Annie

Playstyle Profile

Annie is a backline carry — deals massive sustained damage from a safe position

Teamfight Role

Backline Carry

Power Spike

Mid game

Split Threat

None

Backline Access

Low

Annie's Strengths

• Massive sustained damage from safety — Annie melts frontlines while positioned behind their team
• Unmatched damage output — Annie's raw DPS is devastating when positioned safely behind their team

How to Play Annie

Champion-specific pre-match tips

Gameplay tips on Summoner's Rift

Lane Phase

Last hit minions with Q to refund its mana cost, allowing you to stack your passive stun safely without draining your mana pool.

Lane Phase

Hold your passive at three stacks, then cast E mid-trade to immediately ready your stun and catch the enemy off guard with a Q or W.

Lane Phase

Initiate all-ins the exact moment you hit level 6 by using Flash and instantly dropping your passive-empowered ult on your target.

Mid Game

Micro your active ult away from skirmishes when its health drops low to trigger its high out-of-combat regeneration before sending it back in.

Mid Game

Command your active ult to attack the enemy under their tower to absorb aggro only when your team is fully committed to a dive.

Mid Game

Clear vision in jungle choke points before objectives spawn, then hold your passive stun in a brush to burst the first enemy that steps into range.

Late Game

Wait for the enemy backline to group closely during 5v5 standoffs, then use Flash to deliver a multi-target stun with your ult.

Late Game

Cast E on your primary frontline engager as a fight begins to grant them vital movement speed and reflect incoming damage.

Late Game

Zone the enemy team away from Baron or Elder Dragon by stepping aggressively past the pit while holding your fully charged passive.

For matchup-tailored tips, download Baron Buff's AI Coach & Companion App.

Gameplay tips in Arena

• Enter each round with Pyromania prepared. Threaten both enemies with W or R, but use Q when you need a guaranteed single-target stun and Tibbers body-blocking.
• Build Malignance, Shadowflame, Rabadon's Deathcap, and Detonation Orb. Front-load burst, then use Tibbers and haste to keep pressure after the first stun.
• Prioritize Big Brain, It's Killing Time, Phenomenal Evil, and Jeweled Gauntlet. Amplify the guaranteed stun combo rather than relying on repeated unsafe auto attacks.

Annie Build

This might not be your familiar build. We look at ranked games after each item was bought. If the player or team gained ground in gold, we rate that item higher.

Core

• Malignance
• Sorcerer's Shoes (Boots)
• Hextech Rocketbelt

Situational

• Shadowflame
• Zhonya's Hourglass
• Rabadon's Deathcap
• Void Staff
• Morellonomicon

Annie Runes

The most popular rune page and summoner spells for Annie in ranked games over the last 30 days.

Domination + Sorcery · 50.1% WR · 6,194 games

• Electrocute
• Cheap Shot
• Grisly Mementos
• Relentless Hunter
• Axiom Arcanist
• Absolute Focus
• Adaptive Force
• Adaptive Force
• Health Scaling

Summoner spells

Flash, Ignite

Annie Skill Order

The recommended skill order for Annie from ranked games over the last 90 days: the first three skill points, then the order to max abilities.

1. lvl 1: Q
2. lvl 2: E
3. lvl 3: W
4. max: W
5. max: Q
6. max: E

How to Counter Annie

Counter strategies and draft context

gap close quickly, flank from angles they can't control, or out-sustain their mana pool

• Folds to direct pressure — Annie relies on frontline protection and collapses when dived
• Assassins and divers that close gaps quickly
• Champions with long-range engage tools
• Mobile carries that dodge skillshots

Annie's Weaknesses

Dive-heavy compositions collapse on Annie when allied peel and frontline protection are missing. Dive and assassination threats are deadly, because Annie has no mobility to escape and relies on allied peel to survive.

Best Synergies with Annie

Team synergies and draft context

Peel supports and frontline tanks protect Annie, and safe positioning unlocks their full damage. Frontline tanks zone enemies into the path of your skillshots. Engage champions with AOE crowd control set up wombo combos. Peel supports keep divers off you in teamfights.

Draft Context

• Lacks a frontline or peel — Annie gets dove with no protection between them and the enemy
• Skips peel and shields — Annie has no mobility and gets erased by assassins or divers

Learning Curve

Based on 1.2M+ matches across all ranked elos, showing how Annie's win rate changes with mastery level

Annie has a typical skill ceiling, but getting results requires significant dedication. Expect lower win rates for an extended period before deeper mechanics click into place.

Skill Cap

Medium

Cost of Learning

Very High