21/12/2011
- Added additional tanky dps and lane builds.
- Edited masteries, runes and all chapters to bring into current patch (1.5)
- Added chapter on Lane Nocturne.
- Added Resources Chapter

9/02/2012
- On the Tanky DPS build changed rune build.

Hi I'm TheRealZeal and welcome to my Nocturne guide. This is my first guide and am keen to get some feedback on what you guys reckon. I think Noctune is one of the most influential and game changing champs in LoL.

Nocturne is either the best champ on your team, or the worst.

Without exaggerating, in the jungle he can level almost, if not, as fast as a solo lane / middle. Especially if he gets a kill or two early.

Pre-6 strengths are:
Can take Blue Buff without leash
He is fast (while on trail)
He has copious AD (while on trail)
Can block a spell which wins early game fights if used at the right time.

IMO nocturne IS BEST played in the jungle. He is very mana hungry in lane and looses the element of surprise when the enemy can call MIAs in your absence. Although I will only play nocturne is the jungle, I successfully solo'd top with a butchered build which I included here.

I play Nocturne incredibly aggressive. I often finish with a high kill count, but also high deaths. These build most definitely work for me. I am open to CONSTRUCTIVE FEEDBACK, but understand that this build/guide won't be for everyone, in fact any good player should be modifying there build depending on how each individual game plays out.

I use Three jungle paths.

First: I approve of SaintVicious's path. This is started by using smite on the enemy big wraith. then go wolves -> wraiths -> double golems -> BUY -> Blue Golem and clear jungle. (leaving red lizard to last so I can have maximum buff duration for ganks.)

Second: path I like to grab a leash on blue -> wolves -> wraiths -> double golems -> BUY -> clean.

Thrid: is my favourite, taking enemy wraiths -> enemy double golems -> gank closest lane (either top or bot from behind) -> blue -> wolves -> enemy wraiths -> own wraiths -> red buff -> double golems -> gank top or bot depending on which sid eof the map your on.

This thrid path is by far the most risky, but most rewarding if your team can bait the ganks for you. Often I'm level 6 with 2 kills before mid or solo.

I often counter-jungle at level two if I know that the enemy jungler is following the same path as this second one. I go and wait in the bushes behind their red lizard and gank him from behind at their wraith camp. this sometimes pays off, usually they just waste flash. Scares them though :P

I was super hesitant to include this chapter. As previously, I hated lane Nocturne.
BUT.. and a very careful BUT. I was forced to go solo-top the other day thanks to auto locking Elo hell NUB.

Nocturne's biggest problem in lane is mana, so I rushed Wriggles and Manamune for in lane sustain. This with his passive life steal gives him a good amount of sustain and protection. I found not spamming his Q and keeping it for harass and escapes also worked well.

Against, Nasus I held strongly and farmed well. I could keep him against his tower after I has Wriggles ward and kept him from going crazy with his Q.

I've played around with this a few times, and done quite well SOME of the time. Still reckon it's a waste to have a Nocturne outside of the jungle. But, if you really wanna lane, this build works.

Ultimate. Why does it have it's own section. Because it is one of the most miss-used ults in the game.

What it is good for:

a) Finishing off a 1v1 fight especially if someone has run beyond a tower or flashed out of Q or E range.

b) Getting up close and personal with an enemy ranged carry that is being protected well by their team.

c) Getting into a team fight from across the map to increase the chances of a win.

d) Juking players when you're almost dead and trying to escape. Moving from one side of a team fight to another with flash in reserve can be incredibly useful.

e) To remove enemy banshees veil buff seconds before a team fight is about to begin. (but not initiating)


How not to use it:

a) Initiate every gank when you are in Q range.

b) Dive behind enemy lines with no escape.

c) initiate a team fight. This one is the worst. People don't understand that when darkness fills the map, all the enemy can see is their own vision. which means that when nocturnes ult is used to initiate onto a group, he is the only champ they see, forive me for spelling this out, and making you suck eggs, but seriously, if theres 4 enemies standing next to each other, and the only thing they see is one champ, what are they going to do... BELT THE LIVING KR*** OUTTA YOU! = dead nocturne.

Nocturne is naturally an excellent jungler and therefore I generally use a full offensive rune set up. This gives him a very fast jungle and maximum DPS for ganks early game. It also sustains Nocturnes DPS mid-late game.

An alternative rune set-up that I sometimes use is SaintVicious's which can be found here. Taking armour and MR runes makes jungling a little slower but Nocturne won't get as low on HP which in turn provides him more safety against enemy counter-jungle manoeuvring.

You'll notice a variation for tanky DPS. I find flat damage Quints are more effective early game. True armour pen stacks better late game, but I'm assured by a mate (who unlike me is good at maths, so I won't try to dazzle you) that 10 armour pen is sufficient to get you through early game.

As you can see I effectively use a basic mastery set up for any AD champ. 21-0-9. Ensuring I take both Gold producing masteries. By your third trip back to buy this lets you complete zerker boots, instead you would only be able to buy level 1 boots and the a dagger. (not taking into account gank bounty)

My play style leads me towards being a fan of pure offence. I build and play Nocturne very aggressively. Your play style will change the build slightly.

IMO Nocturne's core build should be [Zerker Boots] [Youmoo's] & [Phantom Dancer]
Reasoning:

Zerkers give you a decent amount of early game DPS. You really notice a step up in damage when you buy these.

Youmoo's gives you incredible gank-ability. I toggle it mid-flight during my ult. so when I land I instantly benefit from the increased duration effects. Personally I buy [Brutalizer] early, but finish Youmoo's late. This is probably something I should look at changing, but I find going straight for Zeal works for me.

Phantom Dancer is pretty much self explanatory. Attack speed, movt speed and crit, all good. In conjuction with Infinity Edge, it really pays divid-ends.

The only time I would drop a Phantom Dancer is if I was building Trinity Force which has the nice unique passive but is ultra-expensive to build. This is definitely a late-game item if I choose to go there.

I won't spend too much time on skill sequences, but I ensure to max Nocturne's 'Q' first. This is his main damage ability. I take 'E' second and 'W' at level 4.

Obviously, taking 'R' at levels 6, 11, and 16.

If any lane is pushed early, I jump straight in for a gank. Pre-6 nocturne's Q and E make for almost certain kills. At level 4 nocturne's spell shield is OP and wins fights. blocking enemy CC in a pre-6 1v1 or 2v2 fight is pivotal. timing this right can almost guarantee an enemy fiddlesticks, lux, morgana, ryze (etc) to DIE.

People **** their dacks when they see his leash and often use flash. Although enemy flashes can be frustrating, it's awesome for that lane because the enemy will generally play defensively for the next 260 seconds.

Smite is needed for a fast jungle. It does become useless late game, but allows you to level as fast as mid/solo lane.

[EDIT patch 1.5] I've seen quite a few people leaving smite out since the last patch and changes to jungle. I still recommend taking it, it makes jungle very fast and gives yout he edge over laning champs.

I like flash as my second Summoner. For an excellent guide to how to use flash with Nocturne check out Play Video . I'm inspired each time I watch it.

I suppose this is my passion in LoL. Teamwork. It's what makes the game so much fun or so bloody frustrating. I always type lots and try and stimulate conversation if it's a quite solo queue.

The things your team needs to know about nocturne:

You shouldn't be ganking lanes that are pushed to the enemy towers. So if a lane wants a gank they have to set it up by letting them push.

In addition to this if both enemy champs in a lane are at 50% HP, there is no reason why you should not be getting double kills.

In team fights, I find nocturne best utilized to take out the range carries that sit on the outskirts of a team fight. ie, annie, ashe, heimer etc. utilizing his ult nocturne doesn't have to run through a tank and two melee dps to get to the carries, so he is a prime candidate to take em out.

the problem with this is he draws much agro fro the enemy and does need some protection. before I ult onto a soon-to-be dead champ, I am always checking my escape routes. pre-planning which wall im about to flash over when the remaining 4 enemy turn and try to nuke me.

like i just explained, nocturne is a champ that is best utilized by ducking in and out of team fights. most enemies will focus you because they know what you know... you are awesome.

So clearly this isn't the best guide in the world, and not being a platinum ranked player am pretty sure I can't put together the best guide in the world.

So here are the two PRO resources that I use and adapt to my play style:

The Odd One
ColbyCheeze