Veteran League of Legends players will recall Akali’s reign in the mid and top lanes, a testament to her overwhelming power. Riot Games’ rework turned her into an even more formidable champion, capable of daring tower dives with her newfound invisibility.
This made her a frequent ban in top-lane battles. Now, the key question lingers: in her current state, what is Akali’s primary damage type?
Keep your eyes on the prize as we delve into the heart of this mystery.
Key Takeaways
- Akali’s abilities improve with Ability Power (AP) and building AP items enhances their effectiveness.
- AD build is possible but less effective than AP, as Akali’s abilities naturally scale with AP.
- AP items provide increased utility and spell vamp, while AD items don’t harmonize with Akali’s abilities.
- AP-oriented build is recommended for Season 13 to maximize Akali’s impact in battles.
Akali’s Abilities
Akali’s abilities improve with Ability Power (AP), which means building AP items enhances her effectiveness.
Her ability set is tailored for quick, high-impact damage, and the Five Point Strike is key for both combat and minion clearing. Managing her energy is a critical aspect of gameplay, as her skills, especially Five Point Strike, use a good amount of it.
Her Twilight Shroud provides a tactical advantage through stealth and a spike in movement speed, but it’s not a tool for inflicting damage, which emphasizes the necessity of AP scaling for her other skills.
Perfect Execution, her ultimate, gains a significant advantage from AP, inflicting serious magic damage.
To effectively counter Akali, consider items and skills that provide spell shields, induce grounded effects, or disrupt dashes. Grasping these mechanics is beneficial for enhancing Akali’s performance during a match.
Is Akali AP or AD Champion?
Akali excels as an AP (Ability Power) champion, utilizing magic damage to perform her deadly combinations of moves in Season 13. Her abilities scale with AP, enhancing the power of her attacks.
AP Scaling Benefits
- Potential for greater burst of damage
- More potent scaling from the middle to the game’s later stages
AD Items Thoughts
- While AD items may be viable in specific scenarios, they typically don’t harmonize with her abilities
- AP items provide increased utility and spell vamp, both vital for Akali’s ability to maintain during combat
After careful consideration, the most effective strategy for building Akali centers on AP items that strengthen her spellcasting capabilities, allowing her to be an effective magic damage source.
Can You Play AD Akali in Season 13?
Attempting an AD build with Akali in Season 13 is possible, but typically it doesn’t yield the same level of effectiveness as her traditional AP configuration.
Her abilities naturally scale with Ability Power, which enhances her burst damage and her presence in fights. While Attack Damage can improve the strength of her auto-attacks, the connection with her abilities doesn’t stand out as much.
Additionally, Akali’s ability to penetrate enemy lines and take out priority targets is largely dependent on the power of AP items.
Opting for an AD build could lead to a reduced impact in battles; your capabilities to eliminate adversaries quickly could be lessened.
For those looking to amplify Akali’s deadly impact and ability to influence the game, maintaining her AP-oriented build is recommended for Season 13.
Best Item Build & Runes For AP Akali
Acknowledging the power of AP Akali, let’s examine the most effective item build and rune selections for enhancing her ability to cause high damage outputs in Season 13.
Core Items for AP Akali:
- Hextech Rocketbelt: Useful for closing gaps and adding to burst damage.
- Sorcerer’s Shoes: They help in increasing magic damage penetration.
- Shadowflame: Provides extra damage and is particularly effective against protective shields.
- Zhonya’s Hourglass: Offers vital durability and the potential for impactful plays with its stasis effect.
- Void Staff: Important for cutting through opponents’ magic defense.
- Rabadon’s Deathcap: Significantly increases AP, leading to greater damage.
Recommended Runes:
- Domination Tree: Electrocute, Sudden Impact, Eyeball Collection, Ultimate Hunter.
- Precision Tree: Presence of Mind, Legend: Tenacity.
- Shards: Adaptive Force, Adaptive Force, Magic Resist.
Adhere to this setup, and you’ll be able to make the most of Akali’s AP capabilities effectively.
Best Item Build & Runes For AD Akali
Let’s examine the optimal AD build and rune choices for Akali that you can use in Season 13 to bring out her potential through a unique playstyle.
Begin with Divine Sunderer to strike a balance between damage and sustainability. Depending on the threat level of your adversaries, select either Plated Steelcaps or Mercury’s Treads.
Next, add Titanic Hydra for improved wave clear and additional damage, followed by Sterak’s Gage to increase your durability and provide a shield for skirmishes. Guardian Angel provides a second chance with its resurrection ability.
To complete your build, choose Black Cleaver for armor reduction or Maw of Malmortius for magic resistance, based on the composition of your opponents.
For rune selection, the Precision tree should be your starting point. Conqueror works well with Akali’s abilities, quickly accumulating damage.
Presence of Mind is key for managing your energy, while Legend: Tenacity and Last Stand bolster your resilience and damage output when you’re under pressure.
Within the Resolve tree, Second Wind provides relief from continuous damage, and Unflinching makes it easier to close in on your targets.
This AD strategy may not be mainstream, but it offers an entertaining variation to playing Akali.
Conclusion
In the dance of blades and shadows, Akali excels with her AP build, a crescendo of magic damage that outperforms AD compositions in Season 13.
Like a painter whose strokes are more vibrant with a particular palette, Akali’s kit is designed to shine with Ability Power, making her a lethal assassin on the Rift.
Remember, while AD Akali can surprise, it’s her AP symphony that orchestrates the downfall of her foes with deadly precision.