Pyke Build Guides - LoL Strategy Builds, Runes and Items

Pyke is a champion in the game League of Legends that has gained popularity among players who enjoy high-risk, high-reward gameplay. Pyke's kit revolves around his ability to catch enemies off guard and execute them with his ultimate ability. Although primarily played as a support, Pyke can also be played at mid lane.

Playing support Pyke requires a good understanding of his abilities and playstyle. His unique abilities allow him to roam the map and set up kills for his teammates, making him a valuable addition to any team composition. However, learning how to play Pyke effectively takes practice and experience.

Pyke's most notable ability is Death from Below, which allows him to dash towards an enemy champion and execute them if their health is low enough. This ability makes him an excellent pick for securing kills in team fights or catching enemies off guard when they are alone.

Another one of Pyke's abilities that makes him stand out is Ghostwater Dive. This ability allows him to become invisible and gain movement speed while moving towards enemy champions. It's an excellent tool for escaping dangerous situations or setting up surprise attacks on unsuspecting enemies.

Playing support Pyke also requires good communication with your ADC (Attack Damage Carry). You need to coordinate your movements with your ADC so you can set up kills together effectively. You need to have good map awareness so you can roam the map effectively and help your other lanes secure kills.

Pyke's Skill Order

Prioritizing Pyke's Q Ability for Maximum Damage

Pyke's Q ability, Bone Skewer, is a skill shot that deals physical damage to enemies. It can be used to poke enemies from afar or as an engage tool when Pyke is ready to all-in. The ability also has the added benefit of pulling Pyke towards his target if it lands successfully, allowing him to follow up with his other abilities.

Maximizing the potential of Pyke's Q ability requires prioritizing it in his skill order. Starting with Bone Skewer at level one and maxing it first allows for maximum damage output early on in the game. This can give Pyke an advantage in lane and make him a formidable opponent in team fights.

Utilizing Pyke's E Ability for Mobility and Range

Pyke's E ability, Phantom Undertow, provides him with both mobility and range. When activated, Pyke dashes forward and leaves behind a ghostly trail that damages enemies it passes through. The dash can be used as an escape tool or as a way to engage on enemies from unexpected angles.

In addition to its mobility benefits, Phantom Undertow also has lethargy built into it. Enemies hit by the ghostly trail are slowed, making them easier targets for follow-up attacks from Pyke or his allies.

While not as important to prioritize in his skill order as Bone Skewer, leveling up Phantom Undertow second can provide valuable utility throughout the game.

Using Flash Effectively with Pyke's Abilities

Flash is a summoner spell that allows champions to instantly teleport a short distance in any direction. When used effectively with Pyke's abilities, Flash can be a powerful tool for surprise attacks or quick getaways.

One effective use of Flash is using it immediately after casting Death From Below (Pyke's ultimate). This allows Pyke to quickly escape after executing an enemy champion, making it more difficult for the opposing team to retaliate. Flash can also be used in conjunction with Bone Skewer or Phantom

Undertow for unexpected engages or escapes.

Understanding Pyke's Skill Breakdown on the Map

Maximizing Pyke's potential requires not only understanding his individual abilities but also how they work together on the map. Pyke is a highly mobile champion who excels at roaming and ganking other lanes.

When playing as Pyke, it's important to keep an eye on the mini-map and look for opportunities to roam. His mobility and range make him a formidable opponent in skirmishes and team fights, especially when paired with allies who can follow up on his engages.

In addition to roaming, Pyke can also use his abilities to control objectives like Dragon or Baron Nashor. His Q ability allows him to steal these objectives from afar while his E ability provides him with mobility to escape if necessary.

The Perfect Pyke Build

Summoners and Items that are Essential for a Perfect Pyke Build

Pyke, the Bloodharbor Ripper, is one of League of Legends' most unique champions. He's an assassin support who can deal massive damage while also providing utility to his team. To make the most out of Pyke's kit, you need to build him correctly. In this section, we'll discuss the summoner spells and items that are essential for a perfect Pyke build.

Summoner Spells:

Flash: Flash is a must-have summoner spell on almost every champion in League of Legends. It allows you to quickly reposition yourself or escape from danger.
Ignite: Ignite is another great option for Pyke players. It deals true damage over time and reduces healing on enemy champions, making it easier for you to secure kills.

Items:

Lethality: Lethality is the go-to stat for Pyke players. It increases your physical damage against enemy champions based on their level, making it incredibly effective against squishy targets like ADCs and mages.
Umbral Glaive: Umbral Glaive is an excellent item for Pyke players because it provides lethality, cooldown reduction, and vision control all in one package.
Mobility Boots: Mobility Boots are a must-have item on Pyke because they allow you to roam around the map quickly and surprise your enemies with unexpected ganks.
Duskblade of Drakthaar or Prowler's Claw: Both Duskblade of Drakthaar and Prowler's Claw are viable options for Pyke players looking to deal even more damage to their enemies.
Edge of Night: Edge of Night provides lethality as well as a spell shield that can protect you from enemy abilities while diving into fights.

It's important to note that Pyke can't build health due to his passive Gift of the Drowned Ones. This means that you need to rely on your mobility and crowd control abilities to stay alive in team fights.

Rune Choices for Pyke

Heil of Blades: Pyke's Most Commonly Used Rune

Heil of Blades is the most commonly used rune for Pyke. It provides him with a significant early-game advantage, allowing him to deal more damage in the first few levels. The additional attack speed that Heil of Blades provides also allows Pyke to execute his enemies more quickly and efficiently.

However, there are other viable rune choices for Pyke that players can consider depending on their playstyle and the game situation.

Cheap Shot: A Good Choice for Aggressive Players

Cheap Shot is a good choice for aggressive players who want to maximize their damage output. This rune deals bonus true damage whenever you impair an enemy champion's movement, which synergizes well with Pyke's kit since he has several abilities that can impair enemy champions' movement.

For instance, when you hit an enemy champion with your Q ability (Bone Skewer), they become impaled and stunned. This qualifies as an impairment, triggering Cheap Shot's bonus true damage. Moreover, your E ability (Phantom Undertow) slows down enemies it passes through, which also counts as an impairment.

Zombie Ward: A Must-Have Rune for Vision Control

Zombie Ward is a must-have rune for vision control enthusiasts. As a support champion, one of your primary responsibilities is to provide vision around the map by placing wards in strategic locations.

Zombie Ward helps you achieve this goal by turning any destroyed ward into a zombie ward that lasts for 30 seconds. Zombie wards provide vision just like regular wards but also reveal nearby invisible traps and wards placed by the enemy team.

Relentless Hunter: An Excellent Choice for Roaming

Relentless Hunter is an excellent choice for roaming-oriented players who want to maximize their mobility around the map. This rune grants bonus out-of-combat movement speed based on how many unique enemy champions you have killed or assisted recently.

Pyke is a champion that excels at roaming, thanks to his ultimate ability (Death from Below), which allows him to quickly travel across the map and execute low-health enemies. Relentless Hunter helps Pyke move faster between lanes, increasing his ganking potential.

Bone Plating: A Solid Choice for Survivability

Bone Plating is a solid choice for players who want to increase their survivability in lane. This rune reduces incoming damage from enemy champions' basic attacks or abilities after you take damage from them.

As a support champion, Pyke can sometimes find himself in situations where he needs to tank some damage for his ally. Bone Plating helps mitigate some of that incoming damage, allowing Pyke to survive longer in fights.

Unflinching: A Good Choice Against Crowd Control

Unflinching is a good choice against teams with lots of crowd control effects. This rune grants bonus tenacity and slow resistance when you are affected by crowd control effects like stuns, roots, taunts, fears, silences, blinds, or slows.

Pyke is a champion that relies on mobility and quick execution to be effective in fights. Being locked down by crowd control effects can severely hinder his ability to do so. Unflinching helps reduce the duration of these effects, giving Pyke more time to maneuver around the battlefield.

Counter's of Pyke

Pyke is a formidable champion in League of Legends, but like any other champion, he has his weaknesses. Knowing the counters to Pyke can help you gain an advantage over your enemy and secure victory.

One counter to Pyke is crowd control. Pyke relies on his mobility and stealth to get close to enemies and deal massive damage. However, if he gets stunned or rooted, he becomes vulnerable and unable to escape. Champions with strong crowd control abilities such as Morgana or Leona can shut down Pyke's aggression.

Another counter to Pyke is sustain. Pyke's kit revolves around burst damage, so champions that can heal themselves or their allies can mitigate his impact in team fights. Soraka and Nami are great examples of champions that can provide sustain for their team while also countering Pyke's aggressive playstyle.

Finally, vision is key when facing off against a Pyke. His ultimate ability allows him to execute low-health enemies from a distance, making it important to keep track of his whereabouts at all times. Warding key areas and keeping tabs on where he might be lurking can prevent him from getting the drop on you.

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