As the royal family of Demacia for centuries, members of the Lightshield line have spent their lives waging war against any who opposed Demacian ethics. It is said that every Lightshield is born with anti-Noxian sentiment in his blood. Jarvan IV is no exception, even though he is the first Lightshield born to the age of the League of Legends. As his forefathers had before him, he led Demacian troops into bloody engagements with Noxian forces, and on many occasions he has bled alongside wounded allies and fallen comrades. In his most crushing defeat, he was outmaneuvered and captured by a Noxian battalion under the command of Jericho Swain. This mistake nearly cost him his life at the hands of Urgot, but he was rescued by the Dauntless Vanguard, an elite Demacian strike force led by Jarvan's childhood companion, Garen.

Those close to him believed that his capture changed him. Xin Zhao was quoted as saying: "His eyes never seemed to look at you, only through you to something he could not look away from." One day, without warning, Jarvan IV handpicked a squad of Demacian soldiers and left Demacia, vowing to find "atonement". He began by tracking and hunting the most dangerous beasts and bandits he could find in northern Valoran, but he soon tired of such prey. Seeking something that only he understood, he ventured south of the Great Barrier. He wasn't heard from again for nearly two years. After many had assumed the worst, he returned to glorious fanfare on the streets of Demacia. His Demacian plates were adorned with the bones and scales of creatures unknown. His eyes bore the wisdom of someone twice his age. Of the twelve soldiers who had departed with him, only two returned. In a tone as cold and steady as steel, he swore to bring the enemies of Demacia to their knees.

There is only one truth, and you will find it at the point of my lance. - the last words of Jarvan IV at his failed execution

Jarvan is a very versatile support/assasin-type whose ability to lock-down targets, and effectively initiate team fights makes him an asset on many team make-ups. While some will want to build him very tank-like, I feel this is not the way to play him, and as such, build very attack-heavy. Feel free to comment with questions/comments/concerns!

-Pros:
Very nimble in use of Standard/Strike combo.
Passive makes him an excellent initiator.
Very good at locking down single opponents due to his ult.

-Cons:
Squishy if targeted.
Rather slow.
Sometimes proves to be mana-hungry.

We max out Demacian Standard first, as its harass capabilities prove slightly more useful than Dragon Strike. The damage between the two abilities are of minimal difference, yet the standard will provide you with immense passive buffs, and allow your teammates the same buff. 1 point early in Golden Aegis, purely for the slow effect.

As for sequence within combat, it's fairly clear: Open with Cataclysm to lock opponent in place, toss down Demacian Standard on top for the added damage, then quickly Dragon Strike to toss the enemy in the air. By now, Cataclysm will be running out, so use Golden Aegis to slow, and hopefully get another set of CD's before they get away (if you haven't already killed them.)

The Standard/Strike combo can also be used defensively, simply by throwing your flag behind you, and striking to it. You are not required to hit any enemies. This, along with Dragon's Aegis, make Jarvan fairly difficult to kill, especially in the late game.

Rune build is very straightforward:

-Greater Mark of Desolation Greater Mark of Desolation - Provides a very needed ARP stat.
- Greater Glyph of Might - Pure damage helps bring down characters when ganking and in team fights.
- Greater Seal of Clarity - Aid Jarvan with his otherwise mana-starved'ness.
- Greater Quintessence of Furor - One could argue of Might, Malice, or Alacrity. This is a matter of personal choice, really.

To begin, we start with Doran's Shield. Some may take the sword, but unless I'm dead set on drawing first blood (very possible with Jarvan,) I'd rather take the HP regen to lane longer, as it will be a good amount of time before you'll B for your first item.

At 1k gold, we take Madred's Razors. This will help your pushing ability, as well as give you some needed durability in the way of armor. The extra attack is always nice, too!

Afterward, we'll finish Madred's Bloodrazor and pick up Berserker's Greaves. Many will want to take [Mercury's Treads]. If your opponents are very heavy in casters, take the Mercury's. Otherwise, it's not worth sacrificing so much attack speed.

By now, we'll be hittin' pretty quickly; but not very hard. Pick up a Last Whisper, followed by a Bloodthirster. Most games won't get past this point, but if you find yourself needing a last item, assess your opponent's make-up. Personally, I prefer to pick up Frozen Mallet for the added durability.

-Why Exhaust?
You're awfully slow when your standard/strike combo is on cooldown. Exhaust not only helps keep enemies in range long enough to toss them in the air, it adds more to your utility/assasin role in lowering enemy effectiveness. This can help you be the initiator Riot intends Jarvan to be, as well as hold chasing foes at bay in case you must take off and run.

-Why Ghost?
You're STILL awfully slow. This not only helps you chase down runners, but will help you if you need to escape a gank or a team-fight. This second slot is a matter of taste and player preference, more so than the first. Sometimes I (don't yell!) even take heal for the added longevity in this spot. I could see flash being effective, as well as possibly clarity since Jarvan is so mana-hungry. Some may take Smite, but this isn't a jungling Jarvan build, so we'll leave that for someone else to touch on. :)

Jarvan can fill a number of different roles within a team, depending on your make-up. By using the above build, you'll find it easiest to play supportive initiator, or ganking assasin. I've even managed to carry using this build, although if there is someone more suited to the role, I'd let them do their thing.

I, of course, ask you try the build before you downvote. And if you -do- choose to downvote (happens. no big deal,) please feel free, encouraged even, to offer constructive critiques on how I may improve this build. Questions/comments/concerns are always welcome. I hope you enjoy your time with Jarvan. :)