This guide is not for people who do not know how to maneuver as nocturne. This guide is not for people who don't understand the concept of ganking correctly, nor for people who don't understand how to teamfight as nocturne.

This is based upon the idea of an efficiency build. I'll explain what that is.
First:
Nocturne is a jungler, no I do not advocate running smite. Nocturne is too powerful in the lane for that. So how do we reconcile his ganking ability with his laning ability?
We go top lane until level 3-4. We make sure the one going top is a good solo top and then we proceed to go for the first blood. At any good moment you can flash+exhaust to firstblood. If there is no possible way, last hit and zone to deny the opponents. At level 3-4, jump into a bush and recall.
At this point you should have vamp scepter + cloth armor. Then you go jungle wolves -> wraiths -> red for gank

Now that we have the basic idea that this build will be operating in, I shall continue.
- ganking can be a success and ganking can be a failure. If the gank fails, the ganker does not get fed for his efforts and he is NOT to push the lane he ganked, for it unnecessarily deprives allies of last hits, experience, and puts them at a vulnerable pushed position for the enemy to gank.
How can we remedy this? Ensure your ganking power.
Mid game is nocturne's feasting period. The more bulky you can get him early mid the better your whole team can snowball.
Truths
- building one legendary item at a time is very unsuccessful because it lacks the efficiency of multiple items. Sure you get damage, where's your attack speed? Where's your resistance? Where's your health?
Tanks know this and operate accordingly. It only seems to be the dpsers that don't comprehend this fact.
A good tank doesn't rush a thornmail. He buys chain vest, he buys giant's belt, and he buys a negatron cloak before he finishes any legendary items.

Similarly, to the efficent tank, we will maximize the efficiency of a mid game nocturne and roll him over into a late game nocturne by phasing out the mid level items after his mid game onslaught has rolled on by.
- after the wriggles and boots, we move straight into the wit's end. It grants a good amount of magic resistance and attack speed combined with EARLY-MID game mana steal. At this point in the game, most champions will have a very modest mana pool maximizing the efficiency of wit's end. And all for a very affordable price.
- after wit's end, we move into the hex drinker. A very unpopular item, mainly because of it's end game weakness. However, at this point, we need damage and a bit more magic resistance combined with a MID GAME 300 health shield which could make sure a gank doesn't go south in a clutch moment. Also, very affordable.
- Now we really need to top off the tankiness on this powerful monster we call nocturne. At this point he has considerable magic resistance, considerable attack speed due to his W's passive and wit's end, and considerable damage due hex drinker and his Q. To top it all off, we will throw in an aegis of the legion for health/armor/mag res. Top it off with a giants belt At this point, he can take on just about anyone in mid game perhaps even 2v1. And you have spent: 9760g and have a full build.
- This is the point where your enemy wants to surrender (but perhaps decides to push through anyway for whatever reason)
- You have fantastic stats but you need to start rolling over for late game.

The order of replacement is just as important as the order of original purchase
- The hex drinker will be replaced for bf sword to bloodthirster in first.
- The wriggles lantern will be replaced by starks next. Because the life steal becomes almost redundant in the face of bloodthirster and starks and jungling creeps has become intensely easy at this point.
- The wit's end will be replaced by a banshees due to the need for magic resistance after the loss of hexdrinker and wit's end.
- Afterwards, the giant's belt should be upgraded into a frozen mallet for more health and great CC addition.
- Lastly, aegis will be thrown away to pick up a Last Whisper.
At this point, Nocturne has been raping all game, he has tons of health, he has formidable magic resistance, he has great lifesteal, damage that can pierce even tanks, and decent attackspeed. End game is ready for you to push2win.

Be aware there are two main courses that can be taken with nocturne, IE + Phantom to make the crit reliable. Or the starks + bloodthirster for lifesteal.

Why bloodthirster and not infinity edge?
- life steal is tricky to fit in with the infinity + phantom combo
- infinity without phantom is unreliable crit and you would be better benefitted by 40 more damage and more lifesteal. (life steal contributes to his tankiness)

Why starks and not phantom dancer?
- we run 3 movespeed quints for movespeed, nullifying much of the need for phantom dancer.
- the crits are not worth the lifesteal considering we don't take infinity. (and again the lifesteal is tricky to fit in without starks or thirster.
- grants 20 armor reduction for harder hits.
- gives an dual auras that benefit the team.

It is quite important to go bloodthirster + starks or to go IE + phantom. My preference is the lifesteal route.

Why banshees?
- goes great with W which is like a built in banshees.
- good mag res + mana + health
- please don't ask this question seriously.

Why last whisper, isn't that bad now?
- with last whisper on top of your damage, arm pen, and arm reduction, you can eat through ANYONE.
- Squishies are squishier and tanks suddenly became fairly squishy. What single item can do this?
- Tops off the added damage necessary for a good dpser.

Why mercs, shouldn't you get like zerkers?
- mercs have magic resistance, tanky dps ftw.
- mercs might be your saving grace from that mumu ult, galio ult, rammus taunt, etc. You need to lifesteal to ensure your survival, you can't life steal if you are stunned...

Why frozen mallet?
- keeps people in range for fear
- gives that huge amount of health you need to be ridiculously tanky and make the other team hate you.
- a bit more push to your damage.
- the CC has endless utility.

Rarely will this be efficiently used to initiate after mid game.
- mid game it provides great utility for ganking lanes, however I propose a different approach than the initation.

Other gankers can efficiently gank without soaring in at super speeds.
You may be thinking, but i can get to them so much faster if i ult?
consider this:
- when you ult, everyone in the lane falls back, as if you just ran out of the bush
Instead, perhaps you could just run out of the bush (hopefully with red buff)?
Engage them and fight like a normal ganker.
Flash -> exhaust -> E -> Q = should be their death.
However, unexpected miracles do occur to save their lives. NOW when they have survived your initial onslaught of damage, you Ult and finish them (maybe even under their tower).

In a teamfight, you can be sure someone on the enemy team is screaming for his team to focus you. What you do is pick one of their squishies, preferrably the one your team has deemed threat #1. You just unleash yourself on that person until you know you are focused. At the point when you are focused, ult and fly to the next squishy that isn't right next to you. This will force them to either try to find you, or focus someone else. Meaning either your team takes no damage, or you take no damage. Then you proceed to eat the other squishy. This is so much more efficient than ulting to jump in on someone and then watch them escape.

That was teamfight scenario 1. Scenario 2, you focus someone down, they run and live, your team chases as you get kited and picked off. Well if you saved your ult, halt their hasty escape and feast on them. Then save your team from the kite and finish the teamfight.

Sometimes, ulting can be good prior to chasing/forcing a refocus. Say one guy is away from his team but they aren't TOO far away. Say he is around 2nd top tower and they are at 2nd mid tower and your team is waiting in the jungle. You have people dancing mid, and 2 teammates waiting to gank top. You can pop your ult right as they go in to prevent the mid enemies from realizing what is going on. Preventing the potential backup and ensuring the kill top + tower kill top. Sometimes, just ulting to cover someone backdooring can be very efficient.

It is for you to make the judgement call in game. I trust your judgment now that you've read the possible uses of nocturne's ultimate.

Enjoy the nocturne efficiency build and
Goodluck, Summoner