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AP Ezreal Guide in Underwork

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Pros vs. Cons

Pros

Strong harass in early game
Extremly strong POTENTIAL farming ability
Very short cooldowns
Less vulnerable to SOFT CC due to Arcane Shift
Powerful Poke for mid-late game
Easy to kite opponents while damaging them
Simple to readjust positioning in teamfights
Very easy to brush check
His ult Trueshot Barrage can easily change teamfights
Very versatile in build choice

Cons

Auto attack very weak, which makes farming hard
Requires tedious positioning
All of his spells are skill shots; even his Arcane Shift
Very mana hungry
Lacks any sort of CC
Extremely Item dependent
Lacks sustain unless you build Hextech Gunblade
Full build is very expensive, so strong farm is needed
Dies quickly under HARD CC

Masteries

There are many ways to build your mastery page. However, I typically go for the offensive tree. Within this catagory there are even more sub-branches. You should never just follow a set in stone mastery page. You should also take into account your personal style of play, and your opponent (if possible their style of play as well)

My Personal Mastery Setup

I obviously suggest taking all of the typical caster choices. With exception to the beggining! I personally take the 3 points in Mental Force and put it into [Brute force]. This allows for easier farming as well as a bit of extra damage on your Mystic Shot. Which hits really hard at level 1 (gets weaker and weaker until you get Lich Bane then it will hit like a truck again.

After you have personally chosen between Brute Force and Mental Force The rest of the tree should be standard.

Blue buff vs defensive tree

The next decision is build order vs blues. If you are going to take a lot of blues, you can hold off on your chalice, and go for the 9 points in utility for buff duration. I usually go for this choice, it allows me to hold off on chalice a bit and get some AP instead.
If you dont want to go for the 21/0/9 for the buff duration. You can go for 8 points into defensive and 1 into utility. The one point in utility is for the flash CD reduction, Summoner's Insight . The other 8 points I would spend on the magic resist, armor, and health regen. Even though your Mystic Shot will cause you to take minion aggro. I rationalize this by the health regen. AP Ezreal typically doesn't have much sustain

All in Damage

If you are going for all out damage you can go for 29/0/1 or 30/0/0. The one point again in Summoner's Insight .

The one point in Summoner's Insight can be the difference between a 0-2 exchange, and a 3-0 turn around. I find it crucial to have the reduction on flash, however many do not like putting points into it. This is your choice

The relation of Masteries and Runes

Masteries also have a direct correlation with runes, so pair it up however you wish. Some people like going for all damage, Runes + Masteries. Some go for balance of offense and defense. While others go for more defensive.

You should decide on your set up based on how YOU play, not how I play. The more passive laner might for a more defensive setup. While an aggresive laner might go for more damage. I personally am a "passive agressive" player. I usualy play passive and just farm, while throwing out W harass when they try to last hit. However, I dont ever really get agressive. I wait for my opponent to make a mistake, then I capitalize on it. Or I just wait for my jungler :P

In addition to your laning habits, you should also take into account who you are playing. Some opponents you might have to be more agressive than others. You should personally decide on this. Also refer to the Laning and Matchups to decide how you will play

I don't want to give a hard, set in stone, set up. You shouldn't just do something because a guide said to do so, you should chose depending on your style of play and your opponent!

If you make me chose one I would probably go for an evenly balanced one. Ezreal is all about poking and whittling down his enemies (which is why sustain mains can be a pain). He has to survive/dodge enemy poke while also damaging them. Thus I suggest the 21/0/9 , as well as balanced runes

Runes

Just like masteries, this should never be set in stone. Make this choice based on your style and your opponent! I suggest for going some of the following
My personal, setup, isn't necessarily yours!
Magic Penetration vs Ability Power

Magic Penetration is for more of the assassin ezreal (mostly just for ezreal). Going with Magic Pen allows your spells to do more damage, indirectly. It causes the opponents magic resistance to not do as much. But I stlil just go for Ability power.

Ability Power is both early game and late game. This is my personal choice because I ALWAYS go for a void staff. Refer to items if you want to know why. The ability power causes your spells to hit harder.

Mana Regen Flat vs Mana Regen per Level
If you know that you personally spam spells, or often find yourself oom you might want to look into mana regen runes. However, it also directly correlates to item build order. It all depends on when you build your chalice!

If you find yourself oom a lot in early game, I highly suggest the flat mana regen ones. It will help you spam your Essence Flux more. I run these because I find I never have any mana problems late game once I get chalice

Mana Regen per Level runes I dont find are very helpful. You wont be able to poke very much late game if you omit your chalice and hope your Mp5/level runes will save you. I consider chalice a core item, thus rendering these runes a bit worthless. But if you dont like buying Mana regen items, you can try and use these I suppose.

Magic Resist Flat vs Magic Resist per Level

I prefer the magic resist flats. This is because in the laning phase, you are mostly getting hit by the enemies spells. Thus allowing you to stay in the lane longer, and also hopefully avoid a death or two.

These are not very helpful except until at the end of laning phase and until late game. However, in late game, you shouldn't be at the front lines. You should be pretty far back, thus avoiding most of the magic damage. Therefore, I chose the flats.

Amor and Health Runes

Armor - Only take this if they are going to run an AD mid. I would suggest taking Flat runes for the typical reasons. People such as Talon Riven Ashe or any other people that might go mid
If you really enjoy having extra health at mid, I would suggest getting flat health obviously. However, I find I am either winning by a lot or losing by a lot. Having the extra health is usually a make or break thing. If you want to take them, go for flats.

The more irrelavant runes
- Movement runes - You have Arcane Shift you dont need this. You also have great kiting ability with raleis
- Spell Vamp/AD Vamp - You arent akali... you dont need these. If you want really want sustain you can build a hextech gunblade. But please, do not use the runes
- Attack Speed - You arent an AD carry, the attack speed will not help you at all
- Attack Damage - Gives your Q some more early game damage, but it doesn't help AP Ez that much, don't use
- GP5 runes - Stop trolling, you aren't a support. Practice last hitting in a bots game if you find you are often behind on gold in most games.
- Death timer - Practice positioning more, you never should use these

Summoner Spells

AP Ezreal actually has a slightly larger range of Summoner Spells to chose from. I usually go for and . However, if I know im going to get targetted by someome the entire game who has a hard cc, will help me stay alive in teamfights. Also can be used to shutdown and his and any other people who use Hard CC to win their lanes.

Required... Every Single Game... I don't care about your playstyle for once!

You must have this every game The reason is because it has so many uses. You can suprise enemies by a and and unload a full combo. You can run away with it. Evade ganks. use it to get yourself out a of a sticky situation if your is down. Just bring it every game. This is your Get Out of Jail Free Card!

After you have taken Flash, the field opens up to ignite and cleanse
I usually take ignite, because it allows me to secure kills in the early game. Then it actually transitions decently into late game. If you have to 1v1 someone and you know they have strong lifesteal, that reduction of health gained can be so helpful. It also is almost a must to kill certain champs too... like and his or and his AP yi's . Or against some mids its extremly good like and whoever else you might want to think of.

Yet again I usually dont take this. However, I do like it a lot though! It can be clutch to have when mid is about to kill you and you cleanse his ignite. However, it also transitions really well into late game. One hard CC and you can be dead before you can even . Overall I think this is a very powerful late game summoner, however, it requires a lot of skill to also use. A lot of people I see forget to use this actually until its too late. You have to use it IMMEDIATELY following a stun. Don't hesitate, you have to use it quick

The "Ones I really don't use, but you could (shouldn't though!) use"
You can use this as a crutch. However I find it falls of midgame/late game. I really do not suggest using this, however if you really find yourself oom too much, take it. If you find yourself oom a lot you can just get a chalice early, instead of sacrificing a summoner.

I usually dont take this. The only time is if you need to shutdown a or know its going to be 1v1 a lot versus someone. It will hinder their damage alot and give you the upperhand when trying to kill them. But still, try and stick w/ ignite. Your support should really be taking this to shut down enemies.

Heal is only useful for baiting really. I dont suggest this, as not only does it fall off tremendously late game. But many mids runs ignite, so if you don't pop it early enough, the ignite will render it useless. Some Champions excel at baiting... Ezreal does not. Please do not take this.

You don't really ever have to run and chase someone, nor should you have to run away from someone. is all about Quick moves, his should get you out of most situations. If it doesn't, flash will always do the job better than ghost...

The worthless spells... Dont ever take... please!

Yes I know jungle ezreal works, yes I know his ganks are strong, and blah blah blah. This guide is mostly for AP Ezreal. Dont take this if you aren't jungling. Not much to say besides that. Also as a side note to you junglers, please use this to secure any core creeps. Red/Blue, dragon, and Baron; ensure your team gets the reward so it doesn't get stolen!

This spell is never used by anyone, except sometimes in bot lane of Dominion. Still, never take this. The enhanced minion isn't that special. This spell is only used for pushing. Don't take it

Only should be taken by a tank, and its only available in dominion. This is a guide for summoner's rift! Don't take... nor can you !

Skill Sequence Explanations

Ability Sequence
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18

This is my personal leveling style. There are some core things you have to level up; however, as always, chose based on how the game is going!
Why to max W first

It is the easiest harass to land in lane, as it goes over minions
It won't ever push the lane, allowing you to have greater control of it
You are AP Ezreal, it scales with your ability power
Decievingly longer range than it seems, and also a little bit wider

Level one - I put the first point into . There are quite a few reasons. In level one fights, it is extremly strong, granting you practically an extra autoattack + more (one to one AD scaling, as well as AP scaling). It has the lowest cooldown, allowing you to spam it. It does more damage than your . Lastly, it also has the longest range.

Level two - vs

Arcane Shift allows you to escape level two ganks easier
Essence Flux is not very strong, thus you dont use it to harass that much
Arcane shift will allow you to bail out of a level 2 fight if you are going to lose it

Level three through Level five - Just level up it is your primary harass and damage. Careful though, it can eat your mana up if you spam it

Level six - Get your ult . Always level up your ult when you can. It is one of the hardest hitting ults with a .9 AP scaling. It also has global presence, it can be used to help other lanes with a fight, or a large minion wave that is about to kill a tower.

level seven - Continuing to level up

The decision between leveling up Mystic Shot and Arcane Shift

Mystic shot will allow you to do more damage, especially when you get Sheen and eventually Lich Bane
Leveling up Arcane Shift will give you some cd reduction on it. So it can be used to escape a sticky situation.
I prefer leveling up mystic shot because the cd reduction on Arcane Shift is not worth it.
Even though Arcane Shift may deal more damage directly, you have to actually land it and not hit minions. But it also causes you to be very succeptible to ganks. Which is why I never use this to harass.

Level eight - Take the point in

Level nine - Max out your watch their health dissapear!

Level ten - Another point in its what we are maxing now

level eleven - You can put a point in do it!

Level twelve and thirteen - Yet again putting points in and maxing out

Level fourteen and fithteen - Put points into your its the only thing you can do now. It will reduce the cooldown and do more damage

Level sixteen - Put the final point into it should hit like a truck now. Your enemies should be afraid of it. Don't be afraid to use this to clean up minion waves. Your will reduce the cooldown on it by quite a bit.

Level Seventeen and Eighteen - Put the last two points into again. The cooldown should be pretty short, and it should actually hit really hard if you use it on someone. (even though you shouldn't use it to harass... ever!)

Skills Explained

I find Ezreals kit to synergize very well. Even though his passive may not help him AP, I think Riot made a very strong champion that actually is viable as both AP and AD.

This passive does not really help AP Ezreal, in retrospect to his other abilities. However, it does give some benefits.

Keep up his passive stacks if you need to push a lane or are taking a jungle camp (includes baron/dragon)
His passive is very strong in early game if you enter a battle with full stacks, use this to your advantage
Allows him to not have to build a lot of attack speed as an AD carry.
Enables him to jungle very well as AD
Allows for decent use of hybrid ez and madreds blood razor. He doesn't need much attack speed to make it dangerous

Allows you to take a tower faster than other typical AP casters; you have faster attack speed!

Ezreal's longest poke ability, allows you to chip away the enemy team very efficiently while being very safe. It applies on hit effects, reduces other spells cd, as well as being on a low cd. Helps with farming a lot.

As stated previously, he is extremly strong at level 1 with this ability
Scales with both Attack Damage; however, despite it having stronger AD scaling, Lich Bane makes it even stronger than AD
Reduces his cooldown of other abilities. This effect enables Ezreal to become a teamfighting mongrel. It also allows his ult to be fired VERY often. Sometimes I am able to use it at both the begining and end of a fight.
Because it reduces cooldowns. Landing this ability is extremely important. If you are chasing someone, spend the time to fire this off while chasing. It will reduce the cooldown on your Arcane Shift and allow you to get even closer!
In conjunction with chasing, it can help you with fleeing. Spam Mystic Shot in order to lower the cooldown and allow yourself to Arcane Shift over a wall and escape
Because it lowers the cooldown of all his other abilities. When you intiate a combo of many spells, fire this last. So it will make all the others come up even faster.

Is on a very low cooldown itself, allowing you to constantly harass tanks for huge amounts of damage
This "procs" Lich Bane as stated so many times in this guide. This means that when you fire, it can apply the lich bane effect. There is an entire chapter devoted to the "phenonemon". Long story short, it will hurt like a ***** at late game.
Low mana cost, allowing you to spam this a ton
It also applies red buff, allowing you to actually have a slow for 100% of the times. (If you want to have fun get a frozen mallet and just q spam poke <3 )
Its rediculous range can be used to actually snipe people at a tower without getting hit by tower aggro (sometimes)

Ezreals primary AP ability. It has a .8 AP Scaling. Meaning that in late game, It will hit extremely hard. In addition it has some nice utility, it speeds up ally champions attack speed. also goes through minions as well as hit an entire enemy team. It has deceptively long range and width.

The first rank of essence flux is very weak, do not use it to harass; instead, use your Mystic Shot
This ability is great for punishing enemies for trying to last hit. I will include a small chapter on harassing and farming.
It does not push your lane, and thus allows you to control the minion waves more.
A strong team fighting aspect which is difficult to master is positioning this ability. You want to try and hit your AD carry and bruiser, while also hitting the enemy team. That way they get hurt and your allies, a buff
The damage of this ability just gets better and better over the course of the game, getting tons of ability power will make this a force to be reckoned with
Use this on your allies to help take down a tower, baron, or dragon
When you use it on your allies you also get your passive, so you can attack faster!
You do not get the bonus attack speed from Essence Flux only your allies do

This ability is actually one of the hardest to master. There are two ways to use this, one is for assassinations/attack. The other is for running away/dodging ultimates. It has a strong scaling of .75. Making it also quite devastating like your .Offensive uses

When you are going to assassinate someone, ensure it wont hit a minion or anything else
You can use this to kite jungle camps, while also doing strong damage (if AP)
Use this to initiate your assassinations, that way if you land enough mystic shots you will be able to use it again possibly
If you have your enemy low, but he/she is far away. Use your flash first, then your Arcane Shift It will really supprise them, you can cover a TON of distance for a kill that way. Flashing first allows you to land your homing missile on them.
You will rarely use this in team fights for offensive purposes, if you do. You better make sure you kill your target!

Defensive uses

You can do some really flashy moves if you can predict your enemies ultimate. Predict when your opponent will use their ult, then use your Arcane Shift to dodge it, then turn the tides on them! It can easily mean the difference in a death or a kill; champions such as Orianna casseopeoia Fizz Ziggs or any other skillshot champion. Do not do this on champions that are point and click!
Use this to get over walls, it allows him to be extremely slippery.
In conjunction with using this to secure far away targets, you can use a flash and an Arcane Shift to escape great disances
You will only be able to use this 1-2 times in a team fight. Ensure you re-position yourself very well or else you might get caught and brought down very quickly

This ultimate allows him to be such a teamfight presense. You can use this to farm extremely large minion waves, and save towers. Steal baron or dragon. Snipe people who think they are safe. Or help people in far off lanes.

Once you hit level 6, look for a kill immediately. Go check on a lane and see if you might be able to land it. Ping your ally to engage, hopefully you might get an assist!
Use this when a person from a your lane, or even someone else's got away. It is very common for enemies to go right next to a tower when they are recalling. Just take a guess and fire away. Sometimes they are in brushes too.
When you are looking to get a kill in your lane, save it actually. Engage on them, and they should back off. Hopefully you can land your Essence Flux and Mystic Shot. Follow it up with your Trueshot Barrage. Its a lot easier to land it as they are retreating away, than it is to get it as an initiator
When your opponent leaves his/her lane, use it on the minion wave in front of you (its best to actually go to their nexus, then aim it right where they come out. That way you also hit the next one that is coming). That way you can push your lane and cause them to lose minions.
Its really easy to get high creep score with him, because you can save turrets from large minions waves. Not only do you save a tower, but you get a ton of gold!
Some opponents will be ready to dodge it when you go to assassinate them, also keep in mind of jukes when using skill shots. Sometimes you have to NOT aim at them to hit them:P
Use it at the begining of a teamfight; however, do not use it prematurely. If you do, they might back off and heal. Then when they engage you might not have your ult:(
Make sure you try and hit as many as possible when a team fight occurs. I find it easiest to hit everyone right as they engage. Usually when a team engages they will all jump on the person OUT of position. Aim it right on/near that person
It is actually quite easy to steal baron/dragon with this. It does a ton of damage, so if you have sight, and a good sense of their DPS. You can steal it, and probably turn the tides a ton.

AP Ezreal vs AD Ezreal

This is a classic debate, in the current metagame, ezreal is most commonly played AD. However, I personally find that this is not using ezreal to the most of his.. abilities? AP Ezreal is superior to AD Ezreal for many reasons.

More survivability in team fights, and therefore more damage. He doesnt really have to get in auto attack range
Stronger poke (A core reason people choose ezreal is for his AD poke, but if you wanted to have poke, why not build him ap for even better poke?)
Much better lategame; His AP scalings are crazy strong, as well has having Mystic Shot procs from Lich Bane which can easily hit for 600-900 damage!
Only his Essence Flux and passive [[ are strong for AD Ezreal; Choosing AP Ezreal allows you to make full use of all four of his abilities.
Stronger kiter; your Mystic Shot and Essence Flux will hit much harder, deterring chasing on you
Much more rewarding to play; You have to land much more skill shots than just auto attacking
AP Ezreal's ult becomes a team changer, while AD Ezreal's does some damage, but is mostly used just to get stacks for passive