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Recommended Items
Spells:
Flash
Exhaust
Items
Ability Order
Martial Cadence (PASSIVE)
Jarvan IV Passive Ability
Season 4
Welcome to my 2nd guide on Mobafire, The Examplar King, a Support Jarvan IV guide. Jarvan IV is a pretty amazing champion, and by that, I mean hes cool and used competitively(almost to much!). While Jarvan IV is usually seen in the jungle, top lane or occasionally mid lane, he works great as a support as well. He has almost everything a support could ever want; ranged poke, good initiation, a steroid for an ally, a debuff, vision/bush check, lots of CC, tankiness, and good damage for a support without building any/more than 1 damage item! Doesn't that sound to good to be true? Well, fortunately, its not. :) Jarvan IV has all of those things. The only thing he doesn't have is a heal but who needs them? Leona, Blitzcrank and Thresh are already great supports that don't have a heal either! |
Pros / Cons
Pros
+ Nice harass + Decent damage + Knockup + Slow + Has natural tankiness with Golden Aegis and Demacian Standard + Some of the best initiation + Bush check/vision with Demacian Standard + Cataclysm can trap enemies/force summoner spells to be burned + Attack speed steroid for allies near Demacian Standard + Has an Armor shred with Dragon Strike In laning phase, his Demacian Standard Dragon Strike AA harass is pretty strong harass but he can use more mana efficient harass with just a single Demacian Standard or Dragon Strike. His peeling ability rivals that of Leona's or maybe even Janna's due to his CC and Cataclysm. Along with having amazing CC and natural tankiness, he is hands down one of the best initiators in the game with his knockup combo or a Flash Cataclysm. He can use his Demacian Standard as an 8 second unkillable ward. Lastly, he has a steroid for all allies in range of his Demacian Standard giving them Attack Speed and has a Armor debuff with his Dragon Strike. |
Cons
- Melee - No heal - Shield is for self only - Might get focused - Needs CDR - Can go mana hungry - Can inadvertently kill allies with Cataclysm if used wrong Jarvan IV, support or not, has very few cons and some of them are small things that aren't to impactful. Those being that hes melee which will make him take damage when going in to AA, his shield is for himself only and he doesn't have a heal to sustain his lane partner or himself. This can be seen as a big con but it depends on how you look on it :) The more dangerous cons of Jarvan IV are that he has a high chance to be focused since his Cataclysm or knockup combo will put him in the middle, he absolutely needs CDR for more frequent knockups or Cataclysms, he can go mana hungry if you're not managing his mana properly(spamming Demacian Standard Dragon Strike) and the biggy, he can end up killing his own allies with Cataclysm or making his allies use summoner spells desperately to live. |
Runes
- Greater Quintessence of Gold: Staple on every support. Jarvan IV is no exception since you will be getting no farm or kills intentionally.
- Greater Mark of Attack Damage: Take these to make your AAs, Dragon Strike and Cataclysm hurt more. While 8.55 damage isn't much, it helps more than you might think early game.
- Greater Glyph of Magic Resist: These Glyphs are used on most champions as there is bound to be some magic damage on the enemy team. These are especially useful vs a Sona or Corki bot where magic damage is dominant.
- Greater Seal of Armor: The best Seals in the game. It really helps vs all champions whether they don't have much AD or not. The damage reduction vs AAs even from a support or APC really makes a difference.
Masteries
To start off in the Defense tree, put 2 points in
Enchanted Armor
which is a decent bonus late game. Next, take both points in
Block
to reduce damage done to you early on and for access to
Unyielding
which will further reduce damage done. After that, get the 3 points in
Veteran's Scars
which will helps all throughout the game. Then get
Juggernaut
for a nice 3% maximum health increase. Take 3 points in
Hardiness
and then 1 point into
Reinforced Armor
if you're against a crit heavy ADC. If not, then get the point in
Evasive
after getting 3 points in
Resistance
. Next get Summoner's Insight for the reduced Flash CD which is amazing since Jarvan IV can make many good uses of Flash. If you take Clairvoyance as well, this mastery will improve it. Then get the 3 points into Wanderer to get to places quicker. If you start with a Rejuvenation Bead instead of a Faerie Charm, get 3 points into Meditation instead of Wanderer . To get access to the 2nd tier of the Utility tree, put a point into Improved Recall . You never know when it might save your life or get you to lane in time for something. After that, get all 3 points in Mastermind to further reduce your Flash CD and your other Summoner Spell as well. Being a support, you're gold income is very low so get 4 points in Greed for the GP10 as well as being able to get the 2 points in Wealth for extra starting gold. The final 2 mastery points should go into Biscuiteer and Explorer to get a mini charge of a Crystalline Flask as well as a 60 second ward. |
Summoner Spells
Flash: Absolutely mandatory on Jarvan IV. It allows another escape for you, it can be used to secure(not steal!) a kill, Flash Cataclysm, Flash knockup combo, etc. The possibilities are endless. Hands down, the best Summoner Spell in the game. |
Exhaust: Exhaust is pretty good on all supports. Not always the best option, but good either way. You should pretty much always get it if they have a Zed or a Fiora or really any assassin or heavy damage champion. It works wonders vs any Attack Speed or Movement Speed reliant champs. Exhaust unlike Ignite doesn't fall off in the slightest. |
Ignite: This Summoner Spell is very, very good early game. It counters any type of healing by reducing the amount healed by half. This is especially great if you're against a Soraka in lane as it deals True Damage and makes her heals very weak. MAKE SURE you take this if no one on your team has grabbed it(unlikely) or they have a heavy healer such as Dr. Mundo or Swain. If your ADC has grabbed Ignite, don't take it. |
Other Options
Heal: This is a pretty nice teamfight and laning spell. Its better on Jarvan IV support than some other supports since he doesn't have a heal. Make sure not to take this if someone else on your team is taking it. Heal is also a rather poor choice vs Tristana or Miss Fortune as Explosive Shot and Impure Shots reduce the healing effect. Same goes for enemies with Morellonomicon, Executioner's Calling, Ignite or any other spell that applies Grievous Wounds.
Clairvoyance: Clairvoyance is rarely used anymore due to the addition of the Sightstone. It can still be used but isn't that great. Remember to use it at the start of the game to see the other team's starting items and to tell what buff the enemy jungler is starting at. Clairvoyance can also be used to scout bushes, know where the enemy jungler is, and learn spawn timers. Note that this Summoner Spell does NOT reveal invisible units and the enemy can see that you can see them with Clairvoyance.
Ability Explanation
-
Martial Cadence (P): Not a very support like Passive but it helps deal nice damage. An effective way to use this in laning or throughout the entire game is to do it after your knockup combo. This Passive does help make killing
Baron Nashor
or
Dragon
a bit easier though. Martial Cadence is the least support like tool he has in his kit.
-
Dragon Strike (Q): This is a pretty cool spell. Use it to harass, make high value target's Armor lower due to the armor shred, or just complete your knockup combo. Max this 2nd about 90% of the time due to the Armor Shred and lower CD.
-
Golden Aegis (W): This spell is best used bot lane which is another small reason why Jarvan IV is great at supporting. The reason why its best bot lane is since the damage mitigated is increased for the amount of enemy champions nearby and since bot lane is usually going to be a 2v2, it is going to almost always be stronger.
The reason why this is maxed last most of the time is because the Attack Speed and Armor of Demacian Standard and the Armor Shred of Dragon Strike is to valuable. However, there are situations where it'd be ok to max Golden Aegis 2nd. Max it 2nd when taking lots of harass and your lane partner is a dominantly magic dealing ADC early game such as Corki, Tristana or Kennen. Otherwise, max this last. Also know that when trying to escape and everything is on CD or you don't have enough mana for Demacian Standard Dragon Strike, Golden Aegis can be used to slow your enemy while soaking up some damage.
-
Demacian Standard (E): In my opinion, this is one of the best basic(non-ultimate) abilities in the game. Its used to harass, gain vision(check bushes/buffs etc.), increase your own armor, start your knockup combo or give your nearby allies Attack Speed. Consider this ability a 8 second unkillable ward that buffs teammates and hurts enemies. Its sooooooooooo good.
Leveling this ability does NOT reduce its CD OR increase its mana cost. A fun fact about Demacian Standard is that allies' can Teleport to it. Always max this skill 1st as the utility it gives is way to good.
-
Cataclysm (R): Cataclysm is one of the coolest ultimates in the game. It allows for great synergy with AOE teamcomps and long range champs since it traps the enemy/enemies in it allowing your team to deal as much damage as they can. This spell can also be used to force Summoner Spells such as Flash to escape it which is great as the enemy will be much more vulnerable.
However, there are some downsides to it. The 2 downsides being that it can be Flashed out of, dashed out of, teleported(Summoner Spell, Shen Stand United or Twisted Fate Destiny) out of, Tumbled out of(I'm looking at you Vayne!) or blinked out of. So it doesn't guaranteed a kill. Try to bait any one of those escapes before you use Cataclysm for maximum effect. The other big downside is that you can accidentally kill your own allies. You may trap an enemy but also trap a low health ally without even realizing. There are 2 things to know about this spell. Cataclysm can be reactivated to destroy the terrain however if you die before it disappears, you can not reactivate it. The other thing to know is that you can not be CC'd/interrupted while casting Cataclysm so if you get Cease and Desistd by a Vi, time your Cataclysm to negate the knockup.
Early Game Items
Get this as soon as you can for more vision and tankiness. |
Philosopher's Stone | Helps sustain you in laning and gives gold. Use this to build Shurelya's Battlesong later on. |
Get this quickly as you need the Movement Speed. |
Finish your complete this early on. even before Boots if you feel that you need the extra tankiness. The extra ward is also handy. |
Other Early Options
Get this if you are getting poked out by AAs. Don't get this to late though. |
This is a good item if you and your ADC are winning lane. It gives you a small damage increase, gives GP10 and will build into Executioner's Calling. |
This item gives you a small damage increase, Lifesteal which may come in handy and will build into Wriggle's Lantern or Zeke's Herald. |
Did you and your ADC dominate lane? Are the enemies starting to stack armor? Or do you just initiate so much that you need the CDR? If any of these, get it! It will build into Black Cleaver. |
Mid Game Items
Once you get Aegis of the Legion, upgrade it into Locket of the Iron Solari. The aura is pretty nice in teamfights and the active can save a life! It also gives you 20 Armor and 10% CDR. Note that if you use the active around the time another ally used the active(or vise versa), the 2nd shield will be reduced by 50% for the allies affected by both shields so try to use the active a few after the debuff is gone(click on any ally to see). |
Now its time to upgrade your boots! I prefer Mobility Boots to get around the map quicker, ward faster and initiate better. The Movement Speed bonus is great! The movement speed bonus is reduced to +45 Movement Speed when in combat(getting attacked/attacking something). |
These boots are good vs AD-heavy teams or a team with a fed AD champion. |
Time to upgrade your Philosopher's Stone!. The possibly game changing active on Shurelya's Battlesong synergizes well with Jarvan IV when initiating. It can also be used to escape or get your team to a location faster. Great active for teamfights! |
Defensive Options
Builds from Philosopher's Stone and will solve any mana problems you might have due to also building from Chalice of Harmony. The active is the best active in the game(in my opinion) as it acts as a Cleanse. It heals an ally for 150 + 10% of their maximum health + it removes all stuns, roots, taunts, fears, silences and slows. OMG WHY IS THIS ITEM NOT MANDATORY?! Well, there are 3 major complications with the active along with it being a rather expensive item. The 1st major compication: There is a travel time. So unlike Cleanse or Quicksilver Sash, it isn't instant unless you use the active before the CC lands which is VERY hard to time. The 2nd major complication is that you can't use the active if you( Jarvan IV) are hard CC'd. The 3rd major complication is that there is a 180 second CD. |
This is a good item vs AD-heavy teams. Iceborn Gauntlet's passive gives some more CC so if your team lacks some sticking power, this is a great item to get! The mana and AP are just added bonuses. Nothing special. |
Very good vs short range ADCs or AD heavy teams. The CDR is pretty good. You get half the CDR cap with this item. The mana it gives is a small bonus. |
Randuin's Omen is such a great item. It gives you 500 health, 70 Armor, an AOE slow to help stick in teamfights, and a passive that is the #1 counter to ADCs. Anyone that AAs you gets Slowed and their Attack Speed slowed as well. A VERY good defensive option. |
Offensive Options
Probably the best AD item for Jarvan IV support. The passive Armor Shred and the Armor Shred on Dragon Strike synergize greatly making the enemies Armor almost nonexistent. The CDR, health and 55 AD are such great bonuses that are all uber good for Jarvan IV, support or not. I recommend this item the most out of any AD item used on supports and it will really make you a force to be reckoned with. |
Wriggle's Lantern? Really? Yes. It seems weird but its pretty good. It gives you a free ward every 90 seconds which isn't bad at all, Armor, bonus damage to monsters, AD, and Lifesteal. We use it mostly for the ward but the AD and bonus damage to monsters is whats also really good about it. When going for Baron Nashor or Dragon they will go down much quicker which will help when the enemy is near. When getting this item, start with a Vampiric Scepter then the Cloth Armor then finish it as the Madred's Razors will just take up an item slot for something that isn't mandatory. |
Yeah. Infinity Edge is pretty odd. I agree 100%. This item should only be bought if your team really needs more damage or your carries are dying to quickly/getting zoned. The only other time I can see it being bought is if you got a lot of kills which usually means kill steals. |
Zeke's Herald | This is a very nice item. It allows you to get half way to the CDR cap, gives some health, and a great teamfight aura giving nearby allies AD and Lifesteal. Get Zeke's Herald if there are 3 AD champs on your team or 2 AD champs and a 3rd champ that does well with AD such as Twisted Fate or Akali. This is also one of the better AD items for supports and I recommend getting this if your team meets the criteria above. |
This item I get solely for the purpose of shutting down their heals. It builds from Avarice Blade which you might have picked up early in the game. Definitely get this if they have a Swain, Vladimir, Ryze, Jax, Dr. Mundo, Aatrox, Soraka or any other big healer(whether it be Heal Regen, Lifesteal, Spellvamp or just heals). If they don't have a big healer or extremely fed ADC, don't get this item as it will be almost useless. |
This can be used if they have good chasers or you need even more CC. Its also very good for scouting from a distance. The Magic Resist is a nice bonus but the AP is almost useless on Jarvan IV as it only gives 32 more magic damage to your Demacian Standard. |
Later on in the game(40+ minutes in), you may finding yourself needing to push out a lane getting to close to your tower. If there is no way your allies can get it, push it out a wave or 2 then rejoin your team. Other than those 2 situations, DO NOT STEAL FARM!
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