Hi, my name's Chris. The following guide is for my "main" character, Lux. I quote the latter since I never just stick to playing one character or one style. If I were to pick my strength and look at strictly numbers, Lux would by far be my best champ and most impactful character in team battles. It is my hope that I can help you and others learn to play this character most effectively. This will be my first build, so I figure to start with not with JUST a build cheat sheet, but rather help define the play style techniques AS Lux so effective. After all, maybe I'm just really good as every character? But hey, I'm going to do my best to improve the LOL community too. We've all been in those games where people lack the desired ability level, am I right? So let's begin.

Now I'm sure you might have the preconceived notion that Lux is a "support" character and might be wondering. It is not uncommon at first to critique the lack of early game cooldown and such. The reason is that she plays "like" a support. The key to playing as Lux successfully is realizing that you (almost always) need to be with your team/teammates, but at the same time can do a ton of burst damage if you time and aim your skill shots in the correct sequence. Dominating early game is ESSENTIAL, whether playing mid, top, or supporting an AD carry bot. Lux's early and mid-late game are great, but her versatility begins to wane in late game, which is why it is important to remember that your role is still support (despite the many victims of your laser).

However, it is still viable, if you desire less mobility and cooldown late game, to go straight for burst damage. As such, your masteries would like this: 21/0/9. In some cases, too, you won't want to get Lich's Bane first if you're easily handling your lane. If you are, then the obvious choice after Rod of Ages is to go straight for Rabadon's Deathcap.

Light Binding (Q):
Lux's most impacting ability in team fights, escaping, ganking, or initiating, is her snare. Not only does it scale well late game, but it can hit two targets and starts at 2 seconds. Early game this is an excellent stopping tool and late game it is a great immobilizer for your ultimate. That being said, it is mainly used for utility and should be mastered last.

Light binding should typically be used first to assure the target remains immobile. Immediately after casting, the player should attack to trigger the Illumination debuff. By the time you finish the attack animation and the binding hits, you will have time to cast Lucent Singularity. There are two ways to proceed:

1) BURST DAMAGE: Cast your ultimate (as they will rarely be able to dodge from the slow) then detonate simultaneously. If alive, attempt to trigger the illumination debuff.

2) HARASSMENT: Basic attack your target and detonate while your projectile is in mid-air. Attack will follow and hit if target flashes. Laser your target along his/her logical path.

In ideal circumstances, or assuming they do not have Mercury Treads, you will almost always want to use method 2. As your skill improves, the second method is nearly always preferable since damage output is maximized. The only drawback is that it is not as fail-proof as method 1.

Prismatic Barrier (W):
Often, I see other Lux players neglect utilizing this move in fights, but it is imperative that you do not! If you are sensing that you are to be the intended target of a fight, cast this ability first, preferably in the direction of your escape route or teammates. It will mitigate some of the initial burst and following damage if timed correctly. It's also great for putting out fires like Ignite.

For teamfights, the same principle applies. Try to maximize your effectiveness by fighting in corridors in the jungle or moving after casting to buff the entire team. Remember that it works like Sivir's Boomerang Blade and can be slightly corrected on its return trip.

Lucent Singularity (E):
UTILITY: This is Lux's primary damage output and crowd control. After the recent patch, it is now even more important in team fights to sometimes leave the bomb undetonated while your cooldown timer is still rewarded. Throw out this baby at the site of a team battle for maximum effect. Also, do not forget to use this as a scouting tool. Her bomb is also a mobile sight ward!

HARASSMENT/DAMAGE: As I said before, this is how you are going to deal damage to your enemies. In lanes with partners, opponents typically bunch together for security. When they do, it is you responsibility to whittle down both their health bars by bombing them. Once deployed, remember that you are now vulnerable if they decide to commit to you. So only harass from the bushes or in mid-movement.
It is easy to forget about the Lucent Singularity is not instant damage. To prevent you opponents from dodging or predicting your assault, try to mix up your tactics. Never cast while standing still. Do not always set the bomb right on top of your target. Study your laning opponent's behavior and spam where you think they'll move to once you cast. If you just spray and pray early game, you will find that late game, EVERYONE is dodging your biggest hitter (aside from ult).

Finales Funkeln (R):
This move brings me back to my Halo days. Yes, I was the guy beaming your friends across the map. The same concept applies here. Lux's ultimate is her primary source of killing power. After a brief delay she will hit ALL targets in a line for the same amount of damage at an extremely long range. There are several situations in which you will cast this ability:

1) FOR THE KILL: After landing your snare, bomb, and triggering their respective debuffs, you will estimate your opponent's escape path and hit them on their retreat. MODERATE DIFFICULTY

2) HARASSMENT: Before returning to base, you will attempt to hit all targets in your lane (if they line up, minions and champs). This makes your return visit more manageable and due to the low cooldown not a waste of an ult. EASY DIFFICULTY

3) STEALING: If your opponents are attempting to do baron, dragon, or blue golem camp, Lux is notorious for stealing them on the last hit. Take into account if the attempting enemy has smite and wait until you estimate the golem or dragon will be dead in 1 second (if you had not intervened). If baron, it's about 1.5-2 seconds. If successful, prepare for endless praise and glory. VERY HARD DIFFICULTY

4) INITIATION: If you know a team fight is about to occur and everyone is doing their little dance routine, sometimes an unexpected beam is in order. If you see a point in which you can hit 4 or all 5 of their team, do it. Taking off 1/3 of the enemy's team's health is more useful than hitting one retreating enemy. You will never get a better shot than 5 targets at once. This often happens in jungle as well, making all your targets very easy to hit. EASY DIFFICULTY

Lux can effectively play any lane. Depending on your level of aggressiveness, you may want to switch out Teleport. Aggressive players tend to like Ignite. Harassing players sometimes go with clarity. Whatever your style, I have always found that Teleport seems to be the most effective tool Lux has, however, since you can jump to lanes in need or beam someone in another lane that is low on health.

TOP LANE (HARD):
Lux has an excellent harassing tool with Lucent Singularity, as well as its scouting utility for spotting impending ganks. If you use the summoner spells I have recommended, it is nearly impossible for any character to deny you as you farm or go in for the kill. The important thing to remember in top lane (as with any character), is to be aware of over-extending your lane. Lux has great crowd control, but it can only be used to hold down areas near your top opponent, leaving you exposed to their jungler. The best thing you can do is harass your opponent while he/she is attempting to last hit minions. Hit them with unexpectedly with a snare, cast Lucent Singularity, trigger the Illumination debuff, detonate, and trigger it again. Repeat until retreat I like to say. Predicting a player's behavior is difficult if you come right out and start spamming your E, not to mention it depletes your mana FAST. It takes some practice with pacing, but as long as you refrain from clearing out minion waves, you should be fine. Top is the MOST difficult to get kills on, since Lux becomes an easy target for about 7-8 seconds after advancing.

MID LANE:
Mid lane is pretty straightforward. Don't overextend, but be aggressive. Lux will usually outlane any AP Carry that goes mid. It is important to whittle your opponent down to about 1/2 - 2/3 health until you commit to the kill. Be aware of any possible jungler, as you are exposed from both sides. At about level 2-3, the enemy jungler will typically come at you from Red Golem Camp's side, so stick to the minion wave on the opposing side. NOTE: I usually stay away from sides entirely to avoid getting grabbed from a sneaky jungler.

Rarely (if your opponent is any good), will you be able to get a kill before level 6. That's fine - in fact, it's good. The best thing you can do as Lux in the first part of the laning phase is figure out how your opponent reacts to your abilities. Depending on whether they are aggressive or defensive will determine your next move when you turn level 6. Before anyone has gone back to base, you should have knocked mid lane's health down to about a little over 1/2. If that is the case, the following methods are suggested:

1)FOR AGGRESSIVE ENEMIES (EASY): Look for a weak minion on your side and judge the enemy's desire to last hit, or bait them into committing to you. As soon as you think they should attack, throw a snare (Light Binding) where they'll be. Proceed with one of the following methods I've detailed above in Skill Sequence and Play Style.

2)FOR DEFENSIVE ENEMIES (HARD): These types are tough, because every "good" player is defensive. Some defensive players will be waiting for you to commit and attack, while others know that you outmatch them. In either case, attacking a defensive player leaves you at a disadvantage. Therefore, it is extremely important that you use good judgment and have appropriately assessed your opponent's skill level based on their reactions from lvl 1-5.

That being said, the best way to kill a defensive player is to use their defensiveness to your advantage. To land a binding or snare, you will almost always have to predict where they would "retreat" to in anticipation of your advance. Leading them from behind is mostly effective, but they might adapt to that strategy if you continue to do so. As I mentioned earlier, switch things up. If you manage to land a snare and they are at about 1/2 health, it is highly recommended to use method 1 as mentioned in Skill Sequence and Play Style.

BOT LANE (EASY):
Lux is extremely effective in bottom lane, whether you are paired with an AD carry or not. If you are paired with someone that is relatively skilled, you should have no problem whittling down your opponent's healh. Lux's passive probably benefits you most in bottom lane since you can frequently use the bushes to your advantage. Make sure to use Lucent Singularity as a scouting tool as well as your primary damage output. Checking and dominating the bushes are key to outlaning your enemies and keeping yourself alive.

Since bottom lane relies heavily on your partner's skill level, it is very difficult to explain a specific strategy to follow. The basic idea, however, is to avoid using Lucent Singularity too often near the minion waves. While lowering your opponent's health will become more and more tempting, if you are not careful, you will end up accidentally pushing too far and overextend, leaving you susceptible to ganks.

Many of the builds that I've seen like to go with cooldown, and for that, Ionian Boots of Lucidity. Plainly put, this is a mistake and less effective than what I bring to the table. Lux cannot sustain during a fight, so cooldown is not as important early game. It's all about burst. If you're going to take down squishies and be effective in team fights, you simply MUST have magic penetration. Cooldown comes later.

Getting boots first is sometimes a viable option, depending on your laning opponent. Kiting ability for Lux is extremely important because, once that gap is closed between you and the enemy, you're pretty much in a pickle. But the important part is making your moves hurt. None of Lux's abilities scale that well; they scale as they would for a support champion. Negating your opponents magic resistance early on is pivitol, since it will increase your output more than going for AP. You can see up above that I have no AP items for a good amount of time. Why is that? You won't need it with Sorcerers Boots, I guarantee it. The main issue you will have is your mana pool, not damage.

Lux runs out of mana fast. The reason for this is quite simple, all of her moves are quite pricey and you'll be spamming them constantly. Continue to ruin your enemy and you'll quickly find out that you're out of mana and what - here comes the jungler and you go from pounder to pounded. To avoid this issue, I would advise getting a Sapphire Crystal early on. Not only does this minimize trips back to base and increase your harassment output, but it also builds into Catalyst the Protector. Once you've built Catalyst, you will be able to stay in lane all day, assist and hold other lanes, and use Teleport to maximum effect without having to worry about running dry. This remains true when built into Rod of Ages.

Another important detail to note is jungle awareness. Aside from being ganked, Lux also benefits massively from blue golem buff, so if possible, get your teammates to grant you a quick mana and cooldown bonus. Sometimes mid will be an AP Carry and take presidence over you, but if that's the case, you will still have Catalyst to keep you chugging along. At max level, blue buff can give you a laser with a mere 25 second cooldown. Annoying and effective to the enemy team.

With all the power of universe at your finger tips, it will be very often that you are tempted you use your range to get a kill, even when your teammate clearly has the advantage. Do not use your powers for evil. Stealing kills is a good way for people to get pissed off at you and throw a game. Carries need that money more than you do, even if you're having a great game. This is why I mention Lux as Ion Cannon SUPPORT. Her abilities do not scale as well as others and it will become a problem late game.

Now, I don't want you to be afraid to use Finales Funkeln, but don't use it when it's clearly evident that your teammate has things under control. Sometimes, it's actually better to hit the enemy early on in the fight so that your teammate can get the guaranteed kill, and you, the assist.

Lux is a fantastic champ, but like every character in this game (with a few exceptions :/) there are many counters to her. Prepare yourself for those you wish to undermine DEMACIA!

STRENGTHS

Long-range damage; fights at a distance
Good farmer
Strong early game presence
Shield can mass eliminate Ignite's steep true damage
Hard-hitting ultimate
Can safely scout brush
Can steal baron
AOE ultimate

WEAKNESSES

All abilities are skill shots - can miss
Low health
No escape moves
Vulnerable to champions that can mitigate crowd control
Weak against tanky teams