Poppy · Support

Poppy Aggressive Guide

OffensiveData-drivenMediumPatch 16.19.1

5.2KUpdated 15 hours ago

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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 is about playing Poppy aggressively. Aggressive support means looking for Heroic Charge on every enemy mistake and roaming to mid when the lane is pushed. Your spikes are level 6, when Keeper's Verdict comes online, and each completed item: Locket of the Iron Solari first, then Knight's Vow. Riot rates it 6/10 in attack, 2/10 in magic, 7/10 in defense and 6/10 in difficulty.

Strengths

Crowd control: Heroic Charge applies a stun to set up kills.
Very durable: Riot rates it 7/10 in defense.
Mobility: Steadfast Presence lets you reposition, engage or escape.
Sustain from Iron Ambassador.

Weaknesses

Every death while playing aggressively hands the tempo back to the enemy.
Low priority on gold and experience.

Build cheat sheet

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

Offensive buildOffensiveRecommendedAll-in on damage: Sunfire Aegis, Hollow Radiance and Knight's Vow stack health, armor and ability haste. Choose it when you're ahead or the enemy team is fragile — it gives up safety for kill pressure.
Against physical damageDefensiveSituationalFor a lane or a team that hits with attacks: armor boots and an armor item in the core.

Builds

Offensive build

OffensiveRecommended

Open build

When to use it

All-in on damage: Sunfire Aegis, Hollow Radiance and Knight's Vow stack health, armor and ability haste. Choose it when you're ahead or the enemy team is fragile — it gives up safety for kill pressure.

Where it's played

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

Summoner's RiftRed side · bottom leftBlue side · top right

SupportMain100% of matches
TopPriority 2
JunglePriority 3

Starting items

World AtlasHealth Potion

Core items

1Sunfire Aegis
2Hollow Radiance
3Knight's Vow

Boots

Boots of Swiftness

Situational

Dead Man's PlateAgainst heavy physical damage.Kaenic RookernAgainst heavy magic damage.Randuin's OmenAgainst burst and assassins.ThornmailCuts the enemy's healing.

Runes

Primary· Resolve

Secondary· Precision

Shards

Summoner spells

Flash
Ignite

Abilities

Iron AmbassadorPassivePoppy throws her buckler that bounces off the target. Poppy can pick it up to gain a temporary shield.
QHammer Shock8/7/6/5/4s35/40/45/50/55 mpPoppy swings her hammer, dealing damage and creating a zone that will slow enemies and explode after a delay.
Cooldown
8·7·6·5·4
Cost
35·40·45·50·55
Range
430
WSteadfast Presence20/18/16/14/12s50 mpPoppy passively gains Armor and Magic Resist. This bonus increases when she is low on Health. Poppy can activate Steadfast Presence to gain Move Speed and stop enemy dashes around her. If a dash is stopped, the enemy is slowed and grounded.
Cooldown
20·18·16·14·12
Cost
50
Range
400
EHeroic Charge14/13/12/11/10s70 mpPoppy dashes to the target and pushes it back. If the target is pushed into a wall, it is stunned.
Cooldown
14·13·12·11·10
Cost
70
Range
475
Basic ability — applies a stun and moves you. Save it for priority targets or to interrupt a channel.
RKeeper's VerdictUltimate140/120/100s100 mpPoppy channels a hammer strike that knocks enemies very far away.
Cooldown
140·120·100
Cost
100
Range
500
Ultimate. Plan your fights around its cooldown.

Strategy

1When to fight

Your spikes are level 6, when Keeper's Verdict comes online, and each completed item: Locket of the Iron Solari first, then Knight's Vow. Aggressive support means looking for Heroic Charge on every enemy mistake and roaming to mid when the lane is pushed.

2Picking your targets

Protect whoever the enemy dives: Heroic Charge on the diver is worth more than any damage you could deal. The best target is the one your team can reach and kill before the enemy answers, not always the most valuable one.

3Snowballing a lead

After a won fight, take dragons and towers before anything else: that's what turns kills into a lead the enemy can't erase. Early, secure vision in the river and help your jungler contest the first dragon.

4When to back off

Safe support means staying next to your marksman, warding ahead and saving your abilities to answer the enemy engage. If your key abilities are on cooldown or the enemy is missing from the map, the aggressive play is to wait.

Tips

Fight on your spikes: right after Locket of the Iron Solari, look for the next fight instead of farming.
Look for kills when Keeper's Verdict is ready and the enemy's key ability is not.
Use Heroic Charge to start the fight, then commit your damage.
Track the enemy's key cooldowns and attack right after they use them.
Turn every kill into dragons and towers: a kill without an objective is a wasted lead.
Push your lane before you roam so the aggression doesn't cost you resources.

Matchups

Strong against

Yuumi
Poppy starts with 610 health and 35 armour against Yuumi's 500 and 25: the early trades are already won on paper.
Senna
Poppy starts with 610 health and 35 armour against Senna's 530 and 25: the early trades are already won on paper.
Zilean
Heroic Charge (stun) lets Poppy pin Zilean down before Chronoshift gets them out.