Who am I to be making a Pyke bible?

https://imgur.com/a/ZzKsjxT

I actually am just a Master player who peaked challenger last season(13) and have close to 3.0m on Pyke alone. I have been spamming him since release.This guide is a small summary of things i have noticed or tips i have acquired over the years.On some things i state the obvious, but again this is also a guide for people not that familiar with the champion as a whole or the dynamic of botlane.

Pyke is a champion best paired with good roam times and good reading of the map.Knowing where to be and where to get leads is crucial for success on this champion.If being pressured into performing seems anxiety inducing for you then you might want to reconsider playing pyke and move into your waters with something a little more chill like thresh.

Thanks for reading my guide and i hope it helped atleast someone enjoy the champion the way i have for the past 4 years.

Here is my Youtube channel incase you want to have some general idea who is making the guide

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCx0iQX2k80PntaTkS6yZkjQ

This is just the start of the guide,I will be making it better as time goes and i remember things i have missed ._.

Pyke is one of the strongest early game champions in the game and arguably the strongest level 1 support.
Making use of his strenghts is key for getting yourself or your team ahead(i usually prefer the first one).You should never force anything and instead should look for gaps in minions for a early hook or you could *cheese* the enemy bot by going past their minion wave and trying for a lvl 1 hook that would lead into a bad trade for them(this is matchup dependant).Around level 3 is the time that you should try(NOT FORCE) and look for enemy mispositions and get their flash.If you get the enemy ADC's flash before level 3 this is the moment they cant play the game anymore.Most of the time you dont even need to hook them(depending on enemy support) and you can just W into TAP Q and E(if they are immobile).

But what if the enemy Bot is godlike unkillable combo?
The combos im about to list are very hard to kill or they straight up outdamage you everytime no matter your adc.They are only killable if you are 2 brains ahead of the enemy or you are just mechanically superior.

(Nilah+Soraka)(Rakan+Xayah)(Milio+lucian)(Nilah+Taric)(Poppy+anything).

In these scenarios you should look to Push the wave and go for a roam(Be present on botlane if your Adc cant push it or is under tower(Ideal roaming time is if the wave is under the enemy tower or its frozen under yours and you know they cant dive your ADC).Ideally enemy midlane might be immobile :) so that is your cue to make his life miserable(BUT WHAT IF ENEMY MID IS AKALI or something with 20 dashes like Yasuo).Well in that case you should pay close attention to the decisions your jungler is making and make a decision.Is it worth risking my ADC's life for the glory of my jungler?.Most times the answer is YES and you should follow him into invades,be there when grubs spawn,help with ganks on midlane in order to make the % for success higher etc.

This is the best phase of the game and it starts when either Mid or Bot first tower is down.Ideally by that time you should have atleast 2 or 3 kills or assists to help you with your Youmuu rush.
The moment you get Youmuu+ Lucidity Boots+Bloodsong upgrade,you become a real threat to the whole map because of your MS and Damage.You need to push your lead and look to use it to get objectives and most importantly Ward key places depending on the state of the game.Pyke's W is an excellent spell for safe warding. But Where Do i ward??.

IF there is an objective at hand like drake,baron you should drop a ward on them and in close proximity to the given objective.(if both are up you should drop 1 ward on the objective you think is less important in the given moment just in case, and use your other wards to ward around the other one.

IF there are no objectives,look to ward enemy jungle camps like gromp raptors or river in order to prevent suprise ganks and give information to your team.

By that time you should have either ended the game or close to ending it.The more you stall the game,the less effective Pyke becomes.Of course that widely depends on the experience you have on the champ and your skill level.Id say use your ult for key targets only or on targets that can lead to a multiple man stun

NOTE: YOU DONT NEED TO EXECUTE SOMEONE IN ORDER TO USE YOUR ULT.MOST TIMES JUST LANDING A GOOD 2-3 MAN STUN BY ULTING BEHIND SOMEONE IS GOOD ENOUGH TO WIN A FIGHT.

I dont care how egoistic this sounds but by playing Pyke you should look to get Yourself ahead and not your ADC.The more you play league, the more you realise the only person you can trust to carry is you alone.Now that doesnt mean Kill secure everything in sight.It simply means dont be afraid to take kills to extend your lead.
Having that in mind i will walk you through some general info about your abilities and how to use them.

Q(BONE SKEWER)- This ability shouldnt be used reckleslly since you open your adc to get poked or engaged for free.Cast it in bushes and if you know you wont hit it or the chance is slim then dont cast it unless certain they cant answer back with a leona ult on your AD for example.In my own experience most people decide to dodge in the first 0,7 seconds after they see you charge it.Make a decision and cast it.You should only hold it if you want to give your team time to catch up,make sure the enemy cant run away because of paranoia or just threaten a hook leading into a skillshot from another one of your allies.You are most vulnerable when charging it so be cautious.

W(Ghostwater dive)-Should be used to get closer to your opponent(almost infront of their face) or to mask your intentions.(What do i mean by that).For example you cast w close to enemy botlane so they see the sharks and pretend to go into a bush close to them, but you actually have just left for a roam on the midlane.This gives an illusion of being botlane,while in reality you have gone on an adventure.

NOTE:DONT USE W AND E IN THE SAME COMBO FOR ENGAGE.ALWAYS HAVE 1 UP FOR READY FOR ESCAPE.THIS DOESNT APPLY IF YOU ARE 100% SURE THEY CANT PUNISH YOU FOR THIS.

E(PHANTOM UNDERTOW)-it is more usefull when used by pulling people into it with Q then E'ing backwards to safety.Most important spell in your kit to guarantee your safety and a stun on a hooked enemy.Use it in a combo towards the enemy if you cant be punished for it or guarantees a kill on someone with 0 dashes or no flash.

R(DEATH FROM BELOW)-find creative ways to use it and dont stick with just using it for an execute.This ability has way more potential than what you would normally think.Try to catch people with it or set up your E with it.The number of times i actually use if for an execute become lower the more aware the players on the enemy team are.I always save my recasts till the last moment and never use it on minions.You will be suprised how many times you can extend 1 ultimate for a whole minute and 20 seconds and make it seem like you have ultimate perma.Always look for possible plays by using a recast

Example: ULT behind+e the same direction you ulted into Q towards the team
Ult into tap Q into e backwards so u slow an enemy champ
Ult into tap Q into E forward to get multiple stuns etc.

https://snipboard.io/jD2XgQ.jpg