Elise Build Guide by Tr1kstr

Introduction

Herro. My username is Tr1kstr and was Silver 4 Season 3. Elise is a very unique champion, since she is she can be played as an AP Offtank or assassin. So there are multiple builds for Elise. In Season 3, I usually went tank Elise since she does so much damage early game and CDR and Mpen late game. Mpen is better on Elise than AP because she doesn't really scale well with AP. With the nerfs on Elise, they demolished her early game, but kind of buffed her late game in return, but still an overal nerf. Please leave a comment if you have any questions or suggestions!

Pros and Con

Pros
- Tons of damage early game
- Built-In "Zhonyas"
- Stun is 1.5 seconds
- Does a lot of damage without items
- Has 3 gap closers
- Can be built AP offtank or Assasin

Con
- Hard to master
- Hard to gank without stun
- No escapes if Rappel is on cooldown

Runes

Quint of Movement Speed
I get this to move faster around the map and gank while clearing faster.

Glyph of Scaling MR
Late game is where most mid ap champions start to do tons of damage, so getting flat wont really help unless they have a really good ap early game.


Mark of Attack Speed
This is to clear jungles faster because the spider form is better than the human form in jungling, especially with Skittering Frenzy. Her spider form relies more on attack speed and a bit of AP. Another reason that you should get this is because of the red buff, which will constantly slow.

Seal of Armor
This is for defense early game since most champions will be relying mostly on their autos, especially the adc. But other than that, it's just a good overall rune.

Masteries

Butcher
As a jungler, these two are pretty good for clear and sustain

Sorcery, Mental Force Archmage
CDR and AP are good for AP caster.

Spell Weaving, Blade Weaving & Arcane Blade
The Spell Weaving is good in human form while Blade Weaving is better in spider form. When you use your stun combo, it uses full advantage of the masteries since they both stack. Arcane Blade is extremely good since she uses both spells and auto attcks a lot.

Executioner & Devastating Strikes
So far, armor and magic penetration work the best on Elise, allowing her to burst down on enemies faster, especially ADC.

Havoc
For the extra damage. Always nice to have it

Tough Skin
Its always nice to have that extra defense against monsters. The reason why I chose Juggernaut over Bladed Armor is because Elise already has enough sustain in her kit and offense masteries. Also, Juggernaut scales better late game so that you won't have to be bursted down harder

Block & Unyielding
Block and Unyielding is for the extra armor against champions.

Veteran Scars & Juggernaut
Veteran Scars and Juggernaut is for the extra health, allowing her to survive better early, mid, and late game

Spells and Skill Sequence

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Spider Swarm
This passive is what makes Elise unique, although it doesn't give superb stats. The only thing this does is get more spiderlings every time you use a spell in human form and uses the spiderlings in spider form. I suggest to have as many spiderlings because most people underestimate them.


Neurotoxin
Neurotoxin is an excellent ability for shredding tanks which is also you main damage skill. As an Offtank, your job is try to destroy as much of the frontline so that you can reach to their carries.


Venomous Bite
Venomous Bite is a good finisher since it does percent of missing health. If they aren't dead by then, then just auto attack them with Skittering Frenzy and they should die. Also, if they are running away, Venomous Bite acts like a mini gap closer in spider form, so it's easier to stick.


Volatile Spiderling
Volatile Spiderling is really good for poke, especially in the beginning of team fights because of the AoE and long range. When you first jungle, you can send out the spiderling at 1:52 or 1:53 since it takes time to travel and every second counts when you're jungling.


Skittering Frenzy
For jungling, I usually take Skittering Frenzy as my first skill because since it also gives you Volatile Spiderling, a decent AoE. But another reason is that it gives you attack speed and heals, so you have more sustain.


Cocoon
Now, this skill is really rewarding if you can land it. Cocoon is a 1.5 second stun, enough time for you to blow up the adc, apc or take down the frontline very quickly. It's also really good in ganks and get a sure reward with a kill or flash burned.


Rappel
This skill is best if you want to ignore the front line and kill the main damage dealers as quick as possible or trying to escape. It's also really good for escaping in the jungle, like if you're being hunted down by a Lee Sin, then you can juke and rappel on a minion if you know its there. But if you cant rappel on a minion, then the best case scenario is if you're teammate is there to back you up so when you go down, you can quickly escape. I recommend using this spell as your last resource because it has such a long cooldown. Another good thing about this skill is that if the enemy has a Karthus and if you time your Rappel correctly, you can evade his Requiem.


For the ulty, it's just a transformation, so there's really nothing to talk about there, only that it is four seconds, so keep that in mind that in teamfights, when you transform, know that you are moving target to be killed if all of your spells are on cooldown.

Items

Warding Totem
With the new Trinket system, this will compensate for the lack of wards everywhere. In mid game, get the Sweeping Lens because this is when people start warding dragons, so getting a sweeper will be useful.


Spirit of the Ancient Golem
Although this item got changed and doesn't give Elise as much tankiness early game as you would like, its still a pretty good item since the other items don't fit much with Elise, unless you get Spirit of the Spectral Wraith, which isn't the best item.


Liandry's Torment
Liandry's should be the first main damage item you want to build on Elise, but usually, getting Haunting Guise is just as good. The passive of shredding tanks, health, and AP is really good on Elise.


Boots
Sorc Shoes is really beneficial with the Mpen stat. There is the other option of going Ninja Tabi, but that's if you are focused like crazy or the tank; it really depends on the situation. I rarely get Boots of Mobility, but you buy get it if you are still in laning phase. I would suggest getting this item if you gank a lot and your lanes are losing. Also, you can get this item after you finish your Spirit Stone.


Void Staff
Void Staff can be the fourth to sixth item in your build after Spirit of the Ancient Golem, Sorcerer's Shoes and Liandry's Torment. Void Staff is extremely good since it acts like a Last Whisper, except AP.


Rylai's Crystal Scepter
Rylai's is a good safe item to get if you don't know what else to get. It also helps you to stick better onto MVP, especially those with little to no escapes.


Abyssal Scepter
I would get Abyssal Scepter if you have a mostly AP team to help them kill them or if they are stacking MR like crazy. The difference between Abyssal and Void Staff is that Abyssal has an aura that helps your team while Void Staff is mostly for your personal needs.


Spirit Visage
Spirit Visage is great against an AP team, but it also synergizes well with Skittering Frenzy. Spirit Visage is a good item if you are targeted a lot.


Sunfire Cape
Sunfire Cape would be useful if you think you need more HP, or if you decide to act as the tank in the middle of the game or something. This item would be more of a situational item


Will of the Ancients
This is a new item that I have been using quite often now. This item is one that is cheaper while giving you CDR which is beneficial to Elise. If I were to get this item, I would probably take Hextech Revolver during the process of building my Spirit of the Ancient Golem, build a Haunting Guise, then finish with Will of the Ancients


Locket of the Iron Solari
I'm not sure if supports still get this or if they just focus on their gold income items, but this is one of the safer items on Elise because it's very cheap while giving amazing stats. The Armor, MR, Health, and CDR allows her to better define her role as Offtank. CDR is also very beneficial since her cooldowns are so long.


Randuin's Omen
Randuin's Omen is really good since it is one of the best items on a tank who builds Armor and MR since it scales. An alternate solution is Frozen Heart, but I don't suggest getting it only. Even though it gives Elise good stats, Randuin's Omen compensates for the lack of health from the Spirit of the Ancient Golem. The active is also amazing since it is an AoE slow that is similar to a Nasus AoE Wither that can scales better.

Jungling and Ganking

In Season 4, they have completely changed the jungle by 1) Changing the items, 2) Monster change in level, and 3) Adding the Wright Camp. This is one of the more important sections of this guide.

Jungling
When first going to your jungle, you can either choose Blue or Red. Both provide great benefits. On the first run, Blue buff allows higher CDR and Red buff allows faster clear speed.

Red Buff Route
I go Red buff 90% of the time because when you first clear, you are going to be in spider form most of the time which uses no mana. So in this case, I would do red buff and smite and then wolves or wraiths. Do not do wight camp on the first clear. This is because Wight does too much damage early game, so go Red->Wolf/Wraith->Blue. Either way, you'll be getting Blue buff longer than red buff to compensate for your early game mana issues.

Blue Buff Route
In my preference, I would usually go this route if I get countered jungled or if I am afraid I will get counter jungled. Then I would go Blue->Wright->Red and then gank.

Another tip that I give is make sure you ward your jungle from time to time just in case the enemy jungler wants to come and take your buffs. It is also beneficial to use spawn timers if you don't already. It helps a lot to secure objectives. Just remember 5-6-7, buffs-dragon-baron.

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Ganking
In this season, it has become increadibly hard to gank other lanes because of the trinkets. If you are one who loves to gank, I would suggest getting Sweeping Lens. You should only gank if 1) either you or your teammate start a fight, 2) they are at your turret pushing hard, or 3) you want to tower dive.

1. Starting a Fight
When you start a fight, your goal is for the enemy to use as many skills in the fight so that when you come in, they have nothing except burn a flash. It is also best to not Cocoon because that is your only CC and if they have an escape and dodge it, you can't continue unless your teammate has CC. Make sure you can absolutely hit them with it, even if it means letting them walk back to their turret. Obviously make sure they don't leave unharmed or alive for that matter.

2. Turret pushed hard
If the enemy pushes hard on your ally's turret, that is most likely the best time to gank. In my experience, I don't think that people should be pushing unless they have a ward or if they absolutely know that the enemy jungler is in some other lane or if there's no MIA.

Skills

(Human Form first) E->W->Q->R->Q->W
It might seem hard at first, but it's really quick to master. The reason why this is your main go-to combo is because it just bursts them down hard with your percent health

Tower Diving
Tower Diving as Elise is pretty simple. Lets take for example if you are ganking top, either on the blue or purple side. when you gank, just use your combo until they're dead. Then Rappel up and try to get to the farthest enemy minion as possible to get out of turret range. Even if you are still in it, towers target minions or pets first, so it will target the spiderlings

(Human Form first) Q->W->R->Q->W minion
When you are jungling, use your Q->W first in human form because it does the most damage since Neurotoxin does percent current health and then the AoE. The Q->W in spider form just finishes them off and gives you sustain.

Volatile Spiderling "glitch"
So for this, I'm not sure if it is a glitch or anything, but when you use Volatile Spiderling, turn into spider form, and then use Venomous Bite on an enemy, the spiderling will rush towards the enemy you attacked if it hasn't exploded. This does a lot of damage and is especially useful if it targeted anyone yet since it acts like a homing missle.

Pre-Team Fight techniques
If you are playing as an AP Offtank, try to use Neurotoxin as much as possible on the tanks because even without items, the 8% current health does a lot of damage. Say the enemy has a Malphite with 3500 HP and you use Neurotoxin on him. For reasons, we'll ignore MR. It will do about 280 damage without any items plus a base 200 damage if it is maxed, adding up to 480 damage, without AP since you'll probably won't have a lot of AP. That alone just chunked Malphite down to 3020 HP. Now if you do it two or three more times, it will lower his health to about 2200 HP to 1800 HP. 3 Neurotoxin just took away 50% of his health, rendering him useless, so if we added all of the health regen and MR, it would probably take away from 35%-40%, which is still alot for someone who has no AP. This is why Elise is OP.