Volibear, a formidable force in League of Legends, presents a strategic dilemma: is he more devastating with Attack Damage (AD) or Ability Power (AP)?
Whether as a jungler or top laner, his build significantly influences his battlefield efficacy. Choose AD and tank items to enhance his E and R abilities, or opt for AP to boost shielding and maximize attack speed at full stacks.
This crucial decision not only shapes Volibear’s playstyle but also can be the deciding factor between victory and defeat in the heat of battle.
Key Takeaways
Volibear in Season 13 primarily scales with Attack Damage (AD), favoring items that enhance physical damage. While some abilities have AP ratios, his core gameplay and optimal item builds revolve around AD, making him more effective as an AD champion. Focus on AD items for maximum impact.
Volibear’s Abilities
To determine if Volibear’s build should focus on AP or AD, examining his abilities and their scalings is necessary.
Volibear’s Q ability, ‘Thundering Smash’, augments his next attack with additional AD scaling, making it more effective with physical damage builds.
His W, ‘Frenzied Maul’, gains from AD as well, with a bite that becomes stronger with bonus AD.
On the other side, his E ability, ‘Sky Splitter’, and his ultimate, ‘Stormbringer’, both have AP scaling, enabling them to inflict considerable magic damage.
This variation in scaling points to the possibility of tailoring Volibear’s build to favor AP or AD, depending on which abilities you want to enhance for your play style.
Is Volibear AP or AD Champion?
In the game League of Legends, players have the option to equip Volibear with items that enhance either his AP (Ability Power) or AD (Attack Damage) stats. This choice allows for a flexible approach to gameplay, suiting various scenarios you may encounter.
Opting for an AP setup, Volibear’s E – Sky Splitter and R – Stormbringer abilities receive a considerable magic damage increase from the ability power scaling.
On the flip side, focusing on AD items improves his basic attacks and Q – Thundering Smash, providing him with a stronger physical damage presence during fights.
Your decision on whether to gear Volibear towards AP or AD should take into account the makeup of your team and the role you want him to fulfill.
If your strategy is to have Volibear as a durable fighter on the front lines, an AD-centric approach may be more beneficial. Alternatively, if you aim for a role where Volibear can deal a large amount of damage quickly, an AP focus might be more suitable.
Careful consideration of both your allies’ and opponents’ selections will guide you in choosing a path that ensures Volibear has a substantial effect in your matches.
Can You Play AP Volibear in Season 13?
Season 13’s meta-game allows you to experiment with AP Volibear, leveraging his potent magic damage abilities to surprise opponents and diversify your team’s damage profile.
As you consider this unconventional build, analyze the abilities that scale with AP and the potential burst damage you can unleash. The scalability of AP items combined with Volibear’s kit can result in a formidable hybrid playstyle.
| Ability | AP Scaling | Impact on Gameplay |
|---|---|---|
| Q – Thundering Smash | None | Primarily for engage/disengage |
| W – Frenzied Maul | Low | Not a focus for AP build |
| E – Sky Splitter | High | Significant magic damage source |
| R – Stormbringer | High | Large AOE magic damage |
| Passive | None | Unaffected by AP |
AP Volibear is a niche yet viable option in Season 13, especially when your team composition lacks magic damage or when you want to catch enemies off-guard with unexpected burst damage.
Best Item Build & Runes For AD Volibear
During Season 13, an optimal AD Volibear build concentrates on items and runes that amplify his physical damage capabilities and resilience.
Choosing the appropriate items and runes is vital to ensure Volibear’s performance is at its peak during confrontations.
Here’s a brief overview of key AD items for Volibear:
- Iceborn Gauntlet: This item is critical for providing armor and ability haste. Its Spellblade passive works well with Volibear’s skill set, enhancing his subsequent basic attack.
- Sterak’s Gage: This item grants additional health and a protective shield in the midst of battle, which can significantly increase your chances of survival.
- Dead Man’s Plate: This item contributes to both health and armor, and its passive effect increases your movement speed and strengthens your ensuing basic attack.
When selecting runes, give priority to Press the Attack for increased damage output. Include runes such as Legend: Tenacity and Last Stand to improve your resilience and damage potential when your health is low.
Best Item Build & Runes For AP Volibear
For players aiming to maximize Volibear’s magic damage output, an AP-focused gear setup is beneficial due to his abilities’ scaling with AP and his potential for sudden high damage.
Begin with Nashor’s Tooth, which increases both attack speed and AP, enhancing your standard attacks and the damage dealt by your abilities.
Select Riftmaker as your core item—it provides additional AP, health, and omnivamp, and its passive gradually increases your damage during combat.
When countering AD opponents, equip Plated Steelcaps to gain armor and diminish incoming damage from their standard attacks.
Hullbreaker is an excellent choice for enhancing your ability to push lanes, offering bonuses to tower damage and providing resistances. Add Spirit Visage into your build to augment your magic resistance and amplify the healing effects of your W.
For runes, prioritize the Precision tree with Lethal Tempo, Triumph, Legend: Alacrity, and Last Stand. These can be complemented with Demolish and Revitalize from the Resolve tree. For your rune shards, select attack speed, adaptive force, and armor.
Conclusion
In conclusion, you’ve seen that Volibear can flex between AP and AD builds, each with unique strengths.
For Season 13, while AD Volibear dominates as a tanky bruiser, don’t discount AP Volibear’s burst potential in the right hands.
Imagine shredding through a squishy ADC with a single Sky Splitter—satisfying, right?
Optimize your build and runes based on your playstyle and the match at hand, and you’ll be the storm terrorizing the Rift in no time.