Lee Sin Build Guide by Haedrix

Intro

This is only meant to be a quick reference page, not an in-depth full guide.

I don't go into detail regarding game play, specific match-ups, key binding tricks, etc.

If you have the time to read through a longer guide I highly suggest you check out some of the top rated guides on this site.

Please consider the well-intended brevity before factoring the guide's length into deciding whether to up-vote / down-vote.

Pros / Cons

PROS

• High mobility w/ gap closer on Q + ward jump / shield to ally on W
• Execute component / % health damage on Q
• Strong Red / Blue / Dragon / Baron control w/ Q + Smite
• Knock-back into AoE knock-up on R
• Attack Speed debuff on E
• Stealth reveal on E
• Movement Speed slow on E
• Shield ability
• Passive life steal + spell vamp on W
• Energy based / not limited by mana
• Strong assassin early game
• Good peeler late game
• Can Jungle / Mid / Top
• Picking Lee Sin early does not reveal champions' lane positions to enemies in Champion Select

CONS

• Damage capability falls off late game
• Requires experience and skilled control over the champion's kit due to a limited energy resource, skill shots, and an easily misused ultimate.
• Optimum builds for Lee Sin often involve several items with on-use actives so it is important to be able to use and manage these extra tools.
• Hard to catch back up if early setbacks occur.
• Gold / Item dependent.

Itemization

BOOTS

I really suggest one of these.

DAMAGE

Ravenous Hydra is an amazing item on Lee Sin. It gives wave clear, 10 sec CD AoE damage that doesn't cost you energy and does 60-100% of your AD. It gives 5 more AD and the same life steal as a non-stacked BT, health regen, and the passive / active for only 100 gold more than BT. I always get this item on Mid / Top Lee Sin.

Blade of the Ruined King has been really popular lately. It does the most damage in end game fights when everyone is nearing full build w/ high defenses. The active is nice too but you shouldn't RUSH this item. It only costs 100 gold less than Hyrda and will give you less damage during laning phase / early-mid game.

Mercurial Scimitar is a wonderful item on Lee Sin. It gives you the cleanse of Quicksilver Sash w/ a movement speed bonus after use as well as a good chunk of AD. I dislike getting CC'd when playing Lee and I thoroughly enjoy abusing this item to guarantee I have free reign to do what I want in team fights. Also a good item to add some needed MR to your stats.

Maw of Malmortius is a good AD item that provides MR / anti-burst. If there is magic damage that you can't dodge / cleanse off w/ Mercurial Scimitar then this might be a viable option.

Last Whisper is a must by late game if the enemy team has large chunks of armor. You can sometimes get by with getting BotRK instead as your anti-tank damage. BotRK becomes less reliable though if the enemy team has AS debuffs.

The Bloodthirster has always been a must have on Lee Sin until recently. I no longer buy this item unless I plan on trying to ensure that the game ends at 20 minutes. If I am ahead, already have Boots and Hydra, and I want to keep snowballing then I will occasional get a BT too but rarely.

The Black Cleaver is really good on Lee Sin when you are playing jungle. Your job tends to be more peel-oriented late game / as a jungler so TBC will help you shred the armor of the enemy front line and allow your carries to drop them more quickly. It's relatively cheaper than your normal DPS items and has good utility.

DEFENSIVE

Guardian Angel is a really good item if you are trying to focus on assassinating the enemy carries. Hopefully you will be able to kill one or two people and your team will get past the enemy front line by the time you are about to respawn from the passive.

Randuin's Omen provides many defensive mechanics in a single item, which is great for Lee Sin. +500 HP, +70 armor, AS debuff when hit, MS slow when hit, and AoE MS slow on active. This item makes it very difficult for the enemy AD Carry to be able to kill you faster than you can kill them.

Sunfire Cape doesn't give you as much survivability as other defensive options but it does give you more AoE damage, which when combined with the AoE damage from the passive / active on Ravenous Hydra can help to ensure you do not fall off late game when you become a peeler. AoE Damage guarantees you stay relevant. It gives good HP and armor but is pretty situational.

Frozen Mallet is a great item for peeling and for chasing. It gives you a large amount of health along with slows for days!

Locket of the Iron Solari is a very cheap defensive item that adds utility to your kit. I normally get it when I'm jungling because the active is wonderful for counter-ganking and turning the tides of battle.

Runic Bulwark is a good defensive item that builds out of cheaper components and is easy to work towards when jungling. The AoE buff for allies is wonderful in team fights and can make a huge difference mid game.

Warmog's Armor gives you a lot of bonus health and is a bit cheaper than other defensive items like Randuin's Omen or Frozen Mallet. It can easily help put you back into the game if the enemy team doesn't have / isn't building any percentage health damage.

Creeping / Jungling

Starting Red and ganking early can be effective on Lee Sin, but is not always optimal.

You should take into consideration what champions are Top / Mid on your team and at what level they can best secure a kill early at.

In the current meta, starting in the bottom jungle for BOTH teams is very strong. It allows you to roam between Top and Mid for awhile after your first clear without missing out on much experience.

Remember, getting Red Buff second means that it will be on you later but also provides more ganking time with it up as opposed to doing an early gank and then resuming to clear w/ Red Buff on you.

Doing Blue Buff first also allows the 2nd spawn to happen sooner, possibly giving an advantage to your Mid.

A good way to set your team up to take Dragon is by either getting a successful gank off Mid / Bot, forcing the enemy Mid / Bot to go back to base, or by taking Mid / Bot tower. Once you accomplish one or more of these things, ward the surrounding area, attempt to deny enemy vision, and make sure your teammates are on the same page as you. Also, make sure to have Smite up for your Q + Smite combo.

I highly recommend Smart Casting your Smite.