PRE-GAMERunes Summoner Spells

AKALIAbilities Skill Sequence Items Pros / Cons

GAMEPLAYCombos Early Game Mid Game Teamfights

PROS + High Damage + High Mobility + Amazing Burst Potential + Not Banned very often + Low Cooldown Spells + Stealth Ability + No Mana + Can delete enemy squishies

CONS - Difficult to master - High Skill Cap (to play well) - Squishy / Melee Champion - Poor wave-clear - Susceptible to CC - Difficult to come back if behind - Difficult laning phase - Can be bullied / harassed in lane by ranged champs

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Fleet Footwork: Attacking and moving builds Energy stacks. At 100 stacks, your next attack heals you and grants increased Movement Speed. This is a great keystone on Akali because she is an assassin that often uses mobility and movement in order to position and reposition when engaging an enemy. The healing granted and extra movement speed can help you survive just long enough to finish off an enemy or escape with you life after an engage / trade. Your other option here is to take Conqueror.

Presence of Mind: Takedowns restore your energy by 20% and increases your maximum energy by 10 (up to 50). It's a nice amount of energy to have restored right after getting a takedown and to have your energy increased to use throughout the game will help you later on. This is a solid choice for Akali. Your other option here is to take Triumph which will restore some missing health after a takedown and grant you a little extra gold.

Legend: Tenacity: Takedowns on enemies grant permanent Tenacity. Who wouldn't benefit from less time CC'd? Super choice on Akali

Coup de Grace: You will deal more damage to low health enemy champions. It offers you a good deal of extra damage which is perfect when playing an Assassin.

Taste of Blood: Heal when you damage an enemy champion. Healing: 18-35 (+ 20% bonus AD) (+ 10% AP) health (based on level)

Ravenous Hunter: Heal for 1.5% (+ 2.5% per Bounty Hunter stack) of the damage dealt by your abilities. Earn a Bounty Hunter stack the first time you get a takedown on each enemy champion. Any bit of extra healing is always welcome, particularly when playing high risk/high reward.

I have just included a Domination page here for people that might prefer to take Electrocute as their keystone, therefore I will not go into depth on my rune choices. Right now, in the mid lane I prefer Fleet Footwork with the other option being to swap it out for Conqueror (more damage). Try all 3 and choose what suits your play-style best.


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Flash is MUST HAVE spell on Akali. It can be used as a gap-closer, to engage/disengage or escape ganks and in general to make more plays. It's an important spell for late game engages and team fights as it enables you to get to the enemy teams back-line. I take it in 100% of my Akali games.

Ignite offers extra lane pressure and extra kill potential. It's also a great spell to take against self healing champions. It's a solid choice and you can take Ignite in all games, should you choose to. Teleport can be taken if you want to pressure other lanes even more than simply roaming up/down river etc.. It also opens up the door for you to split push and still have the ability to quickly join your team if need be. I recommend you take Ignite though.

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Doran's Shield is a solid choice to start with in general. It will allow you to trade in lane and also heal up from a champion that pokes you a lot. Akali has a weak laning phase so being able to sustain early will definitely help you out. It's a solid go-to starting item for Akali.

Boots will help you to dodge skill-shots and make it a bit easier to position in the early laning phase. Consider starting Boots against enemies with ranged skill-shots like Lux, Syndra, Morgana, Nidalee etc... You would need to take something other than Magical Footwear in your runes though.

Cloth Armor is a great choice to start with against any AD champion. It's a part of the Seeker's Armguard which means you will be able to pick it up faster. Remember, you do not need to finish Seeker's Armguard into a Zhonya's Hourglass right away.

Dark Seal can be taken if you 'will win' the lane easily and want to start snowballing quickly.

Sorcerer's Shoes: Standard boots pick, you just cant go wrong with having the extra damage notably if the enemy team has stacked magic resist. You can consider these your go-to boots and simply default pick them in any game. They will help you to get ahead in lane, add to your burst damage and help you to snowball.

Mercury's Treads: These are an option if the enemy team consists of multiple AP Champions, especially if they have lots of hard CC. They increase your movement speed and reduce CC effects (Stuns, Roots, etc..). A solid option if you think you are going to get locked down by crowd control in skirmishes and especially team-fights.

Ninja Tabi: will be helpful if you are playing with a difficult AD matchup and the enemy team is heavy on attack damage. They become even more viable if the enemy team has multiple auto attack champions. You will lack some damage by not having Sorcerer's Shoes but the extra defensive stats in the right game can go a long way to helping you survive after using your burst combo to blow up an enemy carry, particularly as a game progresses.

Hextech Gunblade is your core item and an absolute MUST HAVE on Akali. It gives you AD, AP and heals you too. Then there is the 'active' which will damage and slow an enemy champion. Buy this item every game!

Zhonya's Hourglass I buy Zhonya's in almost every single game with Akali and consider it a core item. It has a great active that can save you countless times and will open up many more riskier plays for you. You can dive towers or deep into the enemy backline and use zhonya to survive. A great item to rush if you are struggling against a Zed or Talon or other AD champs etc..

Rabadon's Deathcap When you just need raw ability power, this is a great item. +120 Ability Power and increases your total AP by +40% Ability Power which is an amazing increase to your burst potential. This offers no defensive stats and continues your build into a glass-cannon so be aware of this and play safely as the game progresses.

Void Staff It's great to have the extra Magic Penetration. A must have item as games go on in length as it will help you to burst through the enemies Magic Resist. It's a great option even if they are not 'stacking' MR.

Morellonomicon is a perfect item to help you shut down 'healing champions' such as Swain, Dr. Mundo, Maokai, Soraka, Garen, Vladimir etc.. It also gives you some flat magic penetration from it's Oblivion Orb component which will help you to assassinate squishy targets!

Liandry's Torment can be taken if the enemy team consists of high health tanks and the extra health will help you out when in extended fights. This item synergizes really well with Rylai's Crystal Scepter.

Banshee's Veil Gives you +75 Ability Power, +60 Magic Resist and 10% Cooldown Reduction. It's passive grants a spell shield that blocks the next enemy ability. It refreshes after no damage is taken from enemy champions for 40 seconds. It is an excellent item for when you're matched against an AP heavy team.

Rylai's Crystal Scepter I love this item. Lots of health, some Ability Power and a useful slow. It's passive can be useful for helping you to stick to a slippery enemy.

Guardian Angel can be taken if you are super fed, snowballing and your death is likely to cause your team to lose. In this instance, if your Guardian Angel has been procced it usually means that the enemy has tried to burst you down or you have gone way too deep. You can make a lot of plays around your Twilight Shroud after you have revived and because of Akali sustain it is possible for you to heal up again. If you have gone too deep on a 'pick', team-fight, tried to 1v9 or simply were caught out of place there is not much you can do. It has a very awkward build path for Akali because of the B. F. Sword but in the right game can be the difference between victory and loss. Due to it's defensive stats, it's a solid choice versus an AD heavy team.

Abyssal Mask can be a useful item to pick up if the enemy mage or AP heavy team are very far ahead of you. Only purchase it if you are behind and you really need the MR.

Lich Bane I am not a fan of Lich Bane on Akali. That doesn't mean that it can't be a good pick in some games, I just don't particularly like it. It will however, offer you some movement speed, CDR and extra burst.

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BASIC TRADING:

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Q + AA As Akali, this is your main trading combo during the laning phase. If need be you can add your (W) Twilight Shroud to this combo should the need arise. Keep an eye on your energy levels and avoid trading unless you are sure that you have enough available, especially during risky trades.

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+ Q + E + E + AA + Q As soon as you have completed your Hextech Gunblade, be sure to use it's active each time that you look to trade with an enemy.

ALL IN EXAMPLES:

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R + + Q + E + W(reposition) + E + AA + R It is possible that you wont need to reposition so early using Twilight Shroud using this combo, if that is the case then hold onto it until later in the combo or for your escape.

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R + + Q + E + E + Q + AA + W(reposition) + Q + R You may need to reposition using your Twilight Shroud earlier, or simply stall some 'survival' time in order for your team to catch up. If this is the case you can always use your Twilight Shroud earlier in the combo.

WALL FLIP:

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E It's possible for Akali to use her (E) Shuriken Flip to backflip over a wall. This can be useful to escape from a gank, a poor engage or simply to reposition. You cannot make it over all walls and some of the trickier ones will take some practice.

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Levels 1-6 can vary depending on the champion that you are playing against. Laning phase is Akali's achilles heel, a time where she is most vulnerable. Remember you are very squishy but you do have some nice sustain. Once you get to level 6, the game become wide open to you.

If you're playing against a ranged opponent such as Ahri, Orianna, Syndra, Brand, Xerath etc.. it can be very difficult to CS as well as harass the enemy. Start with a point in (Q) Five Point Strike and then at level 2 put a point in (W) - Twilight Shroud. Your objective here is to try not give away too much free harass and to not get zoned/bullied off your farm completely. Do not push the lane, try your best to freeze it near your tower. Ideally your jungler will be on-the-ball and punish them for overextending or being out of position. You need to survive this lane until level 6 where you get a massive power-spike and the ability to secure kills either in lane or elsewhere.

For melee opponents such as Talon, Zed, Diana etc.. you can trade more often with them using your Five Point Strike and AA when they come up to CS or try to harass you. Use your Twilight Shroud to your advantage in order to reduce or avoid some of their damage. Farm as much as you can until level 6 and once you get your ultimate you can begin to secure kills in lane or roam for picks / ganks in other lanes.

Keep farming as much as possible, whenever possible - CS is the bread and butter for your gold income. What you have to remember here though is that you are an assassin and require snowballing in order to get the most out of Akali. The best way to do this is with kills. You are now level 6+ and playing an aggressive champion, it is time to go and gank other lanes and use your strength to not only get fed but also help your teammates to secure their lanes. You will need to keep a close eye on your jungler and the mini-map. If your jungler is trading with an opponent try to get yourself in a position to go and help them. If your jungler is taking an early dragon or trying to contest the enemy from taking one, react, try to shove your lane hard and go to help!

Bot lane is the preferable lane that you can gank and are most likely to pick up the kills you need. An ADC is much more easily burst down than a top lane Riven, Renekton, Darius, Gangplank etc.. for example. Don't ignore a Top Lane gank altogether but use your common sense at any given moment you are going to roam and decide where you should go to. Is your top laner low on HP and looks like the enemy might dive him, perhaps it might be a good idea for you to go and 'clean up' the kills. The same goes for bot lane. To summarize levels 6-9 and into mid game: Farm as much as you can, roam as much as you, secure as many kills as you can. Be greedy with the kills !! Be sure to place wards.

It's mid game. You should by now at least have your core items Hextech Gunblade & Zhonya's Hourglass. If you are behind, you need to keep farming as a priority and consider picking up a defensive item. If you are ahead or even you should continue to farm as much as possible but concentrate on trying to secure both solo kills and kills with your team-mates.

At this point in the game other players will begin to roam and group up for ambushes, ganks or to secure and objective (Towers, Dragon, Rift Herald etc..) Large scale Team-fights and smaller skirmishes will begin to occur. Victory or Loss of these fights at this stage can sway the outcome of the game. Don't underestimate how important the objectives are, in the end this is how we win the game & it won't matter how many kills you have when a nexus falls. You will want to keep vision on the map and try your best not to get caught alone, therefore potentially giving away free kills/objectives.

In the skirmishes and team-fights you will want to focus the 'HIGHEST' priority carry on the enemy team: AP Carry or AD Carry. It's likely that they will have a least some amount of peel so keep an eye out for them to be out of position or otherwise engaged.

Try to keep your CS up... Roughly every 19 CS is the same in gold as 1 kill.





First things first, in order to be of any use to your team - you need to be alive! Don't get caught face-checking bushes, wandering alone without knowing where the enemies are, foolish engages etc..

Akali excels at assassinating enemy carries and this stays true to the end of the game. In a team-fight you will want to assassinate one of the enemy squishy carries, preferably the one with the highest priority (the biggest threat potential to your team). It is possible for you to engage but be sure your team is in a position to follow up on it. You can use your Twilight Shroud after engaging to buy some time or even use your Zhonya's Hourglassto let your team catch-up with your engage. Be sure to stick on the one target if possible unless you have to dis-engage.

Sometimes the enemy team comp will include champions like Lulu, Kayle, Tahm Kench etc... or something like Malzahar and this will likely make assassinating a carry impossible in a team-fight. If this happens, you will need to hope your team can blow the enemies CC and peel, hope for picks or simply just focus on whoever your team goes on.


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Well that's it for my guide to Akali. I hope you have found it an interesting read and that it might help you to improve. If not that, at least some food for thought, so to speak.

Akali is one of my favourite champions and I hope you enjoy playing her as much as I do.

It's not all about winning/losing guys, at least we get to play the game!


Thanks for stopping by,
FalleN3




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