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Spells:
Ghost
Flash
Ability Order
Arcane Mastery (PASSIVE)
Ryze Passive Ability
Character Introduction
Ryze has become a wildly popular character since M5's AlexIch dominated the early rounds of Intel Kiev with this mana monster. He was so good with

Since then, LoLMatches.com shows* that he has grown to the 19th most popular character in ranked play. Unfortunately, his win percentage is all over the place and currently* sits at a middling 50.45%. The purpose of this guide is primarily to help seriously competitive players add

*As of 04/07/2012
This section will be better developed soon, but this should give you some quick bullet points.
PROS
CONS
PROS
- Strong Late Game
- Strong 1v1
- Builds into Off-Tank
- Sustained Caster
- Unreal Synergy with Items
- Only Needs Blue Buff Once
2s Snare1.75s Snare- Meta-game Adaptable
- Not Skill-Shot Dependent
CONS
- Generally Considered Weak Early Game
- Item Dependent
- Often Focused in Team Fights
- No AoE CC
- Doesn't Have an Overpowering Ultimate
This is really based on the matchup, but I mostly prefer Ghost and Flash unless I'm against a healer like maybe
Swain,
Vladimir, or
Gragas (who is seeing a lot of competitive play) and then I'll grab Ignite & Flash.
Ghost &
Flash
Ignite &
Flash
Exhaust &
Flash
Teleport &
Flash
Noticing a trend? Take
Flash! The rest of this section will be developed soon.











Noticing a trend? Take

Runes




Marks
![]() |
spa | Stacking 9 of these yields 8.55 Mpen. Extremely useful on any caster and should require no further explanation as these are the industry standard for a reason. |
Seals
![]() |
spa |
9 of these yields phenomenal bonus mp5 and are exceedingly important for a constant caster like ![]() |
Glyphs
EDIT: These have been nerfed as of the Hecarim Patch, but they are still viable. I am still playtesting them against tougher opponents, but so far so good. You only lose 0.14 Mres per rune, for a total of -1.26 Mres caused by the patch.
Quints
![]() |
spa |
With a base MS of 310, Ryze is one of the slower characters in the game. 3 x ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
With the long ranges on



Alternative Runes
Greater Quintessence of Spell Vamp
Okay, I know I just went into a whole thing about how mobility is ideal for Ryze and I stick by it because I think that the utility from the extra MS is about the best thing since Steak and a ******* Day; however, I haven't extensively tested these runes and some swear by them. 3 Quints * 2% Spell Vamp + 3% Spell Vamp (

Greater Seal of Knowledge &
Greater Glyph of Mana
These do... well, exactly what they say they do. 9 of each of these will yield a nice 112 MP at level 1 that scales to an additional 291 MP by level 18. They serve to increase the output of your




EDIT: The setup for


Greater Glyph of Scaling Cooldown Reduction
Taking four of these bad boys allows you to alternatively utilize your Utility tree to maximize



Personally, this is my favorite mastery setup for
Ryze.
Offensive Tree. This is a fairly typical tree for casters that want to max out another branch but are still looking for that +10% Mpen.
space
In most cases, I simply find the Utility Tree too good to pass up. The extra sustain from
Transmutation
,
Strength of Spirit
, &
Meditation
, the ability to max out CDR with
Intelligence
, and having
Flash &
Ghost up more often makes this
Ryze's tree of choice!

Offensive Tree. This is a fairly typical tree for casters that want to max out another branch but are still looking for that +10% Mpen.
space
![]() |
spa |
Offensive Tree![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() space space space space space space space space space space space space space space space space |
Utility Tree![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
spa |
![]() |
In most cases, I simply find the Utility Tree too good to pass up. The extra sustain from







Defensive Setup: 9-9-12
This alternative setup should be used for especially difficult lane opponents. Always check the meta-game in draft and plan accordingly!

space |
Offense Tree![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() space space space I still like taking 9 points in the Offense Tree for the Improved ![]() space |
spa |
Defense Tree![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() space space space Taking 9 points in the Defense Tree is a boon to boosting ![]() space |
spa |
Utility Tree![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() I feel that the first two tiers of the Utility Tree have some of the best masteries for ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
So we've taken points out of





While true that having 11 points in the Utility Tree costs you some survivability and CDR, this is a setup for heavier defense; adjust your play style accordingly! What you lack in sustainability you make up for in survivability.
I take the 9-9-12 setup when I know that I can get easily bursted down by my lane opponent solo; ie - champions like







Arcane Mastery |
spaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaace |
[Passive] |
![]() |
spa | When Ryze casts a spell, all other spells have their cooldown reduced by 1 second. |
This is what makes Ryze into a magical machine gun. Understanding this innate ability is what allows you to continuously spam his spells and why we build Ryze using the items that I have chosen. Even though nothing about the passive changed, the reduction to the cost of



Overload |
spaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaiiaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaace |
[Q] |
Damage: 60 / 85 / 110 / 135 / 160 + 40% AP + 6.5% MP
Cost: 60 MP
Range: 650
Cooldown: 3.5 seconds
This is your bread & butter. Overload is your all-purpose Range 675 poke, kiting spell, and straight damage dealer wrapped into one. Stock 3.5s CD timer with scaling 2% CDR per rank, this spell is the reason we can build 40% CDR so inexpensively, trigger Arcane Mastery as often as we do, and deal as much raw damage as we do.
I take
Overload at level 1 and max it first for the extra damage and CDR.
With the stock 3.5s CD timer and your 40% CDR,



The reduced cost to cast improves your ability to spam Q's; once you have Tear, never stop casting!

Rune Prison |
spaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaiiiaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaace |
[W] |
Damage: 60 / 95 / 130 / 165 / 200 + 60% AP + 4.5% MP
Cost: 80 / 95 / 110 / 125 / 140 MP
Range: 625
Cooldown: 14 seconds
Snare Duration: 0.75 / 1.0 / 1.25 / 1.5 / 1.75 seconds
Rune Prison is why everyone fears playing against Ryze. Range 625 snare that can't miss or be juked, RP deals its damage instantly as the prison is cast.
I take
Rune Prison at level 2, maxing it out second to increase the snare duration.
At rank 1, it makes for a strong initiator for your jungler to jump in and gank. It can also lock down a pursuer as you deftly escape without needing to pop



Spell Flux |
spaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaace |
[E] |
Damage: 50 / 70 / 90 / 110 / 130 + 35% AP + 1% MP
Cost: 60 / 70 / 80 / 90 / 10 MP
Range: 675
Cooldown: 14 seconds
Mres Reduction: 12 / 15 / 18 / 21 / 24
This is the lowest priority of all Ryze's spells because it's damage output doesn't scale as well with MP, but that doesn't make it bad. It bounces between enemy targets (or Ryze as a conduit with no penalty) and applies damage and reapplies Mres reduction each time it hits.
I take
Spell Flux as early as level 3 (and latest by level 4), maxing it last.
I find it to be extremely useful to up the damage on my poke from






The buff to


Desperate Power |
spaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaace |
[R] |
![]() |
spa | Active: Ryze becomes supercharged for 5 / 6 / 7 seconds, gaining 15 / 20 / 25 % spell vamp, causing his spells to deal 50% AoE damage, and granting him 35/45/55 movement speed. |
Damge: No Damage
Cost: No Cost
Range: 200
Cooldown: 70 / 60 / 50 seconds
Status Effects: Grants 50% Spell Vamp, 35 / 45 / 55 bonus move speed, and all spells do 50% AOE damage.
In the pros/cons section, I listed his ultimate under the negative section; so why max it ASAP? True, his ultimate isn't a


Like most ultimates, I take his
Desperate Power whenever available.
First of all, activating





Second, the active 50% aoe splash damage is great for teamfights and farming waves of creep alike. Popping DP for a jungle teamfight when the opposing team is all huddled together can make short work of the enemy champions and turn the tide of a battle.
Similarly, it is great for clearing huge waves of creep: I personally launch




This same technique can be used to pop into the enemy jungle and quickly clear their camp of wraiths.
Third, this ultimate grants bonus move speed to the tune of 35 / 45 / 55, and brings even MOAR UTILITY to Ryze in general. It's a mini-

FOURTH,






Last, and definitely not least, it has a short CD timer so don't hold on to it if you think it can help! At rank 3 with its innate 50s CD timer and 40% CDR, the timer clears every 30 seconds without even using your spells to activate



Ability Sequence
I find that there is a little versatility in

I like to start with one point in each ability:




Alternatively, you can take your first six points Q-W-Q-E-Q-R (swapping the point placement of levels 3 and 4) if you just want a little extra poke at level 3. I recommend this sequence if you are taking the alternative rune page of Greater Seal of Knowledge &

If your team is planning on invading the opposing jungle or you are anticipating a pre-minion team fight, taking your first point in

The point I am trying to illustrate is that there are several ways to begin the game with

If there's no action, anticipated or actual, take

After level 6, your priority order should be:
![]() spa spaR |
spa>spa |
![]() spa spaQ |
spa>spa |
![]() spa spaW |
spa>spa |
![]() spa spaE |
At this point the skill order isn't really negotiable any more.

Extra ranks in

Additional ranks of



To make the most of



First Item
Boots of Speedspa![]() |
space | or | space |
Sapphire Crystalspa![]() |
There is a reason that most of the top players start with


If I do not get


- How hard does my lane opponent hit? If you are going to get bullied, make sure you take boots so you can stay away!
- How many skill shots and / or how much CC does my lane opponent have? If they have a few CC spells like a
Swain (with snare and slow) or have a bunch of skill shots like
Brand or
Kennen, take boots!
- What type of jungler did the opposing team take? Very few junglers have both spectacular clear-time AND strong level 2-4 ganking-capability; so if they have a
Lee Sin,
Nocturne,
Riven,
Jax, or other strong early ganker, make sure you take boots!
- How long are the cooldowns on your lane opponent? If they are long and your opponent cannot use abilities very often, you should be able to harass effectively and should strongly consider taking
Sapphire Crystal to boost your damage output. Get in there and [Q]-poke away! Your short CD timer should let you bully around your helpless opponent.
As you can see, almost 75% of the time you should be taking



Early Game
Tear of the Goddess
![]() |
sp |
Ryze is not ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Sapphire Crystal x2
![]() |
sp |
Once you have boots and tear, 800 gold will get you double crystal, which is very beneficial for ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Negatron Cloak
![]() |
sp |
This is an optional order for this item that you should slot into your build early on if you need to seriously beef up your mres. If you've been getting successful ganks, take it after Crystals. If you haven't and you're against an AP powerhouse, get it before them. 740 gold has never saved your life more times than this will. On the other hand if you don't need the mres, just pick it up when you upgrade to ![]() |

The CORE
Sorcerer's Shoes
![]() |
sp |
These do everything a growing ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Glacial Shroud
![]() |
sp |
This item builds straight out of a ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Catalyst the Protector
Catalyst the Protector | sp |
Finally turning the last of those early ![]() ![]() |

Upgrades Complete
Banshee's Veil
![]() |
sp |
BV is just amazing on ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Frozen Heart
![]() |
sp |
This item just flips on BEASTMODE for ![]() ![]() ![]() |

Finishers
Void Staff
![]() |
sp |
This is now the part of the game where you should be trying to put the opposing team away for good, and the cost efficiency of this item is paramount. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Archangel's Staff
![]() |
sp |
AA is the logical conclusion for ![]() ![]() ![]() |

Optional 6th / Alternate Build Items
Rod of Ages
![]() |
sp |
I can already hear the criticisms; "why are you getting RoA as your last item? you can't even build up its stacks!" Trolls. All of you. Find me a single item in the game that provides more than 525 mana. Go on. I'll wait... That's what I thought. Even without its stacks, ![]() EDIT: It's also had a pretty big bump in effectiveness with the increase to your the AP Ratios. Now both ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Haunting Guise
![]() |
sp |
This item is beginning to see a LOT more action in competitive circles. It's probably better on other casters (as ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Quicksilver Sash
![]() |
sp |
Essentially ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() QSS removes ALL OF THE DEBUFFS! <---Thread. If you use it, +Rep Keels, for reals. |
Will of the Ancients
![]() |
sp |
Few characters can benefit from WotA like Ryze can. Being able to cast ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Force of Nature
![]() |
sp |
Really useful against a double AP setup from your opponents, FoN wins you poking exchanges against their casters and allows you to survive team fights despite being focused. Since most AP carries are squishy and do not build much Mres, I prefer getting ![]() ![]() ![]() |

Elixirs
Oracle's Elixir
![]() |
sp |
This is a great item against any character with Stealth (![]() ![]() ![]() |
Elixir of Fortitude
![]() |
sp |
I prioritize the Fortitude elixir as #1, as 235 HP is always good and you can't gain anything in the CDR department from ![]() |
Elixir of Brilliance

Although I tried to cover several permutations of the items purchased and the optimal order to take them, the build is always situational. Always be aware of the needs of your team and the actions of your opponents. I strongly recommend that you get the first 5 items to their conclusion -





I also suggest playing it through several times this way before you make your judgement on this guide.
In order to understand why I have chosen the masteries, runes, and items that I did, it is important to understand how I intend to play
Ryze.
Hands-down a late game dominator,
Ryze should be played as such. In the middle lane, last hit your minions, buy wards, and support your jungler when he/she comes in for a gank. To be honest though, a good Ryze player is perfectly fine with a game that has 10 minutes before first blood because it means he has time to farm & gear up. What
Ryze has in terms of his slow start is more than accounted for by the 10-12 minute mark. With
Tear of the Goddess starting to generate bonus mp, your damage output should start to be a serious force around this time in the mid-game and can easily snowball you into an unstoppable juggernaut by the end of the match.

Ryze should be playing aggressively against. Make sure you practice last hitting by your tower because common middle lane champions like
Brand,
Mordekaiser,
Morgana,
Cassiopeia, and
Galio will have no trouble shoving you right up underneath it.
Ryze, you almost never shove the lane while your opponent is present. That's a fact. It makes you too vulnerable and susceptible to ganks. Simply last hit your minions with an basic attack or an
Overload (after acquiring
Tear of the Goddess) to farm up about +20 gold per minion. Remember that
Ryze is INCREDIBLY SQUISHY until you start stacking up his gear. The best way to get the gold you need to buy your gear (without opening yourself up to ganks) is to only last-hit the minions.
Ryze IS geared for a slow, defensive early game; don't be surprised when your opponent pushes the lane and creates an opportunity for your team to counterattack. Alert your jungler that your lane is getting pushed an keep map awareness for your man (or woman) in the forest; keep poking safely with
Overload and when your jungler comes into the side bush or starts to dive around behind your opponent, get ready to secure the kill!
If your jungler has a dash or quick-move mechanic (like
Shadow Dash,
Powerball,
Sonic Wave / Resonating Strike, or
Paranoia), typically your job is to get in close enough to lock down your opponent with
Rune Prison; now the gank is on! Know your limits here: you want to stay and do enough damage to secure the kill, but you do not want to die yourself. If you have to settle for an assist, so be it! Just do your job here and your team will benefit from the exchange.
I prefer using
Ghost to get close enough to initiate. To accomplish this, I typically let my lane opponent push the lane past its natural midpoint. Then when your opponent advances to continue last hitting, pop your
Ghost-mode and sprint on up to land that
Rune Prison! Remember that
Ghost enables you to ignore unit collision so that you can sprint right for your target instead of maneuvering around the creep wave!
There are times when you must
Flash into battle as well. Let your jungler know of your intentions and use your better judgement as to how to initiate. Try not to blow both summoner spells because a failed gank under those circumstances severely limits your escape options when their jungler decides to come for you.
Rune Prison as his escape mechanism, and that just won't do against all of the flanking, dashing, stealthing, stunning junglers and roamers that will be trying to kill you! There are several champions (like
Jax,
Shyvana,
Akali, etc.) that can all jump right onto you to burst or DPS your fragile hit points away. Thus, I took the liberties of building in some more!
Rune Prison should still be your primary escape tool, but
Flash can be used to get you out of a tight spot that additional MS simply can not. It can be used to jump over the edges of
Event Horizon, sidestep that charging
Alistar, dodge
Glacial Prison, get out of the reach of
Unspeakable Horror,
Bountiful Harvest, or
Soul Shackles, or to simply jump under your tower and keep running if necessary! Remember,
Ryze is very squishy early on and only toughens up with the items we give him.
No armor? No mres? No chance! Play it safe early on unless you have some help!

[coming soon, but for now: LoL Warding Thread]



Hands-down a late game dominator,




Laning
During the first few minutes of gameplay, there are very few opponents that





Farming
First and foremost, knowing how to farm properly can easily be the difference between winning your lane and losing the game. As



Roaming
[coming soon]Countering Your Opponent's Roam
[coming soon]Coordinating Ganks
You shouldn't expect your jungler to be able to gank your lane every minute, but

If your jungler has a dash or quick-move mechanic (like





I prefer using




There are times when you must

Dodging Ganks
Ryze has only












No armor? No mres? No chance! Play it safe early on unless you have some help!

Warding
[coming soon, but for now: LoL Warding Thread]

Strategic Objectives
[coming soon]Buffing Up
[coming soon]Dragon
[coming soon]Baron
[coming soon]
Team Fights
[coming soon, but, for some video, check out the Collapse clip in the HoF Chapter]
This section should assist you by allowing you to place yourself in beneficial situations from the get-go. By predicting your lane opponents from the character select screen, you can influence the game before a single attack is shot and before the first spell is cast.
If you see the opposing team reach for a character that
Ryze can dominate, simply select the Rogue Mage and win your lane. Similarly, try NOT to reach for
Ryze too early as several characters can hard-counter him; you'll be doing poorly at an almost 80% rate against that
LeBlanc or
Cassiopeia they took because you 1st picked
Ryze.
The 6th item is ALWAYS situational based upon team comp, opponents' team comp, and the current status of the game (winning, losing, push, etc), and the 5th item might be as well; for this reason (and to save space), I will only be listing the item order through the core build.


You beat
Singed in every respect, so set the tone by intimidating your opponent. Start with
Sapphire Crystal +
Health Potions, help your jungler, leash or do damage, blah blah blah... then go to lane and hit
Singed with an
Overload right away. You probably won't deal too much damage yet, so do it again to let him know that this is your lane and he's just visiting. Don't be afraid to auto-attack him, either; get damage on him any way you can. After getting rank 2
Overload, hit him again. Remind him that this is your living room and his feet do NOT belong on your couch!
When he tries to assert his dominance, he'll try to bull-rush you and
Fling you over onto his
Poison Trail. TO COUNTER THIS just throw him in
Rune Prison and walk away. Simple, yes? Hit him with
Overload to discourage him from trying that again.
Now your opponent should be entirely fearful. He can't touch you, he can't damage you, he can't win exchanges, and he can't farm; all he can do is try and stand close enough to the minion combat to gain some XP. Push the advantage! This is where that E --> Q combo comes in handy for further harassment and
Singed should now be either always be very low in HP and ripe for the killing or pretty much zoning himself out of the fight by level 6.
Rush
Tear of the Goddess, get
Boots, double up on
Sapphire Crystals, and build into your
Glacial Shroud, followed by Catalyst the Protector. Get shroud first because it puts you up to 35% CDR, which increases your damage output, and provides 45 Armor to help protect you against the ganks that come with the top lane territory. If
Singed counters by rushing
Force of Nature and/or
Quicksilver Sash, don't build into your
Frozen Heart or
Banshee's Veil until AFTER you get
Void Staff.
Be smart about it, but you SHOULD just pummel him into oblivion. Remember that HE has to come to you in order to deal damage; wait for it before you commit to the whole combo. In the meantime, just keep dealing out your rope-a-dope jab (aka
Overload); when he get frustrated - they always do - he'll commit to an attack. Sneak in the hook (
Rune Prison), and an uppercut ((
Spell Flux -->
Overload) while he's dazed. If you think you can put him down, pop
Desperate Power to reduce your CDs and do it again. Try and get him in another prison asap, and he'll be down for the 10-count.
"Float like a butterfly; sting like a bee." ~ the greatest fighter to ever live, Cassius Clay.
Ward the river, farm minions, continue zoning your opponent, and win your lane. Congrats; you are well on your way to winning this game.
Typical results of Ryze v Singed:


AP
Kennen's main attack is going to be his
Thundering Shuriken, which is a skill shot. If you can dodge a wrench, then you can dodge a
Thundering Shuriken.
[work in progress]
Typical results of Ryze v Kennen:
[image pending]

[work in progress]
Typical results of Ryze v Karthus (post- Spectator Patch... 10 kills, 6 ***t, 0 deaths, 25+1/2 min):


[More Coming Soon]
If you see the opposing team reach for a character that





The 6th item is ALWAYS situational based upon team comp, opponents' team comp, and the current status of the game (winning, losing, push, etc), and the 5th item might be as well; for this reason (and to save space), I will only be listing the item order through the core build.

Great Matchups
These are the matchups that you should have very few problems playing against. These are the laughers that your opponent, no matter how mad, will graciously admit afterwards that he/she got outplayed.spacespacespace |
![]() |
space |
![]() |
space |
![]() |
space |
![]() |
space |
![]() |
spacespace |

Singed
![]() |
sp |
What can I say? This is just about as easy as a matchup gets. You win in poke, combo damage output, AND sustainability. What's more, most ![]() |
How to play the matchup:
You beat






When he tries to assert his dominance, he'll try to bull-rush you and




Now your opponent should be entirely fearful. He can't touch you, he can't damage you, he can't win exchanges, and he can't farm; all he can do is try and stand close enough to the minion combat to gain some XP. Push the advantage! This is where that E --> Q combo comes in handy for further harassment and

Rush










Be smart about it, but you SHOULD just pummel him into oblivion. Remember that HE has to come to you in order to deal damage; wait for it before you commit to the whole combo. In the meantime, just keep dealing out your rope-a-dope jab (aka





"Float like a butterfly; sting like a bee." ~ the greatest fighter to ever live, Cassius Clay.
Ward the river, farm minions, continue zoning your opponent, and win your lane. Congrats; you are well on your way to winning this game.
Typical results of Ryze v Singed:


Kennen
![]() |
sp |
To be honest here, this is a pretty sweet matchup. ![]() |
AP



How to play the matchup:
[work in progress]
Typical results of Ryze v Kennen:
[image pending]

Karthus
![]() |
sp |
This matchup is similar to the fight with Kennen in that all you really have to do is dodge his main harassment move, ![]() |
How to play the matchup:
[work in progress]
Typical results of Ryze v Karthus (post- Spectator Patch... 10 kills, 6 ***t, 0 deaths, 25+1/2 min):


[More Coming Soon]
So since this guide is brand new and I obviously have not received any questions as of yet, I have decided to implement this section to reveal my logic behind some of my concerns that I have seen in other Ryze guides. This should save everyone time from scouring through all of the other Ryze guides searching for my comments addressing these very same issues.
A)
As you can see, the two runes are essentially equivalent at level 6. Before level 6, you really shouldn't be spamming abilities yet because you don't have the mp5 sustain to do so. The flat runes won't provide that for you, believe me; I've tried. At and after level 6, you should have tear and WANT to spam abilities; every time you cast a spell, you gain MP and your spells get stronger. Which rune is better for that?
Greater Seal of Scaling Mana Regeneration.
Q) I take
A) To be fair, Meki is technically the second item I get in 95% of my builds (& 100% of builds that start with
Sapphire Crystal). I use maths to show why you would want to take Crystal first:
Since Ryze starts with 250mp +55mp/level
spaaaaaaaaaaaaaaceOverload w.
spaaaaaaaaaaaaaaceRune Prison w.
Seriously for a second, I think that
Boots are the go-to initial item for any competitive
Ryze player; however, when I know I can win my lane outright regardless of the opponent's skill level, I prefer
Sapphire Crystal over
Meki Pendant for the increased damage output that it affords you. I find this especially comes in handy when your jungler comes in for that level 2 - 4 gank. With a little bit of harassment from
Overload beforehand, Q --> W --> Q + your jungler's damage output (and CC) should be plenty to secure first blood or force a flash.
Q) Everyone I see playing
A) I understand why you'd get
Mercury's Treads, I really do; however, I believe that
Sorcerer's Shoes are the optimal choice for a reason. Most mids have 30 MR; with 10% mpen from
Arcane Knowledge
, they now have -3 and drop to 27 MR. Now your 8.55 flat mpen from 9x
Greater Mark of Magic Penetration reduces them to 18.45 MR. Sorcerer's Shoes are not only 100 gold less expensive, but allow you to deal true damage early on to most mids. With
Arcane Mastery, short CDs, and the CDR that you have, you can blast most mids into oblivion with this item, provided you can survive the exchange.
Even more, they allow you to go toe-to-toe with a beefy
Galio; since you punch through most of his MR, he'll basically be a weaker-bursting version of a skill-shot dependent AP carry. Having one fewer hard counter is never a bad thing.
The only character that I would get Treads against is Cassiopeia, and you should be getting blasted in that matchup regardless of boots.
Q) Why do you get
A) If some is good, then more is better! This idiom is seldom truer than with mpen. The major justification for this item is the immense popularity among junglers, top laners, and tanks of all sorts to take 9x
Greater Glyph of Scaling Magic Resist, which provide +24.3 Mres at level 18.
Don't let them prevent your pokes from that beastly,
Tear of the Goddess-fed
Overload!
Ryze can deal out so much damage so quickly that you don't want much of it being circumvented; even a Ryze combo-chain will eventually need to cooldown and you want to make sure you melt away your opponents before that happens. I had this in my situational 6th spot for a long time until I realized that I hardly ever lose with
Void Staff in my grip. I looked deeper and I realized that I was losing games while saving up for a
Rod of Ages and
Will of the Ancients can only keep you alive so long when the whole team focuses you down.
Along with
Sorcerer's Shoes and
Spell Flux,
Void Staff means you're dealing out copious amounts of damage; basically true damage for anyone that doesn't have
Force of Nature and really hurting the ones that do!
Void Staff costs about the same as
Will of the Ancients, but I feel it does more in team fights to be able to melt away a few opponents like a traditional AP carry than to have the extra sustain.
Void Staff is the reason I call the category of items, "The Finishers"; if you're into baseball, think of these items as your closers. When
Ryze has these, he can put the other team away for good. Your team will thank you.
Q) Why not Greater Seal of Replenishment?
A)
spaaaaace |
![]() 9@LVL 01 +00.585 mp5 9@LVL 06 +03.51 mp5 9@LVL 12 +07.02 mp5 9@LVL 18 +10.53 mp5 |
spaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaace |
9@LVL 01 +03.69 mp5 9@LVL 06 +03.69 mp5 9@LVL 12 +03.69 mp5 9@LVL 18 +03.69 mp5 |
As you can see, the two runes are essentially equivalent at level 6. Before level 6, you really shouldn't be spamming abilities yet because you don't have the mp5 sustain to do so. The flat runes won't provide that for you, believe me; I've tried. At and after level 6, you should have tear and WANT to spam abilities; every time you cast a spell, you gain MP and your spells get stronger. Which rune is better for that?

Q) I take
Meki Pendant to start. Why would you take
Sapphire Crystal instead?
A) To be fair, Meki is technically the second item I get in 95% of my builds (& 100% of builds that start with

Since Ryze starts with 250mp +55mp/level
spaaaaaaaaaaaaaaceOverload w.
space @L1 @L2 @L3 @L4 @L5 |
Overload 58.75 dmg 62.875 dmg 67 dmg 96.125 dmg 125.25 dmg |
spa |
![]() 73.75 dmg 77.875 dmg 82 dmg 111.125 dmg 140.25 dmg |
spa |
% Change 26% 24% 22% 16% 12% |
spaaaaaaaaaaaaaaceRune Prison w.
space @L2 @L3 @L4 @L5 |
Rune Prison 75.25 dmg 78 dmg 80.75 dmg 83.5 dmg |
spa |
![]() 85.25 dmg 88 dmg 90.75 dmg 93.5 dmg |
spa |
% Change 13% 13% 12% 12% |
Seriously for a second, I think that





Q) Everyone I see playing
Ryze takes
Mercury's Treads; why do you prefer
Sorcerer's Shoes?
A) I understand why you'd get





Even more, they allow you to go toe-to-toe with a beefy

The only character that I would get Treads against is Cassiopeia, and you should be getting blasted in that matchup regardless of boots.
Q) Why do you get
Void Staff, even though you get
Sorcerer's Shoes?
A) If some is good, then more is better! This idiom is seldom truer than with mpen. The major justification for this item is the immense popularity among junglers, top laners, and tanks of all sorts to take 9x

Don't let them prevent your pokes from that beastly,






Along with






Void Staff is the reason I call the category of items, "The Finishers"; if you're into baseball, think of these items as your closers. When

This section is for simply epic performances. I'll start off with the video from Voidward (aka Collapse), which was the entire reason I picked up
Ryze in the first place. What can I say? I'm terribly nostalgic about the MegaMan cartoon and FantomenK is a great chiptune artist. The outstanding Ryze plays were icing on that cake.
/league-of-legends/champion/ryze-5

Recent Ryze Victories:

space
My very 1st game with the reworked Ryze. As you can see, he's still totally viable. Using the extra AP provided in Void Staff may even be a wash with all of the other nerfs.

space

space
space
[Do NOT click on this link if you do not want to hear profanity.]
"Remember, man; you gotta put the team on your back. No matter what you do in life, you gotta put the team on your back."
Ask Matt Kemp; BEASTMODE NEVER SLEEPS.


Recent Ryze Victories:

space
My very 1st game with the reworked Ryze. As you can see, he's still totally viable. Using the extra AP provided in Void Staff may even be a wash with all of the other nerfs.

space

space
space
Your screenshots belong here!
Simply black out the names to protect the humiliated and send me a private message with the details![Do NOT click on this link if you do not want to hear profanity.]
"Remember, man; you gotta put the team on your back. No matter what you do in life, you gotta put the team on your back."
Ask Matt Kemp; BEASTMODE NEVER SLEEPS.
05/18/2012 - Updated the info on Sorcerer's Shoes in the Items Section and added a Q&A regarding the Boots as well.
05/15/2012 - Updated a typo for Spell Flux. Upgraded my descriptions to Rod of Ages and Spell Flux in the Items Section. Added more info to the Q&A on Void Staff.
05/10/2012 - Edited the build order (up top) to better reflect the overall stats of the most common build. Alternatives are now in their own section under the Items chapter.
05/07/2012 - Split up the images between two accounts in order to keep the images viewable for a greater duration of time.
05/04/2012 - Made additions to the Matchups section: finished vs
Singed, started vs Kennen and vs Karthus.
05/03/2012 - Adjusted the ability information to match the patch tweaks.
05/01/2012 - Major changes implemented in the Spectator-Mode patch. Changes to all of
Ryze's (non-passive) abilities:
Overload
Range: 675 --> 650 ............... v_v
Cost: 70 --> 60
Damage: 40 + 25/rank + 20% AP + 7.5% MP --> 60 + 25/rank + 40% AP + 6.5% MP
Increased: Base Damage, AP Ratio
Decreased: Range, Cost, MP Ratio
Rune Prison
Damage: +5% MP --> +4.5% MP
Snare Duration: Flat 0.25 second reduction in duration of effect
Increased: Nothing
Decreased: MP Ratio, Snare Duration
Spell Flux
Damage: +0% MP --> +1% MP
Cost: 70 / 85 / 100 / 115 / 130 --> 60 / 70 / 80 / 90 / 100
Now "prioritizes champions" when bouncing, though I haven't seen it too much.
Increased: MP Ratio
Decreased: Base Cost, Additional Cost per Rank
Status Change: Prioritizes Champions when bouncing
Desperate Power
Passive MP: 75 / 150 / 225 --> 0
Active MS: 0 --> 35 / 45 / 55
Increased: MS when active ....... :D
Decreased: MP passive
Summary:
Ryze has had some tweaking, and I'm not talking about too much coffee; however, not much of it is too bad. His early game got a bunch stronger with the increase to base damage and decrease to cost of
Overload, while his late-game got a bit weaker with the full 1% decrease in MP ratio. I think that change was a bit extreme, but I can see them settling around 7% in a further patch. The base snare duration on
Rune Prison got chopped by 0.25 seconds, but not too extreme if you're coordinating well with your jungler and teammates.
To be honest, the ONLY nerf here that I think truly affects his gameplay is the decreased range on
Overload. I would like to see that buffed back to 675 to restore the quick E --> Q combo, but all-in-all,
Ryze is still beastmode.
04/28/2012 - Started preparing guide for a forced-overhaul, because the Varus patch is going to change up a lot of this, although I build more AP than most Ryze players, so maybe not TOO much. I suspect rushing tear and building 40% CDR won't change, but maybe the gear order and masteries might change some.
04/18/2012 - Added QSS, Updated the
Greater Glyph of Magic Resist runes information following the Hecarim patch debuff to them, Updated the aesthetic layout of the Runes Chapter, 1st contribution to the Matchups Chapter (added Singed)
04/08/2012 - Published Guide
03/14/2012 - Started Creating Guide
01/25/2012 - Started Playing Ryze
05/15/2012 - Updated a typo for Spell Flux. Upgraded my descriptions to Rod of Ages and Spell Flux in the Items Section. Added more info to the Q&A on Void Staff.
05/10/2012 - Edited the build order (up top) to better reflect the overall stats of the most common build. Alternatives are now in their own section under the Items chapter.
05/07/2012 - Split up the images between two accounts in order to keep the images viewable for a greater duration of time.
05/04/2012 - Made additions to the Matchups section: finished vs

05/03/2012 - Adjusted the ability information to match the patch tweaks.
05/01/2012 - Major changes implemented in the Spectator-Mode patch. Changes to all of


Range: 675 --> 650 ............... v_v
Cost: 70 --> 60
Damage: 40 + 25/rank + 20% AP + 7.5% MP --> 60 + 25/rank + 40% AP + 6.5% MP
Increased: Base Damage, AP Ratio
Decreased: Range, Cost, MP Ratio

Damage: +5% MP --> +4.5% MP
Snare Duration: Flat 0.25 second reduction in duration of effect
Increased: Nothing
Decreased: MP Ratio, Snare Duration

Damage: +0% MP --> +1% MP
Cost: 70 / 85 / 100 / 115 / 130 --> 60 / 70 / 80 / 90 / 100
Now "prioritizes champions" when bouncing, though I haven't seen it too much.
Increased: MP Ratio
Decreased: Base Cost, Additional Cost per Rank
Status Change: Prioritizes Champions when bouncing

Passive MP: 75 / 150 / 225 --> 0
Active MS: 0 --> 35 / 45 / 55
Increased: MS when active ....... :D
Decreased: MP passive
Summary:



To be honest, the ONLY nerf here that I think truly affects his gameplay is the decreased range on


04/28/2012 - Started preparing guide for a forced-overhaul, because the Varus patch is going to change up a lot of this, although I build more AP than most Ryze players, so maybe not TOO much. I suspect rushing tear and building 40% CDR won't change, but maybe the gear order and masteries might change some.
04/18/2012 - Added QSS, Updated the

04/08/2012 - Published Guide
03/14/2012 - Started Creating Guide
01/25/2012 - Started Playing Ryze
First and foremost, many thanks go to jhoijhoi for putting together JhoiJhoi's Guide to Guides. This mess would be illegible if not for her. Please give her some +Rep love!
I gotta give a shout out to Keels for starting the QSS Thread.
Next, I'd like to thank Collapse for making that outstanding Ryze highlights video.
Last, I'd like to shout out to my friends, wpScraps, wpSmash, wpAZK, & cpMoney over at WellPlayed.org for talking LoL strategy with me ad nauseum.
I gotta give a shout out to Keels for starting the QSS Thread.
Next, I'd like to thank Collapse for making that outstanding Ryze highlights video.
Last, I'd like to shout out to my friends, wpScraps, wpSmash, wpAZK, & cpMoney over at WellPlayed.org for talking LoL strategy with me ad nauseum.
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