Welcome to the Glorious Evolution

About Me
I am FFHK Europe, a player from the EUW server that mostly plays off-meta supports. I have a passion for off-meta builds and perfecting them via discussion and testing. My username on Discord is FFHK!#8339 if you need support with the build.

I'm actually part of an off-meta League community on Discord created by fellow MobaFire guide author Aquadragon. If you want to join, the link is: https://discord.com/invite/63wXSKT

Make sure to tell them I sent you!

Introduction to the Build

The core theme of this build is the use of Imperial Mandate. Viktor has wonderful synergy with Imperial Mandate, and this build actually came about because I wanted to find a perfect user of the long-neglected mythic. Other items like Night Harvester or Everfrost could work, but nothing is as satisfying as having every ability proc Imperial Mandate.

Playstyle and Gameplay Guide

Imperial Viktor support with Relic, Imperial Mandate, and Zhonya's is much like your conventional battlemage. He thrives in 5v5 teamfights with mass group slows, stuns, ally Movement Speed augmentations, and mass AOE burst. Not to mention, he boosts his movement speed in like 3 ways so escaping isn't that difficult unless they really lock you down.

In the early game, you need to focus on CSing cannon and melee minions with your support item. This is your primary way of getting early hextech components.

When you can, back to get a Tear of the Goddess and control wards. You need this, as mana is Viktor Support's number one issue. Your runes and your items are the only things that can save you. You need to spam poke your enemies from a safe distance to charge up your Tear of the Goddess, and your mana should be nearly infinite by the time you upgrade it.

You need to just farm up on cannons and get assists wherever possible to get 100 hextech components. When you do, it is imperative to rush your Imperial Mandate and always upgrade W first. Why? An upgraded Viktor W makes Cheap Shot and most importantly Imperial Mandate proc on every single ability of his. His W upgrade is what makes Imperial Viktor Imperial Viktor.

When the laning phase ends, you should at least try and have a Tear of the Goddess, an upgraded W, Imperial Mandate, your choice of Boots, and perhaps a Stopwatch and/or a Dark Seal if you want to pursue Mejai's. Your goal now is to accompany your ADC (or, alternatively, a fed tank/skirmisher) everywhere they go and try to get into winnable fights. Viktor has amazing zoning and safe, heavy AoE damage with minimal AP investment.

You're very team reliant, just use stasis to keep yourself safe and go nowhere alone. Basically accompany someone you trust throughout the whole game, maintain pressure on lanes, and focus on taking down objectives until you can end. Viktor has a hard time 1v1ing, so just run far away and flash through walls to avoid enemies. You might win late game against tanks, but don't hold your breath against anyone with heavy burst.

Don't seek to soak damage in teamfights, but just spam your abilities and use your slows and massive W circle to stun the entire enemy team and grab a penta. Use your flash and Zhonya's wisely. Redemption into teamfights just to make the enemy team cry more.

Initial Items: The Case for Relic Shield

There is one more item that makes this build of mine so unique: Relic Shield. While every other part of this build is flexible, this is not. You need Relic Shield.

Why pick Relic Shield? Viktor's passive is why. To upgrade one of his basic abilities, you need 100 hextech components. Here's a quick chart to demonstrate how he gets them.

- 1 per melee or caster minion kill.
- 5 per cannon minion mill.
- 25 per takedown on an enemy champion(kill or assist).

You cannot really use your Imperial Mandate until you get your W upgrade, which requires 100 hextech components. If you get 4 takedowns, sure, that's great. But will you get 4 takedowns every game before you build your mythic?

5 cannon kills is worth 1 takedown, so by killing 7 cannons and 15 caster or melee minions, you have turned your 4 required takedowns to 2. That is an insane difference and shaves like 8-10 minutes off the time it takes for your first spike. Viktor needs to CS, and Relic Shield lets you do that.

Even further, this Viktor build is not a "full squishy" build. The extra 250 or so HP from a fully-upgraded Relic Shield, plus the HP bonuses from Imperial Mandate and Redemption make him rather tanky. That's not even counting the armour boosts from Zhonya's and the 40%+ or so of my games where I opt for Plated Steelcaps or Mercury Treads and Viktor's crazy disengage potential.

He's a battlemage here, not someone who dies in 1 hit. He needs sustain more than he needs a ****ty Spellthief's.

First Back

When you get 400-475 gold or even better, 850-925 gold, you should be looking to back if possible. You, as a support, need to buy things.

Don't forget control wards if you have the money for them!

Viktor is one of the most mana hungry champions in the game, so as soon as you can, you need to buy a Tear of the Goddess. If you're ahead, opt for a Dark Seal. If you are even or behind, try going for early boots. This all, of course, depends on your hex fragments. If you're close to your 100 hex fragment powerspike and your W upgrade, just focus on getting tear and your mythic.

To Mythic Rush or not to Mythic Rush?

As soon as you get your W upgrade, you need to rush Imperial Mandate. If you are nowhere close to your W upgrade, focus on CSing more with your support item and build your boots first.

Refer to the builds section for general advice and options, but this is my general item order:

- 5elic Shield
- Tear of the Goddess (wait to upgrade it)
- Boots / Rune Boots or Imperial Mandate (Boots if you don't have your W upgrade, Mythic if else) - Boots / Rune Boots or Imperial Mandate (Finish the one you don't have already)
- Stopwatch / Rune Stopwatch > Zhonya's Hourglass
- Redemption
- Final item*

*(For the final item, refer to the Item Guide, but it's generally Lich for balanced enemy comps, or a Move Speed-oriented tank item like Dead Man's Plate for Armour or Force of Nature for Magic Resistance. The choice of the final item is very much situational and is based upon both team's compositions).