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Need Help with LeBlanc and Katarina

Vekkna·10/20/2015, 4:33:41 PM·1 votes·626 views

This is my first season in my first moba, and I recently got to gold after playing Singed, Zyra, Lux, and Teemo almost exclusively. I've never really played true assassins, but I've always wanted to learn LeBlanc and Katarina.

So far, getting kills hasn't been an issue. The trouble is not feeding in the process. I feel like I take tons of aoe damage during distortions, and I get blown up a lot if there's more than one enemy around. In lane I can get kills, but I have to base a lot from damage I take during Ws. The problem really is that anyone with skill shots can easily land them all during Ws, and I'm not sure how to get around that. Examples are I can usually kill them (not Lulu), but I take shitloads of damage any time I try.

Also, I usually do QWRE(Ignite)Q for kills, then return to W or R. Is that the best, or should I be going with WQRE(Ignite)Q? Or should I lead with QE? Or try to go safer and lead with E and follow up with QRW? It feels like a puzzle.

Last question is about runes and masteries. I really like running scaling CDR glyphs so I can get max CDR with only a Morello's, but this may be why I struggle with getting blown up. Also, should I be taking 9 in the defense tree? The starting movement speed and mana from the utility tree are appealing, but I don't know if I should be putting points in utility.

I'm doing better with her overall than LB since it's easy to take no damage from skillshots with E. I also found a good matchup guide that's helping me learn a lot. Main problem is that I always feel like my cooldowns are super long outside of resets, and even with reduction on ulti when I get kills. I'm tempted to build CDR boots early into Luden's > Void so I have more kill opportunities. Is that terrible?

Another question is whether it's ever worth it to build to chase/kite and keep enemies slowed in your ulti. Also thought about building mid game for the pen and hp but also because the 3 second dot doubles the window for you to get passive procs. Passive triggers for 3 seconds after you last damaged an enemy, and that timer would start at the end of the 3 second Liandry's dot. Is that worth the loss of 20 AP?

Ditto above on CDR glyphs. Advice?

4 Comments

Smitemuffin10/20/2015, 7:36:57 PM2 votes

For Leblanc - pay attention to what an opening to attack really is. An opening is when your opponent burns a vital spell (often what they level first) to either farm or attack you. This is the spell that's critical to their ability to:

Trade damage back
Defend themselves through CC
Reduce their damage taken

His W (Pillar of Flame). If he doesn't land it, he doesn't hurt you. Try baiting him to cast it at you THEN distort on him - thereby dodging the spell. Or wait until he uses it to wave clear.

Lux Treat her E the same as Brand. This matchup is a bit hard because you distort straight at her and all her spells are linear

Ezreal Only his E blink is problematic. Just repeatedly whittle him with Q+W combos so you always have that all-in threat between his E cooldowns. Make sure to ward the side brush so you can play up in lane where you can reach him.

Ahri Her orb and charm are both lines,.so play to a side of the wave. It forces her to pick between harassing and clearing/sustaining. Whenever she misses a Charm, walk up to zone her. If she doesn't back off, QRWE her

Kat Head10/21/2015, 12:31:08 AM1 votes

{quoted}

I'm doing better with her overall than LB since it's easy to take no damage from skillshots with E. I also found a good matchup guide that's helping me learn a lot. Main problem is that I always feel like my cooldowns are super long outside of resets, and even with reduction on ulti when I get kills. I'm tempted to build CDR boots early into Luden's > Void so I have more kill opportunities. Is that terrible?

Another question is whether it's ever worth it to build to chase/kite and keep enemies slowed in your ulti. Also thought about building mid game for the pen and hp but also because the 3 second dot doubles the window for you to get passive procs. Passive triggers for 3 seconds after you last damaged an enemy, and that timer would start at the end of the 3 second Liandry's dot. Is that worth the loss of 20 AP?

Ditto above on CDR glyphs. Advice?

The standard line for Katarina is that CDR is worthless and it is kind of true. Late game CDR has little value for Kat, early and mid game however it can be quite strong. I would not suggest building item 3158 on Kat because you will simply do a lot less damage mid game when you need to be building a lead or recovering from your super weak lane phase.

If you like cdr on kat (it is very good early and mid game), and you can lane with CDR runes safely (not feed or be denied creeps) then go for it, ignore the haters.

The CDR is powerful in lane poking with Q and post 6 to reduce her ultimate cool down so that you can actually harass with it a little and in general be more careless with it. The CDR is only helpful on sinister steel for farming creeps or fighting melee champs and is never really helpful on shunpo. For the CDR to be helpful I feel you must run flat CDR on Kat to actually gain real benefits. This means 15% from flat Quints and Glyphs + 5% from mastery tree = 20% CDR. CDR p lvl sucks on Kat because the cdr becomes weaker and weaker the longer the game continues.

If you have the runes I would suggest trying it your self in a few games, it is not bad. I just prefer MS Quints and MR glyphs or 20 pen vs AD champs like zed. The builds I prefer scale better while the cdr build is the kind of set up you use to bully with and Kat is a weak early game champ.

CORE ITEMS item 3020 item 3285 item 3157 item 3089 item 3135 + Defensive item item 3026 or item 3102 This setup is pretty standard.

Please do not view item 3157 as a defensive item, it isnt. It is a very important play making tool for kat and lets her circumvent her inability to fight until cc has been used and pull off some other really good plays.

Other items to consider based on the game at hand:

item 3001 Build only as a first item when getting pooped on by stuff like Le Blanc, Annie or Chogath.

item 3146 This is actually kats highest potential damage output item and has a AWESOME active late game. The problem is that it has a horrible build path for kat and must replace Ludens, Sorcs or your Defensive Item. This item is good vs Kassidin, rush item 3144 . Typically you only build this item late game, the item helps you to assure a reset and do maximum damage possible.

item 3116 Good vs champs you need to kite or in combination with abyssal vs fed AP champs, usually replaces defensive item or ludens.

item 3151 Good vs Dragon and Baron and has a good build path, simply does not have a place in kats optimal build. Good if you prefer to play a tanky or poke style version of Katarina.

item 3100 Viable Replacement for Sorcs late game. Makes killing turrets and barons (normally she is horrible at) a lot better, good even.

item 3041 Build when the enemy team has 1 or more intentional feeder. This item helps convince those not proclaiming open mid to begin proclaiming open mid.

Edited for poor spelling and to add that;

Katarina is not a Champion, she is an addiction.