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Hwei Build Guide by Soft Headpats

Middle [14.22] Your True Colors - Complete Hwei Guide

Middle [14.22] Your True Colors - Complete Hwei Guide

Updated on November 6, 2024
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League of Legends Build Guide Author Soft Headpats Build Guide By Soft Headpats 126 3 180,576 Views 0 Comments
126 3 180,576 Views 0 Comments League of Legends Build Guide Author Soft Headpats Hwei Build Guide By Soft Headpats Updated on November 6, 2024
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Runes: Standard

1 2 3 4 5 6
Sorcery
Summon Aery
Manaflow Band
Transcendence
Scorch

Precision
Legend: Haste
Cut Down
Bonus:

+10% Attack Speed
+9 Adaptive (5.4 AD or 9 AP)
+10-180 Bonus Health

Spells:

1 2 3
Standard
LoL Summoner Spell: Flash

Flash

LoL Summoner Spell: Teleport

Teleport

Ability Order Standard

Passive
Subject: Disaster
Subject: Serenity
Subject: Torment

Threats & Synergies

Threats Synergies
Extreme Major Even Minor Tiny
Show All
None Low Ok Strong Ideal
Extreme Threats
Ideal Synergies
Synergies
Ideal Strong Ok Low None

Champion Build Guide

[14.22] Your True Colors - Complete Hwei Guide

By Soft Headpats
Preamble

"There's no secret to art... just begin and keep going. That's all we can do."


Hwei is labeled as an artillery mage but he's also a control mage. Blocking off areas and manipulating where enemies can move, punishing those who overstep, and sniping enemies with long-range executes as a finisher is what Hwei is all about. Similarly to mages like Brand or Vel'Koz, Hwei likes to combo his spells to activate his passive: Signature of the Visionary, as it adds a lot of extra damage, especially in teamfights with grouped up enemies. With 9 different basic abilities at his disposal, learning when to use each one effectively at a moment's notice is what makes a true Hwei player shine.

As with other immobile mages, Hwei requires proper positioning, or else he'll pop instantly to almost anything. Unlike some other mages, however, he also has tools to keep himself safe and is almost untouchable when piloted properly. While his arsenal of spells may seem overwhelming at first, individually they are quite simple to understand and utilize. Throughout this guide, I will refer to his spells using letters and colors to hopefully make it easy to follow (e.g. QW, WE, EQ).
DISCLAIMER
While this guide was created to inform and educate, by no means is it a strict set of rules that must be followed. Keep in mind that there are many viable builds and rune setups, and sometimes it can come down to preference (which is fine!). I have simply compiled my own thoughts and experiences as well as what I've seen and heard from other players into one space. Feel free to agree or disagree, and I encourage everyone to discuss and continue to explore the champion. If you have any suggestions, criticisms, or other thoughts to share, feel free to leave a comment and let me know.
Pros and Cons

Pros

→ Versatile kit; has an answer for basically every situation
→ Exceptional zoning capabilities
→ Mid-range control mage with a long-range execute
→ Great early game with decent scaling
→ Great team utility and teamfighting power
→ Surprisingly low skill floor, but high skill ceiling

Cons

→ Mana hungry, especially with high AH
→ Higher AH is optimal to fully utilize his arsenal of spells
→ Misinputs are costly - don't spam keys!
→ Almost all spells are slow-moving skillshots with cast times
→ Perfect positioning is a must
→ Functions best with a balanced team comp; often unable to solo carry unless ridiculously ahead
Champion Abilities

"Leave everything to my imagination."


Signature of the Visionary (Passive) Hwei marks enemy champions with his signature finishing touch by first damaging them with his abilities. Hitting an enemy with two damage-dealing spells places Hwei’s signature on the ground beneath them. The signature detonates after a short delay, dealing magic damage to all enemies in range.

Hwei's damaging abilities mark enemies hit for 4 seconds. Damaging them with a different ability consumes the mark to create an explosion beneath them, dealing 35 − 180 (based on level) (+ 35% AP) bonus magic damage to enemies in the area after 0.85 seconds.
  • Proccing the passive on multiple targets will essentially multiply your passive damage since it'll drop an AoE for each person you combo
  • Can help you waveclear (e.g. QE + EE combo through the wave procs passive, damaging the enemy and minions)
  • Has to be 2 separate spell casts (e.g. passive can't be proc'd with only AAs enhanced by WE or a single QE with its eruption and DoT portions)

Subject: Disaster (Q)
COST: 80 / 90 / 100 / 110 / 120 MANA
COOLDOWN: 10 / 9 / 8 / 7 / 6
Hwei paints visions of disaster that deal a large amount of damage to enemies.

Hwei enters a disastrous mood, gaining access to its abilities as well as Wash Brush. He will exit the mood upon casting any of them.

The Q spellbook is for damage.

Q Spellbook

Subject: Serenity (W)
COST: 90 / 95 / 100 / 105 / 110 MANA
COOLDOWN: 18 / 17.5 / 17 / 16.5 / 16
Hwei paints visions of serenity that provide utility for himself and allied champions.

Hwei enters a serene mood, gaining access to its abilities as well as Wash Brush. He will exit the mood upon casting any of them.

The W spellbook is for utility.

W Spellbook

Subject: Torment (E)
COST: 50 / 55 / 60 / 65 / 70 MANA
COOLDOWN: 13 / 12.5 / 12 / 11.5 / 11
Hwei paints visions of torment that control enemies.

Hwei enters a tumultuous mood, gaining access to its abilities as well as Wash Brush. He will exit the mood upon casting any of them.

The E spellbook is for crowd control.

E Spellbook

Spiraling Despair (R)
RANGE: 1340
COST: 100 MANA
COOLDOWN: 140 / 115 / 80
Hwei launches a vision of pure despair that sticks to an enemy champion for a few seconds. The vision expands and overwhelms all enemies it touches, dealing magic damage per second. Enemies within the zone are afflicted with stacks of Despair over time. Each stack of Despair applies a stacking percent slow. Upon completion, the vision shatters, dealing magic damage.

Hwei launches a globule of pure despair in the target direction that collides with the first enemy champion hit, afflicting them with an aura that grows over 3 seconds, reveals the target, and grants sight within its radius. Enemies within are both dealt magic damage and applied a stack of Despair every 0.25 seconds.

DESPAIR: For each stack, the target is slowed by 10% for 0.25 seconds, stacking up to 12 times.

At the end of the duration or when the target dies, the aura explodes to deal magic damage to enemies within and remove all Despair stacks from affected enemies.

Spiraling Despair can only be cast if Hwei has not entered a mood.
  • Has a significant cast-time and travels slowly, so be careful when opening with it because it's easy to miss
  • Pay attention to the sound of the ult when you're timing QW executes, it's easy to miss lethal damage if QW goes off too early
  • Don't be afraid to use this in lane even if it doesn't result in a kill; forcing summoners/getting someone low can force them to base which lets you build your lead

Here's a neat little cheat sheet created by Riot to help you digest his kit!

Runes

"Every mark should have meaning."


Hwei can utilize many different rune setups, allowing him to adjust to almost any matchup and team composition. In this section, I will highlight various runes and explain how they benefit Hwei. For full rune setups, refer to the example pages at the top of the guide.

SORCERY


Sorcery

INSPIRATION


Inspiration

DOMINATION


domination

PRECISION


precision

STAT SHARDS


stat shards
Summoner Spells

SUMMONER SPELLS
-
FLASH: A staple summoner for the vast majority of champs in the game and for good reason, giving you the ability to be both aggressive and defensive when it's up. QQ, EQ, and R can all be Flash buffered as needed. You should take this every single game.
TELEPORT: Currently the standard pairing with Flash for midlane mages. Since you have low kill pressure early on, your main goal is simply to farm up and deny CS when possible, which is further aided by the consistency of having Teleport. Later in the game, Teleport allows you to farm and pressure side lanes while being able to Teleport to teamfights and objectives.
BARRIER: Barrier is a viable alternative to Teleport. Taking Barrier means you're losing map pressure and team playmaking from Teleport for more safety from burst, especially against assassins. Simply having Barrier acts as a deterrent, since the enemy team knows you have a strong shield that can be popped at a moment's notice. If you feel like you need more tools to survive - especially if you think the enemy laner won't be taking Teleport - you can try taking Barrier for added safety.
CLEANSE: Extremely situational. I would only take Cleanse against champs like Lissandra, Annie, or maybe Zoe, who rely on their strong CCs to kill you. Cleanse can also be useful against team comps with heavy CC, such as against Fiddlesticks or Leona.





Itemization

"Keep an open mind, and we'll find meaning together."


If an item is not listed, then I most likely do not recommend buying it OR it's for support Hwei. Please refer to the Items section at the start of the guide where I quickly go over almost every item.

Starting Items


Doran's Ring
Your best choice for a starting item in most games. Doran's items are incredibly strong after the buffs, plus the nerfs to Corrupting Potion make Doran's Ring your main option. It is often not worth selling your Doran's Ring until after you finish at least one item.

Tear of the Goddess
Starting Tear of the Goddess is viable when facing tanks or other matchups where you are unable to threaten a kill and would rather focus on scaling instead (e.g. Garen, Sion, etc.). Otherwise, you lose a lot of damage and overall laning power when starting Tear of the Goddess.

First Back


Lost Chapter
Lost Chapter is an incredibly well-rounded item and one of the best to buy on your first back if you have the gold. Getting Lost Chapter early on will solve a lot of your mana issues, plus it gives a good amount of AP and AH which Hwei wants. Even if you plan on going for Archangel's Staff/ Seraph's Embrace first, it is still worth it to buy Lost Chapter on your first back if you can immediately afford it unless you're rushing something else.

Dark Seal
An incredible item to purchase early on. If you are forced to back early or get first blood, buying and sitting on a Dark Seal can help snowball your games, giving you the option to upgrade it into a Mejai's Soulstealer if you get enough stacks.

Boots
Against certain matchups (e.g. Xerath, Ziggs, Syndra), it can be valuable to rush boots or T2 boots to help with dodging skillshots or neutralizing AP/CC threats. Buying Ionian Boots of Lucidity and Tear of the Goddess on your first back is a common safe, defensive option.

Refillable Potion
It is generally a good idea to buy Refillable Potion if you have the extra gold for it, especially if you happen to back after your lane opponent and see that they have purchased it to match them.

Tear of the Goddess
A necessary component if you plan on building towards Seraph's Embrace, even if you want to delay finishing it. Depending on what your game plan is, you can even delay purchasing Tear of the Goddess to abuse Hwei's strong early game, such as opting for Dark Seal instead (350 gold). If you are running Presence of Mind, sitting on just Tear of the Goddess as your mana item is totally viable. I tend to upgrade into Seraph's Embrace at 2 or 3 items, but there are some games where I am so ahead that I don't finish it until 5 or 6 items (the lack of AH is noticeable however).

Boots


Ionian Boots of Lucidity
Ionian Boots of Lucidity is a cheap option and provides a decent amount of AH which Hwei always wants. Getting a bit of summoner spell AH is also a nice bonus to help lower your Teleport and Flash CDs. If the enemy team is tanky and will buy MR, or your team has multiple people who deal magic damage, you should lean towards buying Ionian Boots of Lucidity.

Sorcerer's Shoes
Sorcerer's Shoes provide a noticeable damage increase thanks to the flat mpen. If you are solo AP and the enemy team won't be purchasing a lot of MR, you should go for Sorcerer's Shoes to deal as much damage as possible.

Mercury's Treads
Getting Mercury's Treads early against certain champions - such as Syndra - can completely neutralize them and allow you to play without having to worry about getting one-shot or CC-locked. If your lane opponent and the enemy jungler are AP/CC heavy, I highly recommend Mercury's Treads.

First Item


Blackfire Torch
Blackfire Torch is basically a mana version of Liandry's Torment, which is another great item on Hwei. It makes sense then that Hwei loves this new addition for mages. He can easily and consistently apply the burn to enemies thanks to his AoEs and high AH builds. It also scales well into the late game, especially if you have a Rabadon's Deathcap to further boost the extra AP from its passive. Hwei's waveclear becomes even faster with Blackfire Torch, allowing you to melt waves with only a QE.

Seraph's Embrace
Seraph's Embrace provides great defensive utility and a huge amount of mana, which you will find Hwei burns through incredibly quickly. You can either rush Archangel's Staff to stack it quicker or hold onto Tear of the Goddess and wait to finish it later on. You can pair Seraph's Embrace with Blackfire Torch to boost the AP and shield amount from Seraph's Embrace's passive.

Luden's Companion
Luden's Companion is a more situational item for Hwei after its changes, and with the addition of Blackfire Torch, he doesn't have as much reason to build it. However, if you're going for a more burst-focused build into a squishy team, it can be worth considering.

Example Buildpaths


VS. Squishies / General Build


Blackfire Torch

Sorcerer's Shoes

Horizon Focus

Rabadon's Deathcap
This is a standard build order and most likely what you'll be doing in most games. Blackfire Torch and Sorcerer's Shoes give you everything you need for the early and mid-game: consistent DPS, waveclear, and flat magic pen for extra damage against squishy targets. Afterward, you will likely want to build into Horizon Focus for even more AH, utility, and damage. You can also go for Liandry's Torment second if you want to maximize your damage. If the enemy team isn't stacking HP or MR, then Rabadon's Deathcap is a classic option to solidify your position in the mid-game.

VS. Melee / Burst threat


Seraph's Embrace

Ionian Boots

Blackfire Torch

Liandry's Torment
Rushing Archangel's Staff so that it upgrades as soon as possible into Seraph's Embrace provides defensive utility against melee threats, especially if you don't want to invest into Seeker's Armguard or Verdant Barrier early on. You might also want to consider sitting on component items like Cloth Armor or Null-Magic Mantle if you need more safety. Ionian Boots of Lucidity are great if you want a lower Teleport and Flash timer, but Sorcerer's Shoes are also viable if you want to lean into more damage. Other than that, you can build into Blackfire Torch as it's a powerful item for Hwei and will boost your Seraph's Embrace shield and AP even further. If you're not going for a double mana item build, then you can build into Horizon Focus or Liandry's Torment as usual for your second item. From here on, you can adjust your build as needed.

Note: Running Presence of Mind when going double mana items is not recommended as you'll already have a ton of extra mana.

VS. Tank / HP stacker


Blackfire Torch

Ionian Boots

Liandry's Torment

Cryptbloom
In this scenario, you'll want Liandry's Torment and Cryptbloom as soon as possible to deal with tanky enemies. Blackfire Torch is still a strong item to rush, allowing you to at least waveclear easily against your opponent while doing respectable damage. You can also consider running a delayed Seraph's Embrace build where you sit on an early Tear of the Goddess and rush Liandry's Torment into Cryptbloom so that you can really melt down a tanky target. This is usually unnecessary however since you can typically ignore and scale through tanky matchups with your powerful waveclear (especially with First Strike). Ionian Boots of Lucidity are also better against high HP/MR since flat mpen loses value.

Other Items


Horizon Focus
Arguably one of Hwei's best items. Horizon Focus is on the cheaper side, gives Hwei a lot of stats that he wants, and is easy to proc. The fact that it provides vision whenever you tag someone makes it a lot easier to snipe people with QW. A lot of people will forget that you have vision on them and let their guard down too. The AoE vision effect from its passive is also a nice utility bonus during teamfights and will often spot enemies hiding nearby which comes in handy around the jungle, especially around the Baron and Dragon pits.

Liandry's Torment
Another incredible item on Hwei that synergizes with his artillery playstyle. Despite being an item meant to help burn enemies that stack HP it still provides an incredible amount of damage against squishies, especially since Hwei spams spells so often thanks to his high AH builds and has tons of AoEs. Liandry's Torment actually closely matches Rabadon's Deathcap in terms of damage at 3 items. If you're facing enemies that have a lot of HP and want as much damage as possible, you can't go wrong with this item.

Rabadon's Deathcap
A classic AP stat stick that boosts your entire kit - more damage, more shielding, more everything. If you can, getting Rabadon's Deathcap early on (usually as a third item at the earliest) feels great, plus it only gets better and better as you get more items. However, this is not an item you should force if you need something else. Make sure you don't need anti-tank/anti-MR items first.

Cryptbloom
Your option against tanks/MR stacking enemies. It doesn't give as much %Magic pen as Void Staff, but it's cheaper and also gives AH. Not to mention the passive which will proc in basically every fight, giving your team a noticeable heal.

Shadowflame
A flat magic pen item like Stormsurge, except it provides a lot more AP and has a neat passive effect. It can be a nice purchase against squishy enemies if you're solo AP, but I think it's overrated considering how expensive the item is. Most of the time I would rather save a little more gold and go for Rabadon's Deathcap instead - an item that will always have high value unlike Shadowflame. If you manage to get both Shadowflame and Rabadon's Deathcap however, the damage you do against squishies is incomparable.

Cosmic Drive
On paper, this is an incredible item for Hwei. The buildpath is decent and it provides a lot of AH. However, Hwei usually doesn't have the item slots to fit this item into his build despite it being a great defensive option. It can be a lifesaver into melee-heavy comps that you need to kite out, often replacing Horizon Focus. The damage drop is noticeable, but staying alive thanks to the MS may prove more useful.

Zhonya's Hourglass
Zhonya's Hourglass is a great anti-dive option, especially against champions like Vi, Camille, or Zed who have point-and-click spells and can easily get onto you. You should almost always go for Seeker's Armguard first to take advantage of the one-time effect if you plan on going for Zhonya's Hourglass.

Banshee's Veil
The MR version of Zhonya's Hourglass. It can be a lifesaver against enemies with a lot of pick potential such as Lux, Syndra, or Blitzcrank. Sitting on Verdant Barrier provides a bit of breathing room, but the effect's CD drops significantly when you upgrade it into Banshee's Veil (goes from 60 seconds down to 30 seconds).

Morellonomicon
This is basically your anti- Vladimir and Swain item for mid, but it can also be worth picking up against champs like Dr. Mundo and Soraka. You should never rush Oblivion Orb if you need anti-heal, since you will out-damage their healing simply by rushing your usual first items. After you finish your first item, you can consider purchasing Oblivion Orb and sitting on it until you finish your core items. Hwei is great at applying grievous wounds thanks to his range, low CDs, and DoTs.

Mejai's Soulstealer
If you bought an early Dark Seal and have it stacked up, it can be worth it to upgrade it into Mejai's Soulstealer especially if you're at low risk of dying. The snowball potential of Mejai's Soulstealer is enormous thanks to Hwei's long range and self-peel. The MS boost at 10 stacks also helps you move around and kite more. If you reach the late game, you can sell Mejai's Soulstealer for another item once you've saved up enough to fully purchase it.

Elixir of Sorcery
Realistically the only elixir that Hwei will want. You usually only buy this in the late game after you've finished your build, or if you know the next fight will decide the game. Elixir of Sorcery gives a bunch of temporary AP and mana regen, as well as giving your basic attacks and abilities bonus damage (works against turrets).
Combos

"Creativity is limitless—for better or worse."


Rather than learning strict combos, with Hwei you will often find yourself adapting your spells to each specific situation and choosing which spells you need in the moment. Knowing when to use each and being flexible is part of what makes Hwei a difficult champion, and what will make you a great Hwei player. However, there are a few common spell combos that I will briefly mention here. Keep in mind that these are by no means strict combos - switch things up as needed!
  • The main thing with Hwei is that you want to pair spells together as much as possible in order to proc his passive.
  • You can add WE to the start of your combos whenever you want to maximize your damage, but it isn't necessary.
  • WE can be cast during the travel time of every single one of Hwei's spells, even EE. This is important to mask your intentions since casting WE first every time will make it obvious when you're looking to be aggressive.
  • Get used to the timing of your ult, either by memorizing the duration or listening to the sound so that you can properly time your QW to pop immediately afterward or follow-up with an E spell.
  • You CANNOT do QW > EE for the bonus damage off of EE's CC. EE literally does not come out fast enough due to cast times and delays. This has been confirmed by Riot Emizery.
Waveclear
QE > WE > EE - Your standard combo to clear the wave
WE > EE > QQ - Must be done from the side to be effective; a faster method of clearing the wave

Poke
QQ - Standard poke spell
EE - Standard poke spell; can bypass having to aim around the wave + easier for Arcane Comet to land due to the slow
QE > EE - Waveclear + Poke combined; the passive proc from landing this combo can also help clear the wave
EE > QQ - Standard poke combo
EE > QW - Does less damage if not isolated, but ignores the minion wave
QQ > WE > AAs - Level 2 poke, or if you want to hold onto E
EE > WE > AA for Passive Proc

Finisher
EQ/EW/EE > QW - Pair your CC spells to guarantee QW executes the enemy
Extended trade with WE empowered AAs, into EE > QW
Disengage
EQ > (WQ) > QQ/QW/QE - You can add WQ and/or QE into this combo for extra disengage

All-In
EE > R > QQ/QW - EE is the quickest and easiest way to help your ult land
QE > R > EW > QW - If you tag your target with the QE slow, it can also help with landing your ult
EQ/EW > QQ > R > EW > QW - This combo requires some AH so that your E spells come up fast enough, but if you start with an E spell and wait until the end of your ult you can extend the CC with EW (basically guaranteed with the slow) which then leads into a free QW.
QE > EE into R > timed QW

EW > QW to scout and follow-up with poke. EQ after she Es in, followed by QQ > R > WE while CC'd, then finish with QW

Flash Combos
While somewhat niche due to Hwei's reliance on Flash for safety, he can Flash his QQ, EQ, and R. This can be used to surprise an enemy, reposition quickly while locked in animation, or to avoid hitting the wrong target. Depending on when Flash is used with his ult, the projectile can become visually disjointed as seen in the clip below. Using Flash with his other spells will not change where the spell is cast from or its direction.
Champ Select

"What's heavy in the mind, becomes light on the page."


The game starts during champ select, not after you load into the game!
  • Figure out your gameplan during champ select/loading screen
  • What's the matchup? Who's the enemy midlaner, jungler, and support? What about your team?
  • What rune setup are you running?
  • Which summoner spells will you want?
  • What is your build path going to look like?
These are the types of things you should be thinking about every single game if you truly want to learn, improve, and succeed. Knowing what to do is one thing, but knowing why you should do it is just as important.
Laning Phase

Early Levels

Hwei has a safe, oppressive laning phase. You are often able to secure lane prio and affect the rest of the map. Even in tougher matchups, he has ways to neutralize the lane.
  • In most ranged matchups, you'll start Q at level 1 and look to poke your opponent with QQ if they stand apart from the wave or too close to minions (make sure you abuse the QQ AoE). Starting E is also viable at level 1 since EE is fast and can be used to poke through the minion wave. This is especially helpful against champs that poke through the wave, like Syndra or Orianna. At level 2, you can level either W or Q/E depending on what you took level 1. Leveling W lets you use WE to harass with AAs, regen your mana, or push the wave. Leveling Q/E lets you perform combos such as EE > QQ. Once you hit level 3, you should level whichever spell you haven't already, giving you access to your full spellbook and combos. If you don't take W at level 2, make sure you pay attention to your mana pool.
  • Against melees, the ability you level first completely depends on the matchup. Please refer to the matchup section near the start of the guide for more details. For the most part, you'll likely want to hold onto your E defensively to stop engages from enemies with gap closers while harassing with Q spells and enhanced AAs (or just normal AAs).
  • For Hwei's most difficult matchups (e.g. Yasuo, Irelia), you'll want to keep the minion wave closer to your side of the map to prevent the enemy from running you down or freezing the wave. Hwei's waveclear isn't that strong until after his first back, so if the enemy is able to freeze the wave against you you're going to have a rough time.

Post-6

Once you hit level 6, you get access to your ult which is huge for getting picks. Even using it to chunk out your lane opponent can be useful, since it threatens a dive or solo kill, forcing them to play extra safe under turret or recall which gives you and your team a timing to affect the map. You can also skirmish around objectives or follow your jungler around, helping to secure kills.

Laning Goals

Your goal overall should be to harass your opponent when possible, pressuring them off CS and off the wave to get prio. With lane prio, you can get vision down and enable your jungler and team to make plays around the map or defend yourself from ganks. Hwei is great at absorbing pressure thanks to his strong self-peel and utility spells, so having vision down and baiting the enemy jungler to waste time coming to your lane (without you dying of course) is huge for your team. Hwei doesn't need to have a lead in lane to be useful, but he has the tools and power to form one in most matchups.
Mid/Late-Game and Teamfighting
Hwei is at his personal strongest in the mid-game once you've completed one or two items. He falls off a bit in terms of damage in the late-game compared to champs like Aurelion Sol, Syndra, or Azir, but as an artillery/control mage with tons of utility, you can still teamfight extremely well while melting side lane waves.

Mid-Game

Hwei plays like any other immobile mage outside of the laning phase. In the mid-game, you want to continue farming side lanes while paying attention to objective timers so that you're ready to group up and help your team at the right time. Try to push up as far as possible while staying safe by utilizing vision or playing alongside your jungler. If your matchup is difficult, your team is losing, you don't have vision, and/or your jungler isn't nearby, you need to play safely and remain vigilant while collecting side lane CS and XP. If you aren't running Teleport or it's on cooldown, you should either push as far as possible and as quickly as possible before grouping up with your team, or you can catch the wave right before it crashes into your tower.

Late-Game

Your goal in the late-game is the same as it was in the mid-game, except you're more likely going to be using Teleport if you're running it to get to teamfights - which will be even more common. Usually, you want to be on the opposite side of the map as the objective if you have Teleport up (i.e. top lane if Dragon is spawning, or bot lane if Baron Nashor is spawning). If you aren't running Teleport, you'll have to do the opposite and play on the side where the objective is spawning. Grouping up for teamfights as Hwei is essential to closing out games.

Teamfighting

When approaching teamfights, there are a few general things you need to think about, especially as an immobile mage.
  • Who are the priority targets? (The ADC? Enemy midlaner? Annoying Soraka?)
  • Who should I be careful of? ( Evelynn sneaking around? Rell hexflashing?)
  • Which abilities do I need to watch out for? ( Ashe ult, Malphite ult, Syndra stun?)
  • Do I need to peel for a specific teammate? (Protect the Kog'Maw?)
As Hwei you will usually just be hitting whoever is right in front of you, but if and when an enemy squishy champion gets low, mispositions, or breaks away from their team, you can look to catch them out or snipe them. Hwei has different spells for different situations, so it can get overwhelming and chaotic in teamfights if you're not used to piloting the champion. You need to think about these kinds of things to prepare yourself beforehand.

For Hwei specifically, the main thing you want to look for in teamfights is how you're going to land your ult. Fighting in tighter spaces - such as in the jungle - makes it easier to land your ult and group up enemies with his AoEs. It usually doesn't matter who your ult lands on in a teamfight, since hitting a tank with it helps your team kite while zoning off the rest of their team, while hitting a squishy helps you and your team pick them off specifically. Try to reduce the chance of your ult missing as much as possible by casting it off of your teammate's CC or CCing them yourself first.

Don't get stuck in the habit of spamming QE in teamfights. While the AoE slow and zoning are powerful, your QQ does a lot of upfront damage and can be just as - if not more effective when used properly. You can also tag people with QW for long-range poke or even to get vision with Horizon Focus. Be flexible with your spells. Think about which one you're using and why, until it becomes second nature and you no longer have to dedicate your cognitive energy to it.

Teamfight Example

QE > EE against grouped enemies while using WW to delay ally death. QQ to quickly finish the Fizz. EW cuts off Jhin's escape, followed by an ult to slow and finish off enemies. (I recommend watching at 0.5x speed)
Conclusion

"I'll always be a student of the brush, never its master."


Thank you for reading through my guide! I hope it proves to be a helpful resource for any aspiring Hwei players, and if so, make sure you hit that upvote button!

If you have any questions, criticisms, or simply want to point out a spelling mistake, please feel free to leave a comment on the discussion page or contact me on Discord in the Hwei Mains server (softheadpats or "Benji"). I will try to respond as soon as possible.

- Big thank you to jhoijhoi's Making a Guide which helped immensely with almost all the formatting for this guide!
Changelog
11/6/24 - Updated for 14.22. Item descriptions updated for Shadowflame and Stormsurge.
10/25/2024 - All videos for "Champion Abilities" fixed!
10/20/2024 - Updated for 14.21. QQ base damage reduced by 10 across all ranks. AP ratio decreased from 75% to 70%. E spellbook CD increased from 12-10 to 13-11.
10/10/2024 - Updated for 14.20. Item description for Luden's Tempest updated. "Support" example build adjusted.
9/27/2024 - Updated for 14.19. Separated Shadowflame and Stormsurge into their own "Burst" category. Added an example of a "Burst" build. Removed "Defensive" build.
9/18/2024 - Replaced Ghost with Barrier under "Summoner Spells" section.
9/11/2024 - Updated for 14.18. WW buffed from 50% to 75% effectiveness on allies. Adjusted recommended Rune pages/descriptions and readded "Burst" rune page.
9/8/2024 - Fixed video for passive. Working on fixing other broken videos, sorry!
8/28/2024 - Updated for 14.17. Cut Down nerfed back from 50% to 60% HP.
8/17/2024 - Updated for 14.16. Minor adjustments.
8/2/2024 - Updated for 14.15. Added more full build examples and adjusted some descriptions.
7/19/2024 - Added Aurora to "Threats" section
6/25/2024 - Minor adjustments to wording and formatting
6/12/2024 - Adjusted example rune pages, and added Jack of all Trades to "Runes" section
5/30/2024 - Patch 14.11 nerf: QQ max HP damage decreased from 4-8% to 3-7%. QE AP ratio decreased from 25% to 20% per second.
5/23/2024 - "Threats" section updated for Corki
5/16/2024 - Guide updated for Patch 14.10
5/7/2024 - Minor formatting changes (gold lines!), "Threats" section updated for Ekko. Karma moved down to "Even", Pantheon moved down to "Minor", Zoe moved up to "Major"
5/5/2024 - "Threats" section updated for Annie and Ryze. Formatting for "Runes" section updated, more details under "Stat Shards" for Row 2 and 3
5/4/2024 - Minor formatting changes
5/3/2024 - Added example clips to "Combos" and "Teamfighting" sections. Also added "Flash Combos" under "Combos" section
5/2/2024 - "Champion Abilities" section updated, adding ability videos and the Hwei Cheat Sheet
4/30/2024 - "Runes" section updated, adding more detail to most descriptions
4/23/2024 - "Champion Abilities" section updated; WQ applies Ghost to all affected allies including Hwei, which has been noted. Updated "Laning Phase" section a bit
4/17/2024 - Patch 14.8 buff: Signature of the Visionary AP ratio increased from 30% to 35%
4/8/2024 - "Threats" section updated, adding more detail to almost all matchups. Kassadin and Katarina moved from "Even" to "Major"
4/4/2024 - Removed "Full Burst (Electrocute)" page. Overhauled the "Items" section at the start of the guide
4/3/2024 - Edits to "Threats" (Akali, Irelia, Syndra, Yasuo, Yone). Edits to tips on some spells under "Champion Abilities"
3/29/2024 - Minor formatting/grammatical changes
3/27/2024 - Guide published
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