Tank Alistar Build

Tank Alistar Build.

Tank Alistar build with runes and items. Tank Alistar guide offers in-depth how-to play, skill order and tips. Play Tank Alistar build in League of Legends Patch 26.4!

Author: Wrekah

TLDR

Starting items
Guardian's Horn should be final item in your build.
Ruby Crystal should be final item in your build.
Quick Skill Order
Alistar ability Pulverize should be leveled first.
Q
Alistar ability Headbutt should be leveled second.
W
Alistar ability Trample should be leveled third.
E
Final items
Mercury's Treads should be final item in your build.
Jak'Sho, The Protean should be final item in your build.
Spirit Visage should be final item in your build.
Unending Despair should be final item in your build.
Hollow Radiance should be final item in your build.
Thornmail should be final item in your build.
Quick Runes
Major rune Aftershock from Resolve tree.
Minor rune Precision.
Summoner spells
Pick Mark as your Summoner Spell.
Pick Flash as your Summoner Spell.

Tank Alistar Runes

Resolve
Resolve major tree Grasp of the Undying rune.
Resolve major tree Aftershock rune.
Resolve major tree Guardian rune.
Resolve major tree Demolish rune.
Resolve major tree Font of Life rune.
Resolve major tree Shield Bash rune.
Resolve major tree Conditioning rune.
Resolve major tree Second Wind rune.
Resolve major tree Bone Plating rune.
Resolve major tree Overgrowth rune.
Resolve major tree Revitalize rune.
Resolve major tree Unflinching rune.
Precision
Precision minor tree Absorb Life rune.
Precision minor tree Triumph rune.
Precision minor tree Presence of Mind rune.
Precision minor tree Legend: Alacrity rune.
Precision minor tree Legend: Haste rune.
Precision minor tree Legend: Bloodline rune.
Precision minor tree Coup de Grace rune.
Precision minor tree Cut Down rune.
Precision minor tree Last Stand rune.
Passive
Passive tree Adaptive Force rune (+9 Adaptive Force).
Passive tree Attack Speed rune (+10% Attack Speed).
Passive tree Ability Haste rune (+8 Ability Haste).
Passive tree Adaptive Force rune (+9 Adaptive Force).
Passive tree Move Speed rune (+2 Movement Speed).
Passive tree Health Scaling rune (+10-180 Health (based on level)).
Passive tree Health rune (+65 Health).
Passive tree Tenacity And Slow Resist rune (+10 Tenacity and Slow Resist).
Passive tree Health Scaling rune (+10-180 Health (based on level)).

Optional Summoner Spells

Ghost

Ghost

Ghost for extra and mobility and chasing and disruptive running around in fights. Good alternative if you want to stay close to enemies.

Exhaust

Exhaust

Defensive option. Exhaust for peeling against enemy divers and assassins and protecting your carries.

Ignite

Ignite

Offensive option if you are feeling spicy. Grievous Wounds + some damage. Good in early fights and you can score some kills, but reduces your going-in potential. Especially later.

Optional Runes

Grasp of the Undying

Grasp of the Undying

Grasp of the Undying is a solid alternative. You become more tanky over time as your HP grows, you get some sustain and you get some damage as well.

Presence of Mind

Presence of Mind

Triumph is better overall (heal + gold), but if you want to have easier time with your mana, go Presence of Mind.

Demolish

Demolish

If you are into taking objectives, you can consider taking Demolish rune. Usually it is worth it and lets you push turrets quicker. Utility slash team oriented option.

Looking for another tank build? Check these:
Iceborn GauntletAlistarHeartsteelAlistar

How it works

  1. You play as a Tank.
  2. Your job is to soak damage, disrupt fights, protect your team, and be a pain in the neck for the enemy.

Playstyle

  1. 🛡️

    Be the frontline. Soak damage, disrupt enemies, protect your carries.

  2. 💪

    Jak'Sho rewards you for staying in fights.

  3. 🧰

    Adapt your items to counter the enemy team.

How to play

Getting started

  1. Start with Guardian's Horn. Rush #1 Armor item if enemy is heavy on AD, or MR item if heavy on AP. Get Jak'Sho as #2.
  2. Guardian's Horn is a surprisingly good item for its price. You can keep it for very long time (or even have it as 6th item).

During fights

  1. Your goal is to be in the middle of fights as long as possible - Jak'Sho stacks up with combat seconds.

Adapting

  1. You need to adapt your items to the game. Enemy team heavy on AP? Buy MR. They heavy on AD? Buy Armor. You need some damage? Well buy that.
  2. You can use Bandlepipes to give your whole team an attack speed boost whenever you CC enemies. Great synergy with auto attackers.

Runes

  1. Triumph is better overall (heal + gold), but if you want to have easier time with your mana, go Presence of Mind.
  2. Be careful to not waste Aftershock. Save it for when you go in or when enemies jump on you.

Tips and Tricks

Champion

  1. Trick #1 (the simplest combo possible): Headbutt (W) + Pulverize (Q) together, so you gap close with W and knock up immediately with Q.
  2. Trick #2: Pulverize (Q) first, then during animation use Flash right away to your target to insta stun them. This way you can insta CC unsuspecting enemies.
  3. Trick #3: Headbutt (W) to the minion, Pulverize (Q) (not in mid air, wait for W to end), then Flash right away to your target. You will insta stun them.
  4. Trick #4: You can CC for longer, if you first Headbutt (W) enemy into wall (it stuns them), then Pulverize (Q) them instead of jut doing W+Q.
  5. Trick #5: You can use Headbutt (W) to escape. Just W to a minion or enemy champion that is far away.
  6. Trick #6: If you Flash at the very end of the animation of Headbutt (W), you will cancel the ability.
  7. Your Unbreakable Will (R) is most effective when you are high HP. Pop it at the beginning of the fight, do not wait to be low hp, unless you are expecting to remove some crucial CC.

Riot

  1. Using Pulverize can allow you to establish better positioning for Headbutt.
  2. Move Speed is very important on Alistar. Consider which boots to buy carefully.
  3. Using Flash can allow you catch your target off guard to knock them back into your allies with Pulverize and Headbutt.

Skill Order

  • Alistar [object Object] ability.
    Q
    Pulverize
  • Alistar [object Object] ability.
    W
    Headbutt
  • Alistar [object Object] ability.
    E
    Trample
  • Alistar [object Object] ability.
    R
    Unbreakable Will

Items

Starting items
Guardian's Horn item.
Ruby Crystal item.
Boots
Plated Steelcaps item.
Ionian Boots of Lucidity item.
Mercury's Treads item.
Good tank items
Fimbulwinter item.
Protoplasm Harness item.
Warmog's Armor item.
Jak'Sho, The Protean item.
Good MR items
Force of Nature item.
Spirit Visage item.
Abyssal Mask item.
Kaenic Rookern item.
Hollow Radiance item.
Good Armor items
Iceborn Gauntlet item.
Dead Man's Plate item.
Randuin's Omen item.
Thornmail item.
Unending Despair item.
Frozen Heart item.
Sunfire Aegis item.
Situational items
Locket of the Iron Solari item.
Trailblazer item.
Zeke's Convergence item.
Knight's Vow item.
Bandlepipes item.
Situational DMG items
Additional considerations for these items is advised!
Wit's End item.
Titanic Hydra item.
Liandry's Torment item.
Zhonya's Hourglass item.
Overlord's Bloodmail item.
For the last fight
Additional considerations for these items is advised!
Elixir of Iron item.
Elixir of Sorcery item.
Example final build
Mercury's Treads item.
Jak'Sho, The Protean item.
Spirit Visage item.
Unending Despair item.
Hollow Radiance item.
Thornmail item.