Naafiri is quite literally the new dog on the block inLeague of Legendsand with the title The Hound of a Hundred Bites, it is easy to see why. Naafiri is a Darkin who was once trapped in a dagger, but her soul has since been assimilated into the body of a Dune Hound becoming pack leader in the process.
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Players looking to take control of Naafiri and her fellow Packmates should first try and understand how she works and subsequently how to build her. Knowing how to build a champion is more important than knowing what to build on them in any given patch, as the ever-changing nature ofLeague of Legendsmeans that builds rarely stay the same. Nevertheless, the guide will also contain the current best Naafiri builds.
How Naafiri Works, & What Abilities To Max
In terms of gameplay, Naafiri is a roaming assassin designed forthe mid lane, but she can alsothrive in the jungle. She has good waveclear and lots of mobility, but her defining feature is the Packmates that fight alongside her, jumping in and out of combat based on the abilities that Naafiri uses. As Naafiri’s ultimate resets upon takedowns, she has plenty of potential in drawn-out fights especially when the enemy is spread out.
Naafiri’s Abilities
All of Naafiri’s abilities scale very well with Attack Damage, and as most of her damage output comes from these abilities rather than auto attacks,Lethality items are extremely strong on Naafiriand should form the core of her build. She can also dip into more bruiser-based builds against less squishy teams, but the other main stat Naafiri should focus on is Ability Haste which providescooldown reduction as her spells have long base cooldowns.
What Abilities To Max On Naafiri
Q - Darkin Daggers is Naafiri’s bread and butter for both damage and waveclearand thus should be maxed first to reduce its cooldown and increase the damage. Naafiri’s W is a good option to max second as it has a very long cooldown that is significantly reduced with levels and also costs less mana. In terms of maximum damage in one single burst though, maxing E would be a better option.Naafiri’s E is also a better second option for junglers, as it will speed up her clear.
The Best Runes For Naafiri
As an assassin, Naafiri is mostly looking for runes that help herdeal more upfront damage and snowball. In certain mid-matchups where she might struggle as a melee champion against range, she can also look for lane sustain.
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For the additional stats, Naafiri simply wants to takedouble Adaptive Force,althoughAbility Haste is also an option. She can then simply take theResistance that counters her lane opponentandjunglers should take Armor.
Minor Runes
Starting Items & Boots For Naafiri
Choosing the right starting item is vital for getting throughthe early stages of the lane. Like most champions, she will also want to buy boots fairly early, particularly given that they will help her roam to other lanes. Naafiri should alsobuy control wards earlyas without invisibility or other forms of deception, enemy vision will put a stop to her hunts before they can even begin.
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Boots
In terms of boots, Naafiri ideally wants to get IonianBoots of Lucidity for the cheap Ability Haste, and simply put her other options aren’t great. However, against certain teams, she will instead need to opt for defensive boots, such asMercury’s Treads against lots of hard Crowd Control and AP, orPlated Steelcaps versus all AD teams, especially with lots of auto attackers.
Naafiri’s Best Mythic Items
Mythic Items are usually the first full items to be bought and are typically the most important and can even dictate how a champion is played.Naafiri’s best Mythics give her AD and Lethality, although some other options may arise. Naturally, even though Naafiri may work better with one particular item, if other items are particularly strong on any given patch they can be better options.
Naafiri’s Core Items & Build Options
For her other items, Naafiri can continue purchasing Lethality items versus squishy teams, but she will often want to get an item to cut through Armor. Certain items can also be extremely useful in niche situations, and Naafiri can also opt into AD items that have the relevant resistances against heavy AD or AP teams.
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