Smolder vs Brand
You are stronger late game. Farm safe and avoid early trades.
Build vs Brand
The champion's reference build, for lack of enough games in this matchup
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
Summoner spells
Anti CC
Other options
Power Spikes
Strength by game phase
Brand's abilities
Passive, spells and ultimate
Brand's spells light his targets ablaze, dealing damage over 4 seconds, stacking up to 3 times. If Brand kills an enemy while it is ablaze he regains mana. When Blaze reaches max stacks on a Champion or large monster, it becomes unstable. It detonates in 2 seconds, applying spell effects and dealing massive damage in an area around the victim.
Cooldowns
Cooldowns by spell rank
| Level | Q | W | E | R |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 8s | 10s | 13s | – |
| 6 | 7s | 10s | 13s | 1m40 |
| 9 | 6s | 9.5s | 13s | 1m40 |
| 11 | 6s | 9s | 13s | 1m30 |
| 16 | 6s | 8s | 11s | 1m20 |
| 18 | 6s | 8s | 9s | 1m20 |
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.
Playing against Brand
How to counter and exploit weaknesses
- Dodge his Q while you burn
When you're ablaze, prioritize dodging Sear (Q): it stuns any target that's ablaze.
- Leave his pillar of flame
Leave the Pillar of Flame (W) area as soon as it appears: it lands after a short delay and hits harder if you're ablaze.
- Punish his lack of mobility
If you can engage, go in on him: his kit has no dash and no shield.
- Spread out from your allies
Spread out from your allies in teamfights: Pyroclasm (R) bounces between nearby enemies, and Blaze (passive) explodes around a target at 3 stacks.
Other Smolder matchups
Patch 16.21.1