Welcome to my Akali guide :)

In this guide I will explain how i play ap Akali.
Note this is just how i play her, I am not claiming this is the perfect guide/build.


ALso, this is my first guide, so be nice ....

UNDER RECONSTRUCTION !

Why play the fist of shadow ?

Pros
- Insane one on one champion
- easy to use
- tons of fun
- nice escape mechanism
- ap and support champions nightmare
- you can score double and triples under turrets !

Cons

- You will be focused
- In lower elos she is always banned
- before level 6 she is not much use ( i say this with reserve tho )
- hard to truly master

Flash : great synergie with that shroud . Use it to escape from ganks and suprise youre opponents.

Ignite : Always a good spell to have when youre out to kill someone. Dont waste it on fleeing champs, you're ulti is there for that. Use it to keep enemies from healing while you are in you're smoke screen.

Exhaust is also a viable spell, but be sure to tweek youre masteries if taking it.

Heal is always ussfull, bit i dont recomend it. With this build you have more then enough spell vamp and life steal.

Ghost can help, but you're ulti makes it a bit of a waste.

Teleport, always good for those I need to be right there right now momments. Not recomended but neither decomended

Glyphs :

Pure ap glyphs all the way ! you need these to trigger one of your passives !

Marks:

I recommend magic penetration marks, makes the difference early/mid game.

Seals :

For seals you can either take dodge seals, making you more slippery a foe.
Or you can take (cheaper) pure armor seals, which gives you a decent armor value early/mid game.

Quints :

Pure ap quints for that extra hurt in your mark of the assassin, and triggers your passive

This is my opinion for a classical mid, duo carry/support bot, solo top and jungler formation.

Midlane :

Akali is an ok mid lane. Her level 6 and her shroud allow her to get up close and personal to the other midder, and deal a burst load of damage. On the other hand she can be easily out harassed, and taken out by other midders.

Duo lane :
Akali is neither a carry or a support, and is best used on other lanes. On the other hand with her ulti she can take out there support when thy engage, giving you an edge.

Solo top :

What defines akali is without doubt her ultimate, and her incredible 1on1 skills. This makes her an exelent solo top.
Solo topers in general dont have as much harass as mids, meaning that youre natural spell vamp will allow to stay in lane for as long as you wish.

Quick skill overview

Maxing you're Mark of the Assassin asap is a must. Its the source of you're bursting and allows you to harass, farm, and regain hp with you're spell vamp.
Twilight Shroud slows and allows you to hide. Use it to escape from ganks or slow fleeing/pursuing enemies.
Crescent Slash is excellent for farming and dealing damage to surrounding champs.
Shadow Dance is what defines akali. Use it to engage from a hidden location ( bushes, jungle) or to hunt doing fleeing champs.

How to engage with akali

Akali is an excellent 1on1 champion, and this is how you should rip youre opponent apart !
-engage with a shadow dance
-throw in a mark of the assasin and auto attack him to get that bonus damage.
-Pop youre smoke screen and ignite the target.
-wait for the mark to cooldown then hit him with it and follow up with a single auto attack, before returning to the cover of the smoke screen
-Then use cresent slash

By now youre target should have lost a decent load of hp, and its time to take him out.
Auto attack him, using youre skills whenever there up. Keep youre ulti for the kill, just in case he tries to get away ^^

Starting items :

Dorans blade : The best starting item with her when using ap runes. Triggers your passive, gives you extra hp, and a small amount of life steal.

tier 1 boots and pots : Also a valid starter set out. Pots give you great sustain in lane, and the extra mobility is nice. But you don't get your passive, you are weaker, and honestly you don't need the pots if you play her right.

Dorans ring : Would not recommend it, the early game ap scaling isnt high enough to make it worth your wile. And last time i checked akali didn't work with mana.
( I've seen no less then 3 akalis with this, wich is why i feel the need to mention it --' )

Mid game items :

The hextech revolver :
This is one of the best items with akali. The extra ap is nice, but the spell vamp is what makes it a huge addition to your akali. Mid game it's this baby combined with your passive that allows you to take people on 10n or even 2on1, and win.

Sheen :
More ap is always nice. But the reason you get sheen is to make your busrt hurt even more ! Highly recommended item !

Quicksilver sash :
This item will make you impossible to catch and kill ! It allows to remove ALL debuffs, in 1 click ! Use it for those ignites, thy will ruin your spellvamp or ki you as you leg it.

Low on life ?
Dont back immidiatly, you have alot of spell vamp and life steal. Try farming some minions or jungling instead. Avoid backing if you dont need to shop.

Ganking from jungle
Youre ulti can go threw walls and jungle, use that to surprise people and get some kills

When ganked
If youre team are not calling those ss, and you find youreself being ganked, all is not lost !
Pop smoke screen, go towards jungle and flash. Then listen to the cries of frustration as youre opponents rage and call you lucky. Its not luck, its skill.

Zoning youre opponents out
When laning, people tend to try and put a bit of distance between them and you. Pop smoke screen on there caster minions and farm them from youre bubble. The other champ wil generaly flee, especialy if you use mark of the assasin on him first, and will not xp during the wave.

Tower diving
-When someone tower dives at you, let them land 1 hit, and thro down youre smoke screen. Then just watch them die in terrible turret blasting pain.
-If you are tower diving, remember that you can ulti on minions to escape the towers wrath. Or just flash into the jungle or back to youre own minions.

Jungle brain escape
- When pursued in the jungle, use your shroud to confuse the enemy. pop in between brush so he doesn't know which way you went !
- people always assume you are running towards your spawn, use you're shroud to lose them, go towards there base and recall in a bush.