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Xerath
Patch 16.2.1
MidDifficulty
Hard
Strength
Early
Mid
Late
Win Condition
Maintain high vision around your lane to safely poke. Use your range to prevent the enemy from ever starting a clean 5v5 fight, forcing them to engage while half-health or lose objectives.
Playstyle
Long-range artillery mage who dominates through superior distance and attrition. You win by forcing enemies to back or die before they can even touch you.
Strengths & Weaknesses
Strengths
- +Unmatched range with and for safe sieging
- +Infinite mana sustain via if you manage your autos well
- +Elite waveclear that stops enemy mid-lane roams
- +High pick potential using the long-range stun of
Weaknesses
- -100% skillshot reliant—missing spells makes you useless
- -Zero mobility makes you a prime target for assassins
- - roots you in place, making you vulnerable to flanks
- -High cooldown on means you're defenseless if it's baited out
Abilities
Basic attacks restore mana. Always try to hit a champion with this as it restores double the amount compared to minions. Use the cooldown to time your aggressive trades.
Your primary tool. Hold it to increase range, but remember it doesn't increase damage. Use the max range to poke from fog of war where they can't see the charge-up.
Calls down a blast. The center deals way more damage and a massive slow. Always aim to center this on the target to guarantee follow-up hits with .
A projectile stun. The duration is longer the further it travels. Save this for self-peel against divers or to start a long-range pick combo.
Immobilizes you to fire several long-range blasts. Don't spam the shots; wait for the enemy to burn their dash or change direction before firing the next one.
Teamfight Role
Backline Artillery
Stay at the absolute maximum range of . Your goal is to hit the enemy carries with and while saving for anyone who jumps on you.
If your team has a heavy engage tank like Malphite, use the moment they engage to add massive AOE burst from safety.
Combos
The Bread and Butter Poke
(center) →
The heavy slow from the center of makes it nearly impossible for the enemy to dodge . This is your main laning trade.
The Long-Range Pick
→ →
Land a max-range for the longest stun duration, then follow with the full combo. This will 100-0 most squishies in the mid-game.
The Panic Peel
→ Flash (Away) →
If a diver gets close, use immediately, Flash to create distance, and drop at your feet to slow them further as the stun ends.
Full Execution
→ →
After poking them down with basic spells, immediately channel to finish them off while they are still slowed or trying to retreat.
Power Spikes
| Spike | Why |
|---|---|
| Level 2 | Having both and allows you to land the slow-into-poke combo for early lane dominance. |
| Level 6 | gives you global-tier map pressure to help with jungle skirmishes or finish off low-HP bot laners. |
| Level 9 | With at max rank, your waveclear becomes instant, allowing you to pressure the map or take jungle camps. |
| Level 11 | Second point in adds an extra shot and significant base damage for mid-game objective control. |
| Level 16 | Max rank with multiple shots can solo-kill an ADC from across the map if you land 3-4 hits. |
Tips & Tricks
- •You can tap instantly for quick damage if an enemy is in melee range; don't bother charging it.
- • provides vision in its area. Use it to check bushes before walking near them.
- •When using , aim the first shot directly on them, then wait. Most players will zig-zag, making the subsequent shots easier to land if you take your time.
- •Always check the cooldown of before a trade. Proc it on the enemy champion to stay mana-healthy.
- •The stun duration on scales with distance. A point-blank is very short, so don't rely on it to save you from a Fed Zed.
- •Hold your charge to zone enemies. Just the threat of the beam often forces them to move predictably.
Common Mistakes
- ✕Charging for too long in vision→You move slower while charging, making you an easy target for enemy skillshots or hooks.
- ✕Using aggressively without vision of the enemy jungler→You lose your only defensive tool and become a free kill for any gank.
- ✕Panic-firing all shots at once→The enemy will easily dodge them with a single dash or movement change, wasting your ultimate.
- ✕Ignoring on champions→You will quickly run out of mana in sustained lanes, losing your ability to push or poke.
- ✕Positioning too close to your frontline→You get caught in AOE CC meant for tanks and die instantly due to your low base health.
AI-generated guide • Patch 16.2.1 • Cached