Rammus Build Guide by Intoccabil3

Introduction

Hi guys, welcome to my Rammus guide. I'll explain you how i play Rammus, what setup I use, and especially why I do it. All right? Start then!

Who is Rammus?

Rammus is probably the best tank in the game, and mainly, he is the ad champs' terror thanks to his free Thornmail with Defensive Ball Curl and a passive that usually makes him stack a lot of armor. Rammus is the counter to every ad champ, but he is great with mages, too, even if he loses some damage from building armor against them.

Cons and pros

Cons

• really nothing...
  Pros
• great amount of damage
• nice CC
• supreme jungler
• awesome ganker
• has escape tool

Skills

• Your q is called Powerball. This make you faster every second and unable to do anything, but when you collide with an enemy you deal damage and slow in an AoE
• Your w is your bread and butter. Defensive Ball Curl gives you a lot of bonus armor and magic resist plus a free Thornmail effect when activated. Remember that you can't use Defensive Ball Curl and [powerball] togheter.
• Your e is puncturing taunt. At level 5 it's a 3 second taunt which is a nice piece of CC, and it even reduces target armor. In 3v3 ranked I take this at level one so we can ambush top lane and get first blood.
• Your ultimate is Tremors. This makes you deal magic damage to every nearby enemy every second.
• Your passive is Spiked Shell. This gives you bonus damage basing on how much armor you have. This goes extremely well with the bonus armor from Defensive Ball Curl.

Items

Before start, I want to underline you can swap item order since a tank buys items depending on the enemy team, generally against:

• melee teams get Sunfire Cape
• ranged/ad team get Thornmail
• ap nukers get Banshee's Veil
• mages get Force of Nature
• balanced team get Guardian Angel and Aegis of the Legion

First build

The first build is a jungling Rammus. With great armor even at level one, clearing up the jungle will be a joke, and ganking with your puncturing taunt, that even makes your carry deal more damage to the target, is just ridicoulous. Jungle with classic route: blue golem>wolves>wraiths>red(leave it to the carry if possible)>golems>gank
This build is highly recommended for ranked or high ELO's games, anyway jungle only if you have a carry in bot lane. Counter jungle is great with Rammus since your great resistances and you escape tool makes you able to not die even if the enemy jungler comes where you are. Steal buffs when possible but remember you need blue golem's buff! When ganking, charge in with your Powerball and hit the target, then use puncturing taunt on THE RIGHT ONE, DON'T TAUNT A MINION OR A TANK! Active Defensive Ball Curl and Tremors. If possible let your mates get the kill (apart if the "mate" is the support)

First build reasons

I focus on staying long in the jungle, dealing damage and mainly tanking well while doing some nice ganks, this is why I build him this way. You may purchase Warmog's Armor instead of Frozen Mallet but it's so long to full and gives you no damage, when Frozen Mallet even gives you a great slow that synergies with the slow from Powerball.

Second build

This is my favorite and most used build. Rammus is a great solotop in every game and pick, even in a 2v1 lane. His crazy speed, along with masteries and runes, make you always present in your lane, this means you will be a nightmare for your enemy. Just play defensively, ONLY LAST HIT MINIONS and pop Promote if possible. At level 6 you should be able even to dive and get a kill WITH YOUR JUNGLER NOT ALONE. If a lane needs help don't think twice Teleport there if you can leave your lane alone. Remember to buy wards whenever possible and don't use Teleport if it isn't needed! Use this only if your turret is under attack and may fall.
Let's talk about ganks: you should start with Powerball, puncturing taunt then Defensive Ball Curl and Tremors combo to send your enemies to hell!

Second build reasons

I focus on movement speed and nice health regeneration to stay in lane long and make my jungler get some kills, but I even want to be tanky while doing this, so I think this is the possible build for a solotop Rammus.

Third build

If for some reasons you have to take a duo lane, use this build. When you and your lane partner reach level 6, if you know you'll win the fight you can roll in and use puncturing taunt> Defensive Ball Curl> Tremors combo to get some ASSISTS. Go on doing this and you will be fine, nothing much to say.
ONLY DUO LANE WITH AN HIGH DAMAGE PARTNER OR YOU'LL FAIL.

Fourth build

This build is for dominion. Since there your team doesn't really need a pure tank, you build some ad to stay there! The combo is usual, just don't move around the map, you should be always moving sooo fast with Powerball, keep this in mind!

Fifth build

Fifth build is "The Special". The special for Rammus is all around movement speed, and really you'll have a lot if fun, but use this only in dominion, so you even have great utility in the team!

Mid-late game

Mid-late game teamfight will start. You are the initiator (don't go to their tank!) and if you die you should just be happy, because this means they targeted you while your team raped them! Anyway, if you don't die and your team wins the fight, you can even be happier! At this stage of the game, if none of the team seems better, make a call to your carry and go backdoor, but do this only if you have ulti and at least one item after boots. This will often mean the victory for your team.

The end

I hope you'll have a lot of fun playing Rammus, the armordillo, with my builds. Please leave a comment below and sure, upvote!