Soraka Build Guide by Khazem

Introduction

Hello! This will be an offensive Soraka guide, with the main focus being debuffing the entire enemy team making them prime for your AP carry to destroy.
Using this build, you will be able to perma slow an entire team, do quite alot of damage, keep your own team alive, all while being pretty tanky as well.

Note: This is NOT a build for supporting, as you simply won't get enough farm to even build a Rylai's. With this build, not only can you take the solo top lane, you can dominate it.

Why and when should I use this build?

So obviously, this is a pretty situational build. If your team needs a support, you should not use this build and stick to a basic support build.
This build becomes most effective when you are solo'ing top lane and your mid lane is occupied by a strong AP carry. The goal of this build is to be in the middle of a fight, spamming Starcall on everyone, applying the slow from Rylai's Crystal Scepter on the enemy team while shredding their magic resistance with Starcall's effect and Abyssal Mask, basically making the enemy team even more vulnerable to your AP carry.

As a side effect, an AP build will make your heals actually worth something, which with its large CD is quite useful, making your team alot more durable in a fight.

I like using this build when I know I'm facing champions up top that people generally have a hard time dealing with, such as Mordekaiser. Having that long range, low CD ability along with unrivaled lane sustainability is amazing against most champions who like to solo top in the current meta game and you will actually be able to zone them out.

Pros/Cons

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Pros + Great solo laner and farmer + Decent AOE damage output + Brings alot of utility to a team + Very sustained in lane

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Cons - Naturally pretty squishy - Vulnerable to ganks as she will push the lane

Runes

Greater Mark of Magic Penetration: Pretty standard AP rune choise, not much explaining needed I suppose.

Greater Seal of Armor: I use these to help make up for Soraka's squishy early game, so that I can stand in my lane opponent's face and spam Starcall all day. Also helps a great deal against the creep damage you will be taking early on.

Alternatively, Greater Seal of Replenishment can be useful for your early game as well as you do use alot of mana spamming Starcall, which Infuse doesn't quite cover on its own.

Greater Glyph of Scaling Ability Power: Gives you a nice amount of AP at level 18. More healz and deeps.

Greater Quintessence of Health: Also to make up for Soraka's very squishy early game. Gives you that much needed 5th bar of health at level 1.

Masteries

I use a pretty standard AP mastery build, grabbing Archaic Knowledge in the Offense tree and everything else in Utility.

Summoner Spells

Flash: Gets you out of those nasty situations. Soraka needs this as she has no other way to escape.

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Ignite: Helps with landing kills mainly in the laning phase, adds to your damage and counters any possibly healing late game.

While there are more viable options, I will always recommend these when using this build so I'm not going to add explanation for any other summoner spell as they're simply subpar to these in my opinion. You're not supporting so you don't need Clairvoyance.
I do see other summoner spells working, just not for this build.

Skills

Consecration

Passive: Consecration

Increases surrounding allies' magic resistance by 16.

Decent passive, strong in the early game and gradually gets weaker as the game goes on. Still a nice little bonus to have on your team.

Starcall

Strikes nearby enemy units for 60 / 85 / 110 / 135 / 160 (+45% of ability power) magic damage and reduces their Magic Resistance by 8 / 9 / 10 / 11 / 12 for 8 seconds This effect stacks up to 20 times.

Cooldown 2.5 seconds
Cost 35 / 40 / 45 / 50 / 55mana
Range 660

Your main source of damage. Recently buffed in pretty much every way possible. This with the help of your Rylai's Crystal Scepter will rid your opponents of any magic resistance, keep them slowed and deal a decent amount of damage as well.
Using this build this will also be the skill you level first, for more lane dominance.

Astral Blessing

Restores 70 / 140 / 210 / 280 / 350 (+45% of ability power) health and grants 25 / 50 / 75 / 100 / 125 bonus armor for 5 seconds.

Cooldown 20 seconds
Cost 80 / 100 / 120 / 140 / 160 mana
Range 750

Your main heal, which with it's long cooldown should be used wisely. The armor boost on it is huge so it should be cast on someone who is about to take alot of damage from an enemy AD carry.

Infuse

If cast on an allied champion, restores 25 / 50 / 75 / 100 / 125 mana to the target, and an equal amount on self. Does not double on self cast.

If cast on an enemy champion, silences them for 1.5 / 1.75 / 2 / 2.25 / 2.5 second(s) and deals 50 / 100 / 150 / 200 / 250 (+75% of ability power) magic damage.

Cooldown 10 seconds
Range 725

Adds to your lane sustainability and with it's good AP ratio, is a pretty decent nuke as well.
This ability is great to counter several champions ultimates, such as Warwick's Infinite Duress or Malzahar's Nether Grasp. Using this well can sometimes save your team.

Wish

Instantly restores 200 / 320 / 440 (+70% of ability power) health to all allied champions.

Cooldown 120 / 90 / 60seconds
Cost 100 / 175 / 250mana
Range 25000

This is an amazing ability. Has no limit on it's range so it will heal everyone on the map. Saves so many lives when used on the right moment and people will love you long time for it. This spell is also a nice counter to bursty AOE champions such as Brand or Annie, or Karthus' ultimate.

Skill Sequence

> > >

I max Starcall first, to zone out my lane opponent and to generally farm better. After that I will max Infuse, to feed myself more mana in the laning phase and be more of a threat in fights. I put one level in Astral Blessing at level 4 (or 3 if it's really needed) and keep it at one level untill last. I put a point in Wish whenever possible (at 6,11,16).
If you find you're struggling in lane, you can put some more early points in Astral Blessing instead of Starcall if you feel you need the added survivability.

Item build

Start

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These are my starting items.
Most of the times, I will start with Boots of Speed over Doran's Ring, as with boots and health potions, you will be able to stand in your opponents face to spam Starcall and just healing back up with your health potions.

Core

These will be your main items and your first goal. Rylai's Crystal Scepter is perfect for this build as with Starcall you will be applying the slow on anyone that gets hit.
Abyssal Mask will help you further remove any magic resistance on the enemy team making them even more vulnerable to your AP carry.

Other Items

Rabadon's Deathcap: If the game goes long enough, or you get farmed enough, get this. The AP boost is amazing for both your damage and heals and will make a huge difference.

Will of the Ancients: Since the goal is to 'buff' your AP carry, this is a very good item for both you and the AP carry.

Zhonya's Hourglass: Since we are going to be in the middle of the team in order to debuff them, this can be a wise choise if you're heavilly focussed.

Morello's Evil Tome: Good item to cap out your cooldown reduction.

Deathfire Grasp: Fun little item if you really want to go agressive. Best to get this after a Rabadon's Deathcap to see it in full glory and watch peoples health bars drop.

Rod of Ages: Another good item to make you a bit more durable in a fight.

Archangel's Staff: Great item. As you're basically spamming spells non-stop for both farming and fighting. Get this early for it's full effect (though never before you get a Rylai's).

Frozen Heart: I like getting this item to mess teams up even more. Remeber you're standing in the middle of a team so this debuff aura is amazing. The cooldown reduction is also very useful if you're not already using a Morello's Evil Tome or any other CDR item.

Gameplay

Early Game/Laning Phase:

Your goal in the laning phase is to take the solo top lane and try and zone out your opponent. You will basically stand in the middle of the creep waves, spamming Starcall. (Note: by spamming I don't mean mindlessly spamming. You don't have infinite mana so especially at the early game. Use it just enough to make your laning pressence known and make your opponent feel cautious of getting close for a last hit)

I will usually go to the lane with Boots of Speed and 3 Health Potion for the early game sustain, so that I can hold off on putting a point in Astral Blessingfor as long as possible.
Note that you are very vulnerable to ganks the entire laning phase so make sure to keep your lane warded.

To give me some early game mana regen I will usually get 1 or 2 Doran's Ring after my boots, after which I will start building a Rylai's Crystal Scepter. As soon as you've completed your Rylai's, you will be a huge threat in teamfights.
Continue laning, trying to zone out your opponent and get as much farm as you can.
When you hit level 6, make sure to keep an eye on everyone on the map in case anyone needs a Wish.

Mid/Late Game:

When the laning phase ends, you want to stick to the people you want to protect. You sort of want to act like a support to try and keep people alive, but at the same time you need to be actively joining teamfights as you bring amazing utility for your team by just pressing your Q over and over.

Focus your silences to prevent damage if possible, or in case of a Malzahar or Warwick, save it for their ultimates.
You basically want to be doing everything at once. Debuff the enemy team, keep your team alive, silence their team to prevent damage or even escapes.

If you're doing it right, your AP carry should now be 3 shotting everyone and possibly want your babies. Try and modify your end game build to whatever you or your team needs but always stick to the Rylai's Crystal Scepter and Abyssal Mask as these scale best with the purpose of this build.

Ending notes

• People most likely will think you're a troll when you pick Soraka and call solo top at first and possibly will insult you and make you feel unwanted on this planet, but trust me, you will prove them wrong if you follow this guide.
• This build also works if you want to go mid lane, however preferably with another AP at top lane.
• Again, this is not a support guide. If people nag you to get an Oracle's Elixir you shall ignore them. Also, while warding is always needed, it should not be your main responsibility.

That is about it. I hope you enjoyed reading it and perhaps learned a thing or two from it.
I know this might not stay viable once people learn how to deal with a solo lane Soraka properly, but for know it still works like a charm and you can pretty much outlane everyone at top lane.
As always, comments/feedback are always greatly appreciated!