Caitlyn Build Guide by Nahiiw

Introduction

Hey this is my first guide here on MobaFire. I am writing this guide to help people become better Caitlyn players! :) Caitlyn is personally my favourite champion in-game and seeing her not being played to her full potential is hard!* Please take the time to read the full guide. Everything I write I write for a reason, to help you become a better Caitlyn player! :D ENJOY and thank you for taking the time to read my guide. Remember it's a guide not a bible. Help me with positive feedback and we'll make this guide into something truly great!

Change Log

30/10/2011 Changed the first summoner spell to Exhaust from Ghost.

Pro's and Con's

Pro's

Caitlyn-> has EXTREME damage output throughout the game
Caitlyn-> has an escape mechanism( 90 Caliber Net)
Caitlyn-> has GREAT utility (searching for Teemo in a brush has never been easier!)
Caitlyn-> has an EXCEPTIONAL finishing spell( Ace in the Hole)
Caitlyn-> does not require boots to be affective in mid lane due to her LOOOOOOOOOONG range!
Caitlyn-> is easy to learn, play and master! =D



Con's

Caitlyn-> is EXTREMELY squishy!:/
Caitlyn-> her ultimate's range has been nerfed :(
Caitlyn-> People usually rant and rave because you "stole" their kill, even though they know they wouldn't have gotten the kill if it was not for you and your ultimate
Caitlyn-> Teemo players tend to hate you because you can scout them out with your Yordle Snap Trap

Runes

Caitlyn is a typical Attack Damage(AD) champion, she relies on her basic attacks to do 90% of her total damage. This is why I go with Armour Penetration Marks ( Greater Mark of Desolation) and Quintessences ( Greater Quintessence of Desolation). These runes give me a total of 24.93 Armour Penetration off the bat! 24.93 Armour Penetration early game means that most champions in the game will have only 6.07 Armour when you are attacking them (most champion start the game with 30 armour). This means you do INSANE damage and people usually have to blue pill back to base in the first 5 minutes when you attack them(if you don't grab first blood, first =])
I pick up Mana Regen runes per level( Greater Seal of Scaling Mana Regeneration), so you can use your Piltover Peacemaker more often and harass the enemy champions from a safe range, without putting yourself in melee range, where you can get killed.
The cooldown reduction per level runes( Greater Glyph of Scaling Cooldown Reduction) I pick up, so that late game, you can jump over walls every 6 seconds using your 90 Caliber Net. People argue that flat cooldown reduction(CDR) is better, but actually you get MORE CDR, from per level runes end game than from flat CDR runes.

Masteries

I go for a straight forward 21/0/9 Mastery. Picking up improved ghost Haste and increased buff duration Utility Mastery in the Utility tree. I pick up additional damage to minions Offensive Mastery so you can farm like a BEAST!!!
It's pretty straight forward, not a lot to say about masteries in general though.

Items!!!

I start with a Doran's Blade for the extra health, attack damage and life steal early-game. All-round a very nice item to have, it boosts every stat that you need to be effective early-game. When I am mid I usually pick up a B. F. Sword and Boots of Speed on my first trip back to base. I prefer to get this item before my boots, so I can farm with more ease and can harass the enemy HARD! Once I have 920 gold I 'B' and pick up my Berserker's Greaves. These boots are almost a MUST on every AD-carry, it gives you movement speed and attack speed, FURTHER increasing your farming ability! When I am in a dual lane I usually get my Boots before my B.F., due to the lack of farm in a dual lane, but I STRONGLY recommend, if it is possible, getting your B. F. Sword before Boots. Next I upgrade my B. F. Sword to either The Bloodthirster or The Black Cleaver, depending on the enemy team composition. If thay have a lot of life-steal, like Warwick or Vladimir I pick up The Bloodthirster to enable me, not to have to leave lane, because some Warwick is SO sustainable that I can't harass, and he just eats all my HP away - LITERALLY. In any other team composition I go for The Black Cleaver first. These are my first two BIG items! Next I pick up a Phantom Dancer for attack-speed and Critical Chance. This is HIGHLY effective, in collaboration with your passive Headshot. At this point you should be a very big threat and people will start to focus you, but that's okay, you will probably kill them before they kill you, and in the event of a gank you have your two summoner spells Flash and Ghost! Next pick up an Infinity Edge it will double the damage you deal with your passive and Phantom Dancer. For my last item I pick up a Banshee's Veil to help escape ganks and make me more durable in a team-fight.

Situational Items

Madred's Bloodrazor--> Buy this when their team have a lot of high HP champions like; Vladimir, Warwick, Mordekaiser, and the like
Hexdrinker--> if they have a Karthus I strongly recommend picking this up, the shield can be the difference between life and death.
Sword of the Occult--> YOU ARE OWNING!!! 3-0-1 in 4 minutes!!! And the enemy Cho'Gath just can't stop feeding you enough. Pick this up when you are ALREADY owning and just want to increase your damage by A LOT!!! (I recommend picking this item up early-game, when you are in a REALLY good position and you are certain you will get to 20 stacks. Think carefully about if you chose this item, 1369 gold is not to be wasted)
Tiamat--> When I was a total noob I randomly picked this item up by sheer chance. Your farm is DRAMATICALLY increased. I usually pick this up when I need to farm BIG time, and my team is feeding.
Banshee's Veil--> Yes, I know this is in my original build, I just wanted to say picking up a Veil before your Phantom Dancer can HUGELY sustain you when you are getting focused down like there is no tomorrow.
Guardian Angel--> If they have a AD heavy team feel free to swap it out for a Banshee's Veil

Skills

I pick up Piltover Peacemaker at level one, for the early-game harassment and farm. 90 Caliber Net is my level two choice, I pick this skill for the escape mechanism. A level two Net has saved me countless times as well as helping me grab first blood. I max Piltover Peacemaker first, because it is my main damage/farming ability. Yordle Snap Trap is next on the list, for the utility it brings for my team. I pick up my ultimate, Ace in the Hole every time I can, it has the potensial to deal 1000 damage once you max it out. I max 90 Caliber Net last, because I only use it for escaping and not for the slow or the damage(the distance you jump using 90 Caliber Net does not increase the more you level the skill. It has a VERY long cooldown as well early game, so picking it up later in the game gives you CDR runes time to kick in.

Summoner Spells

Exhaust--> Grabbing kills has never been easier with the slow and damage reduction that an Exhaust can offer a well fed Caitlyn. Bursty DPS champions, will be slowed and have their damage reduced!!! =D
Flash--> A GREAT tool to use, you can jump over walls and escape EXTREMELY fast, Caitlyn is the AD-carry, PLEASE she needs to live. USE THIS SKILL DEFENSIVELY!!!
Ghost--> A GREAT escaping and chasing tool, it can also be used to get to a teamfight faster.
Cleanse--> A GREAT escaping skill, pick this up when their team have a lot of CC
Heal--> A GREAT spell, but unfortunately loses it's "umph" late-game.
Teleport--> A good spell, if you want have absolute control of the map. I prefer Ghost though for it's ability to chase.
Ignite--> A good finishing spell, but you already have a 1000 damage ult for finishing them off, no need for this spell.
Fortify--> You are not a tank. Do not pick this spell.
Clarity--> A good spell, but since you have Mana regen Runes this spell becomes obsolete, and you won't be using it late-game due to you focusing people down in 4 auto-attacks
Clairvoyance--> Scouting, more survivability. You can scout brush with your Yordle Snap Traps, planting one in the brush will reveal it for 0.5 seconds.
Smite--> Caitlyn is not a jungler, PLEASE do not take this spell
Rally--> I have never seen anyone play with this spell, neither have I picked it. DO NOT.
Revive--> PLEASE NOT!!!! Escape from dying, do not die and then Revive, PLEASE, NO!!!!

Great Vid's to help

Just to show you exactly how her skills work and a few cool Yordle Snap Trap tricks, courtesy of Here is a video to show you where Caitlyn can jump over walls to escape, courtesy of HEMgaming

Conclusion

Caitlyn is an EXTREMELY fun champion to play, if you know how. I hope I have given some good solid advice with which you can enter the battlefield and DEVASTATE the enemy. Remember to pick up a B. F. Sword and NOT to pick Revive! Thank you for reading this guide, and remember a fed Caitlyn is a happy Caitlyn
A special thanks to those who have taken the time to read, vote and comment on my guide. Thank you all once again=) Happy hunting with the Sheriff of Piltover