Hello I am Sir Madman and this is a guide to the new reworked Skarner. I am a Gold Level Player on the Oceanic Servers and have numorous Bronze accounts to help carry my friends on and found out that skarner is a really strong carry in his new rework. I think this champ is really fun post nerf/buff (whatever you choose) and think in lower elo he is a simple champ which is pretty easy to master and ultimately carry. Most of all i really enjoy playing this champion. This guide will have Runes, Masteris, Builds to help you use Skarner to his maximum potential. SO LETS GET ON WITH IT!!!

I've played a fair bit of normal games with skarner and really enjoyed playing him so i believed it was time to bring it to the big leagues.... Ranked! So i played 4 games with the new skarner winning 3/4 now you could argue i may have got carried or i got a decent team but alas you would be wrong in everygame i played i had to carry hard my teammates werent great they didnt understand that if i ulted the carry it should be an easy kill but nonetheless i embarked on this seemingly useless journey with these "I carry everygame" people. I ended up carrying hard got a pentakill (yes i was dumbfounded as well a Skarner pentakill LOL). Now i have been hearing skarner has been nerfed hard well i disagree although his kit isnt as strong as it used to be his new type of playstylle is really goo and fun and i can see him getting a buff and becoming even stronger! To which i am looking forward to. Now in the rework they took what people call the perma slow off his q and moved the slow to a ranged skillshot, this was a nerf but changed his w took the attckspeed buff away which i think is great as when your mini shield got popped the attack speed buff was gone now the w has an increasingly larger movement speed over time meaning you pop w just before your about to run into a lane and take him by surprise. Q with the perma slow taken off is not as good but putting on the attack speed is really good and results in a really fast clear and becoming a great 1v1 or even 2v1 fighter. E is now a ranged slow and it really hurts a 50% slow at level 5 means if you hit you are in range to w and ult that guy back! I think Skarner needs a few more tweaks but is still strong nonetheless.

Now i take the generic Junglers runes with MS Quints for ganks and getting to camps quickly, Flat Armor Seals for early tankiness and reduced damage in jungle, Attack Speed Marks to synergies with your passive and improves clear time significantly, now for me I take Per Level Magic Resist as I don't really gank till level 6 so i will be per level resist will be better for late game also i hear some people are taking cooldown Glyphs but with this build you wont need cooldown and tankiness is much better for Skarner.

I normally run 0/21/9 because of skarners spammable abilities lizard and triforce really hurt without having the offensive runes. Also Skarner uses the defense tree a lot more. i put 2 in Enchanted Armor because after core items this makes you alot more tanky with your tanky items, 2 in tough skin to reduce the pain the buffs can give you and 1 in reinforced armor to give a little back, 3 in veteran scars so you got some extra health early and 1 in juggernaut to increase % of your health to be even more tankier, 1 in swiftness reducing slows and 1 in oppression reducing damage taken from movement impairs 3 in Hardiness to reduce dmg across the board from ad and camps in general 1 in reinforced armor to take a little bit of an egde of the crits late game, 1 in Resistance because well perserverance isn't that great anymore, 4 in Tenacious because the extra armor and magic resist for each champion nearby helps him dive into a team to drag out their carry and 1 in Legendary Guardian because tenacity is OP!!!. The utility tree is very important for skarner as he badly needs mana per second from Meditation as he spams alot of skills to clear which digs deep into is mana pool. Grabbing 3 in Fleet of Foot helps scale with your w and faster ganks to catch the enemy off guard and also running to camps.I like to grab 2 in Summoners insight as i can basically smite and know its going to be up by the next camp or two and flash on a shorter cooldown is awesome (flash ult op) you could also put one into alchemist and one into culnerary master for some sustain in the jungle but as Skarner your always going to be oom with out blue so why not back and get stronger as i said preference. Now the last point is the Main reason you put 9 in defense Runic Affinity this makes your buffs last 20% longer mainly blue because you need it as long as possible to clear fast and farm up to carry mid-late game.

Always start Machete and 5 pots for sustain in the jungle. Try get round 1000-1300 gold to buy Spirit Stone for Mana Regen and a Long Sword to build for a bit of damage and build into Spirit of the Elder Lizard, if have some more gold get boots for ganks and some health and mana pots to get some more farm and gank. Finish Spirit of the Elder Lizard first to start doing more sustained damage, buy Sheen to move into Iceborn Gauntlet if the team is tanky or Trinity Force if you got kills and starting to carry. Go Merc treads for the tenacity as you are not going Spirit of the Ancient Golem. Sunfire Aegis is the next rush then go either Frozen Heart/ Randuin's Omen or Locket of the Iron Solari/ Banshee's Veil depending on who is dealing most dmg the ap or the ad. Locket of the Iron Solari is more cost effient and better for your "team" if your support doesnt get one on the other hand Banshee's Veil it is more expensive but has the spell shield to help you get to their carry. Same with Randuin's Omen and Frozen Heartis cost effective having cool down reduction and an aoe attack speed slow, Randuin's Omen is better if you are directly getting focused and has a movement speed and armor shred active to help you stick onto targets. Thornmail obviously if the basic attack dmg is hurting make it hurt them to! Guardian Angel if you are doing so much dmg that you just have to survive for your team to win. The defensive items are for resisting who is hurting you the most so late game Spirit of the Elder Lizard so i would sell that for a Thornmail, Guardian Angel or if the ap is hurting get a Wit's End for tankiness and damage.

Take Q first and max Q for clearing faster clear for the attack speed stacks and more damage with elder lizard, take w second to reduce some damage at wolves then red, take E next maybe go for a gank pop a summoner it is unlikely you will get a kill this early. Start maxing Q to clear, R whenever possible E next for slows and potent ganks and w because the ms and shield.

I take FLASH AND SMITE bacuase flash ult is really good and smite is a must on all junglers. Other viable options are Ghost to catch someone easily and Exhaust because the perma slow is removed this will stop anyone running.

Generic
Flash and Smite
Viable
Ghost and Exhaust instead of Flash

My play style with Skarner is to disrupt the enemy as much as possible by spamming Shattered Earth all day!. He is great at catching opponents split pushing and sustained damage in team fights. Your job is to soak damage grab the carries and deal aoe dmg to anyone who tries to block you.

Pros

-Great fighter
-Great aoe damage in teamfights
-Great disrupter
-Great at grabbing their carry to win you the game
-Good clear speed

Cons

-Mana Hungry
-Weak early game
-Not greatest ganker pre 6
-Needs buffs early to get 6

3/4 wins thats nice for a first few games.

Everyone counters skarner before 6 however after 6 NOONE DOES!!!

Thankyou for looking at this guide its a bit scratchy comment if you need help with anything glad to help. I also am continuing to play skarner and will update guide if i figure out the true potential of this champion thanks your truly Sir Madman.