Hi! I’m a support main coming from the SEA server who mainly plays Thresh, peaking at D4 last season. I have played him season 4 and I have not found a support that I play which gives me more satisfaction than him. Hopefully, my guide will make him see more play in your games.

Anyways, here is my in-depth guide to the Chain Warden. Hope you guys enjoy!

Pros:

• Very rewarding if played right.
• Extremely good peel for your ADC
• Versatile support, can be played as an engager or disengager.
• Dark Passage is one of the most broken skill even at rank 1 with its escape
  potential.
• Can lock down opponents for long periods of time, including a 99% slow from The Box.
• Gets free armour from picking up souls

Cons:

• Extremely punishing in lane if you miss Death Sentence or Flay
• Easy to pick up, hard to master champ. Has an extremely high skill cap
• Not very tanky at early levels due to lack of AR per level, PICK UP YOUR SOULS!!

Taking Flash is self-explanatory. It is the bread and butter of most, if not all, champions as it provides you with a quick engage/escape tool.

Choosing between Exhaust and Ignite is purely situational. Personally, I always take Exhaust since its better than Ignite in teamfights since it cuts the damage output of the opponent’s team. Although Exhaust has been nerfed to not slowing the target’s attack speed anymore, the damage cut is still a good enough reason for me to always take it as a 2nd summoner spell on Thresh.

However, that isn’t to say Ignite is completely bad. Against healers (Vladimir/Soraka), or if you are going to be highly aggressive in lane, Ignite would be a better choice, since it shuts down the lane if you are able to snowball your lead.

I take 9x Greater Mark of Armor, 4x Greater Seal of Armor, 5x Greater Seal of Mana Regeneration, 9x Greater Glyph of Magic Resist, 2x Greater Quintessence of Health and 1x [[greater quintessence of movement speed].

The armour and health helps in letting me take less damage from mistakes, such as missed Death Sentence or Flay.

The additional mana regeneration helps in sustaining my mana because Thresh's Death Sentence- Flay combo takes up a huge chunk of mana. Without enough mana regeneration (and also because Ancient Coin is outclassed by Relic Shield now), it would take too long before Thresh is able to engage for his ADC in lane.

Why not Greater Mark of Attack Damage?

Flay provides enough additional damage on your auto attacks to ensure that you will be doing enough AA damage, even without runes. This allows you to do significant damage to enemy champions and for last hitting creeps with Relic Shield charges, if Flay passive damage is charged up.

The most debated keystone mastery would be between Courage of the Colossus and Stoneborn Pact . I take the latter because I prefer the flat 5% additional HP to the long CD shield that Courage of the Colossus provides. The HP return from Stoneborn Pact is halved because Thresh is ranged, but it is still noticeable in lane. This is even more so since some ADC prefer the Long Sword & 3 Health Potion start and do not run lifesteal runes.

I do not like Courage of the Colossus because most of the time, UNLESS you Flay multiple members of their team, you will most likely be receiving a 1-man shield from your hook. It also has a hefty CD time of 45s-30s, scaling with your champion level. I feel like the extra shield is only helpful in lane, and also because it is extremely hard to land a multiple man Flay first in teamfights (most of the time, your main engage will come from a Death Sentence, giving a "1-man shield"), I prefer taking Stoneborn Pact .

Starting with a Relic Shield and 3 potions, the goal is to get the 650 gold quest finished as quickly as you can so that you can receive the out of combat shield from the passive 'shield battery'.

If the lane is going well, consider going for the targon's brace followed by Sightstone for more vision. This will allow your ADC and yourself to stay in lane longer than your opponent, thus punishing them either by outrading, or making them have bad recall timings.

On the contrary, if the lane is not doing so hot, you might want to rush a Sightstone first to avoid getting dove by the enemy jgler and/or mid lane. Remember, your first priority is to keep your ADC SAFE!

For the choice of boots, I usually go for the Ionian Boots of Lucidity for reduced CD on skills and my summoners for more of those flashy plays. However, if the opponent team has a heavy CC comp, I do consider getting a Mercury's Treads if we are even or behind. I purchase a Ninja Tabi when the opponent team has a AA focused team comp to cut their damage dealt to me.

With your completed Sightstone and targon's brace, you can either rush a Redemption for more teamfighting pressure, or your can rush a face of the mountain and followed by Locket of the Iron Solari for shields.

After completing your supportive items, ie Redemption and Locket of the Iron Solari, you can either go for more tanky items to peel for your carries Randuin's Omen and Frozen Heart, or you can go for a support focused build by going Zeke's Harbinger for more damage on your carries.

With the new items coming out in 7.9, Gargoyle Stoneplate can also be viable in the build, if you want to play the role of ''suicide Thresh'', but without the suicide anymore. You have the option of using the 2nd part of Death Sentence to enter their back line and use the active portion of Gargoyle Stoneplate to give yourself more survivability and also be able to cast The Box, trapping most members of the opponent team.

Maxing Flay gives you a larger slow and more AA damage, while maxing Dark Passage gives a larger shield and lowers the CD of Dark Passage quite significantly. This allows more escape potential when your team mis-positions on the map during fights, or simply being caught out of position when rotating.

Maxing Flay may give you more AA damage, but in teamfights, your AA damage will pale in comparison to your carries'. Some might argue that your increased AA damage will help get kills, but I can also counter that by saying that my larger shield protects my ADC better, allowing them to do more damage. The added slow will come in handy, but usually, a nice Death Sentence on their carries will spell their end. There isn't much merit to a larger slow, unless your team is running a poke comp and are trying to wither down their front line before committing to a full on team fight.

In the early game, after leashing for your jgler, take note of what time their ADC/supp enters the bot lane. If they enter around the same time as you, then that means their JG started bot side and that you should prepare to ward the river bush at around 2:45. After your first back and you've gotten your finished sightstone, it is highly suggested to ward the areas as explained in the picture below. Remember!! It is your ADC's job to farm and get fed. It is YOUR responsibility to make sure that he is able to. You have to babysit him by pinging incoming ganks, telling the enemy team when your bot lane is missing, roaming as and when you need to help other lanes.


When positioning for engages, take note of your aggressive/escape space, or as I like to term it. As depicted below, take note that when you have too little aggressive space, it will not be wise to initiate a trade, unless you are sure that you will not be ganked in the next 20s. However, if you have too little escape space, ward defensively to avoid getting dove under tower, or call for your jungler to turn if they dive.


When you are ahead with a sizable lead, always try to freeze the minions closer to your side of the lane. This is to force the opponent to overextend for CS, which you can punish by walking up to land a Flay- Death Sentence combo for an easy kill. Even when behind, you should also freeze so that you can still CS without fear of being ganked, if you have warded defensively.

The only time that you should push the lane is when you killed their ADC, or when they need to back. This way, you deny the ADC CS and exp, which delays their power spike at level 6.

When to roam as a support?

Roaming is a great way to help out your teammates, especially when they are getting pressured near their tower. To even roam as a support, you first have to ensure that your ADC is not in any danger of getting killed. Communicate with him that you are going to leave lane, so that he can freeze the wave nearer to his tower. Help him out by warding defensively as well, so that he can spot for a dive.

Alternatively, when you and your ADC back, you can just run to another lane and gank, before you go back to bot lane. Usually, when you and your ADC back, it means that the wave has been pushed to their tower and will most likely reset to you. Therefore, the wave will be nearer to your tower even when your ADC is back in lane, making him less susceptible to all-ins.

In teamfights, it is your job to peel for your carries (ie, your ADC). They are your main sources of DPS (damage per second), it is vital that he is alive so that he can keep doing damage. Keep them safe with your CC tools as much as possible. Just kill them with your CC, as I always say, and let your carries have an easier time to deal with the enemy team's threats. You might think that you aren't helping your team because you do not have damage. On the contrary, you play a vital role in allowing your team to do even more damage because you are the one keeping them safe and alive. NEVER EVER THINK THAT SUPPORTS ARE USELESS!!

In the event that your team does not have an engage, you can start the fight with Death Sentence, but try not to use Flay, but save it when the enemy jumps onto the carries.

Do remember that when fighting around bushes, ward those bushes while keeping an eye out for your carries. This is a mistake that many lower ELO players make. Warding those bushes ensures that your carries do not (1) lose vision, (2) do not get surprised when they turn back on them and (3) make sure that the enemy has to back off from that bush, if they are simply using the lack of vision to wait for their cooldowns.

Your Dark Passage can also be used as an engage tool for your tank, when you land a hook on their carry and need someone to follow up. Throw your Dark Passage out first, then take the second part of Death Sentence. The Dark Passage tether will not break as long as you are in the flight path, giving them time to react and take the lantern for a free ride into their back lines.

When disengaging from a bad fight, drop The Box if you did not use it in the teamfight. The 99% slow will either force the enemy to back out or burn at least a Flash to chase your team down.

A tip for Thresh to disengage and keep one carry safe is to look for which jungle creeps are alive and hook while throwing a Dark Passage to your carry. Make sure that you fly to the creeps before your carry takes the Dark Passage, if not he will simply faceplant into the wall.

When to drop your Redemption?

We all know and love (or hate) Redemption. It changes the pace of teamfighting quickly as it provides a significant AOE heal for the team. Most of the time, you will want to drop it slightly after you engage, as dropping it too early means that the heal could be wasted as no damage was taken, but dropping it too late could result in a lost fight. Of course, focus on dropping it nearer to the back line, so that your carries can kite the opponent's threats, while still being in Redemption's range.

In ranked, nerves may get the best of you and your hooks might seem to always miss. However, do not let that get to you. In lane, it is very easy to dodge since their laners only need to worry about your CC, hence they will be extra mindful of your Death Sentence. This isn't so in teamfights as they will need to look out for your ENTIRE TEAM's CC. They will be less observant of where you are throwing your Death Sentence. Furthermore, you can start your hooks from bushes without vision, making it easier to land on the unsuspecting victim.

From personal experiIn ranked, nerves may get the best of you and your hooks might seem to always miss. However, do not let that get to you. In lane, it is very easy to dodge since their laners only need to worry about your CC, hence they will be extra mindful of your Death Sentence. This isn't so in teamfights as they will need to look out for your ENTIRE TEAM's CC. They will be less observant of where you are throwing your Death Sentence. Furthermore, you can start your hooks from bushes without vision, making it easier to land on the unsuspecting victim.

From personal experience, there are games that are going to be really good, while others may seem to be a lost game. But do not forget this, sometimes games are decided by a SINGLE teamfight. You could have played badly in laning phase, but one good Death Sentence can win you the game. NEVER GIVE UP until you are 100% sure that you have lost the game. Always try one more proper teamfight, with the team fully there.
ence, there are games that are going to be really good, while others may seem bleak. But do not forget this, sometimes games are decided by a SINGLE teamfight. You could have played badly in laning phase, but one good Death Sentence can win you the game. NEVER GIVE UP until you are 100% sure that you have lost the game. Always try one more proper teamfight, with the team fully there.

• To increase the chances of hitting your hooks, you should and always look out for the opponents dodge patterns. Whether he dodges left or right, inwards or stands still when you throw your Death Sentence. All this information is critical and will give you more insight on how the enemy plays.
  
  You can also always walk up to Flay first into a Death Sentence, but always make sure that your ADC can follow up, if not you will be taking a ton of damage while doing so.
  
  
• Alternatively, you can corner the opponents into a walled area, such that they can only juke in one direction, as shown below. This is a common example in the bot lane when playing on either side of the map. Usually, with Death Sentence, what you want to do is aim for the champion's hitbox (champion's outline). Meaning that even if the enemy is hugging the wall, there is a certain "fatness" to the champion, that even if you hook slightly to the right of the wall as seen, they will still get hit by your hook.
  
• Another way of predicting the enemy's movement is by understanding that players tend to dodge intuitively. That is to say, if they are running straight for their tower and you throw a Death Sentence, they will instinctively dodge inwards, or towards you. Of course, this isn't a foolproof way of landing EVERY single hook, but there's a good chance of it happening.
  
  
  
  
• Some say that using Flay cancel a travelling ability is extremely difficult. In actuality, this only applies to some champions that have a very fast travelling animation, for instance, Diana's Lunar Rush or Akali's Shadow Dance. However, in the case of Jarvan IV's infamous Demacian Standard- Dragon Strike combo or Tristana's Rocket Jump, there is a visual or audio cue to look out for.
  
  In Jarvan IV's case, you will know that he is going to jump when he casts his Demacian Standard, while you can hear the start up cast sound for Tristana's Rocket Jump. Pay attention to these cues and soon you will be able to cancel these skills with ease.
  
  As for the faster travelling animations such as Lee Sin's Resonating Strike, you will have to predict when they will cast it and this, unfortunately, comes with experience and player tendencies. Pay close attention to when they are most likely to casts such spells and predict their direction.
  
  
• Predicting a flash dodge is one of the most flashy (pun not intended) plays that a Thresh can do and usually your team will praise you for it. Always pay attention and time the enemy's cooldown properly, and check if they have any repositioning abilities, such as Ezreal's Arcane Shift or Vayne's Tumble. From there, estimate the distance as accurately as possible.
  
  Usually, if you cast Flash into Death Sentence while the opponent's Flash is up, they will panic and Flash towards their towers. It should make it easier to predict where they will be.

I like to seek inspiration from these players, even more so since they have their own Youtube channel, where they post in game highlights of their gameplay. It is both entertaining to watch, as well as informative because they sometimes give tips on how to be a better player in general.

BunnyFuFuu
CptAnton
Aphromoo

Of course, that isn't to say there aren't more, but these are just some that I would like to share with you guys.

In short, Thresh has a very versatile kit that can fit into all, if not most, team compositions. All you need to do is play to your win conditions and always remember to keep your carries alive. This golden rule applies to ALL support players out there and isn't champion specific (if it wasn't obvious enough). When someone tells you that supports can't carry themselves out of "elo hell", show them by playing this monster of a support.

My first guide ends here, please give me tips on how to improve and maybe I’ll do another guide when I have more time on my hands. Your feedback means a lot to me. Hope you guys have fun in solo queue and best of luck! :)

04/14/17 - Added Malzahar support

05/04/17 - Changed build path/itemisations to a more "standard" build path (Patch 7.9 just hit
Garena)
- Changed many tabs because of the new support items (itemisation/teamfighting/runes
etc)
- Added a tip/trick that I realised from playing more Thresh :)