Should i be rushing seraphs or ludens on xerath?

I've likely have played more Xerath than all the other champs combined. As a Xerath main (I know, weird, we actually exist) I say ALWAYS Ludens. Xerath is extremely weak and almost useless fighting early on without kills, if you want to have any teamfight/map presence by the mid game (level 9-14) you need Ludens. It'll get you more kills, get you more gold, get you more fed in the late game than Seraphs ever will. Get Coupe De Grace, Arcane Comet + and Ludens burst, you'll be killing ADC's 1 or 2 levels below you at just below 50% health with a single Q. Xerath should worry ONLY about damage. The one exception might be a stopwatch, but even then I like to go Mejai's over Zhonyas, if it's safe to. (If they don't have REDICULOUS gap closers, like Zed, LB, ZED or EKKO). Even with those champs, if you farm well you can BULLY THEM out of lane before they get the nards to assassinate you. You obvious should be playing at a range that you should not be able to be touched. If you have more than 3 deaths as Xerath you are playing him wrong. I play Xerath with this rule "If I'm touched at all, I'm dead." That being said, I don't like to put myself in a situation where I need to use Seraph's active in the first place, if I'm in that situation, I should have been more aware and positioned myself better. In the end, I'd say 100% Ludens on Xerath. Hope this helped!

I'd say depends on how easily you can get dived. If the enemy team doesn't have much mobility I think ludens would be better. If they have one or more champs like zac/kha'zix I'd say seraphs is better for the shield it gives

If the enemy team has enough divers/assassins or your lane is one that you're looking to just push out and survive, go tear -> ludens. If you can afford to be more aggressive or that they can't really pressure you, it would probably be better to just rush ludens and fall back to ROA/Zhonyas/etc if you change your mind

Ludens, unless you see a strange need to have a defensive item. In that case hourglass will probably be better.

Xerath does not need the MP unless he is being forced to fight from way behind the wave.

Cool thing about the new mage items is that it's completely up to you. Both are fine options, try new things.

I would say Luden's is best but Seraph's is good if you really need the active vs burst (assassins/divers). Basically if you need a AP . You shouldn't need the extra 1000 mana because your passive gives you mana.

thanks for the replies!! i usually go seraphs when i play him because i feel he needs the mana but maybe i just need to get some practice on mana management with him and just go ludens. my typical core build that i have been using goes seraphs-morello-liandries. usually i have to deal with swain these days so i get morello for his healing and also for the flat pen. and liandries for the poke/burn. is this a normal build for xerath?

Depends, if you want seraphs in the match you are playing i say get it, if you feel you need an earlier burst or cdr then go ludens.