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Hi there! I've been playing Karma since Season 6! This guide is just a very general guideline of how to play Karma, with runes and itemization. If you'd like to ask more questions, drop a comment or drop by my stream! I stream almost everyday, and still play Karma frequently. Thank you for reading!

If you're interested in my other guides:

Enchanters:

Lulu -> Support Lulu
Nami -> Support Nami
Karma -> Support Karma
Sona -> Support Sona
Yuumi -> Support Yuumi
Milio -> Support Milio
Soraka -> Support Soraka

Mage/Tank/Utility:

Zyra -> Support Zyra
Ashe -> Support Ashe
Amumu -> Support Amumu
Heimerdinger -> Support Heimerdinger
Lissandra -> Support Lissandra

Off-Meta/Fun stuff

Miss Fortune -> Support Miss Fortune
Veigar -> Support Veigar
Trundle -> Support Trundle
Jarvan IV -> Support Jarvan
Pantheon -> Support Pantheon

- Very rewarding to play when piloted well.
- If you like being aggressive and having early laning pressure, Karma is kind of like an engage enchanter lane bully.
- Around mid/late game, you play more like an enchanter, by constantly using Mantra, for big team shields from Defiance, and Soulflare to keep ticking down Mantra cooldown.

Pros:
- Lots of early game opportunity.
- High potential to snowball similarly to an engage support lane.
- Can play it mid or top if necessary.

Cons:
- Hard to pilot efficiently.
- Pretty useless if not ahead from laning phase.
- Doesn't scale too well.

TLDR; Movement Speed is nice, Tankiness is nice to get closer in fights. Go mage if you're snowballing.

Support Quest Item Choice

Solstice Sleigh
- Very good as it essentially gives you a lot of desirable stats and more often at an appropriate time.
- If you're always using Soulflare to poke, then go...

Zaz'Zak's Realmspike
- For good poke and only for the mage build.

Dream Maker
- Better to sit back with and just give big shields.

Celestial Opposition
- Only if your enemies can't break the safeguard shield before a fight starts.


Boots/Shoes Choice
- Mercury's Treads if there's an absurd amount of CC or vs high AP team comps.
- Plated Steelcaps if there are multiple AD threats (at least 4)
- Ionian Boots of Lucidity are a very safe choice
- Boots of Swiftness if they have some very crippling slows that are hard to avoid, such as Ashe or Trundle Pillar of Ice

Karma has a lot of build diversity, because she can be played many ways throughout the game, but it does eventually go into 1 of 4 builds.

Tanky (all around good)
Poke Mage (good to snowball with)
Heal/Shield bot (if you're under no threat in fights)
Utility (having extra tools for your team)

While these items tend to go into one of these 4 builds, you can easily mix and match some of them, depending on how the game is progressing.

Tanky Items

Locket of the Iron Solari
- There's a lot of AoE damage on the enemy team to mitigate.
- There's a lot of burst champs that can kill you easily.
- Good when you're going even or behind. Even good when you're ahead, but not as optimal.

Knight's Vow
- If you're against a AD-heavy team comp, and you have 1 particular team mate who is doing very well, then this'll be a nice buy
- Keeps you alive pretty well too if you're playing closer to the front.

Abyssal Mask
- If you're against a AP-heavy team comp, then you can buy this and get pretty darn tanky while helping your own team's damage.

Trailblazer
- PERSONALLY, I love this item vs heavy AD comps, especially if they have a decent amount of range (ex. Jayce)
- Make sure the armor is worth it and to no longer auto-attack things in fights since you'll lose the movement speed.
- This is a good snowballing item, but very bad when behind, because if you can't get in front of your team to set them up with the trail, it's just a very inefficient use of the item.

Poke Mage

Imperial Mandate
- As a support, you'll have someone to actually proc the mark, so this works out much better. But if you find yourself alone a lot, then this is will suck.

Horizon Focus
- The utility of revealing people in jungle fights or scouting for vision so that you can walk into ward safely is highly unappeciated, while having a good amount of damage.

Staff of Flowing Water
- Ideal only for long rage Artillery Mages, such as Xerath or Hwei, because it makes their poke much more potent.
- Pairs decently with AD casters that have AP ratios, such as Ezreal or Kai'Sa, or while having multiple AP threats on your team.

Heal/Shield Bot

Moonstone Renewer
- It's not as strong as a standalone item and/or before Inspire is maxed.
- This allows for Karma to still be effective mid/late game because the shields from Inspire and Defiance become humongous. Because of this, Moonstone Renewer should be in almost every final build.

Redemption

- Relatively safe choice if none of the other legendaries look appealing to buy. Works much better if you pair it with Locket of the Iron Solari
- If you are constantly mid lane, and fights on the side lanes happen a lot, then this is a nice way to be able to help those fights.

Echoes of Helia
- Situationally good, because it builds out of the exact same items as Moonstone Renewer but Echoes of Helia can be used more offensively because of the damage and having more AP.
- Should only be the first item as it falls off pretty quickly due to Flat amounts of healing and doesn't scale very well.

Ardent Censer
- I usually don't end up buying this item in general, because if your ADC isn't doing too great, it ends up being a relatively weak buy.
- The only reasons why I'd buy Ardent Censer, is because I have at least another ranged Auto-Attack focused carry on my team ( Kayle, Corki, Graves, Kindred etc etc). AND/OR your hypercarry is really fed.

Dawncore
- Buy this item after your first two items, as it is the "deathcap" for heal/shield bots.

Utility

Shurelya's Battlesong
- Pretty good to snowball with as first item, as you can keep up your pressure, since it gives Movement Speed and a good amount of AP.

Mikael's Blessing
- I'd be looking to buy this if there's a bit of CC to get rid of, but if there's too much CC, then it won't feel impactful at all. The main choices of CC, usually Ashe's Enchanted Crystal Arrow, or Twisted Fate stun card or other ranged hard CC abilities to get use against. Otherwise, better to just build other items.
- If you can self cast this by buffering it just before CC hits you, this also becomes a Cleanse for yourself, which increases the value tremendously. Here is a youtube short demonstrating that. Mikaels as Cleanse

Vigilant Wardstone
- Most likely your last item, so you can keep control wards on the map for mid/late game.
- Also provides a bit of tanky stats for some survivability.

TLDR; Get closer and use your abilities. Don't forget your mantra cooldown.

Passive - Gathering Fire
- Hit your abilities, get Mantra 5 seconds cooldown reduced. (This does not include items that do damage)
- If you hit multiple enemy champions with a single Q, you will get 5 seconds off each champion hit.
- If they stand on Soulflare explosion, thats also 5 seconds off for each person standing on it.
- If you root an enemy with Focused Resolve or Renewal it is 5 seconds off for the initial cast, and the root itself. (Since it damages them twice)
- This is why its really important to be able to get closer in fights, to get your Mantra up as often as possible.

Q - Inner Flame
- This has a shorter hitbox than it may seem, but then the Soulflare has a bigger hitbox than than the explosion itself.
- The main way to hit enemies with Inner Flame is to try hit the minions with Inner Flame and have the AoE hit the champions.
- Just be very careful while doing this because it tends to mess up cs-ing for your lane partner, and that can frustrate them a lot.
- At level 1, with Soulflare before minion waves even hit each other, this is one of the best and hardest hitting spells in the game, so you can usually hit them while they are leashing Blue Sentinel or if they walk through Tri-Bush.
- In some cases, to stall for time or zone an area, you could Soulflare a river entrance and make your opponent hesitate to walk down and over the explosion.

W - Focused Resolve
- This is a good majority of Karma's skill expression. Being able to hold the tether while dodging enemy abilities, is the difference between an OK Karma and a Great Karma.
- Good Renewal timing also makes a Great Karma player, since the HP you get back is based on MISSING health, the closer you can get to almost dying, the more HP you get back and bait your enemies, and turn fights very often. Renewal counts on the initial cast AND the root, and it brings back to the point above.
- For Renewal the healing ALSO procs on the death of your target if they die before the tether goes through.
- If you're running low on hp and need a bit of a touch-up but you can't recall, then you can use Renewal on any jungle monster as well.

E - Inspire
- Once you start putting more points into Inspire, using Defiance will feel way more impactful, usually around mid-late game. However, if you can land a good Soulflare first, then within a few seconds, you can even still cast Defiance from all the Mantra cooldown you'll get back from Gathering Fire
- Staying just outside of Focused Resolve range will keep your opponents guessing if you decide to Inspire and run at them. The farther away from your enemies you are, the less pressure you have, which is why Enemies that have a lot of range will be harder to deal with.

R - Mantra
- You can cast this while under crowd control effects, so if you're still CC-ed and you want to use Renewal, you can pre-cast Mantra, so you can spam cast Renewal the moment you're out of CC.
- Once you start getting to mid/late game, and have a good amount of ability haste, Mantra comes off cooldown much faster than most people think, so always keep an eye on it's cooldown in fights.

TLDR; I think Arcane Comet is her best keystone, the Resolve tree is amazing, and adjust the minor runes accordingly. If I didn't mention a rune, then I thought it wasn't ever worth it. If you'd like me to add a rune to mention, leave a comment and I'll happily add it in.

Keystones:

Arcane Comet
- This is most likely Karma's best rune. She's very good early, and a strong lane bully, and if you ever land Inner Flame, Arcane Comet will almost always hit them.

Summon Aery
- I would take this in more even/losing match-ups due to likely that you have to hold your Mantra for Focused Resolve to survive lane or all-ins.
- Also makes for better damage from an auto-attack.

Guardian
- A good back-up option for bad lane match-ups, as this will provide extra survivability and make it harder for your opponents to win lane.

Minor Runes:

Nimbus Cloak
- It's so good to hold tethers on enemies, and EVEN IF the enemy has Flash, if you Flash on them first, after you Focused Resolve them, the amount of movement speed will likely still keep them tethered even if they Flash away. And if both of you don't have Flash, you can even pre-emtively Ignite or Exhaust just for the movement speed to keep tethers.

Transcendence
- Ability haste be good.

Celerity
- For more early game opportunity.
- Pair with Nimbus Cloak if possible.
- Works well with Inspire

Scorch
- To be taken with Arcane Comet, since you're more likely to be playing to be a lane bully

Gathering Storm
- If Scorch isn't looking promising, then this is a solid option.
- To make big meaty shields for mid/late game.

Resolve

Demolish
- If you have a constant wave pushing lane partner, and the enemy bot has a very hard time pushing back, then this will help rip the tower down even faster.

Font of Life
- Solid trading tool for lane, but doesn't provide too much outside of lane due to a long cooldown.

Conditioning
- This will help with durability once you get into mid-game to hold tethers with Focused Resolve and get into range to hit Inner Flame
- If Second Wind and Bone Plating don't look too appealing, this is a safe choice.

Second Wind
- Deal with poke heavy lanes so you're not too low.

Bone Plating
- Good vs All-in 2v2 lanes, as well as many enemy assassins on the enemy team.
- Pay attention to the cooldown of this, as it can bait a lot of enemies due to how much it will block if they decide to jump you.

Revitalize
- If you're looking to take Locket of the Iron Solari , this will definitely be a much more appealing rune choice.
- This does work with Renewal, and you will gain a surprising amount of health back.
- Also consider maxing Inspire after getting a few points into Inner Flame

Domination

Deep Ward
- Really good to snowball with as you'll likely be on the enemy's side of the map more often when you are ahead.
- Strong against champions who thrive from not being seen, like Fiddlesticks
- If enemy champions attack quite slowly like Jhin this'll make it much more annoying for your opponents to clear.

Grisly Mementos
- More uptime on Oracle Lens to help clear enemy vision.

Treasure Hunter
- Should only take this rune if you have a winning lane match-up, so that you increase your chances of actually getting your stacks.
- Try to avoid buying Control Ward until your second completed item. Once more important fights start happening (such as Baron or Dragon Soul/Elder), then start investing into Control Ward

Relentless Hunter
- Can't go wrong with more movement speed to get from place to place. And as a support, you're going to be rotating to a lot of fights.

Ultimate Hunter
- At max stacks, this does reduce 1 proc of Gathering Fire to Mantra another ability in fights, which can be extremely useful. it also helps for laning phase, because it will be active immediately, instead of waiting to hit level 6.

Karma is a pretty unique champion in terms of how she's played throughout the game, and that also makes her harder to master. So pay attention in each phase of the game.

Laning Phase/Early Game

- This is arguably where you have the most influence as Karma. You kind of function as an Engage-Mage-Enchanter-Poke-Lane-Bully. Looking for Soulflare opportunities, and while Mantra is on cooldown, you can look for Inner Flame on the ranged minions, because the enemies tend to be standing pretty close to them, in particular to when they try to auto attack your own ranged minions.
- When starting a fight, you will want to Inspire yourself for movement speed, Focused Resolve the enemy, (or Renewal if you're kind of low), and if you AND the enemy has Flash, you have Nimbus Cloak and therefore, you should flash FIRST, so that you can keep them tethered and root them. Afterwards, if you have Inner Flame or Soulflare hit em.
- If there isn't a whole lot happening, you can even Inspire yourself, to walk up and auto attack, just to get some Spellthief's Edge gold stacks.

Mid game

- How this will play out depends on how your laning phase went, because of how dynamic Karma can be played.

Ahead from laning phase
- If you're ahead, meaning some kills or turret plates, you can build more AP items, such as Dark Seal and Amplifying Tome to have more potent poke. You end up sort of playing like a mage who can do a lot of damage with more points into Inner Flame, and even get the kills yourself without anyone's help.
- This also kind of allows you to keep playing really aggressive like an engage support, since its unlikely your opponents can burst you at this point.

Even or Behind from laning phase
- Once laning phase ends and people start getting items, people will start dealing a lot more damage, and there will be more people in team fights that can just blow you up. So you end up playing much less aggressive, and focus more on playing like an enchanter.
- So instead of using Inspire to run up and Focused Resolve on a single enemy, you focus more on using Defiance instead. Especially if you only have 3 points in Inner Flame and/or build Moonstone Renewer.
- It all really depends on how fast you can die, so that you can actually get closer to hold tethers and land Inner Flame.

Mid/Late Game

- Its very identical to playing from behind from laning phase. Since people will have items, and it's likely you build items that don't make you tankier, it will become harder to live for longer periods of time in team fights.
- 4v4 or 5v5 fights will start happening a lot more often, and your Mantra will come up very often. Aim to use Defiance as often as possible, and only use Soulflare if you're for sure going to hit more than 1 person, so that Mantra is almost always ready to go for Defiance.
- The amount of value from Defiance becomes huge as you start shielding everyone from 400-800 every few seconds, and that will be much more effective than anything else Karma can do late game.

If you have any questions, leave a comment below! I'll be editing this as I go and be sure to let you know once I have more updates. Or if you'd like to ask me a question directly, you can go to my twitch stream! twitch.tv/navcan

There's also my tiktok
And my youtube!

Cheers and thank you for reading! Good luck on the rift