Table of Contents space space space space 1. Intoduction space 2. Masteries space 3. Runes space 4. Spells & Abilities space 5. Itemization space 6. Gameplay space 7. Matchups space 8. Ending

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Short Intro - Hello everyone and welcome to my 4th guide here on MOBAFire. I'm BroxXx95 (or simply Brox) and I recently joined Gold V. I mainly play AP mid champions, and Syndra is no exception. I played her since the day she was released and I immediately liked her play style, and the fact she can burst most targets from 100 to 0 health in seconds if used properly, without being damaged. - In this guide I will cover runes, masteries, summoner spells. I'll explain Syndra's abilities in details, combos she can use and items that I find optimal for her. Additionally, I will explain how to use Syndra in lane, as well as in team fights, and how to play against different enemies you might face in mid lane. - I really hope you will like what I have prepared for you and hopefully this guide will help you understand this unique champion better. Let's get started!

+ + Syndra's Strengths + + - Syndra is a medium-ranged mage, who excels at weakening and bursting single targets while being able to use her CC abilities on multiple enemies and immobilize them. With her kit, Syndra can use her abilities in different order every time, depending what she needs. In lane she can be a bully to melee champions ( Diana for example) due to her Dark Sphere, and her farming is rather easy with her AoE spells and good AA animation. In larger fights, Syndra is able to stun whole enemy team with her ult combined with Scatter the Weak. Also, her burst is enormously high at lvl 6, as she can use up to 6 spheres and burst any squishier target quickly. In addition to that, she is visually one of the most beautiful champions in the game, imo.

In Short Ranged mage Good poke in lane Bunch of CC High burst Awesome in-game apperance and effects

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In Short Squishy No natural escape mechanism Easily avoidable abilities Requires strong front line Hard to master

- - Syndra's Flaws - - - As high damage dealer, Syndra is expected to be naturally squishy. Additionally, she has no natural escape mechanism, besides Flash, and she is very vulnerable to gap-closers. All of her basic abilities are skill-shots and any champion with high mobility will be able to dodge them. In early laning phase, she can go OOM easily if you spam abilities too much. - If your team lacks strong front line Syndra will be very vulnerable and easy target in teamfights. Any form of hard CC will completely destroy her and you will be useless, and most probably dead. Also, she is one of the most underrated and underplayed champions in the game, but also hardest to learn to play with.

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As an AP Caster, Syndra deals damage by casting abilities. This setup will ensure you get necessary early and late game damage from Offense Tree, as well as some extra stats from Utility Tree, like mana regen and movement speed.

In Offensie Tree take:

• Sorcery for a bit extra CDR and Butcher for easier last hitting;
• Mental Force , Arcane Mastery and Archmage for increased AP through whole match;
• Devastating Strikes , Executioner and Havoc for increased overall damage output;
• Dangerous Game can potentially save you as it returns health and mana upon killing a champion, while Arcane Blade adds you extra late game power through basic attacks.

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In Utility Tree take:

• Two points of Fleet of Foot as it improves movement speed a bit;
• Meditation for extra early mana regen, since Syndra really needs some;
• Summoner's Insight for shorter cooldown on Flash and Ignite;
• Runic Affinity for increased duration of Blue buff.

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~ Optimal Runes
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- Greater Quintessence of Ability Power are great Quints to take for Syndra, like on most mages. Her abilities have AP scaling and this boost can be really helpful in early trades or poking. - Greater Mark of Magic Penetration are the only ones I'd recommend. These are standard Marks on any AP caster and there is no replacement for them. Magic penetration helps you ignore some of target's magic resist and deal more damage to them, than you usually would. - Greater Seal of Armor are very useful, especially if you are facing AD caster in mid lane. You will be able to survive early pokes more likely, before you get armor items. - Greater Glyph of Magic Resist are great choice in mid lane, since you will be facing another AP champion most of times. These will help you reduce magic damage you take and are highly recommended against champions with strong early game ( LeBlanc for example).

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~ Possible Alternatives
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- Greater Quintessence of Movement Speed can be viable alternative when you know you will lane against enemy with skill shots (e.g. Cassiopeia). Bonus MS also allows you to delay your boots until you get other items. - Greater Seal of Mana Regeneration are OK choice if you are having mana problems. However, you shouldn't be spamming abilities that much and Chalice/Tear + Blue Buff will give you all mana regen you need. Still, they are viable replacement. - Greater Seal of Scaling Ability Power are more offensive choice. These give you more ability depending on which level your champion is. You will be lacking armor early game, though. - Greater Glyph of Scaling Ability Power are also great if you want to go more offensive and you feel you don't need protection from magic damage. They also give you more ability based on level of your champion.

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~ Optimal Summoner Spells
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Flash - Flash is the most important spell for Syndra. It's mainly used as escape tool, since Syndra lacks one. But, it can be used in many ways. You can, for example, use it get in range to land a stun or slow on your enemy, or use Unleashed Power. Or, use it to dodge some abilities that might otherwise cost you a fight ( Ashe's Enchanted Crystal Arrow). Possibilities are endless.

Ignite - Like Flash, Ignite is also very useful for Syndra. As her role is to burst down high-priority squishy targets (enemy ADC/APC) this spell can be very handy. It deals true damage over time and reduces any healing effects on target. It can be especially useful against champions with naturally high sustain ( Swain, Vladimir, etc.).

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~ Other Viable Spells
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Teleport - Teleport can be nice to take if you want to return to lane quickly or you want to gank other other lanes occasionally. It can be pretty nice in premade teams, since Syndra's kit gives her a lot of CC and burst. It has quite long cooldown, though.

Barrier - You might want to consider to take Barrier instead of Ignite against champions with high burst ( LeBlanc, Fizz, etc.). Barrier protects you from decent amounts of damage, which can save your life in many situations.

Exhaust - Exhaust can be very handy against champions with high mobility and you are having trouble hitting with your abilities. In addition to slow and reduced damage output, your target will loose 10 magic resist, due to Summoner's Wrath , making them more vulnerable to your burst.

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~ Transcendent
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All of Syndra's abilities gain a bonus effect at max rank. - There is not anything to say about her passive except it helps her scale better into late game.

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~ Dark Sphere
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Syndra summons dark sphere at target location dealing magic damage to all enemies hit. Sphere remains on field for several seconds and can be manipulated by Syndra's other abilities. Transcendent bonus: Dark Sphere deals 15% increased damage to champions. - This is Syndra's main ability. It can be used to poke an enemy in lane, or to farm safely from a distance. It has very short cooldown and can be spammed a lot, but be careful in early game - it can lead you to mana starvation. At rank 5 it will deal even higher damage to champions.

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~ Force of Will
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Syndra grabs targeted Dark Sphere, minion or neutral monster and throws it at target location, dealing magic damage and slowing all enemies hit. Transcendent bonus: Slow duration is increased. - One of the most original abilities in game. You can use it to farm creeps fast in combination with Dark Sphere or poke enemy and slow them for incoming gank. You can even target enemy pets ( Annie's Summon: Tibbers, Zyra's plants, etc.). Or you can simply slow enemy with it so you can stun them easier. Using it on Blue Golem refunds you some mana, while using it on Lizard Elder applies slow and DoT on all enemies hit. However, you cannot use it on Baron Nashor or Dragon.

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~ Scatter The Weak
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Syndra deals magic damage and knocks back all enemies in cone in front of her. Dark Spheres in cone are also pushed back, stunning and dealing magic damage to all enemies hit. Transcendent bonus: Cone size is increased. - This is great spell when you want to keep distance from your enemies and you want to interrupt them. However, it has rather long cooldown so be careful how you use it. In combination with Dark Sphere it will stun any enemy hit, while in combination with your Ult you have ability to stun whole enemy team! At rank 5, you can hit even more enemies.

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~ Unleashed Power
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Syndra uses all summoned spheres and those orbiting around her to deal magic damage to single target. She can use minimum of three spheres and each sphere deals damage. Transcendent bonus: Cast range is increased. - This ability is the one that gives Syndra enormous burst. With each summoned sphere it will deal increased damage, so it's recommended to build CDR. With enough CDR you can summon up to 7 spheres and use them to burst squishy champion in a second. If your enemy has Spell Shield, only one sphere will be negated. In combination with Scatter the Weak you can even stun whole enemy team.

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* Ability Sequence I *
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• Unleashed Power, like any other ultimate ability, should be taken whenever is possible, at levels 6, 11 and 16.
• Dark Sphere is maxed first as it's your main damaging tool.
• Force of Will is maxed second since it has lower cooldown and deals more base damage and better scalings than Scatter the Weak.
• Scatter the Weak is maxed last because you want to use it mainly as utility spell and it's damage is not superior to other spells.

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* Ability Sequence II *
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• This can be alternative ability sequence, where you max Scatter the Weak second, before Force of Will if enemy has any kind of gap closer. With lower cooldown on E, you will be able to use it more often in earlier levels and you can farm from safer distance.
• Force of Will is here used mainly for slowing enemies so you can land your stun easier.

* Combos *
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- This is basic pre-6 combo that can be either used to poke enemy or farm minions. Be careful since you can easily push the lane and you risk being ganked.
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- This combo can be used to stun enemy from distance for easier gank, or to escape scary situations.
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- This is usual level 6 combo, when attempting to kill an enemy. Open up with Dark Sphere and slow enemy with Force of Will. Summon another Dark Sphere followed with Scatter the Weak to stun enemy. Finish him off with Unleashed Power and possibly ignite.
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- This can be game-changing move if you do it properly. Start with Dark Sphere into Unleashed Power, follow with Scatter the Weak to stun multiple enemies in team fights. You will be lacking your burst, though.
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- You will need around 35 - 40% CDR to use this combo. Start with one Dark Sphere. After you summon second Dark Sphere grab the first one with Force of Will and hold it. Summon third Dark Sphere. Just before fourth Dark Sphere becomes available to use, throw the one you were holding with Force of Will and summon forth Dark Sphere followed by Unleashed Power.
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* Starting Items *
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Faerie Charm + Pots + Totem + + + - These are the items I take almost always at spawn. Faerie Charm boosts your mana regen early and is later upgraded to Chalice of Harmony. Potions are always great in lane as they allow you stay as long as you need and survive early trades. Stealth Ward is a replacement for Stealth Ward now in season 4 and are totally free!

Cloth Armor + Pots + + - These items are great to start with if you are facing AD caster in mid lane, like Talon, Zed, etc. Cloth Armor gives you nice early protection from physical damage, while potions allow you stay in lane as long as you need. Cloth Armor is later upgraded to Seeker's Armguard.

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* Early Items *
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Boots + Doran's Ring + NLR + + - Boots are useful to take early cause they can be used both offensively and defensively, to chase or to run away from enemy. Upgrade them later according to your needs. - Doran's Ring is great item for any AP mana-based champion and it's quite cheep for stats it provides. It gives nice 80 health, 15 bonus AP and 3 mana regen, as well as passive that restores 10 mana on kills (both minion and champion). - Needlessly Large Rod is great item to take after boots and mana items, since it gives you 80 AP to increase you damage output. It can be later upgraded to Rabadon's Deathcap or some other big AP item, depending on your needs.

Chalice or Tear + Seeker's Armguard / + - Since Syndra can be real mana-eater you will need a mana regen item. Chalice of Harmony is great choice for this purpose not only cause of huge mana regen boost, but it also increases your magic resist making you less vulnerable to magic damage. It is later upgraded to Athene's Unholy Grail for a AP boost and bunch of CDR. - Tear of the Goddess is another viable mana item for Syndra. Besides mana regen, it increases your maximum mana my 4 for every ability cast up to a cap of 750 mana. It is later upgraded to Archangel's Staff/ Seraph's Embrace for huge mana pool and bigger AP boost, but it lacks CDR. - Seeker's Armguard should be considered to take early if you are laning against AD champion. In this case, you'll want to build Zhonya's Hourglass before Rabadon's Deathcap, to further increase your armor. Active is also useful in team fights.

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* Offensive Items *
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- Athene's Unholy Grail - +60 AP, +20% CDR, +40 magic resist, +15 mana/5s, increases mana regen based on your missing mana, refunds mana on kills and assists; Athene's Unholy Grail is my favorite item for Syndra. Firstly, it gives her very needed mana regen, so she can spam abilities freely. Secondly, gives decent amount of AP and amazing 20% CDR so you can spam those Dark Spheres more often. Finally, it increases your magic resistance making you less vulnerable to magic damage. - Seraph's Embrace - +60 AP, +1000 mana, +10 mana/5s, converts percentage of your maximum mana to AP, active shields you for percentage of your current mana; Seraph's Embrace is very good option for Syndra. It gives you more AP than Athene's Unholy Grail, increases your mana pool and its active shields you for 25% of your current mana, which can be awesome protection in team fights. The only thing that makes me not choose it over Athene is it lacks CDR, which is very important on Syndra.

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- Rabadon's Deathcap - +120 AP, increases AP from all sources by 30%; Ah, good old Deathcap. This is surely the strongest pure AP item for any AP caster, and is often called " Infinity Edge for AP champions". AP and passive will make your abilities hurt like never before! - Deathfire Grasp - +120 AP, +10% CDR, active that deals percentage of targets maximum health as magic damage and amplifies damage dealt by 20% in next 4 seconds; Deathfire Grasp is very strong item. It gives 120 AP (same as Deathcap without passive), very useful 10% CDR and super cool active that helps you against health-stackers. Combined with your ult it deals enormous damage.

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- Void Staff - +70 AP, +35% magic pen; Void Staff is one of most common items on AP champions. It is best choice against magic resist stackers. If you see your enemies start to buy magic resist, Void Staff is a must! Combined with masteries, it gives you 43% magic pen. - Liandry's Torment - +50 AP, +500 HP, +15 magic pen, passive that burns percentage of target's current health over time; If you see your enemies stack health, without magic resist, Liandry's Torment may be better choice than Void Staff. It gives decent amount of AP and HP, as well as 15 magic pen. Passive causes target to burn for additional 6% current health as magic damage, and this damage is doubled if its movement speed is impaired. This can easily be achieved with Force of Will and Scatter the Weak.

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* Defensive Items *
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- Zhonya's Hourglass - +120 AP, +50 armor, active that makes you invulnerable but unable to move for 2 seconds; Zhonya's Hourglass is great item in general. It gives you big AP boost, as well as 50 armor to help you reduce incoming physical damage. Active can be very useful in team fights if you are being focused, to switch focus from you. It can also save you from global ultimates ( Karthus's Requiem) which could be fatal for you. - Guardian Angel - +50 armor, +30 magic resist, passive that revives you upon death; Guardian Angel is one of the most popular defensive items in game. In addition to defensive stats, it literally gives you second if you screw up. For example, you got caught before fight even started and you got killed. However, your team arrives just before you revive and you continue fighting like nothing happened, leading your team to victory! ;)

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- Rylai's Crystal Scepter - +80 AP, +500 HP, your abilities will slow all enemies hit; Rylai's Crystal Scepter is pretty good item for Syndra, because of utility it provides. Besides 80 AP and 500 HP, your abilities will slow any enemy hit, so it will be easier for you to do the rest of her combo. It can also help you when chasing or trying to escape from enemy. - Frozen Heart - +95 armor, +400 mana, aura that reduces AS to all enemies in range; If you took Seraph's Embrace, you can add Frozen Heart as final item, especially if you need more protection from physical damage. Bonus mana will increase your AP and shield will be stronger, while aura reduces enemy ADC's potential in team fights.

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- Abyssal Scepter - +70 AP, +45 magic resist, aura that reduces magic resist to all enemies in range; Abyssal Mask can be great choice if you are looking for way to increase your damage output, while still having enough resistance. Not only you, but your whole team will deal more magic damage to your enemies in team fights. - Banshee's Veil - +45 magic resist, +400 HP, +300 mana, you gain spell shield every 30 seconds; Banshee's Veil is more defensive type of magic resist item. In addition to defensive stats you gain a spell shield every 30 seconds. You might want to take it if you are facing combo-based burst mages, like LeBlanc or Veigar. It has good synergy with Seraph's Embrace.

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* Boots & Consumables *
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- Sorcerer's Shoes - +45 movement speed, +15 magic pen; These boost are the best choice for Syndra, imo. They give you 15 magic pen, and they have great synergy with Void Staff/ Liandry's Torment. More magic pen = higher damage output! - Mercury's Treads - +45 movement speed, +25 magic resist, +35 tenacity; Mercury's Treads are very useful against teams with a lot of hard CC. Bonus magic resist will help you against magic damage. - Ionian Boots of Lucidity - +45 movement speed, +15% CDR; I would never suggest you to take these boots, unless you didn't take Athene's Unholy Grail, since you will be lacking CDR then. Take them only if you choose to take Seraph's Embrace.

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- Enchantment: Homeguard is great boots upgrade when you need to return to lane quickly after recall, as it restores you health and mana immediately and gives you huge movement speed boost. - Enchantment: Alacrity is useful when you feel you need more movement speed.

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- You should pick one Elixir of Brilliance whenever you recall, because it gives you nice amount of AP and CDR to further increase your damage output. - Elixir of Fortitude is great to take when you finished your build, to add extra health for larger engagements.

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- Upgrade Stealth Ward to either Greater Stealth Totem or Greater Vision Totem depending on your team needs. Greater Stealth Totem gives you one Stealth Ward which is invisible once you put it. On the other hand Greater Vision Totem gives you Vision Ward which is VISIBLE to enemies, but will reveal any stealthed units in its range.

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~ Early Farming & Items ~
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- So, after you take your starting items, let's say Faerie Charm, pots and a sight ward, you go to your lane. If your jungler needs help or he wants you to cover Blue Golem or Lizard, do it. It's very important to be careful if enemy team has someone like Blitzcrank, as they may invade. In that case feel free to put a ward to be secured if they come.

- When you go back to lane your job is to farm. It should be easy to last hit creeps, since Syndra's AA animation is pretty smooth and you can feel when is the right time to AA. If you have trouble getting close enough cause your enemy doesn't allow you to, feel free to use Dark Sphere to farm. However, be careful as it can lead to mana-starvation. At later levels, farming becomes easier as you can kill ranged minions easily with Q+W combo. But DO NOT overpush your lane cause you will risk being ganked.



- I usually stay in lane until I got enough for Sorcerer's Shoes and Chalice of Harmony, and sometimes Doran's Ring. However, if your not able farm enough, your first priority should be mana item. If you are facing AD champion, and you're not doing well, you might consider getting Seeker's Armguard before mana item. Note that if you took Chalice of Harmony you should take Sorcerer's Shoes and rush Athene's Unholy Grail first. However, if you took Tear of the Goddess you should take Ionian Boots of Lucidity, since you will be lacking CDR. Also, you don't need to upgrade Tear to Archangel's Staff before it's fully stacked, so you might want to rush Rabadon's Deathcap or Deathfire Grasp first. In case you are facing AD in mid, or enemy has mainly AD champions, you might also consider taking Zhonya's Hourglass early.
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~ Roaming and Warding ~
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- Let's talk about Wards first. Wards are simply the most important items in the game. They can save you from incoming ganks, inform you when enemy is attempting to do Baron Nashor or Dragon, etc. You especially need to be careful early game, during laning phase. Since both teams will have a jungler in 99% of games, wards are not an option but an obligation! You should always expect ganks from enemy jungler and wards are here to help us. Always take at least one sight ward. I find that best spot to place them is the small bush in the river, just near the entrance to both teams' jungles ( sight ward is there). This spot gives you the most vision, so you can see when is enemy attempting to gank you, or to steal creeps from your jungler. Bush that stands between River and Mid Lane (marked with X) and bush near the entrance of enemy jungle (marked with Y) are also good spots to place a ward. Note that against enemies with stealth ( Rengar, Evelynn) you should use Vision Ward to detect them.

- Now let's talk about roaming. In case you didn't know, roaming represents leaving Mid Lane and going Top or Bottom Lane in order to gank and help your allies to gain an advantage over your enemy. Ganking is easily countered by Wards, so make sure your enemy doesn't have any. In case they do, go to your side of Top/Bot Lane and try to enter the bush unnoticed. Additionally, if you took Teleport you can use it on a ward that was previously put in bushes. However, you should know it isn't very simple to ganks as Syndra, due to her low mobility and easily avoidable abilities. But, if your allies need you, do not hesitate to help them!



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~ Team Fights ~
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- There is not very much to talk about this phase of the game. Hopefully, you will have good creep score and positive score, with not too much deaths. Your team will start to cooperate more, so never leave your allies, unless you really need to. This is also a phase of game when team fights can occasionally happen. Remember that your goal is to eliminate the high priority target, enemy ADC or APC. However, you don't want to go in middle of the fight, since you are squishy as hell. Instead, stay behind your tank/bruiser and wait for them to initiate first.
- If your team has trouble getting to enemy ADC/APC you may use Multi-Stun Combo, using Unleashed Power on the enemy closest to you. However, you'll want to save Unleashed Power to burst down your target most of times.
- If you are being focused in team fights remember to use Zhonya's Hourglass. If it isn't enough to keep you alive you might want to purchase Guardian Angel, too. Always keep on mind which items your enemies have. If you see them stacking a lot or magic resist, use Void Staff, or, if they are stacking health, take Liandry's Torment instead.
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~ Team Objectives ~
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- During match both teams will try to accomplish important team objectives, to slain Baron Nashor and Dragon. When killed, they provide team-wide buffs and big gold bonuses, to give the team advantage over their enemy. This is the reason these places should be warded all time, so do not hesitate to buy a few wards if your support or jungler isn't able to.
- When attempting to kill Baron Nashor, you should do two things. First thing, you should help your team by damaging Baron Nashor with Dark Sphere. Second thing, you should watch out if enemy team is somewhere around and try to disrupt them using Force of Will and Scatter the Weak if they try to get close to steal it.
- In case your enemy is trying to kill Baron Nashor, make sure it is warded. Wait for your tank/initiator to go in first. Than you should see what it best to do, use Unleashed Power + Scatter the Weak combo to stun as many enemies as possible, or to save it to burst down one enemy.
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Ahri

Pre-6 - Medium: Ahri is rather skill-based matchup. You will be safe as long as you stay behind minions. Her Orb of Deception is skill shot ability, but note that is deals true damage when returning. When she uses Fox-Fire stay out of range so you don't get hit. But, most importantly, do not get hit by Charm as you will be taunted for several seconds and she could use her full combo on you, and possibly kill you. Post-6 - Medium: When you hit level 6, winner is the one who lands stun first. This will be more tricky since Ahri has high mobility due to her Spirit Rush. However, if you do manage to stun her, you will probably be able to burst her down, since your burst is higher.

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Pre-6 - Easy-Medium: You will have full advantage over her during first 5 levels. Since she is melee she will be easy target for your Dark Sphere. Deny her from farming and use every opportunity to poke her and try to shut her down before she reaches level 6. However, avoid being hit by AA if you were previously marked with Mark of the Assassin, as it can deal some nice damage. Post-6 - Hard: Now, this is when this b***h starts to go on your nerves. With Shadow Dance she has ability to rush to you three times. Combined with her Q+E she can burst you down in a second. Farm safely from a distance and try to poke her. When you see she is about to jump on you, throw a Dark Sphere on place you are standing and try to stun her with Scatter the Weak. If you do manage to do this, use the rest of your combo to burst her down.

Akali

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Anivia

Pre-6 - Easy: Anivia is easy to lane against. She has very slow movement speed, slow moving skill-shot stun, that is easily avoided. Her Frostbite damage depends on whether she hit you with Flash Frost so it won't be very high if you manage to dodge it. If you are ganked be careful, since she can block your path with Crystallize. Also, don't be tricked by her passive to waste your Ignite, since it allows her to revive upon death. Post-6 - Easy: Situation is not very different even after level 6. She only gains ability to clear minions very fast, and she can still apply Chilled debuff if you are in range of Glacial Storm. So, stay at safe distance and poke her with Dark Spheres.

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Pre-6 - Easy: Annie is generally easy lane. She is short-ranged burst mage, with some hard CC and a bit more durable that usual AP champions, thanks to her Molten Shield. She will probably play passively and farm with Disintegrate. You should be careful when you see the smoky cloud around her, as she can easily stun you and do some nice burst. Do not get too close and poke with Dark Sphere. Post-6 - Medium: After level 6, Annie becomes a bigger threat. If she manages to stun you, she'll probably burst you to death. You should stay at safe distance and poke until she is low enough (around 60% HP). Than try to stun her with Scatter the Weak and follow with the rest of your combo. If you are having trouble get Banshee's Veil.

Annie

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Brand

Pre-6 - Medium: Brand is skill-shot dependent mage, just like you, so this lane will heavily depend on players' skills. Pre level 6 all you should do is to farm and avoid Pillar of Flame. Also avoid any targets that have Blaze debuff, as he can hit you with Conflagration. If you do get hit by one of his abilities, you must avoid Sear at it will stun you. Use every opportunity to poke him and ask for help from jungler if you are having problems in lane. Post-6 - Medium: One thing you should keep in mind is that Brand's burst is stronger than yours, so you must be very careful so you don't get stunned. Also, if you want to kill him you must be sure he is low enough, 70-60% HP. Try to stun him and, if you do, use the rest of your combo to burst him down.

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Pre-6 - Medium: Cassiopeia can be real pain in the a** to many champions in lane. She relies on poisoning her target so she can spam Twin Fang on it until it's dead. Her harass is very strong, and you'll want your jungler to babysit mid so you can gain advantage over her. Stay away from her and farm, using Dark Sphere if you have to. Post-6 - Medium: At level 6 she has ability to stun you and all her enemies who are facing her. If you get caught you will most probably be dead, so stay away from Petrifying Gaze and poke from safe distance, if you are able to.

Cassiopeia

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Diana

Pre-6 - Easy-Medium: I find Diana a rather easy matchup. Like Akali, she is melee champion, weak to early poke. Poke her with Dark Sphere when she tries to farm. She can negate some of the damage with Pale Cascade, but you should be fine. Avoid Crescent Strike when she uses it, but don't be confused by its tricky path. Post-6 - Medium: Diana's ult is similar to Akali's. The most important thing is to avoid Crescent Strike as it will apply Moonlight to you. This will allow Diana to refresh her ult's CD, which we don't want to happen. You must avoid it at every cost. Poke her from safe distance and attack when you feel she is low enough to burst her down.

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Pre-6 - Easy-Medium: Evelynn is not very hard to lane against. She is melee and she can be easily denied from farming. But only thing that makes her a bit difficult is her high mobility and ability to avoid your Dark Spheres. However, be sure you warn you allies when she is missing, since Evelynn is very potent ganker. Post-6 - Easy-Medium: After 6, she is still not too difficult. She will only have a shield with Agony's Embrace that is not too strong in 1 vs 1 situation. If she gets close, stun her with Q+E and burst her down with rest of your combo.

Evelynn

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Fizz

Pre-6 - Medium-Hard: Possibly your worst nightmare. Fizz is considered as anti-mage assassin, and will do great job against you. You have chances to win this lane only if he sucks hard. His burst is enormous with W+Q combo and he can easily avoid your abilities with Playful / Trickster. I advise you to sit under turret and farm, and ask jungler for help. Post-6 - Hard: At level 6 he has ability to burst you in a second so you won't have any chances against him, unless you got fed hard and you have some resistances. Sit under turret and farm.

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/HAVEN'T PLAYED AGAINST KARMA YET/

Karma

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Karthus

Pre-6 - Easy: Karthus has weaker laning phase than you, and should be easy opponent. His damage just isn't high as yours, all he can do is farm with Lay Waste. If you kill him, be sure you move away from him as he can spam his abilities for next 7 seconds after he dies. However, try to avoid Wall of Pain as it slows you drastically and makes you very vulnerable to ganks. Post-6 - Easy-Medium: Again, at level 6 your damage out put is superior to his and you will be able to burst him in a second. Just poke him with a few Dark Spheres first and than go for kill. Be careful if you are low health, as he can kill you with Requiem wherever you are.

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Pre-6 - Medium: Like Fizz, Kassadin is an anti-mage, too. However, he is not as hard as Fizz in early levels, but he has strong nuke and silence with Null Sphere. You should try to poke him and deny him from farming, and ask for help to shut him down early. Do not spam abilities too much as you will help him to stack Force Pulse quickly. Also he is naturally resistant to magic damage due to Void Stone. Post-6 - Hard: At level 6 he becomes real threat. If you aren't careful he will Riftwalk to you and burst you with Q+E combo and than Riftwalk away, again. If you need to, buy early Negatron Cloak and upgrade it to Banshee's Veil to reduce his burst.

Kassadin

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Katarina sinister steel

Pre-6 - Easy-Medium: Usually not difficult lane. Katarina is melee and use that to poke her. She is slightly bigger challenge than other champions since she can avoid your abilities with Shunpo and she doesn't use mana. Don't get hit by Bouncing Blades as she may jump on you and do some nice damage with sinister steel. Post-6 - Easy-Medium: At level 6 she is very strong, but not very strong against you. Since her ult, Death Lotus, is a channeled ability you can easily interrupt it with Scatter the Weak. Do not fight her if it is on cooldown, as she will possibly kill you then.

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Pre-6 - Medium: Despite being melee, Kha'Zix can by very tricky to deal with. He has long-ranged poke with Void Spike and he has gap closer with Leap. Never try to fight him without any allies around you (minions or champions) as he deals increased damage to isolated targets. Cloth Armor and potions are suggested starting items if you are playing against him. Post-6 - Medium-Hard: With Void Assault he gains an upgrade to one of his abilities, with every rank of ult. He will most probably evolve Void Spike, making them consume his passive, deal more damage to you and slow you. Stay out of its range and farm safely.

Kha'Zix

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LeBlanc sigil of silence

Pre-6 - Medium: LeBlanc is an assassin-type mage, with extremely high burst damage and outstanding early-mid game. Pre-6 try to avoid her Q+W or E combo, as it deals pretty high damage and silences you. Try to farm safely, but know she can be hard to gank due to her high mobility with Distortion. Post-6 - Hard: At level 6 her burst is extremely high. Her ult allow her to recast last used ability one more time, dealing increased damage. If she manages to get you with Ethereal Chains she will follow up with Q+R+W and burst you immediately. Banshee's Veil is useful item to counter her.

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Pre-6 - Easy: Lissandra is more kind of utility mage, than bursty one. She has also small range on her abilities making her easy target for you. Don't stand directly behind your minions cause her Ice Shard damages enemies behind main target. Also, be careful if you see her use Glacial Path, cause it may be sign of incoming gank. Also, you should put pressure on her when it's on cooldown cause she is most vulnerable then. Post-6 - Easy-Medium: At level 6 she has very strong CC combo with her ultimate, Frozen Tomb, so don't overextend. If you are attempting to kill her be sure she is stunned cause, otherwise, she can avoid incoming damage by casting her ult on herself. However, your damage is higher than hers.

Lissandra

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Lux

Pre-6 - Medium: Just like against Brand, laning against Lux depends on player's skill. She is long-ranged support mage, with abilities that provides her a lot of utility. You shouldn't expose yourself to her Lucent Singularity harras early, so stay back and farm. Also, avoid her Light Binding as it will snare you and make you easy to gank. If you do get hit by her abilities avoid being hit by her AA, as her passive deals quite nice damage early. Also, she can shield and protect herself from your poke. Post-6 - Medium: At this level, the one who is better at dodging abilities wins the lane. Don't get caught by Light Binding as she will land the rest of her combo easily, a that can hurt a lot. Also keep in mind that her Final Spark has very long range, so be careful if you are low health. Try to gain advantage with help of your jungler and this should be won lane.

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Pre-6 - Easy-Medium: Morgana is similar to Lux with her play style, but her abilities take time to deal full damage, making her lesser threat than Lux. Only thing you should be careful of is her Dark Binding as it will snare you for a long duration, and this will be usually followed by Tormented Shadow. Morgana can also be CC resistant with her Black Shield so try to break it first with Dark Spheres. She can push lane very effectively. Post-6 - Easy-Medium: Morgana has some very nice CC at level 6, but you should be safe as long as you stay at safe range and don't get hit by Dark Binding. Make sure she doesn't have Black Shield when you attempt to kill her, so try to bait her to use it before.

Morgana

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Mordekaiser

Pre-6 - Medium: Mordekaiser is not very hard to deal with. He has way to protect himself from damage due to Iron Man but he cannot hurt you if you are holding distance between you two. He will usually push lane, so use it as advantage and ask jungler to gank your lane. Post-6 - Medium: Nothing different after level 6 happens. He's not hard for you to handle him, but in team fights he can be very difficult and can easily turn a fight into 6 vs 4 situation with Children of the Grave. Try to stun him before your team attempts to kill him.

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Pre-6 - Easy-Medium: Orianna is more of utility-mage, similar to Lux. You both have similar way of dealing damage (balls :D) but her damage is lower that yours. You should try to poke her with Dark Sphere+AA early and avoid her Q+E combo. She can be tankier than you using Command: Protect but her damage output is generally weaker. Post-6 - Medium: At level 6 she has strong CC and damage with Command: Shockwave and is a bit more better in team fights than you. In 1 vs 1 situation all you have to do is avoid her Ball, as all of her damage output comes from it.

Orianna

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Pantheon

Pre-6 - Medium: Pantheon is an AD caster, strongest early-mid game. His Aegis Protection doesn't help him much against you, but he has strong poke with Spear Shot. Never get too close to him since he can easily burst you early with W+E+Q combo. Starting with Cloth Armor is recommended, as well as rushing Zhonya's Hourglass, especially if you are losing lane. Post-6 - Medium: Not very different after level 6. You should be able to kill him when he is low enough, so try to poke him as much as possible and avoid trades with him. If you see him using his ult, inform your allies and go to help them.

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Pre-6 - Easy: Ryze is weak early game, and has pretty short range. In lane try to harass him as much as possible and deny him from farming. Be sure you are far enough from him so he cannot use Rune Prison on you, in case of gank. Post-6 - Easy-Medium: At level 6 he has great AoE and sustain with Desperate Power and his combo can hurt quite a bit if you get caught. However, your burst will be stronger so you should win in 1 vs 1 situation. In late game he will be quite tanky, since he will get items like Banshee's Veil, so be careful when you attempt to kill him.

Ryze

- THIS SECTION WILL BE UPDATED WITH NEW MATCHUPS SOON -
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Conclusion - That would be all from me this time. =] I honestly hope this guide helped you understand Syndra better and convinced you to play her, because she is really strong champion, just not very popular because of her high difficulty. So, go to Fields of Justice and smash enemies with your balls! - It would be nice if you informed me about things you like/dislike and please leave a comment about what do you think about my guide. Also, I apologize for any typing mistakes you may find and please inform me about it. Feel free to ask me anything you want to know! space Special Thanks - As always, I'd like to thank jhoijhoi for her Making a Guide Guide, that taught me everything about BB Coding and similar stuff. - Also, special thanks to astrolia for her Custom Table of Contents Guide and some ideas that inspired me to design my guide. - And of course, thank YOU for finding yourself time to read my guide!

- PUBLISHED ON - 25/05/2013 -



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