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Dark Horses: Support Brand

Riot··8 votes·192,257 views
Welcome to Dark Horses, where we dive deep, looking for your sleeper picks and why they might be ready to wake up. This go round, we’re lighting a fire under Support Brand.

Brand-aid

Ignite duo lanes with Brand’s signature mix of damage, crowd control and damage. Sustain? That’s for wimps. Feed your marksman a ham sandwich and these five facts when they whine about Brand heading to a duo lane.

Dat Base Damage

Supports need either high base damages or built-in utility to reliably succeed. Support Brand’s got the former in spades. Playing his level 6 combo to perfection nearly doubles the base damage potential of other “bursty” supports like Annie or Karma. Kill secured.

Easy Spellthief’s, easy life

You know what’s hot? Brand. You know what takes heat? Coin-making. Support Brand stacks serious change. Blaze, his passive, applies a mark that deals damage-over-time each time you land a spell. Each tick of his passive procs Spellthief’s Edge. That means if the Edge is fully charged, you earn 15 gold for landing just one spell.

Stunning

Brand’s coveted stun requires you to land two spells in a row, but we know you can do it: You’re the chosen one. Just land Sear, Brand’s long-range skillshot after knocking your opponent around with any other spell, and you’ve landed a stun that lasts longer than a Sona ult.

Pyroclasm makes more sense in a duo lane

In a duo lane, Pyroclasm hits two champions, not one. 2 > 1


Waveclear as Support

You ever try to clear a wave with Nami? Brand’s combination of high base damage and AoE spells mean he clears waves and nudges lanes in the right direction when his teammates are too busy doing whatever carries do.


Brand management

Naturally, some of Brand’s weaknesses follow him to botlane. He’s still immobile, making him eminently dousable for aggressive, tanky supports like Leona. Similarly, shielding supports like Lulu act as effective flame retardants, blunting the impact of Brand’s potent damage.

Brand is predictable

Brand’s spells need to combo to stun you forever. Meaning that when he casts one spell, it’s easy to sort out what’s coming next. Did you just dodge a Sear? His stun is down. Did you just dodge Pillar of Flame? A huge portion of his damage potential is gone. Now, punish him.

Limited mobility

Brand doesn’t go anywhere fast, leaving him vulnerable to crowd control. Incidentally, Pillar of Flame can push lanes when Brand’s trying to poke. If he’s pushing the lane, he’s making himself an even juicier target for your jungler.

Brand’s spells come all at once

Like we mentioned earlier, Brand’s all about the combo. This translates to long stretches of vulnerability during Brand’s spell-slinging hangover. If you’re still standing, now’s the time to counter-attack.


Whether you take him to a solo or duo lane, you can do it on the cheap through December 1. Brand is 440 RP (50% off 880 RP), and Cryocore Brand is 487 RP (50% off 975 RP). In short, yes, we do have your Brand.

901 Comments

DJ RNGD373 votes

Glad to see Rito enforcing metabreaking

GetToTheLantern66 votes

Well here we go Blitzcrank Thresh duo bot and Lux Morgana duo bot lol adc support duo has been killed off riot approved.

I Main Swain21 votes

MY GOSH SOMEBODY PLEASE PLAY Morgana Malzahar DUO BOT AND TELL ME WHAT ITS LIKE!!!!!!

Alexiterio38 votes

I've done it. It's hot.

Kolty130 votes

not as hot as Brand support

Hacccchan19 votes

oh gosh no plzitem 3068

Gorganmite23 votes

Just played a game as morg with a lux apc duo bot. we owned, double snares, shields, it was glorious.

There is more than just 1 meta.

Jaero X110 votes

MasterYi Jax 16 eyes are better than 4 edit 1: or is it 14? :P

Grimm Leviathan153 votes

It's 13...

I Sorry74 votes

21?

sir drinks alot134 votes

"Master Yi" and "Jax" master yi has 7 eyes and one "i" in his name totaling to 8, Jax has 6 eyes and 0 "i"'s in his name totaling to 6, 8+6=14, mind blown

Weegmuz71 votes

"Master Yi" and "Jax" master yi has 7 eyes and one "i" in his name totaling to 8, Jax has 6 eyes and 0 "i"'s in his name totaling to 6, 8+6=14, mind blown

League of Legends 2 confirmed

willcarry4gold30 votes

LeeSin eyes are for the weak

SnowStrider228 votes

So, is this because of patch 4.20 Blaze? Brand summoner 14

Styled213 votes

You could say there is a .... new Brand of Supports

Monsieur McClunk102 votes

that pun really pissed me off. one might say that im hot headed

Sk8erclone25117 votes

whoever at rito is allowing these awful puns should be fired.

Hacccchan41 votes

STOP PLZ item 3070

gonzo198425 votes

lmao...these puns are all in the HEAT of the moment!

Dedication66 votes

I know they need Brand new ones :(

Brolgeta25 votes

I'll cool it down Nunu

Get Singed162 votes

MasterYi They can't have my Brand. I have special eyes. Brand Look! Look with your special eyes. MasterYi My Brand!

Nac32655 votes

begins slow clap

Mr Bestregards126 votes

Look! Look with your special eyes!

MY BRAND!

Dateline NBC103 votes

I was expecting a Katy Perry brand skin.

I'm disappointed in you rito.

FluxBound155 votes

He coulda been a firework

excuse me um ily63 votes

Or maybe he wanted to play with magic? item 1052

Rèlax62 votes

This champ is going to cause a lot of flaming in the bot lane.

Daen58 votes

This is...odd.

helligdage56 votes

guy i know mains support brand.

he's gonna flip his shit when he sees this

DBRAINFREEZE52 votes

In my day, Riot would enforce the meta... Zilean Ahhh, how have things changed...

Snow Day Kled45 votes

Rito Brand is my secret weapon please dont go telling people about him. (mid lane brand fo life)

master person22244 votes

Zac Is your secret weapon you just don't want anyone to know.

Firasource12 votes

Don't advertise him! I like that not many people use him... IE: I'm selfish

ASTROFORCE45 votes

Man, I love taking ignite on brand, makes me feel like I have 5 spellssummoner 14 summoner 14 summoner 14 #reditems4days item 3174 item 3409 item 2037 item 3160 item 3714 item 3067 item 3060 item 2140 item 3050 item 3072 item 3100 item 3074 item 3089 item 3085 item 3364 item 3075 item 3046

Blind Vengeance97 votes

#whereisredpot

Lazerpanda27 votes

Dead on Summoner's Rift

Primac of Agusta50 votes

item 3003 item 3415 item 1076 item 3710 item 3267 item 3275 item 3098 item 1039 item 3004 item 3042 item 1063 item 3191 item 3206 item 3197 item 3090 item 3157 item 3135 Clairvoyance summoner 13 summoner 1 summoner 6

master person22222 votes

Why no item 2039 oritem 3258

D2Vincent41 votes

Can the next "Dark Horses" episode be Jungle Karthus please?

Boi Got Clout18 votes

if the new jungle didnt butcher it then i would hope so

What Is Smite5 votes

Pants Are Dragon has Karthus jungle in his list for Season 5 Junglers, he's not dead yet

Vissisium99 votes

Actually karthus is dead unless the lore is wrong.

Yasuo Noíse23 votes

If Brand is now a support then Blitzcrank is now a jungler and Khazix is adc

General Esdeath 91 votes

The best part is that I've seen all of those done before

Rikari17 votes

Volibear Amumu Xerath Galio Chogath Nasus Gragas Sejuani Warwick support

Tiropat11 votes

Rammus support

I Main Swain124 votes

I've done it, its ok

What Is Smite13 votes

I have done poppy/lee/mumu supports they all work exceptionally well especially poppy's lvl 6 tower dive with her ADC. Ult enemy ADC and stun the mofo on their tower while you laugh at the turret shots doing zero damage to you

Dicerson57 votes

His joke-------->

your head

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