Greetings, Summoners! Librarian Husky here, ready to guide you through the latest and greatest strategies to dominate the Rift. Patch 14.23 is packed with exciting build innovations and meta-shifting trends, and I’m thrilled to share the most effective setups for champions like Ambessa, Cane, Udyr, and more. Whether you’re climbing the ranks or refining your playstyle, these insights will give you the edge you need to stay ahead of the competition. Let’s dive in and explore the top-tier builds shaping the meta!

The Rise of Voltaic Cyclosword in Ambessa Builds

Recently, the majority of Ambessa players have been favoring Eclipse as their primary rush item. However, Voltaic Cyclosword is gaining popularity in high ELO and has been outperforming Eclipse. While Eclipse offers a shield for added durability, its advantages pale compared to the unique passive on Voltaic Cyclosword. This energized passive charges 75% faster when you dash or enter stealth, making it incredibly efficient for Ambessa, who frequently dashes during fights.

Why Voltaic Cyclosword Outshines Eclipse

The passive on Voltaic Cyclosword not only deals bonus damage but also applies a slow effect. This synergy allows Ambessa to stack the passive more efficiently than any other champion, maximizing its potential during extended skirmishes. For players aiming to optimize their performance with Ambessa, this item provides unmatched utility and power in the current patch.

Optimizing Ambessa’s Build and Rune Choices

Ambessa’s lack of hard crowd control in her basic abilities makes the energized proc on Voltaic Cyclosword an excellent tool for sticking to targets. While you might be slightly squishier early in the game compared to Eclipse, the potential damage output is significantly higher. After Voltaic, transition into bruiser items, starting with Black Cleaver as the second purchase and Spear of Shojin as the third. For runes, prioritize Conqueror as the keystone and take the Domination tree with Sudden Impact for secondaries.

Maa’i’s Dominance in the Top Lane

There’s a new, highly effective build for Maa’i in the top lane that has turned him into one of the most underrated champions in recent patches. This strategy revolves around rushing Unending Despair, which has led to incredible win rates. After Unending Despair, players build Winter’s Approach as the second item, followed by Spirit Visage as the third.

Synergy in Maa’i’s Core Build

The strength of this build lies in the synergy between its components. Unending Despair provides healing, Winter’s Approach offers shielding, and Spirit Visage amplifies both by 25% through its passive. Combined with Maa’i’s natural healing from his passive ability, this setup adds remarkable durability, allowing him to survive extended team fights. For runes, Grasp of the Undying paired with Demolish is the optimal choice to complement this build.

Emerging Build Trends for Cane and Udyr

A new build for Cane has been gaining traction in Korea, becoming the most popular choice in solo queue. However, it remains underutilized in Western regions, with less than 10% of Cane players in NA and EU adopting it. This build involves rushing Voltaic Cyclosword, which has shown the highest win rates for those using it. The versatility of the item makes it suitable for both Red and Blue Cane, with further adaptations to suit each playstyle.

Itemization for Cane: Red and Blue Paths

After rushing Voltaic Cyclosword, Red Cane players should prioritize Black Cleaver and Death’s Dance to maximize durability and damage. For Blue Cane, Edge of Night followed by Serylda’s Grudge provides optimal damage and utility. Voltaic Cyclosword is the ideal item in both cases due to its synergy with Cane’s short cooldowns, enabling rapid stacking of its energized passive. Conqueror is best suited for Red Cane, while Dark Harvest is the preferred keystone for Blue Cane builds.

The Resurgence of Lethality Udyr

With recent nerfs to Udyr’s R-max builds, a new setup focused on Q-max has emerged as a powerful and underrated option. This build recalls the era when lethality Udyr was a dominant force in the meta. Although lethality is no longer Udyr’s most popular build, it is regaining traction as a viable and highly effective strategy, offering surprising success in the current patch.

Effective Build Strategies for Udyr and Swain

The most successful rush item for Udyr in the recent patch is Ghostblade. After Ghostblade, The Collector is an excellent second item, followed by Lord Dominik’s Regards to complete the core. Ghostblade’s bonus movement speed significantly aids Udyr in reaching his targets, enabling him to one-shot squishy enemies effectively. The Collector further amplifies lethality and burst damage, ensuring consistent eliminations with the two-item core.

Runes and Skill Priorities for Lethality Udyr

For this lethality-focused Udyr build, the ideal rune is Hail of Blades instead of Conqueror. Hail of Blades allows for three quick auto-attacks, which, when combined with his Q ability, provide exceptional upfront burst damage. Skill max priority should focus on Q first, E second, and W last, with a single point in R at level two for clearing efficiency.

Swain’s Alternative Build for Mid Lane

The standard Swain mid-lane build includes Blackfire Torch and Cosmic Drive as the core items. While this setup remains viable, a new alternative build has been gaining popularity. This innovative build begins with Rylai’s Crystal Scepter, followed by Winter’s Approach, and concludes with Riftmaker.

Advantages of the New Swain Build

The downside of the standard Blackfire Torch and Cosmic Drive build is the lack of a slow effect from Rylai’s passive. The alternative build addresses this by starting with Rylai’s, ensuring better crowd control. Additionally, the inclusion of Winter’s Approach resolves mana issues that previously made rushing Rylai’s less viable. By grabbing an early Tear of the Goddess, players can stack mana efficiently and seamlessly transition into Rylai’s.

Swain’s Durable Frontliner Build

This build feels particularly effective on Swain as it allows him to play more like a frontliner. Unlike Blackfire Torch, which offers no durability, the combination of Rylai’s Crystal Scepter and Winter’s Approach provides a total of 950 bonus health. This enables Swain to dive into fights with greater confidence and survivability. For the rune page, Conqueror is recommended since this setup lets Swain take full advantage of its stacking element due to his increased durability.

Aurelion Sol’s New Core Build

High ELO Aurelion Sol players have recently adopted a new core build featuring Horizon Focus. While Liandry’s Anguish is typically purchased as a second or third item, this build is tailored for dealing with squishier team compositions. When the enemy team lacks high health pools, Horizon Focus provides superior burst damage and adds 25 ability haste, which significantly reduces the cooldown of Aurelion Sol’s ultimate, allowing for frequent use in late-game scenarios.

Itemization and Runes for Aurelion Sol

The optimal three-item core for this build starts with a Blackfire Torch rush, followed by Rylai’s Crystal Scepter, and then Horizon Focus as the third item. For runes, Arcane Comet is the best choice, paired with Manaflow Band, Absolute Focus, and Scorch. Presence of Mind and Cut Down should be selected as secondary runes to complement the build’s mana efficiency and damage potential.

Corki’s Return to the Meta

With Corki’s resurgence in the ADC meta and his strength in solo queue, there is a new build worth exploring in season 14. Corki’s adaptability and high damage potential make him one of the strongest champions to capitalize on these updates, providing players with a powerful option for climbing the ranks.

Corki’s Essence Reaver and Trinity Force Build

A new Corki build is gaining popularity, notably used by Doublelift in solo queue, which completely bypasses Manamune as a core item. Instead of The Collector, this build focuses on Essence Reaver and Trinity Force as the two-item core. Although these items previously shared the Spellblade passive, Essence Reaver has been reworked to restore mana on auto attacks, making it compatible with Trinity Force. This synergy provides Corki with a strong mid-game power spike.

Advantages of Essence Reaver Over Manamune

One significant benefit of Essence Reaver is its 25% crit chance, which contributes to a 50% crit chance when combined with a three-item core. This makes Corki much more effective in the mid-to-late game. Additionally, the mana restoration from Essence Reaver offsets the need for Manamune, enabling a more balanced power curve. The combination of Trinity Force and Essence Reaver creates a potent setup for Corki’s sustained damage.

Doublelift’s Rune Setup for Corki

Doublelift’s Corki rune page deviates from the standard by using Sorcery as the secondary tree. He selects Manaflow Band and Gathering Storm to address Corki’s mana needs and scale into the late game. This adjustment complements the Essence Reaver build, which does not provide the same mana pool as Manamune but offers better crit potential.

Tristana’s New Priority on Wild Arrows

This patch is shaping up to be advantageous for Tristana, as Wild Arrows is receiving buffs. Even before these improvements, Wild Arrows was a strong rush item for her. With The Collector being nerfed, Wild Arrows is expected to gain even more priority as Tristana’s go-to first item in patch 14.