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Vel'Koz
Patch 16.3.1
MidDifficulty
Hard
Strength
Early
Mid
Late
Win Condition
Maintain superior positioning in teamfights. Use to whittle down enemies before a fight starts, then use to peel for yourself or catch a carry, followed by a full to wipe the enemy team.
Playstyle
Long-range artillery mage focused on geometry-based poke and melting entire teams with true damage from the backline.
Strengths & Weaknesses
Strengths
- + true damage allows you to shred tanks regardless of their Magic Resist
- + has unique geometry that lets you hit targets hiding behind minions or towers
- +Elite waveclear with two charges of
- + provides massive AOE zone control and execution potential from long range
Weaknesses
- -Zero mobility makes you a primary target for assassins and divers
- -Missing usually results in your death as it is your only hard CC
- -Extremely reliant on landing skillshots; no point-and-click damage
- -Channeling self-roots you, making you an easy target for skillshots or CC
Abilities
Every ability hit adds a stack. 3 stacks deal a burst of true damage. This is your identity. Use to stack this quickly as it hits twice. In late game, this is why you out-damage other mages against frontliners.
A bolt that splits in a T-shape. Reactivate it to split early. Use the '90-degree' rule: aim it to the side of the lane so the split bolt hits the enemy around their minion wave. It also refunds mana on kills, so use it to last hit if needed.
Opens a rift that deals damage twice. It has no cast time, meaning you can cast it while moving. It's your primary way to stack during a combo. Always layer this under an enemy you have knocked up with .
A circular explosion that knocks up. It's slow and has a short range. If an enemy is jumping on you, cast it slightly behind your own character model to catch them mid-dash. This is your most important defensive tool—don't waste it.
A massive 2.5s beam. If an enemy has 3 stacks from , they become 'Researched' and the beam deals True Damage instead of Magic Damage. Always try to proc your passive before starting the channel for maximum shred.
Teamfight Role
Artillery Backliner / Tank Shredder
Stay at maximum range. Your goal is to apply stacks to as many enemies as possible using and , then use to melt the frontline. Never be the first one in.
If the enemy team has a fed assassin, your role shifts to 'Anti-Dive.' Hold specifically to stop their engage on you or your ADC.
Combos
Standard Lane Poke
→ Reactivate →
Slow them with the split Q to make the first half of W guaranteed. This sets up 2 stacks toward your .
The Catch All-In
→ → →
The Q slow makes E much easier to land. Once they are knocked up, the W and R will quickly proc for true damage throughout the beam duration.
Point Blank Self-Peel
on self → → → Walk away
When an assassin like Zed or Fizz jumps on you, drop E at your feet. Follow with W and Q for a quick proc and slow while you retreat.
Max Damage Shred
→ → →
Used when an enemy is already CC'd or moving predictably. This procs twice almost instantly, ensuring the entire duration deals True Damage.
Power Spikes
| Spike | Why |
|---|---|
| Level 3 | You have access to all basic abilities, allowing you to proc for the first time in trades. |
| Level 6 | Your kill pressure triples. allows you to finish off targets from half HP if you land an initial combo. |
| Level 9 | With maxed, you can clear the entire backline of a minion wave with one cast, giving you permanent mid priority. |
| Level 11 | Rank 2 damage increases significantly, making you a massive threat during mid-game dragon fights. |
| Level 16 | Max rank combined with late-game AP allows you to melt even the tankiest of champions in seconds. |
Tips & Tricks
- • splits into two bolts at 90 degrees. If you miss the initial bolt, you can still hit enemies by timing the split correctly.
- • has no cast animation. Use it while walking or during the cast time of to hide the animation.
- •The range of is longer than most people realize. Use it to snipe enemies who think they've escaped under tower.
- • knocks enemies slightly away from the center. Use this to 'push' enemies into the second tick of your .
- •You can use to check bushes safely. If the bolt splits early or you get mana back, someone was in there.
- •If you are being chased, don't look back. Cast and behind you without stopping to stack and slow them.
Common Mistakes
- ✕Using without any stacks on the target→You deal Magic Damage instead of True Damage, and tanks will simply walk through your beam and kill you.
- ✕Using aggressively for poke→You are defenseless for 18-12 seconds. Good junglers will wait for you to miss E before ganking.
- ✕Casting in a straight line at the enemy→It's very easy to dodge. High-level players always aim Q at an angle to utilize the split geometry.
- ✕Standing still for too long during →You become a stationary target for hooks (Thresh/Blitz) or long-range ultimates (Lux/Ashe).
- ✕Ignoring your stacks→You lose out on roughly 30-40% of your total damage output. Always aim to hit in groups of three.
AI-generated guide • Patch 16.3.1 • Generated