Fiora Build Guide by Camarro

Introduction

Hello everyone! This is my first guide so please if you have any suggestions/critism you're more then welcome to share your thoughts with me. I hope that after reading my guide you will have most of your questions answered, if not feel free to ask me.

Pros / Cons

[*] Great gapclosing ability
[*] Good lane sustain due to Ripsote
[*] Strong ultimate
[*] Lifesaving parry
[*] One of the best PvP char


[*] No real escape methode besides summoner spells
[*] Average movement speed
[*] lacks CC
[*] vulnerable to CC

Runes

Greater Mark of Desolation for increased damage output

Greater Seal of Armor for +13 armor in level 1

Greater Glyph of Magic Resist for the + 13 magic resist on lvl 1

Greater Quintessence of Attack Damage to increase your early poke and farm

I would say these are the best possible runes you can get on Fiora, offering her very strong stats at level 1 (83 damage with Riposte passive effect, 35 armor and 49 magic resist).

Masteries

The Masteries are pretty standard for any AD carry, taking 21-9-0 (all physical damage in offense tree and the Veteran's Scars in defense tree). Although taking the 9 Defense points out and placing them in the Utility tree - Swiftness (so you can get the +2% movement speed increse) might be tempting, the loss off the defensive stats could ruin your early game. You can use Lunge in order to close the distance and Burst of Speed for chasing down a kill.

Summoner Spells

As Summoner Spells i use Flash and Exhaust, however you can replace them with Ghost/ Exhaust.

Exhaust is a must when playing Fiora, due to the fact that she lacks cc.

I would advise against using Ignite on Fiora, because she won't need the extra damage on kills, if you time your spells right. Besides that Ignite wears off in lategame, where Exhaust on the other hand, can be the way to stop DAT Tryndamere.

Skill explanation

Duelist - Stacks up to 4 times when fighting enemy champions

It allows you to regenerate hitpoint the more u stay in battle.
A strong passive, which allows you to stay and farm the hell out of the lane. Due to the fact that the regeneration effect stacks up to 4 times when fighting enemy champions, you should try to poke your enemy as much as you can. Duelist will regenerate a decent amount of hitpoints lost during the engage.

Lunge - Can be used 2 times, but it has a long cooldown

Lunge is your starting move when engaging in combat, allowing you to close the distance to the enemy champions and still having the second Lunge as soon as they start retreating. Be aware of its long cooldown, or else you will be finding yourself stuck between the enemy team.

Riposte - Nasus, wukong, poppy, talon and many others DENIED.

Besides the passive that offers you bonus atack damage, which helps you greatly at poking and farming, the activable spell instantly blocks an incoming atack, dealing damage to the atacker. It takes a little bit of practice until you will be able to time your Riposte perfectly so that u can block that most feared Q spell (Nasus, Wukong etc.). When laning against such heroes try to offer special attention to the sounds, because all Q spells make a short sound when activating them.

Burst of Speed - Beat the **** out of them

This is your main damage source. The effect stacks up to 3 times if continuing to atack. You must be sure that as soon as you activate Burst of Speed you will be able to atack the before agreed target and not get shutdown. If you are stunned close after u activated Burst of Speed, most part of your damage will be lost. As a bonus to it, each time you kill an eney the cooldown resets (assists lower the cooldown).

Blade Waltz - Where you going Master YI ?!

Your ultimate gives a fairly good amount of damage, Fiora starts dashing untouchable between enemy champions. The spell ends where it start. This means you will end up near the champion which you used Blade Waltz on. Try to pop up your ultimate before you are being focused, or else you will probably be fully denied during that teamfight. It can be used aswell to buy yourself time until your allies come to help you. If you engage using Lunge and find yourself in a dangerous position, feel free to use your Blade Waltz so that your team can catch up and pop up their cooldowns.

Playstyle

EARLY GAME


To benefit of the true power of Fiora you need to be always aware of the enemy champion, that you will face on lane (meaning actually what type of damage you will go up against). If played right and with some help from your team, Fiora is able to land the first blood around level 3. In order to have a succesful laning phase, you have to start with Cloth Armor and 5 Potions of Health (when facing AD based champions) or Null-Magic Mantle and 2 Potions of Health (when facing AP champions). Most solotop champions are melee characters, thats why you should focus on poking the enemy champion as much as you can. Try to hit 1-2 times, even force a Lunge with Burst of Speed. In level 3 this will burn down about half of the enemy's hit points. At the next minions wave, try to do the same, and if u notice that the engage might end up in a kill, pop Exhaust and finish him off with Lunge and Burst of Speed.


MID GAME


Having by now Wriggle's Lantern, Berserker's Greaves and The Black Cleaver, Fiora should start roaming the map, in order to secure some easy kills. With the full spell rotation, Fiora is able to finish off any squishy champions, if they are around 50% hp. Be always aware of the MIA, because there is nothing more unpleasent that Summon: Tibbers in your back, while you are trying to kill/outlane your enemy.


LATE GAME


Lategame means TEAMFIGHTS. Thats why you should always stay with your team, focus the AD/AP carry, depending on situation. Although seeming beefy, Fiora can easily be shutdown if a proper targeted. However, if you find yourself in a deadly situation, just pop your Blade Waltz in order to win some precious seconds, that can mean the difference between a pentakill and a death. Don't forget to use your Exhaust on the AD/AP carry in order to reduce their damage output.

Items

The most important fact when playing Fiora as the toplaner is that you have to deny most of the enemy's damage. If you are facing AD champiosn, start with Cloth Armor(reaching 52 armor) and 5 potions or start with Null-Magic Mantle(reaching 74 mag resist, which is alot for level 1) and 2 potions.

AD ENEMY
At your first trip back, you should be around 1600 gold so u can finish Wriggle's Lantern and buy Boots of Speed.
At your second trip, finish Berserker Greaves and buy B.F. Sword. Next inline is to finish The Black Cleaver and The Bloodthirster. Fiora benefits well from The Black Cleaver, because Blade Waltz applies on-hit effects.
Now you are almost at 300 dmg which is enough for midgame. You must start putting some defense items on you. I recommend you start with Frozen Mallet, because it adds 20 damage, 700 health and slow atack, which synergizes well with your skills. After you finish Frozen Mallet, you should build Atma's Impaler, so that you will be less squishy during teamfights, boost your damage and increase your crit chance. Last item should be Banshee's Veil, which replaces your Wriggle's Lantern.


AP ENEMY
At your first trip back you should finish Mercury's Treads and buy Vampiric Sceptre.
At your second trip back finish your The Bloodthirster and start to gathering the stacks for it. Your next 2 items will be Frozen Mallet and Atma's Impaler/ Force of Nature(depending how well you do in teamfights/what type of damage has the enemy team). Fifth item should be the other item u haven't picked the first time Atma's Impaler/ Force of Nature. Last item is the Last Whisper, so you will be able to deal tons of damage, despite the enemies armor.


Other Items

Warmog's Armor although a strong pick that synergisez well with Atma's Impaler, i feel that Frozen Mallet is a much stronger pick on Fiora.

Phantom Dancer is a strong damange output option, offers you superior movement speed and even higher crit chance. If the enemies hasn't stacked armor, it's a good replacement for Last Whisper.

Guardian Angel another defensive item, which would mean to sacrifice part of your damage. However the first rule for a teamfight is staying alive. being dead won't help you much. Feel free to take a third defensive item, if you notice that you are gettin focused every teamfight.

Youmuu's Ghostblade is another atractive item, that offers you some well deserved CDR, some damage and an active spell, that if used right can turn the battle into your favour. But if you think about it, your spells + Frozen Mallet will allow you to stay in range in order to chase/secure a kill.

Infinity Edge Although it is a god pick on every ad carry, i feel that Fiora doesn't benefit as well from the critical strike, as other champions. However, if u insist on picking it up, replace the The Black Cleaver.

Jungling

I tried out the jungling Fiora, and i must say I am not as satisfied as i am from lane Fiora.

When jungling I would advise you to start with Vampiric Sceptre.

Jungleroute

[*] Wolves (you will need some help from your teammates)
[*] Ask your mid champion to pull the blue golem for you --> Smite
[*] Go for wraiths then head to double golems.
[*] Red buff --> Smite

With the red buff and all 3 spells learned, you should be able to succesfully gank.

Wriggle's Lantern will help you keep an eye on different points of interests at different stages of the game.

Nowadays the Jungle isn't what it used to be, and basically your main concern is to clear the buffs as soon as they spawn, keep track of the dragon, baron and enemy's buff spawn time. Get used to tell your teammates where you are planning to gank, so they know about it, save some mana, don't be pushed and maybe poke some more so that the gank will be succesful.

Screenshot or it didn't happen

Summary

Thank you for reading my guide and I hope it will better help you understand this amazing champion. Feel free to rate and comment, I assure you, I will answer as soon as possible.