Welcome to our in-depth guide on how to play Ekko in League of Legends!
Ekko is a highly mobile assassin champion that excels in the mid lane. His kit allows him to deal a lot of burst damage, as well as have strong objective control with his Chronobreak ultimate. In this guide, we will go over the best Ekko build, Runes, and how to effectively play him in the early, mid, and late game.
We will also cover the champions that counter Ekko and the champions that he counters. Let’s get started!
Ekko Build
When it comes to building Ekko, you want to focus on items that give you a lot of ability power, as well as some cooldown reduction.
Starting Items
For your starting items, we recommend picking up a Doran’s Ring and a Health Potion. The Doran’s Ring will give you some early game sustain, as well as a little bit of ability power. The Health Potion will allow you to stay in lane longer and recover some health after taking damage.
First Back
For your first back, you should aim to pick up a Lost Chapter and some boots. The Lost Chapter will give you some much needed ability power, as well as some mana regeneration. The boots are up to personal preference, but we recommend either Sorcerer’s Shoes or Mercury’s Treads. Sorcerer’s Shoes will give you some more magic penetration, while Mercury’s Treads will give you some magic resistance and tenacity.
Core Items
For your core items, you should pick up a Rabadon’s Deathcap, Zhonya’s Hourglass, and a Void Staff. The Rabadon’s Deathcap will give you a huge boost in ability power, as well as amplifying the ability power of your other items. Zhonya’s Hourglass will give you some armor, as well as a useful active that will make you invulnerable for a short period of time. Void Staff will give you some more ability power, as well as some magic penetration to help you deal more damage to enemies with magic resistance.
Situational Items
For your situational items, you have a few options to choose from. If you’re facing a lot of physical damage dealers, you may want to pick up a Banshee’s Veil to give you some more magic resistance and a useful passive that will block one incoming ability every 45 seconds. If you’re facing a lot of champions with healing, you may want to pick up a Morellonomicon to give you some ability power and a passive that will reduce healing and regeneration on enemies. If you’re looking for some more sustain, you can pick up a Spirit Visage to give you some magic resistance and a passive that will increase the effectiveness of your healing.
Ekko Runes
For Runes, we recommend taking the following:
Electrocute as your Keystone Rune. This will give you a burst of damage when you land three separate attacks or abilities on an enemy within a short period of time.
Taste of Blood, Ravenous Hunter, and Ultimate Hunter as your secondary Runes. These will give you some sustain, as well as reduce the cooldown of your ultimate.
Manaflow Band and Transcendence as your tertiary Runes. These will give you some mana regeneration and cooldown reduction.
Ekko Playstyle
Early Game
In the early game, your main priority is to farm and get as much gold as possible. Try to last hit minions with your Q ability, Timewinder. This will allow you to get some bonus gold, as well as a temporary shield if you hit an enemy champion with it. You can also use your W ability, Parallel Convergence, to farm minions and harass enemy champions. Try to save your E ability, Phase Dive, for when you need to dodge enemy abilities or to close the gap on an enemy champion.
Your ultimate, Chronobreak, is a very powerful ability, but it has a long cooldown early on. Try to save it for either a kill secure or an escape. You can also use it to reset a team fight if you’re losing.
In the early game, try to avoid overextending and getting caught out by the enemy team. You’re relatively squishy early on, so it’s important to play safe and farm up. If you’re able to get some kills or assist, that’s great, but your main focus should be on farming and getting as much gold as possible.
Mid Game
In the mid game, you should have a few items under your belt and be starting to come online as a damage dealer. This is the time when you want to start looking for opportunities to roam and help your team get objectives.
Your Q ability, Timewinder, is a great ability for clearing minions and harassing enemy champions. Use it to farm up and push your lane, as well as to poke enemy champions. Your W ability, Parallel Convergence, is a great utility ability that can be used to set up kills or peel for your team. Use it to create a zone that slows enemies and deals damage to them.
Your E ability, Phase Dive, is a great ability for closing the gap on enemies or for dodging enemy abilities. Use it to initiate fights or to escape if you’re getting ganked. Your ultimate, Chronobreak, is a very powerful ability that can turn the tide of a fight. Use it to reset a team fight if you’re losing or to secure kills.
In the mid game, your main priority should be on getting objectives and helping your team. Look for opportunities to roam and get objectives, such as dragon or tower kills. You’re a very mobile champion, so use this to your advantage to get around the map and assist your team.
Late Game
In the late game, you should be fully built and be a major damage dealer for your team. Your kit allows you to deal a lot of burst damage, as well as have strong objective control with your Chronobreak ultimate.
Your Q ability, Timewinder, is a great ability for clearing minions and harassing enemy champions. Use it to farm up and push your lane, as well as to poke enemy champions. Your W ability, Parallel Convergence, is a great utility ability that can be used to set up kills or peel for your team. Use it to create a zone that slows enemies and deals damage to them.
Your E ability, Phase Dive, is a great ability for closing the gap on enemies or for dodging enemy abilities. Use it to initiate fights or escape from ganks. Your ultimate, Chronobreak, is a very powerful ability that can turn the tide of a fight. Use it to reset a team fight if you’re losing or to secure kills.
In the late game, your main priority should be on getting objectives and helping your team. Look for opportunities to pick off enemy champions and get objectives, such as Baron or Elder Dragon. Your mobility and burst damage make you a great asset in team fights, so use this to your advantage to help your team secure victories.
Ekko Counters
There are a few champions that can give Ekko a hard time in the mid lane. These champions tend to have strong waveclear, as well as the ability to harass and outtrade Ekko. Some champions that counter Ekko include:
Ahri: Ahri is a strong pick against Ekko due to her strong waveclear and mobility. She can easily dodge Ekko’s abilities with her Spirit Rush and can outtrade him with her Charm ability.
Anivia: Anivia is a strong pick against Ekko due to her strong waveclear and ability to control the tempo of the lane. She can easily poke Ekko with her Frostbite ability and can use her Wall to block his Phase Dive.
Galio: Galio is a strong pick against Ekko due to his strong waveclear and ability to disrupt Ekko’s kit. He can use his Winds of War to push Ekko out of the lane and can use his Justice Punch to disrupt his Chronobreak ultimate.
Syndra: Syndra is a strong pick against Ekko due to her strong waveclear and ability to burst him down. She can easily poke Ekko with her Dark Sphere and can use her Unleashed Power to burst him down if he gets too close.
Champions That Ekko Counters
There are also a few champions that Ekko can counter in the mid lane. These champions tend to be squishy and have low mobility, making them easy targets for Ekko’s burst damage. Some champions that Ekko counters include:
Lux: Lux is a vulnerable champion that is easy for Ekko to burst down. She has low mobility and can easily be hit by Ekko’s Timewinder and Phase Dive.
Karthus: Karthus is a squishy champion that is easy for Ekko to burst down. He has low mobility and can easily be hit by Ekko’s Timewinder and Phase Dive.
Veigar: Veigar is a squishy champion that is easy for Ekko to burst down. He has low mobility and can easily be hit by Ekko’s Timewinder and Phase Dive.
Xerath: Xerath is a squishy champion that is easy for Ekko to burst down. He has low mobility and can easily be hit by Ekko’s Timewinder and Phase Dive.
Conclusion
Overall, Ekko is a strong champion that excels in the mid lane. He has strong burst damage and mobility, as well as a powerful ultimate that can turn the tide of a fight. With the right build, Runes, and gameplay, Ekko can be a major asset for your team and help secure victories.
