Firstly, welcome to my Twitch Guide! I go by KaitenRen in this game ;o I'm the leader of the Gods of Death Guild (originally from Rumble Fighter) Looking for a new game, we have practically transferred over to the League of Legends. x)

I thought I would write this guide seeing as I've been playing Twitch almost exclusively and would like to impart my knowledge and thoughts on how to manage Twitch's play style, item builds, and whatever else to make him an even more useful team asset.

I hope you all enjoy this guide, I will list the build I have tried and tested to be the most effective. I might make revisions later, however I think I will stick to this build for now. Thank you all for reading and I wish you luck with your games.

Deadly Venom
Twitch's attacks infect the target with Deadly Venom, which deals damage each second, stacks up to 6 times, and lasts up to 8 seconds.

Comments: Deadly Venom is what makes Twitch's skills more effective. It is an on hit effect that can be stacked up to six times. That being said, the goal of a Twitch player SHOULD be to get as many hits in on an opponent to better utilize the effectiveness of his skills.


Ambush
Twitch hides in the shadows, waiting for a nearby enemy. If he attacks, he will gain bonus attack speed.

After 1.25 seconds, Twitch becomes stealthed for 20/30/40/50/60 seconds. If Twitch attacks a unit while Stealthed, he gains 20/30/40/50/60% attack speed for up to 10 seconds, depending on how long he was stealthed before attacking.

Comments: Ah yes, infamous stealth. This is twitch's double edged sword. It can get you safely to many places. Early game it can be used for scouting, attack speed boost out of stealth is nice as well, and it will overall make you an annoying ***** to deal with. However, the fine line of stealth being an advantage is that it can be countered, and as long as the enemy is smart, they will shut you down if you are not careful.


Venom Cask
Infects a target with a crippling poison, slowing his movement speed.
Slows nearby enemy champions' move speed by 30%, plus 6% per stack of Deadly Venom they have.
2.5/3.25/4/4.75/5.25 second duration.

Comments: As said earlier the more hits you get, the more effective Twitch's skills become. This is a great example of that. At max stacks, this is an 66% slow. Best thing about Deb. Poison is that its effectiveness is the same at all levels. Only the duration is changed as you level the skill up.


Expunge
All nearby enemies secrete Twitch's toxic venom from their bodies, dealing damage for each stack.
Deals 30/60/90/120/150 (+1) magic damage to each nearby poisoned enemy, plus 20/30/40/50/60 additional damage per stack of Deadly Venom applied to them.

Comments: This is why I call my 'e' key on my keyboard the kill button now. Early game this should be applied as Twitch's primary killing move. I have seen too many people say stuff like: "Use this to farm creeps!" Do not do this. If you do, you are in a slight need of adjustments. If you are Twitch then you should master last hitting and conserve your mana for when it is needed.


Spray and Pray
Twitch closes his eyes and fires his crossbow as fast as he can, spraying piercing arrows ahead of him.
Twitch gains 40/60/80% attack speed and his attacks become 1000 range line missiles for 7 seconds, dealing 100% damage and poisoning all enemies hit.

Comments: Although Spray and Pray has been the target of much balancing in the game, it still serves its same purpose. Hitting as many enemies as you can in a straight line during a team fight. The skill can also out range towers, but as a good Twitch, you shouldn't be wasting your ult hitting a tower anyway. This skill is your ONLY contribution in a team fight, so save it for when it counts.

ros:
- Stealth! You choose when to engage and when not to! You force your enemies to play differently than if it were against a non-stealther.
- AoE Slow - Debilitating Poison hits everyone around and has a huge range.
- AoE Finisher - Expunge is your kill move early game, nuff said.
- Ultimate that can hit everything it passes for 100% damage that applies all on hit effects and criticals. (If you crit the person it hits first, then the whole bolt crits everything it hits. If the person hit first dodges, then the bolt will be dodged by all the people.)

Cons:
- Very Low HP
- Ugly Character Model that doesn't have red skin
- Low magic resistance! Get owned by Annieeeee
- People hate you and call you a noob
- Relies HEAVILY on items to be even slightly useful in your team.
- Relies HEAVILY on your team to protect you to maximize your damage.

Masteries: 21/0/9

*note* Masteries are generally to be offensive based. 21/0/9 should be your goal. Practically all of the offensive masteries help Twitch in some way, so you have some leeway as to what you choose to get to the final skill "Havoc"

-Offensive:
Any mix of 21 points (do not get Cripple, Improved Smite, Improved Ignite, or Improved Rally.)

-Utility:
Good Hands 1/3 -> you shouldn't be dying anyway
Perseverance 3/3
Awareness 4/4 -> lvling up faster is always nice
Greed 1/1


Runes:

There are two very specific rune builds that I go by with twitch. It all depends on how you want to set up your items later on.

- Rune Page 1: All Critical -> Resulting in 20% critical. This added in with masteries nets a 23% critical rate at lvl 1. Meaning u have 1 in 4 chance to crit

- Rune Page 2: 15% Attack Speed/12% crit -> This results in higher attack speed and 17% critical chance per hit. More attacks, means more chance to proc that crit. This is my currently preferred rune page.

*edit*
- Rune Page 3: Crit Damage Marks/Crit Chance Glyphs and Seals/HP Quints -> This has been the page I have been running most recently. Added HP at the beginning, 10% crit chance and a good laning partner will still net you first blood pretty easily. This also makes up for the fact that my build below had damage issues if your team is unable to shut down the enemy team properly.

(Criticism): I have been told that going armor penetration and HP runes is best for Twitch, I've had some intelligent conversations with other Twitches that I respect, however, I still have not made their builds effective enough to satisfy me. With this build I can kill a squishy champ in 5 hits (assuming one crits) I can kill a lvl 1 Malaphite in 7-8 hits and that's including his passive w/defensive masteries assuming he is armor build and is not stacking HP. However, if that Mala has that much HP, you shouldn't be targeting him anyway :P

If you insist on using HP runes for your Twitch. Flat HP Quints with the rest of the rune page in critical chance would be a good alternative. I would enjoy the +200 HP at the beginning (runes+dorians)

(Reasoning): This Rune set up is to obviously get first blood. You want to make Twitch's burst damage the best it can be, for it is highly lacking during the beginning parts of a game. It is also intimidating if you crit alot during the early stages of laning. Its great for withering away an enemy's HP, it will also force them to be defensive and cannot last hit minions effectively enough to farm.

*edit* I have been trying out alot of new rune pages of Twitch. Armor pen, crit damage, and HP. They all seem viable but have to have a build that best exemplifies the rune page you wish to create.

Twitch is an easily shut down champion... okay, maybe its not so easy if you know what you're doing, however, you want to make sure that getting shut down does not happen. So, summoner spells should be exclusively defensive. Yes, exhaust is good, so is ignite, but as twitch, you really shouldn't need those spells to get a kill. Good positioning and correct usage/timing of skills should get u kills without needing those two.

Flash: Get out of **** free card.
Cleanse: Get out of CC free card.

(Reasoning): Good old Flash and Cleanse. I cannot emphasize enough how in team fights, you, as Twitch, will be singled out. Sure, you will rely on your team to help you. But sometimes, the enemy still gets through. That is why these skills are key to victory. Not only can they be used to get out of stuns and ganks early game, but they can help with positioning and cc management late game as well. For example, early/mid game. You see some champions about to gank you from the bushes. Normally you wouldn't have time to run away? But flash can get you further away and allow your stealth to take effect in time, before you are hit out of it. Say, Ashe hits you with an arrow. You're f'ed right? Wrong, you cleanse out of that and stealth outta there. An example of end game flash and cleanse usage. Say a team fight starts, and that malaphite is just waiting for you to pop up and ult you. Bait it, He'll make a motion to come to where you are... soooo, flash to a different location, He'll miss entirely and spray and pray. If they have another form of CC, then cleanse out of it asap and spray and pray. If they have even more CC, then it will be through your team's efforts that your little rat @$$ is safe.

First Item:
Doran's Blade or Doran's Shield + x1 Health Potion

Reasoning: Dorian Items, help twitch stay in lane longer. Added HP+Life Steal/HP regen+ 1 HP Pot. It really is up to preference. Dorian's Blade will more easily secure first blood due to the attack damage increase, but Dorian's Shield will increase overall survivability. *edit* I have been taking Dorian's shield more recently due to the survivability it gives (no reliant on auto attacking to get your HP back up.)

Second Item: Berserker's Greaves or Mobility Boots or Mercury's Treads

Reasoning: Movement speed at the beginning will increase your overall time in lane. Boots are really about preference. I usually go Berserker Greaves to increase my overall DPS, but for those heavy gankers, Boots of Mobility is a better option. Mercury Threads are only for those idiots that don't know when to retreat and escape LOL jk. I recommend one of these three for your Twitch to be.

Third Item:
Malady or Executioner's Calling

Reasoning: I have heard that alot of Top Elo players consider life steal to be a noob item to be getting on Twitch. However, I really cannot agree. I normally have my boots and Malady by level 7, at that point most champions would have about 1k'ish HP. A Malady would increase my DPS+make getting the lizard buff a whole lot easier and without taking damage. Executioners gives life steal, more crit crits, and shuts down HP regen hoars and healers. Taking Malady passive into consideration+lvl 3-4 expunge will net you kill vs any champion at lvl 7 if you position yourself correctly and expunge at the right time. Another thing that's good about life steal on Twitch is that when you use spray and pray and you hit massive amounts of people for ridiculous damage, you life steal off of all the things you hit. There have been times when I just sat there tanking with my spray and pray life stealing off of my attacks and survived a huge team fight because of it. Without that life steal I would have died, and died fast.

Fourth Item:
Infinity Edge

Reasoning: Twitch needs to dish out damage right? This is the best way to do it with a critical chance Twitch. Skip the stupid Avarice blades. Most matches finish before 25 minutes and avarice blades need 15 minutes before they even begin paying for themselves. I already have the crit that you do not with my runes at start up so I don't need two avarice blades to proc my crits. By the time u have the same amount of crit as me, I would have my malady and if we were to 1v1, well...I'm pretty sure my having the same crit rate as you, with higher attack speed plus malady's passive and my expunge being able to be used sooner would net me the win. Anyway, so what I usually do is I just buy parts of the Infinity Edge according to what I can afford at the time. Generally, though, you will want the BF Sword ASAP due to its significant damage increase. x) With an Infinity Edge you will have a 50% chance to crit, and it is very noticeable now when you are four hitting squishy champions.

Fifth Item:
Banshee's Veil

Reasoning: After the Infinity Edge, you will have alot of DPS already. You can engage team fights and kill all of them... yes, you have your flash and cleanse, but what if they have something else to CC you? This is where Banshee's steps in. It will protect you from that extra bit of CC the enemy has, and will allow you to continue your spray and pray. It also gives HP and Magic resistance, two things Twitch is sorely lacking in. As they struggle to CC you, you will laugh and get even a couple more shots off. These extra two hits should be around 400-600 damage depending on the champion you hit. So, even if you yourself get killed in the process of being targeted, you did your job. You weakened your enemies past half health, and made it that much easier for your team to clean up the mess.

Sixth Item and Seventh Item (Sell the Dorian's Item):
Phantom Dancer or Madred's Bloodrazor or Black Cleaver/ Last Whisper or Executioner's Calling or Oracle's Elixir

Reasoning: Usually Infinity Edge is enough damage to kill a team and you want to proc your crits for every hit, so you get a Phantom Dancer to do the job. With a phantom you get 82% crit rate at lvl 18. Inceased movement is always nice if you plan on back dooring something or whatever.

However, for those people that stack HP against you (i.e. Cho Gath that is fully feasted) Your crits will only be doing around 150 damage to them, which is not alot, lolz. So, you take the alternative path and go Madred's Bloodrazor's on them and let them eat faster attacks with 4% of their HP gone per hit. Granted, magic resistance would make the bonus bloodrazor damage about 2-3% HP per hit, it is still a very effective way to get rid of their HP.

Black Cleaver is a budget item for a similar situation, but for armor stackers. It takes time for the debuff to take full effect but overall the armor debuff might help in team fights as well.

Last Whisper is an even more budget item, but with arguably greater effectiveness because of its 40% armor penetration. Against a Rammus and Malaphite this is very noticeable.

Executioner's is another budget option late game. It provides extra crit and life steal for a very low cost. If you went malady first, then this is the item to get now.

Oracles is to be purchased, perhaps even before you reach this point. Buy one for Shaco, Evelynn, and enemy Twitche. Mostly, I purchase an oracles to get rid of pesky enemy wards. Let them waste their money. I will just take all their wards and Teemo mushrooms out :D

There are two points I would like to make about Twitch, and your team.

Firstly, your goal is to be the team's primary carry. Your team, at all costs should give kills to you, while farming money off assists from you. I know this may sounds selfish, but it is the most practical thing to do. The sooner your carry has the items he needs to shut down the enemy team, the better. As Twitch, YOU ARE the DPS of the team. Yes, Yi can out DPS you in a 1v1, but overall DPS is yours. When you hit all 5 enemy champs in a team fight at once and kill all the minions in their wave with one move, you will out DPS that Yi x)

That being said, Twitch relies on his team to keep him safe while he hits all enemy champions. To do this, you need a team that can help keep you safe. Meaning, alot of stuns and CC on your end too. Amumu and Morgana are your best friends. I guess Kayle too... but not so much really. Always engage in a team fight after it starts. Position yourself with stealth well, and spray and pray while anticipating enemy CC.

Secondly, Twitch may be the primary carry, but NEVER take mid lane. Twitch is not suited for laning in mid. He CAN do it, but there are better champions with better skills and range to do the job. Card Master, Sivir, Trist, etc in mid are better than twitch. They have better harassment options. Twitch really shines while laning with someone with CC. Yes he has a slow, but that really won't get you an early kill that easily if your opponents are skilled and highly harassy. My prefered laning partner is Morgana. Why? She has a skillshot snare that keeps someone in place for a long *** time. Add black shield to prevent ME from getting crowd controlled... and well... its gg, we get the kill together. Morgana really is the perfect partner for twitch. Once Twitch goes into his ganking phase, Morgana can easily defend a lane by herself. She has naturally high armor and HP, snares and and AoE farming ability that heals her due to her passive. So, if you play Twitch, friend a good morgana please :) It will do you well trust me.

Farming Method Early Game:
As a long range character with 1 in 4 crit chance, you should be pretty good at last hitting. Your attack speed is pretty good too, so it will allow some leeway in the timing of your last hitting. I cannot stress enough about last hitting though, the sooner you get your boots and life steal, the sooner you can start ganking.

Farming Method Mid Game:
So you have your boots and can get around more easily, and you have your life steal and attack speed up... Time to farm champions :D You, as Twitch, are an assassin and rightful so. Go grab lizard buff and start ganking, make your opponents under leveled and fear your presence. This will force them to waste gold on wards and oracles. Keep a close look at what your opponents buy and perhaps buy and oracles yourself to kill their wards. IF you are successful during this stage of the game, then its smooth sailing. If you do not do your part during this phase of the game, or if your opponents are smart enough to escape your cluthes, then you are in for a tough road ahead. Twitch can only really do anything when he has his equips. Otherwise, he is just a tickling autoattacker.

Farming Method End Game:

End game is about team fights and pushing lanes/inhibitors. No farming unless its clearing minion waves near your towers/base.

Get lizard at all times. Steal the enemy's lizard. Lizard Lizard Lizard. Did I mention my favorite color is red? :D Watch out for Udyr too, you cannot kill him 1v1 until you get your equips and even then, he might still get you because of damage mitigation and reliable stuns. An interesting note about Lizard buff. Not only does it significantly increase your DPS in the beginning with added slow effect, but... when combined with spray and pray, assuming of course you hit with the first bolt, even the so called, kiting of SnP to avoid all its attacks excuse is nullified. This means, that, even if they run sideways to try to evade your bolts at max range, as long as you have my attack speed, all the bolts will hit. They will either have to move away, which you SHOULD flash forward and hit them again, then expunge. x)

It is my first guide I hope it work well and help me to make it look better :)