Check out the video above for In-game footage examples to see how this build works.

EVERYTHING BELOW THIS HAS NOT BEEN UPDATED FOR SEASON 9. LET ME KNOW IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN THIS BEING UPDATED.




back to top


UPDATE: 12TH October 2017 - Tested this from Gold 5 to Diamond 5 - 70% Winrate ALL Solo Games, No Duo Queue, No Dodging, Same Build every game, NO FLEX QUEUE TO INFLATE WINRATE. USE THIS BEFORE SEASON ENDS TO GAIN ELO.

---

> >

This build will help you GAIN ELO and achieve your Ranked goals before the season ends, while having fun! This Diana build is not only FUN, but it's extremely EFFICIENT and VIABLE at every Elo. It's purpose is to burst, take towers fast and make plays. It surprises a lot of players, due to the fact you don't see the usual Nashor's Tooth or Rod of Ages, which take too long to get your power-spike. Play it NOW before it becomes too mainstream.

---

Why trust this guide? I have experience in ALL ELO's. I see some Challengers offering advice to Lower Elo players, and while they have good intentions, this JUST DOESN'T WORK. It's like trying to perform a Wheelie on a bike (riding with only 1 Wheel), when you can't even balance on 2 wheels yet. I actually have REAL recent experiences in all elo's, so I see what works and what doesn't

---

I've climbed from Bronze to Diamond in EVERY ROLE with a MINIMUM of 5-10 champs in each role (Highest: Diamond 1 67lp early Season 7). I've played this game for over 4 years, focusing on climbing on new accounts. I'm a mid main with a passion for Mages and Assassins. I can guarantee that if you follow this guide, you WILL achieve your goals this season (Silver / Gold / Platinum / Diamond). I will be putting 100% effort into my Twitch Stream and Youtube Channel. Please feel free to message me for ANYTHING you need.

back to top

---

---

The 2 most optimal marks here are Greater Mark of Magic Penetration and Greater Mark of Attack Speed. There are a few options worth noting. Mix these up to your preference or situation. Get Magic Pen against most Ranged Champs / AP Poke. Get Attack Speed against Melee Champs (since you'll have more opportunities to proc your 3rd auto).

Option 1

x9 Greater Mark of Magic Penetration: This has always been the best option for AP champs, as it provides the most damage.

Option 2

x9 Greater Mark of Attack Speed: These help Diana's 3rd empowered auto proc faster, but you will lose some damage on your other abilities. They also help you push faster.

MY PREFERENCE
x5 Greater Mark of Magic Penetration + x4 Greater Mark of Attack Speed: Her auto's feel much smoother yet you aren't sacrificing that much Magic pen. Also, since her latest buff, Diana has all the attack speed she needs.

---

---

---

Option 1

x9 Greater Seal of Scaling Health: Are the safest and most efficient seals for Diana. Flat health doesn't scale as well, and as Diana, you aren't going to be making HUGE plays before level 6 anyway.

Option 2

x9 Greater Seal of Armor: Are the next best option, especially if you're against AD Mids and AD Junglers.

---

---

---

Option 1

x9 Greater Glyph of Magic Resist: Being a melee champ, Diana will most likely need MR to defend against a lot of Poke.

Option 2

x9 Greater Glyph of Ability Power / Greater Glyph of Scaling Ability Power: If you're confident on your ability to dodge abilities OR you are up against an AD champ, take these. They will provide extra damage, and even buff your Pale Cascade, since it scales with AP.

Other Options
x6 Greater Glyph of Scaling Cooldown Reduction + x3 Greater Glyph of Magic Resist: Since this Diana guide includes 3 core items with cooldown reduction (Protobelt 10% + Lich Bane 10% + Zhonya's 10% = 30%), this isn't necessary. However, if you feel like you want to swap out one of the core items for something else (even most other items include CD), then this is the last option for that. Very rare option.

---

---

---

x3 Greater Quintessence of Ability Power: Most efficient and optimal choice is AP. Remember, this build is focused of BURSTING, and these help us do that.

---

back to top

---

By far the best and most optimal keystone is Thunderlord's Decree . Bursting is the focus of this build and this Keystone helps you do that.

List of Masteries to change depending on the situation and your judgement:

• Fresh Blood over Feast if you feel you don't need any sustain in lane.
• Double Edged Sword (or Bounty Hunter if 5 squishy champs) over Battle Trance if you feel confident you can kill most of the team before they can deal any serious damage to you.
• Assassin over Secret Stash if you feel you don't need any sustain in lane.

Everything else should be left the same.


back to top

Flash Flash: The most optimal summoner spell in the game that works amazingly with Diana's kit. Great for picking up kills if your opponents are slightly out of Lunar Rush range, and great for defensive purposes such as surviving ganks and getting caught in a bad position during teamfights. Ignite Ignite: Since this build is focused on bursting with an assassin-like style, it only makes sense to get an offensive summoner to secure kills and quickly become the most fed champion on the rift. It offers kill pressure before level 6, since there will likely be skirmishes during laning phase. Teleport Teleport: This is another great summoner that can replace Ignite if you feel you're going to have trouble laning. Teleport provides safety if you take too many bad trades. It can also be used to split push later in the game, as Diana is great for 1v1's and taking towers. My personal preference is Ignite since I will be 100% focused on getting kills and snowballing my lead every part of the game. back to top CORE ITEMS Hextech Rocketbelt: This is by far the best 1st item for early burst. It's relatively cheap, compared to most other first items. It's got a great build path. The Hextech Revolver supplies nice damage, while the Kindlegem provides HP and 10% Cooldown early on. Its passive is also great for gap closers and damage. You can even use it to wave clear in tight situations. And it even scales with AP. Lich Bane: This item synergizes very well with Diana. The empowered auto, the extra mana, the Cooldown and some movement speed. It helps Diana push towers. It even scales well. Great build path. Zhonya's Hourglass: An amazing item when you want to go deep into a teamfight. Maybe you decide to go onto a Twitch and he flashes. Now you find yourself surrounded by 5 enemy team members. No problem. Hit that Zhonya's active and wait for your team to catch up. It also gives you time for your cooldown's to refresh. Its got a great build path, especially against AD Champs. Seeker's Armguard even provides some stats boosts, if you find yourself building it earlier. Luden's Tempest: The ultimate burst item. Getting this as your 4th item is rare, as the enemy team will be stacking MR, forcing you to build Void Staff before. Apart from that, it provides that burst damage, some movement speed (since Diana is a melee champ, she needs all the movement speed she can get), and even some nice splash damage that scales. OR Rabadon's Deathcap: If you're extremely fed. The ultimate scaling AP item, and the most expensive item in the game. Boosting your AP by 35% late game, is all you need to finish out games and completely destroy your opponents. Build path can be annoying, as you wont have space in your inventory late-game to fit all the components. Void Staff: The most optimal item when it comes to mid-late game. Once the enemy team start building MR, it is essential to build this item. Even if you have the gold for Deathcap, this is still more efficient, which ultimately means you'll be doing more damage. BOOTS Sorcerer's Shoes: The most common and effective boots for bursting. Pick this up after Protobelt or Lich Bane. Magic Pen and Movement Speed is great for early roams, dodging skillshots, and getting to lane faster. Ninja Tabi: Great against a heavy AD team, or heavy auto-attack reliant teams. Mercury's Treads: Great against heavy AP teams, or heavy CC teams. Ionian Boots of Lucidity: If you ever find yourself forced to build differently, and don't have enough Cooldown, then this is another option. Slightly cheaper and provides great CD on your summoners spells. I would not recommend any other boots, however, if you want to experiment, here are some options: Mobility Boots: Roaming non-stop or having to walk to lane quicker. Sacrificing damage or tankiness is not worth. Boots of Swiftness: If enemy team isn't damage heavy, but have a lot of slows, this may be optimal boots. Berserker's Greaves: With Diana's latest buff, attack speed isn't necessary if you're going a squishy burst build like this one. However, these are still great to proc your 3rd empowered auto, as well as taking towers quicker. back to top P: Q: W: E: R: PASSIVE ABILITY Moonsilver Blade (Passive): Diana's passive grants her 20%-90% attack speed after she's used an ability, for the next 3 basic attacks. This is great because it can proc her 3rd empowered auto faster. Her 3rd basic attack cleaves nearby enemies and restores mana. This is great for clearing waves, dealing additional damage to champs standing next to each other (great for 1v2 potential) and helps Diana push towers fast. An amazing passive overall. Spoiler: Click to view Play Video Q Crescent Strike (Q): This is Diana's safest ability. Hitting this ability on an enemy champ, sets up Diana to follow up with Lunar Rush, without putting Lunar Rush on Cooldown. It's a unique skill-shot because it curves from the right side of Diana. This build is heavily reliant on hitting this ability. If you decide to Lunar Rush without landing Crescent Strike, you have no escapes as Lunar Rush will be put on a long cooldown. Spoiler: Click to view Play Video W Pale Cascade (W): An amazing defensive and offensive ability all at the same time. It rewards you for getting close and proc'ing your 2nd shield, by detonating 3 spheres. This is great for tanking enemy poke and minions, and even helps her push waves fast. Spoiler: Click to view Play Video E Moonfall (E): The passive helps Diana increase her attack speed, which helps this build immensely since we won't be purchasing any attack speed items. The active is a large circle CC which brings all enemy champions towards Diana and slows them afterwards. With Pale Cascade activated, Moonfall helps proc all 3 spheres for damage and a shield, as well as set Diana up for dealing heavy damage whether it's through auto attacks or other spells. Spoiler: Click to view Play Video R Lunar Rush (R): This ability is heavily dependant on landing Crescent Strike. If you successfully hit Crescent Strike, you have the opportunity to Lunar Rush to your opponent, with the option of backing out to a minion nearby, or continue to deal damage by following up with another Lunar Rush. Sometimes enemies will be so low, it won't even be necessary to land Crescent Strike. You can simply press R and secure the kill, making Diana an amazing champ to clean up fights. Spoiler: Click to view Play Video Handy Tip If you're VERY confident your Crescent Strike will hit, you can INSTANTLY Lunar Rush on to target even BEFORE the Crescent Strike hits and Lunar Rush Cooldown will be reset. This is great for FAST bursting without giving the enemy time to react. back to top Here's where the fun really starts. MAIN OPTIMAL COMBO: for most damage with gap closer. Play Video Crescent Strike -> Lunar Rush - Pale Cascade while travelling -> Auto (Lich Bane proc) -> Protobelt -> 2nd Auto -> Moonfall -> 3rd Empowered Auto -> Lunar Rush -> Auto (Another Lich Bane Proc) This is extremely situational and assumes enemy has no flash and there is no heavy CC to interrupt you. OPTIMAL COMBO: for most damage with no gap closer necessary (eg. they walk into a brush you're standing in) Play Video Pale Cascade -> Auto (Lich proc) -> Crescent Strike -> Auto -> If they flash over wall or brush, you can follow up with Lunar Rush since you will have vision from Moonlight, otherwise -> Protobelt -> Auto -> Lunar Rush -> Auto (another Lich proc) -> Moonfall -> Lunar Rush (if you didn't need to gap close) -> Auto until Cooldowns are up MOST COMMON COMBO: Play Video Crescent Strike -> Lunar Rush - Pale Cascade while travelling -> Auto -> Protobelt -> Auto -> Moonfall -> 3rd Auto -> Lunar Rush -> Auto until cooldowns are up Need to gap close before Main combo? You can either use Hextech Rocketbelt, or Flash. If you decide to use flash, you have to be confident you'll hit Crescent Strike. Practice against bots or in normals to get a feeling for timing and range. Main difference between this and the Optimal Combo, is that you probably won't have time to proc 2 Lich Bane auto's. QUICK KILL SECURE: (If Crescent Strike is on Cooldown but you're confident you can kill them because they are either low health, you are fed or you have your team backing you up). Play Video Lunar Rush - Pale Cascade while travelling -> Auto (Lich proc) -> Protobelt -> Auto -> Moonfall -> 3rd Empowered Auto BAIT COMBO: You have your jungler coming from one side, but you have 2-3 enemies in front of you, OR You want to bait out a teamfight by jumping into 2-5 enemy team members. Play Video Crescent Strike (try to hit as many as possible for most output damage) -> Lunar Rush target (preferably the squishiest or biggest threat) -> Moonfall -> Zhonya's Hourglass! If you feel like you won't have time for moonfall because of enemies heavy CC, just Zhonya's straight after Lunar Rush. While you're in Zhonya's (2.5 seconds of stasis), your team should then back you up, giving you time to refresh cooldowns and decide if you want to Lunar Rush to a squishy who's close by, or slightly back out and wait for your Crescent Strike cooldown. The rest is completely situational. HUGE GAP CLOSING COMBO: Great for kill securing an escaping target. Pretty much equivalent to 3 flashes, with sacrifice to damage. Play Video Crescent Strike to minion, jungle monster OR enemy champ (not your target) -> Lunar Rush to Moonlight victim -> Flash towards target -> Lunar Rush target - Pale Cascade while travelling. QUICK OUT-SMITE COMBO: Play Video Remember, you can use these combos on Dragons and Barons. Q -> R + W -> R for extremely fast burst to out-smite a lot of unprepared junglers. INSTANT R + Q -> R (MUST BE DONE FAST): Not recommended unless you have low ping and are almost 100% sure your Crescent Strike will land, otherwise you risk dashing into a fight without another Lunar Rush. Play Video back to top Early Game / Laning Phase At level 1, you want to take Pale Cascade. This ability helps you push and tank enemy harass, whether its Auto's or Abilities. It's important to dodge any skillshots, while trying to basic attacks minions to pro your 3rd empowered auto from Moonsilver Blade. Try to place your 3rd auto between as many minions as possible to ensure you push the wave fast. Don't just use Pale Cascade unless you are 100% going to take damage from the enemy. The goal here is to force the enemy to either miss CS by pushing the wave into their tower. At level 2, you want to take Crescent Strike. Try to hit both minions and your opponent. Pushing the wave into the enemies tower is important, however, its also a good time to ward. You should be warding either at enemies Raptor camp, or behind their Blue Buff camp. This forces the enemy jungler to path all the way around if they want to gank you. Another advantage of pushing in the wave is being the first to join a skirmish if your jungler decides to invade. Once the wave is pushed into the enemies tower, they will have to risk losing 1-2 waves, for a potential kill, all while being under-levelled. At level 3, you have a few options. You can take another point in Crescent Strike if you want more damage to poke and waveclear. If the enemy is someone like Xerath or Vel'Koz, who is continuously hitting his spells, you can get another point in Pale Cascade. You should still be pushing the wave but this time you have some extra shield to tank. Last option is a point in Moonfall. Although very rare, if you are receiving a jungle gank and need some form of CC, AND you can get in melee range of the enemy, using Moonfall will help you displace and slow your opponent for a kill. From levels 4-5, you should max Crescent Strike and focus on just getting to level 6, which means continuing the push. You can probably pick up a Hextech Revolver, a Refillable Potion, A Control Ward and some Boots. You've now reached level 6. You now have CRAZY kill potential and any champ who doesn't respect your damage will suffer. Focus on landing a Crescent Strike during laning phase, and once hit, you need to decide if you want to Lunar Rush in, depending on where the enemy jungler is. Sometimes players will purposely get hit by Crescent Strike in order to bait you for an all in. The advantage to landing Crescent Strike, is that you still have an option to back out (onto enemy minions), if you see the enemy jungler coming in or you feel as if your enemy laner has potential to kill you. If you have your jungler coming in for a gank and happen to miss Crescent Strike, you can still use Lunar Rush, followed by Moonfall, to you help CC the target and secure a kill, as long as both of you have enough damage. Remember, missing Crescent Strike not only leaves you vulnerable without the extra Lunar Rush for escape, it also sacrifices a lot of damage (since you're missing out on both a Crescent Strike and another Lunar Rush). Your main item to rush is Hextech Rocketbelt. This provides enough damage and even utility, to catch and secure kills. Since Diana is melee, the active provides Diana with a way to re-position herself with some more auto's. The health and cooldown is great too. Early-Mid Game / Out of Lane Phase After Crescent Strike, you want to max Pale Cascade. It provides damage and shields. You have quite a few options to play Diana when you have 2-3 core items. Is the enemy team mostly squishes? Time to play Assassin. Roam the map and look for any potential enemy champs who are positioned away from their team or simply over-extended. You have the potential to 1v2, if you're aware of what summoner spells the enemy team has active, so always have the mindset to try. Is the enemy team stronger 5v5 and your team is far behind? Time for Split Push Diana. It's up to you to carry this game. Force the enemy to come and deal with you if they want to stop your push. With Lich Bane, you will push towers very quickly. If the enemy doesn't make a decision quickly, they will be forced to lose towers or start a teamfight or even risk a baron call. If they send 2-3 players after you, you can choose to pick 1 target and attempt to burst them. Even if you go 1 for 1, it will allow the rest of your team some breathing space and allow them some time to catch up through farming side lanes. They may even decide to fight 4v3 or 4v2 and win a fight on their own. Is your team full of early game champs playing into a late game comp? Time to Group and Force Fights with your Zhonya's Hourglass. As stated in the items, this is the perfect item to force fights, with minimal risk of instantly dieing. These games WILL happen. Don't allow scaling comps to safely farm. You need to take initiative and force either objectives, such as Baron or Dragons, or start a fight. You can also look to catch people out, which Diana excels at. Late Game Things start to get slightly harder for Diana as time goes on. Since you rely on burst, a lot of champs will have picked up a Guardian Angel, some Magic Resistance and even a Zhonya's Hourglass of their own. You can still dominate but you'll have to be a little more cautious before you enter a teamfight. This is also the time when most champs have their summoners spells up. At this stage, you will have plenty of AP. Use Crescent Strike to try and hit as many enemies as possible. If the enemy ADC is too far back, you can always use Crescent Strike on a front line champ, using Lunar Rush, then another Lunar Rush to jump onto the ADC. This stage of the game will also depend on how experienced you are with Diana. There will be times when you Lunar Rush in, get CC'd, and then instantly die, without using Zhonya's Hourglass. Eventually you will pick up reaction skills to avoid these situations. Understanding what other champs are capable of and their CC, will allow you to abuse your strengths. Has the enemy team used 2 big CC's? Time to go in! back to top UPDATE: 12TH October 2017 - Tested this from Gold 5 to Diamond 5 - 70% Winrate ALL Solo Games, No Duo, No Dodging, Same Build every game, NO FLEX QUEUE TO INFLATE WINRATE. USE THIS BEFORE SEASON ENDS TO GAIN ELO. Thanks for choosing to read my Diana guide. This build is both fun and efficient in bursting like a true assassin. Please don't hesitate to message me on my Twitch or Youtube channel if you have any questions. This will be updated with each patch in order to stay relevant. Use this build before it becomes mainstream and people start perma-banning Diana! It's very rare to find builds with this much fun built in, while still being viable. Again, I will be putting 100% effort into my Twitch Stream and Youtube Channel. Please feel free to message me for ANYTHING you need. If you have any tips I can improve on with this guide, please don't hesitate and let me know in the comments below or message me here, Twitch or Youtube. Could I improve on the layout of guide? Was it easy to understand? Should I go into depth on a certain topic and what topic would that be? How does this guide compare to others guides you've seen? Any other questions would really help. Thanks! Thanks to: (will be adding names and all those people who put out guides, with the proper links, when I have time!)