When I build AP on Udyr - and I always do - people lose their goats on me about what a troll I am. They call me every name in the Great Lexicon of League Insults, and occasionally some things I've never been called before, all because I chose to build AP on Udyr. "WHY?!" they demand to know.

"WHY THE **** WOULD YOU BUILD AP ON UDYR YOU ******* ********** ****!???!?!?!!!?!"

I build AP on Udyr because he !!!!scales with AP!!!!. I know pretty much none of the the 60+ "Starmetal-Tier Udyr Main" NA streamers are aware of this, but !!!!Udyr has an R ability!!!!. Yeah. It's there. I know, it's shocking right? His R is actually extremely useful. It procs an area of effect pulse every 3rd basic attack that scales with 60% of his AP. This means at only 100 AP, you're getting 60 bonus damage in a cone. Further, you're getting even higher scaling from the AoE pulse that comes off him every second after activation.

What's more, his shield scales with AP. For every 100 AP, he's getting an extra 50 health out of that shield. A shield he can activate every 6 seconds. At a solid 400 AP, you're talking +200 effective HP every 6 seconds, just from that one ability.

Here's the dirty secret everyone seems to think I'm trying to keep from the community at large: Udyr is quite possibly the strongest wave clearer in the game. If and only if he builds AP. "But Shingetsu!" I hear you say. "You're an absolute dingus! If he builds AD and attack speed, he does more damage to towers! THAT'S how you splitpush!"

No, dear stranger, it is not. Anyone with attack speed can backdoor an inhibitor. The hard part is getting those turrets down, and for that, you need wave clear. Singed has nothing on AP Udyr's wave clear. Best part, this has defensive applications as well. Lost inhibis and pressured on two lanes? Don't let the enemy roam free uncontested. Send your team out while you crush the super minion waves in 4 seconds flat.

and you'll be a splitpushing machine, let no one tell you different. And if teamfights become an issue, master the swerve in > R > swerve out strategy and you'll be bursting their whole team down while they stack armor to protect against Classic Udyr and the Season 7 Attack Destroyer Meta.

So do yourself a favor and the next time you play Udyr, start with . It's time to unleash the true power of the phoenix.