up the Bloodthirster to do this, so I wouldn't be happy about it. Unless I was now able to kill that Rammus + Dr Mundo combo or such. Or a double Thornmail team.

Wriggle's Lantern On paper this item is decent. The cost is awesome, for 1600 gold, you get +30 armour, +23 damage, +18% life steal (nice), and once every 3 minutes place a sight ward.
As a bonus, you deal 500 magic damage to monsters with 20% chance strike rate.
This has very real application power on the Twisted Treeline map, with Grez or Dragonmaw often being able to withstand more than 5 hits from Tryndamere.
Further, it 'earns' 75 gold every three minutes, if you diligently place these vision wards as soon as the cooldown wears off. That's effectively 25 gold per minute, almost the same as an Avarice Blade.
And yet, I still have trouble justifying this purchase. I don't give the "gold per minute" argument much weight - the game might be over in 20 minutes if I don't buy this item and get a BF sword instead.
If I find myself in a game where I am forced to 'solo' play, and my allies seem to stick together but not with me, I guess that would be the perfect opportunity to get this.

Co-op versus AI is a bit of fun to have on the side when you want a short 20 minute game, a practice environment, or you are desperate to get your first win of the day IP.
I find that playing against the AI Bots is actually quite a different experience to playing against players.
Firstly, you have to factor in that their timing is always perfect. They will always chain crowd control with no lapse and no overlap.
Shen will always taunt the instant before you strike a killing blow.
Cho'Gath will always use his tail spikes just as he intends to escape.
He will feast on you the moment you have low enough hp.
And so on.
But their strategy is terrible. They are too aggressive, they always over extend, they don't gank well, and they don't have high level tactics to trap and kill you.
But they do focus fire, and they target low hp/low armour targets first.

Once you know and adapt to their strategy, you can make a killing.
As Tryndamere, I always want to take bot lane.
On the bottom lane you have tank + DPS opponents.
That's Cho'Gath or Shen as the tank, and Renekton or Warwick or Nunu as the DPS.
My favourite combo is Shen and Renekton, I've once had Renekton finish the game at level 7. He just kept dying THAT much.

Take Heal + Teleport as your spells - I kid you not.
Buy a Boots + Health Potion + Health Potion to begin.
If I am laning against Nunu I buy a third Health Potion
Build Sword of the Occult + Leviathan + Mejai's Soulstealer + Bloodthirster + Phantom Dancer and upgrade your boots into either Berserker's Greaves or Mercury's Treads.
After this, your build is done. Cap it off with Elixir of Brilliance + Elixir of Fortitude + Elixir of Agility for the glow.

I usually only get Mercury's Treads if I have four or five champions with crowd control.
Soraka or Taric is always one.
Ashe or Miss Fortune, I only count Ashe
Annie or Ryze, I only count Ryze
Cho'Gath or Shen, you could count either if you want. Cho'Gath has a silence, Shen has a taunt.
However, I enjoy being taunted by Shen, so I only count Cho'Gath.
Renekton, Warwick, Nunu, I only count Nunu. Renekton has a stun, but who cares, he dies a second later. Warwick has a suppress which isn't affected by tenacity. Nunu has a ranged slow that is painful.

So if I get any three of Ashe, Ryze, Cho'Gath and Nunu, that dictates I get mercury's treads.

Anyway, play carefully, work with your team mate to secure kills and assists, and you can end the game with 50+ kills (not counting assists.) Use your heal either to recover from an Undying Rage or to prevent the death of your ally, or just to keep both of you sustained.

Base at 1370 gold to buy Sword of the Occult unless the steady income is just way too good. If so, base at around 2500 when you can also get Leviathan. Use teleport to get back so you don't miss any of that cash. From there, never base until your teleport comes off cooldown. Then just buy the next few items and teleport back to the most lucrative lanes.
I often give my lane support a blue buff so that they can help me longer.
I occasionally take red buff but I do so more often from the enemy's jungle rather than our own. (The distance is shorter.)
Don't worry about the dragon or Baron unless it's just convenient to take it, or if -overall- your team isn't performing well and you feel generous to them.

Why does Tryndamere have Mejai's?
From time to time I get asked this in-game.
The answer is simple.
180 AP and 15% cooldown reduction, for 1235 gold.
180 AP grants 270 additional health for bloodlust. That's 250 healing with zero fury.
It's also an additional 180 damage when you spinning slash.