The Ultimate Aatrox Guide - Embrace the Darkin's Wrath

Aatrox Ultimate Guide (Latest Patch 13.15) - Embrace the Darkin's Wrath

What Dose Aatrox Abilities Do:

Aatrox's kit revolves around dealing damage and sustaining himself through battle. Let's break down his abilities:

Passive: Deathbringer Stance - Aatrox's attacks charge his Blood Well, empowering his next ability. Upon taking lethal damage, Aatrox enters his Blood Well, gaining a brief window to revive if he can deal or receive enough damage.

Q: The Darkin Blade - Aatrox swings his greatsword, damaging enemies in the area. Upon recasting the ability, he strikes again with increased range, knocking opponents up. Timing the recast is crucial for maximum impact.

W: Infernal Chains - Aatrox releases a chain in a target direction, damaging and slowing the first enemy hit. If he hits the same enemy or pulls them slightly, he immobilizes them and inflicts bonus damage.

E: Umbral Dash - This ability allows Aatrox to dash, enhancing his next basic attack to deal extra damage and slightly extend the dash upon striking an enemy. Properly utilizing this ability improves his mobility and trading potential.

R: World Ender - Aatrox's ultimate transforms him, granting bonus AD, increased healing from all sources, and a powerful mass resurrection upon scoring a takedown during its duration. It's a game-changer in team fights.

Summoner Spells

1. Flash is a must have in most champions in League of Legends anyway since it can be used offensively or defensively which makes it a great choice for most champions.

2. Teleport is good to impact the map after 10 minutes of the game mostly taken by most top laners since it can also help to go back to lane even quicker.

3. Ignite amazing choice if you play against another melee character in the top lane and you think you will be able to kill him with an ignite, then go for it!

Aatrox Itemizing Tips

Aatrox benefits from a mix of offensive and defensive items to amplify his strengths. Here are core items for him:

Goredrinker - This Mythic item provides omnivamp, a healing effect based on damage dealt, and an active ability that deals damage to nearby enemies, healing Aatrox for a portion of the damage dealt. It synergizes well with his sustain-oriented playstyle.

Sterak's Gage - Aatrox is often in the thick of team fights, making Sterak's a valuable choice. It grants bonus health, base attack damage, and a shield when taking burst damage.

Ravenous Hydra - This item enhances Aatrox's wave-clear and increases his omnivamp, granting him more healing from both abilities and basic attacks.

Guardian Angel - A defensive option that complements Aatrox's passive. It grants a second chance at life upon taking lethal damage, buying precious moments for his team to turn the tide.

Aatrox Runes

Primary Path - Precision:

1. Conqueror - This rune allows Aatrox to hear even more when he will stack this rune by using his abilities or auto attacks which is crucial for Aatrox since he is known to heal a lot and this rune allows him to do so!

2. Triumph - Pretty typical since there is no  other good second rune to take and the 25 gold more each kill and some HP back is always a nice touch.

3. Legend: Aclarity - When there are not a big impacting CC (Crowd Control) champions such as Malzahar & Leona then go for the extra attack speed which is Alacrity however if  they do have these kind of hard CC champions then it's better to go Legend Tenacity to shorten the duration of stuns on you.

Second Path - Resolve:

1. Bone Plating - Is the best against melee champions in the lane, if you are against a range champion then take Second Wind + buy Doran Shield since it combos so well to heal up from the poke of a range champion!

2. Unflinching - Always a good second choice due to the fact that all enemies will have some kind of CC (Crowd Control) these times and you just take it so you could actually move and cast your abelites more effectively during fights & skirmishes.

Stat Shards

1 & 2. 9 Adaptive (5.4 AD or 9AP) - This shard provides bonus AD, which our Aatrox needs and it will increases his damage output.

3. 6 Armor - This shard provides bonus armor so if you play against an AD champion in the lane take armor and if you play against a champion that dose Magic Damage then take Magic Resists.

Aatrox's Build/Items to Buy

Start Items

Doran's Shield - Buy it ONLY against Range top laners that poke you a lot, + you should of taken Second Wind as well to gain more health and survive the laning faces much easily.

Dorans' Blade - Buy it ONLY against melee match ups since Aatrox is the strongest against these kind of matchups and we want to give him some early power in the start with the purchase of extra damage + a bit of health that Doran's blade provides.

Health Potion - Of course you will have 50 gold left and the best choice is simply to spent it anyway on a Health Potion that will provide you 125 Health if you took a bad trade.

First Back Items (if a head)

Caufield Warhammer / Serrated Dirk - It's always good to purchase some damage when you are a head and got a kill for example to push your lead even further.

Refillable Potion - Just saves you a tone of gold due to the fast it refills itself each time you go back to base meaning you won't have to buy a potion ever again during the game which is awesome!

First Back Items (if behind)

Long Sword & Refillable Potion - So when you are behind just buy a little bit of damage and possibly a Refillable potion as well if you got enough gold to not buy any potions anymore.

Kindlegem - If you feel like you need to be more tanky since your opponent has a lot more health then you it's a good idea to buy kindlegem and build Back Clever out of it, it's especially good against a Malphite for example.

Cull - Pretty good if you got a passive lane and you just want to farm since you are unable to kill the enemy by yourself.

Cloth Armor - If you are against a heavy AD champion that dose a lot of auto attacks then it's good to buy some armor on the first back and build Plates Armor Shoes because Aatrox got a lot of damage when he hit his Q's and extra armor just helps him to survive and pull out his full combo on the opponents.

Null-Magic Mantle - Super good against mages as well and you could build Hexdrinker that is amazing vs burst champions that are AP.

Aatrox Full Build Example

Most of the time you will not build the same items but the core are:

1. Eclipse / Gorder Drinker

2. Black Clever

Now for a 3rd item you have to think yourself what you need in this example we got Serylda's Grudge due to the fact of us being super feed and extra damage will help to carry and close the game quicker.

In the mean time you should buy full shoes not on 4th item but most likely as a second after your Mythic.

Aatrox Abilities Skill Order

Here you can see the full skill order for Aatrox in the top lane.

Passive [Deathbringer Srance] - To utilize his passive the best and most effectively always try to auto the enemy first with it since it deals a lot more damage then your normal auto attack.

Q - You will aways start with [Q] there is no world you would ever need any other ability for the start of the game. It's also your main damage source, so remember to max it first.

W - You usually want to take the chain as 2nd 3rd of 4th ability it just kind of depends on your playstyle.

E - Most of the time you want it second since you can then reposition your [Q] much more easier, and you will be able to hit enemies easier too!

R - You always plan to max your Ultimate Ability [World Ender] whenever you can & always use it on full ins or team fights.

Dominating the Top Lane

Aatrox thrives in the top lane due to his sustain and dueling capabilities. Here are some laning tips:

Master Your Q Timing: Properly using the Q recast can secure kills or escape dangerous situations. Experiment with its range and timing to catch opponents off-guard.

Trade Wisely: Use your W and E to poke enemies and set up your all-ins. Timing your W's pull can lead to devastating combos.

Manage Your Blood Well: Always keep an eye on your passive's Blood Well. Engaging with your Blood Well charged can catch foes by surprise, turning the tide of duels.

How To Play Aatrox In Teamfights

In team fights, Aatrox can become a frontline threat or dive the backline with his ultimate. Here's how to shine in team fights:

• Positioning: Use your ultimate for the bonus AD and healing to survive in the frontline while dealing massive damage.
• Seek High-Value Targets: Dive into the backline during your ultimate to eliminate key squishy targets.
• Disrupt the Enemy: Properly use your Q and W to knock up and control enemy champions, disrupting their positioning and flow.

Aatrox When What To Build

Aatrox faces a variety of matchups in the top lane. Adapt your playstyle and build according to the opponent's strengths and weaknesses. Against tanks, consider building a Black Cleaver to shred their armor, while Executioner's Calling is valuable against champions with heavy healing.

How to play Aatrox in the Mid and Late Game

In the mid game when you are wanting to go into a side lane and pressure as much as possible if you are unable to win team fights with your team for objectives, if you are able to win them then of course go to these kind of fights. During the late game you are planning to speed push as much as possible in the side lanes and when an enemy comes to you, you will go back to mid lane when the action happens and try to make a fight in your favour 4 v 5 since the other enemy is collection a wave you just pushed in!

Aatrox Matchups

From tanky titans to agile assassins, each matchup poses unique challenges and opportunities so you just have to learn all of the matchups which could be a pain at first but when you put in the time and look how your favourite players play Aatrox into X champion then you will learn a lot quicker!

Aatrox Counter

In the latest League of Legends, patch 13.15 Aatrox have quite a bit of counters due to his nature of needing gameplay experience, within since his Q isn't always that easy to hit, and on top of that it's super long cooldown in the early game. We got some of the champions that will best best against, Aatrox CT (Aatrox Counter).

Fiora

Fiora is a strong duelist at dealing with champions that rely on sustained damage such as Aatrox. Her W ability, Riposte, can parry Aatrox's Q sweet spot and even his ultimate's Fear, completely negating his combo and turning it against him. Fiora's ultimate, Grand Challenge, allows her to mark Aatrox and deal true damage when she successfully hits his vitals, making it easier for her to win extended trades and all-ins.

Singed

Singed is extremely annoying with his unique playstyle and disruptive abilities, making him a strong counter to Aatrox. Singed's passive, Noxious Slipstream, grants him bonus movement speed, allowing him to kite Aatrox and avoid extended trades. His fling ability, Fling, can interrupt Aatrox's Q (The Darkin Blade) or R (World Ender) casts, disrupting his combo and preventing him from gaining the full benefit of his abilities. Also Singed's ultimate, (Insanity Potion) grants him bonus stats, making him tankier during trades and teamfights, which can help him withstand Aatrox's burst damage.

Irelia

Irelia's kit provides her with the tools to outmaneuver and outplay Aatrox. Her Q ability, Bladesurge, allows her to quickly dash to Aatrox and dodge his skill shots, making it difficult for him to land his Q sweetspots and maximize his damage. Her W ability, Defiant Dance, grants her damage reduction, reducing Aatrox's burst potential during all-ins. Moreover, Irelia's passive, Ionian Fervor, allows her to gain bonus attack speed and deal additional magic damage on-hit when she lands her abilities, making her trades more potent against Aatrox.

Warwick

Warwick is a natural counter to Aatrox due to his exceptional sustain and dueling potential. Warwick's passive, Eternal Hunger, heals him on-hit and is particularly effective against Aatrox, as it helps him mitigate Aatrox's damage and sustain through extended trades. Warwick's Q ability, Jaws of the Beast, grants him a significant burst of healing and damage reduction when activated, giving him an advantage in trading with Aatrox. Warwick's ultimate suppresses Aatrox, preventing him from using his abilities and healing during the duration which can be nice when he ults too, which can be a crucial factor in some fights.