Hi all,

So you found the Volibear :)
My guide is not as long and detailed as others, but I know that my item build, choice of runes, and choice of masteries, simply kicks *** out there.
Many people will complain on Volibear being OP. They got a point, we can become very OP :-) But so can many other chars.

BEWARE: the masteries are NOT added to the stats unfortunatly. This means you don't have 25 armor penetration, but 35. Same for HP regen, mana, etc.


I have put up 2 builds.
The first build is my core build, for when the opponent is a mixture of AD and AP chars.
The second build is for when the opponent is focussed mainly on AP.


Next; the last item in each build, is basically a "whatever you might need to tip the balance even further".
As example I've put up the Frozen Mallet in the 1st build, or the Trinity Force in the 2nd build.

But in reality I've choosen often enough for a 2nd Warmog's Armor, or taken the Phantom Dancer. Basically anything you think that could be very usefull at that moment in the last part of the game.


Next the build order; I've put down the most general order in which I buy the items.
But, in this too it can be changed. I do want to stress tho, that in general it's best to start out with this fixed order (simply due to the fact how insanely strong Volibear becomes with these basic starter items).
2 x Doran's Shield
Boots
Giant's Belt
After this it's up to you. If you are in a lane with heavy magic users, you could go for your Wit's End first, to grab that extra magic resistance, before finishing on Warmog's Armor. Or, if you can prettty easily hold out in the lane, simply complete Warmog's Armor first, and then continue with the rest.

So again, look at the situation, and decide the order in which you'll want to buy things from that.

Since Volibear is a tank, you'll get focussed. Since you get focussed, you need to have loads of armor, magic resistance, health regen etc.

The masteries I picked, take care of this.

Armor penetration does more imho then pure raw damage. That's why I choose armor penetration runes (pretty much for every AD char actually).
Next, to help Volibear at those early levels when he is most weak: I give him +AR and +MR runes. This will make Voli surprisingly strong at the start of the game, and increases your chances on getting that first kill in your lane.

I simply can't recommand any other kind of rune then these.

The items are fairly easy.

Doran's Shield is cheap and adds for survivability, 2 of these at the start, with Boots gives a crazy amount of lane control.

The damage output (and survivability as well) for Volibear is largely based on the bonus HP you have. So you NEED +HP items, if you want to be succesfull.
For this we start with rushing the Warmog's Armor.

Next we will be needing magic resistance, for survivability. We already got quite a bit of armor. Since we need attack speed just as much (after all, once level 6; the faster you hit, the more damage output you do with your ulti).
Wit's End is our salvation. +40 attack speed, and it adds a very very nice amount of magic resistance. There's a very clear difference in attack damage when looking at before and after buying this item.
For Voli this is a MUST BUY item!

OK next on this list: finish up your boots.
I would definatly go for Mercury Threads. It adds 35 tenacity, so it reduces any kind of stun or crowd control. Next it gives more magic resistance, and that's something that Volibear doesn't get much from automatically (unlike armor).



Next it get's interesting: is the enemy focussed on mainly AP; follow build 2. You'll need Force of Nature; and once you have it; you'll be laughing out loud due to their massively reduced damage output.
If they're a combination of AD / AP (or even just AD); go for Frozen Heart. Gives CDR, gives massive armor, and it reduces enemies attack speed by 20%.

For the 5th item I recommand Atma's Impaler. It adds AD based on HP. The more HP you get, the more damage will be added due to this item: in combination with 1 (or 2!!) Warmog's Armor this item can be a killer.

Now for the last item; so many different ways to go.
This is for you to play with :-)
In general I'll choose 1 of these; Trinity Force, Frozen Mallet, another Warmog's Armor.
Mess around; have fun; try different things.

Frenzy does the most damage, and is your bread and butter. As such: we maximize this first.
Start with Frenzy, next take Rolling Thunder (don't use this, untill you're certain you can pick em up with it, keep the surprise going for them if you do or don't have the shoulder throw yet), and 3rd take Frenzy again.
After this put 1 skill in Majestic Roar, and next simply maximize Frenzy first (and take your ulti when you can naturally).