Elise Build Guide : 13.10 Elise Master Guide - For ALL Roles

Prologue

What's going on everyone, I am Best Elise NA (or David / Dawhveed)

Welcome to my Comprehensive Build Guide to Elise. I am a very casual League of Legends player. I have been around on and off since about early 2012, and I have been playing pretty much since her RElise in late 2012. I play mostly for fun. I have tried my hand at Solo Q on multiple occasions and have placed high Gold, but I have never taken it too seriously and don't tend to put in more than 100+ ranked games in a single season.

If you are looking for a guide from a high ranking player on what is meta and what is most optimal for the current state of the game, you are unfortunately in the wrong place. If you are looking for some insight from someone who has countless, invaluable hours on Elise and can offer fun and viable builds into varying matchups, then enjoy the remainder of the guide.

Below, you will find an in-depth breakdown to the Summary, Runes and Items of each different build. At the very end, I will include some neat mechanical tips & tricks that you didn't know about, as well as a short guide to important combos you need to know for playing Elise!

Assassin Spider

Viable Lanes:

Assassin Spider is the standard build that most players will gravitate towards and the one that I recommend using if you are new to . This build is what is most recognizable for, her Bread and Butter if you will.

RUNES:

is probably the BEST rune to get the most DPS out of burst right now. It doesn't have as much up front damage as but you can potentially proc it more often than in fights. With it is very easy to get an enemy into range to finish them off with and .

This rune is just amazing on since you are almost always starting your combos with or an allies CC ability. If you have or Red Buff then you can proc it off of those Slows as well.

This is great for snowballing Early Game kills. All it is is just raw damage increase. If you are , I highly recommend swapping this out for .

This slot seems to have a lot of contention with players, I believe that it ultimately comes down to personal preference and playstyle. Some players prefer the snowballing gold from , some players like the Item CD for and from , but I just prefer the movement speed that offers so I can get to where I want to be ASAP.

The secondary tree is very flexible and you have access to some very good options. My personal preference is going the blue tree for the utility/damage. This rune gives you good damage when you are fuller on HP allowing you to burst enemies down quicker.

Rather than going the also common and combo for damage and survivability, going this rune combined with allow you to get places much faster. You also dish out more damage while in the river, this is very important for some fights around scuttle and the big objectives like Dragon, Rift and Baron.

ITEMS:

Just an insane item for how cheap it is. Movement speed is a very good stat to have to get around the map quicker, get into position for key abilities, and to dodge abilities. Magic pen is ALSO a very good stat for , since she has high base damages and %HP damage, she benefits from any Magic pen.

This item pretty much gives everything that she could possibly ask for; a large amount of AP, HP, Cooldown Reduction, Movement Speed and a huge burst of frontloaded damage to put the enemy into range. compliments very well.

Similar to , this item gives very useful stats. The high amount of AP and Magic Pen benefit her damage a lot, and the anti-shield passive works very well into many champions.

Nothing will enrage enemies more than when they ''think'' that they caught you out, and you not only kill one of them, but stall with a full length into to buy time for your team to rotate to you and kill them. It has very helpful stats, especially into AD champs like or .

As I said about , Magic pen is one of the best stats on . Around the time you buy this during your games, enemies probably have some MR built up, so this is a great mid-late game buy.

Cutting enemy healing down ANY percent is a huge accomplishment. In just about every single League of Legends game, at least one of your enemies has some crazy bulls**t healing ability, and this item will help you and your team punch thru it. It is totally acceptable to sit on an early if you are in need of heal cut.

If jungling, I prefer the extra DPS with this Jungle Pet. The minor slow it applies also helps with .

Bruiser Spider

Viable Lanes:

Bruiser Spider is an build that trades frontloaded one-shot damage for high DPS, extended fights and tower DESTRUCTION. This build requires a little bit more understanding of your limits as as you cannot just eliminate an enemy while they are cocooned, you have to be smart about dueling and time your abilities correctly. Bruiser Spider EXCELS at blowing up Towers and Auto Attack dueling.

RUNES:

This rune absolutly EATS UP enemies, tanky or not. In lane, you can bully enemies with auto attacks, I like to auto twice in then when I throw out my third auto, I switch to before it hits them to deal a little extra damage. Mid-late game, you can apply pressure to enemy towers and threaten to cut anyone up who tries to stop you.

This rune isn't exactly really flashy or significant, it is just the better of the three options. It might help you narrowly escape after killing an enemy or after a dive, but it's nothing extraordinary.

The only reason that I prefer this over is because you are trying to Auto your enemies as many times as possible, as quickly as possible. Snagging early kills is easy as and stacking up that Attack Speed early translates very well when it comes time to take towers.

THIS RUNE RIGHT HERE is so good that it covers for how weak the other two are in this tree. Getting enemies low is really easy as and once they hit the threshold for this, you can clean them up QUICK with and some autos.

If you have ever seen a 45 minute, Full Build or Full AD making towers disappear, then you probably have seen what can do. This rune, combined with and a couple items will allow you to disintegrate towers if left alone for a short time. Having good macro with this rune will allow you to sneak towers EASILY, and annoy the s**t out of your enemies.

This rune is pretty much interchangeable with or . It is pretty matchup dependant, but I mainly go this rune to compliment the later, should I choose to buy it.

ITEMS:

Just an insane item for how cheap it is. Movement speed is a very good stat to have to get around the map quicker, get into position for key abilities, and to dodge abilities. Magic pen is ALSO a very good stat for , since she has high base damages and %HP damage, she benefits from any Magic pen.

Gives you the stats that you need Early Game to trade in lane and sustain, and Mid Game it will give you incredibly good dueling power to get you safely in position to buy the next, MOST IMPORTANT item.

This is the CORE for Bruiser Spider. Nashor's combined with and will cut thru enemies. Around Level 10 when your W is Maxed, you can take Towers VERY QUICKLY with .

My third item is either this or always. I normally will go Deathcap if I have enough gold on my very next back to buy a or two, if not I will go third then this fourth. will increase your burst by a lot, and your autos with Nashor's will hit like a truck.

This will increase your frontloaded burst combo by a lot, but more importantly, combined with and , you can kill towers in the blink of an eye. Once you have this item, your main goal becomes splitting and applying pressure to the enemy nexus. Avoid dueling until an objective is up, and force your opponents to make tough choices.

This last slot is pretty flexible. By this point either you have ff'd or you have cracked their entire base open with Deathcap and . If you need to continue splitting and there are still towers up, this is a great buy to wave clear and spam W quicker. If there are no more structures to take, maybe invest in something for teamfights and end the game, such as .

If jungling, I prefer the extra DPS with this Jungle Pet. The minor slow it applies also helps with .

Tanky Spider

Viable Lanes:

This is BY FAR AND AWAY my favorite build for . When I first started playing waaaaaaay back when she was released, a popular build on her at the time was an (when it was an AP item) and Abyssal Scepter (when is was OP). The made her arms glow a bright blue and the Abyssal Scepter made her bottom half light up purple and combined with her only skin at the time () it made her look sick as hell. Over the years I have been waiting for something like that to roll around again and finally it is viable, mostly because of Iceborn being a strong mythic and the change in 13.10.

While not being as OP as this build was back in the day, it is still VERY strong into pretty much any matchup. You get to live a lot longer and you still deal A TON of damage since Elise's base damage is very high and she has a lot of %HP damage. It has a lot of sticking power with and utility with / all while making you very durable in fights.

RUNES:

I normally run this build with , but is still a perfectly viable option for better late game scaling for teamfight durability. Very easy to proc in lane in , but the best thing that you can do is, when the proc is available, send out a ranged auto then swap to while the auto is traveling. This will count the 'ranged' auto as a 'melee' auto and apply extra damage and healing, while giving you more HP stacks.

If you have ever seen a 45 minute, Full Build or Full AD making towers disappear, then you probably have seen what can do. This rune, combined with and a couple items will allow you to disintegrate towers if left alone for a short time. Having good macro with this rune will allow you to sneak towers EASILY, and annoy the s**t out of your enemies.

This rune is pretty matchup dependent. I find that most of the time I can get by the Early Game where this is useless and apply this to my Mid Game tanking. However, if you are having trouble Early Game, I highly suggest using against a poke lane, or against an aggressive, all in lane.

This helps you scale much better into late game as a teamfight tank. It also empowers your with some extra AP.

Tanky Spider is basically trying to get by your normally strong Early Game, and fast forward to Mid Game where you can develop some HP and trading power. Biscuits help you stay in lane longer.

I normally run with this build if I am in a Solo Lane, so is very beneficial to maximizing the potency of your Summoner Spells. If you are having trouble with Early Game, I suggest swapping this to and starting with a .

ITEMS:

Just an insane item for how cheap it is. Movement speed is a very good stat to have to get around the map quicker, get into position for key abilities, and to dodge abilities. Magic pen is ALSO a very good stat for , since she has high base damages and %HP damage, she benefits from any Magic pen.

Against AD, this is the item to rush then build your . Against AP, you want to rush the then buy this third. Iceborn gives you VERY good stats to trade with enemies and tank damage while you whittle them down with your %HP damage. This provides insane sticking power, allowing you to chase down enemies in and get off more than one full rotation of abilities.

One of my FAVORITE items on . This item is basically what used to be, before Mythics were introduced. It gives you good AP and HP, and the burn passive is so good for Elise's kit. In you can dish out a ton of burn damage with your spiderlings. You gain a ton of extra AP from building Tanky.

Man, I sure do miss the old Abyssal Scepter. Luckily, this item does what it used to do, just for tanks! You'd be surprised how much damage your burst does with just this item and . Rushing this into AP champs will nullify a lot of their killing power, but none of yours. In teamfights, you wil stick around for a long time, getting a ton of mileage out of its passive.

If this item gave AP or Magic Pen, I am sure you would see it on every single game. The passive on this item is NUTS, especially for this playstyle. You not only get to choose one champ to gain reduced damage from, but you also decrease that champ's tenacity when you are within range of them. Meaning your slow from , stun from and any other CC that your team has will be more potent. If you are behind for some reason in lane, rushing this after your first item will get you back on your feet.

Cutting enemy healing down ANY percent is a huge accomplishment. In just about every single League of Legends game, at least one of your enemies has some crazy bulls**t healing ability, and this item will help you and your team punch thru it. It is totally acceptable to sit on an early if you are in need of heal cut.

If jungling, I prefer the extra tankiness with this Jungle Pet. The tenacity and shield that this gives you helps out with durability.

Mage Spider

Viable Lanes:

Mage Spider is best described by playing similarly to an AP version of . You have decent poke and wave clear, and when you go into fights, you're pretty much in them until the death of you or all of the enemies. This build is what I would suggest as the easiest build to play as, since you don't really need to be familiar with combos and you can wave clear pretty well while still being ranged in .

RUNES:

is a really good poking tool in lane, and very easy to proc with or .

Since you will be spending most of your time in casting , you will want a lot of Mana. helps since it is so easy to stack in lane, and come late game it allows you to squeak out several more casts than normal.

These are all good choices here, but my personal preference is going for the raw damage. This rune gives you good damage when you are fuller on HP allowing you to burst enemies down quicker. is probably the next best for your waveclear come Late Game.

While is good for poking in lane, you are going to end up being outscaled most of the time, so taking this rune helps kind of even that out.

Your plan as Mage Spider is to farm up Early Game and get your core items where you can poke out enemies around main objectives. Biscuits help you stay in lane longer.

is going to give you some fire power if you ever have to scrap with the jungler or in the mid lane, and having that and on a lower cooldown is really helpful for survivability and killing. If you are concerned with getting bullied in lane, I'd suggest going over .

ITEMS:

Just an insane item for how cheap it is. Movement speed is a very good stat to have to get around the map quicker, get into position for key abilities, and to dodge abilities. Magic pen is ALSO a very good stat for , since she has high base damages and %HP damage, she benefits from any Magic pen.

Luden's is a very interesting item for . It is not standard by any means (unless you're playing on the ) but it offers so many things that appreciates; AP, Cooldown Reduction, Movement Speed and Magic Pen. So why isn't it built on her more often? The Mana stat over the HP stat of items like and offers a much different function. For this build however, Mana is key to be able to spam your abilities.

Similar to , this item gives very useful stats. The high amount of AP and Magic Pen benefit her damage a lot, and the anti-shield passive works very well into many champions.

Just a huge RAW spike in AP for your abilities. Nothing really special here.

As I said about , Magic pen is one of the best stats on . Around the time you buy this during your games, enemies probably have some MR built up, so this is a great mid-late game buy.

Rylai's is an item that I do not see built very often on . Since you will be spending most of your time spamming abilities in poking and looking for picks, will help aide you in some soft CC for a potential follow up. For small skirmishes, Rylai's helps you stick to enemies in since at this point in the game you probably won't be able to one-shot some enemies.

Utility Spider

Viable Lanes:

Last but certainly not least, the Utility Spider. This build is a flexible, much more supportive build for you players. You are giving up a lot of your damage for a higher utility role in picking out target enemies and helping peel for your carries by focusing down specific champions in fights. Early game, this build is great for roaming around and getting your team ahead, and come late game you are able to catch out enemies if they misstep.

I would say that playing this build feels similar to playing an AP version of , where one hook () can win you the fight, and if you get caught out you have some good escape tools. It also feels somewhat like where if you have vision of a solo enemy doing illegal things, you can pretty easily catch them out.

RUNES:

is probably the BEST rune to get the most DPS out of your burst as right now. It doesn't have as much up front damage as but you can potentially proc it more often than in fights. With it is very easy to get an enemy into range to finish them off with and .

This rune is just amazing on since you are almost always starting your combos with or an allies CC ability. If you have or Red Buff then you can proc it off of those Slows as well.

As a you are going to want to make sure to have this for clearing vision. As a you can benefit from this as well to help set up bush traps and make key picks. Buying multiple [[control ward]s as well is very important as a Utility Spider.

This slot seems to have a lot of contention with players, I believe that it ultimately comes down to personal preference and playstyle. Some players prefer the snowballing gold from , some players like the Item CD for and from , but I just prefer the movement speed that offers so I can get to where I want to be ASAP.

Hexflash not only catches many players by surprise when they see flash over Raptors wall and the mid laner, but it also has many other uses in lane or certain scraps in the jungle. This is a very good utility rune to open the way for creative movements.

Having a lower cooldown on , and is just too good to pass up.

ITEMS:

As you can probably tell from my other builds and rune choices, Movement Speed is such a key factor in your kit as . It helps dodging around abilities, getting you into position for picks, and then helps you stick to your targets. Mobis will give you much more map presence and help you find those montage worthy combos.

Rocketbelt is actually insane for what it basically is. It basically is a VERY LOW COOLDOWN combined with . The damage on it is neither here nor there, but the application of running into lane with , using your for the Movement Speed, then using is very hard for many champions to avoid. It also gives pretty much every stat she can ask for, Magic Pen, AP, Movement Speed, Cooldown Reduction and HP.

Now this item is interesting because similar to it will get you into position for picks, however this one will help your WHOLE TEAM get into position. The stats that it offers are mediocre, but the active is what you're really building it for. I'd maybe skip out on this if you have a tank jungler and tank solo laner since you'll need the damage from , but if you have say a in the jungle and a top, this item will work wonders.

If this item gave AP or Magic Pen, I am sure you would see it on every single game. The passive on this item is NUTS, especially for this playstyle. You not only get to choose one champ to gain reduced damage from, but you also decrease that champ's tenacity when you are within range of them. Meaning your stun from and any other CC that your team has will be more potent.

Nothing will enrage enemies more than when they ''think'' that they caught you out, then you stall with a full length into to buy time for your team to rotate to you and kill them. It has very helpful stats, especially into AD champs like or . This item combined with allows you to somewhat play a frontline role to help peel, or tank some cooldowns from the enemies.

Mandate is interesting in the way that you can help your team apply more damage thru your CC. Normally, once you land CC, YOU are the one that wants to follow up on the damage, but for a Utility build you are relying on your team for the damage while you focus more on the rest of the fight (peeling, , etc.) This item really flourishes with a .

Cutting enemy healing down ANY percent is a huge accomplishment. In just about every single League of Legends game, at least one of your enemies has some crazy bulls**t healing ability, and this item will help you and your team punch thru it. It is totally acceptable to sit on an early if you are in need of heal cut.

If jungling, I prefer the extra Movement Speed and Slow with this Jungle Pet. Helps proc and is in line with the "Get-into-position-and-catch" playstyle of this build.

Elise Mechanical Tips & Tricks

This section will contain some tricks that you can do with just about every skill in 's kit, provided with a short explanation and video demonstration.

Passive:

has the liberty to switch between stances with her Ultimate /. When she changes into her auto attacks turn into melee and she gains bonus on-hit damage based on her AP and heals for each auto. If you send out an auto attack in then swap to as it is traveling, the attack will be counted as a melee attack once it eventually lands. This can be EXTREMELY useful for doing what is essentially a "RANGED" melee attack, and can be applied to many different items and runes, such as the following:

"Ranged" Melee Minion Execute
This works with both this item and . This helps a ton with trying to last hit as a in an oppressive lane.

"Ranged" Melee Iceborn Proc
Iceborn is a item that upon casting an ability, your next auto attack will create a slowing field and reduce the damage dealt to you by the main target of your auto.

Minion Base Movement Speed = 423
Minion Movement Speed after Ranged Auto = 328
Minion Movement Speed after "Ranged" Melee Auto = 232

"Ranged" Melee Grasp Proc
Stacking up Grasp proc in lane is very easy as a Ranged champion. Although unlike almost every single Ranged champ, you can stack it up then proc the Grasp as a melee champ.

HP Gained from Ranged Grasp = 4
HP Gained from "Ranged" Melee Grasp = 7

Spider Q:

Elise's Spider Q has a lot more implications than just one-shotting enemies or stealing your teammate's Penta. You can dish out some high damage combos and since it is considered a dash you can clear some serious ground with it.

Smite Bite
"Smite Bite" is a combo where you basically cast your then cast as closely as you can to the damage of the . Ideally you cast the frame before the damage lands since deals more damage the lower the HP of the target. It is similar to the + / combo.

Double Jump
You can also "Double Jump" with this ability, essentially casting your twice in quick succession. If you cast Q, then the target dies before you reach it, the cooldown will be reset so you can jump again. This rarely comes into play, but it's good to have in your bag to save cooldown for later in the scrap.

Human W:

This ability deals INSANE damage when you build AP. What most players don't realize, is that it has more implication than just raw damage. It also goes thru abilities.

Free Vision
The way that your W works, is that it will attempt to travel the shortest way possible to the target destination, then once it reaches the end of it's path it'll try to chase down enemies (prioritizing champions) before exploding. During its travel time, before exploding, it will give you vision, therefore it is a phenomenal tool for scouting around the Fog of War.

Spider Bomb
The "Spider Bomb" is what I imagine as the Tik Tok combo. If your is out and has yet to explode and you cast , the Spiderling will head towards your target in a straight line and explode on any enemies in the way. Not only does it look very cool, it is very practical for surprise damage or finding creative angles to proc .

Spider W:

This ability is the main core to the auto attacking builds, and is your main DPS after your frontloaded burst combo from . It deals incredible damage when you have a lot of AP, since you and your Spiderling autos scale off of AP. Here are some tips to maximize this ability's usefulness.

Auto Attack Reset
One simple trick you can do is Auto Attack reset with this ability. Before you activate this ability make sure to Auto Attack first. This is especially important with the items.

Zhonya's Spiderglass
Don't underestimate how much damage your Spiderlings can do. If you get someone down low enough with your main combo, you can proc Zhonya's and let your Spiderlings finish them off, just make sure to activate before activating .

Human E:

Nothing like wrapping up enemies in your sticky icky and biting them. Landing this ability is one of the biggest things that will separate the good players from the bad ones. I have become very patient with this ability and hold it for as long as I can to ensure hitting it, but sometimes you have to use it as a surprise tool.

Cocoon > Flash
+ is a very simple combo, but the order and speed in which you cast them are very important in different situations. Casting > will fire the from where you casted it, and you want to depending on the situation. towards the enemy to close the gap and hit a point blank since you are so close to the enemy. laterally to still hit the while dodging skillshots like .

Flash > Cocoon
> is your absolute BEST engage tool and is almost entirely meant to catch out important targets. You can catch out enemies from an INSANE range with these two abilities, and potentially just win the game right then and there.

Spider E:

I personally think that this ability is one of the strongest abilities in the entire game. If you think about it on paper, it is essentially a free that is on a much lower cooldown, that offers free vision, gives you an offensive/defensive movement tool AND doesn't take up an item slot. Mastering this ability is very important as an player.

Targeting vs. Non-targeting
Targeting an enemy with this ability will grant you a medium range gap close and land you and your Spiderlings on the enemy while buffing your passive bonuses. Non-targeting this ability (clicking it somewhere on the ground) will bring you up for a maximum of 2 seconds, giving you complete vision of the area. You can then recast the ability to land on a neutral target (plant, jungle camp etc) or an enemy target (minions, champs etc). Knowing when to target/non-target this ability is very key.

Ultimate:

is interesting because she is one of several champions where you start the game with your Ultimate, giving you access to two separate forms and thus two abilities. Her is actually what spawns those Spiderlings that help you attack enemies, but they also do more than just attack.

Spiderling Wave Control
When you are in your and your Spiderlings are out and about, they will automatically target whatever enemey you are attacking, and when you cast or they will follow you up. Something that most players DO NOT know about the Spiderlings, is that they are terrific at tanking minions and helping you freeze your own wave. As long as you are close enough in proximity to minions, your Spiderlings will aggro them and hold the wave for you.

Spiderling Aggro
In the Jungle, you can use your summoned Spiderlings from to tank hits for you and juggle aggro to mitigate a lot of damage if done correctly.

Elise Combos

The following combos are ones that I use pretty much every game where they are applicable.

I'll include a difficulty level, the combo input, and a short video of the combo being executed.

Main Combo 1:

Difficulty: 2/5

Input:
( start):

Auto Attack (if able)
(before the lands)

to deal damage and close the gap
Auto Attack reset with
as needed

Main Combo 2:

Difficulty: 2/5

Input:
( start):
if needed to gap close

Auto attack reset with skittering frezny

Auto Attack (if able)
(before the lands)

(repeat as needed)

Easy Electrocute Proc:

Difficulty: 0/5

Input:
( start):
Auto Attack
/
Auto Attack

Long Distance Engage:

Difficulty: 4/5

Input:
( start):

Auto Attack (if able)
(before the lands)

to deal damage and close the gap
Auto Attack reset with
as needed

Epilogue

That about wraps it up for my casual Elise Master Guide. Feel free to add me if you'd like in game to see it all wrapped up in real time:

Best Elise NA

As a friendly reminder, I am not an insane player or a high elo player by any means. I just enjoy playing the game and I enjoy playing . Reach out to me if you have any questions and you can follow me on my social medias if you wish, Happy Spidering!

13.10 Elise Master Guide - For ALL Roles

13.10 Elise Master Guide - For ALL Roles

Recommended Items

Runes: Bruiser/Tanky Spider

Spells:

Flash

Ignite

Flash

Teleport

Flash

Smite

Items

Ability Order Standard

Spider Queen (PASSIVE)

Neurotoxin / Venomous Bite (Q)

Volatile Spiderling / Skittering Frenzy (W)

Cocoon / Rappel (E)

Spider Form / Human Form (R)

Spider Queen (PASSIVE)

Neurotoxin / Venomous Bite (Q)

Volatile Spiderling / Skittering Frenzy (W)

Cocoon / Rappel (E)

Spider Form / Human Form (R)

Spider Queen (PASSIVE)

Neurotoxin / Venomous Bite (Q)

Volatile Spiderling / Skittering Frenzy (W)

Cocoon / Rappel (E)

Spider Form / Human Form (R)

Threats & Synergies

Fiddlesticks

Kayn

Cho'Gath

Amumu

Fiddlesticks

Jarvan IV

Maokai

Rammus

Zac

Warwick

Nidalee

Shaco

Volibear

Sejuani

Pantheon

Viego

Kha'Zix

Taliyah

Neeko

Annie

Cho'Gath

Malzahar

Lissandra

Camille

Renekton

Jhin

Lucian

Ezreal

Amumu

Fiddlesticks

Jarvan IV

Maokai

Rammus

Zac

Warwick

Nidalee

Shaco

Volibear

Sejuani

Pantheon

Viego

Kha'Zix

Taliyah

Neeko

Annie

Cho'Gath

Malzahar

Lissandra

Camille

Renekton

Jhin