Hello all, my name is Rundas1234, and I started playing this game back in September 2013, at or around the time of World's.

My rank is only silver 4 (been on the rise for a while, currently in series, etc...) but I had been playing exclusively alistar for about 7 months, so I like to think I know about this character. He's my favorite champion in the game, and I have always believed him to be an extremely underrated support: he has CC, a peel, tower diving potential, sustain, a heal, a combo, a gap closer, is a tank, etc. It is true that alistar has fallen off the radar a little with the rise of morgana and nami play, but I assure you he is still viable. As of patch 4.13 he finally saw some kind of change, in the form of 3 buffs: lower mana costs on his Q and W, and more tank in his Ult at lower levels.

As I learn to make my guide look "prettier" I will, but for now, please accept my 2 cents as it is.

Enjoy!

PROS+
>Pulverize is great CC, kill set up, and part of the WQ combo
>Headbutt is a great peel for the ADC, can stun, act as a gap closer, and part of the WQ combo
>Triumphant roar provides lane sustain
>Unbreakable Will allows for survivability and Diving potential
>Is aggressive and can use that aggressiveness and not die for it, and can heal off the damage
>Has advantage on hook/grab based supports because of Headbutt

CONS-
-Weak to poke....very weak to poke
-Cannot deal with ranged supports easily
-Without ult, will more than likely die in teamfights.

>>Starting Off: You're starting build should be Relic Shield, some potions, and a ward for junglers. Ancient Coin is viable, but does not let you tank as well.

>>First Back: You're first back should rush SightStone. Vision wins games, which is why you also want to pick up a vision ward. With sightstone, you can now swap out your totem trinket for a sweeper lens, and take this time to refill any potions you may need. targon's brace will probably not be bought on this back, but rather your next back. However, if you're constantly pushed and would rather the extra spoils of war and immediate hp (since warding bot isn't as needed when you're so heavily pushed), then targon's can be rushed first. Boots at your convenience.

>>Mid Game/CORE: I rarely ever find myself needing Ruby Sightstone over the normal sightstone, so I usually get that as my 5th or 6th item (upgraded) unless my budget permits earlier. This is the time when i begin to build my tanky items. Get kindlegem first for the CDR, but you don't need to buy the full Face of the Mountain (unless you really don't need the extra money.) Upgrade to boots of mobility for obvious roaming potential, Finish your Aegis of the Legion (still mid game), and then based on their team comp, build Randuins or some MR. Spirit Visage is also Viable since it makes your heals stronger and provides further CDR that the build normal doesnt provide. To finish off, keep your warding up!

>>Final Build Example: As I've walked through, this is a fine model for a final build. Again, its at your discretion as to buy spirit visage or banshees veil.

>>Alistar's passive is trample, which deals slight damage to any champions and minions after you cast an ability. This passive is not so useful unless you run AP Alistar, but can still provide that extra damage your team needs.

>>As an aggressive support, Alistar is going to want to level up his Pulverize as quickly as he can, more so with the patch 4.13 mana cost reductions on his Q (and W, from 110->85 for both). Pulverize is the core of Alistar's kit, providing (as of patch 4.13) a 1 second knock-up and a .5 second stun to anyone hit by it. It's a great defensive tool for you and your ADC, a great set-up for your ADC to get kills, and a great initiate for team fights late game. Can be used in combo with Flash or Headbutt.

>>Alistar's Headbutt is a great gap closer (if used in combo with Pulverize), and an even better peel for your ADC if they are being harassed. If you use Headbutt to knock your opponent into a wall, they are temporarily stunned (because the game wants them to keep moving the full distance Headbutt normally pushes them back). This allows for heavy punishing of the enemy team if they mis-zone themselves. Alistar can follow this up by simply walking towards the enemy and using Pulverize for a longer net stun on the enemy (assumably ADC).

>>Alistar's Triumphant Roar is a heal that heals your fellow teammates for only half as much as you get healed for. Because of this drawback, it is better to level up Q and W first for the extra harass and lower cool downs then it is for a few mediocre heals (Especially if they build life steal themselves). Additionally, this ability is easier to spam at lower mana costs, however, feel free to put a point into Triumphant Roar after you max out Pulverize, but ultimately level this up last. Nonetheless, this is a great ability that allows for extra sustain in lane and, so long as you're pushed, can be used effectively to heal your ADC. Also, its cool down is reduced by 2 seconds for each enemy that dies near you, which is nifty.

>>Alistar's Ult is Unbreakable Will, which as of patch 4.13 gives him 70% reduced damage (and a little AD) for all ranks. This ultimate, after you get even just a little HP for lane, makes Alistar nearly unkillable in even a 1v2 situation. Late game, if you use this ability, do not expect to die during those 7 seconds, but instead act as a superb body blocker for your team and to sponge skill shots. Additionally, his Ult allows for strong turret diving, without your teammates being fired upon.

>>But perhaps what Alistar is most known for is his WQ Headbutt-Pulverize combo, which automatically moves Alistar towards the opponent targeted by his Headbutt, and then provides the CC from Pulverize, and if done effectively, can be a game changer for team fights.

Details for the match-ups provided can be found by hovering the cursor over the champions name ^above.