The Rogue Sentinel is League of Legend’s newest champion and addition to the botlane. Here’s our tips on how to play him.
Akshan is an interesting take on the marksman class and traditional ADC role. Instead of being lined with skill shots, Akshan’s kit leans more toward a ranged assassin. Akshan also has some incredible amount of utility, in form of a revive and camouflage. This unique and unusual lineup of abilities give Akshan a very interesting early game and role in late game team fights. Akshan may seem broken on the surface, but mastery of this rogue ADC takes skill and practice. Here are our tips on how to dominate the rift as Akshan.
Akshan’s early game – Harass and trade
Akshan’s early game is not too different than most other ADCs, as your primary focus should be on CSing and getting ahead of your lane opponent. Your primary trading tools during this phase will be your passive (Dirty Fighting) and Q (Avengerang). You should always be trying to get your 3-hit passive to maximize damage and favorable trades. Thankfully, your Q hits build your passive and has a range extension every time it hits an enemy champion or minion.
Your W (Heroic Swing) is a great peel tool to avoid bottom lane jungle ganks. If you’re able to lock onto any terrain, you should be able to swing back under tower without expending a flash. This way, you can use your flash to be more aggressive and get the extra burst of damage should you get either of your opposing duo laners low.
Managing the mid-to-late game – Follow up and Revive
After getting an item or two under your belt, you should be ready to deal some damage in the big team fights. Here, your more utility based abilities and ultimate will be great tools. Should any single opponent kill one of your carries or multiple opponents, they should be your primary target. Your W (Going Rogue) is one of Akshan’s most useful abilities, as it revives any allies killed by a specific ‘scoundrel’ that you slay. This ability also grants Akshan a camouflage and directs you in their direction.
Your R (Comeuppance) is great for either burning down carries or finishing off low health targets. Essentially working as a Caitlyn + Lucien ultimate, once you’ve selected a target, few things can stop your barrage. This, along with your W will allow you to follow-up on winning fights and quickly take down any stragglers.
Akshan has the potential to be one of the most important team fight champions. Not in his ability to actually win a team fight, but to trade effectively. Even if a team loses a team fight, if Akshan gets a kill on the right target, it can prevent the enemy team from getting priority over a neutral objective or extending their advantage. As an Akshan player, you should always be aware of who you should target.
Itemization and Runes – Your typical ADC
Though more of an assassin in play than a marksman, his itemization is very similar to his ADC kin. Galeforce is a good first item rush as it provides AD but also gives an extra amount of mobility while giving a valuable execute. For your next few items, you should prioritize critical strike. This makes Essence Reaver the next logical choice for itemization.
Bloodthrister is a good sustain option, providing extra damage and healing on hit. Akshan is only effective if you can stay alive to utilize your most important abilities, such as your W and R. From this point on, you should build what is best for your specific game state. Guardian Angle is another good sustain option while other crit items can make you more of a tank buster.
Similar to your item builds, Akshan’s runes will follow that of a traditional ADC. This that either Press The Attack or Conqueror will be the way to go. Press The Attack is potentially the best option as your Heroic Swing can easily place you in range of your opponent.
Final Thoughts on Akshan
Akshan has been a rather controversial addition to the champion roster. He is one of the first marksman of his type, as though some champions like Kai’sa have assassin tendencies, none have the mix of burst damage and utility that Akshan carries. In professional play and solo queue Akshan may be a favorite solely because of his potential to stop teams from gaining massive numbers advantages. This will be an invaluable ADC to add to your champion pool.
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Image Credit: Riot Games