Hello, summoners! My name is A Wanblee Wasta (Now I have another nickname, but I think this isn't a problem) and I am a simple player. I am crazy about Neeko, she is my favourite champion in midlane (and support sometimes). I looked at different guides and they were old or modified for new season, but not in-depth (irrelevant). After that, I decided to create my own guide for such an interesting and unusual character!

I will improve this guide as I get more information about the champion in new meta.
I also want to ask you to share your opinion and ideas about the guide with me. It's really important. If I learn more about someone else's experience playing the character, I can make the guide better. I need a different opinion to reduce the chance of mistakes. I also ask you to be understanding and write about grammatical mistakes. :)

If it's important, I'm diamond last 2 seasons.

News: changes in build for update 14.1.

P.S. My twitch account, where I try to get a rank (Mostly Neeko): A Wanblee Wasta.

Guide is in progreess to update. I returned after a year of absence. I have now cleaned the guide of some old information and will try to update it whenever possible. My preferred ban is Zed.

Neeko is an unusual champion who has a lot of control with her Tangle-Barbs and Pop Blossom for a long time over a large area. She has a lot of damage with Blooming Burst in full cast. Neeko has many opportunities to roam successfully, tricks with her Inherent Glamour and Shapesplitter. In experienced hands, she can do incredible things, great catch and stand well in lane.

Neeko's Pros → Great roam potential → Good early and mid game → Great burst damage → The right ultimate can win the game → Good waveclear → Strong if early ahead

All Champions have their minuses, Neeko is not exception. She doesn't have the greatest attack range. Like most mages, Neeko is a squishy champion who can quickly die. If she is behind, it's hard for her to get back into the game. She has Shapesplitter, but she doesn't have the ability to escape. She doesn't have any targeted skills, and it's quite easy to dodge her abilities. Her Pop Blossom has a cast time, in addition to the flash, in the new season there are many items with dashes which makes it easier to dodge.

Neeko's Cons → Weak if behind → Many ways to dodge abilities → Squishy → No escapes → Not the most useful passive → She's short-medium-distance mage

SORCERY

Arcane Comet is the best choice for Neeko, as you will be able to poke your opponent in the lane until he is exhausted. This rune doesn't help you in skirmishes or teamfights, but it's the best rune for the lane stage. I think that Phase Rush is bad rune for Neeko, because she already has the movement speed she needs and the problem with Neeko is getting the early advantage over your opponent. Summon Aery is simply weaker in poking, than comet.

I almost always take Manaflow Band, because it's the best rune in lane, but you can take Nullifying Orb vs burst AP damage. for example, Fizz or LeBlanc. There is no point in taking the Nimbus Cloak, because it works poorly for Neeko and does not give almost any good gains compared to the Manaflow Band.

I always take Absolute Focus, because you want to get an early advantage. Transcendence may be a good choise with Liandry's Torment, but i think that Absolute Focus will be work better. Celerity I do not consider it as an option, because it is simply not needed for Neeko.

Gathering Storm is the best option in the last place for runes, because Waterwalking is for junglers. Of cource, if you are jng-Neeko, it is the best variant, but we play in mid lane, so Gathering Storm is better. I think that impact of Scorch is weaker, than the storm because you have high mana costs and can't really spam abilities, so it isn't the right choice for Neeko.

You are mage, so best choice is attack speed (because you will use Shapesplitter more often), adaptive damage and armor(circle vs mages).

DOMINATION

Taste of Blood a best choise, because you will be healing in lane stage and your trades will be more effective. You can also take Sudden Impact, as it will be used after the Shapesplitter, but I think, that Taste of Blood is the most effective rune.

Relentless Hunter a strong rune that helps you on roams.

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DOMINATION

Electrocute is the best choice for Neeko, as you will be able to trade with your opponent in the lane until he is died (after your full lvl 3 cast with electrocute, your opponent can lose ~40-50 % he's hp). This rune can help you in skirmishes or teamfights, because you can kill enemy carry in one cast, unlike Arcane Comet. I think Predator is bad rune for Neeko, because she already has the movement speed she needs and the problem with Neeko is getting the early advantage over your opponent. Dark Harvest is weaker on lane stage, but more stronger in late game, than Electrocute. If you have easy lane opponent, Dark Harvest will good choice. Neeko doesn't need Hail of Blades, because she is a mage, despite the use Shapesplitter.

Taste of Blood a best choise, because you will be healing in lane stage and your trades will be more effective. You can also take Sudden Impact, as it will be used after the Shapesplitter. You can use Cheap Shot, as it will be used after your stun and give you more damage in lane, but I think, that Taste of Blood is the most effective rune.

I always take Eyeball Collection, because you want to get early advantage, after that you will have kills and good stats on this rune. Others runes for supports or junglers, so it is simply not needed for Neeko.

Relentless Hunter is the best option in the last place for runes, because Ravenous Hunter was deleted. Of cource, you can use Relentless Hunter for better roaming and you have best speed with Shapesplitter and Inherent Glamour. You can use Ingenious Hunter, but i don't like this rune without Everfrost. I think that impact of Ultimate Hunter is weakness, it isn't the right choice for Neeko.

You are mage, so best choice is attack speed (because you will use Shapesplitter more often), adaptive damage and armor(circle vs mages).

SORCERY

I almost always take Manaflow Band, because it's the best rune in lane, that help you to poke enemie, but you can take Transcendence with Liandry's Torment

Gathering Storm is the best option in the last place for runes, because you will be stronger in late. If you want to get early advantage, you can take Absolute Focus.

FLASHThis is a basic choice for almost any character. It goes particularly well with Neeko because at the last moment of the Pop Blossom, Neeko flies up into the air, and the flash helps to cover the distance to have an unexpected attack on the enemy team.

IGNTEThe most frequent choice, because it allows you to get an early advantage in the lane or by roaming, because you get large additional damage and anti-heal.

CLEANSECleans will work well against matchups with strong control. For example, Zoe or Syndra.

HEAL OR BARRIERQuestionable choice, because you need to gain an advantage in the lane, which these summoners will not help, but it will be easier for the jungler to gank your lane and your 2vs2 will be stronger. The barrier will help you survive difficult matches and team fights. I never take Heal, but Barrier may be good rune in difficult matchups, for example, Zed.

TELEPORTI don't think teleport is a good choice for Neeko, so I'm not considering it. She's a bad splitpusher, and she needs an advantage, not mobility.

• If Neeko is disguised as an ally, then the animation of your ultimate will only be during the jump.
• To hit enemy all charges of Q at early game, you must throw first Q, and at the same time E.
• If you are using Tangle-Barbs before flash, it's animation will be canceled and the shell will fly out instantly.
• All directed abilities with a temporary cast are canceled during activation Shapesplitter. For Example, Realm of Death of Mordekaiser. Attention! Do not go to recharge, but simply canceled!

Hextech Rocketbelt

Rabadon's deathcap

Void staff

Trying these builds yourself and based on theory, Hextech Rocketbelt, Rabadon's Deathcap and Void Staff are the core slots for Neeko, because they give her penetration, mobility to use the ultimate and a lot of damage.

Hextech Rocketbelt

Zhonya's hourglass

Rabadon's deathcap

This is second variant of core build and i started use it in a lot of games. These items give you instruments for initiation and survivability in fights. I think, that you would can more with early Zhonya's Hourglass, than first core with it in 4-5 place, but you have few lower damage in mid game.

I would like to talk about warding separately.

At the beginning of the game, you should to install the ward in one of the bushes shown in the images below.





If you place such ward, then you can see the moment when the enemy jungler is walk through the water to the upper or lower line. It is best to stay around to the side where you have installed the ward. After that you can be safe. Another option is for you to use wards in nearby of bushes as in the images below.





To control the dragon, you need to put 1 ward. It should be positioned so that there is a view of the exit to the river from the other team, the dragon should be fully visible. With the Herald, you need to put wards similarly. You should to install the ward shown in the image below.



If you decide to kill a dragon, then you need to control part of the enemy forest to see where and how many enemies are coming from. You should to install the ward shown in the images below.





If your opponents is red team.

That's all I wanted to say about warding.

Neeko can be a very aggressive champion in early game. She has a good base damage with control, after recent patches Q was upgraded.

On the lane stage you can poke your opponent. If this is a melee fighter, then try to catch him on each minion, but don't forget about mana, because Neeko uses quite a lot of it! The standard combination looks like this: you throw Tangle-Barbs through the minions, then Blooming Burst, you can append AA. Ideally, you should aim to throw Blooming Burst In advance, because all 3 ticks will do the most damage. You can also use enhanced attack from Shapesplitter to poke your opponent.

Never forget about wards, because you are a mage and you are squishy, so easy to kill, and gank can cost a life. When you have money for a Control Ward, buy it and use it in areas where your vision will be maximum. I want to show you an example of wards in the upper part of the river and the red forest, if you are on the blue side.



When you get part of first item, you can start to look for roams on sides. If the situation allows, you can push your lane and go to one of the sides to help for your team. Neeko has a great gank potential, and you can also give the enemy team incorrect information by disguising as your jungle with Inherent Glamour.

If you have information about enemy jungler and your opponent (He is dead, in base), so do you conclude that you are safe, then you can push the tower to remove the plates as quickly as possible and destroy it. Always look at the map and try to help your jungler if it is justified. Look at the movements of your opponent's. If he is not in lane, then inform your allies about it!

In the middle / late game, active battles for objects begin. Playing as Neeko, you will always want to connect to the fight from the unexpected side or with the advantage of surprise, your Inherent Glamour with Shapesplitter allows you to take advantage of the fact that it does not show the charging of your ultimatum, while you are in mask, so that you can get as close to the enemy as possible. Remember that your Pop Blossom is very good in teamfights. Always try to find an approach from the flank to enter the team fight, or use your Flash to quickly cover the distance during the ultimate cast.

It is worth noting that Neeko isn't the best splitpusher, at sieging of she is also not very good, because she has a short range of abilities. But she is good during teamfights, each of which at the end of the game can decide exodus. Try to build synergy with your team. For example, Neeko with Amumu and his Curse of the Sad Mummy. I really like the synergy between Amumu and Neeko, because she needs time to use her abilities, what can allow Amumu, also their abilities work by area. If your team has any сhampions like Jarvan IV who can lock up the opponent - this is great, because then it will be much easier for you to realize yourself!

So, in the late game, never forget about the control of the wards on objects, the correct synergy of the team in your actions, always keep a red ward with you to clear the enemy's wards. You can buy on last place Control Ward, until you collect money for 6 item.

In General, i think, if your team has characters that can initiate a fight, don't initiate it yourself. Let your team members do it instead of you, as a last resort you must walk around the scene of the fight and try to hit someone.

If you have read up to this point, thank you very much, comrades! Please rate the guide and, if possible, rate it with a comment to me. The quality of the guide is very important to me, so please report grammatical and logical mistakes (I'm sure there are a lot of them). I also ask you to tell me about your experience with Neeko, because I am not a grandmaster, master, etc, but only a platinum-ranked player, so else's experience is extremely important for writing a good guide. In addition, I still have to write matchups and synergy for this champion, where I hope else's experience will help me.

I want to say a special thank to the people who helped me write this guide!

I also want to write that this is my first guide, judge strictly, but not too much, please :)