Brand is a versatile mage that can be flex picked into three different roles in League of Legends. In this guide, we’ll show you everything you need to know to get you started playing the Burning Vengeance.

There aren’t many mages, let alone champions, that can boast the same amount of consistent DPS that Brand can provide. Back in the day, his damage was focused on flat scaling damage which made him a very solid pick in the Mid Lane. While he is still good in the role, he found a new niche in the Bot Lane thanks to his rework which increased his percent damage on max health of his enemies. On top of all of these, he has good range, excellent AoE, and some pretty strong burst which makes him a really good champion to invest time in. His only real drawback is his lack of mobility which can make him an easy target for assassins or bruisers. 

Abilities

Brand’s kit revolves around fire and how it can burn off the enemy’s health.

Passive – Blaze

Brand’s spells light his targets ablaze, dealing [+3% their maximum] in magic damage (deals 120% damage against monsters) over 3.25 seconds, and empowering his abilities against them. If Brand kills an enemy that is already ablaze he restores Mana. Blaze stacks up to three times. When Blaze reaches max stacks on a Champion or large monster, the Blaze becomes unstable. It detonates after 2 seconds, dealing magic damage to each nearby enemy. That champion cannot stack Blaze again within 4 seconds.

This is the source of Brand’s immense percent health damage and persistent damage over time. Each of his abilities get stronger with additional effects whenever you chain it with Blaze. 

Q – Sear

Brand launches a fireball forward that deals magic damage to the first enemy it hits.

Blaze: If the target is ablaze, they are stunned for 2 seconds.

This ability is your main source of poke and crowd control. The stun on this ability is very long so make sure that you set your target ablaze before you hit them with Sear. It’s a pretty basic ability to use and understand although it can be quite difficult to land and maximize when you’re not used to it.

W – Pillar of Flame

After a short delay, Brand blasts a target area, dealing magic damage to enemy units within the area.

Blaze: If the targets are ablaze, they take 25% increased damage.

Pillar of Flame is Brand’s main source of burst and wave clear. It has a pretty big range and a wide AoE so you should have no trouble hitting enemy targets using this ability.

E – Conflagration

Brand conjures an instant blast at his target, dealing magic damage to it and spreading to nearby enemies.

Blaze: If the target is ablaze, Conflagration’s spread range is doubled.

Conflagration is what you’ll be using to set your targets ablaze. Most of your combos should start with this ability to make the most out of Brand’s kit.

R – Pyroclasm

Brand unleashes a devastating torrent of fire, dealing magic damage each time it bounces, up to 5 bounces. Bounces prioritize stacking Blaze on Champions and himself.

Blaze: If the target is ablaze, Pyroclasm will briefly slow.

Pyroclasm is a great ultimate for finishing off targets and dealing good burst damage. It’s best used when the enemies are all crowded together in tight spaces. You can use it at the start of a fight to whittle off the enemies’ health or to finish them off right after.

Runes and Item Builds

When it comes to your items, all you need to focus on is to increase Brand’s ability power, mana, and his percent health damage.

Starting Items

For your starting items, you got two choices. When playing as a Mid Laner or a Bot Laner, you have to go with Doran’s Ring. This will allow you to deal damage and give you enough sustain to make it out the laning phase. If you’re playing Support, you should go for Spellthief’s Edge instead. Once you complete the quest passive of the item, you’ll gain an active that lets you plant wards around the map.

Mythic Items

For your Mythic item, you have two good choices. The superior choice and the one you should almost always go with is Liandry’s Anguish. This will give Brand everything he needs from mana to ability power. The best part about it is that it will massively boost the percent health damage you deal to enemy champions. If you’d rather go for more burst damage, you can go with Luden’s Tempest. This will give you a bit more damage compared to Liandry’s Anguish and will give you additional mobility.

Full Build

After purchasing your desired Mythic, you must upgrade into tier 2 boots. Since Brand is a mage, the standard is Sorcerer’s Shoes. Next, go for Zhonya’s Hourglass for the damage and survivability. After that item, you’ll need to boost your anti-healing capabilities which is why you’ll need a Morellonomicon. At this point in the game, you’ll need Rylai’s Crystal Scepter for more ability power, slow, and survivability. Top off your build with a Rabadon’s Deathcap for even more damage.

Other Viable Items

While the full build we’ve shown above is generally considered the standard for Brand, 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 Demonic Embrace, Shadowflame, and Void Staff are all good items to have especially if you’re leaning towards dealing more damage. 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 Domination tree and take Dark Harvest as your keystone. This will increase your overall damage in the late game. Next, take Taste of Blood for the healing, Eyeball Collection for more damage, and Ultimate Hunter so that your ultimate ability will have a reduced cooldown. For secondaries, take Presence of Mind and Cut Down from the Precision tree. Presence of Mind gives you mana sustain early on while Cut Down will help you deal more damage to tanky targets. For rune shards, take double Adaptive Force and Armor.

Useful Tips

1. Pyroclasm is good for multiple targets but is particularly effective if there are only two targets it can bounce off from. 
2. Brand is weak against Pantheon, Senna, Swain, Lux, and Zyra. Whenever you match up against these champions, it’s better to play it safe than be aggressive.
3. For your summoner spells, take Flash and Barrier in the Mid Lane, Flash and Heal when in the Bot Lane, and Flash and Exhaust when playing as Support.

So there you have it! That’s all you need to know about playing Brand 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!