Welcome

Hi! I am Loggit, a player from NA. I have been playing League of Legends for some time now, since season 3. I am a Pyke main, M7. 41008 mastery points on the Bloodharbor Ripper himself. I love playing Pyke--the engage, the burst, the combos, the tilt. I even had somebody ask me for my youtube/twitch once, to which I replied truthfully that I have neither. However, if you want to see me in action, you can check out JoltikVizier's channel here: JoltikVizier And here is my op.gg: Loggit

A video featuring some of my Pyke gameplay thanks to Vampy Cat Anyon: Here

The Lore

Captains told him to kill fish--and the fish told him to kill captains. Pyke is known as the Bloodharbor Ripper, and is a ghostly serial killer out for revenge. During his life, he was a famous harpooner for a ship called the Terror. During the biggest catch of his life, he was abandoned as a giant Jaulfish clamped its jaws tight around the man. He woke in the mouth of the fish, able to breath the water just fine--and could feel the thoughts of the fish that he was consumed by. Swayed by the thoughts of the fish, and on his own thirst for revenge, Pyke began systematically killing all people on the manifest of the Terror. However, very rapidly his memory became tainted; Pyke began to kill anyone who held the title of Captain, saying that they were there when he died.

The Champ

Pyke is an engage support, who turns to an assassin as the game goes on. His primary job is to stun and pull, ulting anyone in his vicinity that is below the threshold. When he ults, if it kills, anyone who gets kill participation gets FULL kill gold, making him a valuable asset to the team and perfect for roaming. His burst becomes very strong with only a few items, and can come back from being behind with only a few good ults due to the gold sharing. When behind, he also acts as a very strong engage/disengage since he can through himself into the fray without too much of a problem, especially if he initiates with e then uses w to speed out of the situation stunning a whole bunch of people.

Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths: + Highly mobile + Has an execute + Gets damage with health + High base defensive stats + Lots of CC + Strong engage/disengage

Weaknesses: - Does not gain bonus health (health from items) - If ulti is botched, you still blink to the target - relies on snowballing - Roaming is essential - Can be difficult to self-disengage - Has to balance both support and assassin roles

The Runes

Keystones

Dark Harvest This is my favorite keystone. It is super strong if you play aggro, and also makes you super strong after snowballing. Lategame its also ridiculously strong. However, it is much more difficult to use than Electrocute or Aftershock.

Electrocute Electrocute, similar to Dark Harvest, allows you to hard-stomp and snowball. It also gives you incredibly strong kill pressure. It is also far easier to proc in my opinion, so if you are newer to Pyke it is far better than Dark Harvest. However, it does not scale quite so well.

Aftershock Aftershock is best for when you either will not be able to snowball or are planning on playing as the engage for the whole game. It gives you very strong survivability, and deals some damage. Because Pyke has naturally strong burst, it is definitely a strong choice. I personally prefer damage, but if you play Pyke more like Thresh or Nautilus this is going to be your best keystone. It is also the safest option, so I completely suggest using it while you are learning.

Lesser Runes

Domination Sudden Impact is very good on Pyke. It scales better than Cheap Shot, is easier to proc, and strengthens his burst very much. Zombie Ward is good if you break wards a lot. Zombie Ward scales far slower than the other runes in this tier, but is also very useful. It is only usable, however, if you break wards a lot. Ghost Poro is the rune from this tier that I use, primarily because it helps to keep vision and also scales a bit faster than Zombie Ward. I also ward A LOT, so I make very good use of Ghost Poro. Eyeball Collection is what I used to take, but I started using Ghost Poro to increase vision. This is the fastest scaling rune in this tier, but also the least useful as support. This is because it is based on kill participation, rather than vision. While it is the job of a support to have high kill participation, however the vision is far better for supports than the kill participation making the previous two better. Relentless Hunter works, however you usually have enough movespeed from Mobis, Ghostwater Dive, and Ghostblade. I use Ultimate Hunter. This is because it keeps my ultimate on a cooldown as low as 39 seconds, which allows you to stay relevant and continue to be a carry for the whole game. It also allows some forgiveness if you botch an ulti in the mid-to-lategame, which is pretty easy.

Resolve Demolish is very strong everywhere but Jungle. Demolish applies more tower pressure, however can be less effective as a rune overall compared to Font of Life since it requires you to have lane prio. Font of Life is helpful as any support with CC, however is most effective when you can actually build health, since it scales with your max health. The same goes for Demolish, and the choice between these two goes down pretty much to your playstyle and the matchup. Second Wind is a good pick if you are going to be harassed a lot, such as playing against an Ashe or Senna. Bone Plating is great for early game engages, as it makes you nearly unkillable while up during the early game. Revitalize is very nice as it allows you to spend less time out of lane just trying to regen health. Otherwise, it does pretty much nothing for you. Unflinching is very strong against champions like Taric or Leona, where you will have to be using your summoners a lot and need to spend as little time as possible CC'd.

Secondary Runes

Sorcery I love celerity. While you already will be moving very fast, the faster you can move means you get to engage faster, and can get back to lane faster. The little bonus to movespeed and movespeed bonuses can even allow you to gank top lane after roaming mid. The 7% movement speed also is very strong, as it can mean the difference between a kill and a fail. Gathering Storm is very strong, but only if the game is going to last a while. This is why I take it in low elo matches and normal matches, they tend to be on the longer side. Otherwise, just don't take the Sorcery tree. Its not worth it otherwise.

Precision Triumph allows you to stay in combat for longer, and when combined with your ultimate can give your team a GINORMOUS gold lead. However, of course, you need to have high kill participation. Personally, I have never seen the point of taking this on Pyke. Sure, he can have some mana issues, but it really doesn't supply him any useful stats. It definitely can work, and is meta, but I don't use it. Legend: Tenacity is very strong against CC comps such as Ashe/Taric and other high CC picks from other lanes and Jungle. I wouldn't say a necessity, but its better to be safe than sorry. Coup de Grace is strong early and mid, but once it hits lategame its pretty worthless since the ulti range is going to be pretty high. Cut Down is strong when against chonky teamcomps, like a Shen Top, Sejuani Jungle, Twisted Fate Mid, and Ornn support. There are other champions that this works against of course, this is just an example comp. Last Stand works if you are going to be harassed constantly and don't really have the allowance for walking out of sight constantly to heal. It is also stronger in the lategame compared to the other two since it is so reliable on Pyke.

Resolve Look above for the previous explanation. Look above for the previous explanation. Look above for the previous explanation. Look above for the previous explanation. Look above for the previous explanation. Look above for the previous explanation.

What Summoners?

Flash is required for almost every champion in the game, Pyke included. Pyke can also do some FLASHY (hehehe) tricks with it. While charging Bone Skewer, Pyke can flash extending the range. Pyke can also flash mid-Phantom Undertow to increase dash AND stun distance. Flash can be used otherwise offensively or defensively to flash after or away from an opponent. [/nextcol]

Ignite is very good for Pyke. It grants vision, a heal cut, and some burn damage to get opponents below ult threshold. It also grants some dueling power against chonkier opponents, with the exception of tanks. [/nextcol]

Items

Boots of Mobility are very important for roaming Pyke as it minimizes the amount of time spent out of lane, giving you the most possible experience possible in the situation.

Youmuu's Ghostblade is another item that helps with roaming, as it has an out of combat movement speed passive, eactly 40 bonus, and an active that grants even more move speed and ghost.

Umbral Glaive reveals hidden traps, wards, and pets, also granting bonus damage to said stealthed entities, which makes roaming more efficient and helps with vision control.

Game Start and Spectral Sickle

To start the game, you want to take Steel Shoulderguards. Spectral Sickle also works, but it is not as easy to use. There is one situation where Spectral Sickle outperforms the Steel Shoulderguards: early roaming. The early roam strategy is honestly very bad, and should not be performed on a regular basis, only when playing with or against a certain champion/set of champions. For example, Ezreal is literally worthless in the early game, which essentially makes Pyke equally worthless--both when playing with and against--forcing early roaming to keep kill participation and presence. Ashe/Soraka is another such instance, where they play passive and poke. Otherwise, take Steel Shoulderguards. ALWAYS take two health pots.

Core and Early Purchases

Pyke's core is shown above, but there are some other items that can be used to replace these, the two particularly well mentioned being Duskblade of Draktharr and Black Cleaver. I almost always purchase both of these anyways instead of situationals just because they are so strong, but can replace the Umbral Glaive if you need the situational spots in your inventory. Your early purchases are usually going to be tier 2 boots ASAP! This helps with roaming. I personally will buy Youmuu's Ghostblade second over the Umbral Glaive after boots, but you should probably be taking Umbral Glaive afterward--I don't expect you to roam as much as I do. So don't worry about it! :)

Honourable Mentions

Some honorable mentions: ANY ITEM YOU THINK YOU MAY NEED! Pyke is special, since as long as the item has health he can scale. So in regards to items such as Iceborne and Frozen Heart, I suggest NOT buying them as they don't scale you at all--but if it works for your it works. Pyke is one of the few champions that can do this, so experiment with items after you get comfortable with the basic build!

Abilities

Pyke's abilities are not very unique--in fact, they are adapted from several champs.

Passive: Gift of the Drowned Ones
Gift of the Drowned Ones is a recreation of Vladimir's passive, Crimson Pact, as well as Tahm Kench's E, Tough Skin .

The first part is that a percentage of all damage taken from champions is stored as grey health, and when outside of enemy vision Pyke rapidly regenerates this value.

The second part is that Pyke does not gain excess health--instead, all excess health is converted into bonus AD in a 14:1 ratio.



Q: Bone Skewer
This is your bread and butter; the most of your damage outside of your ultimate. This can be used as pure damage, engage, OR peel for your carries. You can flash while charging, and therefor you can surprise someone quite easily by charging q behind minions then flashing into their face and pulling them behind you.

Bone Skewer has two casts: tap and hold. By tapping Q, Pyke gives a quick jab of his harpoon dealing damage to the first unit it hits, prioritizing champions. This applies a strong slow for a short duration. By holding, Pyke increases the range of his jab, pulling the first unit hit towards him, increasing in distance with time charged. By holding until max range, Pyke can actually throw the target behind him by hooking from point blank--this is how you isolate a target.



W: Ghostwater Dive
This is your primary way to roam as it gives you a camo and heavily increased movement speed. Ghostwater Dive is also useful for chasing.

Pyke is seen through the camo when near a Control Ward or when an enemy champion is within the radius.



E: Phantom Undertow
Phantom Undertow is going to be your primary source of engage and mobility. It's also your strongest CC, as it is a solid stun allowing you a guranteed Death from Below.

Phantom Undertow is a mid-sized dash, with a stun after a short duration following from the starting point of the dash. The dash AND stun can be extended by flashing, and passes through most walls. Phantom Undertow is also how you disengage for yourself, so do not waste it.



Ultimate: Death from Below
Death from Below is your most important ability--mobility and a chain execution. It works the same way as Darius ulti, Noxian Guillotine, but is also AoE and has WAY more range.

How to play Pyke

Pyke must be played differently at different parts of the game.

Early Game:
In the early game, levels pre-6, Pyke acts as engage and wave pressure. Against other engage comps, it is good to start an engage with your e, Phantom Undertow, instead of starting with q, Bone Skewer. Ghostwater Dive is not very useful early game, unless you are attempting to leave swiftly. Walk up to apply pressure as well as push by making use of your Spoils of War passive on the Steel Shoulderguards to execute minions. When against any bottom comp that is not engage based, it is better to use Bone Skewer to begin an engage and following up with Phantom Undertow.

Mid game:
In the mid-game, Pyke begins the assassin part of his kit. Once you get your ultimate Death from Below you need to start roaming to increase kill participation and get lane pressure in mid. The same engage exists, but now Ghostwater Dive becomes one of the most important abilities you have access to. You use it to go unseen by wards and to move FAR faster--after which, you use Phantom Undertow to stun and Bone Skewer for the damage. That Death from Below is Pyke's defining factor, as it allows him to get EVERYONE very large amounts of gold, while snowballing to that assassin stage as intended. You can even roam top for kill participation, however it loses you out on a lot of exp.

Late game:
In the late-game, Pyke goes full-on assassin, destroying squishies and anyone dumb enough to splitpush. During teamfights, what you want to do is move fast and Bone Skewer people to isolate them. Ult ANYONE, and I mean anyone, who gets low enough. You can easily get away with Phantom Undertow, so there really isn't much to worry about other than chain-stuns. The supportive aspect of Pyke is completely gone by now, and you simply assassinate--peeling is too dangerous, disengage is the same way, and full engage is super sketchy during teamfights.

Thank you all for reading!

Thank any of you for reading through this! I know it does not look that great, but I am working on it. I have a few other builds/guides, but they are not that great so I suggest sticking to the higher rated ones than experimenting with mine. I am working on making this a really good and appealing guide, so please don't hold me too lowly for it still being pretty simple and lacking. Any suggestions are welcome! Pyke is a great champion, and great for both normal and ranked play. As supports go, he isn't the most supportive, but hes also one of the more fun supports. If you find my build to be particularly helpful/different/interesting, let me know!

But just remember,
No. More. Captains!

See you out on the Rift!
-Loggit