Tank Smolder Build

Tank Smolder Build.

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

Author: Wrekah

TLDR

Starting items
Giant's Belt should be final item in your build.
Ruby Crystal should be final item in your build.
Quick Skill Order
Smolder ability Super Scorcher Breath should be leveled first.
Q
Smolder ability Achooo! should be leveled second.
W
Smolder ability Flap, Flap, Flap should be leveled third.
E
Final items
Mercury's Treads should be final item in your build.
Heartsteel should be final item in your build.
Thornmail should be final item in your build.
Overlord's Bloodmail should be final item in your build.
Kaenic Rookern should be final item in your build.
Warmog's Armor should be final item in your build.
Quick Runes
Major rune Grasp of the Undying from Resolve tree.
Minor rune Precision.
Summoner spells
Pick Ghost as your Summoner Spell.
Pick Flash as your Summoner Spell.

Tank Smolder 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

Mark

Mark

Mark (Snowball) for a go-in tool if you want to be more aggressive and make picks.

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

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.

How it works

  1. You play Tank Smolder.
  2. You rush Heartsteel #1 and stack as much HP as possible.
  3. You build items that scale and benefit from HP, then add Armor and MR depending on the enemy team.

Playstyle

  1. 💪

    Rush Heartsteel and get tons of HP.

  2. ⚔️

    Auto attack to get stacks - your HP depends on it.

  3. 🧰

    Adapt your tank items to what the enemy team is throwing at you.

How to play

Tank Smolder

  1. Your Super Scorcher Breath (Q) applies both On-hit and Spell Effects.
  2. With Super Scorcher Breath (Q) stacked, you will be applying On-Hit and Spell Effects in AOE!
  3. Your Super Scorcher Breath (Q) range is equal to auto attack range. Meaning items like Rapid Firecannon increases it.
  4. Even when playing off-meta build like Tank, it's extremely important to gather Dragon Practice (Passive) stacks to upgrade your abilities and gain more damage. Keep stacking!

Getting started

  1. You rush Heartsteel.
  2. Guardian's Horn is a surprisingly good item for its price. You can keep it for a very long time (or even have it as 6th item).

Item Order

  1. Item Order after Heartsteel is flexible. You need to see what you need in particular game:
    • Get Overlord's Bloodmail for more damage and AD.
    • Get Warmog's Armor as anti-poke item (helps you stay in lane) and for some sweet HP.
    • Get Unending Despair, if there are prolonged fights in which you can stay near enemies (or enemies near you). The items gets better, the more HP you get.
    • Get various Armor and/or MR items to counter enemy team.
    • Get Titanic Hydra for more fun, more damage and some survivability.

During fights

  1. Your main damage and power comes from auto attacks - Grasp of the Undying and Heartsteel.
  2. This is auto attack oriented Smolder build, so do it! Especially if running with Titanic Hydra or Sundered Sky.
  3. You can prioritize switching between champions in the fight, just to farm more Heartsteel procs.
  4. Remember to consume your Heartsteel procs!

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. Sundered Sky is very good damage item for this build (as #2-#4 depending on the game). It scales off your HP. It gives damage and pretty good sustain in fights. Remember to switch targets to maximize the effect!
  3. You can use Bandlepipes to give your whole team an attack speed boost whenever you CC enemies. Great synergy with auto attackers.

Runes

  1. Second Wind scales off with your HP, so it is going to be powerful sustain rune. You can use it by purposefully triggering it by letting enemies poke you a little or walking over some harmful spells.
  2. Triumph is better (heal + gold), but if you want to have easier time with your mana, go Presence of Mind.
  3. Remember to consume your Grasp of the Undying procs!

Tips and Tricks

Champion

  1. Focus on getting Super Scorcher Breath (Q) stacks early on. Last hit minions (you can even ask your teammates) and use Super Scorcher Breath (Q) and Achooo! (W) on enemy champions to get stacks!
  2. Flap, Flap, Flap (E) is amazing ability in ARAM, it lets you reposition quickly, dodge skillshots or play aggressive. Do not waste it!

Riot

  1. Smolder has a vulnerable early game. Focus on passive stacking and staying alive to become a strong dragon later!
  2. Smolder relies on his team to keep him safe. Try to find allies who can help you against enemy threats.
  3. Smolder can do a lot of damage to areas of enemies. Look for attack opportunities where the enemies are close together.

Skill Order

  • Smolder [object Object] ability.
    Q
    Super Scorcher Breath
  • Smolder [object Object] ability.
    W
    Achooo!
  • Smolder [object Object] ability.
    E
    Flap, Flap, Flap
  • Smolder [object Object] ability.
    R
    MMOOOMMMM!

Items

Starting items
Giant's Belt item.
Ruby Crystal item.
Starting items vs poke
Guardian's Horn item.
Ruby Crystal item.
Boots
Mercury's Treads item.
Plated Steelcaps item.
Ionian Boots of Lucidity item.
Rush this
Heartsteel item.
Core items
Unending Despair item.
Overlord's Bloodmail item.
Heartsteel item.
Warmog's Armor item.
Dmg items
Additional considerations for these items is advised!
Runaan's Hurricane item.
Wit's End item.
Blade of The Ruined King item.
Sundered Sky item.
Titanic Hydra item.
Good tank items
Jak'Sho, The Protean item.
Protoplasm Harness item.
Good MR items
Force of Nature item.
Kaenic Rookern item.
Spirit Visage item.
Good Armor items
Thornmail item.
Randuin's Omen item.
Frozen Heart item.
Iceborn Gauntlet item.
Dead Man's Plate item.
Situational items
Zeke's Convergence item.
Knight's Vow item.
Bandlepipes item.
Trailblazer item.
For the last fight
Additional considerations for these items is advised!
Elixir of Iron item.
Cappa Juice item.
Elixir of Wrath item.
Example final build
Mercury's Treads item.
Heartsteel item.
Thornmail item.
Overlord's Bloodmail item.
Kaenic Rookern item.
Warmog's Armor item.