Over View

Standard Build

I like to start with Ludens 7 out of 10 times. Luden's has a solid 80 AP while giving an extra 10% of AP as bonus damage. This can PROC every 10 seconds. Also, the item provides 6 magic pen plus the mythic passive which gives 5 more magic pen for every legendary item you have. At full build, this item provides 26 magic pen. Horizon focus is a great item to pair with Xeraths range. After this item, you will hit HARD. Next, get boots, sorc's are usually the go-to stacking on 18 more magic pen. After this, the enemy team will probably build magic resistance, if they do buy Void Staff, if not punish them with more AP and get Shadow flame, which ignores 10-20 MR based on the target's health. Next, if healing is a problem get Morello, you should have built up enough magic pen to not need Void Staff. Last, get Death Cap, 120 base AP plus 35% increase should put you over 1000 AP and 54-64 magic pen. You are now able to one-shot squishys and assist team fights with you ult from far away.

First Items

As a poke mage playing as the support we take Spell Thief as our starting because every 10s the item stores a charge. Whenever an enemy is hit with an ability a charge is spent granting 20 gold on hit. This is where most of our gold comes from in the early laning phase of the game.

With this item, it is important to poke whenever you have charges available and don't poke without charges. Along with Xerath's passive, poking at this rate, it will help you to preserve your mana while making gold.

Also, grab two red pots and a stealth ward to start out.


This will keep you in lane long enough to make 1300 gold and back to buy lost chapter.

That leads us to the next item, Lost Chapter.

This is the first power spike we hit with Xerath. This item adds AP, reduces cooldowns, and gives mana.

Main Build

Luden's
Horizon Focus
Sorc Shoes
Shadowflame
Morellonomicon
Rabadon's

This is the main build path we will follow the majority of games. Some items can be interchanged depending on the game flow.

All of these items are interchangeable depending on the enemy team. If they build a lost magic pen, build void staff to counter that. If life steal champs become a problem, such as Irellia, buy Morello's, Chemtech Putrifier, or both to nullify these effects.

Alternate Build

Liandry's
Demonic
Sorc's
Morello
Putrifier
Rabadon's

This build works against a tank-heavy team with a lot of life steal. With double burn from Liandry's and Demonic, and double Grievous wounds from Morello or Putrifier, you will be able to literally burn through tanks. A void staff can also be substituted over Morello or Demonic.

The early game with Xerath is fairly straightforward. The first thing we do is grab Spell Thief as the support item, 2 red potions, and a stealth ward. The main thing I like to keep in mind when playing Xerath is bush control. This is a big key to winning lane. This makes poking the enemy laners much easier while making it harder for them to hit you.

When referring to bush control, these are the main bushes to focus on. These three are the key to dominating the lane with Xerath. By having control of the side brush you can poke enemies away from the lane denying the enemy ADC gold and XP. This also frees up the wave for your ADC to safely farm without taking damage. The goal should be to try and keep the enemy laners pushed under tower as often as possible. This can deny CS and XP if you manage to zone them off far enough.

By this point you should have poked the enemy laners enough to have 1300 gold and have completed your support item challenge, granting three free stealth wards every time you recall. At this point swap your yellow stealth ward for the red sweeper to keep sweeping the bushes in the bot lane denying the enemy vision. This will greatly increase your pressure in lane. If the enemy can't see you in the bushes, they can't see you charging attacks and therefore you will increase the pressure.

With the three stealth items, you have to make sure to ward the jungle path down the river leading to the bot lane. I like to place one ward in the bush right at the exit of the river, one in front of the dragon pit if my team does not have scuttle crab vision, and the third one deep in the enemy jungle, near the buff, to assist my jungler. These wards can keep you safe from ganks for the most part. Additionally, have your ADC ward the tri-brush behind you in lane.

The next goal is to save enough money to purchase Luden's. Back when you have the gold to complete this item. If you have extra, go ahead and buy tier 1 boots if this is possible.

After building our mythic item and tier 1 boots, start to build horizon focus to hit a big power spike. Follow this by completing the tier 2 boots. At this point in the game you should have taken the bot tower and then look to play mid and keep the pressure with you team moving us into the mid game.

The mid-game is when you should expect to dominate the game with your team. Make sure to constantly scan the map looking for ult opportunities. You have one of the best ults in the game with Xerath, having 5 hard-hitting shots at level 16 to kill anyone on low HP trying to escape a fight. It is important to move into range when using Xerath ult, to check this just hover your mouse over your ult while movie towards your target. When the blue circle is in range go ahead and press R. DO NOT go blindly into the jungle to do this!! Many Xerath players have the problem of getting tunnel vision when they are Ulting and don't check the map, leaving them open to an attack. Make sure you are safe when looking for picks.

Also when assisting your team in fights, use your long range to your advantage. Poke with your Q whenever it is up and save your E and W for the right time. If an enemy champ tries to chase you or a low health teammate it is important to have your stun up. After landing a stun, drop your W on them, this applies a slow effect and you might be able to escape or win the fight by doing this.

Additionally, in large team fights make sure you still play back. If you push up to far the enemy team will kill you first and you will be no use to your team. Don't be afraid to back up and ult a team fight. With five shots that do damage to anyone inside the circle, Xerath has the ability to flip a team fight in his team's favor.

The late game with Xerath support plays about the same as midgame. Follow the same rules of staying back, playing to your range advantage, and assisting your team through massive damage. At full build, you should have around or over 1000 AP and should be able to 100-0 many squishy targets that failed to build magic resistance. Your main goal in team fights is to support the team through damage. Try to poke anyone and everyone with your Q to make it easy for your team to clean up. Land your stun on anyone that steps up too far and immediately drop your W on them for maximum damage.

When someone is in range hit them with a stun (E), followed by W (make sure to drop the center on them), then Q for the most damage.

Your W does more damage at the center so use that to your advantage.

You can steal objectives more easily with Xerath than other champs. Make sure to have vision and spam ult when the dragon or baron has 5% - 10% HP remaining.

Your passive is used to regain mana every 12 seconds when you use an auto attack.

Your passive can PROC on things other than minions, monsters, and champs. If you are running away from someone with no mana try to auto a control ward, red berry, or green berry to get extra mana.

Thanks for checking out my guide for Xerath support! If you agree or disagree feel free to leave a response in the discussions. If you have any suggestions to add please let me know. Good luck, and I hope this helps!