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Alistar Build Guide by Aerenax

Support [14.23] You can't milk those! - A comprehensive Alistar guide.

Support [14.23] You can't milk those! - A comprehensive Alistar guide.

Updated on November 21, 2024
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League of Legends Build Guide Author Aerenax Build Guide By Aerenax 93 12 392,357 Views 12 Comments
93 12 392,357 Views 12 Comments
League of Legends Build Guide Author Aerenax Alistar Build Guide By Aerenax Updated on November 21, 2024
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Runes: Phase Rush

1 2 3
Sorcery
Phase Rush
Nimbus Cloak
Celerity
Waterwalking

Inspiration
Hextech Flashtraption
Cosmic Insight
Bonus:

+8 Ability Haste
+2% Movement Speed
+65 Base Health

Spells:

1 2
Standard
LoL Summoner Spell: Flash

Flash

LoL Summoner Spell: Ignite

Ignite

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

[14.23] You can't milk those! - A comprehensive Alistar guide.

By Aerenax
Greetings fellow support players, welcome to my Alistar guide! My summoner name is Aerenax on EUW. Since I started playing in season 2, I picked up Alistar and never let go. At the moment I have around 300k mastery points in Alistar and I would like to share my knowledge and experience with you guys! I really appreciate some constructive feedback and I do want to know what you guys think of the information or the guide layout itself. If you have any personal questions feel free to ask them aswell!

This guide has been written and checked by me. If you have any additions feel free to contact me. I am planning to update the guide every patch to keep you guys up to date on the newest builds, strategies and matchups. For other Alistar questions check out the AlistarMains reddit!

I hope this guide will make you play Alistar with the same enthusiasm as me, so let’s Headbutt right into it!
PROS
+ Bread and butter engage tool.
+ Strong ult for front lining.
+ Passive will help sustain in lane.
+ Great teamfighting potential.
+ A lot of roaming potential.
+ Can change a losing game into a winning game in a single engage.

Alistar is a strong melee support that is really good at teamfighting and locking down targets. Your engage power not limited to a single champion, like champions with a hook, but your engage can hit all 5 enemy players. This will lead to some montage moments, but more importantly it leads to great setup for your team to win a teamfight.
CONS
- Unable to play lane before level 2
- High cooldowns early game.
- Difficult to disengage.
- Short engage range.
- Difficult to lane in ranged matchups.

Laning as Alistar can feel a little rough into ranged matchups like Ashe and Janna as they can poke you down and cancel your engage. Alistar has the most difficulty in laning phase as he needs to get close to engage and can be easily punished if he doesn’t manage to engage correctly or takes too much poke so he can’t engage. Lastly, your combo of W > Q is pretty predictable so people know what’s coming, which leads to champions that can buffer cc such as Ezreal can avoid your combo.
Triumphant Roar

Alistar generates a stack of Triumph for each enemy champion he stuns or displaces with his abilities, and each time a nearby enemy minion or non-epic monster dies. He generates 7 stacks if a nearby enemy champion or epic monster dies.


At 7 stacks, Alistar consumes them all to Heal power icon.png heal himself for 5% of his maximum health and nearby allied champions for 7% of his maximum health.


Passive is very helpful in lane to sustain against the poke you receive or regenerate after an all-in.



Pulverize

Alistar smashes the ground, dealing magic damage to nearby enemies and stunning and knocking them up simultaneously for 1 second.


This ability is pretty strong as you can hit multiple enemies with just one Q. Look for different ability combinations involving your Q such as W > Q, Flash>Q, animation cancel using Q>Flash, W>Flash>Q, and so on. In the spoiler I will add some videos as an example.

Combo’s


Headbutt

Alistar dashes to the target enemy's location. If they are within 400 units upon arrival, he deals them magic damage and knocks them back 700 units over 0.5 seconds while also stunning them for 0.75 seconds.


This is Alistar’s main way to get into a fight. Use your W to setup your Q (see combo’s above) or simply use your W to create distance between your carry and an enemy threat.



Trample

Alistar tramples the ground around him every 0.5 seconds over 5 seconds, becoming ghosted and dealing magic damage to nearby enemies. Each time this damages at least one enemy champion, he generates a stack of Trample that lasts for the remaining duration, stacking up to 5 times.


At 5 stacks, Alistar’s next basic attack against a champion within 6 seconds is empowered to deal 20 − 275 (based on level) bonus magic damage and stun the target for 1 second. This will end Trample prematurely.


Another ability to CC your enemies. Once you get on top of them activate it, or activate it prematurely to start stacking and prepare a stun. This will lead to a longer CC chain that will setup nicely for kills.



Unbreakable Will

Alistar cleanses himself of all crowd control. For the next 7 seconds, he reduces incoming damage taken.


This ability is great for diving turrets because you reduce a lot of damage. Furthermore it helps you tank damage in teamfights. Lastly the cleansing effect will help you peel your carry more as you can get yourself out of CC to help your ADC or catch CC abilities like Enchanted Crystal Arrow on purpose, because you can cleanse it and keep your allies safe!




The most common leveling sequence for Alistar is the one I am using in this guide which follow R>Q>W>E. There are some variants to this skill sequence such as people starting lane with 1 point in W and level 2 in Q instead of the other way around. The levelling of your abilities can change from time to time and is dependent on your needs in game.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18


Q
W
E
Q
Q
R
Q
W
Q
W
R
W
W
E
E
R
E
E
FLASH: You take Flash in all your games as you can use it to surprise the enemy by a Flash >> Pulverize or get in range to use your Headbutt into Pulverize. This last combo is super strong as it is nearly impossible to dodge. Furthermore, you need Flash to be able to use Hextech Flashtraption.
IGNITE: You take Ignite in about 95% of your games to add some all in threat at level 2. Furthermore it’s a good tool to use in early fights when up versus some healing supports to reduce healing.
EXHAUST: You only take exhaust if the enemy team is stacked with assassins and one-shot potential. You want to peel your ADC from all this damage and you can reduce their damage by 40%. It also works to slow down enemies to catch them when they are alone, because Exhaust also applies a 30% slow.

RESOLVE
Aftershock is the go to rune for the frontline Alistar playstyle. Aftershock is great for starting a teamfight or engage and soaking up a lot of damage. This rune is important as you will be soaking a lot of damage with every engage in lane because laning phase is not your best time of the game. I would not recommend Grasp of the Undying and Guardian as these are less optimal for the playstyle Alistar likes to go for.
This row has 2 good options. I find myself having the most succes playing with Font of Life. As Alistar you have a lot of ways to proc Font of Life and when an ally procs it they heal for a percentage of your maximum health, which is good as you will be building some HP. Demolish is also a good option in melee matchups as you are building HP and Demolish damage scale off of that . The last rune in this row is Shield Bash. This rune is suboptimal as the only way you will get a shield is by buying a Locket of the Iron Solari and you won’t be doing that every game.
Bone Plating is also one of 3 runes in its row that depends on your lane a lot. Bone Plating is overall just a solid rune when in a melee matchup such as Leona as the burst from her engage will be mitigated quite a bit. If you are looking into a more teamfight/skirmish oriented rune Conditioning is a solid rune. Second Wind is great into heavy poke lanes, which is also really good for Alistar as you tend to suffer in these matchups quite a bit.
Unflinching is a great rune for Alistar as you want to be cc’ed the least possible to be proactive in teamfights. Another great option is Overgrowth. The extra HP will leave you to survive longer, which is very important to play as a front line for you team. I would not recommend taking Revitalize as Alistar because the healing of your passive is decent, but not enough to take this rune valued over the other 2 in this row.

Inspiration
Glacial Augment has a steady rune choice since it has been reworked. Alistar can utilize this rune to its maximum because of the amount of CC in his kit. When using CC on an enemy you will shoot frost bolts around you which slow enemies and reduce their damage. This tool is pretty huge in teamfighting. Unsealed Spellbook is also a favourite of some players and is pretty fun if you know how to use it, but I would only recommend it if you really know how to use it or you have a specific strategy that fits the keystone. I do not recommend First Strike.
In this row you only have one good choice. Hextech Flashtraption is the only useful rune on this row as it helps you create some surprise engages when used outside of vision. Playing around with Hextech Flashtraption will help you find flanks from where your opponents don’t expect you and it is a lot of fun to use. Cash Back is a rune developed for solo laners and won't give supports as much benefit as it would give a toplaner for example. The last rune on this row is Magical Footwear. I do not recommend going for this one as you want your boots as fast as possible to start roaming and impact the map.
This row has 1 valid option. I recommend taking Biscuit Delivery which will help you push sustain in lane in difficult matchups. Laning phase can be difficult as Alistar so this is a pretty helpful tool. Time Warp Tonic is something I don't recommend because the sustain of Biscuit Delivery is more valuable because it costs less gold. You need to buy potions for Time Warp Tonic to let it be effective. The last option, Triple Tonic I do not recommend.
Cosmic Insight is the best option in this row as the item haste benefits your high cooldowns and the summoner spell haste will lower the cooldown of your Flash which results in more playmaking potential. Approach Velocity is not worth it as you already engage and cc your targets, so you don’t need the extra movement speed because you are already there. Jack of all Trades is not recommended.

Sorcery
Phase Rush is a fun rune choice for an aggressive playstyle. Alistar can utilize this rune because your W>Q combo already procs 2 out of the 3 needed attacks to gain the movement speed. This extra movement speed grants you the ability to stick to your target or disengage quicker. I do not recommend Summon Aery nor Arcane Comet as both are not good for Alistar.
To make this runepage work there is only one good option in this row: Nimbus Cloak. Playing around with Hextech Flashtraption in combination with this rune will create extra surprise as every time you use hexflash you will get a small movement speed boost. I do not recommend Nullifying Orb or Manaflow Band as both don’t have the value you want to achieve.
The same goes for this row: Celerity will boost the movement speed boosts you will get from Nimbus Cloak and Waterwalking. It will increase your roam speed and your engage speed after hexflash. Transcendence could be a good option when you think you need more ability haste built into your runes if you don’t build any with your items. I do not recommend Absolute Focus.
Waterwalking is the last piece of the puzzle for this runepage. Waterwalking will help you increase your roaming speed and will empower you around Baron and Dragon. I do not recommend Scorch and Gathering Storm as they don’t give Alistar the value you need.
Since season 14 we got a huge overhaul on the support item section. Everyone will be starting with a World Atlas. This item will grant 20 gold for last hitting any minion (so no boosting with canon minions) and either 30 gold (melee) or 28 gold (ranged) for hitting a champion with attack or ability. These stacks are on an 18 second cooldown. Don't worry about the minion gold, your nearby ally will receive the full amount as if they last hit the minion themselves .

After finishing the first quest at 500 gold the World Atlas will upgrade into the Runic Compass.
The Runic Compass will also generate stacks every 18 seconds but differs in the amount of gold you recieve. Killing a minion grants you 28 gold and attack a champion will grant 34 gold (melee) and 32 gold (ranged).

When finishing the second quest at a 1000 gold you receive a Bounty of Worlds. It's the same as the Runic Compass but you will get to choose 1 of 5 upgrades for you support item. Below are the most valid options for Alistar.

Celestial Opposition
Celestial Opposition is the option you go for in most of your games. You will get reduced damage for the first hit you take. When this shield breaks you release a shockwave around you that slows enemies for 50% for 1.5 seconds. This will help you when you are in the middle of the enemy team and will give you extreme sticking power.

Solstice Sleigh
Solstice Sleigh is the option you go for when you are playing a more peeling style of Alistar. When slowing or immobilizing an enemy the Sleigh will provide you and the lowest health nearby ally bonus health and movement speed for 4 seconds. If an enemy dives on your carry and you cc them your carry has more chances of getting out alive. This procs on your Q, W and E stun so can be very helpful.
The following section will describe the viable boots options for Alistar. Right now Ionian Boots of Lucidity as they help you gain more ability rotations off and have summoner spell cooldown reduced.

Boots of Swiftness
Boots of Swiftness are the way to go. They are a good source of movement speed which will help you get onto the map faster. Furthermore this will help you get in range easier for your combo.

Plated Steelcaps
Plated Steelcaps are the obvious choice versus a full AD comp. Also if the enemy composition has a lot of champions that are auto attack heavy (Vayne top, Kindred jungle and an ADC for example).

Mercury's Treads
If you are losing lane or the enemy team has a lot of CC, Mercury's Treads are the ideal boots for Alistar as they provide tenacity. Also a valid option when you are playing versus an AP heavy composition.
The following section will describe the other items you might want to include into your build. These are my commonly used items and are the best in my opinion:

Zeke's Convergence
Zeke's Convergence is one of the best items for Alistar. When peeling or engaging you tend to CC your enemies a lot which gives your linked ally extra damage while facing the threat. I do recommend this item while playing with hyper carries like Jinx, Twitch or Kai'Sa, because they make the most out of the item passive. This item is a really good choice as a second or third item in your build.

Knight’s Vow
Knight's Vow is a strong item on Alistar as it does increase the tankiness of your carry as the item mitigates some damage to you. In return, the damage your carry deals heals you for a small amount. This items is a good choice as a second, third or fourth item in your build. Be careful though as damage dealt to you through Knight's Vow will bring you in combat and cancel the out of combat movement speed.

Locket of the iron solari
Locket of the Iron Solari is a strong item on Alistar as it does increase the tankiness of your team as the item mitigates provides a decent shield. Furthermore, the ability haste stats are nice aswell.

Warmog's Armor
Warmog's Armor is a solid item in your build as it allows you to stay out on the map longer due to the passive health regen. This item is expensive and most of the times you will not finish it, but it's a good pickup when you can get it.

Dead Man's Plate
Deadman's Plate is a good item to get for getting even more movement speed. As a first pickup this looks to get you roaming and controlling the map and playing around other sides of the map. The enemy support will have a hard time following you around.

Force of Nature
Force of Nature is one of the few solid items that build magic resist together with Abyssal Mask. I highly recommend building this item when going up against a lot of overtime AP damage.

Frozen Heart
Frozen Heart is a good item when playing into multiple auto attack oriented champions. For example a team compositions with a standard adc, Kindred jungle and a Sett toplane. These champion rely on auto attacking and you slow their auto attack speed for a solid amount. Furthermore the armor will also help you out a lot. Go for this item as a second or third item after your mythic.

Randuin’s Omen
Randuin's Omen is a lot like Frozen Heart however the time you build these items is different. You want to buy a Randuin's Omen when the enemy has a lot critical strike damage in their team, for example a Jinx ADC and a Yasuo midlane. If these 2 get fed you can use the 10% critical strike damage reduction a lot. Go for this item when you feel like you need to build it, probably the second item after your mythic.

Thornmail
When in need of some anti-healing Thornmail is the way to go. By taking any damage you inflict grievious wounds on your enemy which will reduce their healing. A very useful item for champions building a lot of lifesteal like Immortal Shieldbow or enchanters such as Soraka who like to heal their ally a lot. When in need of this item, build it immediately after your mythic.


Hard
AMUMU

Very Hard
ASHE

Moderate
BARD

Very Easy
BLITZCRANK

Hard
BRAND

Very Easy
BRAUM

Moderate
FIDDLESTICKS

Very Hard
JANNA

Hard
KARMA

Very Easy
LEONA

Hard
LULU

Moderate
LUX

Moderate
MAOKAI

Hard
MILIO

Very Hard
MORGANA

Hard
NAMI

Easy
NAUTILUS

Easy
PANTHEON

Hard
POPPY

Very Easy
PYKE

Moderate
RAKAN

Easy
RELL

Hard
RENATA GLASC

Moderate
SENNA

Moderate
SERAPHINE

Very Hard
SHACO

Moderate
SONA

Hard
SORAKA

Hard
SWAIN

Easy
TAHM KENCH

Moderate
TARIC

Moderate
THRESH

Hard
VEL'KOZ

Hard
XERATH

Easy
YUUMI

Hard
ZILEAN

Hard
ZYRA
Alistar's early game can be tricky to play. How you play your early game is really matchup dependant. When the enemy runs a poke lane, your objective is to survive lane and secure your ADC as much farm as possible. When in a matchup you can punish look to position aggressively to deny as much farm from the enemy ADC as possible. Remember that bushes are your best friend and you can put pressure onto the enemy by playing in these bushes.

You have to be wary of lane state no matter the matchup you are in. There are 3 important wave states that you should acknowledge:
Freeze – Freezing is manipulating your minion wave to stay in the same place for a given amount of time. This is the hardest form of wave management, especially in the botlane as you are dependent on your ADC and your own ability of wave management. Freezing is done by only last hitting the minions and matching minions damage with your opponent.
The way you setup a freeze is linked to how close you are to your tower. The closer to your tower the more ranged minions you need, this is because your minions arrive quicker to lane then the enemy minions. The picture shows in what area you need a certain amount of ranged minions to freeze. Learning to freeze effectively requires some practice so don’t give up after the first one doesn’t work out. You want to freeze your wave when you are ahead or when you are in a difficult matchup and your ADC can farm safely so you can roam.

Slow push – Slow pushing already says what is does, it slowly pushes the wave. This one is easier than a Freeze as you don’t have to be focussing on what the enemy does. All you want to do is killing the caster minions in the wave and there you have it, a slow push. Slow pushing is something you want to avoid during laning phase in botlane. When you leave lane and the enemies have based you almost always want to be fast pushing the wave. The only time slow pushing is applied is in the later stages of the game where you want to prepare waves by slow pushing them in the side lane. This either draws attention of at least one enemy so you can make a play across the map or it builds towards a massive minion wave which helps you siege or denies your opponents a lot of experience and gold.

Fast push – Fast pushing is important during the laning phase. Fast pushing is done by killing all the melee minions of a wave and even clearing a complete wave in such a way that the wave crashes into the tower and starts slow pushing back to you. Fast pushing when the enemy botlane has backed denies them a lot of gold and experience while you get a good timing to base and get some items and catch the wave that bounced back from the tower.
Another viable reason to do so, is to roam. While the wave is under the enemy tower try to get some deep vision in the enemy jungle or look for a roam midlane. The last thing you can do with a fast push is setting up a dive. If the enemy botlane decides to stay you can have a free kill, if they back off they lose gold and experience. I only recommend diving when you know you can get a free kill and don’t risk the fact that you can fall behind because of a misplayed dive.
Another important part of the laning phase is to help out your jungler when he is invading or fighting for scuttle crab. Try to fast push the wave and follow him into the jungle to help him fight. By fast pushing you will force the enemy botlane to either miss the wave or leave their jungler for dead.
Alistar starts to become useful at level 2, as you have unlocked both your Headbutt and Pulverize. This will enable you to make engages in lane or peel your carry better. In lane you will always look to get level 2 first, as this is an important powerspike for you.

Don't always go for a level 2 push blindly as you need to be healthy aswell to make something happen. Try to help you adc push in melee support matchups such as Leona: these champions have a harder time punishing you.
Ranged matchups such as Janna are way harder: care to stay healthy and be patient on getting level 2.
In the example below you will see me laning versus a Janna and Caitlyn. These 2 will always outrange me, so I know that I need to play safe early and stay as healthy as possible while I cover Jhin when he tries to farm.

Keep in mind, not every ranged matchup works the same as every support player plays their own style, either agressive or more defensive. So as Alistar you also have some freedom to play a certain matchup and you have to feel that for yourself in your game.
Alistar’s positioning is critical to his role as a disruptive tank and playmaker. You’re not just standing in front of your team to absorb damage—you’re the one controlling how fights start and how enemies approach your carries. The ideal position for Alistar is just far enough forward to act as a wall between the enemy team and your own, but slightly off-center or hidden in fog of war. This way, you force the enemy to hesitate, unsure of where you’ll strike.

Staying near bushes or around corners in the jungle can maximize this effect. If the enemy doesn’t have vision of you, they have to play more cautiously, always expecting a sudden Flash + Pulverize. This threat alone can protect your team and give them room to poke or position more aggressively. But don’t stray too far from your carries—your role as a protector is just as important as engaging. Your primary job in positioning is to always be in range to react, either by diving into the enemy backline or peeling for your own.

Alistar also excels at body-blocking. Position yourself in a way that forces the enemy to hit you with crucial skill shots, denying them the chance to target your squishy carries. Small movements matter with Alistar—each step you take should either close the gap to engage or cover your backline from harm. Mastering this balance between aggressiveness and protection will make you a nightmare for the enemy.

Recalling is an important aspect of laning in general, but especially in botlane you have to time it correctly. As a support you always want to try and synchronize your recall with your ADC. When you want to Recall you are looking to push the minion wave under the enemy tower, as this gives you enough time to recall and come back to lane to catch the enemy wave pushing in.

In the example on the right you see Kalista and Rakan pushing the wave, getting 2 towerplates and recalling after that.
In the mid to late game, your objective when playing Alistar is to find engages or picks by Roaming and Flanking. Roaming will be discussed in the chapter “Roaming” and Flanking will be discussed here shortly. So what is a Flank? Flanking is when you take advantage of certain spots on the map to come up on the enemies blind spot to take them out, from their side or behind (from the jungle or a lane). As you can see flanking is pretty important as Alistar as you have strong CC to take enemies out.

In the example on the right, you can see a video of Alistar setting up a flank. By hiding himself out of vision he manages to surprise the enemy team. Vision is key to setting up a good flank, so make good use of your Control wards and Oracle Lens! Also Hextech Flashtraption shows it’s massive value in this clip as you have a lot more angles to surprise the enemy from than just the normal lanes or jungle routes. While flanking it’s important to not rush things and dare to take a longer route, this will make your flanks stronger. Choose the right moment to start your flank and choose the right path: Patience is key.
In teamfights, Alistar is the engine of disruption, and how you manage his crowd control can completely dictate the flow of the fight. If your team needs to engage, Alistar is one of the best champions to initiate. A Flash + Pulverize into the enemy team can knock up multiple targets, instantly breaking their formation and forcing them into chaos. Once you’ve disrupted their front line, follow up with Headbutt, either pushing an enemy carry into your team for a quick focus or knocking away a key threat trying to get to your backline.

However, initiating isn’t always the best option. In many teamfights, your role will be to peel for your carries. Stay close to your backline and be ready to react when enemy divers or assassins try to jump on them. Your Headbutt can be a lifesaving tool here, knocking away anyone who threatens your ADC or midlaner. Then, follow up with Pulverize to further disrupt anyone who manages to get through.

During all of this, don’t forget your ultimate, Unbreakable Will. This is a crucial tool in teamfights, as it allows you to tank immense amounts of damage while still keeping control of the fight. Use it once you’re deep in the enemy team or when you’ve taken crowd control and need to keep moving. While Unbreakable Will is active, you can continue to peel or disrupt, absorbing damage and creating space for your team to deal damage without being under threat.

Ultimately, Alistar’s goal in teamfights is to turn any situation into a win by either creating an opportunity for your team to focus a key target or protecting your carries long enough for them to deal damage safely. Master the timing of your combos, know when to engage versus when to peel, and you’ll be able to control the pace of any fight.

As Rakan you can do a lot of roaming and get a lot of value out of this by putting teammates other than your ADC ahead. With runes such as Water Walking and Celerity or items such as Mobility Boots your roaming becomes a threat as you will quickly move around the map. There are some rules linked to roaming:
    1. Only roam when your minion wave is under the enemy tower or your ADC can farm safely in botlane.
    2. Only roam when the enemy midlaner isn’t pushed under his tower so you can make something happen.
If one of these requirements is not met do NOT roam as this will put you or your ADC in a bad spot. You can roam from two different situations; you either roam from botlane after pushing in the wave or when you pushed the wave and come back from base instantly look to make something happen in the river area. The following pictures are coming from the site of mobalytics. For any further information on roaming have a look here.

Roaming from base
The first situation we are looking at is roaming from base. On the right is shown with roam pathings when coming from base. Alistar and his adc pushed the wave on botlane and based. Now he is looking for a roam on mid. He will use the blue dotted path to get behind the enemy midlaner. The same case for Blitzcrank on red side, he will follow the red dotted line to get behind the enemy midlaner. You don't necessarily have to go for a mid gank, as you can also look for a gank top or vision control in the river (check out the warding chapters).


Roaming from botlane (Blue side)
The second situation is when you are roaming from botlane. In this example we look at Alistar again. First you take one of the green paths, when you are pushed under enemy tower you take the path through the river, when your adc is farming under your tower you take the other path. From there on you can choose each of the purple paths. You decide to go through the enemy jungle when the enemy controls rift scutler, otherwise path straight to midlane. From there on you have to choose the best angle for a gank and that totally depends on the position of the enemy midlaner. I always favor wrapping around the longest route as you get more value out of this.


Roaming from botlane (red side)
The same goes for mr. Blitzcrank on the otherside of the map. When your wave is pushed in look to path through the river, if the wave is under your tower and there is no threat of a dive, path through your own jungle following the green paths. As for Alistar in the other example you can also choose the purple path you like from here. I do favor the longest route as this gives the highest reward most of the times as the enemy has to walk into you. When pathing through the enemy jungle beware of the possibility of a jungler that is clearing one of his camps, so be sure you are safe to go there!

In these examples I only talk about setting up a gank on midlane. When following these green and purple paths it can also just be as valuable to place down wards so you can see the opposing team path along these routes! See the warding chapters for more info on that.
Vision is one of the key things a support player has to do within his team. You are responsible for vison setup around objectives; this means clearing enemy vision and establishing your own. Not only around objectives but also inside the enemy jungle to spot enemies walking around or around your lane to spot out ganks or roams from enemies.
In the examples below the red circles indicate Control Wards and the green circles indicate Stealth Wards, these are interchangeable but I personally mostly use them this way. When using your Oracle Lens you also want to sweep these spots as they are commonly used warding spots. If you want to know how to setup vision in the topside of the map just flip the images, because Summoners Rift is mirrored in the river.


Early Game
1. This ward is a standard ward when you are on your side of the lane. It spots out jungle ganks and it gives your jungler safety to roam into the river to gank or go for an invade.

2. This ward is a standard ward when you are on the enemy side of the lane. This gives you as Support windows to roam or create deep vision because the enemy won’t know where you go.

3. This ward is good when someone else used his Control Ward in the botside so you can spot out enemy invades or midlane ganks.
4. This ward is a strong ward around minute 3. If the enemy jungler is clearing towards botside he will be there between minute 3 and 3:30. So seeing him pass on the ward helps a lot to avoid getting ganked.

5. This ward is good to cover a dive. If you are feeling you will get dove or you have no info on the enemy midlaner and jungler this ward is really good. It shows people in your side of the jungle which also helps your jungler.

6. You can ward the lane bushes when you think you need a ward in here. These wards are highly advisable when the enemy support is playing a lot around the bushes or you suspect a lane gank.

7. A ward in the middle of the river to check activity around Dragon or Scuttle Crab. This ward also helps spotting midlane roams early.

8. This ward can spot out the enemy jungler entering or leaving the river and if he ganks midlane, this ward is helpful for you midlaner.

9. This ward is useful to spot out lane ganks or for an ally to Teleport on as it perfectly cuts of the escape path of the enemy botlane.

10. This ward is deeper into the enemy jungle and helps getting info on the enemy jungler.



Dragon Setup
1. This ward is a good ward to deny enemy vision inside the Dragon pit. Be sure to place it inside the pit so it covers the full area of the pit.

2. If there is already a ward in the pit, this ward is very helpful because it shows the enemy pathing from midlane towards you if that is the case and it gives your carries time to position correctly in fights.

3. If there is already a ward in the pit, this ward is very helpful because it spots out enemy flanks from your jungle. This is the least useful of the 3 control wards so you could consider a stealth ward or no ward at all here.
4. This ward is good when your opponent just resets from a cross map play and you try to rush/sneak a dragon. Placing this ward will give you enough space to adapt according to the situation.

5. This ward is good when your opponent just resets from a cross map play and you try to rush/sneak a dragon. Placing this ward will give you enough space to adapt according to the situation. Try to have either this ward or ward 2 in position (can be a Control Ward).

6. This ward comes in handy when the enemy just pushed out their wave from the first botlane tower or closer to their base. This way you can see them coming your way and if they attempt to use a Blast Cone when present.

7. This ward is good when your opponent is pushing in mid and you try to sneak a Dragon. Placing this ward will give you enough space to adept according to the situation. Try to have either this ward or ward 2 in position.

8. This ward a deeper variant on ward 5. This gives you more time to adapt, but less information for a last moment decision.

9. This ward a deeper variant on ward 6. This gives you more time to adapt, but less information for a last moment decision.



Baron setup
1. This ward is a good ward to deny enemy vision inside the Baron pit. Be sure to place it inside the pit so it covers the full area of the pit.

2. When there is a Control Ward in the baron pit already, this bush is a good alternative to place a control ward in. You will spot out enemies trying to get behind the pit or coming from a flank angle.

3. This ward is good because it can show you enemies trying to get behind the pit or flank you from your own jungle. This ward will also help your carries to position accordingly. You either have to place ward 2 or 3.
4. This ward shows enemies coming from the botside. It will help your carries position accordingly.

5. This ward is important when trying to sneak a Baron attempt when they are hard pushing your toplane wave. This occurs rarely as you want to have a pushing wave toplane when attempting a Baron.

6. This ward will spot out enemies that just came from base and are pathing through topside (can also be a Control Ward).

7. This ward will spot out enemies that just came from base and are pathing through midlane.

8. This ward comes in handy when the enemy just pushed out midlane and are taking the safe route from midlane. This alerts your carries and gives them a lot of time to reposition.

9. This ward will help your carries position correctly if the enemy decides to engage from the topside if they just pushed out their toplane wave from their first tower or closer to their base.

10. This ward helps with fast decision making. You can spot out engages coming from across the wall easier and see if the enemy wants to try and fight you.

Vision is one of the key things a support player has to do within his team. You are responsible for vison setup around objectives; this means clearing enemy vision and establishing your own. Not only around objectives but also inside the enemy jungle to spot enemies walking around or around your lane to spot out ganks or roams from enemies.
In the examples below the red circles indicate Control Wards and the green circles indicate Stealth Wards, these are interchangeable but I personally mostly use them this way. When using your Oracle Lens you also want to sweep these spots as they are commonly used warding spots. If you want to know how to setup vision in the topside of the map just flip the images, because Summoners Rift is mirrored in river.


Early Game
1. This ward is a standard ward when you are on your side of the lane. It spots out jungle ganks and it gives your jungler safety to roam into the river to gank or go for an invade.

2. This ward is a standard ward when you are on the enemy side of the lane. This gives you as support windows to roam or create deep vision because the enemy won’t know where you go.

3. This ward is good when someone else used his Control Ward in the botside so you can spot out enemy invades or midlane ganks.
4. This ward is good to cover a dive. If you are feeling you will get dove or you have no info on the enemy midlaner and jungler this ward is really good. It shows people in your side of the jungle which also helps your jungler.

5. You can ward the lane bushes when you think you need a ward in here. Especially when you play versus a support that plays a lot around the bushes. Also when you feel like a lane gank is coming you need to make sure you have vision to spot that out.

6. Good ward in the middle of the river that spots out action around Dragon or Scuttle Crab. It also helps scouting out midlane roams early.

7. This ward is good to see when the enemy jungler moves into the river and you can maybe collapse on him with your mid/jungler. Furthermore, this ward is important to get down at around 3 minutes. When the jungler is pathing towards botside he will arrive between 3 minutes and 3:30.

8. This ward can spot out the enemy jungler entering or leaving the river and if he ganks midlane, this ward is helpful for you midlaner.

9. This ward will help scouting out lane ganks early and will give information on the enemy jungler.

10. This ward can spot out the enemy jungler when he is clearing his botside. If placed correctly it spots all 4 entrances of this point.


Dragon Setup
1. This ward is a good ward to deny enemy vision inside the Dragon pit. Be sure to place it inside the pit so it covers the full area of the pit.

2. If there is already a ward in the pit, this ward is very helpful because it shows the enemy trying to get behind the pit from midlane. Having a Stealth Ward here is very helpful aswell!

3. If there is already a ward in the pit, this ward is very helpful because it shows the enemy trying to get behind the pit from botlane. Having a Stealth Ward here is very helpful aswell!
4. This ward is good when your opponent is pushing in mid and you try to sneak a Dragon. Placing this ward will give you enough space to adept according to the situation. Try to have either this ward or ward 7 in position.

5. This ward is good when your opponent just resets from a cross map play and you try to rush/sneak a dragon. Placing this ward will give you enough space to adept according to the situation. Try to have either this ward or ward 6 in position.

6. This ward is worth it when the enemy is hard pushing botlane and you try to sneak a Dragon attempt. This way you will see the enemy botlane coming your way and your carries can adapt accordingly.

7. This ward comes in handy when the enemy just pushed out their wave in midlane. This way you can see them coming your way from a longder distance and if they try to engage on you.

8. This ward spots the enemies that are coming from base through midlane. These give early information on their position but won’t help with last minute decision making.

9. This ward spots the enemies that are coming from base through botlane. These give early information on their position but won’t help with last minute decision making.



Baron setup
1. This ward is a good ward to deny enemy vision inside the Baron pit. Be sure to place it inside the pit so it covers the full area of the pit.

2. When there is a Control Ward in the baron pit already, this bush is a good alternative to place a control ward in. You will spot out enemies trying to fight you in the pit and your allies can react accordingly.

3. This ward is good because it can show you enemies trying to flank you from your own jungle. This ward will also help your carries to position accordingly. You either have to place ward 2 or 3.
4. This ward comes in handy when the enemy just pushed out midlane and are taking the safe route from midlane. This alerts your carries and gives them a lot of time to reposition. This will also show any enemies trying to get behind the pit.

5. This ward is important as it spots out enemies trying to steal the Baron or enemies setting up a long range engage. Your jungler will benefit from this ward a lot as he can focus on his Smite timing.

6. This ward will spot out enemies that just came from base and are pathing through topside (can also be a Control Ward).

7. This ward will help your carries position correctly if the enemy decides to engage from the topside if they just pushed out their toplane wave from their first tower or closer to their base.

8. This ward will help your carries position correctly if the enemy decides to engage from the midlane if they just pushed out their mid wave. You should have either this ward or ward 2 in place.

9. This ward is important when trying to sneak a Baron when the enemy just reset. This ward gives early info but won’t help you with last minute decision making.

10. This ward is important when trying to sneak a Baron attempt when they are hard pushing your toplane wave. This occurs rarely as you want to have a pushing wave toplane when attempting a Baron.

Thank you for reaching the end of my Alistar guide! I hope I gave you some insights and new knowledge to apply in your games and become an Alistar fanatic just like me. Don’t forget to leave a comment with some feedback so I can update the guide! The best way to learn Alistar is by playing and applying tips you found in guides or on the reddit. Below you will find the Changelog and I will be updating it so you can see what changed in my guide without completely reading it over again every patch. I hope you enjoy your time playing Alistar and hopefully I will see you on the rift sometime!










Changelog
Download the Porofessor App for Windows

League of Legends Champions:

Teamfight Tactics Guide