Matchup

Heavy AD damageSustained DPSHeavy poke

You are stronger early — look to snowball before your opponent scales.

Build vs Smolder

Build adapted to this matchup

Starting items

Doran's Blade
Health Potion

Core build

Blade of The Ruined King
1DPS
Kraken Slayer
2DPS
Endless Hunger
3DPS

Standard

Boots of Swiftness
4vs Slow
Hullbreaker
5Bruiser

Summoner spells

41478%
41213%

Anti AD

Plated Steelcaps
4vs AD
Death's Dance
5vs AD
Guardian Angel
vs AD
Frozen Heart
vs AD
Randuin's Omen
vs AD

Anti AP

Mercury's Treads
4vs CC
Wit's End
5vs AP
Maw of Malmortius
vs AP

DPS

Hullbreaker
Bruiser
Sundered Sky
Bruiser
Fiendhunter Bolts
DPS
Immortal Shieldbow
DPS
Infinity Edge
DPS
Stridebreaker
Bruiser

Other options

Sterak's Gage
Survival
Jak'Sho, The Protean
vs Hybride
100.0% WR4 games
PrecisionPrecision
ConquerorConqueror
TriumphTriumph
Legend: AlacrityLegend: Alacrity
Last StandLast Stand
ResolveResolve
UnflinchingUnflinching
Bone PlatingBone Plating
Attack SpeedAdaptive ForceHealth Scaling

Power Spikes

Strength by game phase

Early (0-15)
Mid (15-30)
Late (30+)
IreliaIrelia
SmolderSmolder
Aggressive
Neutral
Passive

Smolder's abilities

Passive, spells and ultimate

Dragon Practice (P)

Hitting champions with Abilities and killing enemies with Super Scorcher Breath grants a stack of Dragon Practice. Stacks increase the damage of Smolders basic Abilities.

Cooldowns

Cooldowns by spell rank

LevelQWER
35.5s14s24s
64.5s14s24s2m
93.5s13s24s2m
113.5s12s24s1m50
163.5s10s20s1m40
183.5s10s16s1m40

Playing against Smolder

How to counter and exploit weaknesses

1

Punish Smolder in the early game: he's very weak before his stacks and items. Force fights early.

2

Don't let the game go long: Smolder at 225 stacks is one of the strongest late game ADCs.

3

His R is global but has a delay: move laterally to dodge it.

4

He's immobile with no escape: assassins and engages punish him easily.

Source: op.gg + LTL Engine · Patch 16.9.1 · May 9, 2026