Hello guys. Once again, it's me. Archmage Exaultus. I have been doing heavy work for the past few months and I almost forgot to post a new champion guide. For this guide, we'll be discussing the Emperor of the Sands, Azir. To be honest, I haven't played him in the mid lane before because of his kit that made him difficult to master. Now, Riot's decided to give Azir a small gameplay update and it gave me a huge motivation to use this champion. So without further a do, here's Azir, The Emperor of the Sands.

Pro's:

• Highest DPS rate, especially in the late game.
• His passive grants you a free tower.
• Good rate of AoE
• He can take the role of a marksman and a mage at the same time.
• Has good poke and waveclear abilities.

Cons:

• Difficult to master.
• Updated version have decreased the attack range of Azir's soldiers.
• Vulnerable in teamfights without his Emperor's Divide or Shifting Sands.
• Weak against artilery mages and tricky assassins like LeBlanc and Zed.

Now let's get to Azir's abilities.

Passive: Shurima's Legacy

Azir can summon a turret from the fallen turret's position. This turret has attack damage like an ordinary turret but is increased by your ability power. It also grants you gold whenever it kills enemy units. However the turret losses health per minute and is vulnerable when Azir is not near from the turret.

This ability can be used strategically, or defensively. It can be helpful if you want to push your opponent back to the inner tower after destroying his outer tower, or to delay the push rate of your opponents on a certain lane. This skills can also be used as a protective ability for Azir as well during teamfights and duels against his opponents. Use it to scare your opponents as it could make them think twice of tower diving.

"Q" Ability: Conquering Sands

This ability allows Azir to command his Sand Soldiers to dash towards a certain location, dealing magic damage and slowing enemy units they pass through. If enemy units are hit by multiple soldiers, they take no additional damage but the slow increases.

Be careful of targeting this skill as it greatly depends on whether you win or lose a trade with your opponent. Level this up first along with your "W" skill as a start to make your soldiers fast. The dash of the soldiers are a bit slow. Take it in mind when you are planning to cast this skill.

"W" Ability: Arise!

Passively you gain bonus attack speed that increases as this skill's level goes up. Additionally you gain extra attack speed when you successfully summon 3 Sand Soldiers for 5 seconds.

Activating this skill allows Azir to summon a Sand Soldier. This skill is has 2 charges. When Azir does an auto-attack within the attack range of one of his Sand Soldies, it will attack instead of Azir attacking the target, deaing magic damage to the main target and to enemy units behind the target and in front of the Sand Soldier. Azir can only command nearby Sand Soldiers to attack. They are also untargetable but they expire after a few seconds. Additionally these Sand Soldiers cannot attack turrets, wards, or inhibitors.

This is perhaps the main ability in Azir's kit, so important that it is the only ability you can upgrade at level 1. Learn how to position your Sand Soldiers right. Try it in a position where you can get creep kills and harass the enemy at the same time. This skill is very crucial so you must level up this skills and your Q ability first.

"E" Ability: Shifting Sands

Next is Azir's "E" ability, Shifting Sands. Azir dashes to a targeted Sand Soldier (or simply dashes towards the available nearest Sand Soldier if you haven't targeted one), gaining a shield and dealing magic damage to all enemy units he passes through. If, however, he bumps unto an enemy champion during the dash, he halts and then he gains a stack of his "W" ability, "Arise."

This ability can be used both offensively and defensively. Use it to position yourself in a safe distance when you are being chased by enemy champions or use it to go offensive to position yourself close to your target and bump him. So that you can summon another Sand Soldier and deal huge amounts of damage. Either way, don't waste this skill as much as you can. It's your lifeline and key to kill champions at the same time. I suggest to use it defensively in the early game, until you are sure that you can go for a kill. Another note, if you use this skill to a Sand Soldier moving by the "Q" ability "Conquering Sands" Azir will follow that Sand Soldier until it stops.

"R" Ability: Emperor's Divide

And finally we got Azir's ultimate ability, Emperor's Divide. Azir summons a line of Sand Soldiers with raised shields that charges forward. Any enemy units that are impacted by the charge of the soldiers are dealt magic damage and are knocked back. Afterwards, the Sand Soldiers acts as a impassible wall for 3 sec. However Azir and his allies can move freely through the wall.

To be honest I rarely use this as an offensive ability. I use more as a defensive ability. But it is also worthwhile to know that this skill is a perfect combo along with the "E" ability "Shifting Sands". Use this ability to push your enemy away from you or to simply push them towards your allies. It's an effective way to protect yourself from melee champions, especially juggernauts like Nasus, Darius, and other juggernaut champions.

Since Azir is reliant on the basic attacks of his Sand Soldiers, and the abilities regarding the positioning of his Sand Soldiers, he's considered both a marksman and a mage at the same time. He's perhaps the only champion in the League of Legends who has this type of kit. With that considered let's take a deep look at what he contributes to the team and what the team also losses when he is played.

1. Singe-Target DPS and AoE

Most mage champions can deal huge amounts of AoE damage but can be slow to proc. Most marksmen champions are capable of dealing huge amounts of single-target fast but lacks in AoE. Now imagine that the strength of AoE damage of mages and fast single-target damage procs of marksmen being combined. That's Azir.

Azir can take the role of a marksman and a mage at the same time, making him one of the most deadliest late-game champions. When left unchecked, he can wipe out enemy teams during teamfights, thanks to the fast DPS AoE damage procs of his Sand Soldiers. So it is good to use Azir with a team that lacks in fast single-target DPS of marksman, or if you are in need of a strong AoE damage champion.

2. Dominance

Thanks to his passive ability, Azir can contribute a lot in map dominance, especially in lane pushing or lane delaying of enemy pushes. The free tower can be use to push back enemy minions whenever you are pushing a lane. It can be also used to delay the push of a lane from enemy units.

3. Crowd Control

One of the problems with having Azir in the mid lane is that he sacrifices the need of a hard AoE CC champion. Perhaps the only crowd controls that he can inflict in the slow of his " Conquering Sands," the slow that the Sand Soldiers inflict upon having Rylai's Crystal Scepter, and the knockback of his ultimate. But they aren't enough to give the team a good crowd control skill that could disarm the enemy team. Consider adding a hard crowd control champion when going to use this champion in the mid lane, like Sejuani or Malphite.

Now here are some techniques and notes you might want to consider in mastering Azir.

1. Positioning

At the start of the game your goal is to poke your enemy as hard as you can while keeping the gold lead in your lane by farming. With that in mind, you must know how to position your second skill Arise! right. The perfect spot to position your Sand Soldiers is either between the melee enemy minions and the ranged enemy minions or behind the ranged enemy minions. The former is for close ranged champions and battle mages while the latter is for long ranged champions and artilery mages. Either which is a good spot to place your soldiers as you can deal damage to your opponent and to the enemy minions at the same time.

The trick here is this, once you summon your sand soldier in that spot, inflict a basic attack or two to your opponent and if ever he tries to run away from that Sand Soldier, use Conquering Sands to chase down your opponent and land another basic attack. If you are having the Thunderlord's Decree as your keystone mastery, you will e able to inflict it in this manner.

During fights, the best position of your Sand Soldiers is always behind your enemies. Summon a Sand Soldier near the target and do a basic attack or two, then use Conquering Sands to re-position your soldier behind your target. Then you can use Shifting Sands to bump your target, summon another Sand Soldier, use Emperor's Divide to push back your target, then re-position your Sand Soldiers using Conquering Sands. Always remind yourself to do basic attacks after casting a skill.

Again here is the general combo steps for Azir:


Now for the most famous combo of Azir, known as the Shurima Shuffle combo. The trick there is to summon a soldier then use Shifting Sands to dash towards the soldier and re-position your soldier using Conquering Sands in a different direction of the dash or into the direction of your main target so as to bump him/her, then use Emperor's Divide and Arise! then re-position all of your soldiers in front of the wall with Conquering Sands. This technique is hard to do and it takes time to practice it, especially now that Azir's Conquering Sands have been nerfed of cast range, but it's an amazing way to kite around your target.

Again here's is a rundown of the shuffle combo.

2. Safety Nets

The reason why Azir is vulnerable is because he has no means of sustain. Perhaps the only defensive abilities he has are his Conquering Sands and Emperor's Divide. Without these, Azir will have a hard time in the early games, especially if he's up against a slippery champions like, LeBlanc or Zed. Therefore you must reserve these two skills defensively in the early game. Also keep a stack of a Sand Soldier with you as much as possible. These are your lifelines. Never use two Sand Soldiers to poke down your enemy without having one as a reserve. Be weary of the enemy jungle, especially if it can inflict a hard crowd control effect like stun, snare, fear, etc. Your ultimate skill is also your lifeline in the early game. Use it to push back your enemies and escape. Summon a Sand Soldier and dash towards it to escape. Never engage unless you are absolutely sure you can go for the kill. Just keep poking your target and get the creep gold as fast as your can.

3. Strategic Dominance

I love Azir's title, the Emperor of the Sands. And it fits him so much. (Awesome Riot!!!) He's a conqueror, therefore he can make the team elevate in objectives. The thing that Azir loves are fallen turrets, because he can just set up another turret of his own in that lane.

When you are pushing a lane, use your Sand Soldiers to poke hard your enemies and force them to retreat to their turrets. Again poke them hard while near the turrets, but know that Sand Soldiers quickly fade when they are near an enemy turret. Once the turret has fallen use your passive to summon your turret and further push the lane. Be weary of any champions who will engage during the whole process. Reserve your Shifting Sands and Emperor's Divide defensively while pushing. Once your minion wave falls into the next turret, fall back to your turret kill all the enemy minions that are about to go near your turret. Never allow enemy minions to rush to your turret. Once the enemy turret falls you can now retreat. Don't worry about your tower as you have already traded for two alongside it. Also take note that any minions that your turret kills grants you gold.

Now when you are defending your lane, always retreat to your turret. If it falls retreat towards the next turret first and push back your enemies by poking them with your soldiers. Push them back till you get near your fallen turret to summon yours. Keep all enemies away from you by poking them hard, forcing them to retreat and engage once the team is ready for a clash. Azir is good at protecting a lane as well. So take these things in mind whenever you are playing him.

Now let's tackle about the items that Azir can have

1. Nashor's Tooth

This is your bread and butter item. It grants cooldown reduction, ability power attack speed, and also gives your basic attack bonus magic damage. Build this item first as fast as your can because it will be Azir's main item. The reason behind it is because Azir's damage is mainly from the basic attacks of his Sand Soldiers rather than his abilities. So building attack speed is a must have for him. The cooldown reduction of this item also helps in quick summoning of Sand Soldiers.

2. Morellonomicon

Next is Morellonomicon. Generally, all mage champions buy this item as it grants a whooping 100 points of ability power and 20% cooldown reduction. It also increases your maximum mana and allows you to inflict "Grievous Wounds" to your enemies whenever you are dealing magic damage, weakening their regenerative abilities. It also grants you mana whenever you get a kill or an assist. Overall it's the general item for any mage champions who greatly rely on mana. Azir is no exception to the list of champions who rely on mana. In the early game buy a Lost Chapter which is a key item to the Morellonomicon and then go for the Nashor's Tooth. Don't build it first since you will only need the Lost Chapter for now as it grants you mana when you level up. After getting Nashor's Tooth then you can build this item. This item is also effective against champions with annoying sustain like Vladimir.

3. Rod of Ages

Normally you won't need this item. However if you are having a hard time getting up with the damage of your opponent or you simply want to play defensively, then go for a Rod of Ages. In the early game buy a Catalyst of Aeons as it grants you mana whenever you take damage and health when you cast your skills. The problem is that is slows down Azir's power in the mid game, and it will take time for you to be able to get enough damage to deal to your opponents. But in the late-game it will grant you a good defensive boost as it gives large amounts of health and mana during the late game and it also sustains you in the long run. But generally you won't be able to use much of this item. If you do, use it for defensive purposes.

4. Rylai's Crystal Scepter

Next is Rylai's Cyrstal Scepter. This item grants health and ability power, granting Azir a defensive boost. But what really makes this item awesome is that inflicts slows to your spell damage. This item is a great for locking your enemies down in a single area. It's a must-have, especially when you are dealing with slippery opponents like Fizz or Katarina. It also increases your defenses as it will allow Azir to move freely around his opponents. Remember that the Sand Soldiers' basic attacks inflict spell-hit effects, not on-hit effects.

5. Void Staff

The most amazing late game ability power item of the League. It allows the magic damage you deal to ignore 40% of the opponent's magic resistance. This item is widely used, even at Worlds. Purchase this item once your getting near the late game as it will counter any magic resistance item that your enemies might purchase. In the late game, remember that most of your enemies will have good amounts of magic resistance, even without items, so it's important to buy this item to secure your late game advantage.

6. Liandry's Torment

Liandry's Torment is a good replacement item for Void Staff if you are facing enemy champions having annoying amounts of health. Take in mind that the magic penetration of this item is lower than Void Staff, but it grants a bonus 300 health and your spell damage burns your enemies by a percentage of their current health. This makes Azir effective against champions with high amounts of health. The problem is that the damage will get a slower pace than equipping a Void Staff. Either which item you buy, both are great during the late game.

6. Rabadon's Deathcap

Should this be even explained? This item grants a whooping 120 points of ability power plus increases you ability power by 35%. Although this item grants a huge boost to Azir's spell damage, do not buy it in the early or mid game. Buy it last as much as possible. You can also take it in the early game, but the passive effect of Rabadon's Deathcap won't be as effective than buying the item in the late game.

7. Luden's Echo

Now this item grants Azir a powefrul burst damage boost due to its passive ability. Along with the passive bonus movement speed, it is a great item if you wish to add mobility and kiting potential to Azir. Add it up with Rylai's Crystal Scepter and you can now pin down your opponents as well as kite and dodge their abilities.

8. Berserker's Greaves

This item grants you bonus attack speed, which is a great item for Azir as he is dependent on the basic attacks of his soldiers as well. I recommend to buy this type of boots for general situations.

9. Sorcerer's Shoes

This item grants you bonus magic penetration. It's a great item, especially during the late game. However the magic penetration is bad if you can't proc your damage faster. Do not buy this item. BUy the Berserker's Greaves instead. However if you are faced with champions having high magic resistances, use this type of boots instead.

• Published on Oct. 26, 2017.
• Added Log notes on Nov. 5, 2017.
• Future log: Preseason Update!!! Nov. 7, 2017.