Cassiopeia Build Guide : Hyrav's Challenger Rank 1 Cassiopeia Guide

INTRODUCTION

➣ About Me
➣ Pros / Cons
➣ Abilities

PREPARATION

➣ Runes
➣ Summoners
➣ Matchups

INFORMATION

➣ Skill Sequence
➣ Items
➣ Warding Tips

ANNIHILATION

➣ Laning Phase
➣ Teamfights
➣ Late Game

Welcome to Hyrav's Cassiopeia Guide

Hello everyone, my name is Hyrav, and thank you for taking the time to read my guide. I have been playing Cassiopeia since Season 6 and in that timeframe have consistently held #1 Cassiopeia Global on LeagueOfGraphs.com, as well as hitting Challenger on 6 separate regions; EUW, EUNE, NA, TR, RU, and LAN.

I hope this guide will be of use to you all, and you're able to find equal success whilst playing as, once mastered, she is a lot of fun and has huge outplay potential.

I stream occasionally on Twitch, so if you'd like to learn whilst I play live, you're more than welcome to tune in and watch.

Pros

+ Huge outplay potential
+ Game-deciding ultimate
+ Strong damage output (+DoTs)
+ Good self-healing

is a Champion that can set the pace of game right from the beginning of laning phase. You can assert dominance early by weaving auto-attacks between if the matchup allows that to happen. In mid-late game your ultimate can be the deciding factor of whether you win or not. With strong healing from , and you're able to sustain yourself through extended fights. The damage from and compliment that of your regular abilities.

-

Cons

- Limited mobility
- Struggles when outranged
- High mana costs early
- Takes significant time to learn

There are a few matchups in particular, covered in the Matchups section, that will struggle into. Without at level 1, mana costs are very high in the early levels and your priority is building on that mana pool upon your first recall. A lack of mobility means you have to focus on perfecting movement and kiting - this element of her gameplay will take a significant time to learn, as you practice tethering other champions at maximum distance.

Serpentine Grace (Passive)
RANGE: N/A
COST: N/A
COOLDOWN: N/A

Innate: Cassiopeia gains Movement Speed per level. Cassiopeia cannot purchase Boots items.

At Level 1, Cassiopeia has 332 base movement speed - rank 128 / 153
At Level 18, Cassiopeia has 400 base movement speed - rank 1 / 153
Movement Speed = 328 + (4x) Level

-

Noxious Blast (Q)
RANGE: 850
COST: 50 / 55 / 60 / 65 / 70 Mana
COOLDOWN: 3.5 seconds

Active: Blasts enemies in an area with Noxious Poison. If a champion is hit, Cassiopeia gains Movement Speed decaying over 3 seconds.

Noxious Poison deals magic damage over 3 seconds.

Movement Speed: 30 / 35 / 40 / 45 / 50%
Magic Damage: 75 / 110 / 145 / 180 / 215 (+90%)

-

Miasma (W)
RANGE: 700
COST: 70 / 80 / 90 / 100 / 110 Mana
COOLDOWN: 24 / 22 / 20 / 18 / 16

Active: Cassiopeia spews venom in an arc, leaving toxic clouds for 5 seconds.
Enemies in the clouds are continually afflicted with Debilitating Poison, inflicting a decaying slow and grounding them, prohibiting the use of Movement abilities. They also take magic damage per second.

Miasma has a minimum cast range and stops on the first terrain hit.

Magic Damage: 20 / 25 / 30 / 35 / 40 (+15%)
Slow: 40 / 50 / 60 / 70 / 80%

-

Twin Fang (E)
RANGE: 700
COST: 50 Mana
COOLDOWN: 0.75 seconds

Active: Deal magic damage to a target. If the target is killed by Twin Fang, or is killed during its flight, Cassiopeia gains Mana.

If the victim is Poisoned when Twin Fang hits, it takes additional magic damage and heals Cassiopeia (75% heal against Minions and small Monsters).

Magic Damage: 52 - 120 (based on level) (+10%)
Poisoned Bonus Damage: 10 / 30 / 50 / 70 / 90 (+60%)
Heal: (+12 / 14 / 16 / 18 / 20%)

-

Petrifying Gaze (R)
AOE: 850
COST: 100 Mana
COOLDOWN: 120 / 100 / 80 seconds

Active: Cassiopeia deals magic damage to all enemies in a cone in front of her. Enemies facing her when damaged are stunned for 2 seconds, while enemies facing away are slowed by 40%.

Magic Damage: 150 / 250 / 350 (+50%)

is by far the best rune for in the Precision tree. At Level 1, you're able to get +24AP from max (12) stacks. Weaving auto-attacks between 4 casts of and you will hit max stacks quickly within a trade, allowing you to put out great damage in the early laning phase, whilst healing you in conjunction with and .

Although isn't as strong as it once was, where it allowed you to cast abilities with no mana cost upon levelling up, it remains the most viable option on this row of the tree, and enables you to stay in teamfights for longer, as long as you're able to get either a kill or assist to replenish mana. When you damage an enemy with any of your abilities, you will also increase your mana regeneration which is ideal for .

As has very little mobility besides movement speed buffs from and , is the best option from this row, reducing the effects of CC and allowing you to get straight back into the action sooner - paired with some HP items such as and , you should have enough to keep you alive in most situations.

synergises well with , as your damage is increased by 11% when you're at 30% HP or below. Holding onto allows you to make use of this damage buff for longer, whilst staying relatively safe. is also a viable option if you find yourself into a tankier matchup, such as or - it's a situational rune, but will be the best option in 9/10 scenarios.

The +10% attack speed is really nice for laning phase and smooths out the auto-attack animations whilst you don't have enough mana to spam and . Standard extra adaptive damage for the middle rune, and lastly you should swap between armor and magic resist, dependent on the matchup you're playing - if it's a hybrid champion such as or , taking the extra HP is also a viable option.

SUMMONER SPELLS
-

FLASH: This is your core summoner spell and should never change. Using + can make the difference between winning a game or not, or closing the gap between yourself and a or trying to channel their ultimate in lane. enables to have insane outplay potential and so you should always take this summoner.

BARRIER: As mentioned before, synergises really well with and allows to stay in a fight for longer. It enables you to make riskier plays and test limits further.

CLEANSE: This is a situational summoner spell to take, dependent on who you're playing against and who the Jungler is. In some cases, for laning phase only isn't worthwhile, so I would only recommend taking this if the enemy team has more than one form of hard CC.

TELEPORT: In higher elo matches will prove to be more useful as you're playing more objectively - into matchups where you're being outranged or you feel as though the laning phase will be slow / focused on farm, this is a great option to influence sidelanes and snowball your teammates.

IGNITE: I use in matchups I feel confident I can get an early kill, otherwise I'll opt for or . It's incredibly strong and makes solo kills more likely during the early laning phase once you have stacked . Paired with and DoT from , helps to compliment this damage.

EXHAUST: Very rarely will I take this Summoner, unless I'm against an AD assassin and an AD Jungler, or my Bot Lane didn't take for some reason - , , and are viable options for but otherwise I would opt for one of the others mentioned above.

SKILL SEQUENCE
-

-

1

E

2

Q

3

W

4

E

5

E

6

R

7

E

8

Q

9

E

10

Q

11

R

12

Q

13

Q

14

W

15

W

16

R

17

W

18

W

-

-
Taking at Level 1 is great for securing minions in a tough matchup that you may not have the time to auto-attack. It's worth noting that has a significantly faster animation allowing you to get in and out without standing still for too long.

Picking up at Level 2 will compliment the damage from during an extended trade. If you have taken , it will also create kill pressure in lane. Be cautious though, as it has a high mana cost during early levels, so only use it unless you know you will hit the ability.

Leveling up at Level 3 is entirely situational. If you feel as though your Jungler will gank early, or you're able to deny the lane opponent some form of mobility, such as , or , I would definitely recommend it - it's usually a great pick against Assassins. When you're laning against a Champion with little or zero mobility like or I would wait until Level 4 before taking a point in .

Obviously, take at Level 6, 11 and 16 as you don't want to delay these power spikes and your ultimate will be on a shorter cooldown, as well as doing more damage.

Tear of the Goddess

Doran's Ring

Doran's Shield

In most cases you will be taking at the beginning with - although you will be delaying the purchase of , the additional 360 mana stacking is great for extended trades throughout laning phase. Paired with this gives you great potential for an early Level 2/3 kill.

Opt for into a matchup where you don't feel as though you'll get an opportunity to harass much at all, and you will benefit from further sustain - such as , , and . The passive will allow you to regain mana & HP whilst providing you with a small damage buff to your auto-attacks to speed up wave clear.

is only built in rare cases - when you're against a ranged AD champion such as or this will be ideal to get you through the early few levels, until you're stronger after your first recall. Aside from this scenario, go with one of the items mentioned above.

-

Liandry's Anguish

Archangel's Staff

Rylai's Crystal Scepter

is your core mythic item - the DoT (Damage over Time) is a great compliment to the poison damage from and - make sure to rush when you get the opportunity as it will be a huge power spike for you during laning phase.

Delay building until the 3rd or 4th item as there're more important items to get. or is a much better second purchase, and then consider getting thereafter. Once it transforms into the additional mana and scaling AP is great.

The rest of your build, listed at the top of this guide is entirely situational - build if you need to avoid abilities such as or , take for anti-heal, for some magic resist and the spellshield, and if you need additional magic penetration for tanks stacking magic resist.

Your three core items will remain the same, and the rest of your build will be tailored to the game you're in - don't be lazy and build the same items every game. To improve your winrate you have to become adaptable.

When you're playing against Champions such as , , , , and (for example) in the Jungle you need be extra cautious at Level 1 and 2. If you don't respect the early pressure these Champions have, you could fall victim to First Blood, which can be avoided by placing an early ward. Look at the images below to know where to place this ward, before minions arrive in your lane, to reduce the chances of dying to a Level 2 gank.

-
-

Blue Side

-

-
-

Red Side

-

How to play early laning phase
If you've taken and you suspect the enemy Jungler will full-clear or wont gank you at Level 2/3, rush your Level 2 as soon as possible and look for an extended trade with or . Focus on getting priority if possible for your Jungler when scuttle crab is about to spawn. If you have taken , hard push the 2nd and 3rd wave before moving up or down into river, dependent on whichever side your Jungler wants to contest scuttle crab.
-

-
TIP: Remember to use to last hit minions as it will refund the mana you spend when a minion dies - see the video below for a demonstration;

-

-
TIP: Using on scuttle crab will remove it's shield, allowing you to kill it faster. Make note of this to secure additional gold and vision for your team if your Jungler is unable to kill it himself or you see an opportunity to take it away from the enemy - reference the video below;
-

-
TIP: To compensate for 's lack of mobility, there are a few interactions that are worth knowing about, to avoid yourself dying to ganks. Champions which have a channeling animation, that also grants mobility, such as 's , 's and with his , can be interrupted by using . Take a look at the two videos below, that demonstrate how using will cancel these abilities;
-

-

During teamfights, your main focus is to throw onto Champions that have mobility and use it as part of their combo - the more the better. Tether the enemy as far back as possible whilst staying within range for , stacking at range and healing any damage you might take. Primarily your focus should be on the enemy carry, using the slow from to help setup your team for a chase-down.

As lacks self-peel without her and , utilise the frontline you have around you and ensure you're not putting yourself at risk. Once you get hit with hard CC it's very difficult to get out of that situation. Position yourself behind teammates that can peel for you, and use the movement speed buff from to navigate around the fight whilst tethering enemies.

has the ability to completely change the outcome of a game, and is one of the few Champions that has a stun which can hit all 5 enemies at once, for a significant enough period of time that allows her teammates to follow-up with the engage.

In the late stages of the game, you want to ensure you're farming towards your Level 16 powerspike with and using side-lane farm to complete your core items and beyond. Don't share XP or gold with teammates if you can avoid it, as scales extremely well into late game and you want those resources for yourself to maximise your damage output.

Utilise the + combination to instantly stun the enemy team, leaving them with no other choice but to use (if available), or (if available) - otherwise, you can turn the entire game on it's head and pull off an insane comeback for your team.

If you haven't yet tried this combination and need to perfect the timing, jump into a Practice Tool game and spend a few minutes practicing - it will 100% be worth the time investment. See the video below for an example of how to perfectly time the + combination over terrain unsuspectingly;
-

3

/10

Aatrox, the Darkin Blade
It should be predictable what is wanting to do at each stage of the laning phase. Try your best to weave auto-attacks between to poke him down as he should have started with in this lane. Save your for when he looks to land the 2nd and 3rd cast of .

Unless the enemy team has 4 or more AD champions, you shouldn't need to purchase upon your 1st recall. Instead, continue the standard build path towards and , as you should be out-sustaining his damage with .

5

/10

Ahri, the Nine-Tailed Fox
Both and have the same attack range of 550, meaning the early laning phase is often decided by the aggressor. Position yourself behind minions to negate any pressure from and focus on farming for your 1st recall. is a relatively easy skillshot to dodge and you can bait this ability by standing close to a group of low-health minions.

There should be no need to purchase an early in this matchup. I would recommend opting for a and , before building into if the rest of their team is lacking frontline.

7

/10

Akali, the Rogue Assassin
The first 5 levels of this matchup is very linear. The range of her is 500, meaning you outrange her Q by 50. If you're able to space correctly, and position behind minions to avoid you should be able to farm with few issues. When she hits Level 6 and has you must respect her burst damage, as she can kill you easily if you fail your ultimate.

Whether or not your opponent knows how to play to her full potential, will influence your purchase upon the 1st recall. If you're getting harassed a lot by and the player seems confident, invest in an early and sit on it whilst you complete your . Having this early magic resistance will help negate some of her burst damage once she hits Level 6.

6

/10

Anivia, the Cryophoenix
I've always enjoyed the matchup against . is a very slow moving projectile and should be easy to both predict and dodge. Try and help your Jungler steal away the enemy blue buff to deny 's sustain in lane. Once she has her waveclear becomes much better than yours, and so taking away that blue buff will reduce her roaming potential.

In this matchup you should be able to build standard, picking up a and capitalising on 's lack of mobility. Despite her passive , she is incredibly vulnerable in lane and you should take advantage of this.

8

/10

Annie, the Dark Child
Ever since 's was given a movement speed buff, I think she remains an underrated Champion. Despite having the longest attack range of any Mid Laner (625) she does have weaknesses that you can capitalise on. Pre-6 you can play aggressive, weaving auto-attacks between . Once she has , play cautiously if she has 2 or 3 stacks of and is refusing to use on minions - this is an obvious sign either the enemy Jungler is nearby, or she is looking to all-in you.

If the enemy Jungler also has CC, I would recommend running & , otherwise both and work well into this matchup. I sometimes sit on and then build before finishing .

6

/10

Aurelion Sol, the Star Forger
As usually builds at Level 1, he is particularly squishy in the early few levels. I would recommend taking to match sidelanes roams, and utilise slow pushes to give you a few extra seconds headstart on his . Be proactive with your SS pings as you won't be able to match every roam. has a similar travel time to 's thus making it a fairly easy skillshot to dodge.

The build path into this matchup is standard. If they have multiple squishy Champions, opt for , an early and build . If their team has frontline, go with instead and purchase afterwards.

7

/10

Azir, the Emperor of the Sands
The matchup is quite an annoying one. Although his attack range is only 525 he makes up for it with paired with . I would recommend taking in this matchup, or if you have an aggressive Jungler with hard CC. will prevent from using and is pretty easy to predict. Don't stand near towers when he has soldier's nearby, and available, as you will get flipped into the tower.

If you're against an experienced player who is poking you a lot with , you can purchase an early to make your laning phase easier. Otherwise, stick to a standard build path of into .

6

/10

Brand, the Burning Vengeance
A few patches ago, was changed so that his became a lot easier to spread - taking away a lot of the skill required to play the Champion. Because of this change, which subsequently makes stunning you with easier too, Brand has seen a higher winrate all over the map, and it's not the easiest of matchups for . has a long range, and has good mana sustain during the laning phase. I would go for and pressure him with your Jungler to try and snowball a lead.

If the enemy team has multiple squishy members, opt for the build path, and ensure you get an early . Despite not being played that often in the current meta, I would consider this a snowball matchup for if played correctly, and with some assistance from your Jungler wherever possible, as he lacks mobility.

5

/10

Camille, the Steel Shadow
On the rare occasion, you may play against Mid. As you're in a short lane surrounded by terrain, she has lots of options with . Look to use your on the 2nd part of - if you're quick enough, you can see which wall she's jumping too and throw before she gets there. Weave auto-attacks between to poke her out of lane with .

I would recommend getting an early in this matchup, as her burst damage is usually underrated. Take and play aggressive once you have . Save until after she uses .

7

/10

Cho'Gath, the Terror of the Void
It's not often you'll find yourself in a lane against but don't be fooled. If played full AP, this can go one of two ways - a complete stomp, or you'll have a horrible experience. His Q: is on a short cooldown, paired with a silence on - this combination makes it hard to trade back before your HP falls within territory. Try your best to bait and continually move around in lane to give yourself a better chance of dodging it.

Save + for when you want to all-in and he turns towards you to use - this gives you a short window to guarantee hits. There is no need to build and I would recommend building as he will get tanky throughout the game.

2

/10

Corki, the Daring Bombardier
This is one of my favourite matchups. relies on his to dodge your initiation. Expect him to constantly turn around whilst weaving auto-attacks and using . Your is a huge counter to his kit and you should be able to punish him out of lane with and your early damage.

I feel as though for winning lane is more valuable than the for late game. scales well, and so you want to propel your lead early. Buy an early and opt for the build path, but only if their team is lacking frontline. If they have tanky Champions, then go for the standard build path.

6

/10

Diana, Scorn of the Moon
Focus on dodging during the early levels, which will use to harass, similar to 's . If you manage to avoid you have an 8 second window (at Level 1) to trade using and . Her is fairly predictable, making your easier to hit.

If you're taking a lot of damage early from and finding it difficult to dodge, then purchase an early before getting your and - this is because 's kill threat increases dramatically at Level 6.

7

/10

Ekko, the Boy Who Shattered Time
Unless you're playing against , , or another Jungler that is likely to gank you at Level 2, I would hard push the first couple of waves, to rush Level 2 and have access to before gets . When you have this level advantage, weave auto-attacks between and and you should be able to output enough pressure to keep him at distance until your 1st recall.

Take for this matchup and save your for when he's approaching low health and needs to use . When he uses , throw at your feet - this is an easy way of ensuring you hit your poison. Build as you will benefit from the extra HP.

2

/10

Ezreal, the Prodigal Explorer
The matchup against is incredibly linear. If you stay behind minions to negate damage from the only option has is stepping within auto-attack range to proc , or using , which has a long cooldown early. Save your for all-in's but remember that can as you're throwing the ability, so use it to prevent his instead.

With and an early + you should be shredding 's HP bar. Once his is on cooldown, take advantage of his immobility and chase him down. You should be able to tank his damage output.

3

/10

Fiddlesticks, the Ancient Fear
In this matchup it's more than likely that will opt for a tanky build. Full AP would not be viable nor smart against . The reason I've put the difficulty as 3 is because lacks mobility, has both a simple and predictable kit, but he has good gank setup with , and . In the early laning phase poke with but don't expend mana on until you have as he will heal it back with .

If the enemy Jungler has hard CC, I would opt for in this matchup, otherwise go with and play aggressively once you have gone back and picked up and . Whenever uses you have a free setup for . If he goes out of vision in lane, hug the opposite side of the lane as he may be charging over the wall.

7

/10

Fizz, the Tidal Trickster
There are a lot of options playing against when it comes to Summoner spells. is always helpful to negate damage, is also viable if you're able to land it before he uses to close the gap, and is good if you're playing in lower elo and the may not be as experienced - allowing you to get a higher damage output. Pre-6 is where you dominate this matchup. Weave auto-attacks between and throw where Fizz needs to walk up and execute minions using .

I would recommend getting an early in this matchup, even if you're slightly ahead. The damage output from can catch you off-guard if you're not careful. Afterwards, build standard into as you will benefit from the additional HP.

4

/10

Galio, the Colossus
can be quite obnoxious to play against, especially paired with a Jungler that also has CC. has nice gank setup with and , so ensure you're spacing correctly in lane. is relatively easy to dodge as you can see him charge it up beforehand. As you want to be poking him with auto-attacks and stacking as much as possible.

Pick up an early and build towards to shred his health as he begins to scale into mid-late game. I would also recommend buying a in this matchup, instead of - this will help you burn through his HP bar, even whilst being CC'd. or should be your options here.

6

/10

Gangplank, the Saltwater Scourge
Very rarely you'll play against a in Mid Lane, but you may choose to play Top, or they may lane swap, so I thought it worthwhile to include this matchup in the guide. can become very oppressive in the early few levels. Don't take extended trades before you have as will heal up using and more than likely started with .

I would go for in this matchup and influence the sidelanes as much as possible. Being able to roam and then back to lane would be a great response to . Both and scale well as the game continues, so itemise accordingly. Both and are good options.

2

/10

Gragas, the Rabble Rouser
One of the easiest matchups in the Mid Lane, despite it being rare nowadays. is a slow moving skillshot and should be predictable as part of 's combo. If you see using whilst walking towards you, expect the Jungler to be nearby and play accordingly. + is the only combo that presents a threat and you have a very small window to away. A tell-tale sign of this combo, is seeing Gragas use whilst far away from you and then start the animation.

Take and play aggressively. Throw to initiate fights and follow up with an easy-to-land with . will likely go full AP, so you should shred him with . rush instead of as you wil hit your spike sooner.

6

/10

Heimerdinger, the Revered Inventor
What makes this matchup frustrating is the 's constantly pushing you in, and denying you the ability to have extended trades with and early. Although, you can kill these turrets easily, the minion wave is often pushed under your tower, with the help of . Take in this matchup and farm for your 1st recall before making any attempt to 1v1. is relatively easy to dodge and you're only stunned if you're in the centre of it's radius - if you dodge this, will come out on top.

Ganking a can be quite annoying, because like 's boxes, 's can block certain abilities, such as or . Once you have you should be able to chase him down without issues.

7

/10

Irelia, the Blade Dancer
has a lot of lane threat, even if she doesn't necessarily have high base HP. Often, she will start and use this to stack her passive . When she gets to 4 or 5 stacks to not fight her unless you have the advantage either in items, or HP to begin with. If uses and it looks as though it's going to connect and stun you, throw to delay her combo, as she will look to to close the gap.

Purchase an early if you're able to, before stacking your and building towards . Whilst charges , you have an easy opportunity to lane , or wait until she uses after connecting . I would opt for or in this matchup.

1

/10

Jayce, the Defender of Tomorrow
players are uncommon, and those who pick it into are even more-so. This has to be one of my favourite matchups. is guaranteed when he uses and jumps infront of you. At this moment, you throw on the floor, kite back with whilst stacking and use wherever necessary. The only time at which Jayce has the advantage is at range. Stay behind minions and you should breeze through the lane.

Take for added lane pressure, or to negate some of his burst as he will more than likely build first. Setting up ganks should be relatively simple with as he has limited mobility. Rush and then .

4

/10

Karma, the Enlightened One
This lane is often very boring. can get out of harms way using and it makes it harder to chase down with /. Sit behind low health minions to bait + and farm for your first recall. It's unlikely you'll get many opportunities to get a kill early unless messes up, so opt for or and pressure the river and sidelanes after you've returned from your first recall.

A great way to play this lane is to stack the waves and slow push towards 's tower, giving you an opportunity to move into river or out of vision. is a utility Mid Laner, meaning she thrives in teamfights. Catching her off-guard or zoning away from her teammates is a great way to reduce her impact. I would recommend into .

3

/10

Karthus, the Death Singer
Another linear matchup - has as very simple kit and thus it's easy to play around. Ensure you're playing towards your own Jungler, so that, if hits , you have a shorter distance to safety. Sit within a minion wave if you're taking a fight, so that isn't doing isolated bonus damage. is very immobile and you should capitalise on this weakness with your Jungler.

I would opt for for added kill pressure so that you can get those early Level 2/3 kills with /, or to help influence your sidelanes. Picking up an early would be great, and either or is going to be good in this matchup, dependent on their frontline.

6

/10

Kassadin, the Void Walker
The way to snowball this lane is to apply very early pressure against . You will need to take and weave auto-attacks between at Level 1-4 to push back. If you apply enough pressure he will be forced to secure minions with . Try and crash the 3rd or 4th minion wave to give yourself a 'cheater recall', allowing you to purchase an early , further enabling your pressure.

Personally, I opt for in this matchup to further my advantage in the early phases of the game. If you pressure as he steps forward to secure minions with , or , it should give you a window to land and be oppressive. Build an early and towards .

6

/10

Katarina, the Sinister Blade
Those who play in Solo Queue tend to have a lot of games on her, meaning they know the limitations and numbers. I personally enjoy this matchup, taking or , and pressuring early. You should treat this matchup very similarly to the matchup - poke early and stack whilst she can't out-trade you Level 1-3, and crash the 3rd or 4th wave to give yourself an item advantage.

You may want to purchase an early to negate some damage once she hits Level 6 and has available. Usually, team comps with tend to be tanky, thus you may want to go for to cut down that frontline. If you took , consider as part of your finished build.

2

/10

Kayle, the Righteous
Despite being incredibly strong in the current meta, I feel as though is one of the best Champions to play against her for the laning phase. The first 6 levels, whilst is forced to step forward into auto-attack range to kill minions, is where thrives. Use when she tries to last hit, and poke her out of lane weaving auto-attacks and stacking with . You should delay for when you either need to use it, or if uses . Before Level 11, you should be winning these 1v1's fairly easily. costs quite a lot of mana, and has a long cooldown, so if you see her use this, it gives you a 15 second window (at rank 1) to punish with .

I would opt for in this matchup as I think is overkill. You should be winning this lane as and influencing that lead across the map - helps enable this. Go for and an early instead of as you can burn through her HP bar with a single .

4

/10

Kennen, the Heart of the Tempest
becomes a threat once he has . Until that point has the advantage. If you're sitting behind minions, you shouldn't be in danger from , whilst you're able to hit as he steps up to last-hit minions. If you feel as though is going to engage with then throw to slow and try your best to distance yourself. has good setup for ganks and mobility, so keep this in mind.

or are good options into this matchup. should be relatively easy to hit if is using and moving towards you in order to land his combo. I would personally recommend focusing your attention on sidelanes and supporting your win condition, instead of trying for solo kills. Go for the build path, into .

8

/10

Kog'Maw, the Mouth of the Abyss
only becomes an issue after he has and starts hitting you with from across the map. Your best opportunity to get ahead in this lane is to pressure early. Usually will be taking or in this matchup, allowing him to space in teamfights. Try your best to avoid - is easy to dodge and you can sit behind minions to help with this.

I would recommend taking and the setup as you're unlikely to get an early kill as should be playing the early game relatively safe. Go for into into so that your is chunking away at his HP.

5

/10

LeBlanc, the Deceiver
This is one of my favourite matchups as as you can be equally as manipulative and deceiving if you use your abilities smartly. When uses to initiate a fight, throw at her return location, which will force her to commit, and then focus on hitting your - if you don't throw back where she came from she will jump back and get away with a positive trade. TIP:If you have poison ticking on when her passive pops, her clone will not have poison as well.

I like to take either or into this matchup but usually for added kill threat. will lose extended fights which is why she relies on her burst damage so heavily. Buying an early would be a great option, before going into and .

4

/10

Lissandra, the Ice Witch
Position yourself properly within minion waves to avoid damage from and you should have few issues in this matchup against . The reason I have given her a rating of 4/10 and not lower is because of her point and click CC with and additional lockdown with . She has good setup for ganks and so you need to be paying extra attention to the minimap and warding properly. Use to prevent moving with .

I would recommend taking or in this matchup, dependent on how confident you are on - you can kill pretty easily with stacked and if you're weaving auto-attacks and can land .

5

/10

Lucian, the Purifier
will more than likely start with and take , meaning that you should be able to secure the first wave of minions with relative ease, using to last hit from distance if need be. Be careful at Level 2 once he has as he can proc much easier. or would be advised in this matchup. Landing should be simple as has to face towards you when using .

Getting an early would be great in this matchup, as you will negate a lot of his burst damage once it starts to stack. I would recommend going for and then into as slowing him down will make landing a lot easier.

3

/10

Lulu, the Fae Sorceress
Usually paired with an annoying Jungler that will benefit from , look to capitalise on her innability to take long trades. She can effectively poke you with and but once these are on cooldown she's somewhat vulnerable. Use and chase with . Hug the side of your own Jungler in lane and if you feel as though you should win the 2v2 fights, opt for to negate the pressure.

You should be able to grow a substantial lead against with your lane pressure and ability to assist sidelanes. It's unlikely you'll have many opportunities for solo kills unless the makes a mistake, so save your for ganks and ensure the Jungler is the primary focus.
The build path should be standard, meaning you go for into .

7

/10

Lux, the Lady of Luminosity
Despite being particularly squishy and having zero mobility, she has effective self-peel with and . has a deceiving hitbox and so only look to take fights once you know this is on cooldown or you can bait the ability out easily - thankfully it's a slow moving skillshot and so should be easy to sidestep where the terrain allows it. is great for setting up ganks against and you should hopefully have a Jungler with some form of heavy CC like , , or .

Both and are good in this matchup but I personally think should be taken for the additional HP. Paired with or you should have enough in your kit to survive her full combo and come out on top once has been stacked. If her is on cooldown, spam your Jungler as she's incredibly vulnerable and squishy.

2

/10

Malphite, Shard of the Monolith
The matchup against is very linear alike Aatrox; what they're trying to do should become very apparent and you can play around this. Before hits Level 6 and has acccess to his gank setup is relatively low. Save your for when he steps forward to auto-attack minions and follow up with for when he turns and runs for safety. can use whilst you have bonus movement speed if he plays it smartly.

As should be building full AP, and you will stand little chance surviing his full combo from 60-70% HP with and , I would opt for and a relatively early in time for when he wants to land his first combination. If you negate his all-in opportunity and get a kill in return using your , this should be enough of a snowball to have you extending your lead into side lanes.

3

/10

Malzahar, the Prophet of the Void
This lane can be annoying due to poke from and repeated casts, but can easily kill minions with a single auto-attack and negating a lot of 's early wave clear. The largest annoyance comes in when you recall and he stays to shove another wave with either or and shoves it into your tower before you can return to lane - sadly there is little you can do about this even with an efficient recall. Use from distance to proc his passive shield, and remember that your poison will continue to have an effect after the shield breaks.

Both your and proc his passive shield, and you can time so that you interrupt if you do it correctly and have already procced the shield. This takes practice within the matchup but is a relatively easy mechanic to execute as always has to face towards you when casting . I would recommen a when after building to ensure you can remain in fights.

2

/10

Mordekaiser, the Iron Revenant
I really like this matchup against . More commonly seen Top Lane, you may occassionally face him Mid Lane - the way you execute the lane is exactly the same. Use when he steps up to last-hit minions and save until after he uses so that you negate a lot of his enhanced damage. is relatively easy to sidestep assuming you're always moving side-to-side. is a great tool to slow his mobility and make him more vulnerable to ganks.

Grab an early and and build standard into followed up by to help kite him within . If you play this lane as it's intended, this shouldn't be a threat, and you out-heal his damage with .

5

/10

Morgana, the Fallen
has a very linear kit and relies on her heavy CC with and in order to be a threat towards you. If you sit within minion waves you should be relatively safe. Only use if is on cooldown or you think you can catch her off-guard as she tries to last-hit a cannon minion for example. 's mana costs are quite low and she will often spam to waveclear. Your and should shred through her low HP.

Take and opt for instead of after you have built for additional burn damage, and because her will negate the effects of , not making it worth the purchase.

6

/10

Neeko, the Curious Chameleon
Not often played, can be quite oppressive towards with her long range , made worse by the fact goes through minion waves and ensures does maximum damage. is like a ult or passive on an even lower cooldown, making it harder to hit your . If your poison is already on only one will have the poison defect, making it easy to identify.

Both and are worthwhile options in this matchup, and perhaps if your sidelanes are the win condition. Look to use after she uses looking for an all-in as she often combos this with , so you can be confident she is running towards you, and your ult will stun.

4

/10

Nocturne, the Eternal Nightmare
has great waveclear with his passive paired with and , however his is predictable and can be baited ahead of when you want to cast by simply delaying it. players tend to use immediately after hitting you with . Take for the as the fear duration is obnoxious, and follow that up with before throwing and creating distance for you to follow up with

Get an early or after you have completed to negate some of his burst damage and you should be able to sustain in fights with being fully stacked with and . You can abuse the fact he is melee and needs to walk into minion waves by poking with from distance.

2

/10

Nunu & Willump, the Boy and His Yeti
Mid has fallen out of meta but was at one stage last Season very popular. It's unlikely you'll see it again, but helpful to know the advantages you have against this Champion in the event you play against Jungle as well. Your will interrupt so ensure you save this ability for ganks or when he returns to lane. Delay until he channels to negate the majority of his damage, and weave between auto-attacks to stack

You can build standard towards in this matchup without having to buy any defensive items. and upon first recall if possible and you will (excuse the pun) snowball this lane as . has strong objective control and thus you need to be paying attention to your minimap and playing around your Jungler to ensure you maintain tempo.

9

/10

Orianna, the Lady of Clockwork
The matchup against is one of my least favourite. She will outrange you with and can get good poke against you when paired with from Level 2 onwards. Focus on farming as best you can with at distance and wait until your Jungler ganks - follow with + if needed to close the distance. You can take extended trades with if you feel as though she may run out of mana or is behind in items.

I would opt for or in this matchup, and rush instead of to give yourself a fair chance in extended trades early-mid game. Build towards and focus on influencing sidelanes instead of attempting 1v1 skirmishes in Mid lane.

4

/10

Pyke, the Bloodharbor Ripper
has burst that must be respected. If he lands the stun with he has great setup for ganks. The slow from is also particularly frustrating, whilst lacks mobility. Time your for when tries to last hit a cannon minion in melee range, and follow up immediately with to prevent him using , and to escape.

You should build standard here, with after , and both , or are all good options for this matchup, depedent on the rest of their team composition. If you manage to dodge you should win extended trades without issues, otherwise you may fall within execute territory before having a chance to retaliate.

7

/10

Qiyana, the Empress of the Elements
This is a particularly annoying matchup, especially when is using on bushes as she will become invisible. Both , and are good options in this scenario - and it's played very similar to the matchup. Weave auto-attacks between to apply pressure in the first three levels as you can easily distance yourself away from . If she jumps on you with throwing beneath you is a good way to ensure your will hit.

I would recommend picking up a in this matchup to ensure you can survive her burst combo when she has access to . As you want to tether as best as you can, and negate her all-in pressure with . Stay away from walls, and sit central in lane.

4

/10

Renekton, the Butcher of the Sands
I personally like the matchup. Keep distance once he has built his rage up and looks to use . Save for when he uses through minion waves to deny his second charge. Similar to other melee matchups, weave auto-attacks between to stack , enabling you to sustain in lane.

I hold my until I absolutely need to use it. I often find that , if poked down enough, can be killed without using your ultimate and so I roam to sidelanes in this matchup and use it to facilitate their lead. or in this matchup are good options dependent on how comfortable you are. There should be no need to buy if you play the lane correctly. Go for into .

6

/10

Rumble, the Mechanized Menace
can become quite oppressive in lane, especially when he lands one of his in order to slow you, as he can follow this up with to speed himself up and then use in conjuction with to burn into ash. It's likely should level up at Level 1 to help secure minions, and then at Level 2. Keep your distance and tether him until you have more mana for extended trades as you will lose early against and .

Opt for the start with two 's so that you can sustain through any trades goes for. Assuming you can tether correctly you should be okay in this lane - ask for Jungle assistance if possible and look to match his roams, as 's is great for sidelane ganks.

3

/10

Ryze, the Rune Mage
This is one of 's best matchups in my opinion - your slows and makes landing a lot easier to hit. relies on his movement speed boost to pull off a quick burst combo and then escape from the fight, usually with and his passive proc. As has to face towards you during his combination, let him use before a fight, and when he looks to use you can counter with as he should be looking towards you at this point.

Build standard towards and start with as will more than likely start with this item also, so it's good to keep up with the same scaling. Capitalise on your early pressure in this matchup and distance yourself from minions whilst he looks to spread and following with a quick .

1

/10

Seraphine, the Starry-Eyed Songstress
Since the release of I don't believe she has had particularly great feedback. There are very few people who're able to play her to her full potential, and even then, she doesn't put out as much pressure as other Mid Laners (in my personal opinion). Her abilities and are slow moving and easy to dodge, making her poke minimal if you're tethering her properly and keeping distance from the minion waves she'll be wanting to clear. As long as you keep your river warded and hug towards your Jungler you should breeze through this lane, so opt for an early and look to use when she casts as she'll be facing towards you for a short duration - just ensure you're within range, as her ult can be cast outside of (you may need to R+).

This is an example of when may be a good choice, dependent on whether or not they have a lot of frontline on their team. If they're all relatively squishy then you can get away with building this item, otherwise go for . Be sure to buy so that one is going to take 30-50% of 's HP.

2

/10

Sett, the Boss
The matchup is alike that of , and by that I mean its linear - it should be predictabble what wants to do in every stage of the laning phase. Often will step out of vision if he has taken and so that he can surprise you and set up an easy gank with the slow from and chasing you down with . Position yourself in the middle of the lane and weave auto-attacks between to stack and tether him so that you're out of range.

If has and available, looking as though he wants to all-in, expect him to use first and then behind you to then use towards his own tower and/or team. Ensure you hold for this combo as it's fairly predictable. Build standard towards first.

3

/10

Swain, the Noxian Grand General
I am a huge fan of the matchup. With stacked you will outsustain his damage. Paired with you should easily win every 1v1. is a slow moving ability and relatively easy to bait, so use the window whilst it's on cooldown to trade with and . You should look to use if and when he hits you with , as you can slow down his combo.

Start with and stack your mana early - you don't need the added sustain from or . Build towards and then into to capitalise on his low mobility.

4

/10

Sylas, the Unshackled
Quite possibly one of my favourite matchups, doesn't pose as much of a risk to you, as he might for your team after stealing post-level 6. I would opt for and punish earlier weaving auto-attacks between and stacking . With an early you may even be able to get a solo kill at Level 2/3 dependent on how many auto-attacks you're able to land.

Your won't stop the second part of and so trying to deny him mobility can be quite tricky. If you're able to land , follow it up with an immediate before and . Build standard towards and to give you additional self-peel.

9

/10

Syndra, the Dark Sovereign
has been known to be a tough matchup for due to her having a significant range advantage on her abilities, and easy poke with in lane. I would opt for and start, stepping up for minions, but hovering close to low health ally minions to bait out . The mana cost for this ability is quite low, but a bad Syndra will use too much mana in the early laning phase to establish dominance.

Thankfully though, alike , lacks mobility and is therefore vulnerable to ganks. Save your for when you're able to close the gap or to support your Jungler, and capitalise on the window when is on cooldown. Standard build path in this matchup with an early .

5

/10

Taliyah, the Stoneweaver
The matchup isn't a common one to see nowadays, as she is mostly played as a Jungler, however I felt it was beneficial to understand how to play against her from 's perspective. Whilst channeling , is forced to face in that direction, giving you plenty of opportunities to land , even if you needed to to close the distance. As steps forward to trade, always walk towards her as she will case 95% of the time in the direction she expects you to run away. Pathing towards her should help avoid this knock-up.

I would opt for and go for the standard start, as you're able to sit behind minions and stack early mana. At Level 3/4 when you have access to , wait until she is in a vulnerable spot or expends either or to clear the wave, and use that opportunity to look for a solo kill.

4

/10

Talon, the Blade's Shadow
Similarly to players, you'll usually only see if it's an OTP (one-trick-pony), so tread with caution in this matchup, but not too much. I would opt for either , , or dependent on your experience with - for the more experienced, opt for for lane pressure, which will allow you to bully him under tower and prevent a lot of his roaming potential.

Position yourself to the side of minion waves, not behind them so that he has to choose between poking you or farming minions when casting in lane. Be proactive with your sidelane pings as will look to roam a lot - it's then your teams responsibility to position accordingly, as can't be expected to match the roams. Build an early and then into a standard build path of .

6

/10

Tristana, the Yordle Gunner
I would recommend starting with and focused towards getting as soon as possible. Similar to the matchup, or most ADC matchups, it can be very oppressive in the early laning phase, as they'll look to proc at every opportunity. Tether as best you can, and focus on last hitting minions. Take or dependent on the rest of their team comp.

Your build path is otherwise standard. into . Try your best to use when negating 's reset from and .

6

/10

Twisted Fate, the Card Master
This isn't a particularly difficult matchup, however the pace is usually quite slow. is known for a controlling playstyle, waiting for level 6 and access to to influence sidelanes. Take if their Jungler also has a form of hard CC like , , etc. otherwise I would recommend to assist you in matching some of 's roams.

is also fairly immobile so utilise the slow from and the speed-up from landing to close to distance and stack - will win isolated 1v1 extended trades, so if you know where the enemy Jungler is, don't be afraid to step up.

2

/10

Varus, the Arrow of Retribution
Aside from the fact can outrange you with this matchup heavily favours in my opinion. You have an easy setup for whenever he looks to use or as he'll be facing towards you for a window of time, and his immobility makes him vulnerable to and ganks.

Take an early and stack your mana on minions during the first 3-4 levels, and opt for either or for further lane dominance. Build standard into and then into to slow him down even more.

5

/10

Veigar, the Tiny Master of Evil
The matchup, aka. Farming Simulator 2021 is fairly boring. If he steps forward or drops there is a good chance you're getting ganked. , and are all viable options, dependent of course on their Jungler and the remaining team comp, but I would personally opt for either or even if the rest of the enemy team doesn't pose much of a threat.

Conserve your mana for potential extended trades whilst stuck inside and try your best to dodge both and when cast in your direction / on your position. An early may be required to negate some of his burst at level 6 with but that depends on whether you get an early lead and can snowball or not.

9

/10

Vel'Koz, the Eye of the Void
Quite possibly one of the most frustrating matchups for as you'll be outranged and forced to constantly move in and out of abilities, with , and becoming a mini-game within laning phase. However, wait until uses and cast or + if you need to close the gap, and follow this up with and . Path to either side to avoid the predicted and chase him down.

I would opt for an early instead of and only look for extended trades once you have a bit more HP and can sustain effectively. As long as you're dodging you should be fine, as this is 's setup for the rest of the combo. should help negate a lot of this pressure.

7

/10

Viktor, the Machine Herald
People often forget about 's oppression and early damage in laning phase, and I would strongly suggest you respect him, at the very least for the first 3 levels. Thereafter, you can pull off more extended trades and out-sustain with stacked and the healing from , and . I would build to stack mana early and allowing you to take an extended trade pre-6, and then building an early upon your first or second recall to negate the burst with and post-6.

is relatively immobile, when hasn't had the chance to proc thus making him an easy target with and your Jungler to follow up with some form of hard CC. I would opt for or in this matchup.

5

/10

Vladimir, the Crimson Reaper
is one of my favourite matchups to play against. Take every time, weave auto-attacks between during the early laning phase, and stack whenever possible. Once you have enough mana stacked from you will easily out-sustain an extended trade pre-6. Remember that your poison from , , the DoT from and will all continue doing damage whilst uses , so he can't use that as a damage mitigation tool, unless used to dodge .

Standard build path here going into instead of to increase burn damage, and play hyper-aggressive between cooldown windows.

3

/10

Wukong, the Monkey King
This is another linear matchup, and should be simple if played correctly to 's strengths. When uses to jump on you, throw at your feet - if then tries to use , you will be able to see the invisible version as the poison is doing damage, negating the need to purchase . This is also a great way to see whether or not has actually used as the clone will not be taking poison damage. Take or , build first and pressure heavily in the early stages.

Standard build path includes into followed by to counter during 's all-in. Tether him at max range and you should have an easy laning phase.

9

/10

Xerath, the Magus Ascendant
falls into the same category as , and , in terms of range and oppression. I would recommend taking or in this matchup and focus purely on farming until you hit Level 6. When charges and faces towards you, you have a window to + as an opener, which should buy you enough time to get a solo kill, assuming you sidestep , or he doesn't have enough mana to cast it.

Focus on your sidelanes predominantly in this matchup - shove wave and roam, rinse and repeat. will be able to answer by using but unless you have and your ultimate, or walks too close, you're not likely to get many solo kills, and thus your attention should be on snowballing your teammates. Fortunately is immobile so if your Jungler and Support
can roam, it should be relatively easy to kill him.

5

/10

Yasuo, the Unforgiven
tends to be a very coinflip matchup, and dependent on how skilled they are on the Champion, they usually outplay themselves and die due to their lack of understanding. For a player that knows how to play the early laning phase on against , try your best to weave auto-attacks between and getting rid of his passive shield whenever possible. Otherwise, tether him, and avoid standing in the middle of a minion wave, otherwise you will struggle hitting as he uses to dash around you.

Take or dependent on your confidence and build an early , otherwise the build should be standard. As soon as you have access to you can easily ground him and win extended trades. Remember you can use on the other side of to hit his shield, or secure minions if needed.

6

/10

Yone, the Unforgotten
is a very obnoxious Champion, however there are things you can do to minimise the amount of pressure and/or priority during the early laning phase. Tether at distance during the third charge of , and throw in front of him so that he dashes into your Q. Your will stop being able to return using , so use this when he dashes towards you.

I would recommend taking either or in this matchup, dependent on your confidence and the rest of the enemy team comp. Build an early to negate some of his burst damage, otherwise go for into and then itemise according to what you need in that game. Stack your using auto-attacks when moves up to last hit minions, as this will help you heal during trades.

7

/10

Zed, the Master of Shadows
At level 1 you can establish a lot of dominance against by weaving auto-attacks between , after purchasing , and dodging - if you step up and bully him so early into the laning phase, it asserts pressure and shows that you're not afraid to take risks. When has access to you need to be careful of the procs, and double > auto-attack combo. Tether Zed as best you can, stand to the side of minion waves so that he has to choose a priority between last hitting the minions or poking you with Q.

I would recommend taking or , similarly to the and matchups - build exactly the same, with an early into the standard approach. Having that extra HP from and armor from should be enough to sustain an extended trade. When uses , throw at your feet and stand on the edge, facing away from it - as appears behind you, this means he will land in the and you can lock him down.

7

/10

Ziggs, the Hexplosives Expert
has very low mana costs and can poke you quite heavily. However, by standing close to low HP minions or near the caster minions, you can bait fairly easily, giving you a window to close the gap. I would recommend taking to negate damage from if he tries to finish you, or to influence sidelanes. Unless you have Jungle pressure, or steps out of position and gets too close, there should be few opportunities to get solo kills, so you're better snowballing other lanes.

Take to start, and getting an early on your first or second back may be advantageous, allowing you to run through and close the gap to . When is on cooldown, is very vulnerable so use this to your advantage.

4

/10

Zilean, the Chronokeeper
can sometimes be quite tough to dodge, as the hitbox is fairly deceptive, however most players make it obvious when they're wanting to throw in your direction. Distance yourself away from minion waves at level 2 onwards, in case he throws a double and catches you in the stun. I recommend taking either or in this matchup, as the slow from is super annoying, especially during a gank, or if you're chasing down for a kill.

I would take to start off with, and then focus on getting as soon as possible to ensure you're winning extended trades. should have a relatively easy time in this matchup if you tether at distance and focus on farming for your item spikes. or are both viable options in this matchup.

5

/10

Zoe, the Aspect of Twilight
Unless you're smurfing in an elo a lot lower than your own, opt for instead of as it's great to remove , and from during a trade. Position yourself behind minions, far enough back so that splash damage doesn't hit you as well, and so that doesn't have a direct target wit before level 6.

After level 6, focus on throwing your to the return location of and follow that up with as she will return facing the same direction as to when she jumped towards you. Stack as much as you can, and utilise windows of opportunity when is on cooldown as that is when is most vulnerable. Purchase an early and stack mana early for extended trades.

3

/10

Zyra, Rise of the Thorns
and her damage output, predominantly form her plants, deserves a lot more respect that what's usually given. However, after is on cooldown pre-6, she's an open target an incredibly vulnerable. 's lack of mobility makes her an easy matchup for , having movement speed from and the ability to slow with both and (if was turned away). Take for early snowball potential, or for a more scale-focused gameplan.

The build here should be standard, with and both being viable, and making it even easier to close the distance between you and . You may need to build towards dependent on the enemy team comp, as the knock-up from seems to last an eternity, and you'll be left vulnerable for a short while.

01/01/2021 - Published Guide

Hyrav's Challenger Rank 1 Cassiopeia Guide

Hyrav's Challenger Rank 1 Cassiopeia Guide

Recommended Items

Runes: - Standard

Spells:

Flash

Ignite

Barrier

Flash

Cleanse

Flash

Flash

Teleport

Exhaust

Flash

Items

Ability Order - Standard

Serpentine Grace (PASSIVE)

Noxious Blast (Q)

Miasma (W)

Twin Fang (E)

Petrifying Gaze (R)

League of Legends Champions: