Well, this is my first guide, so yeah comment and criticise on it if you want. I made its because i went along with the other Shaco guides for a while, but i thought, since I always changed from what they suggested and my strategies were a bit different id make my own guide with what i think works as Shaco(well it works for me). As in all guides, this wont make you a perfect Shaco, but im hoping it will improve your play as him. The first guide is an AD build(click first shaco picture at top to view item etc) which is alot easier to play with as Shaco, i wouldnt say better, just easier. The second guide is an AP build(click second shaco picture at top to view items etc) which is harder, but when used effectively can be pretty ridicolous

This Shaco is about pumping up ur fighting abilities for close range combat. It is mainly about getting damage, lifesteal, attack speed etc. I think this is a good way to get used to Shaco and his moves as it is simplier than the other build. So yeah, read on to find out more

Just a common rune set found on most Shaco AD builds/guides

Same thing as mentioned in Runes

K, well this is similar to many other builds you may have seen, just a few key changes which i think are vital in some games. The start is pretty common in many heroes, building towards a simple item and the health pot is there for obvious reasons, to heal you, id say use if at around 300hp if your not that confident with yourself, and the more confident you are the lower health you can use on and make up your own mind.
I try to get boots of mobility quickly as it makes moving around the map for ganking incredibly easy and quick. One second your bot killing creeps, the next your up top ready for a gank, i think it enables you to get the second item quicker. As you get more used to Shaco you may prefer a bit of damage first, but its your choice.
I follow those two with zeal and a bit of lifesteal just to build some all round neccessities, good attack speed for early game and some lifesteal to get some hp back when versing creeps, not so much heroes early on.
Bloodrazor, you will want to try and get this quickly after zeal and lifesteal, it is one of Shaco's better items, helping with the ganking of tanks with that 4% damage in magic damage.
I chose bloodthirster next, just for some immediate massive increases in damage, zeal provides enough attack speed for early on, so i dont think its neccessary to get phantom dancer yet. Once you build up your blood thirster stacks, not losing them helps alot, 40 damage and 10% lifesteal extra is very helpful
I followed this with phantom dancer as to keep ahead of most other heroes in the form of attack speed(unless of course they have moves for attack speed)
The frozen mallet is very useful, consider getting this before phantom dancer if your finding yourself a bit to squishy for anything
Finally Trinty Force, this is a highly debatable item, this is just a generic end game item, you usually wont get to the stage when you need to buy it, but consider replacing it with something else based on the needs of your match. I think it just provides some allround goodness towards the end of the game

Yeah, im not particularly an expert on summoner spells, i chose the ones above basically because i use them frequently. The ghost is good for chasing enemies, teamed with your decieve and shiv, you should be able to catch them most times. Teleport is used to help defend towers, or launch a sudden attack on a tower or champion

Most consider Shaco a ganker/assassinator, however he can also be a very strong pusher. Firstly with ganking, you want to have your boxes placed around the map as you pass through areas so you can determine the movements of enemies coming for you, or their movements so you can gank them. Try to pair up with someone else to take the damage if you dont want to use your ulti, and keep all focus off you. If you want to gank someone alone, try go for the weaker ones that wont be able to fight back much, however, once comfortable with Shaco, you can take on harder enemies with good use of all your spells, effectively holding them with shiv and the jack in the box, chasing and initiating with decieve and fighting with your ulti. DONT INITIATE TEAM FIGHTS. YOU WILL DIE. Shaco is meant to be placing wards before the fight to make sure the enemies dont pop up all around you and your squishy team mates. Then he jumps in once the tanks has started the fight, taking out the squishy mages and dps, stopping them from killing your own squishy. Remember to use all your available abilities if you need to. A final note with decieve, try to decieve over impassable terrain, it makes it much harder for enemies to catch you, and when your boots got back to 5speed, you should be able to make a comfortable get away.
Pushing, Shaco given some alone space can push a tower extremely quickly. With creeps taking damage, you and your image will take down a tower quickly, and then bailing before your enemies coming, making you a great annonance to deal with in defence

This build is focused around your Jacks in the Box (JITB), shiv and sometimes your exploding image. It is harder than the other build because it relies on patience, placement and observance. You need to notice where enemy heroes tend to move about to, such as through the water in the middle, to golems, the dragon and the lizards etc. Focus on setting up traps by leading them into a few JITB, before holding them and making yourself unable to be hit, through slows, fears and decieves. If played well you can control a map making enemies fear to walk around anywhere for the sudden gank from a JITB attack

Just a common rune set found on most Shaco AP builds/guides

Common mastery set from AP builds/Guides

Ok, so i get this order to help maximise use of JITB. The fiendish codex is extremley helpful with some good AP early on to give power to your JITB. This is followed by the boots for obvious movement and magic penetration. I follow this with the Deathfire Grip, building on the fiendish codex, as Deathfire is a strong early item with a good reduction in CD allowing for the placement of more JITB, quicker. And remember to use it at the start of a gank for maximum potential, or to finish a hero off.
Following this with Archangel is good as it gives some good mana and AP which is vital, and it allows you to build that 1k mana over a large part of the game. I followed this with lichbane because of the additional mana, AP, and the allowance of a strong hit while fighting.
A void staff is very useful for further increasing mana penetration, making the JITB more effective, especially against tanks. Finally a Rabadon's deathcap to pump in some final AP for Shaco, increasing your overall AP to over 400.

Teleport allows for you to move around the map, and tele to wards and stuff for a quick gank. Exhaust is good for holding them in the middle of the JITB while they kill them and to keep them away from you while you kill them with your JITB and shivs. Can also be used for bailing

As aforementioned, this is harder than the AD build. You need to place wards strategically and use them in ganks to lead enemies into a spot with lots of JITB to rip them to pieces. Place them in a position so that an enemy champion chasing someone will run through them and then have their attack turn on them. Later on your enemies will move together, so place wards in places that will finish off fleeing heroes. Remember where you opponents flee to and place wards there, remember to make opponents follow your into a bunch of your traps. You can also place them near golems, lizards and dragons so an enemy hero goes to get a buff or some gold and gets ganked by a bunch of JITB.


So Basically, remember where to run to, where your wards are, where your opponenents run to, place wards to finish off fleeing heroes, place wards at golems, lizards, dragons, and stick with another hero for safety if you need to, and remember to use ur shiv as well to slow, and your exhaust to slow them too.

So that brings my duel guide to a close, comment, critisize, discuss, recommend and practice with a build before judging it, so yeah cool