Aatrox, a fallen God, a Sunborn Ascended, a warrior. After the fall of Azir and Shurima, without any monarch to defend, any empire to serve or the existential threat of the Void to test him, Aatrox and the Sunborn began to clash with one another, and eventually this became a war for the ruins of their world. Mortals fleeing the conflict came to know them instead by a new and scornful name: the darkin.
Aatrox and his brethen would eventually become an even the greater threat to Runeterra, and were defeated only by cunning mortal sorcery. Trapped in the form of a Blade and cursed by an immortal form. For centuries, he strained against this hellish confinement… until some nameless mortal was foolish enough to try and wield the blade once more, Aatrox found his own freedom once more. Now, he walks Runeterra in a new brutal form, seeking an apocalyptic and long overdue vengeance.
Enough of Aatrox background, let’s move on the main section of this post: How to master A-a-trox, the darkin blade. If you feel fascinated about his background and want to main Aatrox, or you love his voice and quotes, or just the interesting gameplay, or because whatever of reasons, be prepare, master Aatrox is not and easy task.
- Skill detail: (Skip if u have already known)
Passive: Deathbringer Stance STATIC COOLDOWN: 24 − 12 (BASED ON LEVEL)
INNATE: Aatrox periodically empowers his next basic attack to gain Range icon 50 bonus range and deal 5% − 12% (based on level) of the target’s Health icon maximum health as Attack damage bonus physical damage (capped at 100 against monsters), and Heal power heal him for 100% of the bonus physical damage dealt, reduced to 25% against Minion icon minions.
Deathbringer Stance’s Cooldown reduction icon cooldown is reduced by 2 seconds whenever Aatrox hits at least one Champion icon champion or Monster icon large monster with a basic attack on-hit or an ability. The cooldown is further reduced by 2 seconds if he hits with the Sweetspot of The Darkin Blade The Darkin Blade.
Q: The Darkin Blade TARGET RANGE: VARIED CAST TIME: 0.6 COOLDOWN: 14 / 12 / 10 / 8 / 6
Aatrox can activate The Darkin Blade three times before the ability goes on cooldown, with a 1 second static Cooldown reduction icon cooldown between casts. If Aatrox does not recast the ability within 4 seconds, the ability goes on cooldown.
Each of the three casts has Aatrox perform an acrobatic strike with his greatsword, dealing physical damage in a distinct area. Enemies hit within a telegraphed Sweetspot in the strike are dealt Critical strike icon 50% bonus damage and are Airborne icon knocked up for 0.25 seconds. Each cast in the sequence deals more damage than the previous.
FIRST CAST: Aatrox’s first strike affects a 625 × 180-unit rectangular area in the target direction, with Aatrox centered on the back line and the Sweetspot at the farthest edge.
PHYSICAL DAMAGE:» 10 / 30 / 50 / 70 / 90 (+ 60 / 65 / 70 / 75 / 80% AD)
SECOND CAST: Aatrox’s second strike affects a trapezoidal area in the target direction, with the Sweetspot at the farthest edge. The hitbox begins 100-units behind Aatrox and extends 475-units in front of him, measuring between 300 and 500-units wide from behind to in front.
PHYSICAL DAMAGE:» 12.5 / 37.5 / 62.5 / 87.5 / 112.5 (+ 75 / 81.25 / 87.5 / 93.75 / 100% AD)
THIRD CAST: Aatrox’s third strike affects a 300-radius circular area centered on a target location 200 units in front of him, with a 180-radius Sweetspot within.
PHYSICAL DAMAGE:» 15 / 45 / 75 / 105 / 135 (+ 90 / 97.5 / 105 / 112.5 / 120% AD)
Each strike deals only 55% damage against Minion icon minions, and the Airborne icon knock up duration is doubled to 0.5 seconds against Monster icon monsters.
MAXIMUM NON-MINION DAMAGE: 56.25 / 168.75 / 281.25 / 393.75 / 506.25 (+ 337.5 / 365.625 / 393.75 / 421.875 / 450% AD)
W: Infernal Chains TARGET RANGE: 825 WIDTH: 160 SPEED: 1800 CAST TIME: 0.25 COOLDOWN: 26 / 23 / 20 / 17 / 14
ACTIVE: Aatrox smashes the ground in the target direction, creating a chain that stops on the first enemy hit, dealing physical damage, doubled against Minion icon minions, and Slow icon slowing them by 25% for 1.5 seconds.
PHYSICAL DAMAGE:» 30 / 40 / 50 / 60 / 70 (+ 40% AD)
If Infernal Chains hits an enemy Champion icon champion or large Monster icon monster, they are True Sight icon revealed and Focused Resolve chained to the impact area. If the chained enemy is still in the impact area after 1.5 seconds, they are Airborne icon dragged to the center and take the same damage again.
TOTAL DAMAGE: 60 / 80 / 100 / 120 / 140 (+ 80% AD)
E: Umbral Dash TARGET RANGE: 300SPEED: 800CAST TIME: NONECOOLDOWN: 9 / 8 / 7 / 6 / 5
PASSIVE: Aatrox Heal power heals for a percentage of the non-periodic post-mitigation damage he deals against enemy champions.
HEALING: 20 / 22.5 / 25 / 27.5 / 30%
ACTIVE: Aatrox Dash dashes in the target direction.
Umbral Dash Bladework resets Aatrox’s basic attack timer.
Umbral Dash can be cast during his other abilities without cancelling them, and vice versa.
R: World Ender EFFECT RADIUS: 600 CAST TIME: 0.25 COOLDOWN: 120 / 100 / 80
ACTIVE: Aatrox unleashes his true demonic form, Flee icon fearing nearby enemy Minion icon minions and Monster icon monsters and Slow icon slowing them by up to 99% for 3 seconds. For the next 10 seconds, Aatrox is Ghost ghosted and gains Movement speed icon bonus movement speed, decaying by 10% of the current bonus every 0.25 seconds.
BONUS MOVEMENT SPEED: 60 / 80 / 100%
While transformed, Aatrox gains increased size and Attack damage icon bonus attack damage, and receives increased Heal power self-healing from all sources, except Spell vamp icon spell vamp. *
BONUS AD: 20 / 25 / 30% AD
INCREASED HEALING: 50 / 60 / 70%
With each enemy Champion icon champion Damage rating takedown, World Ender is extended by 5 seconds, refreshing its effects, up to the original amount.
Skill path:
2. Runes
Commom rune page for Aatrox
Triump: mandatory, no other choice
Legend: Alacrity or Tenacity is depend on teamcom, choose Alacrity if enemy team has no CC or movement impaired, Tenacity if enemy has a bunch of CC.
Last Stand: allow Aatrox to do a ton of damage early and late game, Coup de Grace is also good, but only use when you face an enemy who cannot deal damage frequently (Ryze, Malphite for example)
Taste of blood can help you with a better laning phase.
Ravenous hunter: just like Death’s Dance, extra healing, extra lifesteal.
Other rune page:
Using Resolve rune when playing against counter pick, more sustain in early game.
Second wind: choose when facing enemy who can harass, Adc for instance.
Bone plating: chosse when enemy who has a burst of damage, such as Rengar or Urgot.
DEFENSE rune: optional between armor or magic resist.
3. Laning Phase:
Try to 1v1 at early, especially at level 1, depends on some match up. Renember: Aatrox is one of the champions has pretty high damage scale, plus conquer stack and his passive, make him a beast at auto attacks battle.
Aatrox’s 1st Q has low damage scale, but long range is it advantage, use it wisely to get close to enemy, allow you to deal more damage with 2nd and 3rd Q. Melee attack or any skill shot hits enemy reduce 2s cooldown of your passive, hitting enemy or large monster with sweet spot can double that time. Basic early combo is Auto, QQQ, auto (conquer procs), auto about 2 more the passive is now reset (if you hit all sweet spot with your Q). Aatrox’s Q at lv1 has high cooldown time, miss a combo, that will be not a good trade for you.
The W allow you to slow and pull an enemy when hit, but it also can be use to farm. Enemy hit why W can escape the chain by stepping out the cage, use Q to knock him up, common combo is 2nd Q or 3rd to the center of the chain ( everybody knows that).
Reset auto attack with E, use to farm, 1v1 at early.
If the enemy team is playing too safe, try to gank as much as possible, helping your jungler, taking scuttle crab is a way to avoid gank by enemy jungler
Some match up:
Aatrox’s heal is based on damage he deals, early game, you can slice tank to pieces, but after they have enough tank item and healing reduction item, you cannot sustain the fight. For example Garen, Malphite, Maokai, easy match up, but at late game, they are too tanky and you are now unable to 1v1 them. Shen is a tank and a counter pick to Aatrox, his W can block Aatrox auto attack, EQ combo can deal a ton of damage.
Illaoi: a burst damage bruiser and more sustainable than Aatrox, try to dodge her Q as much as possible. Just like Aatrox, Illaoi’s abilities cooldown at early game is as much sa him. Save your abilities, wait for her to wave clear or harass, and after that is your playground.
Irelia: at level 1, 1v1 against her is ezpz, auto her to death. But at after lv 2, when irelia stacks up her passive, if she able to hit you with her stun, that means you’re dead or losing flash. I can say Irelia is the biggest counter of Aatrox.
image by Chengwei Pan
Other Aatrox hard counter: Jayce, Fiora, both can deal burst damage, renember to bring “second wind” to sustain more in laning phase
Jax: before level 11, try to kill him as much as possible, then gank for others lane. When Jax has enough core item, he can right click you to death.
Urgot: level 1 if he use all of his passive on you, that will a lot of damage, wait until he loose half of his shot gun, and when you hit level 2, try to 1v1 him. The problem with Urgot is when he hit level 9, his W (machine gun) turn to on/off form, large amount of DPS in your face, and he can instantly kill you with his R, bypass 25% of your health. If you take his life about 2 or 3 times and have ninja tabi advantage, you are still able to 1v1 him, dodge his R for a flawless combat.
Another Aatrox counter pick are Riven and Pantheon.
Vayne or Lucian top is no match for Aatrox, but bring second wind or bone plating for more sustainable, if you don’t have a good angle to prepare for a trade, second wind and bone plating is pretty good, buy Doran’s Shield instead of Doran’s Sword if you are still practicing Aatrox and your positioning is not good.
Almost forgot about Darius and Renekton, these two have pretty high pick rate, and Aatrox of course can slice and dice both.
Build
At first back, always rush kindlegem and Caufield first, then complete Black Cleaver
Sterak’s Gage is mandatory, if enemy com has too much AP damage, you can build Spirit Visage first then Sterak’s Gage. Or if you are too fed, you can buy Spirit Visage even though enemy com has no AP mage, just for 30% extra heal.
Build Youmuu if you are too fed, GA can allow you to open combat both front line and back line.
(builds source took and cut from moba fire)
Well i guess this is the end of this topic, Aatrox combo is various and situational, you can learn how to combo correctly when playing as him, i can only show some typical matchup and laning phase. Inconclusion, Aatrox is the beast in early and mid game, late game, stick with your team because you can open combat with ease. You can learn more from Hashinshin aka Right through the Counter strike for more Aatrox gameplay.
Hope you enjoy this topic and good luck with your Aatrox (if you want to play him).