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Akshan Build Guide by

[12.19] Masters In-Depth Akshan Guide // All Matchups/Laning (Mid)

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League of Legends Build Guide Author TcKatfish

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50 Comments League of Legends Build Guide Author TcKatfish

Akshan Build Guide By Updated on

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Runes: 12.14 Rune Page

1 2

Precision

Press the Attack

Presence of Mind

Legend: Alacrity

Coup de Grace

Domination

Sudden Impact

Treasure Hunter

Bonus:

+10% Attack Speed
+9 Adaptive (5.4 AD or 9 AP)
+65 Base Health

Spells:

1 2 3 4

Core Summoner Spells

Flash

Ignite

Items

Potential Starting Items

Doran's Shield (Defensive)

Long Sword Refill Pots (CORE)

Doran's Blade (Bruiser Buster)

Core Build

Tank Shred Build [CRIT]

Survivability Build (vs AP) [CRIT]

Survivability Build (vs AD) [CRIT]

Situational Items

Serpent's Fang

The Collector

Mortal Reminder

Full Crit Build (For Fun)

Ability Order Standard Ability Path

Akshan Passive Ability

Threats & Synergies

Threats

Synergies

Extreme Major Even Minor Tiny

Show All

None Low Ok Strong Ideal

Extreme Threats

Ideal Synergies

Irelia

Extreme

[Press The Attack Runes / Doran's Blade start.] GOOD EXHAUST GAME! This is what I would say is 1 of 2 of Akshan's worst matchups. This matchup has the highest risk of death. Lvl 1 be wary of YOUR caster minions. If they are low health Irelia will Q through all 3 and then to you giving her her passive and will heavily out trade you. If they are low completely back off the wave and let it come to you. You can beat her if she doesn't have her passive up and ONLY if you dodge her E. Being hit by E will result in you having to blow summoners or death. Post Lvl 6 you cannot be in the same screen as Irelia. Shove each wave and take every minion you can if it is free. You will have to give up experience and gold in this matchup so to try and counter this we will want to roam and play around your jungler. Shove waves with Q and sit under turret or look to roam if she tries to freeze on you.

Akshan

Ideal

Akshan is the best unit to have on your team so you can die as many times as you want and be revived. This is your best chance at winning!

Synergies

Ideal Strong Ok Low None

Akshan

Ideal

Akshan is the best unit to have on your team so you can die as many times as you want and be revived. This is your best chance at winning!

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Champion Build Guide

Hello my name is Katfish.

I am a Masters/Grandmasters Mid Laner who was hardstuck Diamond for 2 seasons until I picked up Akshan. I have over 1000 games played total over multiple accounts and 400+ games in Diamond 2+. At some point I was ranked 1 Akshan NA however I don't think that matters now. I decided to take things seriously and I felt like Akshan was my champ to do it. I have been playing League since season 4 and I can fully understand how difficult this game can be sometimes. I want to make use of the knowledge that I've accumulated over the past 8 years to help you reach your fullest potential.

I created this guide to hopefully help everyone else climb and come to fully make use of all of Akshan's capaabilities. Especially since there are tons of different ways to build him and a lot of people get things twisted about which is best. That is why I went through all the guides and did all the playtesting to find the most optimal builds/playstyles to get you to climb the ranked ladder. I hope to help all the aspiring Akshaneers out there!

If you have any specific questions you would like to ask me, please feel free to stop by my Twitch Stream at https://www.twitch.tv/tckatfish . I stream every day at 9:00am PST excluding Tuesdays and Wednesdays! If I am not live it is because I had work! So feel free to join my discord and ask me whatever questions you want with a nice and welcoming community! https://discord.gg/yAK9tYDpA9

Pros
[1] High snowball potential
[2] Great wave clear
[3] Great roam potential
[4] Strong Laning Phase
[5] Revive has one of the best mechanics for team play in the game
[6] High Mobility
[7] Strong Early/Mid Game

Cons
[1] Being AD Mid means full AD comps are more likely
[2] Grapple is high skill cap
[3] Struggles against team comps that can easily jump/stay on top of you
[4] Weakish Late Game
[5] Gets countered by control wards

Akshan is an evasive, high mobility carry who can take over games like none other. His snowball potential can rival champs like Katarina and Zed. It was honestly quite hard for me to find many cons with Akshan. He is incredibly strong and fun.

Hey everyone! So with the new patch 12.19 that just came out, I want to go through all the changes that will directly effect Akshan and keep you all up to date!
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Akali Buff

This Akali buff heightens her strengths going into laning vs Akshan. What this will mean is to never use E aggressively unless they are within 100% guaranteed kill threat, as well as being careful not to get too close to where she can trade in her shroud.

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Gwen Nerf

This Gwen nerf is pretty significant in the amount of damage you will take in trades. Still play this matchup relatively the same.

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Kennen Buff

This Kennen buff is decent but it shouldn't change the overall state of the lane.

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Qiyana Nerf

This Qiyana nerf is monumental as the bug was game breaking. Her state before this nerf left her at a 58% win rate in Masters+ which is a real problem. This nerf brings her down to the mortal plane.

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Taliyah Nerf

This Taliyah nerf I feel is real light. I don't think it tackles all of what is strong with the champion but just a piece of the whole pie. Lane will be the same.

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Zed Buff

This Zed buff isn't too brutal and the lane should remain the same.

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First Strike Nerf

This First Strike nerf is a slight hit but still viable to take if you like running FS.

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Primary

These are the core Primary Runes you should run with every game. Depending on the game however, I would recommend running Cut Down in place of Coup de Grace if the enemy team has 3 or more Tanks/Bruisers.

Secondary

These are the core Secondary Runes you should run with most games. Run Resolve Tree only in matchups where you don't believe you can out-trade your enemy laner.

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Primary

In high elo PTA is feeling harder to make use of getting an early lead. To compensate running this Money Printer rune page as I like to call it is proving to have more value in games.

Secondary

You can run Eyeball Collection instead of Sudden Impact but I find more value using Sudden Impact.

This is the core summoner spells I run almost every game. Ignite helps win early to initiate a snowball. Akshan is a very feast or famine champion so getting as ahead as possible early is best.

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This is only necessary to run when facing Twisted Fate, or matchups where your lane opponents play heavily off of Teleport plays. (Meaning they will play extremely safe and farm with abilities not needing much gold). Examples of these champions would be Seraphine, Karma, etc..)

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Only viable to run versus Lissandra or when facing a large amount of point and click, crowd control teams.

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Personally I never run this, however it can be useful if facing assassins or unique picks IF you aren't comfortable laning vs them. Good matchups for this would be Zed, Fizz, Irelia, Talon, Cassiopeia, Riven, Tryndamere, Yasuo, Qiyana.

Starting Items

Long Sword / Refillable Potion is the standard itemization I will run almost every game. The Long Sword gives more damage than the Doran's Blade which can be used to win lane harder seeing as Akshan has mostly winning lanes. The Refillable Potion also allows to save money on pots which allows you to snowball easier throughout the game. All of my builds and items are to ensure I get a lead so that I can snowball. It is the way that I play this champ.

Doran's Blade is typically a decent start in matchups where you need to have sufficient sustain because you need to survive multiple rotations to kill. Typically a good start when facing most bruisers because they can't be killed in single rotations. In the threats I go over each matchup and which items to start. You also always want to take a Health Potion with this.

Doran's Shield is a good start in lanes where Akshan can't take solid trades or when you will get bullied in lane. A good example of a lane you will want to run this is Lucian.

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Boots Options

Sorcerer's Shoes is the boot choice I recommend running in games you are ahead or even. If a defensive option of boots isn't 100% necessary then these boots will do the most damage for you and increase your dps by a good amount. This is because it synergizes with your passive Dirty Fighting and also Wit's End. Both have magic damaging properties and will allow you to shred quite well. I recommend running Wit's End first or second item if you choose to run these boots.

Plated Steelcaps is recommended when the enemy team has 3 or more AD units on the enemy team or against teams who primarily do damage via auto attacks.

Mercury's Treads is recommended when the enemy team has 3 or more AP units on the enemy team OR a team with 3 or more point and click crowd control(CC).

Berserker's Greaves is the go-to boot choice if you opt for more dps. I recommend going tank boots depending on the game but if you feel better with Berserker's Greaves then by all means go for it.

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On-Hit Build Path(Core)

SWAP BOOTS FOR THE DEFENSIVE BOOTS IF NEEDED FOR YOUR GAME! This is the CORE build path you want to build every game. This is the most optimal build path you should go in all scenarios. On-hit does the most damage and has the most defensive stats out of any of the other build paths currently. It is even more gold efficient than the other build paths.

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On-Hit Build Path(Survivability)

SWAP BOOTS FOR THE DEFENSIVE BOOTS IF NEEDED FOR YOUR GAME! This is the CORE build path you want to build in every game that you NEED to take . The games that you will need to build this over the Core build will be when they have 2 or more Assassins that can jump on you easily.

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Tank Shred Crit Build Path

If you are going the Crit build, run this when facing 3 or more Bruisers/Tanks.

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Survivability(AP) Crit Build Path

If you are going the Crit build, run this when facing 3 or more AP units and IF they have less than 2 Bruisers/Tanks.

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Survivability(AD) Crit Build Path

If you are going the Crit build, run this when facing 3 or more AD units and IF they have less than 2 Bruisers/Tanks.

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Situational Items

is a rare purchase but very necessary in games with heavy shielding. is used by tons of units so can find value against units who use this mythic. I still would only recommend it if there are at least 3 champions who have a shield in their kit on the enemy team. If you end up needing to run this, a good alternative is second or third item replacing Infinity Edge. And just remove Infinity Edge from the rest of your core build.

After going through the practice tool and testing the damage numbers, The Collector does overall less damage than if the enemy has so much as a . It gives the same amount of crit and the execute is hardly needed for this item to be consistently taken over . I would only suggest this item over when facing an enemy team with 1 or less tanks/bruisers. | WARNING | Some units that aren't considered tanks/bruisers will build making the better choice amongst the two. Going Akshan Mid means that the chances of a full AD team are higher than what they would usually be. This is often fine but it means that more people will take armor making the better item to go in most games.

is a commonly purchased item and is very necessary in quite a few games that have heavy healing or when laning against champions like or . If you end up needing to run this, a good alternative is second or third item replacing . And just remove from the rest of your core build.

If you get to the late game and you have enough gold to do so. Replace your with every time. This is the best alternative because once you stack up by using one double auto from your passive , you will have more movement speed than if you had boots, while having more damage than you would without it.

Ability Path

Starting your E Heroic Swing will be what you start in 95% of matchups. The reason being is because with just one auto and using your swing, you can establish a huge micro-lead for yourself off the first trade. In very few matchups would I recommend running Q Avengerang first. These matchups include ( Yone, Galio, Tryndamere, Riven). Putting your second point into E Heroic Swing at level 3 gives you a good amount of damage to make significant trades or for the early skirmishes at scuttle crabs.

The reason I recommend maxing your Q Avengerang instead of maxing your E Heroic Swing is in favor of the wave clear you gain from your Q Avengerang at level 9. One of the reasons Akshan is so strong is his ability to push waves in and roam/rotate quickly. This allows him to do anything he wants around the map practically for free. The payoff of getting level 9 and being able to clear the caster minions with one Q Avengerang, and one double auto per melee minion gives you so much agency over the entire map. This allows you to snowball your lead even harder for free at level 9. If you hit your Q Avengerang in fights, you won't notice the lack of damage from not leveling your E Heroic Swing. You find that a lot of the damage you would gain would be excess damage, in other words not needed. If you are used to the E Heroic Swing max then it'll take a few games to adjust to this playstyle but after having played countless of games doing both I promise Q Avengerang max gives more wins consistently than E Heroic Swing max.

Akshan's W Revive Going Rogue is a major key to Akshan's kit. When an enemy slays an ally on your team they will become a Scoundrel. If you get a kill or an assist on this Scoundrel, your ally will be brought back to life. However once you do kill a Scoundrel, ALL other Scoundrels are reset and will no longer bring allies back to life. ALSO you must have attacked that Scoundrel within 3 seconds of their death otherwise the revive will not count.

Akshan's R Comeuppance will hit any units or structures. Units include monsters, minions, and champions. Structures only include turrets or inhibs that have health bars. It is common that people will try to stand behind these, thinking they are safe when they are not. For example, if the first (outer) turret is still up and they are standing behind the second (middle) turret, your R Comeuppance will still go through and it will not count as a structure.

EXAMPLE OF ULT GOING THROUGH TURRET

Akshan's Perspective

Enemy's Perspective

Akshan's E Heroic Swing prioritizes firing at enemy champions with stacks of Dirty Fighting(Passive). In simpler terms Akshan's E will focus champions that you have auto'd at least once or hit with your Q. | WARNING | If you use Heroic Swing without applying your passive to the enemy champion, it will NOT prioritize the enemy champion.

This section is to showcase some easy to advanced grapple locations and to show off the different uses of the grapple. There are many more grapple locations in the game, which is why I recommend to limit test and try to find these locations yourself. Once you get the hang of his grapple you will see massive improvemnts to your performance with Akshan.

EASY GRAPPLE LOCATION

This Grapple location is one of the easiest yet most impactful spots to learn. I use this many times a game while hunting off invades or fleeing in the jungle. This can be used on both red sides of the map.

MEDIUM GRAPPLE LOCATION

This Grapple location is more difficult to pull off, but it is very beneficial when executed correctly. It can be used to chase down a kill or to escape death. This can be used at both dragon pit and baron pit.

HARD GRAPPLE LOCATION

This Grapple location is very hard to pull off in an actual game and it comes with some negatives even when hit. You are guaranteed to take a minimum of 2 tower shots if this is the enemy side. Only take this knowing the risks and knowing you can secure the kill and get out safely. This can be used on both raptor pits.

ADVANCED GRAPPLE LOCATION

This Grapple location is extremely hard to pull off, but it is the maximum distance you can travel in a single grapple. It has good practicallity, but it's mostly used to showboat. This manuever can be done on both sides of the map.

HEX PORTAL GRAPPLE MECHANIC

This Grapple location is a unique mechanic to the Hex Dragon map. You can do this on any portal where you glide past with your E Heroic Swing and click the portal to escape. It can be extremely useful in some situations. Careful not to misclick or you will just hop off, it needs to be the right range and timing to get it just right

Special Grappling Loactions

EASY DIFFICULTY

MEDIUM DIFFICULTY

HARD DIFFICULTY

Fast Pushing

Fast pushing is the most commonly used form of wave clear. Most people don't even realize this is what they are doing or why they are doing it. To initiate a fast push you just need to push the wave as fast as you can. Focus the caster minions first and then the rest.

When To Fast Push
[1] If your laner is roaming you want to push the wave. This is because you want to deny him as much gold and experience as possible before they come back to lane.
[2] If you want to back out of lane, it is important that you shove the wave first so that it takes longer for the enemy laner to deny you minions.

Cons of Fast Pushing
[1] Usually when only shoving 1 wave it does not give you enough time to roam/recall before the enemy laner can punish you.
[2] You aren't denying your laner any gold or experience. You are simply giving them 1 minion wave for free. (against some matchups this can lose you the game.)

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Freezing

Freezing is one of the more complex types of wave management. To set up a freeze you want to always have more enemy minions than you have allied minions. When the enemy wave is larger in numbers than your wave, the wave is naturally pushing towards your turret. Freezing is the art of maintaining this motion without letting it crash into your turret.

When To Freeze
[1] Having the wave closer to your turret leaves the enemy laner in a vulnerable spot.
[2] Makes it difficult for the enemy laner to reset without assistance from their jungler.
[3] It is extremely difficult for the enemy team to gank you in this position.
[4] When you are comfortably stronger than your opponent it is a good idea to freeze to deny them from gold and experience.

Cons of Freezing
[1] When you are freezing you are giving up priority in lane to do so. This means you won't be able to rotate to help your jungler or roam without breaking your freeze.

When setting up a freeze these are the things you want to consider

If there are too many enemy minions, the wave will push too fast to freeze (kill only a few minions while maintaing having less total minions than the enemy wave to prevent this from happening) This is known as 'Thinning'.
Is the enemy laner a champion that wants to roam? (i.e Talon, Katarina) if yes then don't look to freeze, instead you will want to fast push
Are your teammates constantly pushed up in their respective lanes? if yes then do not freeze as your enemy laner will roam and kill them
Is there any objectives spawning that I will need to have priority for? if yes then do not look to set up a freeze, instead you will want to slow push

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Slow Pushing

Slow Pushing is a crazy strong tactic that if used correctly can reap you the most benefits. To set up a slow push, as the name suggests, you need to push the wave slowly. Do this by auto attacking the melee minions only. Once your second wave catches up to your first wave, you then fast push to crash it all under your enemies tower.

When To Slow Push
[1] When looking to roam or rotate without losing anything in return
[2] When looking to recall without losing anything in return
[3] Setting up a dive onto your opponent. If successful they lose a wave and a half worth of gold and experience
[4] When looking to invade or take neutral objectives such as dragon or baron

Cons of Slow Pushing
[1] If done incorrectly you can set up a freeze on yourself. You need to be sure you can get the crash off.

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Tethering

Tethering is the ability to weave in and out of your opponents auto attack range and their ability range. The reason why this is so important is to create small leads for yourself that you can make plays off of later in the lane. In order to achieve this you will need a good understanding of not only your own champion but your enemies as well.

I've put a lot of time and effort into this guide and I would greatly appreciate any feedback you guys have! Leave a comment on anything you guys would like me to add or anything I may have forgotten on or maybe we disagree on something. Feel free to leave a vote as that would help me out tons!

If you would like to check me out anywhere else, you can find me at:
Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/tckatfish
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tckatfish?lang=en
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TcKatfish
Discord: https://discord.gg/yAK9tYDpA9
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tckatfish/

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[12.19] Masters In-Depth Akshan Guide // All Matchups/Laning (Mid)

Intro

Pros and Cons

12.19

Runes

Summoner Spells

Build Paths

Ability Order

Misunderstood Mechanics

Grapple Locations

Special Grappling Loactions

Laning

Conclusion

[12.19] Masters In-Depth Akshan Guide // All Matchups/Laning (Mid)

[12.19] Masters In-Depth Akshan Guide // All Matchups/Laning (Mid)

Recommended Items

Runes: 12.14 Rune Page

Spells:

Flash

Ignite

Cleanse

Flash

Exhaust

Flash

Flash

Teleport

Items

Ability Order Standard Ability Path

Dirty Fighting (PASSIVE)

Avengerang (Q)

Going Rogue (W)

Heroic Swing (E)

Comeuppance (R)

Threats & Synergies

Aatrox

Ahri

Akali

Anivia

Annie

Aurelion Sol

Azir

Brand

Camille

Cassiopeia

Cho'Gath

Corki

Darius

Diana

Dr. Mundo

Ekko

Fizz

Galio

Gangplank

Garen

Gragas

Graves

Gwen

Heimerdinger

Illaoi

Irelia

Jax

Jayce

Karma

Karthus

Kassadin

Katarina

Kayle

Kennen

Kled

Kog'Maw

LeBlanc

Lissandra

Lucian

Lulu

Lux

Malphite

Malzahar

Mordekaiser

Morgana

Nasus

Neeko

Nocturne

Orianna

Pantheon

Poppy

Pyke

Qiyana

Quinn

Renekton

Riven

Rumble

Ryze

Sejuani