Champion Guide

Aatrox Guide

By LoLSuggest

Top

Our focus is top-lane Conqueror Aatrox and also covers mid-lane lethality, Grasp, Glacial and Comet variants. The plan: manage the wave so you can bully from level 4, poke with E–Q, and cash in on his strongest window between 15 and 25 minutes before his purely physical damage falls off.

Recommended Setup

Our recommended Aatrox build

Our recommended runes, summoner spells and items. Compare build win rates on the stats page.

Items

Starting Items

Core Items

Situational Items

The top-lane page is Conqueror with Second Wind and Overgrowth. Our damage build goes Sundered Sky, Endless Hunger and Serylda's Grudge into Spear of Shojin and Sterak's Gage, with Eclipse, Black Cleaver, Death's Dance or Maw of Malmortius as alternatives. Serrated Dirk is his strongest early power spike to rush; Grasp players head toward Caulfield's Warhammer and Trinity Force or Sundered Sky instead.

Runes

Primary Tree

Secondary Tree

Summoner Spells

Strengths

No mana or health costs, and strong combat sustain from his drain.
Hard crowd control on several abilities that chains well with CC-heavy allies.
One of the few melee champions that can fight ranged laners, thanks to Q's range.

Weaknesses

Falls off after about 30 minutes: without percent-health damage, armor and levels outscale him.
Slow Q wind-ups give agile champions time to dodge or out-damage him.
Mechanically demanding and vulnerable to crowd control; one mistake is usually fatal.

Laning Phase

Most junglers path top early, so don't Q the wave at levels 1–3: stand to the side and only hit the enemy when they walk up to last-hit, keeping the wave healthy. From level 4 Aatrox bullies the lane if you can freeze near your tower, trading right after a new wave crashes. At 6, ult to run a laner down off a freeze — the move speed lands Q1 without E — then shove for a plate and set up the next freeze while their Flash is down. Levels 7–9 let you poke with E–Q every few seconds.

Mid & Late Game

Aatrox peaks between 15 and 25 minutes, so turn first tower into rotations: take other turrets, set up dragons and grab Herald, warding deep if you split push. With Sterak's Gage, Maw or Death's Dance you can commit to fights and kill squishies when your Qs land, but don't overcommit if your team is spread out. Late in the game he becomes a front-line disruptor whose job is to survive and keep enemies locked down.

Key Tips

A Long Sword and three potions start into an early Serrated Dirk is Aatrox's strongest early spike.
Against ranged laners, Q's range lets you poke them out or all-in without being kited.
If an enemy burns Flash to dodge Q3 after your ult, shove and run them down again at the next freeze.
When behind, play as a Q-spamming crowd-control tool that peels for your carries rather than diving.

Matchups

Matchups and synergies

Our picks for difficult opponents, favorable lanes and strong allies. Compare matchup win rates on the stats page.