Aatrox strategies, please share your's
Regardless of what anyone else thinks, I really like this rework. I honestly hated the old Aatrox, and am glad he got a change. The one thing I like the most is that he has a high skillcap, I have only played two games with him and understand that it will likely take me hundreds more before I can play him as well as I intend to.
Before going through the strategies I take, I would first like to say that Aatrox is suited for both the Jungle and Top lane, though I will be focusing on his Jungle aspects since I'm a Jungle main.
The reason behind him being more viable in the jungle, is the need for surprise in his kit. While in lane, the likelihood of someone sitting in the W long enough for it to pull them back to the center is very slim, though by ganking and with added CC from other champions, it allows the W to work effectively.
I also recommend for people wanting to get extra practice on Aatrox to be in the jungle, as it gives you a warm-up period. Especially playing him for the first time, you will likely miss a large amount of his Q displacements. It is better to have these misses occur in a Jungle while you get used to him and his movements then for it to occur in lane where a misstep can cost it for you.
For starting out in the Jungle, take his Q (The Darkin Blade) first.
My typical path for nearly all champions since the scuttle changes has been:
Bottom Camp -> Red/Blue Buff -> Scuttle/Wolves/Raptors -> Scuttle (if haven't completed) ->Clear rest of camps/Gank
I would like to explain how my Jungle clears work. The reason I always path to the buffs is to prevent any counter-jungler from interrupting my pathing. I play a safe form of Jungling.
This is accomplished by:
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Warding the bottom sides river bush at 1:10 (Can be a few seconds later, I picked this time since it's easy).
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Clearing both Major camp's first, and watching the ward you placed in the river.
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If the enemy Jungler shows vision on your ward, you move to the top sides scuttle crab, if not, move to the bottom sides scuttle crab.
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If the enemy appears at the bottom sides scuttle crab (taking the bad path), take raptors or wolves (Whichever you are closest to) and path yourself to scuttle. The reason behind this is that the other jungler will most likely not attempt to move towards the other scuttle crab, and it will be safe for you to take as they move to their other camps.
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As an added form of safety, start your scuttle crab to where you will cause it to run away from the mid lane (this helps prevent an enemy Jungler from walking past, and gives you more time to clear it in-case they decide to go for both.
My Current strategies: (Will update as I find more)
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Hold onto one E charge and only use it for the 3rd attack in Aatrox's Q combination. The reason for holding onto this ability is that his 3rd Q attack not only deals the most damage, it is far more reliable to land, and put's you in auto attack range if landed properly.
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Before using your first Q combination, start by landing your W first. With the chains landed, Aatrox's first Q should be easier to hit due to the enemy being slowed. This makes it easier to then land his first Q (Which if landed, almost guarantee's that they are pulled into the center), allowing you to set-up the rest of your combo.
Keystones
(Note: If this is hard to see, you can zoom in using CTRL+Up on the mouse wheel, or go to the Imgur picture) _ A few Key-Keystones I would like to highlight:_
Conqueror: I take this to help him deal more damage using his Q combo, as fights with Aatrox will typically last long enough to gain the effects of this keystone.
Bloodline: The reason I take bloodline is because Aatrox is not an auto attack champion. His kit is designed to be centered around his Q and his Passive. Taking bloodline with him will boost his healing capabilities.
Nimbus Cloak: Nimbus Cloak is a good rune for Aatrox as it works in tandem with his Ultimate, allowing him to gain a large amount of movement speed and enter fights at a higher pace.
Celerity: I also take Celerity as it will grant more damage with Aatrox's Ultimate, and used with Nimbus Cloak makes for a killer combo.
If anyone has any other strategies that they have found that can help people out, please share. Thank you!
