League of Legends - Akali Champion Strategy and Item Build Guide

Akali

Basic Information

Champion Stats

Lore

Skills

Icon	Description
	Twin Disciplines (Cooldown: 8/7/6/5/4)INNATE: Akali’s first two attacks are empowered. The first strike heals her, and the second strike deals bonus magic damage. Twin Disciplines will recharge itself automatically a short while after being used.
	Mark of the Assassin (Target Range: 600, Cost: 60 Energy,  Cooldown: 6/5.5/5/4.5/4)ACTIVE: Akali spins her kama at a target enemy to deal Magic Damage and mark the target for 6 seconds. Akali’s melee attacks against a marked target will trigger and consume the mark to cause additional damage and restore Energy.Akali throws her kama at a target enemy to deal 35/55/75/95/115 (+40% Ability Power) magic damage and mark the target for 6 seconds.Akali’s melee attacks against a marked target will consume the mark to deal 45/70/95/120/145 (+50% Ability Power) magic damage and restore 40 energy.
	Twilight Shroud (Target Range: 270, Effect Radius: 475, Cost: 60/55/50/45/40 Energy, Cooldown: 20, Slow: 14/18/22/26/30% Movement Speed: 20/40/60/80/100%)ACTIVE: Akali teleports to a nearby location, leaving a cover of smoke at her previous location. While inside the shroud, Akali becomes Invisible and gains Movement Speed. Attacking or using abilities will briefly reveal her. Enemies inside the smoke have their Movement Speed reduced.Akali teleports to a nearby location, leaving a cover of smoke at her previous location that lasts for 8 seconds and slows enemies within its area by 14/18/22/26/30%.While inside the shroud Akali gains Invisibility and 20/40/60/80/100% movement speed. Attacking or using abilities briefly removes Invisibility.Stealth – Invisible: Akali can only be revealed by nearby enemy Turrets.
	Crescent Slash (Effect Radius: 300, Cost: 60/55/50/45/40 Energy, Cooldown: 5/4.5/4/3.5)ACTIVE: Akali flourishes her kamas, dealing damage based on her bonus Attack Damage and Ability Power. When Crescent Slash kills a unit, it has a shorter cooldown.Akali flourishes her kamas, slicing enemies for 70/100/130/160/190 (+80%bonus Attack Damage) (+60% Ability Power) physical damage.If Crescent Slash kills an enemy, its cooldown is refunded by 60%.
	Shadow Dance (Target Range: 700, Speed: 2000, Cost: 1 Essence of Shadow; Cooldown: 2, Recharge Time: 30/22.5/15) PASSIVE: Akali moves through shadows to quickly strike through her target, dealing damage and consuming an Essence of Shadow charge. Akali recharges Essence of Shadow charges periodically, max 3 stacks. ACTIVE: Akali quickly strikes through her target, dealing 50/100/150 (+25% Ability Power) magic damage.Akali stores an Essence of Shadow on kills and assists as well as every 30/22.5/15 seconds up to 3 total.

Strategy

• Focus on enemy squishes first by using your combo (Q) Mark of the Assassin + (R) Shadow Dance + Auto Attack + (Q) Mark of the Assassin + Auto attack + (E) Crescent Slash. This combo alone can one shot a squishy carry given that you already have your core items.
• It is sometimes better to save your charges on (R) Shadow Dance when engaging an enemy instead of starting a fight with only one charge.
• Make sure to auto attack a champion after using (Q) Mark of the Assassin to maximize your damage on them.
• (W) Twilight Shroud is a good starter for a team fight since the enemies can’t see you until you attack or use an ability. Cast this in the middle of a team fight and position yourself near their carries so you can have a chance to kill them and apply pressure on the remaining members.
• (W) Twilight Shroud is also good for escaping, especially if you’re in tight spaces or near allied turrets. It’s best to use this near brushes and choke points. Furthermore, offensively, cast this skill to slow down enemies.

Runes & Masteries

COMING SOON

Summoner Spells

Mid Lane		Top Lane
Ignite	Flash	Teleport	Flash

Item Builds

Mid Lane/Top Lane

Starter Items

Starter Items
Amplifying Tome	Health Potion	Warding Totem

Core Items

Core Items
Hextech Gunblade	Luden’s Echo	Sorcerer’s Shoes

Hextech Gunblade – This will be your core item for Akali. Hextech Gunblade gives you attack damage and ability power which Akali needs. Moreover, this item also heals Akali while the active slows any target and deals magic damage. Everything about Hextech Gunblade fits perfectly with Akali.

Luden’s Echo –  Luden’s Echo increases your ability power and movement speed. Akali will become more agile and painful once she gets this item. Moreover, this item helps her farm in-lane, as well as provide lane pressure.

Sorcerer’s Shoes – A standard boots upgrade, Sorcerer’s Shoes gives Akali good movement speed and magic penetration. Alternatively, you can opt to buy Mercury’s Treads if the enemy has heavy Crowd Control.

Full Build

Full Build
Hextech Gunblade	Luden’s Echo	Rabadon’s Deathcap
Lich Bane	Rylai’s Crystal Scepter	Sorcerer’s Shoes

Rabadon’s Deathcap – Rabadon’s Deathcap further increases your ability power. This item makes Akali a very bursty assassin champion, especially if she is far ahead in the game.

Lich Bane – Lich Bane increases your damage after using an ability. This is a good item for Akali because she can proc the passive the moment she uses Shadow Dance to initiate. Moreover, this item can also be stacked with Mark of the Assassin to deal more damage.

Rylai’s Crystal Scepter – Rylai’s Crystal Scepter slows the enemy when you cast an ability on them. This allows you to stick to high-priority targets, as well as those pesky high-mobility enemy champions.

Situational Items

Situational Items
Void Staff	Dead Man’s Plate	Guardian Angel
Mejai’s Soulstealer

Void Staff – Void staff further increases his damage as an AP assassin, especially if the enemy has built a lot of magic resistance items to counter your burst damage.

Dead Man’s Plate – Build this item if you want to last longer in team fights. Furthermore, extra movement speed also gives you more power in roaming and ganking enemies.

Guardian Angel –  Get Guardian Angel if you think that the extra life is worth it. In addition to the resurrection, the added damage is also a plus in this item since some of your skills also scale well with attack damage.

Mejai’s Soulstealer – This item is a high risk, high reward option because of the bonus Ability Power stacks you get per kill or assist. If you are confident on your composition and believe that you might get a lead in the game, get this item. However, if you get killed, you will lose most of the stacks.

Playing Against

• Akali needs to be close to be effective in team fights. Use any means necessary to knock her back and keep her away from your squishies.
• Don’t let her attack you after she uses (Q) Mark of the Assassin because she will deal more damage on you especially if she combines it with (R) Shadow Dance and (E) Crescent Slash.
• (R) Shadow Dance can sometimes have 3 charges which can be a great gap closer to your squishes. Make sure that you always apply crowd control on her before she even uses her ultimate.
• Whenever she uses her (Q) Mark of the Assassin on you, be on your guard. Chances are she will all-in you with her combo.
• Even though she is stealthed, Akali can still be damaged by AoE skills even if she is inside her (W) Twilight Shroud. Some Akali players will also try to activate (W) Twilight Shroud near a bush to try and juke an enemy. If this happens quickly ward the nearest bush and wait outside the shroud. Staying inside it will decrease your movement speed, making it harder for you to chase her.

Hard Counters

• Rumble – Rumble’s Flamespitter and The Equalizer can deal constant damage to Akali even if she has her (W) Twilight Shroud active. Rumble can also out-damage Akali and avoid damage with Scrap Shield and can time when to overheat or not.
• Mordekaiser – Mordekaiser can kill an Akali easily in a 1v1 situation. Mace of Spades and Children of the Grave can melt Akali. His shield can also negate most of the damage she will deal. Finally, Siphon of Destruction can also damage Akali even if she is inside the (W) Twilight Shroud. 
• Garen – Garen can silence Akali with Decisive Strike, forcing Akali to just run away since she can’t do anything without her abilities. He can also use Judgement when she uses (W) Twilight Shroud, still damaging her even if she is camouflaged.

Strategy Video

COMING SOON

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