Singed is a ability power tank champion. Also he is a very fun and interesting champion to play with. singed is a little tricky champion. as closer as he gets to a target the stronger he is(he is the strongest when he is before his target{poison trail}). All of singed counters are champions that you cant catch or they have heal that overcomes your poison trail.

Pros

Singed can quickly regain health
Singed can bring the enemy to the team
Singed can bring the team to the enemy
You can kill while escaping
Very sweet DoT
Even as tank he still does descent damage

Cons

Cant do damage until you cam close
Jungles not well
"q" can drain mana

AA = Auto-attack (Basic Attacks)
AD = Attack Damage
AP = Ability Power
AS = Attack Speed
AoE = Area of Effect
B = Going back to base
CC = Crowd Control (fear, Stun, snare, slow, etc)
CDR = Cooldown Reduction
DoT = Damage over Time
FB = First Blood
HP = Health
LS = Life Steal
MD = Magic Damage
MP = Mana
MR = Magic Resistance
MS = Movement Speed
OoM = Out of Mana
Re = back to lane (after SS)
SS = Switch side
SV = Spell Vamp
DPS = Damage Per Second; also: Strong Auto-attacker
MDPS = Magical Damage Per Second; also:Strong spells; casters
MP5 = Mana Regeneration per 5 seconds
HP5 = Health Regeneration per 5 seconds
ArPen = Armor Penetration
MPen = Magic Penetration

Singed build is totally based on the enemy team (how many AP vs how many AD). As the loading screen goes you would want to check how many ap they have and how many ad they have (Tanks are not included if they don't do damage witch are the case most of the time). then you need to choose your items in this way:

Your core build

Boots+ - You start with that because you need the ability to get close to the enemy until level 4 (when you get Mega Adhesive.

Ninja Tabi - You buy this item if the enemy team has more ad(Attack damage) then ap(ability power) (if not you get the other item = Mercury's Treads).
OR
Mercury's Treads - You buy this item if the enemy team has more ap(ability power) then ad(Attack damage)(if not you get the other item = Ninja Tabi).

Rod of Ages - You need this item to do some damage with your Poison Trail(you main damage).

All AP no AD

Force of Nature - This item you >have< to buy right after RoA for three reasons.
1) The items health regen is very very good and it combines well with you're ultimates health regen.
2) This item is the best magic resistance item in this game.
3) This item gives you movement speed and that can very much help you catching enemys.
*Buy this item again as your fifth item if you want

Banshee's Veil - This item gives you good magic resist and awesome passive. Also the mana that this item gives you combines well with Singed's passive Empowered Bulwark

Quicksilver Sash - If the enemy team has heavy CC(crowed control)= you need to buy this item

Guardian Angel - This items passive can help you in team fights (if you don't need Quicksilver Sash you can buy this item)
*Don't forget to reactivate your "q" after you have been revived

More AP Than AD

Force of Nature - This item you >have< to buy right after RoA for three reasons.
1) The items health regen is very very good and it combines well with you're ultimates health regen.
2) This item is the best magic resistance item in this game.
3) This item gives you movement speed and that can very much help you catching enemys.
*Buy this item again as your fifth item if you want

Guardian Angel - This items passive can help you in team fights. Also this item gives you good magic resist as well as good armor.
*Don't forget to reactivate your "q" after you have been revived

Banshee's Veil - This item gives you good magic resist and awesome passive. Also the mana that this item gives you combines well with Singed's passive Empowered Bulwark

Aegis of the Legion - If you don't have a support in your team or you want to help you team a little you can buy this item.

All AD no AP

Frozen Heart - This is the best item for singed in the armor category. It combines with your passive well and gives you alot of armor. + it gives you cooldown reduction and reduces the attack speed of nearby enemies.

Randuin's Omen - It is allways good to go in to the core of the enemy team and not allow them to damage your allies.

Thornmail - if the enemy team has many attackers that based on physical damage this item is highly recommended for you. + it gives you alot of armor.

Guardian Angel - You can buy this item if you don't need the Thornmail much ( that means if there ad is doing more abilitys then basic attacks)
*Don't forget to reactivate your "q" after you have been revived

More AD then AP

Frozen Heart - This is the best item for singed in the armor category. It combines with your passive well and gives you alot of armor. + it gives you cooldown reduction and reduces the attack speed of nearby enemies.

Guardian Angel - This items passive can help you in team fights. Also this item gives you good armor as well as good magic resist.
*Don't forget to reactivate your "q" after you have been revived

Thornmail - if the enemy team has many attackers that based on physical damage this item is recommended. And if they don't many like that it still gives you many many armor.

Force of Nature - This item is good for singed for three reasons.
1) The items health regen is very very good and it combines well with you're ultimates health regen.
2) This item is the best magic resistance item in this game.
3) This item gives you movement speed and that can very much help you catching enemys.

Aegis of the Legion - If you don't have a support in your team or you want to help you team a little you can buy this item.

Hybrid = Equal

*Follow the purchase order in the beginning of the build

Force of Nature - This item is good for singed for three reasons.
1) The items health regen is very very good and it combines well with you're ultimates health regen.
2) This item is the best magic resistance item in this game.
3) This item gives you movement speed and that can very much help you catching enemys.
Then

Frozen Heart - This is the best item for singed in the armor category. It combines with your passive well and gives you alot of armor. + it gives you cooldown reduction and reduces the attack speed of nearby enemies.

Guardian Angel - This items passive can help you in team fights. Also this item gives you good armor as well as good magic resist.
*Don't forget to reactivate your "q" after you have been revived

Rylai's Crystal Scepter - This item can make a very large difference in the battle when it is combined with your Poison Trail

Damage

* Rod of Ages - This item is one of the best core items of damage for singed but if you need more you can buy also this items:

Abyssal Mask - If there team has many ap characters you can buy this item because it gives you good magic resist as wall as good ability power.

Rylai's Crystal Scepter - This item can change team fights when its passive combines with your "Q". But if there team is stupid enough to chase you then don't buy it.

Will of the Ancients - This item combined well with your Poison Trail if you can afford to get in the enemy team and get out alive.

Rabadon's Deathcap - If somehow you got into a situation that you are the carry in your team. You would want to do some damage with you Poison Trail. This item will help you to do that because he gives the most ap in this game.

Best Spells

- Some Champions work better with flash but singed is not one of them. The reason you take ghost is when you chase some body you activate it and use it to get in front of your opponent.
*Don't be afraid to put it together with your ultimate, it gives you phenomenal speed.

- its a good spell for singed. you should take it in one of two cases:
1) When you are solo laneing, you don't have anybody to defend your turret.
2) when no body else in your team took it, it can help you save some players and turrets.

- This is a good spell for singed for two reasons:
1) Singed doesn't do much until he got close to en enemy, this can help you with that.
2) in mid and late game it can help your team to kill some champs that are trying to escape.

- In Dominion dame mode the defender (most of the times tank) usually takes this spell. And because singed is good in dominion and he is a tank he needs to take this spell.

Fine Spells

- It can help you chase enemy champions and trick your opponents into chasing you through your Poison Trail but it will leave an empty space with no poison and that is why ghost is better.

- When the enemy sees you coming he will try to slow and stun you. this spell will help you get past that and the enemy to your hands.

- Sometimes your "q" can drain your mana. But if you are good enough you will know how to use it well. If not you can take this spell.

- Singed is a pusher champion so in Dominion you can take this spell but in Classic you can take better spell.

Do not take spells

- This spell can help you kill some one who is low. BUT in DoT category your "q" would be enough.

- If you know how to use this sell you can take it. BUT singed can freely manage without it thanks to his ultimate.

- This spell can do a descent damage with your "q". BUT you are not ap Singed you are a tank.

- This spell is better left for the support in your team.

- This spell is for a jungler, if you go by my build you are not a jungler.

- Never ever take this spell for the reason of:
its better to not die in the first place then to due quickly.

Empowered Bulwark (P) - This is Singed's passive.
Basically it turns the mana you buy in to health. (Every 100 mana in to 25 health)
How to use it? You can use it by buying good items for singed/ By going by my build.

Poison Trail (Q) - This is Singed main damage.
What it does is that it leaves a trail of poison (DoT to the one behind you) that damages enemys with time.
How to use it? You want to stay before your enemy and guess where they will go.(watch out of this spell draining you mana)

Mega Adhesive (W) - This is the way that Singed get the team or himself to the enemy. What it does is leaves a pool area of stuff that slows the enemy.
How to use it? You want to open/ start with this skill to get leverage for your team by getting you and the close or even before the enemy.

Fling (E) - This is the way singed can get an enemy player in to his team hands/ in to his death.
What it does is it gives singed the ability to get an enemy from the front of Singed to his back + damages the enemy.
How to use it? The second you got close to an enemy you want to pull him in to your team.(watch out who and where do you want to fling)

Insanity Potion (R) - This is the way you chase enemy or escape the battle.
What it does is Give singed an incredible buff of Ability Power, Armor, Magic Resist, Movement Speed, Health Regeneration, Mana Regeneration and reducing CC Effects.
How to use it? You want to use it for 3 cases:
1) Chasing an enemy (when he is low on health).
2) Escaping fast enemys (Garen, Yi, Ashe, ...)
3) Healing your self (don't be afraid to so it For this reason, the ults cooldown is very low).

In this section i would talk about a question that I am sure you are asking
"Why not add the item Tear of the Goddess in combination with Singed's passive"
Well the answer is simple: you cant spamm your skills to fill the Tear of the Goddess.

First of all i will tell you why it can be good in theory.
"Each time you use an ability, your maximum Mana increases by 4 (3 second cooldown)".
So this item gives you 1000 mana and 250 health which is great.

Now i will explain why it is bad in reality
Because your "Q" spell is a toggle, it doesn't count as a spell you fill your Tear of the Goddess with.
now your "W" and "E" spells you cant spamm for 2 reasons:
1) The cooldown on those spells is about 10 seconds so if say you get it on the sixth minute you wold be able to fill it only in the 47 minute. and you don't normally get to the late game in most cases.
2) You normally use this spells only on champion so it takes almost 20 seconds to fill 4 mana. (i will let you calculate how much time you need to get it to a proper fill).

Singed is a great character for top lane due to his passive and ult. However it is a little hard to lane against some players so here are some tips.

If you're having problem on you lane:

Try to be defensive, stay behind you minions. Once an enemy minion way comes start going towards them, active your "Q", start heading back to behind yours. That way you can farm easily (if your "Q" is strong enough) without actually fearing to get near the minions / The enemy.
Also try to stay defensive till lvl 6, once you get there you can use Your ult to bring back some HP that the enemy took from you (the cooldown on this spell is low enough to allow you to survive your lane in this form).
If your pushed to turret, use the turret to your advantage, if the enemy makes the mistake of getting to close to you; activate you poison, fling him to the turret, slow him so he will stay in her range longer (try to stay in front of him so you would deal more damage).
Don't leave your "Q" to long, activate, deactivate, wait for minions to loose health, activate again, deactivate again (that way you are saving your mana in case of a fight).

If you're dominating your lane:

Try to stay behind his minions, that way you are physiologically scaring him and not letting him farm.
Try to last hit more and push less, that way he will get less time under his tower to farm and more time to wait for the minion.
If you are trying to engage the enemy (1 vs 1 fight) and you're behind your minions, activate your "Q" before facing him and walk trough the minion wave (that way you can get farm and battle him at the same time).

I will go over some af the scariest champions for singed(from the scariest lower)

Morgana - In my opinion this is the most dangerous champion ever that singed can play against. Try to avoid her at all cost. Do not try to engage her without help (best help - AD carry range). Her cage doesn't allow you to get close to her, and even if you do get close enough to her you cant fling her cause of her black shield.
Wait for help (gank) of your teammates to engage her. or when she is low on mana


Ashe - If i could describe her in a few words it would be: "slow, slow, slow, slow arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrg". She is really annoying, she doesn't let you get close to her because of her slow. And as you should know by now if your not close your not doing much. Try to let you teammate engage on her and in stun/sner come close. Also don't be afraid to catch her ULT, you are tanky enough to do it and it is better you then other teammates.