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Off-Beat Builds - An Introduction

Off-Beat Builds - An Introduction

Updated on August 14, 2014
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League of Legends Build Guide Author Thatdudeinthecotton Build Guide By Thatdudeinthecotton 5,445 Views 6 Comments
5,445 Views 6 Comments League of Legends Build Guide Author Thatdudeinthecotton Build Guide By Thatdudeinthecotton Updated on August 14, 2014
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GREETINGS AND SALUTATIONS FELLOW SUMMONERS!


Hello there, my name is ThatDudeIntTheCotton and this is an introduction to some off-beat builds! To be precise, this means that every build in this guide is either A: Describing a champions ability to play a different role than they are typically expected to take. OR B: A champion who takes the same role but uses drastically different items to what they normally use (thus changing they're gameplay style significantly).

I came up with this list originally as a means of helping me keep track of the large number of strange builds I enjoy messing around with. It just seemed handier to have all of these builds in one place as opposed to scattered through the internet, or having to remember all the details off the top of my head. Then I realized that it might be a cool way to show some new or not-so-new players this list. Maybe they'd find something they liked in it, or maybe it'd inspire them to create new builds of their own that could redefine a champions role in league. Hell, as I was writing this guide Vel'Koz support became a thing. That's crazy!

So with that being said, here are some Off-Beat Builds. A lot of them aren't optimal, but they all have very distinct merits in their own right.

Example Builds and Viability


Alistar - AP


Build Example:



Pros:
> Strong burst
> Trample deals good tower damage
> Heal is more powerful late game


Cons:
> Melee
> Mana hungry
> Long cooldowns


Summary:
AP Alistar is all about the mid game burst. When charged full of ap, his Headbutt - Pulverize combo can seriously chunk his opponent's health. Pulverize is maxed for damage and waveclear, it can also be used on a wave after using Triumphant Roar to get a double heal as enemy deaths reduce Triumphant Roar's cooldown.

As the game wears on, ap alistar's scales down, which is when he starts acting as an off-tank by using his ult, Unbreakable Will. Essentially, by late game, you'll have a lot of tower killing potential thanks to Trample, but you'll likely be under more focus by the enemy team, and tanks will be able to brush aside you're burst. AP Alistar's main goal is to win by keeping the enemy team from scaling quickly by crushing them in midgame, as in the late game, he can run into problems.

Viable in: GOLD

Guide / Video:
http://www.mobafire.com/league-of-legends/build/ap-alistar-bull-in-a-china-shop-added-build-346841


Anti-AD Anivia


Build Example:



Pros:
> Good Early Mana Regen
> Best Build for anti-ad, especially assassins
> You're a flaming bird made of Ice


Cons:
> Lacks late game dps of pure mage builds
> If you manage to die, you'll lose Mejai's Soulstealer stacks
> ^Ergo, team needs seperate, reliable source of damage

Summary:
> There's not too much to say on this build, aside from the fact that it is a very good build should you find yourself in lane with an ad mid (eg: Zed, Talon etc). It effectively makes you unburstable, as, with your passive up, the enemy will have to deal with two large, armor-coated, health bars to kill you. It also means that should the enemy lack hard CC, you can use Teleport to get out of almost all sticky situations (as it continues in egg form). This powerful survivability is what makes Mejai's Soulstealer a useful item for this build.

Good as a counter build vs AD, its a cool, different way of playing the frozen phoenix.

Viable in: ALL-STARS LCS (ie: Bronze)

Guide / Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_1esT9tWJI


Ashe - AP


Build Example:



Pros:
> Volley with liandry's does huge damage
> Ult becomes a powerful execute


Cons:
> Terrible early game
> Like " You're almost guaranteed to die" bad
> Only gets good after Liandry's Torment
> Makes last hitting very difficult (cause no ad)


Summary:
This is a bad build. Now with that out of the way, lets see what it does.

Essentially, the goal while playing this build is "survive long enough to get liandry's", ie: don't feed till then. Odds are you're not going to be making much big plays as the enemy midlaner (which you'll be facing cause your ap) will likely have better dueling abilities than you. All you gotta do is max volley, poke with it, and not die. If you can achieve this, then maybe you can get to late game and start dealing damage. But this relies on your allies not getting owned. Cause if they are, then you won't have the strength to carry them.

Should all go well though, ap Ashe can do some weirdly hilarious damage with a liandry's fueled Volley and her ap charged ult.

But make no mistake, this build's only good for screwing around, and is in no way viable.

Viable in: UNRANKED

Guide / Video:
http://www.mobafire.com/league-of-legends/build/ap-ashe-power-of-liandrys-and-slows-383854



Caitlyn - AP


Build Example:



Pros:
>NETS OF DOOOOOMMMM
>MUFFINS OF DOOOOOMMMM
>Low cd escape


Cons:
>You have to kill people with nets and muffins.
>Two of your abilities become pretty useless later on


Summary:
Its all about the nets baby. 90 Caliber Net has an ok ap scaling, as well as damage, cd, and a slow that improves with levels. Getting cd reduction is important as it'll let you spam your net and traps more frequently. Liandry's Torment is a must as both of Caitlyn's damage dealers ( 90 Caliber Net and Yordle Snap Trap) have a slow/root attached, giving her the full effect of the items passive. The rest are just standard ap mage items (though is there's some secret, super potent combination that I'm unaware of, go for it).

But yeah, this is just another build for screwing around and isn't in any way viable.

Viable in: UNRANKED

Fizz - Ad


Build Example:



Pros:
> Mixed damage on autattacks thanks to Seastone Trident.
> Nimble Fighter is good vs ad opponents
> Urchin Strike applies Bork and Trinity Force procs


Cons:
> Somewhat squishy early
> Not as bursty as ap


Summary:
AD Fizz is an auto attack reliant bruiser with a lot of mobility and late game survivability. In lane, his powerful mobility helps him to control the flow of the trades, and by itemizing defensively he can auto attack more safely while he isn't dashing around. Trinity Force procs with Urchin Strike help give him more upfront burst should he need it. He already provides good team utility through Chum the Waters and can also slow groups of enemies using Playful / Trickster. In tf's he operates on the frontline, absorbing some damage for the other carries and dueling bruisers / going after the enemy carries.

Viable in: SILVER


Galio - Jungle


Build Example:



Pros:
> Good early ganks
> Strong in teamfights
> Doesn't need tons of ap to deal damage


Cons:
> Easily invaded early
> Needs blue
> Not great vs ad heavy compositions


Summary:
Jungle Galio is a tanky, support style jungler, who emphasizes heavy team utility over damage output. When using him, its best to go with a mid that doesn't require blue buff as he is heavily reliant on it to clear jungle. That aside, he has good ganks, can assist carries chases / escapes with Righteous Gust, as well as shield them with Bulwark (and in turn get health if they take damage). As a jungler he maxes Resolute Smite then Bulwark for quick, safe clears. His ultimate Idol of Durand is his main teamfighting/ganking ability and against ap heavy comps its particularly devastating as he will take next no damage from the taunt. However Galio is very reliant on his survivability to do his job, and he loses a decent portion of this versus AD compositions. So with that in mind, he should be looked at as a situational pick, if you want to use him optimally.

Viable in: GOLD

Guide / Video:
(Good build + matchup info, but no gameplay :/ ) http://www.lolking.net/guides/293919

Gangplank - AP


Build Example:



Pros:
> Strong heals thanks to Remove Scurvy
> Cannon Barrage has increased utility
> Decent harass in lane thanks to Sheen procs on Parrrley


Cons:
> Random ult means it's never a reliable source of damage.
> Falls of late game


Summary:
AP Gangplank is essentially an ap bruiser that focuses on small skirmishes, using Parrrley to harass and Remove Scurvy to sustain. With Lich Bane and full cd he can use Parrrley alone as his damage source in duels (as it'll be up as fast as a Lich Bane proc), saving his other abilities for their utility. Cannon Barrage is vastly more powerful in this build, as it can clear creep waves, save turrets and execute low health enemies, or just put hard pressure on another lanes enemies. But due to its random nature, it'll only ever be reliable should the enemy be cc'd while they're in it. With that said, ap Gangplank tends to work best in aoe compositions, (say with a Leona, Amumu etc) in order to take advantage of his ults high damage potential.

This was on the edge of being viable for a while, but since the Lich Bane nerfs, it can't be recommended for serious play.

Viable in: SILVER

Guide / Video:
http://www.mobafire.com/league-of-legends/build/ap-gangplank-the-sound-of-cannons-316276

Gragas - Support


Build Example A:



Build Example B:

face of the mountain

Pros:
> Good Harass
> Good Sustain
> Strong Initiation / disruption


Cons:
> Not as tanky as some other melee supports


Summary:
As of the time of writing this, Gragas support has become quite popular, more so than him being played in mid or jungle in fact. Since he has seen relatively little attention from guide writers and wasn't designed with this role in mind, I felt he was a worthy addition to this list.

Gragas Support, in lane focuses on leveling and harassing with his Barrel Roll. Its hefty slow is good for setting up initiations, and a "ticking" barrel can be used to zone the enemy adc from farm. Body Slam is leveled second, despite being Gragas's prime initiation tool, as it only gets a damage buff with levels and no cd reduction. Drunken Rage will primarily be used for the armor/mr buff, just as a skirmish is about to start. Explosive Cask is used to either initiate or peel for your carry.

Its worth noting that after laning Gragas support can focus into being either a semi-mage if the team needs more damage, or into an offtank if the enemies damage needs to be mitigated.

Viable in: DIAMOND

Guide / Video:
http://www.solomid.net/guide/view/121883-gragas-build-guide-support-by-uniquenickfj
http://www.mobafire.com/league-of-legends/build/s4-gragas-the-ultimate-bodyguard-gragas-rework-support-g-381594

Graves - top


Build Example:



Pros:
> Range + Quickdraw keeps him safe
> Passive True Grit makes him pretty tough
> powerful burst/harass


Cons:
> Loses melee range exchanges
> Doesn't provide much team utility


Summary:
Graves has always been a step away from being a ranged bruiser thanks to his passive True Grit. The free armor and mr it provides is not to be laughed at when at level 1 it gives more stats than a Doran's Shield. Graves, being one of the few ranged tops, is usually allowed to harass with impunity, and should the enemy leave the lane, Buckshot lets grave push through creep waves faster than most champs in the game.
Quickdraw should be used for escapes, as its gonna be the only thing to save Graves should he get ganked, or all ined by a champ that can really stick to his opponent (eg: Darius, Renekton etc).

Collateral Damage combo's well with Buckshot in do-or-die situations as the burst is pretty huge. It also works as a execute for low health opponents, though its primary purpose is to hit the entire enemy team with a big chunk of damage.

Generally speaking, as a top laner, you'll likely need to itemise to be more of a bruiser than an adc, otherwise you're liable to have a very weak frontline standing between you and the enemies carries.

Viable in: SILVER

Leblanc - ADC


Build Example:



Pros:
> Super high mobility/positioning power
> Hard cc for setting up ganks


Cons:
> Shortish range
> Requires extra attack speed for late game


Summary:
As far as adcs go, LeBlancs main advantage is that with a support, she is near ungankable thanks to Distortion and Mirror Image. She maxes either Sigil of Malice if she is fortunate enough to be winning her lane, or Distortion is she is losing / farming her lane as the additional CD is pretty significant. Using the mobility it grants gives LeBlanc a good control over what trades do and don't happen in lane. This helps offset her somewhat weak early damage.

She's very slippery in team fights and late game, as Distortion + Mimic allows her to cover large distances easily, or just dart around to confuse her enemies. She's a comparatively safe splitpusher in terms of adcs. But her range does mean that in teamfights she does have to get rather close to her targets, so vigilance is required.

Viable in: SILVER

Leona - Jungle


Build Example:



Pros:
> Eclipse Gives resists + waveclear
> Ganks can be devestating
> Transitions well into late game


Cons:
> Not a lot of damage potential
> Moderately vulnerable to counter jungling


Summary:
Leona jungle operates in the same way that Nautilus does. She throws herself into the enemy team and lays down big chunks of cc. With that being said, there's not much significant difference between Leona and Nautilus when it comes to jungling. Aside from the fact that her Zenith Blade only lets her move when it hits a champion (instead of any terrain), and that her ult ( Solar Flare) targets a location instead of a champion, Nautilus and Leona are pretty much interchangeable in the jungle. Though Nautilus comes out as the slightly better of the two.

Viable in: GOLD



LULU - Anything


Build Example: Support

Talisman of ascension

Pros:
> Not
> Even
> Kidding


Cons:
> There are better adcs.....that's it.


Summary:
As opposed to all of the champions not included in this list for being too restricted by their kit (eg: Darius), Lulu has exactly the opposite problem. Her kit is so flexible that it allows her to fulfil whatever role she pleases, and as such there can't really be any "off" builds for her as her favoured role switches from season to season. This season it was mid mage, last season it was ad-top, and for both of those seasons she was still a good support as well as jungle (yup, she can jungle). The only questionable role she has is adc, and that's solely to do with the fact that her range is a little short for the role, meaning she doesn't team fight well as an adc. But she can still win lanes with it fairly well, making her a usable adc in low leagues.

So if you like Lulu...just...do what you want.

Viable in: ANYTHING

Guide / Video:
Support: http://www.mobafire.com/league-of-legends/build/gleebglarbus-challenger-guide-to-lulu-support-358784

Top: http://www.mobafire.com/league-of-legends/build/lulu-solo-top-reference-263081

Jungle: http://www.mobafire.com/league-of-legends/build/jungle-lulu-surprisingly-good-ap-ad-and-on-hit-387572

Mid: http://www.mobafire.com/league-of-legends/build/mid-lulu-microguide-375409

Lux - ADC


Build Example:



Pros:
> Illumination procs on auto attacks
> Has a shield and two cc's to keep herself safe
> Light Binding means you don't need a Morgana to complete yourself, YOU ARE YOU'RE OWN INDEPENDENT MARKSMAN!


Cons:
> Is kindof slow moving
> Abilities are solely used for utility


Summary:
ADC Lux is all about her Light Binding and Illumination combo. She uses her cc to control trades and kite enemies that are chasing her. Like Lucian, you're gonna want to throttle your abilities so that you can auto attack between them if you want to get the most out of Illumination early on. In the later stages of the game it tends to matter less as Illumination doesn't scale well with ad builds. As such, later on you should save your abilities for the purposes of their utility. Her ult is nice as a long range snipe, but only ever bother with it if your enemies on deaths door.

Viable in: SILVER

Malphite - AP


Build Example:



Pros:
> High burst
> Passive Granite Shield helps shrug off harass
> Ult keeps him useful even if behind


Cons:
> Low sustained dps
> Somewhat reliant on snowballing to deal damage late game


Summary:
AP Malphite is a somewhat hefty mage, who focuses on getting powerful engages with Unstoppable Force then using Zhonya's Hourglass as his team swoops in to finish off his opponents. He can also use Unstoppable Force to assassinate high priority squishies easily. In lane he harasses the enemy with his Seismic Shard while his passive barrier from Granite Shield prevents his enemy from doing the same. Ap Malphite works best on a heavy burst / all in team, but doesn't work well with other, more poke based, compositions. This makes it somewhat unreliable for solo queue. However it is very viable in ranked teams, to the point of potentially being diamond level.

Viable in: GOLD
Team Viable in: DIAMOND

Guide / Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnJqeQpqQ4k

Malzahar - AD


Build Example:



Pros:
> Very high DPS at all stages of the game.
> People focus you, while the minions deal the damage.
> Flexible, strong build path.


Cons:
> INCREDIBLY squishy.
> Hard to pull off if you can't manage your passive properly.
> Items can be expensive.


Summary:
AD Malzahar is an adc who focuses on using his abilities not to deal damaga, but to proc his passive Summon Voidling. Voidlings damage scales with malz's ad, ego they can be very powerful when used correctly on an ad stacking Malzahar. Muramana is bought to help spam your abilities while keeping some mana, and Black Cleaver is helpful for your minions as they benefit from the armor shred. Aside from that he builds like a typical ad carry. His Silence is helpful for engages and Null Zone is helpful for dealing with tanks.

Viable in: GOLD

Guide / Video:
http://www.mobafire.com/league-of-legends/build/ad-malzahar-the-minion-master-366079


AD MALZAHAR JUNGLE


Build Example:



Pros:
> Has strong Objective control + decent dueling
> Can free farm Muramana without hassle
> Minions absorb jungle damage + melt camps


Cons:
> Squishy.
> Hard to pull off if you can't manage your passive properly (Seriously, keep Summon Voidling at 3 stacks if you can).
> Items can be expensive.


Yup, he's pretty solid in the jungle, specializing in objective control and pushing towers. Also his ganks after level 6 are pretty powerful. With his voidlings, after his first clear the speed with which he clears camps quickly scales into Master Yi levels of speed. Also, being a minion master, Malzahar is capable of taking an early 4 minute solo drake as well as duo baron with the toplaner at 19 minutes. While these tricks are showy they can be a little unreliable. What isn't unreliable is his insane pushing power with one or two voidlings up. With them, he can decimate towers. Its good enough for almost any stage of ranked, but this build illicits more hate than most, so bear that in mind should you try it.(Oh btw, the guide below goes very in-depth and is definitely worth reading)

Viable in: DIAMOND

Guide / Video:
(READ THIS GUIDE IF YOU WANNA TRY THIS) http://www.mobafire.com/league-of-legends/build/diamond-ad-jungle-malzahar-commanding-the-voids-legion-394091

Maokai - AD


Build Example:



Pros:
> Sticks to opponents, hard
> Has inbuilt tankyness thanks to Sap Magic and Vengeful Maelstrom


Cons:
> Doesn't do well against ranged champions in lane


Summary:
All of Maokai's basic abilities are forms of CC. This gives him incredible sticking potential, which in turn lets him auto attack an enemy a high number of times before they can get away. Recent changes to Maokai have actually made this build stronger recently. Sapling Toss now has a slow applied to it, which makes Maokai even harder to escape, and Vengeful Maelstrom follows Maokai as he walks, meaning he won't lose any tankyness if he has to chase his target.

That being said, there aren't any guides of this build and I doubt that it's all that competitive. But its a fun idea regardless.

Viable in: SILVER

Miss Fortune - AP


Build Example:



Pros:
> Can snowball
> Make it Rain is powerful waveclear
> Deals mixed damage


Cons:
> CC is weak
> Very position reliant (CC melts her)


Summary:
Miss Fortune has a plethora of ap scaling moves despite her primary design being oriented towards ad and her Strut passive allows her to roam from mid very well compared to other mages. As an ap mage, Miss Fortune excels in wave clear, aoe damage and harass. Sooo, pretty much the same as ad Miss Fortune, but with more emphasis on her abilities instead of her auto attacks. Thus, she benefits greatly from cdr. Some attack speed early also helps her dps when her abilities are on cooldown. A very solid build.

Viable in: GOLD

Guide / Video: http://www.mobafire.com/league-of-legends/build/make-wins-rain-ap-miss-fortune-guide-282979

Nasus - AP


Build Example:



Pros:
> Spirit Fire is a great farming/zoning/harass tool
> Fury of the Sands hurts bad, and scales up your aa's harder

Cons:
> Lacks tankyness compared to regular Nasus

Summary:
Ap Nasus farms. Like, a lot. His goal is to essentially to not in anyway interact with his opponent in lane except for throwing down Spirit Fire on them if they're approaching him. Or if they try to farm. Or if they look at him funny. Essentially any interaction will result in a Spirit Fire to scare them off. You can also use this ability to wipe creep waves when it hits level 3, and to harass enemies under turret. In mid game, if you find yourself in a tf, try to Wither an opponent before you Spirit Fire them, so as to get max damage. Fury of the Sands is great when you need to output as much dps on a target as possible, the health it gives is also good for tanking, though as I said, you are weaker in this regard.

Its a fun build that works in low leagues and ARAM.

Viable in: SILVER (or ARAM)

Nautilus - On Hit


Build Example:



Pros:
> MOAR AOE DERMAGE
> He sticks to his enemies well, which allows him to auto attack frequently


Cons:
> Less tanky as, he isn't building tank items
> Neeeeds to be in melee range to do any damage


Summary:
On hit Nautilus is a variant that primarily takes advantage of his bountiful amounts of cc to allow him to physically attack his opponents for sustained periods of time. Because of this he serves as more of an assassin style character with this type of build, with heavy emphasis on using Dredge Line or Depth Charge on an isolated target to combo them down, then promptly running away. Basic hit and run tactics. Titan's Wrath gives him the benefit of being somewhat durable without much items, as well as serving as an aa booster. Staggering Blow is a key component to this build as it guarantees multiple hits on a target, and recently it got buffed to proc more frequently as the game goes on. Only really a good idea if you're pretty far ahead, its a fun enough build to mess around with.

Viable in: SILVER

Pantheon - AP


Build Example:



Pros:
> Dunks more in lane
> Double the dunk damage


Cons:
> Anything that isn't a dunk is worthless


Summary:
If you haven't guessed already, dunking is the name of the game here. You dunk ( Aegis of Zeonia) to start and finish trades, immediately backing off afterwards. You may get of a Lich Bane proc before retreating, but other than that, laning is all dunk-and-run tactics. In tf's you largely want to dunk the enemy carries. Your ultimate dunk ( Grand Skyfall), normally saved for transport, can now also be used to saturate the enemy team in damage. Though this requires precise timing and aim, as they are unlikely to simply wait for your magnificent decent upon them. Ergo, ap Pantheon benefits from team compositions that feature lots of crowd control effects, thus allowing him to display his magnificence to all.

Viable in: SILVER


Taric - Top


Build Example:



Pros:
>Stun sets up ganks well / is useful for dueling
>Heal gives some sustain
>W gives good bonus armor
>You're pretty much Sion


Cons:
>You're not really Sion


Summary:
You stun em, you smack em, you walk away. Rinse and repeat, applying heal when necessary. Max Imbue first if you need sustain, or Shatter if you need damage. Shatter also helps defensively vs ad top laners. After laning the heal from Imbue isn't all that great so I choose to max Dazzle 2nd, as the prolonged stun matters more when you have your allies around to back you up. Radiance is used when a tf goes into full swing to give your team the full benefit of the aura. Be careful of when you use Shatter, as the aura bonus to your team mates can be very useful.

All things said, Taric plays pretty much as Sion top lane, but has an emphasis on friendly auras instead of crazy lategame scaling.

Viable in: SILVER

Teemo - Jungle


Build Example:



Pros:
> Strong dps and survivability lategame
> Gives powerful map awareness post level 6
> Has global taunt (He's Teemo)


Cons:
> Slow start
> Poor early ganks


Summary:
Fundamentally speaking, Teemo is a "meh" jungler, but not unsalvagable. While his first clear is pretty slow, he quickly picks up the pace in subsequent clears. As a jungler, Teemo is free to place his shrooms where he pleases, and can use them to greatly increase his teams sight coverage of the map. The thing about Teemo though, is that he lacks cc, and as such needs to rely on his passive stealth (by hiding in a lane brush after the waves been pushed) in order to perform a gank.
While teemo can jungle, a ranged ap dps with no cc is rarely what is required from a jungler in the current meta, and as such, chances are that Teemo will rarely be an optimal choice of jungler. But if the team adapts to it, it can work.

Viable in: SILVER

Guide / Video: http://www.mobafire.com/league-of-legends/build/atk-speed-jungle-teemo-the-op-late-game-carry-383879

Tristana - Jungle


Build Example AD:


Build Example AP:



Pros:
> Can build either AP or AD
> Has a great gap closer, that also has a slow attached
> Buster Shot makes level 6 ganks crazy


Cons:
> Weak first clear
> Susceptible to counter jungling(though, can often survive with Rocket Jump)


Summary:
Tristana jungle is all about the ganking. She hurls herself at an oppenent to get her 60% slow on them, hits em with a Explosive Shot and just whales on em. And if she has Buster Shot, she can knock pushed enemies under turret for an easy kill. What she has in ganking tools however she lacks in jungle sustainability. She clears poorly early on and as such can be pretty harshly counter jungled. Also, as she's squishy, she needs to kite buff monsters to avoid taking too much damage.

She's a decent pick if all your looking for is damage, as she can fill both ap and ad roles for the team. Her Buster Shot is strong in laning phase, but during tf's, will require careful planning to use effectively.

Viable in: SILVER (Formerly gold in S3)

Guide / Video:
http://www.mobafire.com/league-of-legends/build/jungle-tristana-carrying-yo-momma-336014


Tryndamere - AP


Build Example:



Pros:
> High sustain
> Fast Fury Build
> Spin attack has good burst


Cons:
> Compared to full ad, lacks late game damage.
> Needs over half fury for heal to be worthwhile.


Summary:
Thought of in season 3, this build fell into disrepute after a nerf hit Tryndamere's heal. Though this has dashed his chances of ever seeing use competitively, ap Tryndamere still has enough sustain to be a real nuisance in the lower leagues. The main priority of his build is to get ap, max cdr and some attack speed, as it'll speed up his fury generation, which in turn strengthens his heals. A solid enough build that's fun for normals.

>

Viable in: SILVER

Twisted Fate - ADC


Build Example:



Pros:
> Hard cc for dueling
> Mana sustain
> passive AS buff


Cons:
> Lacks low cd escape
> CC is unreliable
> Somewhat low ranged auto attacks


Summary:
A classic staple, AD Twisted Fates been around for ages. The basic principle of it is that since Twisted Fate relies on auto attacks any way, an AD build should suit him just fine. To a limited degree, this is true. He lacks the AA range to keep himself safe in team fights, but unlike most adc's, he has a low cd stun at his disposal ( Pick A Card). Unfortunately due to Pick A Card's nature, clutch gold cards can be difficult to get when needed. Thus he's somewhat unreliable.

That being said, by going ad he loses none of his splitpushing abilities with Destiny, and he does have good dps with Stacked Deck. Ultimately he's a somewhat decent, fun, but risky adc.

Viable in: SILVER

Twitch - Jungle


Build Example:



Pros:
> Good ganks
> Strong aoe damage late game
> Can snowball


Cons:
> Weak early
> Replaces potential tank / bruiser
> Susceptible to assassins


Summary:
This is a build that is somewhat popular in the higher leagues, but utterly unknown to players in the lower leagues. This is in large part due to the high skill cap required to jungle with Twitch effectively.

Twitch's first clear is pretty poor, and during it he is very susceptible to invasion, so caution is advised. You start with red camp normally, then go wraiths, then blue. The difficulty in playing jungle Twitch comes from his ganks. Ambush, while obviously used to ambush enemy champions, is also twitch's only escape mechanism. As such, Twitch's positioning when he breaks stealth for a gank is crucial. Because of his fragilty, Twitch should generally aim to hit the enemy from the side while still being within range of his allies assistance. Hitting the enemy from behind them will very often get Twitch killed unless the enemy is on the verge of death.

That being said, a well positioned Twitch can wreak ungodly amounts of damage on his enemies, and if he gets an early kill, he can snowball very hard.

This build is solid at all levels of play, including the elusive challenger tier. Unfortunately however, there are next to no guides on it.

Viable in: CHALLENGER

Vayne - Top


Build Example:



Pros:
> Great duelist
> Faster xp gain
> Less chance to be harassed


Cons:
> Is delicate if caught
> Costs the team a possible tank / bruiser


Summary:
This is already somewhat popular, though less known to newer players. Vayne as far as marksmen go, is the best one on one duelist in the game, with alot of mobility and a strong disengage / stun. Couple this with the fact that she's ranged, unlike the majority of toplaners, and you have a potent combination. However this almost requires your jungler be a tank, as your team will be out one bruiser.

>

Viable in: GOLD

Vel'Koz - Support


Build Example:



Pros:
> Suberb combination of poke and all-in
> Decent amount of CC.
> Passive that provides true damage


Cons:
> Vulnerable when his Tectonic Disruption is on cooldown
> All his abilities are skillshots.
> No heals or shields (is strictly a lane bully)


Summary:
Vel'Koz's job as a support is to utterly ruin the enemies lane. His Plasma Fission gives him a powerful and difficult to dodge poking tool, that can be retriggered to fire at unexpected angles. Tectonic Disruption is his prime initiate/disengage tool. When used to initiate, it's usually preceded by a Void Rift first, and maybe followed by a 2nd Void Rift if he has the charges stored. If Tectonic Disruption is on cooldown, Plasma Fission can also serve as a somewhat weaker engage/disengage. In team fights he switches roles from a support into a carry mage. He pulls this transition off well as his base damage stats are already relatively high without items.

Vel'Koz support is actually quite popular in asian territories, but is less known over here (likely to do with the fact that next to no one played him after launch, but whatever) so as of writing, most enemies won't know how to deal with him. It also helps that he doesn't have any direct counters in terms off supports, as he has stronger poke than any other mage support and his true damage from Organic Deconstruction lets him cripple tank supports.

While I was making this list a new Vel'Koz support guide by a diamond player came out and its got some really good insight into how he should be built and such, so I really recommend checking it out if you're interested in playing him this way.

Viable in: DIAMOND

Guide / Video:
http://www.mobafire.com/league-of-legends/build/keeping-an-eye-on-your-carry-389556

Viktor - Support


Build Example:



Pros:
> High base damages
> Gravity Field is great for zoning/initiating/disengaging
> Transitions well into mid/late game


Cons:
> Abilities aren't very long range compared to other supports
> Has no forms of sustain.


Summary:
Viktor support is very similar to Annie support, in that his main play style is that of zoning the enemy until the opportune moment comes to all in them with his CC and dump a load of damage on them. He can poke with Death Ray to a certain extent, though doing so takes a hefty toll on his mana, and as such its better to save it for when he can guarantee the attack will hit. Power Transfer helps Viktor survive skirmishes, and since the shield is directly proportional to damage dealt, it is best used on the enemy adc (if that's at all possible).

Chaos Storm is Viktors ult, and the reason support viktor works best with AOE team comps. The silence can work as a soft CC initiate, and it combos well with Gravity Field. It can also be used with a Rylai's Crystal Scepter since its aoe is very large and mobile, thus capable of slowing a large number of enemies for a large amount of time.

He's a good support in his own right, who can become devastating in the right team compositions.

Viable in: GOLD

Wukong - Bluekong


Build Example:



Pros:
> Lots of slows
> Its blue!
> ....


Cons:
> Kind of average really
> .....
> I was forced into adding this here


Summary:


HE'S BLUE! HE'S WUKONG!


BLUEKONG!!!!!!



Viable in: DIAMNOD IV (Seriously though, I dunno...)


Guide / Video: http://www.lolking.net/guides/272714

Xin Zhao - AP


Build Example:



Pros:
> Battle Cry heals for a ton
> Good burst thanks to Audacious Charge
> items + Three Talon Strike reduces cd of both Battle Cry and Audacious Charge to essentially nothing late game.


Cons:
> weak early
> Very item dependent


Summary:
Plays very similarly to bruiser Xin Zhao, but with more emphasis on healing and bursts of damage, than sustained dps. Items that are built have to have cd reduction, as it will greatly increase the rate with which he can use his Audacious Charge and Battle Cry. Because of this he ends up in a slightly more assassin based playstyle, focusing on bursting squishy targets, instead of peeling for his own carries which he can still do, just not as effectively due loss of tankiness, that leaves him susceptible to burst. However if against an opponent that cannot burst him, he has a very large amount of sustain thanks to Three Talon Strike + Audacious Charge.

Viable in: SILVER

Yorick - Jungle


Build Example:



Pros:
> Ghouls eat jungle creep damage
> Balance of tankyness, damage and utility
> Spirit Stone + pots = solo dragon at 4 minutes
(if he free farms he can also baron at 19)


Cons:
> Dude's thirsty for mana
> Ganks could be stronger


Summary:
Yorick benefits from jungling pretty decently. He has inbuilt sustain to take out creep waves with his ghouls, and the lack of a lane opponent means he can more effiecntly get his Tear of the Goddess stacks up without penalty. As mentioned, he's one of the few junglers who can down drake at 4 mins, once he's grabbed a Spirit Stone and some pots.

His ganks are decent thanks to Omen of Pestilence and with Omen of War he can stick to his targets fairly well. In teamfights he operates just like toplane yorick, focusing his ult primarily on the adc, as they will benefit the most from the clone (as it does not use abilities).

Viable in: GOLD

Guide / Video:
http://www.mobafire.com/league-of-legends/build/welcome-to-the-jungle-s4-jungle-yorick-371516


Zyra - Jungle


Build Example:



Pros:
> well executed ganks are very strong
> Good clears with Rampant Growth
> Huge team utility
> Jungle = plantlife = power


Cons:
> NEEDS a decent pull on first blue buff
> Lacks speed without Mobility Boots
> Counterjungling's a thing


Summary:
Zyra operates as a typical mage jungler, giving the team some cc and ap damage for ganks and then using her utlimate Stranglethorns in teamfights to initiate/disengage/irritate the enemy team. She clears jungle well after her first blue buff (WHICH SHE NEEDS A PULL ON) as she can use her seeds to absorb the damage from the jungle camps afterwards. You can max either deadly bloom or Grasping Roots first as the first will grant you damage if you just wanna farm/ your team has a lot of cc, and the latter will increase Grasping Roots root duration.

Zyra needs boots of mobility in order to roam well, as her base move speed is pretty low. Other than that she transitions well into mid/late game operating in much the same way as support Zyra does. A combination of decent damage and team utlity.

Viable in: SILVER
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