Tank Alistar Build

ARAM Build Guide for champion Alistar and build Tank.

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 14.20!

Updated: 2024-05-16 ()

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.
Unending Despair should be final item in your build.
Thornmail should be final item in your build.
Hollow Radiance should be final item in your build.
Spirit Visage 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)).

How to play

Tank Build specific
  1. You start with Guardian's Horn. Your #1 rush should be item that counters enemy team most (MR or Armor item). Get Jak'Sho as #2 item. Then adapt.
  2. Triumph is better overall (heal + gold), but if you want to have easier time with your mana, go Presence of the Mind.
  3. 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).
  4. 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.
  5. Be careful to not waste Aftershock. Try timing it and keeping it for going in.

Tips and Tricks

General
  1. Trick #1 (the simplest combo possible): W + Q together, so you gap close with W and knock up immediately with Q.
  2. Trick #2: 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: W to the minion, 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 W enemy into wall (it stuns them), then Q them instead of jut doing W+Q.
  5. Trick #5: You can use 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
Warmog's Armor item.
Jak'Sho, The Protean item.
Fimbulwinter item.
Good MR items
Kaenic Rookern item.
Abyssal Mask item.
Force of Nature item.
Spirit Visage item.
Hollow Radiance item.
Good Armor items
Iceborn Gauntlet item.
Unending Despair item.
Randuin's Omen item.
Thornmail item.
Frozen Heart item.
Sunfire Aegis item.
Dead Man's Plate item.
Situational items
Trailblazer item.
Zeke's Convergence item.
Knight's Vow item.
Situational DMG items
Additional considerations for these items is advised!
Overlord's Bloodmail item.
Zhonya's Hourglass item.
Titanic Hydra item.
Wit's End item.
Liandry's Torment 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.
Unending Despair item.
Thornmail item.
Hollow Radiance item.
Spirit Visage item.