Naafiri vs Vel'Koz

Naafiri
vs
Not enough games
Vel'Koz
Heavy pokeHeavy AP damageHigh burstSustained DPS

Build vs Vel'Koz

The champion's reference build, for lack of enough games in this matchup

Recommended items for Naafiri: Voltaic Cyclosword, Black Cleaver, Death's Dance, Ionian Boots of Lucidity, Guardian Angel, Edge of Night, Youmuu's Ghostblade.

Starting items

Scorchclaw Pup

Core build

Voltaic Cyclosword
1
Black Cleaver
2
Death's Dance
3

Standard

Ionian Boots of Lucidity
4CDR
Guardian Angel
5

Summoner spells

FlashSmite100%

Anti CC

Mercury's Treads
4vs CC

Other options

Guardian Angel
Edge of Night
Youmuu's Ghostblade
DominationDomination
ElectrocuteElectrocute
Sudden ImpactSudden Impact
Grisly MementosGrisly Mementos
Treasure HunterTreasure Hunter
PrecisionPrecision
Presence of MindPresence of Mind
Coup de GraceCoup de Grace
Adaptive ForceAdaptive ForceHealth Scaling

Power Spikes

Strength by game phase

Vel'Koz's abilities

Passive, spells and ultimate

Organic Deconstruction (P)

Vel'Koz's abilities apply Organic Deconstruction to enemies on hit. If 3 stacks are accumulated, the enemy will take a burst of true damage.

Cooldowns

Cooldowns by spell rank

LevelQWER
37s1.5s12s–
67s1.5s12s1m40
97s1.5s12s1m40
117s1.5s12s1m30
167s1.5s11s1m20
187s1.5s10s1m20

Playing as Naafiri

Tips to maximize your impact

  1. Second dagger on a bleeding target

    Recast Darkin Daggers (Q) on a target that's already bleeding: the second dagger deals the rest of the bleed plus damage based on their missing health, and heals you.

  2. Call your pack back to heal it

    When your pack has taken hits, cast Eviscerate (E): your packmates come back to you at full health.

  3. Empower your pack before you engage

    Cast The Call of the Pack (W) just before you engage: you're briefly untargetable, your pack grows, and you gain AD and move speed.

  4. Push, then look for an isolated target

    Push your wave, then roam toward an isolated champion: with Hounds' Pursuit (R), you and your pack dash onto them, and a takedown lets you recast it.

Playing against Vel'Koz

How to counter and exploit weaknesses

  1. Watch both branches of his plasma

    Get out of the line of Plasma Fission (Q) and watch its sides too: the bolt splits into two branches at 90 degrees when it hits a target or he recasts it.

  2. Back off before the third stack

    Back off after taking two of his spells: at the third Organic Deconstruction (passive) stack, you take a burst of true damage.

  3. Engage after Tectonic Disruption

    If you can engage, go in after Tectonic Disruption (E): it's his only spell to push back someone charging him, and he has no dash to escape.

  4. Interrupt his ray

    If you have a stun, a silence or a knock-up, save it for Life Form Disintegration Ray (R): any of them interrupts the ray.

Patch 16.21.1