Mordekaiser is one of the most dominant Top Laners in League of Legends. If left unchecked, he can absolutely decimate a game on his own. Here’s everything you need to know to get you started playing the Iron Revenant.

Among the hundreds of champions in League of Legends, Mordekaiser stands out not just because of his cool appearance but because of the amount of reworks he went through just to be deemed viable and balanced. His current iteration has got to be the best version that Riot’s design team has come up with. He is an excellent duelist with amazing sustain, good wave clear, and a strong solo carry potential when he can capitalize on a small lead. With enough items, Mordekaiser can be nearly unkillable and can take on the entire enemy team on his own.

Abilities

Mordekaiser’s kit is all about dealing damage and having strong sustain to improve his durability.

Passive – Darkness Rise

After 3 basic spells or attacks against champions and monsters, Mordekaiser deals magic damage per second around himself (maxed at 180 against monsters) and gains bonus Movement Speed for 4 seconds. Mordekaiser’s basic attacks also deal (+40%) bonus magic damage.

Darkness Rise is why Mordekaiser is such a strong duelist. Because of this, he gets increasingly stronger in extended fights. The longer a fight goes on, the more damage Mordekaiser deals. It’s also a reason why he can be a solid pick in the Jungle. Thanks to this, he is quick at clearing camps.

Q – Obliterate

Mordekaiser smashes the ground with Nightfall dealing magic damage to all enemies in the area, increased if it hits only a single enemy.

This is Mordekaiser’s main source of damage. Obliterate it can be a good source of wave clear but it’s even stronger when used on a single enemy. There’s not much to say about it except that it can be strong when paired with an item that increases the damage of basic attacks right after an ability is used.

W – Indestructible

Passive: Mordekaiser stores (45%/15%) of all damage he (deals/takes) as a potential shield.

Active: Indestructible grants him the shield and may be cast a second time to consume it, healing for some of the remaining value.

Shield value decays over time. Damage stored by non-champion sources reduced by 75%.

• Minimum Shield: 5% maximum health
• Maximum Shield: 30% maximum health.

Indestructible does what it sounds like it does: it makes Mordekaiser indestructible. This is his biggest source of sustain and the shield it gives off can heal him for a decent amount or can keep him alive long enough to win against enemies that try to fight him. 

E – Death’s Grasp

Passive: Mordekaiser gains Magic Penetration.

Active: Mordekaiser pulls enemies in the chosen area towards him, dealing magic damage.

Death’s Grasp is Mordekaiser’s only source of crowd control. It creates a very advantageous situation by preventing enemies from escaping you. Mordekaiser is at his best when he can stick closely to his targets so that he can maximize his damage output.

R – Realm of Death

Mordekaiser banishes a target to the Death Realm with him for 7s, stealing 10% of their core stats for the duration. If Mordekaiser kills his target in the Death Realm he consumes their soul, keeping the stats he stole until the target respawns.

Mordekaiser’s ultimate really lets him assert dominance as a 1v1 duelist. Realm of Death essentially forces opponents to face Mordekaiser on their own. It’s a great ability to lock down high priority targets like ADCs or mages. Be careful who you target though, as this ability can be canceled by the item, Quicksilver Sash.

Runes and Item Builds

When it comes to your items, you need to focus on increasing Mordekaiser’s ability power as well as his sustain and survivability.

Starting Items

For your starting items, the best option is Doran’s Shield. This will give you everything you need in the early laning phase. It helps you absorb damage and makes you durable enough to withstand trading against even the most aggressive of lane opponents.

Mythic Item

For your Mythic item, you have two choices: Riftmaker or Hextech Rocketbelt. While they’re both great in their own right, the better option is Riftmaker because of the immense amount of sustain it gives Mordekaiser. IT really synergizes well with his kit and the rest of his build. If you feel like you’ll need more mobility rather than the sustain, you go for Hextech Rocketbelt instead.

Full Build

After purchasing your desired Mythic, it’s time to upgrade into tier 2 boots. Plated Steelcaps is the standard for most Top Laners but you can swap it out for Mercury’s Treads if you feel like you need to. Next, go for Demonic Embrace for the ability power and bonus damage it brings. After, get yourself a Thornmail for the armor, health, and return damage. Once you have these items, you’ll need a Zhonya’s Hourglass for the stasis active and the bonus stats. Top off your build with a Spirit Visage which will increase your self-healing, magic resist, and overall durability.

Other Viable Items

While the full build we’ve shown above is generally considered the standard for Mordekaiser, 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 Anathema’s Chains, Gargoyle Stoneplate, Rylai’s Crystal Scepter, Shadowflame, and Banshee’s Veil 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 your runes, go with the Precision tree and take Conqueror as your keystone. This will increase both your sustain and overall damage in extended fights. Next, take Triumph for the bonus sustain, Legend: Tenacity to help you against crowd control, and Last Stand to help you deal more damage when you’re low on health. For your secondaries, go with the Resolve tree and take Bone Plating and Revitalize. Bone Plating will increase your resistance and Revitalize strengthens your shields. For your rune shards, take Attack Speed, Adaptive Force, and Armor.

Useful Tips

1. Mordekaiser gets more durable and deals more damage the longer he stays in a fight. Don’t be afraid to commit in aggressive trades especially when you already have some of your core items in your inventory.
2. Mordekaiser is countered by Kled, Tryndamere, Aatrox, Sett, and Fiora. If you’re matched up against these champions, try to play it safe instead of being aggressive.
3. For your summoner spells, always take Flash and Teleport. This will give you additional mobility and give you a better overall presence around the map.

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