Fiora build help

Zerenza·Oct 17, 2016·1 votes·814 views

So lately i'v been playing fiora more and using this build that i saw (can't remember where i saw it)

Now the issue i have with this build is that i just don't know why it's been working, it looks bad on paper and i just don't get it. Why does this work?

I should add that from time to time i don't get bloodthirster or phantom dancer and instead get tank items such as.

But the core build is the one above and it's been working pretty well for me, especially getting Tri-Force into Steraks.

6 Comments

AnonagonOct 17, 20162 votes

I don't want to completely disregard your build without having tried it, but I'm willing to bet its suboptimal. In particular, Phantom Dancer and Sterak's seem like bad choices, and not getting Hydra (or at least Tiamat) first also seems very bad.

ZerenzaOct 17, 20161 votes

I'v confirmed that it's optimal, i'v played three games with fiora since posting this and lost all three in row when i build Hydra/Tiamat first. But before that i won 5 in row while building Tri-Force+Steraks+Bloodthirster. It's actually pretty rare i get Phantom Dancer, it's only if i'm super far ahead and want to end quickly. The reason steraks is good in most situations is because first, unlike Maw the sheild blocks everything, so building against teams with high burst but aren't AP is very good and right now the ADC, Top and Jungle meta is very bursty (Jhin ADC, Graves JG and Bruiser tops just to name a few things that steraks stops.) it also gives a good base AD boost so it sinergizes with Trinity Force's SpellBlade proc. Blood thirster will let you out life steal most ADC's and Top laner's in 1v1s and that's important to fiora. Phantom Dancer i like as a personal choice but if i don't build it i get a resistance item.

AnonagonOct 17, 20161 votes

That's not confirming it optimal at all. Your personal experiences aren't everything. Even if that build works for you, there's a reason most Fiora players either go Hydra>Cleaver or Tiamat>Trinity>Hydra.

On Phantom Dancer, I just can't see it. Attack Speed is okay but not super useful - AD, CDR, and Pen are all more useful offensive stats, because on Fiora the goal isn't to sit and auto someone to death, its to dance around them, doing the majority of your damage with Q and Passive. Crit is flat out not useful - you don't need it to kill squishies, and more AD or Pen is better for killing tanks. Your E actually prevents some benefit you could potentially get from crit. And the movement speed and passive, while both very useful, aren't really good reasons to buy them item over something that provides more damage.

On Sterak's, it's alright but I certainly wouldn't think its the best defensive item choice for Fiora. In most games, BT and GA are enough for defense (though of course you could sell GA if you're full build and its on cooldown). Getting a primarily defensive item second actually kind of wastes your lead, if you have one. While the AD it provides is useful, the shield isn't actually particularly good on her, because A) it requires you to lose a flat amount of health thats ~80% of your HP to trigger, and B) the shield is based on maxHP, which you aren't really itemizing for.

Better choices for either of these items would be Maw, Death's Dance, and Mercurial.

ZerenzaOct 17, 20161 votes

Again as i said, i usually don't get phantom dancer because i get a defensive item anyway. Steraks is better than Maw when building triforce, maw only block magic damage and only activates when your at 30% HP if i build triforce and a tank item like say visage then steraks activates faster and blocks the AD and AP damage i'll be taking so i think its better. To each his own, but this item has never failed me.

I do notice a severe problem with farming if i don't have Tiamat but i feel i can deal with that and have found that i can deal with it pretty easily. Steraks may be primarily defensive but Trinity force is an incredible item and the way her Q+Spellblade can dish out enormous damage seems to be exactly the same amount of damage that i'd get out of hydra and some other item. I do like deaths dance though, i was going to mention it as a replacement for phantom dancer cause i did use it at one point. I think the build was Bloodthirster+Deaths Dance+Mercury Treads but we ended the game so i didn't get to finish it. I belive i was building into hydra.

Anyway i'v found building your hydra item second or third to be more effective overall and i'm going to stick with this build and variations until either it gets nerfed or i just find it less effective on my own.

MLDzXnRRROct 17, 20161 votes

It works, because you kill everyone? Seriously, if you don't get 1shotted by any AOE or single target burst, few champions can outdamage you with such items.

ZerenzaOct 17, 20161 votes

Good point, the 12% damage reduction on phantom dancer, life steal, extra health from Force+Steraks and the double shield probably help with not being bursted too.