Riot has once again proved they’re the best when it comes to amazing character and gameplay designs when they released Akshan back in 2021. In this guide, we’ll show you everything you need to know to get you started playing the Rogue Sentinel.

Akshan is a champion that has a very overloaded kit. Thanks to this, he can practically fit any team composition and still be useful no matter what the situation is. He has excellent mobility which can make him a very self-sustaining carry. He has solid DPS which makes him great as the primary damage dealer. And best of all, he can revive fallen allies. Need we say more?

Abilities

Akshan’s kit can be best described as that of an avenger. He can quickly swoop in, avenge his ally, and get out without having to break a sweat.

Passive – Dirty Fighting

After launching an attack, Akshan will fire an additional shot, dealing (+50% total) physical damage to champions and monsters, increased to (+100% total) against minions. He can cancel this shot to instead gain Movement Speed scaling with Attack Speed decaying over 1 second. The second shot will critically strike at 30% effectiveness.

Every three hits from attacks or abilities deals bonus magic damage. Against champions, Akshan also gains a shield for 2 seconds. The shield can only be gained again after some time.

Q – Avengerang

Akshan throws a boomerang that will return, dealing physical damage to enemies hit (both times), extending its range each time the boomerang hits an enemy, and briefly reveal them for 1 second. If the boomerang hits a champion, Akshan gains 40% Movement Speed decaying over 1 second. Avengerang deals less damage to non-champions.

W – Going Rogue

Passive: Enemy champions that kill Akshan’s allies become Scoundrel for 60 seconds. When Akshan gets a takedown on a Scoundrel he gains 100 Gold, resurrects the slain allies, and removes all other Scoundrel.

Active: Akshan becomes Camouflaged for 2 seconds, this duration will extend indefinitely while he is near a wall or in brush. Akshan also gains Movement Speed and mana regen (+12% missing) while moving toward Scoundrel.

Akshan can recast Going Rogue to end Camouflage sooner.

E – Heroic Swing

First Cast: Akshan fires a grappling hook, attaching to the first terrain hit. If he is immobilized or grounded during this time, the hook will detach, ending Heroic Swing and put it on a cooldown.

Second Cast: Akshan swings around the terrain in the direction of the cursor, repeatedly firing at the nearest enemy dealing physical damage each shot. He will prioritize firing at enemy champions marked by Dirty Fighting, and will not fire if he is channeling Comeuppance. The swing will stop if he is immobilized, or hitting an enemy or terrain.

Third Cast: Akshan dives off the rope, firing a final shot at the enemy. If his swing stops before the third cast, he will still fire the final shot.

Every champion takedown will refresh Heroic Swing’s cooldown.

R – Comeuppance

Active: Akshan locks onto an enemy champion and begins overcharging his gun for up to 2.5 seconds, storing up bullets.

Recast: Akshan can recast Comeuppance after 0.5 seconds, or it will recast after the channeling duration, firing the bullets each dealing physical damage increasing up to 300% (based on target’s missing health), and applying stacks of Dirty Fighting.

Comeuppance will execute minions. Each bullet’s damage is increased by (+0.5% per 1%) critical chance.

Runes and Item Builds

When it comes to items, your primary focus on Akshan should be to increase his DPS while also boosting his sustain and survivability.

Starting Items

Akshan is primarily an ADC but he can be played in other roles. As such, the best starting item for him would be Doran’s Blade. This gives him everything he needs from damage to sustain and even a bit of health. With this item, you’ll have everything you need to make it out of the laning phase.

Mythic Items

For your Mythic items, you have two options. The best choice is Kraken Slayer. This gives you all the stats you need plus the bonus passive that lets you shred tanks and squishy champions. If you feel like you’ll need more mobility, you can go with Galeforce instead. But if you’re unsure, stick with Kraken Slayer for more damage.

Full Build

After purchasing your desired Mythic, go for the appropriate tier 2 boots for your role. Next, go with The Collector for more damage, lethality, and a passive that lets you easily execute low health targets. Up next, go with Infinity Edge which is pretty much a standard crit item for all ADCs. At this point in the game, you’ll need a boost to your sustain in survivability which is why you’ll need a Bloodthirster. Finish off your build with Lord Dominik’s Regard so that you can further shred tanks in the late game with their improved resistances.

Other Viable Items

While the full build we’ve shown above is generally considered the standard for Akshan, it is not set in stone. There are plenty of other items that you can purchase depending on your preference or what your situation currently needs. Items like Mercurial Scimitar, Essence Reaver, Mortal Reminder, Guardian Angel, and Stormrazor are all good items to have especially if you’re leaning towards being more of a tank. Try to mix and match these item sets to see what works best for you. Doing so will help you develop a better understanding of the game’s deeper mechanics.

Runes

For runes, go with the Precision tree and take Press the Attack as your keystone. This will improve your DPS since a lot of Akshan’s damage comes from his basic attacks. Next, take Presence of Mind for the mana sustain, Legend: Bloodline for the lifesteal, and Coup De Grace for more damage to low health enemy champions. For secondaries, go with the Resolve tree and take Shield Bash and Bone Plating. These runes will improve both your damage and your survivability. For rune shards, take Attack Speed, Adaptive Force, and Armor.

Useful Tips

1. Akshan is really good during team fights thanks to Going Rogue. He can easily revive a fallen ally and turn the tides in the heat of battle. 
2. Akshan is countered by Cassiopeia, Vex, Syndra, Yasuo, and Malzahar. If you’re matched up against these champions, try to play it safe instead of being aggressive.
3. For your summoner spells, take Flash and Ignite to give you more utility and to help you secure early leads. If you want to play it safe, you can swap out Ignite for Heal, Barrier, or Cleanse.

So there you have it! That’s all you need to know about playing Akshan in League of Legends. Be sure to check back with us again for more awesome guides on your favorite games. Have fun and we’ll see you on the Rift!