Rod of Ages Cho'Gath Build

1. You rush Rod of Ages.
2. You play as Mage with more emphasis on sustain and mana.
3. You buy AP items and adapt to an enemy team.

1. Even when playing off-meta builds like Rod of Ages Cho'Gath, it's extremely important to stack Feast (R) (even on minions if you are not going to fight with enemy team). The permanent bonus Health matters in the long run.

1. Playing Rod of Ages Cho'Gath, your default rush is of course - Rod of Ages. You want to stack its passive as early as possible.
2. Since you have HP synergy with your abilities, you can get Heartsteel as first item. You will play more like AP Tank with lots of health.
3. Rod of Ages gives sustain with its second Passive. It recovers both health and mana.
4. You can play this build very safely. Sustain from Rod of Ages alone is very powerful in ARAM. If you want to sustain even harder, you can get Kaenic Rookern (anti poke), Spirit Visage (more sustain) or even get Second Wind rune from Resolve.
5. In cases, when an enemy team is full of tanks and HP stackers and you need to counter them, go Liandry's Torment.
6. Adapt to an enemy team. They full of tanks and they rush MR? You rush Void Staff as #2 or #3 item. Their team is Soraka, Mundo or champs with healing? Rush Oblivion Orb as #2 item (upgrade to Morellonomicon as 4th or 5th item). They stack HP? You buy Liandry's Torment.
7. Somebody is going after you each fight? Their assassins are focusing you on sight? Always getting R by Fizz? Rush Zhonya's Hourglass.
8. Good MR item that works well with Rod of Ages is Spirit Visage and Kaenic Rookern, since it works well with your HP and healing from RoA/runes and the other one scales off HP..
9. Once you have a decent mana pool, buy Actualizer. Its active Mana Made Real burns your mana to give you massive CDR and Bonus Damage. Use it right before a big fight!

Skill Order

1. Universal skill order for Cho'Gath: max Q for push/poke/healing, max W for fights, max E versus lots of melee champs in an enemy team.

Peeling

1. You can be a great peeler for your carries if needed. Keep an eye for them and save Rupture (Q), Feral Scream (W) and Feast (R) for enemy divers/assasins.

Rupture (Q)

1. If you want to elevate your game and hit more Rupture (Q), pretend to look other way while using it on your target. Face other direction, change angles, face backwards. Enemies won't expect you using Rupture (Q) on them.
2. If you have reliable CC on your team, you can coordinate and land surefire Rupture (Q).
3. If enemy has tons of mobility abilities. silence them first with Feral Scream (W) then try landing Rupture (Q).

Feral Scream (W)

1. Keep Feral Scream (W) for priority targets. Enemy team has champions that dive and go in? Keep W for them.

Vorpal Spikes (E)

1. Vorpal Spikes (E) is auto attack reset. You can use it to squeeze out an extra auto in fights and push turrets faster.
2. Slow makes you Rupture (Q) much easier to land. Land E auto first, then throw Rupture (Q) while they are slowed. Much harder for them to dodge.

Feast (R)

1. Do not wait for 'special moment' to use your Feast (R) early on. It is OK to just stack it on minions to get more survivability.
2. If you are not playing a tank or support version, consider not eating siege minions - it is more gold for your carries, and they need gold more than you do!

1. Try to line up your attacks with Vorpal Spikes so that they kill minions and harass enemy champions at the same time.
2. If you're having difficulty feasting upon champions, try eating minions until you're larger.
3. Using Rupture on creeps in combination with Carnivore is a good way to gain Health and Mana.