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Akali · Mid

Akali Abilities and Combos

Abilities & combosData-drivenHardPatch 16.19.1
11.3KUpdated

More Akali guides

This guide is assembled by the site from match data and the game's own information — nobody wrote it by hand. Official and community guides appear alongside it when they exist.

Overview

This guide goes through Akali's kit ability by ability. The kit brings mobility with Shuriken Flip. Its ultimate is Perfect Execution.

Strengths

  • High magic damage: Riot rates it 8/10 in magic.
  • Mobility: Shuriken Flip lets you reposition, engage or escape.
  • Perfect Execution hits several enemies: a strong team fight tool.

Weaknesses

  • Fragile: Riot rates it 3/10 in defense.
  • Melee range: ranged opponents can poke it in lane.

Build cheat sheet

Pick the build that fits what you want to do this game.

Builds

Standard build

BalancedRecommended
Open build

When to use it

The default path: Cryptbloom, Dusk and Dawn and Cosmic Drive give the ability power, magic penetration and ability haste this class relies on. Pick it when you have no reason to adapt. Built from Riot's item tags and the champion's class; Riot publishes no build statistics.

Where it's played

Picked before the game: the main lane first, then the alternatives.

Summoner's RiftRed side · bottom leftBlue side · top right
  1. MidMain81% of matches
  2. TopPriority 219% of matches

Starting items

Doran's RingHealth Potion

Core items

  1. 1Cryptbloom
  2. 2Dusk and Dawn
  3. 3Cosmic Drive

Boots

Sorcerer's Shoes

Situational

Zhonya's HourglassAgainst heavy physical damage.Banshee's VeilAgainst heavy magic damage.MorellonomiconCuts the enemy's healing.

Runes

Primary· Sorcery

PrecisionDominationSorceryInspirationResolve
Summon AeryArcane CometStormraider's SurgeDeathfire Touch
Axiom ArcanistManaflow BandNimbus Cloak
TranscendenceCelerityAbsolute Focus
ScorchWaterwalkingGathering Storm

Secondary· Inspiration

PrecisionDominationInspirationResolve
Hextech FlashtraptionMagical FootwearCash Back
Triple TonicTime Warp TonicBiscuit Delivery
Cosmic InsightApproach VelocityJack Of All Trades

Shards

Adaptive ForceAttack SpeedAbility Haste
Adaptive ForceMove SpeedHealth Scaling
HealthTenacity and Slow ResistHealth Scaling

Summoner spells

  • Flash
  • Ignite

Abilities

  • Assassin's MarkPassiveDealing spell damage to a champion creates a ring of energy around them. Exiting that ring empowers Akali's next Attack with bonus range and damage.Passive. It works on its own: play around it.
  • QFive Point Strike1.5s110/100/90/80/70 mpAkali throws out five kunai, dealing damage based on her bonus Attack Damage and Ability Power and slowing.
    Cooldown
    1.5
    Cost
    110·100·90·80·70
    Range
    550
    Basic ability — slows. Part of your regular rotation.
  • WTwilight Shroud20/19/18/17/16sAkali drops a cover of smoke and briefly gains Move Speed. While inside the shroud, Akali becomes invisible and unable to be selected by enemy spells and attacks. Attacking or using abilities will briefly reveal her.
    Cooldown
    20·19·18·17·16
    Range
    350
    Basic ability — grants invisibility. Part of your regular rotation.
  • EShuriken Flip16/14.5/13/11.5/10s30 mpFlip backward and fire a shuriken forward, dealing magic damage. The first enemy or smoke cloud hit is marked. Re-cast to dash to the marked target, dealing additional damage.
    Cooldown
    16·14.5·13·11.5·10
    Cost
    30
    Range
    825
    Basic ability — moves you. Keep it to escape unless the kill is certain.
  • RPerfect ExecutionUltimate120/90/60sAkali leaps in a direction, damaging enemies she strikes. Re-cast: Akali dashes in a direction, executing all enemies she strikes.
    Cooldown
    120·90·60
    Range
    675
    Ultimate — moves you and hits an area. Keep it to escape unless the kill is certain.

Strategy

1The kit

The kit brings mobility with Shuriken Flip.

  • Assassin's Mark — Passive. It works on its own: play around it.
  • [Q] Five Point Strike — Basic ability — slows. Part of your regular rotation.
  • [W] Twilight Shroud — Basic ability — grants invisibility. Part of your regular rotation.
  • [E] Shuriken Flip — Basic ability — moves you. Keep it to escape unless the kill is certain.
  • [R] Perfect Execution — Ultimate — moves you and hits an area. Keep it to escape unless the kill is certain.

2Skill order

Put a point in Perfect Execution at levels 6, 11 and 16. Between the basic abilities, max first the one that does most for your lane — usually your main damage or wave clear — and keep the utility one for last.

3Combos

Without hard crowd control in the kit, your damage depends on positioning: land your abilities when the enemy is committed to something else.

4Using your ultimate

Perfect Execution is the ability the enemy plays around. Use it where it changes the fight, and remember its cooldown: after using it, you're a smaller threat for a while.

Tips

  • Akali excels at killing fragile champions. Let your team initiate and then strike at the people in the back.
  • Twilight Shroud offers safety in even the most dangerous situations. Use that time to save up energy for a quick strike later.
  • Keep Shuriken Flip out of your combo unless the kill is certain.
  • Watch Perfect Execution's cooldown: fights you take without it are much harder.

Changelog

  1. Guide created for patch 16.19.1.

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