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Jarvan IV Build Guide by

Jarvan Support - The Examplar King(Being updated)

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7 Comments League of Legends Build Guide Author Wavering Reflection

Jarvan IV Build Guide By Updated on

Guide Discussion (7) More Jarvan IV Guides

Spells:

Flash

Exhaust

Items

Starting Items #1

Starting Items #2

Early Items

Other Options

Upgrade Boots

Defensive Options

Offensive Options

Consumables

Final Build

Ability Order

Jarvan IV Passive Ability

More Jarvan IV Counters

Season 4

This guide will need a makeover on the masteries and items sections. Possibly even runes depending on what they're going to do there. I'll try to update this as soon as I have a few days to test out items.

Introduction

Introduction

Welcome to my 2nd guide on Mobafire, The Examplar King, a Support guide. is a pretty amazing champion, and by that, I mean hes cool and used competitively(almost to much!). While 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. :) has all of those things. The only thing he doesn't have is a heal but who needs them? , and are already great supports that don't have a heal either!

Summary Banner

Face of the Mountain

Pros/Cons

Pros / Cons

Pros

+ Nice harass
+ Decent damage
+ Knockup + Slow
+ Has natural tankiness with and
+ Some of the best initiation
+ Bush check/vision with
+ can trap enemies/force summoner spells to be burned
+ Attack speed steroid for allies near
+ Has an Armor shred with

In laning phase, his AA harass is pretty strong harass but he can use more mana efficient harass with just a single or . His peeling ability rivals that of 's or maybe even 's due to his CC and . 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 . He can use his as an 8 second unkillable ward. Lastly, he has a steroid for all allies in range of his giving them Attack Speed and has a Armor debuff with his .

Cons

- Melee
- No heal
- Shield is for self only
- Might get focused
- Needs CDR
- Can go mana hungry
- Can inadvertently kill allies with if used wrong

, 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 are that he has a high chance to be focused since his or knockup combo will put him in the middle, he absolutely needs CDR for more frequent knockups or s, he can go mana hungry if you're not managing his mana properly(spamming ) and the biggy, he can end up killing his own allies with 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 which is a decent bonus late game. Next, take both points in to reduce damage done to you early on and for access to which will further reduce damage done. After that, get the 3 points in which will helps all throughout the game. Then get for a nice 3% maximum health increase. Take 3 points in and then 1 point into if you're against a crit heavy ADC. If not, then get the point in after getting 3 points in .

Next get for the reduced CD which is amazing since can make many good uses of . If you take as well, this mastery will improve it. Then get the 3 points into to get to places quicker. If you start with a instead of a , get 3 points into instead of . To get access to the 2nd tier of the Utility tree, put a point into . 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 to further reduce your CD and your other Summoner Spell as well. Being a support, you're gold income is very low so get 4 points in for the GP10 as well as being able to get the 2 points in for extra starting gold. The final 2 mastery points should go into and to get a mini charge of a as well as a 60 second ward.

Summoner Spells

: Absolutely mandatory on . It allows another escape for you, it can be used to secure(not steal!) a kill, , knockup combo, etc. The possibilities are endless. Hands down, the best Summoner Spell in the game.

: 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 or a or really any assassin or heavy damage champion. It works wonders vs any Attack Speed or Movement Speed reliant champs. unlike doesn't fall off in the slightest.

: 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 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 or . If your ADC has grabbed , don't take it.

Other Options

: This is a pretty nice teamfight and laning spell. Its better on 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. is also a rather poor choice vs or as and reduce the healing effect. Same goes for enemies with , , or any other spell that applies Grievous Wounds.

: is rarely used anymore due to the addition of the . 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. 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 .

Skill Explanations

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 later on.

Get this quickly as you need the Movement Speed.

Finish your complete this early on. even before 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 .

This item gives you a small damage increase, Lifesteal which may come in handy and will build into 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 .

Mid Game Items

Once you get , upgrade it into . 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 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.

Pretty good but expensive boots. They're expensive for a good reason though. Not only do they give Movement Speed and 25 Magic Resist, they give 35% Tenacity. Get these if vs an AP-heavy team or a CC-heavy team.

Time to upgrade your Philosopher's Stone!. The possibly game changing active on synergizes well with 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 . The active is the best active in the game(in my opinion) as it acts as a . 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 or , 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() 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. '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.

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 support. The passive Armor Shred and the Armor Shred on synergize greatly making the enemies Armor almost nonexistent. The CDR, health and 55 AD are such great bonuses that are all uber good for , 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.

? 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 or they will go down much quicker which will help when the enemy is near. When getting this item, start with a then the then finish it as the will just take up an item slot for something that isn't mandatory.

Yeah. 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 or . 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 which you might have picked up early in the game. Definitely get this if they have a , , , , , , 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 as it only gives 32 more magic damage to your .

When To Farm If Ever

Supports farming? Well I don't mean stealing farm from your allies. I mean last hitting the minions that will be killed by your turrets or minions. That way, no gold will be wasted. You won't be getting any gold that your allies would be able to get.

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!

Early Game

When in laning phase, your job is to poke/zone with , ward bot lane/river well, and keep your carry safe while trying to shut down their ADC. can do it all. If you and your carry are losing lane terribly, consider roaming mid lane to try to get your mid laner a kill or turret. Your most important job in laning is to keep your ADC alive even if it means sacrificing yourself.

Mid Game

This is usually when a tower or 2 has gone down and roaming or grouping has begun. You should have and even (if they have a team that can kill quickly and early) warded. If you can, try to get all the buffs warded as well and get a spawn timer for them. This will ensure dominance of the jungle. In teamfights, you will almost always be the initiator. Try to get the enemy ADC and/or mid laner trapped in your . If a bruiser gets onto your carries, peel them off with your knockup combo.

Late Game

Have EVERYTHING warded. This is when your build will be mostly completed but its usually best NOT to complete it and keep a 6th item slot open for s. Always have an activated late game as you need to deny as much vision as you can. In teamfights, your 2 goals are to trap the enemy ADC and peel for yours. You are most likely going to get killed pretty quickly since you are not building full tank so get your job done. Remember to stay with your allies since just you dying can mean an objective for the enemy team.