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Recommended Items
Runes: First Strike
+10% Attack Speed
+9 Adaptive (5.4 AD or 9 AP)
+10-180 Bonus Health
Spells:
Flash
Teleport
Items
Ability Order Standard
Transcendent (PASSIVE)
Syndra Passive Ability
Threats & Synergies
Ambessa
With all the mobility afforded in Ambessa's kit, laning into her can be tricky. Be cautious when trading with Ambessa, as most of her skills have low cooldowns, making it hard to use scatter the weak effectively. Applying good pressure to her is the key to handling this matchup; otherwise, proceed cautiously.
Janna
Janna
When looking to make a splash in mid, I pick Syndra since I know how this champion feels and performs. Concerning Syndra's team set up and itemization, I will provide a more in-depth look at all this information below as you read this guide.
I hope you enjoy this guide and follow my suggestions to understand how Syndra performs optimally.
So let's kick things off in style with my guide on Syndra - The Dark Sovereign.
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Why choose Syndra?: - Has potent burst damage for fights and skirmishes. - Very impactful and has strong potential in getting objectives such as turrets/ dragons or baron nashor. - While not the most straightforward champion to learn, she brings lots of damage to the fight and is satisfying to play once mastered. I always enjoy taking her on the rift when playing League, and I hope you will too. |
Syndra gains power as she accumulates splinters of wrath, enhancing her abilities and providing them with new effects. She can gain splinters of wrath in several ways: - Damaging an enemy champion with abilities twice within four seconds; however, this can only occur on the same target once every 8 seconds. - Ranking up her abilities. - Killing a cannon minion. When Syndra collects a splinter of wrath from an enemy, she also restores some mana. |
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At 120 splinters of wrath, Syndra achieves transcendence, gaining increased ability power. |
| Effect Radius: 210 | Target Range: 800 | Recharge: 7 | Static Cooldown: 1.25 | Cast Time: - | Cooldown: 6 | Cost: 40 / 45 / 50 / 55 / 60 Mana | Syndra creates a Dark Sphere at a targeted location dealing magic damage to nearby enemies and remains on the ground for 6 seconds. It is handy for Syndra when poking her enemies and helpful when farming minions that auto attacks might miss. However, remember that it has an increased mana cost per rank; therefore, it is better to save it when looking to damage the enemy in short bursts. If used beyond its cast range, Dark Sphere will be cast at maximum range, and it can be activated while moving. |
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Transcendent Bonus: Collecting 40 splinters of wrath upgrades Dark Sphere to periodically stock charges, up to a maximum of 2 (charge refresh speed is affected by ability haste). |
| Effect Radius: 225 | Target Range: 925 (grab)/ 950 (throw)/ 500 (nearest target)| Cast Time: - | Cooldown: 12 / 11 / 10 / 9 / 8 | Cost: 60 / 70 / 80 / 90 / 100 Mana | Syndra grabs the nearest Dark Sphere, enemy minion or non-epic monster, holding the target for 5 seconds. If grabbing a Dark Sphere, the duration refreshes, but when grabbing a minion or large monster, it enters stasis until tossed. Upon recasting, Syndra throws the grabbed target towards the target location, granting sight of the surroundings and then dealing magic damage to all nearby enemies. All targets hit become slowed upon contact. Force of Will's added slow effect is potent when looking to chain a Dark Sphere on your opponent. Very useful when looking to secure the cannon minions needed while farming splinters to evolve your skills and scale into the late game. - Nearby Dark Spheres will take priority when Force of Will selects its target before minions and monsters. - Syndra can recast Force of Will while moving for better target acquisition. - Can be used to throw enemy pets away from nearby allies ( Summon: Tibbers, or Daisy!). |
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Transcendent Bonus: Collecting 60 splinters of wrath enhances Force of Will to deal bonus true damage. |
| Speed: 2,500 / 2,000 | Angle: 56° / (84° transcendent bonus) | Width: 120 / 200 | Collision Radius: 70 | Target Range: 700 / 800 / 1,300 | Cast Time: 0.25 | Cost: 50 Mana | Cooldown: 17 | Syndra unleashes a wave of force in a cone in the targeted direction, dealing magic damage to all enemy units hit. Additionally, it knocks them back away from Syndra, but not through any terrain. When one or more Dark Spheres hit a target, they become stunned for 1.25 seconds. Using Scatter the Weak is effective when pushing back enemies who get too close or on enemies who need to channel abilities, such as Galio's Shield of Durand, Samira's Inferno Trigger, Katarina's Death Lotus, or Miss Fortune's Bullet Time. Since it is the only disengaging ability at your disposal, saving it for incoming dives or near-death situations is advisable. |
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Transcendent Bonus: Collecting 80 splinters of wrath enhances Scatter the Weak to have an increased scatter angle and slows enemies hit. |
| Effect Radius: 3,000 | Target Range: 675 | Cast Time: - | Cooldown: 113.21 / 94.34 / 75.47 | Cost: 100 Mana | Passive: Dark Sphere gains ability haste. Syndra summons three additional Dark Spheres when using Unleashed Power. These spheres and any nearby ones are sent toward her target, dealing magic damage for each sphere that hits. After the initial cast, the Dark Spheres will remain on the ground briefly, allowing you to manipulate them with your other abilities. Unleashed Power is the only ability in Syndra's kit that requires a simple click to activate, making it relatively easy to use (unless the enemy breaks vision with you). Unleashed Power is an excellent ability to use as a combo finisher during duels and team fights. |
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Transcendent Bonus: Collecting 100 Splinters of Wrath enhances Unleashed Power to execute the target if they are below 15% of their maximum health. |
In this section, I will share some of the effective combos for Syndra that are simple to understand and that you can apply while playing summoners rift (draft and ranked) games.
Playing As Syndra:
- To maximize Unleashed Powers damage, use it when there are many Dark Spheres on the battlefield.
- After hitting an enemy champion with Force of Will, follow up with Dark Sphere; they'll be slowed and have difficulty avoiding it.
- Collect as many splinters as possible to benefit most from all your abilities.
Playing Against Syndra:
- Get Boots early when playing against Syndra; they'll help you avoid many of her spells.
- Attack Syndra after her Scatter the Weak is down since it has a long cooldown, so she'll be vulnerable.
- Syndra's spells gain bonus effects and appearance changes at max rank.
As a Syndra player, it's crucial to have a solid understanding of the primary objectives for each game stage. Also, remember that you are a scaling champion, so hitting all your power spikes will be essential for your success. Keeping this in mind can make all the difference in your performance. - Early game: In the game's early stages, your primary goal should be to gather as many minions as possible to earn both gold and experience. It will enable you to buy your essential items, giving you an edge over your opponent. Another tactic is to deny your opponent access to gold and experience by setting up a freeze or trading with them. Additionally, it's essential to keep an eye on the enemy jungle and ward off the area to prevent any unexpected attacks. - Mid-game: During the mid-game, look to see if you can split push lanes while keeping a close eye on your team to see if they need assistance. You can also stay with your team and fight to secure objectives like Baron Nashor, Rift Herald, or Dragons. When split pushing, exercise caution when collecting waves or jungle camps, and always be mindful of your opponent's location to avoid falling into an ambush and getting eliminated. - Late game: You must make strategic decisions to secure victory in the late game. It may involve pushing lanes, focusing on objectives, or team fighting to take down the enemy nexus. Staying focused and making intelligent moves is essential, as a single mistake can be costly at this stage. |
Before prioritizing objectives like dragons or rift herald, consider the potential dangers of wandering around the map:
- How much could you gain/lose when roaming compared to staying lane?
- What are the risks to me?
- Will I get ahead from roaming, or will I need to catch up?
As the mid-lane for your team, you hold so much agency and can change the outcome of a fight. However, if your involvement in the team fight might not change the outcome, it may be more beneficial to maintain pressure on the map from your current location.
To maximize your chances of victory as Syndra, only engage with Dark Sphere, Force of Will, Scatter the Weak or Unleashed Power once your enemies are in a favourable position to apply the most significant damage output.
Default
Secondary Options
Grab this on Syndra when you have to deal with championcrowd control effects applied to you ( Lux's Light Binding, Morgana's Dark Binding/ Soul Shackles, Leona's Shield of Daybreak/ Zenith Blade/ Solar Flare, Renata Glasc's Hostile Takeover or Ashe's Enchanted Crystal Arrow), along with gaining protection from future disabling effects and increased tenacity for a few seconds. Removes Ignite, Exhaust, Smite & grounded effects while being ineffective againstcrowd control effects such as suppression, nearsightedness, stasis or airborne. These can include: Poppy's Keeper's Verdict, Bard's Tempered Fate and Nocturne's Paranoia. Should you be affected by damage over time, attack speed reduction, armor shredding or grievous wound effects, using Cleanse won't remove them. For best use, trigger this spell after being hit by theimmobilizing impairment, not beforehand.
Exhaust is excellent for Syndra when going against champions who could take you down quickly, such as Draven, Fizz, Katarina, Master Yi or LeBlanc. With Exhaust's slow effect and damage reduction, you can gain an excellent opportunity to defeat an opponent, flee from combat, or reduce damage (not including true damage) received during fights and skirmishes.
Useful at reducing healing and making targets easier to kill while also dealing true damage. It's your go-to spell as Syndra when you wish to snowball the lane and have more kill potential on the rift. |
Stealth Ward
Stealth Ward is your main trinket in all games as Syndra, revealing units within a target location. You can place up to three Stealth Wards on the map. Great when side laning/placing deep wards in enemy territory or getting vision on objectives ( baron nashor & dragons).
Farsight Alteration
Farsight Alteration (available at level 9) is an excellent option for Syndra. It is helpful when split pushing or getting vision on objectives or target locations from a safe distance. Similar to Stealth Wards, you can use them to set up the adequate vision needed, but unlike Stealth Wards, they are visible to the enemy and fragile, therefore they will disappear when spotted or attacked.
Oracle Lens
Control Wards
Control Wards are a great source of vision denial, revealing and disabling enemy wards within a large radius. Control Wards function similarly to the Oracle Lens trinket, displaying nearby stealth & camouflaged champions ( Twitch, Rengar, and Evelynn). Although, when dealing with champions that possess invisibility ( Vayne, Kha'Zix or Teemo), they won't be revealed by Control Wards. Therefore, it's best to exercise caution around them. |
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A good option in games where casting abilities are more efficient for Syndra. Excellent to help increase your damage potential in the lane as Syndra by allowing for more ability casts, along with additional summoner spell haste reducing the cooldown of Flash or other spells at your disposal. Always consider them to create more impact plays during the game.
Sorcerer's Shoes are the default pair of taken as Syndra for the excellent synergy with your kit. The flat magic penetration gained from these Boots is very effective when dealing with targets with little or no magic resistance in combat.
Note that Mercury's Treads and Plated Steelcaps aren't as widely selected on Syndra relative to the other choices ( Ionian Boots of Lucidity & Sorcerer's Shoes). However, they can still be viable if the extra armor or magic resistance could benefit you in fights or skirmishes.
It is also great when looking to farm and acquire gold from minions.
The best way to know which starter item is more efficient depends on how you plan to build for each game.
When deciding whether to build Hextech Rocketbelt as Syndra, you need to assess the following: Do I require the dash to dodge the enemy skill shots or abilities? Am I fighting dangerous threats? Do I need the extra mobility? Do I need the added health?
- Dark Harvest provides a soul stack after damaging a low health target (repeating the process if you score a takedown). Since soul stacking is indefinite, the potential to execute opponents becomes immense as you reach the late game—an excellent option on Syndra when combined with evolved Unleashed Power. - Electrocute is an excellent short trade burst option for Syndra. Great for poking down the opponent after applying short, focused combos, wearing them down for an inevitable takedown. - Taking First Strike for Syndra is a reasonable means to gain more gold and extra damage in fights and trades. Effective in getting to item purchases faster. Always try to poke the enemy while it's active to get the most out of the effect. - Standard mage keystone option for Syndra when playing mid-lane. Arcane Comet triggers when you land an ability on the enemy (the cooldown varies based on the type of ability effect used). Excellent in matchups where the enemy lacks healing or shielding. |
- With the ability to displace targets using either Force of Will or Scatter the Weak, taking Cheap Shot for Syndra is an excellent choice, dealing additional true damage on a target recently affected by crowd control effects (not including suppression or airborne). While the damage values are small per effect, you can still maximize the rune allowing for more damage potential during fights. - When looking for a decent sustain option for Syndra, look no further than Taste of Blood. Damaging an enemy champion heals you for a small amount of health during combat with the enemy. Very effective when looking to get through the early game laning phase. - Syndra is a scaling champion, and Eyeball Collection will do everything you need to make her more powerful. So when looking for more potency in fights, consider this rune to help scale your total damage with autos and abilities, giving you more threat in team fights and skirmishes. - With Syndra's ultimate granting an execution on its target, this rune is a fantastic option for her going forward. Additionally, Ultimate Hunter grants ability haste on Unleashed Power, giving more chances to dominate in team fights & potentially shift the tempo of the game. Very strong when combined with items or runes that offer ability haste. |
- Magical Footwear allows Syndra to delay buying Boots to focus on getting your legendary and core items sooner. The added mobility can be beneficial when chasing down or escaping from targets. Takedowns will speed up the acquisition process. - Cash Back is an excellent ramping rune for Syndra, granting further access to core items spikes ( Luden's Companion, Rabadon's Deathcap, Stormsurge and Shadowflame) much sooner. - Triple Tonic can benefit Syndra, providing additional gold, damage to minions and an extra skill point (increasing your splinter count). It's an excellent option to consider in combat. - Biscuit Delivery can benefit Syndra, providing additional sustain for those tougher matchups or a quick recovery of health after early trades/fights. It's an excellent option to consider against poke matchups ( Lux, Heimerdinger, Malzahar, Vladimir) - Cosmic Insight provides more access to summoner spells ( Flash, Ignite, Teleport) and item/ward trinket haste. This rune is excellent when paired with items like active items that you may have in your inventory. It is also beneficial for increasing your vision score. |
- Triumph restores health and provides additional gold per takedown. A great rune option when looking to get your items quicker and is excellent for Syndra when looking to recover health after combat. - Presence of Mind helps Syndra grants mana regeneration after damaging the enemy. A great choice for constant poke during the lane phase and beyond, allowing you to maintain a steady pool of mana before entering team fights. - Legend: Haste is a very helpful rune for Syndra to gain more access to your skills in combat, thus translating into faster splinter gain (with Transcendent) and allowing to apply more poke damage/burst on your targets in battle. With the increased ability haste, eliminating targets becomes more straightforward and also helps to improve your overall presence in extended combat. - Coup de Grace is fantastic for Syndra offering more damage to champions under 40% health—strong rune option couples nicely with her overall high burst play style. - With Cut Down, Syndra's burst damage is further increased against target(s) who have higher than 60% of their max health. It's strong in the early-game and scales well into late-game skirmishes and team fights. |
- Mages love mana and Syndra is no exception. With Manaflow Band, as you damage champions, you will increase your maximum mana pool. After completing the rune, you begin regenerating some of your missing mana. A perfect pair with Archangel's Staff/ Seraph's Embrace, granting you more ability power for your skills, amplifying your damage in fights. - Transcendence provides Syndra more ability haste during fights, thus increasing your damage per second to enemies and objectives. A rune that meshes nicely with Syndra, providing more access to her abilities, thus granting more impact in fights and objective control. - Absolute Focus increases Syndra's all-around pressure in fights and duels. Since we don't have access to many healing sources, good positioning can help to ensure you are healthy enough to keep the damage bonus—helps to increase the burst potential you have and aids in making you a late game threat for all to worry about. - Scorch is an excellent early-game rune option on Syndra that provides added damage to any spell you hit your enemy with. It is especially effective when applying short-burst trades (pairs nicely with Electrocute or First Strike). - Gathering Storm is formidable for Syndra by increasing your overall damage (autos and abilities) against targets, scaling indefinitely. In addition, it works exceptionally well when combined with Syndra's splinter mechanic, providing increased amounts of damage should you have long games. |
When deciding on what rune shards (whether offensive or defensive) to pick for Syndra in each of your games, you have to factor in a few things in champion selection.
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Always pay attention to the team compositions you are fighting when mixing and matching the rune shards listed above with your Boots and items. It's a sure way to improve your overall survivability in games.
I hope you enjoyed this guide and will refer this to your friends and fellow gamers looking for tips and tricks.
Contact me in the discussion section for any questions or thoughts you wish to share. I'll be happy to discuss things with you and see how I can make sense of anything you need answers for to the best of my ability.
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