Hello Summoners, my name is 5tuntm4n (Platinum V) and I play Akali. I've been mastering her since the start of Season 3 and I have a good grasp on her. Now I'm here to show you how to play her and to be successful with her. She has multiple pros but can be flat without proper mastery of her. Without further ado, here's my Akali guide to success!

Pros:

- High burst
- Great snowballing potential
- Energy based champion
- Low cooldowns
- Long lasting invisibility spell
- 3 long ranged dashes

Cons:

- Very weak early game
- Flat if doesn't snowball early
- Falls off late game as an AP assassin carry
- Countered easily by Exhaust

Your weakest point in the game is the early stages. You have low damage outputs and short range. The best way to farm early on is to farm under tower. Here are some tips on how to farm up until level 6:

- If an melee enemy minion is full health in turret range, it will take 3 tower shots before going down, attack after the second tower shot
- Ranged enemies take 2 tower shots but can take 2 auto attacks if you have low AD, attack once before the tower attacks, and one time when it is low
- Left click minions to see their HP, calculate that with your total AD to see if you can kill it

Max Q for the overall burst it gives FIRST
Max E for the damage SECOND
Do not max W FIRST or SECOND because it doesn't give as good of stats as her Q and E
Max R when you can

- Avoid trades
- Farm
- Save your Twilight Shroud
- Call for ganks

Akali has a hard time dealing with early game bullies like Syndra. Farm under your turret and call for ganks if they overextend. Time your level 6, your opposing laner will not expect the burst. If you are too low to engage onto them, recall to your base and come back to lane. Recalling will give you all of your ultimate charges. Do not spam your dashes for damage but instead of gap closing.

- Buy Hextech Gunblade
- Dual your opponent out of lane
- Buy wards for possible enemy ganks
- Farm with Q-E combo

After level 9, you are a force to be reckoned with. Catch out the enemy carries but watch out for other enemies. Get fed off these picks and snowball to late game. Remember to go all in if you see a low enemy player. Killing or getting assists off enemy champions give you one additional ultimate charge.

- Find picks
- Splitpush
- Stay safe
- Avoid getting exhausted, find where pinks are placed

You fall off a bit as an AP assassin in the late game. Placement is key for teamfights, clear pink wards and always pick off the enemy champions. If it's getting close to the point where the next teamfight will decide the game, sell one of your items (preferably Void Staff) and get a defensive item like banshees veil.

- Pick off enemy champions
- Twilight Shroud when enemy champions begin to focus you

Pick off enemy carries and back off to your team. Use your ultimate to gap close instead of dealing damage. Even though you have 3 charges, the cooldown for one particular charge is fairly long. Twilight Shroud if you get exhausted, fight if you they place a pink ward on top of it.

- Level 6 (Tip: save 2-3 charges incase they were to flash)
- Level 9 (Tip: ready your cooldowns and all-in a squishy champion
- Level 11 (Tip: roam and get fed off other lanes)

These are key for being a great Akali!

Max Q for the overall burst it gives FIRST
Max E for the damage SECOND
Do not max W FIRST or SECOND because it doesn't give as good of stats as her Q and E
Max R when you can