Viktor Build Guide by MisterKenny93

Introduction

Hi everyone, my name is Kenny, and as for my 1st guide I will be talking about one of my favorite champs of all time, Viktor. I've been using Vik ever since i went against him sometime in 2012, when i absolutely got destroyed in a match by him. Then I said to myself, "I must also harness that power!!!" I was amazed at how much kill potential, scaling, and the crowd control and presence his kit brings. After multiple patches and a small rework throughout the years, Viktor is still one of the strongest mid-lane mages in today's meta.

If you really find this guide useful, please take the time to vote and comment. I would greatly appreciate it!! And as always, i'm open to comments and suggestions. Thanks!!!


**I will try to update it when new types of match-ups appear or any changes brought by patches should arise, etc.! Thanks!**

Pros and Cons

PROS:

- Excellent poking/farming spell in Death Ray. Also has no cast time, and will not interrupt your run animation or other commands
- Powerful Unique Item in Perfect Hex Core, plus the addition to augment (upgrade) an ability for bonus effects
- Upon activation ON the enemy, Viktor's Ultimate Chaos Storm can interrupt channeling abilities, such as Katarina's Death Lotus, Fiddlesticks' Crowstorm, Vel'Koz's Life Form Disintegration Ray, (I will see if i can make a list of what can and can't be interrupted in the future)
- Gravity Field is a very useful spell for zoning, controlling team/solo fights or to avoid/escape ganks

CONS:

- Somewhat bad mobility
- Can burn out mana very fast if too aggressive (especially pre-6)
- Death Ray can be quite difficult to master
- Squishy (but being an AP carry, its almost a given)

Summoner Spells

My common setup = +

For Spells, I usually take Flash and Ignite. Flash is the best spell in my opinion for escapes, chases, and even a surprise burst combo in lane! And by taking Ignite, it increases your kill potential significantly, as it can get you that close call kill and/or cripple the healing of the enemy and then finish them off. Only bad thing is you have to get up close to cast, so it could be somewhat risky. But here are other alternatives you may consider:



Teleport


Useful for getting back in lane a lot quicker, as Viktor can take very long to walk back to lane. Also useful as you can even Teleport to other lanes to stop the enemy from advancing or turn a team fight into you and your allies' favor.



Barrier


Pretty good choice, as can be used to bait your enemy from going all in within a close fight and turn it in your favor. And can be used as insurance to survive from a gank or other situations when about to die. Only last 2 seconds, but every millisecond in a fight matters.



Ghost


A very good alternative to Flash, as it can help in chases or escapes. Using it grants movement speed and ignores unit collision for 10 seconds. Helps a lot for Viktor's low mobility.



Cleanse


Another good choice when against a team or a champion with hard Crowd Control.



Heal


It never hurts to play it safe, but most mid-laners will be taking Ignite. If they get that off before you heal, you will be in a world of trouble. I wouldn't recommend it.

Masteries

The masteries I use for Viktor are 21/0/9. If you follow the utility route, Expanded Mind is a must have, but again the rest of the utility points are to be added based on your play-style and preferences.

Adding the 9 points to defense can make a difference too during the early-game laning phase too.

A Bit About Runes.....

The above set-up gives Viktor the best damage output, but i would sometimes consider trading out for some Armor or Magic Resist Runes (depending on your lane match-up). Having all-offensive runes can be somewhat of a high risk, high reward type of situation.

Items - What Items to Consider During 1st Back

Other than your core items, Perfect Hex Core and Boots of Speed, pretty much all other items are situational.

The Basic 1st Back - Even or Ahead

If you manage to gain an advantage when you go back to base for the 1st time, upgrade your Prototype Hex Core to The Hex Core MK-1. Augmenting your Death Ray first will make farming a lot easier, while increasing damage potential.

Depending on how much gold you have, consider buying a Vision Ward and/or Stealth Ward and some potions if you need. Then purchase Boots of Speed first for the greatly needed mobility and an Amplifying Tome for the small power spike; (and if you're rich, then go nuts and grab a Blasting Wand or Needlessly Large Rod).

NOTE: Grabbing another Doran's Ring can be very useful too!

1st Back - Somewhat Behind in Lane

If you do fall behind a little, consider buying another Doran's Ring. That extra AP and Health boost really helps you to catch up. If you feel like you need boots against champs that exploit your low mobility, grab a Boots of Speed.

Against AD Assassins and/or AD Heavy Team

During your 1st back and after grabbing the 1st Hex Core update and Boots, you can start building towards Zhonya's Hourglass. Zhonya's grants you a nice 100 AP and 50 Armor, plus a great Active ability that puts you into a frozen stasis for 2.5 seconds. You can use it to avoid damage from a lot of certain abilities, like Fizz's Chum the Waters or Zed's Death Mark.

Against Strong AP Champs and/or AP Heavy Team

Sometimes when I go against AP mid-laners with high trade potential such as LeBlanc, Xerath, or Ahri, I start building towards Abyssal Mask. It grants you 70 AP and 50 Magic Resist, along with a passive that lowers nearby enemy champs' Magic Resistance by 20. A really nice item, as it grants you some durability without sacrificing too much Ability Power compared to other items. After upgrading my hex-core and buying boots of speed, I usually purchase Null-Magic Mantle/ Negatron Cloak before Blasting Wand for the schematic.

More About Power Spike Items

Rabadon's Deathcap

This is the item that will grant you the most Ability Power. It grants you a whopping 120 AP, AND it increases your AP by 35%! Only downside is that it costs 3500 gold, making it the most expensive power spike item on the list. But hey, all that power is worth every coin! A lot of times this should be your first power spike item.

Lich Bane

This item goes very, very well when using your Siphon Power. Using your Q on enemies first procs your Lich Bane into granting your next basic attack to deal bonus damage, along with the bonus damage from your Q (the damages stack for a powerful blast!) A good choice as your second power spike item.

Morellonomicon

The lowest cost item at 2300 gold, and for what it grants, I sometimes find myself building towards this item first. It gives you a decent 80 AP, +100% Base Mana Regen, and a nice 20% Cooldown Reduction. Paired with the Blue Buff, you can almost spam your Death Ray indefinitely. And don't forget, your magic damage inflicts Grievous Wounds against champs under 40% health for 4 seconds (Looking at you, Vladimir!!)

Rylai's Crystal Scepter

Now your abilities can slow! Very useful against teams with mobile champions or just for yourself being a gap closer, plus the 100 Ability Power + 400 Health is always nice. Also great choice as the 1st power spike item.

Luden's Echo

The bonus splash damage effect this items gives to the ability used when fully charged is very strong. The Movement Speed bonus it provides also helps.

Void Staff

Enemies starting to build a lot of Magic Resist? Then this item is a good choice, as it offers a nice 80 Ability Power and +35% Magic Penetration. Always keep an eye on what the enemy is building and if they have Null-Magic Mantle in their inventory. And keep an eye out if the enemy support/tank is building for Aegis of the Legion, as its passive grants their nearby allies Magic Resist (not including HP Regeneration anymore, due to patch 5.16).

More About Optional Items

Banshee's Veil

A good defensive item overall that grants extra HP and Magic Resist, with a passive that negates the 1st enemy ability cast on you. Use this when you are the focus of engages, hard crowd control, or against a AP heavy team.

Rod of Ages

Pretty good item, as it can grant you extra HP, Mana, and Ability Power the longer you have it. After 10 minutes of having it in your inventory, the full total stats are 480 HP, 800 Mana, and 100 AP. Only bad thing about this is that you HAVE to rush this item asap for it to be effective mid-late game. That can sometimes mean bypassing your Hex Core upgrade, which is a no-no.

Athene's Unholy Grail

Pretty decent item, giving Viktor some AP, CDR, and Magic Resist. The 100% Base Mana Regen is nice, but if you are already efficient on how you use your Mana, grab Morellonomicon instead.

Ionian Boots of Lucidity

So as long as you have Void Staff, Abyssal Mask, or the enemy is just neglecting to build Magic Resist, you can opt for these boots instead. 15% CDR is always nice.

Mercury's Treads

Very reliable against a AP heavy team, CC heavy team, or against any AP burst mages/assassins you are going against. Sometimes trading some damage potential (found in the other boots) for the extra survivability is worth it, depending on the situation.

Mejai's Soulstealer!

This item should only (maybe) be purchased IF you and your team are completely dominating all lanes, and if you are confident you wont die and lose all your stacks. Also must be purchased as early as possible. Extremely high-risk but high-reward item. Pretty cheap for only 1400 gold.

Skill Sequences (part 1)

> > >

Ultimate: Chaos Storm (R)

Your Ultimate Skill should be without question the skill to take when available. Available to upgrade at Level 6, 11, and 16.

1st: Death Ray (E)

The skill that will be the difference between winning and losing. One of the best pokes in the game, it boasts range and power, and it's even more dangerous when augmented, making killing and farming easier. THIS should be the 1st skill to max out.

2nd: Siphon Power (Q)

Although this will be the first skill to unlock, max this 2nd. Siphon Power is a great close range trading ability, as it grants you a shield on the first hit, and it empowers your next auto-attack.

3rd: Gravity Field (W)

Grab this skill at Level 3 or 4, but max this skill last. Your 2 other damaging abilities are worth much more, and the duration of stun on enemies caught doesn't change, staying at 1.5 seconds.

Skill Sequences (part 2)

1st point always goes to Siphon Power, as it is your easiest and lowest cost for farming and/or poking when needed. I sometimes like taking another point for Death Ray at level 3 so I can start lightly poking the enemy. Picking up a 2nd point for it increases its damage from 70 -> 115 before bonuses.

But there are always exceptions on which skill to take.

Against certain melee champions:

Let's say if you are going against a Yasuo or Fizz. Being they will need to melee for their farm or be close to harass you, consider adding another point of Siphon Power. You can get some good damage trades since your Q grants you a temporary shield, PLUS it is easier to use and costs less mana than Death Ray.

Allied with or against a Jungler that is most likely to gank early.

Communication with your ally Jungler is key here. Say if you have a Nunu, Ekko, or Malphite coming to gank with their slow/stun abilities, go ahead and take Gravity Field at Level 3. Even if you can't kill your enemy, forcing them to use Flash and/or burning out their potions or even making them go back to base will grant you a big lead in lane. Coordination is key, so keep an eye where your enemy warded.

Same goes if you anticipate a gank. Taking Gravity Field at level 3 can cut off the enemy's path to you. A lot of junglers today are melee, so if the likes of a Master Yi or a Xin Zhao arrive, have your Gravity Field ready. And DONT FORGET TO WARD IF YOU PUSH!!!

Which Abilities to Augment First?

For each Hex Core upgrade, you are granted one point to empower one of your abilities (excluding your ultimate; more about that below).


Your 1st point should always go to Death Ray, granting an extra damage explosion following the laser. Here's the description:

AUGMENT - AFTERSHOCK: An explosion follows Death Ray's wake, dealing additional damage. Enemies already hit by Death Ray will take 40% damage.

This can really hurt or finish off an enemy, plus it greatly increases your ability to waveclear minions quickly.

Your 2nd point is completely up to you, but I like to augment Siphon Power next over Gravity Field. Here are the descriptions for both:


For (Q)Siphon Power

AUGMENT - TURBOCHARGE: Viktor instantly gains 30% movement speed for 2.5 seconds after using Siphon Power.


For (W)Gravity Field

AUGMENT - IMPLOSION: Units stunned by Gravity Field are dragged into the center.


The movement bonus from Turbocharge can be used to chase fleeing enemies or to run away from danger. Siphon Power also has a low cooldown as the game progresses, so you can spam it in some cases.

Gravity Field is great too if enemies get caught at the edge and are dragged back to the center, giving you closer proximity to them. And useful too giving your teammates to completely bash at your enemies all together when caught in the middle.

And after fully upgrading your Hex Core, your Chaos Storm automatically augments and can now move 20% faster!

Mana Efficiency in the Early Game

Early game there are 2 ways to play your lane, be conservative and farm, or be aggressive and attempt to damage your enemy out of lane. Sometimes I might get careless and spam my Death Ray at my opponent until i'm out of mana. Believe me, it is ABSOLUTELY miserable to be in lane without mana using Viktor. Here's why:

1) Your opponent will farm at will without worrying to get poked.
2) You are less likely able to finish an enemy when your Jungler ganks, which means you better type 'oom'.
3) Your opponent will attack you without worrying about any retaliation, which can result you going back to base. (Plus taking years to walk back to lane, if not using Teleport).

Here are some tips to help you conserve mana while keeping your lane in your control.

- Using Siphon Power to poke/farm during Level 1-4:

Comparing Siphon Power and Death Ray at the 1st point, they do almost similar damage. BUT Siphon Power is easier to hit and can be safer in trades, since it grants you a shield temporarily. AND ALSO it only costs 45/50/55/60/65 mana compared to Death Ray's 70/80/90/100/110 mana.


- NEVER poke your enemy with Death Ray until you acquire at least a 2nd or 3rd point

Around Level 3-4 is when you should have a 2nd point in Death Ray. Like the above tip stated, save your mana and just poke with Siphon Power. For your laser, dealing 115 damage per 80 mana (2nd point), or 160 damage per 90 mana (3rd point) is extremely more efficient than only 70 damage for 70 mana (1st point), (not counting the bonus damage from 70% of your total Ability Power). But the ABSOLUTE most important part is you hitting your Death Ray accurately. If you want, take some time to practice in AI game-modes. Trust me, it will make a big difference.

You can even just conserve and farm until you are Level 5, when you get a 3rd point in Death Ray. By then your lasers will take chunks of health at a time!


- Your accuracy with Death Ray

Another tip to increase your efficiency is what you are hitting with your Death Ray. If poking, try to aim it so you can at least damage/kill the lane minions. Even if you happen to miss your laser, at least you were able to damage/kill the minions, which can lead to putting lane pressure on your enemy and/or easing some off yourself.

NOTE: Your laser is also your most important tool for minion waveclear. It get easier every time it is upgraded and when it is augmented!


- Picking the absolute right time to use Gravity Field

Never try to randomly trap an opponent with it. At most you can get a Q and an E plus an auto-attack in, but with its long Cooldown and 65 mana cost, you are better off using your own mechanics to hit your Q and your laser.

ONLY use it when:
- if your opponent is low health and you are confident you can finish him/her
- when your jungler ganks
- when their jungler ganks to deny their path or stop them dead in their tracks
- when you need to escape
- if you can save a close-by teammate

Gravity Field in Team Fights

Be very, very selective when in team fights. If you can catch 3 or all of the enemy in a 5v5, go for it. A high-damaging assassin/bruiser rushes in for the high-profile kill or nuke? Lock 'em up! Enemies chasing your teammate? Save your ally by cutting off the enemy's path! Otherwise, if it hits the fan and you used it too early or ineffectively, your only means of escape will be your Flash or the movement speed boost from your augmented Q (and in a few cases, also your team's only means of escape).

Thanks for Viewing!

Thank you for taking a time of your day to go through this guide! Again I plan to update this build regularly when there is a patch or a new champion. I certainly had a lot of fun making my 1st guide, and I really hoped this guide was helpful!

If you have any questions, I will be glad to answer him. I am also open to any concerns and suggestions, so just let me know!

Once again, I appreciate you guys taking the time to read my guide, and i wish you the best of luck when using Viktor! =)