Fiora Build Guide by 3Rain

Introduction

NOTICE: I have been getting downvoted because my guide is "similar to the other Fiora" guides. I assume that each of the downvotes so far have come from troll accounts but please, read the material.

Hello good people of MobaFire, I am 3Rain, and I am back to present to you my take on Fiora: The Grand Duelist. I understand that there are quite a lot of Fiora guides floating around, but I hope to bring something new to the table with this build.

Fiora is, to put it simply, a great top lane pick. Every ability that she has is geared toward helping her in the 1-on-1 situation. With her passive, Duelist, you can afford to harass, harass, and harass some more in the early game. Not to mention her other abilities, which all contribute to her dueling and harassing powers as well.

In this article, I will be going over two main Fiora builds, although I will probably add more in the future. In my main build, I build Fiora like I do most other melee characters: as a tanky bruiser character. The second build is a more traditional AD carry build, which utilizes Doran's Blade stacking early. I have been met with huge success in nearly every game I have played so far, and can vouch for the effectiveness of this build. If you do not believe me, just try it for yourself.

As for leaving comments, voting, and whatnot:

Please do:

1) Leave a comment. Criticism is always welcome, and I will be glad to +Rep any useful comments
2) Vote up the guide. In order for this guide to get views, a high rating is necessary. Thanks in advance for any +votes

Please do not:

1) Rogue downvote. This helps no one. If you have a great reason to downvote, go ahead. Just... leave a reason
2) Downvote because you have a Fiora guide of your own. Again, this also helps no one. If the good Fiora guides (not saying mine is "good") are all voted down, then players looking for help are going to be misled, simply enough

That is it for the introduction. Since I am no longer a "noob" at writing for MobaFire, I hope that this guide is even more informative and even easier to read than my previous one. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy Fiora - Queen of Solo Top.

-3Rain

Pros & Cons

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Pros +Great natural lane sustain with Duelist +Very good in a solo lane +Good counter to AD champions with Riposte + Blade Waltz makes you temporarily untouchable in a team fight +Ridiculous attack speed, even without building the stat thanks to Burst of Speed

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Cons -Weak against bursty champions early in the game -Focused in team fights -Weak against any form of crowd control -Inexperienced players can run into mana problems without rationing it -Cooldowns are lengthy

Runes

Q U I N T S

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Greater Quintessence of Desolation: Armor penetration, while not incredibly useful early in the game, will really show up late in the game when the armor stats of your opponents start to shoot up. Besides, attack speed is not really necessary thanks to Burst of Speed, and you will get plenty of early game attack damage from Riposte.

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Q U I N T S

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G L Y P H S

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Greater Glyph of Armor: AD carries need all the help they can get in the survivability department. With the bit of extra armor, combined with Duelist, Fiora can really stick around in the lane for a long time.

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G L Y P H S

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S E A L S

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Greater Seal of Magic Resist: As with the armor glyphs, the resistance seals are for lane sustenance, mostly, but as I already said any bit of extra defenses helps late in the game. Especially when you are getting focused, which is almost guaranteed to happen.

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S E A L S

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M A R K S

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Greater Mark of Desolation: Marks are the same as Quints, here. Last Whisper is not listed in the main item build, so we want as much extra armor penetration as we can get.

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M A R K S

Masteries

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My masteries for Fiora are a pretty standard 21-9-0. I take Summoner's Resolve for an armor debuff on Exhaust in Tier 1, along with Brute Force . In Tier 2, I take Alacrity for extra attack speed and Sorcery for a bit of cooldown reduction. I take Weapon Expertise for a boosted armor penetration in Tier 3, along with the generic damage boost Havoc . Vampirism is taken in Tier 4 because it is simply better than the alternatives, and the extra life steal is nice. Sunder in Tier 5 gives even more natural armor penetration which, combined with the rune setup and Weapon Expertise , brings us to a whopping 25% natural armor penetration. Tanks are shivering in their Boots of Speed. Executioner is too good to pass up.

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I take points in Resistance and Hardiness in Tier 1 for early lane sustain. Durability grants a nice amount of bonus health in Tier 2 and Veteran's Scars does the same.

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Summoner Spells

[Flash]: As Fiora, you should pick Flash in every game, regardless of who you are laning against. It has too many uses to be passed up. You can use it to both chase down opponents when Lunge is on cooldown, and to retreat when ambushed.

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[Exhaust]: As with Flash, Exhaust has uses on both sides of the board. You can Exhaust an opponent to slow them down and kill them, slow them down to run away, or use the damage reduction to shut down a deadly ultimate such as Absolute Zero or Slicing Maelstrom.

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[Ignite]: This spell as fantastic for securing early game kills. I have been using it in some of my games, and it really is a matter of preference. If you want to get ahead early, Ignite is the way to go. If you feel like you need more utility, Exhaust is for you.

Beginner Fiora: Teleport + Flash
Intermediate Fiora: Teleport / Ignite + Flash
Expert Fiora: Ignite / Exhaust + Flash

Skill Sequence

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Duelist: Fiora regenerates health over 6 seconds each time she deals physical damage. Striking champions will cause this effect to stack up to 4 times.

Fiora's passive, Duelist, gives you great early game sustain, but still helps late in the game. Think about it. With Fiora's attack speed at level 18, combined with 100 health (against a champion) regenerated every 6 seconds, it adds up.

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Lunge: Fiora dashes forward to strike her target, dealing physical damage. Fiora can perform the dash a second time within a couple seconds at no mana cost.

You're going to want to max out Lunge last, because you only need the dash to catch up to a fleeing target, or when ganking.

• When ganking (which is doable since you have Phage/ Frozen Mallet), use Lunge to close the distance, use your other abilities to start pumping out damage, then use Lunge again when they Flash away.
• You need to remember that you can only Lunge twice if you do it within the next couple seconds. It will go on cooldown if you do not get it off in time, which can spoil an otherwise secured gank.
• You can also use Lunge as an escape tool, although it is very situational. If you are running away in a lane with 3 enemies on your tail and happen to see an enemy creep group in front of you, pop Lunge to get a quick burst of speed, then Lunge again to a minion farther up in the group.

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Riposte: Fiora's Attack Damage is increased. When activated, Fiora parries the next basic attack and reflects magic damage back to the attacker. Works against champions, monsters, and large minions.

You're going to want to max out Riposte by level 9, primarily because of the significant attack boost. The active ability is great too, though, in giving you an advantage in a melee fight early in the game.

• As previously stated, the attack boost given by Riposte makes it a priority to max. Do not think that you need to rush AD items early in the game; by level 9 you will have boosted attack equivalent to 3 Doran's Blades.
• When preparing to initiate a fight in a 1-on-1 situation, I will Lunge into the opponent, followed by an immediate Riposte. The quick burst damage, combined with the fact that their health is going down a lot faster than yours, will most likely send the enemy running. You can try using a second Lunge to chase them down, or just zone them out of the creep wave. You win either way.
• Although this is not a jungling guide, Riposte is excellent for speeding up battles with the Lizard Elder or Dragon. Fiora has a lot of potential in the jungle, so do not be afraid to go a bit out of your way to kill the Wolves or Wraiths before getting back in your lane.

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Burst of Speed: Fiora gains additional Attack Speed for 3 seconds. Each basic attack or Lunge she lands increases her Movement Speed for 3 seconds, stacking up to 3 times. Killing a champion refreshes the cooldown on Burst of Speed, while assists reduce the cooldown by half of the base amount.

You're going to want to max out Burst of Speed at level 13, after Riposte.

• When activated, Burst of Speed instantly triggers a basic attack. Activate it right after a basic attack lands to get extra damage.
• Do not forget that the cooldown of Burst of Speed is refreshed after a champion kill or assist; once you get your AD built up you can really use this to its full potential.
• Combined with Lunge, Burst of Speed becomes a very effective ganking tool. Each basic attack landed while this ability is active boosts your movement speed. Jump the enemy with Lunge, land a basic attack followed by Burst of Speed, then use the movement speed proc to chase the opponent down.
• The movement speed boost is also useful for escaping. If you spot an enemy creep in your escape route, pop Burst of Speed, Lunge to the creep to get a movement boost, then hit it once or twice more to get a bigger movement speed increase, allowing you to escape.

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Blade Waltz: Fiora dashes around the battlefield to strike random enemy champions 5 times, dealing physical damage per strike. Successive strikes against the same target deal 25% of the damage. Each strike applies on-hit effects.

You're going to want to max out Blade Waltz at level 16, taking points also at 6 and 11.

• I am not quite sure how hittable you are while using Blade Waltz, but it appears that you are somewhat invulnerable (do not quote me on that) while using the ultimate. Use this to your advantage!
• Drop Blade Waltz on the squishy carries in a team fight and laugh as their health drops dangerously low while yours stays high. Just make sure your tank is ready to bail you out.
• In the solo lanes, Blade Waltz is an extremely effective finishing tool. If you continually harass your opponent with Riposte and Burst of Speed, you can eventually jump them with a Lunge >> Burst of Speed >> Riposte >> Lunge >> Blade Waltz combo for the kill.

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So, to put it all together:

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When Harassing:

Lunge >> Riposte >> Burst of Speed

When Ganking:

Lunge >> Burst of Speed >> Riposte >> Lunge >> Blade Waltz

Items

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Tanky Bruiser

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Riot Recommends SPACE The Core Build

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Traditional AD Carry

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These are the items that, regardless of what I am facing, I get every game.

• : Fiora is very weak to crowd control in general and tends to be focused. This item counters crowd control reasonably well and gives needed magic resistance.
  
• : This is one of my favorite items in the game. With it, you both build up your resistance and increase your attack speed and damage output. Valuable item at a very low price.
  
• : I consider this a necessary item for melee AD carries. As much as you will be focused, you need to be able to survive as long as you can in a team fight, and when you go down you have a chance to get back up and finish. Great item for Fiora.

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• : Explained above. Compliments a tanky build very well.
  
• : This provides everything that you need as a tanky melee character: attack, armor, and life steal. You also get a free Sight Ward, which is handy for the river on top lane.
  
• : Excellent item for ganking with its movement speed debuff, but also gives needed health and attack.
  
• : Also explained in the core item build. Like Wriggle's Lantern, this item helps out on both the offensive and defensive ends.
  
• : Gives you survivability in a team fight.
  
• : This item gives two things that we need, attack damage and life steal. Fortunately, it gives a lot of both stats, and will massively help your team fighting ability.

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• : This might seem odd in an AD build, but Tenacity is much more valuable than attack speed on Fiora.
  
• : A great anti-tank item. Combined with Burst of Speed, armor will literally melt under your blade. The attack damage and bonus attack speed are nice, too.
  
• : In this build, Wit's End both gives needed magic resistance and helps get more The Black Cleaver procs.
  
• : I think you already know why you need this item.
  
• : With Burst of Speed, The Black Cleaver, and Wit's End, you will be getting a lot of mileage out of this item. It gives you great sustain in a team fight.
  
• : In combination with The Black Cleaver, Last Whisper helps take down tanky foes, while providing extra attack damage.

Optional Items

[Warmog's Armor]: I have not tested this item much myself as Fiora, but when combined with Frozen Mallet and Atma's Impaler, you could get a true off-tank build going. Will do more testing on this in the future. Build this if you want more survivability in team fights.

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[Atma's Impaler]: This item synergizes well with Warmog's Armor and Frozen Mallet. It provides armor, critical strike, and attack damage that scales off of your maximum health. Great item for an off-tank. Build this if you already have the two items mentioned above.

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[Trinity Force]: This is an interesting item, to say the least. It gives a myriad of bonuses; luckily Fiora can use them all. You do not want to build this item with Frozen Mallet, since Trinity Force has a built-in Phage proc. Build Trinity Force if you do not want Frozen Mallet.

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[Phantom Dancer]: If you were to take this item, it would be over Wit's End. Are your opponent's AP casters not exactly bringing the heat? Take Phantom Dancer for a huge offensive boost.

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[Infinity Edge]: This goes well with Phantom Dancer; a combination of these two items gives you a devastating critical hit and high damage per second. If your opponents are not stacking defense early, use the B.F. Sword you get to take Infinity Edge, rather than The Black Cleaver.

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[Youmuu's Ghostblade]: Truly an underrated item that synergizes surprisingly well with Fiora. If you do not need the Doran's Blades early in the game, buy 2 Long Swords and build The Brutalizer, which builds into Youmuu's Ghostblade. You get cooldown (for once), armor penetration, critical strike, attack damage, and an amazing active similar to Burst of Speed. Great item for dominating the game early.

Laning

There is a certain mindset that you must have when picking Fiora as a top lane champion. You need to remind yourself of the following:

• You are a man! You do not back down!
• If you are not a man, you are a woman who does not back down!
• In all seriousness, you need to remind yourself that you cannot play passively in lane.
• You need to bully the low harass champions.

As you can tell from my attempt to pump you up for your match, the key is to go into the lane ready to screw up your opponent's creep score. That being said, how about we start talking about the match.

Start with one of the following sets:

• Boots of Speed + 3 Health Potion : The standard set. If you do not know who you will be laning against, or feel that the lane matchup will be about even, go with this. The movement speed bonus helps prevent early ganks, and the Health Potions help you to stay in the lane.
• Cloth Armor + 5 Health Potion : If your opponent in lane deals melee damage and has a high amount of harass potential, start this set. As odd as it might sound, when playing with a defensive set, as Fiora you can actually be more aggressive in getting that first blood.
• Doran's Blade : I have not experimented with a starting Doran's Blade, but if you are in a lane with an opponent that is very weak early game, you can simply harass the mess out of them with superior stats from a Doran's item. I will need to look into this more, for sure, if anyone has tested this I would love to hear their feedback.

Once you have made your decision, head into the top lane and prepare to dominate. Fiora is excellent at staking out her territory early; you can begin zoning out your opponent as early as level 2. Scaring your opponent as Fiora as simple. Remember the following quote from Napoleon Dynamite.

"Break the wrist, walk away." - Rex

The same applies with Fiora. At level 2, walk up to your opponent, use a basic attack, activate Burst of Speed and Riposte, trade a few blows (until they see their health bar falling much faster than yours), and walk away. Activate one of your Health Potions if you have to, and the lane is yours. If your opponent tries to stick around, just repeat your Rex Kwon Do tactics and either kill them or force them out of the lane.

Continue last hitting as normal. Soon, you will need to answer a difficult question: when do you go back for items? I usually try to stay in the lane until I can head back for Wriggle's Lantern. This item will allow you to do whatever you want in lane. You get attack damage, armor, life steal, and a Sight Ward for the river bush. How awesome is that? Continue harassing your opponent as normal.

However, if you were not able to win the lane early, or even died in the lane, you may want to pick up a few Doran's Blades to catch back up, as well as a Vampiric Scepter.

On your next shop visit, you will want to pick up Mercury's Treads. You are now that much harder to gank, with your crowd control resistance. You should be able to kill your opponent in lane easily now, if they decide to stick around too long when you harass. Use Lunge to initiate and catch them off guard, pop Riposte and Burst of Speed, then chase with Lunge and finish with Blade Waltz.

At this point, you need to take note of where the game is heading. I typically build Phage next, to help gank other lanes. Before finishing Frozen Mallet, I build Recurve Bow for extra life steal, Phage procs, and Duelist procs.

Now for ganking. If your opponent has returned to base, or you have the lane pushed, you can go looking for a gank. If your mid is struggling, ping their opponent and tell your mid to let them push. I have already gone over the ganking combo, but here it is one more time:

Lunge >> Riposte >> Burst of Speed >> Lunge >> Blade Waltz

This is a deadly combo, and when combined with a Phage, you should have a pretty high success rate on your ganks. If anything, you can scare the opponent out of lane and help your mid catch up.

Next you are going to want some offense. Since this is a bruiser build, the obvious choice is Wit's End. However, if you are seeing the enemy start to tank up, The Black Cleaver is a great choice as well. Wit's End will give you boosted attack speed, as well as proc damage to compliment your Burst of Speed and some magic resistance as well.

Once you hit the 20 minute mark, the lanes are going to be left alone and team fights are going to be starting. As a melee champion, you need to pick up Guardian Angel as soon as the team fights start. You will be getting focused and Guardian Angel is a great counter.

Speaking of team fights, your job in a team fight is to take out the enemy squishies. Ignore the tanks. A mistake I see in a lot of games is players focusing a tank. That is what they want you to do. For now, forget the tanks and punish the squishy champions for not building any armor.

If the game drags out long enough, The Bloodthirster is a great way to finish your build with extra damage and life steal. If the game drags out even longer, replace your Wriggle's Lantern with a Madred's Bloodrazor.

That is it for the laning section. If you have any suggestions, let me know. As I get more games in as Fiora, I will probably add a section on specific matchups as well.

Conclusion

This concludes my guide, Fiora - Queen of Solo Top. Do not worry about the lack of content; there is plenty more to come, believe me.

Thanks to:

MobaFire - For hosting this guide and being a great League of Legends resource.
jhoijhoi - I used a lot of her templates.
You - For reading this guide and voting it up, right?

Thanks for reading!

-3Rain