Here is my take on Skarner. He is not the most powerful hero but he is a good DPS / AP Hybrid hero. with his CC and ice breath + shield he is a fun hero to play and very useful in team fights.

Please post positive comments bellow of helpfull tips. Dont troll its not always fun.

The reason I chose these runes are simple. His attack speed lets you gain more life do more damage but most importantly every hit you do on a minion or hero lowers your cool downs of all your attacks. Plus the extra ability power + ignite makes you powerful early game.

The follow are valid runes

Quints
Simple. Ability power is very powerful.
Magic pen helps with your build.
Flat health is good on any hero.


Marks
Attack speed with CDR passive is amazing.
A good alternative, magic pen.
Greater Mark of Desolation If you dont have those these will do.

Seals
Attack speed with CDR passive is amazing.
You can never have enough mana regen.

Glyphs
Simple. Ability power is very powerful.
You can never have enough magic resist.

For masteries, I like to put 21 in to Offense. This is really self-explanatory. Having a bit of extra damage, attack speed, cooldown reduction and ability power when ignite is on cooldown is nice for Skarner to have. The next 9 points are really up to you. Personally I like them all in utility. Finally I get increased duration on neutral buffs because let's face it, it's nice if your buffs stay with you for a while.

Ghost
I find this is very good to use with his ult. Also it can be used to finish a running enemy late game that is not quite dead, or that is a fast champion.(example: Yi, Miss Fortune, Kennen etc.) Also if your target is getting close to a turret or a tank, you may want to ghost for a finish or an easy escape.

Ignite
Again, great early game. You definitely cannot dive turrets so you need some way of making sure your targets dead. Ignite is your friend and you should use it always for early game running champions. Also this helps a lot when against Mundo because ignite destroys his Ulti.
I find its a great spell for Skarner.

I like to max Q first because its super powerful and lets you farm creeps early game.

I find the shield is useful for attack speed and movement speed but I don't think you need to level it past 2 until the very end.

I like his ice shot a lot. It lets you farm waves and gain life if you combo E Q together.

And obviously level his ult when you can.

Crystalline Exoskeleton allows Skarner to cross the map faster.
Fracture's heal is activated from any damage source. Try using the skill on a group of minions and then using Crystal Slash to heal yourself quickly.
Skarner has great chasing potential, use the speed boost granted by Crystalline Exoskeleton to close in on enemies, then use Impale to drag them back into your team.
Skarner's Impale can be used in a variety of ways.
Defensively, it can drag in turret diving enemies when they go in for a kill.
The immobilization can be used to prevent an enemy champion completing a channeled ultimate.
You can use it separate a key member of the enemy team, particularly the carry, to swiftly kill.
To pull back a runner from a teamfight.

If you do not like something please post and I will update.


Thanks to all who give feedback!

Centuries ago, there lived a race of creatures as ferocious as they were wise. The brackern were unusual beings blessed with the earth's primal magic, embodied in the form of crystals. Their kind knew of an arcane ritual to bind their life's essence to a crystal, communing with the magic embedded in it. With this power, the brackern thrived in the Odyn Valley, protecting both creatures and crystals alike. Despite attacks from those looking to claim the primal magic, it seemed that nothing could get past the brackern's defenses. Nothing, that is, until the devastation of a Rune War.
A vicious battle was fought near the Odyn Valley and the unleashed chaotic magic poisoned the crystals. The brackern began to grow sick and die, and no amount of defensive magic could reverse the effects. To avoid extinction, their only course was to hibernate underground until the wars stopped. The strongest, most intelligent brackern hibernated closer to the surface to awaken first and assess the world's condition for the return of their race. The recent mining operations and violent escalation in Kalamanda were enough to awaken the first of these vanguards. When Skarner burst to the surface, he lashed out in anger and confusion. Reason eventually won out over his anger when he realized that the agents of the League who found him were simply functionaries. Skarner was invited to the Institute of War to share the brackern's story. In return, the summoners told him about the history that his kind had slept through. Much had been done to curb the unchecked use of magic since the Rune Wars, but it was obvious that the world was not yet safe for his kind to reawaken. For now, however, there is a place where Skarner can use his power to change the world into one to which his kind could eventually return: the League of Legends.

"The humans have not yet learned to control their magic - what once was Kalamanda is now a crystal scar on the history of this world." –- Skarner