This post deals with my personal playstyle for mage mid laner Ezreal, building hybrid-AP with Manamune. For my complete ideas on playing Ezreal, additionally skim the related post discussing ADC Ezreal: Ezreal adc starting Doran's Ring with Manamune build.
The Runes and Masteries pages are depicted herein. The starting item is Doran'sRing (with two health potions); The second item needed to rush is [Tear and] Manamune. The core items of this build are in the green circle (the items are listed in the order they are bought from left to right):
"Why Doran's Ring?!"
+) Firstly, the AP index of a Doran'sRing provides much more damage for harassing the opponent than the AD index of a Doran'sBlade (since it adds to the damage of all the 4 abilities Ezreal possesses: Q-MysticShot, W-EssenceFlux, E-ArcaneShift, and R-TrueshotBarrage). And one of my main purposes in lane is to harass the opponent as hard as possible to prevent them from farming and to take kills if possible, of course: to dominate them and win the game later.
Notice that, to have the highest harassing potential, with this build and playstyle I always maximize W-EssenceFlux first, then E-ArcaneShift. Q-MysticShot is the final to be maximized.
+) Secondly, Doran'sRing's passive (restore 4 mana upon killing a unit) as well as its Mana Regen index (3 mana Regen per 5 seconds) prove more mana and so will endure the harassing potential even more and so will support my particular playstyle discussed herein: all of which a Doran'sBlade can't prove.
"Why Manamune (Muramana) for the AP build?!" This is the key point of my secrets on the hybrid build for mage mid laner Ezreal, to be able to invoke all of his potentials. The secrets root in the nature of the champion -- Ezreal, and let's begin the story from this.
As a marksman as well as a mage (his primary and secondary roles), Ezreal possesses both the physical and magical damage potentials. Consequentially, Ezreal can be played as a marksman (ADC at bot lane) or a mage (mid laner with AP build). The point here is that I wanna invoke both the potentials simultaneously, for different purposes. Particularly, the reasons and purposes for the Manamune are: farming capability via basic attacks supported by the bonus AS from his passive-RasingSpellForce and W-EssenceFlux, the AD index' contributions to the damage of his abilities and basic attacks, and very interesting, the ability to make the opponents get confused since they would be hard to realize what would be the real route of the build: AD-focus or AP-focus.
+) Farming capability: When being played as a mage mid laner, Ezreal's farming capability is quite limited; He can only use basic attacks or Q-MysticShot to farm of which the damage is kinda minor since they are not directly supported by AP index. His W-EssenceFlux doesn't affect minions and and E-ArcaneShift has kinda long cooldown and high mana cost. Manamune will fix this disadvantage of AP mage Ezreal -- not just in the lane phase but also in late game (to clear huge minion waves, to attack opponents using basic attacks, etc.).
+) His passive-RaisingSpellForce and W-EssenceFlux's bonus AS support basic attacks by increasing his AS. These properties, and consequentially his basic attacks, will be kinda ignored when we build full AP mage Ezreal. However, when we build Manamune, especially at the early stage of lane phase, his basic attacks (supporting by these properties) are not able to be ignored anymore; This will be even more obviously when we optimize the AD index by the Runes and Masteries pages' contributions.
+) The AD index directly contributes to the damage of his basic attacks, his Q-MysticShot, his R-TrueshotBarrage, and even partially contributes to the damage of his E-ArcaneShift. And very importantly, the Muramana gives extra damage (3% current mana consumed) on single-target spells and basic attacks.
+) The ability to make opponents get confused: when we start a Doran'sRing with the Runes and Masteries pages, they would almost think we would build full AP route; then the Manamune and Sheen (for Lich Bane in this build, not for Trinity Force) would make them ponder on the build. In fact, we completely can pivot the build into AD-focus by building Trinity Force from Sheen and the next items as an ADC, as discussed in my post on ADC Ezreal: Ezreal adc starting Doran's Ring with Manamune build. For now, obviously, this route of build can make them confused and ponder on what is the next items and the final build: AD-based or AP-based. This may lead them to wrong decision making on how to deal with: build Armor or Magic Resist for their defensive components for example.
Manamune resolves all the issues and consequentially and naturally, alongside the Runes and Masteries pages it fits perfectly in the AP build, from my point of view.
The Runes and Masteries pages are depicted herein. The starting item is Doran'sRing (with two health potions); The second item needed to rush is [Tear and] Manamune. The core items of this build are in the green circle (the items are listed in the order they are bought from left to right):
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| We can also take IonianBootsOfLucidity instead of Sorcerer'sShoes for more utilities instead of Magic Penetration. |
+) Firstly, the AP index of a Doran'sRing provides much more damage for harassing the opponent than the AD index of a Doran'sBlade (since it adds to the damage of all the 4 abilities Ezreal possesses: Q-MysticShot, W-EssenceFlux, E-ArcaneShift, and R-TrueshotBarrage). And one of my main purposes in lane is to harass the opponent as hard as possible to prevent them from farming and to take kills if possible, of course: to dominate them and win the game later.
Notice that, to have the highest harassing potential, with this build and playstyle I always maximize W-EssenceFlux first, then E-ArcaneShift. Q-MysticShot is the final to be maximized.
+) Secondly, Doran'sRing's passive (restore 4 mana upon killing a unit) as well as its Mana Regen index (3 mana Regen per 5 seconds) prove more mana and so will endure the harassing potential even more and so will support my particular playstyle discussed herein: all of which a Doran'sBlade can't prove.
"Why Manamune (Muramana) for the AP build?!" This is the key point of my secrets on the hybrid build for mage mid laner Ezreal, to be able to invoke all of his potentials. The secrets root in the nature of the champion -- Ezreal, and let's begin the story from this.
As a marksman as well as a mage (his primary and secondary roles), Ezreal possesses both the physical and magical damage potentials. Consequentially, Ezreal can be played as a marksman (ADC at bot lane) or a mage (mid laner with AP build). The point here is that I wanna invoke both the potentials simultaneously, for different purposes. Particularly, the reasons and purposes for the Manamune are: farming capability via basic attacks supported by the bonus AS from his passive-RasingSpellForce and W-EssenceFlux, the AD index' contributions to the damage of his abilities and basic attacks, and very interesting, the ability to make the opponents get confused since they would be hard to realize what would be the real route of the build: AD-focus or AP-focus.
+) Farming capability: When being played as a mage mid laner, Ezreal's farming capability is quite limited; He can only use basic attacks or Q-MysticShot to farm of which the damage is kinda minor since they are not directly supported by AP index. His W-EssenceFlux doesn't affect minions and and E-ArcaneShift has kinda long cooldown and high mana cost. Manamune will fix this disadvantage of AP mage Ezreal -- not just in the lane phase but also in late game (to clear huge minion waves, to attack opponents using basic attacks, etc.).
+) His passive-RaisingSpellForce and W-EssenceFlux's bonus AS support basic attacks by increasing his AS. These properties, and consequentially his basic attacks, will be kinda ignored when we build full AP mage Ezreal. However, when we build Manamune, especially at the early stage of lane phase, his basic attacks (supporting by these properties) are not able to be ignored anymore; This will be even more obviously when we optimize the AD index by the Runes and Masteries pages' contributions.
+) The AD index directly contributes to the damage of his basic attacks, his Q-MysticShot, his R-TrueshotBarrage, and even partially contributes to the damage of his E-ArcaneShift. And very importantly, the Muramana gives extra damage (3% current mana consumed) on single-target spells and basic attacks.
+) The ability to make opponents get confused: when we start a Doran'sRing with the Runes and Masteries pages, they would almost think we would build full AP route; then the Manamune and Sheen (for Lich Bane in this build, not for Trinity Force) would make them ponder on the build. In fact, we completely can pivot the build into AD-focus by building Trinity Force from Sheen and the next items as an ADC, as discussed in my post on ADC Ezreal: Ezreal adc starting Doran's Ring with Manamune build. For now, obviously, this route of build can make them confused and ponder on what is the next items and the final build: AD-based or AP-based. This may lead them to wrong decision making on how to deal with: build Armor or Magic Resist for their defensive components for example.
Manamune resolves all the issues and consequentially and naturally, alongside the Runes and Masteries pages it fits perfectly in the AP build, from my point of view.
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| The Magic Resist Glyphs and levels-scale health Seals are the defensive components, which are the best to lane against other mage mid champions (like Akali, Lux, Kassadin, etc.). If the opponent is an AD-based champion (like Zed, Yasuo, Jayce, etc.), it should be best for us to make some changes at these two components, or even change the playstyle; lets discuss about this in an other talk :P. The levels-scale AD Marks, for the same reason as the Manamune, add to the hybrid property. |
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| For Ezreal, DoubleEdgedSword is always my favorite choice for more damage since his E-ArcaneShift is a very powerful escaping ability, so it's hard for opponents to catch him. If we want more sustainability, we can pick Feast entry (green circle). |
Particularly and technically and approximately, for the damage related to the AD index, all the minor factors gradually and finally (at level 18) add up to like 200 damage for his basic attacks and his Q-MysticShot (not to mention the contributions to the damage of his E-ArcaneShift and R-TrueshotBarrage): 22 levels-scale from Runes page, 10 from Masteries page, more than 65 + 100 (3% current mana consumed at high mana states) from Muramana. Let alone the % bonus damage from the Mastery Page: 2% from Sorcery entry, 2% from DoubleEdgedSword, up to 5% from BountyHunter, up to 1.5% from Assassin, up tp 5% from Merciless,... all of this increases the damage up to an additional amount of 15.5% in total. These are much more than that of 4 B. F. Sword items which cost 1550x4 Gold and are definitely not "ignorable" XD
Also notice that the amazing damage and AD index increase gradually over the course of games, and so, to gain the amazing damage and AD index as soon as possible, in my plays I always cast spells whenever I can to help Tear gain extra mana since the Manamune's AD index will benefit from maximum mana. When we get Manamune already, this will be more easier since Manamune additionally gains the extra mana from basic attacks as well.
Personally, in the best games of mine, I can get the Muramana transformation a little bit later than the 20th minute of the games (around level 12), like in this one:
Finally, be sure to not waste the bonus damage of 3% current mana consumed from Muramana to farm (clear minion waves) if not necessary: save the mana and so the damage to deal with enemy champions for the best to the victory.
Singularities of this build and playstyle:
+) This build (alongside the Runes and Masteries pages) invokes all the damage possible for Ezreal and incorporates both physical and magical damage components which are quite balancing in the Runes and Masteries pages, the AP-dominance almost comes from the items bought during the course of games. The final magic-dominant damage is by far the most incredible since it is the maximum magic-dominant damage Ezreal can invoke, from my point of view.
+) In fact, there are two transitions between physical-leaning and magic-dominant damage in this route of build: from starting AP to Manamune rush, and then from AD-leaning of Manamune to AP-dominance of the next core items. This is why it would be hard for opponents to make good decisions on how to deal with, especially when we intentionally frustrate them by tactically or strategically pivoting the transitions.
Disadvantages of this build and playstyle: here are some weaknesses I got out of this build
+) The farming capability is quite limited and hard at the very early game when we do not get Manamune yet (no Doran'sBlade, almost no AD from Runes page), we may miss cs during this period.
+) The sustainability will be on the same page with farming capability since we have almost no way to heal regularly, especially if we don't take the Feast entry from the Masteries page.
+) Since the playstyle focuses on the late game damage, the carefulness is much more intense and sometimes makes the play seem to be too passive. It is not easy to play aggressively with this build.
Also notice that the amazing damage and AD index increase gradually over the course of games, and so, to gain the amazing damage and AD index as soon as possible, in my plays I always cast spells whenever I can to help Tear gain extra mana since the Manamune's AD index will benefit from maximum mana. When we get Manamune already, this will be more easier since Manamune additionally gains the extra mana from basic attacks as well.
Personally, in the best games of mine, I can get the Muramana transformation a little bit later than the 20th minute of the games (around level 12), like in this one:
Finally, be sure to not waste the bonus damage of 3% current mana consumed from Muramana to farm (clear minion waves) if not necessary: save the mana and so the damage to deal with enemy champions for the best to the victory.
Singularities of this build and playstyle:
+) This build (alongside the Runes and Masteries pages) invokes all the damage possible for Ezreal and incorporates both physical and magical damage components which are quite balancing in the Runes and Masteries pages, the AP-dominance almost comes from the items bought during the course of games. The final magic-dominant damage is by far the most incredible since it is the maximum magic-dominant damage Ezreal can invoke, from my point of view.
+) In fact, there are two transitions between physical-leaning and magic-dominant damage in this route of build: from starting AP to Manamune rush, and then from AD-leaning of Manamune to AP-dominance of the next core items. This is why it would be hard for opponents to make good decisions on how to deal with, especially when we intentionally frustrate them by tactically or strategically pivoting the transitions.
Disadvantages of this build and playstyle: here are some weaknesses I got out of this build
+) The farming capability is quite limited and hard at the very early game when we do not get Manamune yet (no Doran'sBlade, almost no AD from Runes page), we may miss cs during this period.
+) The sustainability will be on the same page with farming capability since we have almost no way to heal regularly, especially if we don't take the Feast entry from the Masteries page.
+) Since the playstyle focuses on the late game damage, the carefulness is much more intense and sometimes makes the play seem to be too passive. It is not easy to play aggressively with this build.
This post was completed; there would be just minor adjustments if any on this post
Last update: January 03, 2016
Last update: January 03, 2016
The Silencekeeper
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