Are you looking for a champion to carry games with insane 1v9 potential? Then you came to the right place! In this guide, we’ll show you everything you need to know to get you started playing Azir, the Emperor of the Sands.

As a champion, Azir has a pretty loaded kit. He has everything that you could possibly want from a mage. Mobility? Check. Burst? Check. Consistent damage? Double check. Add all that plus a game changing ultimate and you have one awesome package of a champion. He has great wave clear too and the ability to create his own turrets even on the enemy team’s side of the map. He doesn’t really have a losing match up so he can pretty much be picked into most team compositions. However, he has a high skill cap so you might find yourself needing a lot more time to master this champion.

Abilities

Azir’s kit is all about dealing damage while providing a lot of zoning and some utility for his teammates.

Passive – Shurima’s Legacy

Azir can summon the Sun Disc from the ruins of a turret once every 3 minutes. The Sun Disc behaves like a normal turret but gains (+15%) bonus attack damage and disintegrates over 1 minute. Click the ruins of a turret to activate Disc of the Sun. The ruins of enemy Nexus and Inhibitor turrets are immune to this Ability.

Q – Conquering Sands

Azir sends all Sand Soldiers toward a target location. Sand Soldiers deal magic damage to all enemies they pass through and apply a 25% slow for 1 second. Enemies hit by multiple Sand Soldiers will not take additional damage.

W – Arise!

Passive: Azir gains bonus Attack Speed. When Azir has 3 or more Sand Soldiers, this bonus doubles for 5 seconds.

Active: Azir summons a Sand Soldier for 10 seconds. When Azir attacks an enemy in a soldier’s range, the soldier attacks in his stead, stabbing the target for magic damage. Other enemies caught in the soldier’s attack take reduced damage. Azir store up to 2 Sand Soldiers at a time.

E – Shifting Sands

Azir shields himself for 1.5 seconds, blocking damage and dashes to one of his Sand Soldiers, damaging enemies hit for magic damage. If Azir hits an enemy champion, he halts his dash and instantly prepares a new S

R – Emperor’s Divide

Azir summons a wall of armored soldiers that charge forward, knocking back enemies and dealing magic damage. The soldiers then remain as a wall for 5 seconds. Azir and his allies can pass freely through Emperor’s Divide.

Runes and Item Builds

When it comes to items, all you need to focus on is increasing Azir’s ability power which will increase his overall damage.

Starting Items

For your starting items, the best option is to go for a Doran’s Ring and two Health Potions. This gives you everything you need to get started from ability power to mana regeneration. It should be enough to get your through the early laning phase.

Mythic Item

For your Mythic Item, you have two choices: Liandry’s Anguish or Luden’s Tempest. Both of these items give you similar stats but differ in their passive bonuses. With Liandry’s Anguish, you get a burn effect on your abilities that enhance your already impressive damage over time. Luden’s Tempest, on the other hand, will increase your burst damage and kiting capabilities. If you’re unsure of what to get, you can’t go wrong with Liandry’s Anguish.

Full Build

Right after purchasing your desired Mythic, go for tier 2 boots. Since Azir’s a mage, you’ll need Sorcerer’s Shoes for the magic penetration. Next, purchase Nashor’s Tooth for the attack speed, ability power, and bonus on hit damage. After, go with Demonic Embrace to further increase your damage over time. At this point in the game, you’ll need Shadowflame for even more magic penetration. Finally, top off your build with Zhonya’s Hourglass to give you ability power and some survivability.

Runes

When it comes to runes, go with the Inspiration tree and take First Strike as your keystone. This will increase your overall damage early on and even give you bonus gold whenever you trade significantly with your opponent. Next, take Magical Footwear for the free boots, Biscuit Delivery for the sustain, and Cosmic Insight for the bonus item and spell haste. For secondaries, go with the Sorcery tree and take Manaflow Band for the mana regeneration as well as Scorch for the bonus sustained damage. For rune shards, take Attack Speed, Adaptive Force, and Magic Resist.

Useful Tips

1. Be mindful of the soldiers you put down with Arise! Unless you’re going all-in, always have a soldier in your backpocket in case you need to reposition yourself.
2. Azir is countered by Zed, Yone, Xerath, Akshan, and Irelia. 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 Azir 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!