Trundle Build Guide by TheMightyKhoner

Preface

Please do a few things for me...
// Read through it a bit, and see my reasoning behind my build and skill sequence.
// Play a custom game first! You know how annoying it is to have a first time champ on your team.
// Get a feel for the abilities, and when to use them.
// Have patience, you will not be MLG right away. Just give it some time.
// Last hit your creeps in lane, this will give you the edge on who wins and who doesn't (Unless your Support or Jungle!).

My Thoughts on Trundle ::
Trundle is without a doubt the most underestimated solo top in the game. His sustain is yet to be matched, and his damage and insane utility make him a huge threat in teamfights. He counter's so many champions top and is unkillable if you play it safe.
About Trundle ::
// 2 of his abilities steal an opponents stats.
// He's a troll!
// Has a terrain ability. Pillar of Filth
// He's super fun to play.
// He's extremely strong / viable in jungle and solo top roles.
// Considered a 'god' tier jungler.

Lore ::
Trolls have never been well-regarded beings of Valoran. Generally speaking, they are barbaric, cannibalistic, and sneaky. They are creatures relegated to the murky recesses of the world, hidden away from most intelligent beings. Despite their maleficent natures, however, the Ruhgosk never deserved the grisly fate that was visited upon them. Generations ago, a twisted necromancer known as Hakolin the Bonecrafter attempted to enslave the Ruhgosk tribe. These trolls are considerably more genteel than their ill-mannered brethren, although still uncouth by human standards. The Ruhgosk fought tooth and claw against the necromancer, ultimately driving him from their land. As a parting gift, Hakolin afflicted the trolls with a leprous disease, forever cursing the members of the tribe. The leprosy would have rotted their flesh away to nothing were it not for the trolls' natural ability to regenerate. Caught forever in a hideous rotting state, the Ruhgosk endured their curse while desperately in search of a cure. They never found one.

A wise Ruhgosk shaman learned that he could magically bind the disease to a single troll, provided that the troll could bear the weight of the entire tribe's curse upon himself. However, there was no such troll...until the birth of Trundle. His ability to regenerate was so profound that it appeared as if he did not carry the disease. As Trundle grew, he came to understand his gift and what it could do for his people. When he came of age, he took the curse from his tribe in a baptism of searing agony. Through the shaman's ritual, Trundle became a horrifying creature whose flesh constantly sloughs off his body, only to be re-grown in an unremitting cycle. He has joined the League of Legends in hopes of eventually finding someone who could dispel the heinous curse completely.

''I've learned a thing or two about pain! Let me show you.''

- Trundle
Terms Used ::
AA = Auto-attack [Basic Attacks]
AD = Attack Damage
AP = Ability Power
CC = Crowd Control [Stun, Fear, Slow, etc.]
Creeps = Team Spawned Minions
Fed = Having more kills than others.
MS = Movement Speed
MR = Magic Resistance
APent = Armor Penetration
MPent = Magic Penetration
CDR = Cooldown Reduction
OOM = Out of Mana
HP = Health
MP5 = Mana Regeneration per 5 seconds
HP5 = Health Regeneration per 5 seconds

Introduction

So you want to play Trundle? Good choice, as he's one of my favorite champs. This guide will show you how to excel in the jungle and solo-top roles (my favorite is solo-top). Well, let's take a look at the pros n' cons first.

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Pros + > Unmatched Sustain. + > Has ranged abilities + > Has an Armor and MR shredder. Agony + > Steals enemies stats temporarily. + > Dominates teamfights. + > Has AS and MS steroid.

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Cons - > Very, very team fight oriented. - > Not the greatest ganker - > Low Damage - > Doesn't fit with some team comps. - > Requires patience. - > Has skill curve. (Skill placement, timing, etc)

Runes

• greater quintessence of Desolation: // Very strong all game, negates most of all champions armor early (and maybe end) game. Very good choice for all bruisers.
  
• greater mark of Desolation: // See above explanation.
  
• Greater Glyph of Scaling Magic Resist: // Another pretty standard choice for solo top. These let you mitigate some of the damage the enemies AP carry might throw your way as your tearing their AD Carry's face off.
  
• Greater Seal of Armor: // Mitigates physical damage from AD Carries, minions, junglers, and solo tops.
  
  For Jungle
• Greater Mark of Attack Speed : // Gives you that crucial attack speed when your Q buff is active. Armor Penetration marks are completely fine, these just increase your clearing speed a bit.

Masteries

// Summoner's Wrath : Makes your Exhaust take some that Armor and MR away, really good early and mid game, not as good late game but whatever.. it still helps.

// Resistance : Gives you early game Magic Resist, and it helps mitigate damage you may take when ganking mid.

// Hardiness : Gives you a good chunk of armor. And, helps negate damage you take from creeps whilst harassing your opponents.

// Durability : This'll make you tankier throughout the whole game. Health is the strongest defensive stat on Trundle so this is very strong.

// Vigor : Some extra sustain is always nice. Need I say more?

// Veteran's Scars : Love this one, that extra health in lane makes you that much scarier. It may give you the edge you need over your opponent.

// Initiator : This is a good one since you are the initiator. Combined with boots, Swiftness , and Trinity Force. You'll be tearing through the lanes like a mad man.

// Enlightenment : This CDR gives you spamming capability with blue buff, and allows you to lay down more chaos in teamfights. Strong pick for any ability-reliant champion.

// Juggernaut : Here's the best part of the defense tree if you ask me. It's basically tenacity in mastery form. And, as a little bonus it makes you even tankier. Gotta love it.

// Summoner's Insight : Meh.. Cooldown on Flash reduced by 15 seconds. Not that big of a deal but still it's an alright choice and it leads you to Swiftness

// Expanded Mind : Extra Mana = More Abilities = More Damage = Profit.

// Swiftness : An extra 4% movespeed is crucial to initiating / peeling in teamfights. This is an extremely strong mastery for Trundle.



(Note : Refer to the solo-top mastery explanations for any not covered in this portion.)

// Brute Force : Awesome for clearing jungle quickly, and still be very healthy at the end.

// Alacrity : Extra attack speed for making the most of your Rabid Bite buff. This also leads into another very strong mastery....

// Weapon Expertise : Gives your Armor Penetration a little boost which also speeds up clearing speeds, and helps with ganking high armor targets.

// Summoner's Resolve : Gives your Smite a 10 extra gold, this can add up to be over 500 gold just from one mastery. And, c'mon.. It's extra gold!

// Tough Skin : Reduces minion damage. Very nice.. helps staying healthy in jungle and when ganking a lane.

// Indomitable : Reduces all damage taken. This helps all game round. It's like Tough Skin for enemy champions.

// Bladed Armor : Returns damage to creeps, speeds up clearing times, and keeps you healthy. Pretty self explanatory.

// Runic Affinity : Makes them buffs last longer, might determine if you successfully gank a lane or not. Having both buffs longer give you the power to slow, deal true damage, spam abilities, and have CDR for an additional 30 seconds with this mastery.

Items

// Mercury's Treads : The tenacity these guys provide makes you unable to be shut down, and also the extra movespeed helps your mobility, and initiating capabilities.

// Wriggle's Lantern : Best item for Trundle hands down.. provides a perma-ward, lifesteal, extra creep damage, armor, and attack damage. This makes you practically ungankable top lane, and makes you a huge dragon / baron threat very early on in the game.

// Heart of Gold : Gives you extra health and some gold. Plus, it builds into your follow-up item... Randuin's Omen

// Cloth Armor : Negates the physical damage your enemy will do to you and it builds into your Wriggle's Lantern. This combined with your Rabid Bite will make you take next to no damage.

// Health Potion : Gives you the extra sustain, and is good just as a sort of cushion in case you take more damage then you expect. These maybe less necessary sometimes. In which case I like to take a Sight Ward.

// Sight Ward : I'll pick one of these if I have a low harass lane, and / or my team is invading the enemy jungle.(Note : If you expect to have trouble with your lane don't get this, go 5 health potions.)

// Boots of Speed : Allows you to evade ranged abilities, and gets you closer to your Mercury's Treads.

// Health Potion : Gives you extra sustain if needed. Again, sometimes these aren't necessary, sometimes they are.

// Boots of Speed : Allows you to get around quickly and move into the jungle quicker.

// Health Potion : Gives you extra sustain if needed, as you want to be healthy if you encounter the enemy whilst in their jungle.

// Vampiric Scepter : This is the most practical item for Trundle in the jungle. It's the most expensive item that builds into Wriggle's Lantern and it gives reliable sustain.

// Spirit Visage : This'll make your passive heal for crazy amounts, and if you rush this early you'll win lane no problem. The MR, the health, the CDR is just crazy for how cheap this item is.

// Wit's End : This is almost a core item, I get it almost every game I play Trundle jungle. It helps you mitigate damage when ganking mid and bot (sometimes top).

// Chalice of Harmony : If your against AP and find yourself having mana problems, this item is great. You should never run out of mana with this, and it gives you nice MR.

// Aegis of the Legion : This is a great item to rush if laning phase breaks early. It provides an Aura and very good early game stats.(Note : If your support already has it, or your team doesn't have that much damage DON'T GET IT!)

// Frozen Heart : Another awesome item to get if your up against very attack speed reliant champs. it gives you a huge mana pool, almost 100 armor, and epic cooldown reduction. One of the best items in the game.


// Frozen Mallett : Great tankiness, great slow, alright damage. Pretty sweet item, however I prefer Trinity Force.

// Infinity Edge : Definitely the item that gives the most damage that I'd get. The enormous amount of AD and Crit that this item gives is insane on Trundle. I like getting this if your up against of 2 or more squishies.

// Last Whisper : If you find the enemies are starting to get armor, this item is what you should give. Since you have armor penetration runes this synergizes very well with Trundle.

// Madred's Bloodrazor : My favorite damage item for Trundle. It makes you tanky, hit hard and hit fast all at the same time. It also ups your baron threat by a ton.(Note : If your shutting down the carries first, Infinity Edge is a better pick. Madred's Bloodrazor is for high health targets.)
// The Bloodthirster : I don't get this item often but it's very good on Trundle. If you find you need more sustain in teamfights get this and a Madred's Bloodrazor. The two work hand in hand.

// Trinity Force : Probably the best item to get after your Wriggle's Lantern. Since your Rabid Bite is spamable, the Sheen works very well with Trundle. Not to mention it gives slow, crit, MS, health, AD, AP and mana.


// Warmog's Armor : This is the best defensive item for Trundle in my opinion. It makes you beefier, and gives you health regeneration.(Note : You can get resistances from you Agony in teamfights simply by using it on the tank, that's why I think health is better then resistances.)

// Randuin's Omen : Gives good armor, a slow, and a chunk of health. It's mostly for the slow. It allow's you to completely disable the enemies AD carry, and take little damage whilst doing so.

// Force of Nature : Crazy MS, Insane Health Regeneration, combined with Epic MR, make this the strongest MR item by far. You basically have a Dr. Mundo Ult on all the time with this thing. Sadism

// Guardian Angel : I get this one most games. The passive is just so strong, getting resurrected in a teamfight let's Trundle really live up to his name. The Cursed Troll.

Abilities

• Decompose: //
  This is why you have one of the best sustain's in game. This keeps you extremely healthy in jungle, so you can gank safely. And, in lane, you don't even have to be doing anything to get huge amounts of health back.
  sfsfd
  
• Rabid Bite (Q): //
  
  This is why your job is to shut down the AD carries, you steal an opponents attack damage, isolate them out of the fight, and bite their face off.
  sfsfd
  
• Contaminate (W): //
  
  AS and MS steroid.. can you say awesome? This is what makes you excel in map mobility, and ganking. You move so fast with this, and hit like you've built a Phantom Dancer
  sfsfd
  
• Pillar of Filth (E): //
  
  Trap enemies, save teammates, slow enemies, block off baron / dragon , the uses are really endless with this one, it's one of the most unique, original abilities in the game. The timing to this one is key to your success
  sfsfd
  
• Agony (R): //
  This is why Trundle wrecks tanks, you steal their resistances and take them for yourself. The more they build the more it helps you, so they counter it with more health, and then you build Madred's Bloodrazor. You can't escape the Agony.
  
  

Early Game 1-8) (Jungle)

1.) Buy items, head to protect your blue and kill wolves.
2.) Get good leash on blue, save smite.
3.) Smite enemy big wraith.
4a.) Gank Mid
4b.) Kill your wraiths.
5.) Kill your red. (Note : If Smite isn't off cooldown just kill golems first.)
6.) Kill your golems.
7.) Back if you need to, otherwise GANK!

As Trundle you should be ganking 50% of the time, forcing lanes back, and just all in all trolling. Trundle excels at ganking as he has a long range slow / terrain effect, a MS and AS steroid, and an armor and magic resist shredder.

1.) Wait for an opponent to over extend.
2.) Rush in once they try to get a last-hit, or harassing your team mate. (heading to your tower)
3.) Lay down your Contaminate at the MAX RANGE, try to cover as much distance with it.
4.) Pillar of Filth right in front of them.
5.) AA then pop your Rabid Bite.
6.) Kill
7.) Profit

I like to get an Oracle's Elixir right after my Wriggle's Lantern it let's me clear wards and live up to Trundle's Title. When clearing for wards, shift click short distances, as this will AA any wards on your screen. Sometimes, your eyes will miss them but this never will.

Early Game (1-8) (Laning)

Get into game, wait for enemy Clairvoyance to pop. Determine if your invading or not. Grab your starting items, and leash / invade / head to lane.
If leashing, make sure you give a good one. This'll make your jungler like you and gank your lane more, and it also speeds up his jungling time, making him give more ganks in general.
In lane you want to okay a little passive until you can gauge how strong your opponent is. Just farm, and after you get your Wriggle's Lantern you can ignore most of the damage your opponents throw at you. You want your creeps slain to be around 100 between 10 and 15 minutes in the game.
Your Goals ::
// Establish Lane Control
// Farm, Farm, Farm..
// Ward, Ward, Ward..
// Have your lane ganked
// Win Lane
// Push Tower
// Rush your Wriggle's Lantern

Mid Game (9-15)

So by this time you should have your core items. Start working towards your Trinity Force, as this will make you a huge threat in teamfights. Keep farming, be close to your team, and make sure you always keep timers on buffs and dragon.
Your Goals :
// Establish Map Control
// Farm Up
// Ward Up
// Get Dragon
// Get Baron
// Establish Jungle Control
// Clear Wards

Late Game (16+)

You should have your Core + some offensive and defensive items. As Trundle you need to be selfless, and be willing to die for your team. Your damage is a lot less then your carries. So, if keeping them alive means dying. DO IT! Teamfights should be happening left and right at this point. Your job is to initiate, exhaust the AD Carry, hit them with a Rabid Bite, pop Randuin's Omen, and start peeling for your AD Carries. Also try to isolate enemies with your Pillar of Filth. This could potentially win you a teamfight.
Your Goals :
// Maintain Map Control
// Maintain Jungle Control
// Clear Wards
// Keep wards up on Baron and Dragon constantly.
// Initiate Team Fights

Team Fights

If your the initiator, wait until your team is ready and all in position. Pop Shurelya's Reverie ult the tank and immediately jump on the AD carry, spam your Rabid Bite constantly and use your Contaminate to close the distance, pop your Randuin's Omen. Kill the AD carry or force them out of the fight. Isolate an enemy with your Pillar of Filth, and start peeling for your carries. (Note : KEEP YOUR CARRIES ALIVE AT ALL COSTS!)

I will be posting a video detailing team fights soon.

Conclusion

Thank's for reading my guide.
You should be able to pwn with Trundle now.
I will be making constant improvements and tweaks to this guide so be on the look out.
Please tell me how I did, as this is my first guide.
Tell me if you feel there is a different, better core build.

Shout out to JhoiJhoi for the awesome guides, and formatting.

Final Comments (TL:DR)

1.) Complete standard blue path jungle route.
2.) Gank lanes constantly
3.) Refer to Early Game section on how to gank.
4.) Refer to step 3 of the lane tl:dr

1.) Farm
2.) Harass opponents with AA's and Rabid Bite's
3.) Rush a Wriggle's Lantern
4.) Follow up with a Trinity Force
5.) Start building defensive items
6.) Protect your carries
7.) Get every dragon and baron
8.) Spam abilities in team fights
9.) Win Game

Change Log

3/17/2012

• Guide Published