Xerath Build Guide by JEFFY40HANDS

My Most Recent Xerath Games

(Put them together using PS. There were some other champions in my match history and all I wanted to show were my Xerath games)

Item Build At Work

Flash Flash is an amazing spell in general. It aids in closing gaps, creating them, repositioning during team fights and many other things. I consider this to be a must have on any and all champs. Ignite A powerful summoner for early game. Although Xerath out ranges the spell when in Locus of Power, the main idea is that other AP/AD champs will have to get in range to attack. This plays off of that and should help in winning early game 1v1 fights. Other Summoner Options Ghost Ghost is an overall strong spell. It buffs the bonus move speed you get when coming out of Locus of Power. I do not like it as much as I like Flash though. Exhaust Exhaust is another strong option. It scales well throughout the course of the game. It also can help shut down high burst champs who will try to focus you as Xerath. Teleport A strong utility spell. It offers mobility and map wide influence. Xerath is a strong farmer so clearing minion waves from a turret being pushed is rather easy. You lose out on more offensive based spells but get added pushing or defensive power.

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A great passive which adds to Xerath's durability against AD carries. It can help give you the extra bit of survivability needed if you find yourself out of position, or exposed during a team fight.

This is your main poke, I suggest you learn to bracket your enemy with the attack during the laning phase. It's range and cool down are wonderful for making your lane presence felt right from level 1.

You can cancel mid channel and still get the speed buff. Use this (at later levels) to help chase or escape enemies.


Awesome damage and utility really just meant to give you the needed time to drop your attacks on an enemy. Because of the cool down I suggest you learn when it's appropriate to use it.I tend to use this combo Q->W->Q->E->R->Q->R->R. It's a difficult combo to land due to the cast time of Xerath's Arcanopulse. But it is the most effective 1v1 spell combo I have found. Other people might suggest leading with Mage Chains, I'd shy away from this, you need to lead with Arcanopulse so it is up as often as possible during the combo. Other viable options for combos though are W->Q->R->E->R->R->Q this is useful for team fights. You'll get the most of your AoE abilities.


Your ultimate is quite nice, long range, and a great radius to hit multiple people. Because of it's relatively short cool down you can be a bit more aggressive and use this skill to push your enemy out of the lane. It's use is what you make of it.

My Suggested Build 1

Recommended build 1 sequence:

Build Sequence Note:

-Notice I have Rylai's BEFORE Deathcap, it is not mandatory that you build this way. In fact (depending on the game) I often prefer to build Rabadon's first. However, I feel it important to state that the defensive and utility benefits of health and a slow (respectively) can make up for the lack of damage. It's a strong option that works for MY PLAYSTYLE. I in no way say that Rylai's before Deathcap is better nor will I say that Deathcap before Rylai's is better. It's simply a preferred play style that I've adopted. As long as Rylai's or Deathcap are made or being made by mid game (either one before the other) you're on a rather stable path.

Opening Items:

Doran's Ring Reasoning: Doran's Ring is a solid starting item. AP and MP5 to keep your harass strong and constant. If you wish to stack a few of these to keep your damage competitive early game then that's alright. Tear of the Goddess Late game Xerath has roughly 1000 mana without items or runes. Tear will build your mana pool to keep you active throughout mid game then build into a strong late game offensive item. Sorcerer's Shoes

Increase your move speed and of course give you that nice magic pen to help your spells hit harder.

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Core Items:

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Doran's Ring
Solid opening item. Good AP and MP5 for early game harass during the laning phase.


Mercury's Treads
An item that will last throughout the entirety of a game. Extremely useful against CC comps. This will make you slightly tankier as well, but you miss out on the early game Mpen of Sorc shoes.


Haunting Guise
A very early game item. The health, AP, and Mpen will see you into mid game. Sell it later if you wish.


Catalyst the Protector
Meant to help build into RoA. Great item for sustaining in lane, also aids in reducing Xerath's late game mana issues (once turned into RoA of course)

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Rod of Ages
Built from Catalyst the Protector, this item stacks overtime adding potency to Xerath's power and survivability. It lacks the utility of Rylai's Crystal Scepter but makes your mid and late game just as strong and durable. I try to get this by 20 minutes into a game, regardless of the champion I am using.


Rabadon's Deathcap
The key to every good AP carry's arsenal. Bad *** amount of AP and a bad *** passive to boot.


Void Staff
Add AP and more percent magic pen to the mix. A solid item that I would consider CORE for THIS version of my build. The strength of Locus of Power and Void Staff comes to a total 58% Magic Pen. The percentage when coupled is slightly higher. However the reasoning for getting Void Staff is because we get the 40% magic pen even when we aren't in LoP (So it makes our skills still hit relatively hard)

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Build 2's PURE DEFENSE ITEM

(Suggested by jhoijhoi)


Frozen Heart
It was brought to my attention by jhoijhoi to try adding Frozen Heart to the original build. At first I didn't like the idea, but then decided that, with this item (and Xerath's Passive) my damage output will still be competitive with my first build but my survivability would be even higher. Especially against AD carrys. So I decided to incorporate it into a secondary build. This will bolster Xerath's mana pool and give him some considerable durability. Especially because of Ascended Form thanks jhoi!!!!!!
-This second build focuses on increasing Xerath's durability against AD carrys. His damage is still comparable to the first build however, with this set up the enemy AD carry charging past to trying to take you out of the fight will have an extremely tough time doing so. I would not consider this OPTIMAL for being a pure AP carry, but your early and mid game should be nearly identical to Build 1, in terms of damage and durability. Late game you'll be able to take a beating and still dish it back almost as hard.

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Situational Items

Zhonya's Hourglass
The reason I consider Zhonya's "Situational" rather than "Core" is due to the fact that Xerath has no real escape mechanism. The move speed he receives from activating Locus of Power is nice, but bogging yourself down with a stasis affect in the midst of a team fight is a great way to end up dead. Ideally you'll be in a position away from the fight and use your attacks from afar as intended. However, Zhonya's has extremely good synergy with Xerath's passive. If the enemy team isn't stacking MR or you're extremely fed I'd suggest grabbing this item just for the additional armor and AP.


Banshee's Veil
Too many people seem to worship this item, I'd consider this if the enemy team had a Karthas or Twisted Fate. Other than that, it's too easily broken by a random poke from the enemy to actually be as much of a life saver as others claim it to be. (it does save lives, but it's not as strong as others make it out to be)



Quicksilver Sash
Some of you may be wondering "QSS on an AP carry?" I recommend this as a situational item for high CC teams, Morganna/ Alistar/ Urgot/ Malzahar/ Warwick/ Skarner/ Nasus are examples of a few champs that QSS can protect you from. It's especially useful if you find your team unable to keep the enemy away from you as you set up to rain down death upon them. (Like a Twisted Fate who simply teleports right to you and isn't stopped by anyone)

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What I Choose Not To Build (And Why)

Hextech Revolver
Xerath has a short cool down on his Q. But that does not compensate for the fact that it is a straight-line skill shot. It's not as reliable or spammable as on other high AoE champs like Kennen or Karthas who can use spellvamp because they have more reliable and more consistent sources of damage.



Abyssal Scepter
The whole premise of Xerath is to be at range. If you're getting an Abyssal Scepter you're wasting an item slot for something that won't exhibit its full potential when you have proper positioning.


Ionian Boots of Lucidity
15% cool down reduction....It really isn't that much of a benefit over Sorcerer's Shoes or even Mercury's Treads if you get them. The CDR is a waste considering Xerath's cool downs on his MAIN harass are nominal early game. Locus of Power has a decent cool down but it becomes manageable rather quickly. The CDR doesn't pay for itself in anyway. As well with this build we get Morello's Evil Tome which resolves any and all late game cool down issues.