A good off-meta build starts with one question: what happens if you lean all the way into one part of the kit? Jhin can play for Curtain Call instead of basic attacks. Jax can turn a growing health bar into damage. Anivia can erase the wave before it reaches the tower and make the other team come to her.
This is not a claim about the mathematically best way to win. Each build has a job, a reason for its items and a payoff you can actually feel in game. That is enough to make a random champion feel fresh again.
Jhin: make Curtain Call the main event
Take Youmuu’s Ghostblade, Boots of Swiftness, The Collector, Axiom Arc, Serylda’s Grudge and Edge of Night. Add Axiom Arcanist and Ultimate Hunter, and the whole setup points in one direction: another Curtain Call.
Do not save the ultimate for cleanup. Open the fight with it. Lethality makes every shot hurt, and a takedown brings the next cast closer.
Jax and other duelists: health becomes damage
Start with Heartsteel, Titanic Hydra and Overlord’s Bloodmail, then add Sterak’s Gage and Spear of Shojin. The items bring no attack speed, so Lethal Tempo and Legend: Alacrity do useful work here.
Do not tunnel on one target. Move through the enemy team, collect Heartsteel procs and let Titanic Hydra and Bloodmail cash in the health. Champions with built-in attack speed or easy target access make the idea click.
Gangplank: AP cannon captain
Malignance, Liandry’s Torment, Luden’s Echo, Lich Bane and Rabadon’s Deathcap put most of the budget into Cannon Barrage. Axiom Arcanist and Ultimate Hunter make sure it comes back.
Crit barrels are the familiar version. This one is for games where you would rather cover half the bridge in Cannon Barrage. Cast it early, let the burns tick and use Q and W while the next barrage is on cooldown.
Anivia and Malzahar: build a waveclear fortress
Luden’s Echo, Rod of Ages, Rabadon’s Deathcap, Zhonya’s Hourglass, Banshee’s Veil and Void Staff trade the usual burn-and-haste package for raw AP, mana and one very important stasis. Manaflow Band and Presence of Mind pay for the constant waveclear.
Sometimes the odd build is the one that refuses to fight on the enemy’s terms. Clear from range, deny their minion wave and keep Zhonya’s ready. If they dive anyway, they are diving into a stopwatch and five waiting teammates.
Baron Buff now supports ARAM
Baron Buff now recognizes ARAM and shows three to five fun builds after you choose a champion. You get the final six items, the key runes and a quick explanation of how the build wants to play. Swap champions and the suggestions swap with you.