Note: YOU DON'T BUILD 2 BOOTS.

Just one, depending on their team composition. Read the items section below for more information.

Rumble is an amazing AP tanky dps type champ with lots of utility, strength in farming, and damage output. Not only is he easy to use, he's tons of fun and an absolute laugh to play with.

Now I know why you are here. Or at least most of you. You are in the solo queue and you happened to decide "I think I'll play Rumble today." Now you rarely play or even see rumble, unless you are in the EU then, you've probably seen him a lot, but you are attracted by his broken down mech's charm. So you hop on mobafire, hoping to get the right runes and masteries before you get in the game, and hopefully to get a few tips before the game starts, so I'll put all the important stuff here:

1. Rumble can be very tanky. Don't be afraid of poking.
2. Your heat gauge is something you always want hovering around the middle. An additional 30% slow or move speed or damage can get you that kill.
3. Early game, use your overheat from Junkyard Titan to your advantage. Burst all your abilities from 50% heat with your shield first and your harpoons last, and then keep whacking them for tons of damage.
4. The movespeed from Scrap Shield can be used both offensively and defensively; to chase or to run. Don't forget to use it immediately when in trouble or when approaching a ranged champ.
5. ]Ignite isn't particularly necessary for the kill, so after using it, don't over commit to get the kill.

Alright, now that that's done, lets get into the meat of this.

Cons

I'm going to list these first, simply because most people like bad news first:

His ultimate is rather lackluster in terms of damage.
Extremely vulnerable to ranged pokers and DOTs.
Lacks a true escape mechanism.

Pros

Now the good stuff:

AP ratio on abilities is deceptively high.
No Mana costs at all.
Lots of utility in his spells.
High base movespeed and stats.
Excellent farming ability early and mid game.

For reds, your marks, I went with the standard Magic Pen. runes. The less resistance to your attacks they have, the better.

For your yellows, your seals, I gave you two choices, dodge seals or armor seals. Both work, though I personally prefer the dodge, since it gives me a greater chance to trigger to Nimbleness when I'm chasing through a minion wave. The armors are better if you don't want to put it to chance and just want a guaranteed reduction of damage from AD champs.

For your blues, the glyphs, I gave you another two choices, flat ability power which I'm a big fan of, since you don't start of with AP items, or magic resist. If you go with the armor seals, round out with the magic resist for a really tanky early game.

For the Quintessences, I say that Potency is the only way to go. Since you will be investing in some items that trade damage for survivability, any boost you can get is appreciated. These completely own early game.

UPDATED!
The masteries are fairly normal, with a few miinor differences. Rumble is an AP off-tank, so you don't want to invest in entirely tank runes, yet you want that heavy defensive build so that you can harass freely. Solution! Get 9-21-0 rather than 9-0-21!

In the offensive masteries you have the normal 4 in the AP boost, 4 in cooldowns and 1 in the magic pen which is what you were really after. This is fairly normal for ap champs.

Now to the off-tank bit. In the defensive masteries, you max armor, magic resist, health and health regen. That by itself is enough to make your early game absurd. 1 point in veteran scars gives you a little more, then 3 more in initiator for the bonus speed, and 3 in honor guard for a little more damage reduction. Lastly put your last point in the Juggernaut mastery, mostly for the cc reduction, though the bonus health is amazing.

This results in a tanky but highly powerful champion that can tear up other solo top champs while they can only poke at his shiny chassis in despair as their spleens are handed back to them.

I went with and for your two summoner spells though and also work well. I went with ignite for that extra early game damage, and the heal reduction (don't you hate it when a Soraka on the other side of the field uses and negates most of your damage?) The reason I say ignite is better than exhaust is because you have a slow already. Sure, it reduces the target's dps, but it doesn't matter as much as it might first seem. A well placed slow won't even let them get close to you to deal damage. I say Flash over ghost simply because Flash is the meta game right now. Its overpowered in the fact that it "increases" the range of every ability, lets you be more daring in your pokes knowing you can always just flash out if the S**t hits the fan. Also, you have a sort of mini ghost with your scrap shield. The other summoner spells... well its a matter of taste. I don't use cleanse on rumble because it feels like just wasted potential. Smite = no; Rumble sucks in the jungle (though his skin would like you to think otherwise). Clair... meh. It does at some nice utility, but it really depends on your team composition. Rally and revive... no. Just no. Heal... is surprisingly useful early game, but thats about it. Clarity doesn't work. Why? Because you don't use mana. is the only other spell I can recommend, since in the late game teams will be moving around in clusters, and being able to be where they least expect it is a major plus.

Q: Flamespitter

Rumble activates his flamethrower, damaging all enemies in a cone in front of him for 3 seconds. While active, heat does not decrease. CD: 6 Seconds

Your main damage dealer is your tasty little yordle cooker, the flame spitter. This baby can quickly fill up your heat gauge with that little CD from your masteries. Use it on your way into the lane to get above 50%. Put a point in it whenever possible, since not only does it help you farm easily, but harass champions quite easily, as well as act as a zoning tool. I'll talk about this later. I max this first for damage output.

What people don't realize about this ability is that it applies 45% of your Ability power, 3 times. Thats a 135% ap ratio if you can land all three ticks.

W: Scrap Shield

Rumble electromagnetically levitates scraps of metal and junk around him, protecting himself from a small amount of damage and granting a speed boost for 2 seconds. While active, heat does not decrease. CD: 6 seconds

Your most useful spell is Scrap shield. Scrap shield doesn't last for very long, but it does come back up every 6 seconds or so, and lasts for 2 seconds, so 33% of the time you can be shielded if necessary. This CD refreshes just as you lose 20 Heat so it lets you hover right around the same number if you need to just keep it stationary. Use this to get back to lane quicker, as well as a mobility tool and a skill shot or turret shot blocker. I max this second since it simply allows you to survive much longer in a lane and in a team fight.

E: Electro-Harpoon

Rumble fires two electrified harpoons, damaging and slowing a target. CD: 10 seconds

Your second most useful spell (yeah, you thought it was flame spitter didn't you) is actually this. This deals damage and applies a hefty slow up to twice, even greater when above 50 heat. In conjunction with a Ryali's Crystal Scepter, no one will be getting away from you, short of Yi and Olaf. Its CD is longer than the others, but the fact that you can space out the firing of the two harpoons allowing for longer slows more than makes up for it. Use this just before overheating since you can fire the second harpoon even after self silenced. I max this last, since your Ryali's will provide plenty of slow anyway.

Similar to the flamespitter, this has a chance to apply 50% of your AP in damage twice. That's a 100% AP ratio.

Ultimate: The Equalizer

Rumble fires a line of rockets dealing initial damage and then continuous damage and slow as long as the target remains within the line.

This is my favorite ability on Rumble. Firstly, it splits up team fights. That in itself is amazing. While it doesn't do as much damage as many ults, very few people will remain on top of it and attacking people on your team when they are standing on burning hot missiles. A Tryn will quickly turn around to back away when he realizes that by remaining on your rockets he is taking damage and being slowed so he probably won't even catch the person he's trying to pick off. Its damage is hardly something to phone home about, but the fact that properly placed it can deal massive amounts of continuous damage to enemies over a considerable distance is. Here's a fun little tip. You know that big blue circle that hovers around him when you click the ult box? That's not the maximum range. Start your first click at the edge of the circle and drag outwards. That's your maximum range. Its not quite as long as Lux's but its still absurdly long (that's what she said(damn, I didn't realize Lux was a guy...)).

You were ambushed by a wild Garen!

Now lets say you are 1v1ing against another champ who might or might not be able to kill you. Here's how to do it. (this is all assuming you are currently at 50 Heat) Immediately pop scrap shield to block whatever their first damaging or ccing attack is, along with your flamespitter so that if you are cc'd you can continue to deal damage to them. Once they have expended one or two abilities, hit them once with a harpoon and reactivate flamespitter. Most likely either at the harpoon or the the flamespitter you will be overheating. Continue to auto attack as you hit them with the second harpoon and they will realize that you are dealling a hell of a lot more damage than it seemed you could. If you are losing the fight, after the first harpoon run. Fire the second harpoon over your shoulder and wait to get your abilites back. Scrap shield away, only stopping to harpoon if you are within a turret range and they have no cc/dash to get to you.

Warning! New enemy aproaches!

Now lets say you get jumped by both a ranged dps and a melee champion. Your thought process must be as follows: How much health does the squishier of the two have? How much cc do they have between them? Can I catch them with scrap shield? How far am I into my build? Depending on those answers, you decide whether to fight or run. If you decide to run, pop your ult diagonally across your path, between you and them. This prevents them from just going around it, while also increasing the amount of it they must walk across. If you decide to attack, look at your first target's positioning. Try to force them to choose between wall hugging and walking on your ult. If they have to stay close to a wall, you can chase and burn them to death with your flamespitter and harpoons. If they have to walk over it, they are slowed and you can chase and burn them to death with your flamespitter and harpoons. Just easier. Once you've picked off your target, look at how much heat you have. If its over 80 start running; you don't have enough to attack the second person, especially since you don't have your ult anymore. If its 70 or lower, follow the above guide.

Your nemeses are poison and dot (damage over time) champs like Cass, Swain, Singed and MALZAHAR... God I hate that guy. Not only do their abilities out range yours, their DOTS continue dealing damage after your scrap shield has expired, meaning they can keep kiting you and applying damage you can't defend against. If you ever meet a Malzahar with his ult and all his abilities and enough mana, just run. You can't deal enough damage to prevent yourself from dying before he ults. If you have to fight, don't use your flamespitter until he has at least one or two of his abilities on cooldown, minimizing his damage output. Follow the same rule for a squishy ranged dps; ult him against a wall, or diagonally to maximize the period he is on it.

In the early laning phase, look at their team composition. If both teams have a jungler try to get solo top, unless you are afraid of a Cassiopeia or other DOT type champion. If it is a melee champion (and it usually is) you've already won the lane. Attack their melee minions with flamespitter active, forcing them to walk through your flames in order to attack your minions. Constantly readjust to make it as difficult as possible for them to attack your minions unscathed, while you get as many of the last hits as possible. When the inevitably start trying to poke you, once they land an attack, turn on flame spitter and chase them beyond their caster minions with scrap shield active, poking with your basic attack when ever possible. In return for their little poke of one or two melee attacks, you have just damaged them considerably

(note: against Riven, this can prove quite difficult. Just make sure to be out of her way when she ki shouts and for the 3 slash of broken wings.)

If they attempt to cc you (like Sion's , immediately hit your shield and flamespitter. You should block most of the damage and deal some damage back in return if they are within melee range. At some point, they will have below half health. At this point get your heat up to 50, and if you have your ult, wait for them to overextend and then drop it, along with your scrap shield, flamespitter, and then your pair of harpoons. This will overheat you, allowing you to deal even more damage. If it looks like they'll get away with a bit of health, ignite them and let the 4 ticks of that kill them.

Rumble is an amazing solo top, but there are some champs who can stomp on you. Very few, but they are there. Let me break them down for you:

Tier 1: You will get owned.
These are champions who will generally break you down. There aren't many, but they do exist.
GRAVES (Dear god why!!!)
Misfortune (T^T)
Heimerdinger (Dear god those turrets...)
Rumble (oh god mirror matches)
Any ranged dps (but they aren't really solo tops)

Tier 2: You will have a little trouble.
These champs will give you a hard time but nothing that an extra B or two and a hp pot won't solve.

Galio
Mordekaiser (huehuehue)
Fizz (Little fish stick goes right through you...)
Gangplank (He ate oranges and everything was okay)
Malphite
Maokai
Sion AP (You MUST pop his shield the moment it comes up, or he has a really nice burst headed your way)

Tier 3: How many times have they gone B already?
Leona (As long as you have flame spitter on when she comes near you, you deal just as much damage as she does to you, except you have a shield)
Renekton (he will rely on slicing in, spinning then going back out. Just chase him with flamespitter and poke him with some spears)
Singed (He has to get in range to fling you. Poke with slow. Enjoy.)
Sion AD (Hehehe... any time he comes near you, flame on!)
Wukong (So what if he has a clone? The moment he stops, keep walking past him and then angle towards the brush. Its what they always do.)
Tryn (Only real issue is his constant heals, and crits. Just keep him away from you with flame spitter and you'll win the game)

Tier 4: Rumble es number 1! Huehuehuehue!
Lol why are they here?
Riven (All melee = all pain)
Mundo (your shield scales almost perfectly with his cleaver and your slow is better)
Jarvan (Shield his flag and stay away from between him and it, and you are golden)
Pretty much everyone else.

I start off with a doran's shield since you don't need additional mana regen, attack damage, or even AP with these runes. This lets me be less cautious in lane, since I can regenerate health much faster, and take more punishment.

From there, I wait until at least one of the people I'm laning against goes back, and I have at least 800 gold, and go and buy a pair of boots, the first tome in the hextech revolver, and a couple of HP pots if I can afford it, maybe a ward or two if their jungler has been active, or if someone is constantly mia.

Whenever next possible I go back to buy the hextech revolver, and to upgrade my boots. If I'm having trouble, I'll prioritize my giant's belt over any other item. The hextech revolver is very useful, since now, your flamespitter constantly heals you, and each shot of electro-harpoon on minions gives you a 22 hp heal.

Now this is where we get funky. I put two boots up there for two different team compositions. If they have lots of CC and maybe a couple of mages, I grab the Mercury Treads, simply because it is one of the best boots in the game, next to the cooldown ones. If their team is lots of ranged dps, but not much cc, I grab boots of switftness, so my already fast chases are now inescapable. These boots is your first core item.

Your second core item is the Ryali's crystal scepter. Not only does it provide plenty of AP and health, its passive works SO well with all of rumbles attacking abilites, dealing a large aoe slow with both his flame spitter and ult, and a deadly slow applicable twice with his electro-harpoon. Anyone hit by EH at this point isn't getting away, short of being Yi, having cleanse, a quicksilver sash, or being Olaf.

What you build next depends on their composition, though I suggest an Abyssal Scepter, simply because Rumble dies easier to mages than he does to melee champions.

Your next item is a purely beefy item. If their team's AD carries aren't particularly deadly, I generally go with The Cape of Fire and Awesomeness, because of its pleasant passive, large amount of HP and reasonable boost in armor. If the AD carries are scary (*Cait cough cough*) I grab a wardens mail, to upgrade eventually into a Randuins omen. I choose this over a Frozen heart, simply because you don't need mana, and if you reduce your CD's much more, you'll just overheat repeatedly. CD isn't too useful on Rumble.

Next I upgrade the hextech revolver. Often I find myself getting a gunblade rather than a will of the ancients, simply because (a)my team doesn't know how to chase (b) my team doesn't know how to kill turrets or (c) my team doesn't have many abilities that would benefit from spell vamp. Its best to get a WOA simply because its cheaper, and you get more ability damage out of it, but sometimes its necessary.

Finally I build a Deathcap. Most builds like to rush this on any champion. I understand why; the massive boost in AP is useful to dominate champions early game. But I find that Rumble benefits from it most late game, when the MR has been capped and his abilities start to get blunted and useless. Another option is a Void staff, or a Zonya's Hourglass, but I find that the hourglass is not particularly useful, since you want to be stuck in there, soaking up some damage for your team mates, not making it easy to get to the squishies.

In closing, Rumble is an excellent bully of a champion, messing up squishies, and farming well all the way into the mid game. He is a wonder in team fights with his aoe damage and slowing ult and is amazing at chasing due to his harpoons and his scrap shield.

I'm sure you'll have plenty of fun tearing apart the squishies and having a good bit of fisticuffs with the other tanky champions in the game as you farm and kill your way to victory.

Good luck, have fun, and don't forget to try the build at least once before you vote!
Thanks for reading my first guide on MOBAFIRE.