Smolder
Recommended Build
Most popular build path
Recommended items for Smolder: Essence Reaver, Black Cleaver, Spear of Shojin, Ionian Boots of Lucidity, Rapid Firecannon, Infinity Edge, Lord Dominik's Regards, Guardian Angel.
Starting items
Core build
Standard
Anti CC
Other options
Sorcery
Deathfire Touch
Nimbus Cloak
Celerity
Gathering Storm
Inspiration
Magical Footwear
Jack Of All Trades
Playing as Smolder
Tips to maximize your impact
- Last-hit minions with your fireball
Last-hit minions with Super Scorcher Breath (Q): each kill with the spell gives you a Dragon Practice (passive) stack, which empowers your basic spells.
- Poke with your sneeze
Poke with Achooo! (W): the sneeze slows, explodes on champions hit, and each champion hit gives you a Dragon Practice stack.
- Aim for the final tier
Build enough stacks for the final tier of Super Scorcher Breath (Q): it burns its target, and kills a champion who drops below a health threshold.
- Take flight to escape
Escape or reposition with Flap, Flap, Flap (E): you fly over obstacles, bombarding the enemy with the lowest health.
- Call your mom from far away
Cast MMOOOMMMM! (R) to finish or slow from far away: the center of the breath hits harder and slows, and if it hits you, your mom heals you.
Versus
Compare against an opponent
Smolder matchups
Global strengths and weaknesses
All Smolder matchups
Build, runes and tips against each opponent
Mid
Mid
Smolder vs Malzahar
Smolder vs Galio
Smolder vs Yone
Smolder vs Ahri
Smolder vs Yasuo
Smolder vs Viktor
Smolder vs Syndra
Smolder vs Sylas
Smolder vs Zed
Smolder vs Twisted Fate
Smolder vs Locke
Smolder vs Lissandra
Smolder vs Veigar
Smolder vs Katarina
Smolder vs Xerath
Smolder vs Qiyana
Smolder vs Talon
Smolder vs Kog'Maw
Bot
Smolder vs Kai'Sa
Smolder vs Hwei
Smolder vs Aurelion Sol
Smolder vs KarthusPlaying against Smolder
How to counter and exploit weaknesses
- Trade early
Take your trades early: his basic spells only gain damage with the Dragon Practice (passive) stacks he builds over the game.
- Save your CC for his flight
If you have hard CC, save it for Flap, Flap, Flap (E): it's his only way to escape, and hard CC interrupts his flight.
- Don't stay grouped
Don't stay grouped with your allies against him: empowered, Super Scorcher Breath (Q) also damages around its target and behind it.
- Leave the center of the breath
Get out of the center of MMOOOMMMM! (R): that's where the breath hits hardest and slows.
Abilities and cooldowns
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.
| Level | Q | W | E | R |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 5.5s | 14s | 24s | – |
| 6 | 4.5s | 14s | 24s | 2m |
| 9 | 3.5s | 13s | 24s | 2m |
| 11 | 3.5s | 12s | 24s | 1m50 |
| 16 | 3.5s | 10s | 20s | 1m40 |
| 18 | 3.5s | 10s | 16s | 1m40 |
How pros play Smolder
High-elo players who play this champion.
Patch 16.21.1