Ok so Aatrox is still very new stuff, this is the build i tried on him and it worked so far. Since this is just a sketch i won't go in-depth and won't really bother with making it beutiful.

So please try out and leave your thoughts in the discussion. Depending on the feedback i might write an in-depth guide for Aatrox.

P.S.: Yea i know it's kind of a text block...
P.S.2: C2V turned on becuse of downvoting without a comment...

I just used my standard solo top runes, nothing fancy. I guess the usual alternatives work on him.

Mark of Attack Damage

Best early game AD runes, add Aatrox's high starting AD and his scalings, pretty obvious.

Seal of Armor

Standard solo top runes, even if you decide to run him jungle these are the stuff for you.

Glyph of Magic Resist

Again pretty standard solo top/jungle runes. Either these or scaling ones do fine.

Quint of Attack Damage

Same as marks, best early game boost and goes well with Aatrox's kit.

Yea i know that Riot recommends 21/9/0 and the few guide i saw so far run 21/9/0 too. My thoughts were why go for 21 in offense, you barely benefit from most of the things to reach Executioner , rather go for higher sustain.

His skill kit lets him do pretty high damage even with lower AD so going for a tanky build is more beneficial in my opinion.

Offense

- Optional Summoner's Wrath if you want the little buff from it
- Fury for the extra attack speed to proc Blood Thirst/ Blood Price faster
- Deadliness for more bonus AD which scales as you level
- Weapon Expertise for some armor penetration to increase your damage

Defensive

- Durability , Veteran's Scars , Juggernaut for all the extra HP
- Hardiness , Resistance , Defender for all the extra armor and MR
- Unyielding , Block , Reinforced Armor and Honor Guard to further reduce damage
- Relentless to decrease slows for better chasing/escaping

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Blood Well

This passive is insanely strong. As you use your skills, the HP cost goes to the blood well, for every 2% of your blood well bar you gain 1% attack speed, for a total of 50% attack speed. Pretty nice bonus according to how easy it is to fill the blood well bar. A nice little extra, if you die you restore the HP stored in your blood well over 3 second. During this time you are in stasis and cannot be targeted.

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Dark Flight

Very good mobility skill with nice range and not so long CD. In the target area you deal pretty neat damage and knock up everyone in the inner part of the AoE effect. This skill can be used to gank, to initiate a fight or even to escape. Funny thing that stuns only apply when you land, not interrupting the channeling... which is actually very short. I prefer maying this over Blood Thirst/ Blood Price becuse they don't really scale by putting more points into it.

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Blood Thirst

Pretty simple, you heal 20/25/30/35/40 + 25% of your bonus AD every 3rd hit. Pretty much like Xin Zhao except that this scales from AD. When you are below 50% health the healing effect tripples. Use this during farm so you regain the skill costs and the health you lost on harasses.

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Blood Price

This is the Blood Thirst skill trigerred, instead of healing it gives nice extra damage for the cost of health. Can hit pretty hard and it fills the blood well, but it's wise to turn it off somewhere around 50% of your HP, depending on your personal favours.

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Blades of Torment

Really low cost with short CD and good damage, i recommend maying this 1st. You can use this to keep your blood well full, to farm or to harass your lane opponent from afar or to slow down the one you chase. Overall a very good skill. Just keep in mind that the AoE gets thinner the further it travels.

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Massacre

The skill name pretty much says it all... You deal magic damage around yourself (pretty high actually) and buff your attack speed and range by a huge amount. With blood well filled this skill pushes your attack speed to around 1.5 without any attack speed items, with a Blade of the Ruined King or Wit's End you go to around 2.0 attack speed. The extra range granted helps a lot to chase enemies. The buff duration is 12 seconds (nearly the unlucky 13 meh) and only 70 sec CD on lvl 3, with some CDR items you can use it way too often...

A few combos to chop at the enemy.

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General combo, use Blades of Torment to slow down the opponent than jump on him with Dark Flight.

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Ganking combo, jump on the opponent and start chopping him, when he starts running use Blades of Torment, this way none of the slow is wasted during the knockup.

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Jump into the enemies and pop Massacre as you land to do some neat burst and buff yourself. You can either slow them with Blades of Torment before the initiate or save it for the runners.

Ninja Tabi

Best boots vs ADCs and AD tops. Also one of the cheapest, nuff said.

Mercury's Treads

MR and tenacity, choose these if you go vs an AP top or the enemy team has heavy CC.

Berserker Greaves

Are you fed? Chop them down faster... Choose these if you are fed or there are no real threats.

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Wriggle's Lantern

Aatrox is pretty much auto attack based, he has nice attack speed even without attack speed items, so this one is pretty obvious. Free ward!!!

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Blade of the Ruined King

Buy an early Bilgewater Cutlass finish later, great synergy with Blood Well and Blood Thirst/ Blood Price.

Ravenous Hydra

More AD, more AoE threat, more life steal... Not sure but i think {lood price extra damage travels along with the effect.

Last Whisper

Very cheap item with some nice AD and the insane armor penetration. Increases all your damage except Massacre's.

Black Cleaver

Nice AD, some HP and lots of armor reduction, i still think this item is damn strong. The CDR is pretty useful too.

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Randuin's Omen

Huge armor bonus along with 500 HP. The passive is simply great for dueling and it's active for chasing or escaping. Great tanky utility item.

Spirit Visage

Huge MR, some HP and a great passive which increases you lifesteal and Blood Thirst healing amount. The CDR lets you keep up Blood Well easier and dish out more damage.

Warmog's Armor

Best HP item with lots of HP regen. Good choice in general becuse of it's cost, however it lacks defenses.

Frozen Mallet

2nd most HP in a single item, adding some AD. Another good choice in general for tanky champions, however you already have a pretty good AoE slow and CC.

Sunfire Cape

Nice armor and HP, pretty close to Randuin's Omen actually, for less gold. Has less utility compared to Randuin but still a nice passive, especially for high sustain champs. Though it attracts turret fire.

Aegis of the Legion

Again a nice item in general. Grants nice armor, MR and gives some HP. The passive gives a little armor and MR boost to your teammates. However upgrading into Runic Bulwark is not as cost effective as it used to be, only upgrade if they have heavy AP damage.

Wit's End

Attack speed and MR, a defensive item that synergyse well with Aatrox. The passive deals 42 magic damage on each hit and since people tend to have lower MR 42 magic damage > 42 AD. Though it doesn't scales your skill damage.

Well you hit like a freaking freight train with Blood Price. You have high sustain with Blood Well and Blood Thirst. Tons of attack speed from Blood Well and Massacre. Great burst and team utility with Dark Flight and Blades of Torment.

Basically you can just go pretty tanky since you have great offensive abilities by default.

Overall a great duelist who brings good utility to teamfights and has enough sustain to survive a teamfights while dealing high damage to the enemy.

Thank you for reading, leave your thoughts in the discussion.