is brilliant in counter engages. Able to negate a large chunk of AoE damage imploding on your team in an instant allows her a rather unique ability to dismantle a large portion of a team's damage if your team finds themselves in a bad situation. So here are a few tips i've been finding...
- Rylai's Crystal Scepter is an incredibly useful item for giving you catch potential, and increasing the chance of Landing your E root.
(Rylai's will only apply a 15% slow on all of raka's abilities do to their AoE nature)
a. When being chased, place E preemptively. The root is after 1.5 seconds regardless of time it silences enemies. E's damage is instant, and with Rylais will immediately provide the slow if you tag someone with it. While not exactly enough to keep them in, it can help lead your Q for a nail in the coffin.
b. Starcall will only apply its slow if you hit the Sweet Spot in the center. If you are being chased account for the increased projectile speed since you are aiming shorter. Proper placement will allow you to kite chasing enemies really well, and combined with E can lead to some easy roots. Since hitting the Sweet spot is nigh impossible at high range without being dodged, Rylai's will help you make your Qs count, even if you just tag someone with them.
- Regarding Starcall, Targetting Q is really difficult at high range, since it travels so slowly. If you can safely close the distance it will greatly increase your chances of hitting its sweet spot damage, which is much much higher than its outer ring, and also what justifies its rather high mana cost. If you can trick your enemy into being hit by your sweet spot, (Try looking for their dodge habits like left or right preference) and keep your cursor rather close to them so they accidentally walk into the center while trying to get out.
a. Even just a clip can be greatly beneficial for Soraka, as the passive heal from W gives her an incredible amount of lane sustain if she can even so much as clip her opponents. Your heal return is delayed however, which can be useful for regenerating health after a trade, but makes it unreliable in saving you from burst. **
(Keep this in mind since Raka has a .5sec cast time on all abilities. don't go for a self heal if you don't feel you can live a hit if you take it, or if the resulting slow won't protect you)**
b. Hitting Starcall on multiple opponents gives you a large amount of healing. Clustered enemies in teamfights will allow you to sustain for more healing if you are low, assuming you can safely harass them with it. Because of the amount of self-heal you can get this way, Raka can stay in fights longer than you might think, so long as she isn't in danger of being closed upon via gapclosers.
- Astral Infusion will cost you more health the more HP you have. This makes tanking items less effective while you heal, as your overall healing output is lowered, as opposed to AP which increases the potency of each heal. A healthy mix of both should be used to keep yourself alive, and healing as effectively as possible. Resistances are super important to Soraka for this reason.
a. Don't spam her heal if you can't keep it up. No need to kill yourself to keep Vayne at 100% when you can maintain her while she's in peril without dying yourself. You can only self heal with Q off enemies, so topping allies off should only be necessary if you feel they might need it, or you can do without the hp. Remember that Allies are tastier at low Hp, and if they aren't getting bursted your Sustain will KEEP them tasty. Also your Ult is more effective on allies at low hp.
Do not lose half your health before the fight starts cause you thought showing off your Cds was nifty
- WISH this is your #TrollSwag. Its a reverse Karthus ult that makes you the envy of your team, and able to get assists from cross the map. Map awareness is key, be sure to keep track of your allies, and decide whether a Wish could get them a kill, or whether they're fucked.
