Okay, so here is my introduction. This is my second guide, and, since Annie is the first Champ I ever bought, and she is my best, this guide will likely be even better than my Jax guide, so enjoy!

Also, please try out my build first, and THEN comment and vote. Thanks!

Here are the pros and cons of playing Annie:

Pros:
+Amazing AP character
+Good amount of HP for a squishy
+Tibbers stun (AoE)
+Very effective nuke
+Shield is good
+Very good farmer

Cons:
-Squishy
-Can sometimes be targeted in team fights
-So damn cute (A con? Perhaps not :) )

For the masteries I went with a 9/0/21 build. Because, let's face it. You need the utility :).

Not really much to talk about here. You NEED to at least get down to the magic pen in the offensive section, and to the bottom of the utility section. This layout is the most effective, I've found.

-->-->-->-->-->


: This item is very good early on for Annie. She can easily get the 20 stacks by mid-late game. And you want to start getting stacks ASAP.
: These are a MUST for Annie. The extra Magic pen will do wonders :). Don't use other shoes. Really. Don't.
: The Rod of Ages gives Annie a good chunk of extra HP, Mana, and the AP that she needs. I would staple this as a must-have item.
: Most people would disagree with me on getting Void Staff before Rylai's. But IMO you get more slaying power with the Void staff, due to the AP and the 40 magic pen.
: This item is a must for any amazing AP caster. The health boost and slow on hit will send your enemies packing. ESPECIALLY with Tibbers stun + Inferno + Disintegrate. :)
: If you are a heavy AP champ, and you DON'T have the deathcap by the end of the game (Assuming it doesn't end early) then you have failed. This item gives such a huge boost to AP, it would be insane NOT to have it. A must.

-->-->-->-->-->

This is a separate item progression if you don't want the health-heavy Annie build I initially made. This one grabs a really early rabadon's so that you can start dealing a LOT of damage early on. It also includes Archangels Staff, a nice beefy item for late game. Rylais is still included, because the slow on spell cast is invaluable. And finally, if the game is dragging on, go ahead and grab a second rabandon's. You will unleash Tibbers, incinerate, and disintegrate the whole team to a cinder.

: After casting 5 spells, Annie's next spell will stun the target for 1.75 seconds.

This passive is what you want to be paying most attention to while using Annie. Always know how far away you are from stun, or if you already have it. Cast Incinerate randomly (given that you have enough mana) and molten shield, to easily gain stacks, and have a stun ready for a battle.
: Annie flings a mana infused fireball dealing 85 / 125 / 165 / 205 / 245 (+70% of ability power) magic damage. Disintegrate's mana cost is returned if it deals a killing blow.

Disintegrate is your nuke :). Be happy about that, because it does insane damage. This, combined with Inferno is good for some early-game harass. Max this out ASAP.
: Annie casts a cone of fire dealing 80 / 130 / 180 / 230 / 280 (+%70 of ability power) magic damage to all enemy targets in the area.

Incinerate and Disintegrate is your bread and butter combo. It's always good to stun with an incinerate, and blast them with a disintegrate. When you get Tibbers, I HIGHLY recommend saving stun for him, dropping him in the middle of a bunch of enemy champs, and going nuts.
Your combo ends up looking like this:
Molten Shield --> Tibbers(stun) --> Disintegrate --> Incinerate --> Disintegrate. The reason that Molten Shield gets cast first, is one, to protect yourself, and two, to get you to stun if you don't already have it. If you're already at stun, it won't use it up. I repeat:

If you're already at stun, it won't use it up

: Places a shield around Annie for 15 seconds, increasing her armor and magic resistance by 10 / 20 / 30 / 40 / 50. Deals 20 / 30 / 40 / 50 / 60 (+20% of ability power) magic damage to enemies who attack Annie with melee attacks.

Molten Shield is a decent shield giving you some mr and armor. I usually max this last, because you really only need one point so that you can cast is to get stun, or have a shield early on.
: Annie releases her bear Tibbers from his toy prison dealing 200 / 325 / 450 (+70% of ability power) magic damage to enemy units in the summon area. For a limited time of 45 seconds, Tibbers can move and attack at Annie's will, while continually dealing magic damage to surrounding enemies.

Tibbers has 1200 / 1600 / 2000, 30 / 50 / 70 armor, 25 / 45 / 65 magic resist and 80 / 105 / 130 attack damage, and continually deals magic damage to surrounding enemies.

Tibbers is a life-saver. As described above, casting him when you have stun is DEVASTATING to enemy teams. It stuns them, deals initial magic damage, continually deals magic damage, ON TOP OF your spells. How can you ask for more?

--

Flash: Flash is the best summoner spell in the game. It can be used in multiple ways, it's very simple, it flashes you to you mouse pointer. Good for running away for chasing an opponent.

Ignite: Ignite for Annie is really good for getting kills. Cast Ignite on an enemy that you think you might not kill, or has low health, and chances are, they will die.

Alternatives

Teleport: Very good spell, IMO. It lets you get back to your lane faster to do more farming and gain more EXP, and you can use it to go help a team mate in need!


Ghost: Great for running away or catching up with enemies, but flash is better.


Clarity: Clarity is alright... I wouldn't recommend it, but some people are anal about their mana. So, it's a possibility. Although mana shouldn't really be an issue with Annie.


Heal: Personally, I never use heal, but a lot of people think it's helpful, so there it is.

DO NOT USE

Revive: Just don't do it. Please.

Early Game

Early game with Annie, you will be a boss at farming. Her incinerate makes it really easy, and last-hitting with Disintegrate is key, because you get the mana return, plus a stun stack. Grab your tome, and a potion, and make your way to the mid (Yes, Annie should be mid, unless there is a suitable replacement). You will beat out most champs in the middle. Focus mostly on farming, and occasionally harassing the opponent with a spell now and then. Otherwise, there's not a lot to her early game.

Mid Game

By now you should have the soulstealer, if you don't, go get it. You can start getting stacks pretty regularly now that you have Tibbers. Tibbers is the key to your destructive power. I cannot stress this enough. Yes, an incinerate stun is great, but TIBBERS stun is WAY better. Keep that in mind. Now, you can go grab the blue buff if you would like, with Annie, it will help a lot in mid game. In team fights, you'll want to drop Tibbers, and spam spells like no tomorrow given the combo listed above.

Late Game

Not much to say for Late Game. You should have Rylai's AT LEAST by now, and you'll be able to pick off champs pretty easy. But BE CARFEUL! If you're doing well, YOU WILL BE TARGETED. Continue to own with your bear, and gank with a stun to help your teammates get the kill whenever possible.

This is my second guide, so I'm getting the hang of it. Please don't dismiss this guide because it's my second one, I feel like it works well and please leave comments. I will make changes periodically, and I am always open to suggestions!

HAVE YOU SEEN MY BEAR, TIBBERS?!

9/9/11: Added a different build for Annie