Pyke · Support

Pyke Safe Play Guide

DefensiveData-drivenHardPatch 16.19.1

4.3KUpdated 10 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 Pyke safely and consistently. Safe support means staying next to your marksman, warding ahead and saving your abilities to answer the enemy engage. The kit brings crowd control (stun) with Phantom Undertow and mobility with Phantom Undertow.

Strengths

Mobility: Phantom Undertow lets you reposition, engage or escape.
High physical damage: Riot rates it 9/10 in attack.
Crowd control: Phantom Undertow applies a stun to set up kills.

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.

Defensive buildDefensiveRecommendedKeeps enough damage while adding magic resist, attack damage and life steal through Mercurial Scimitar, Maw of Malmortius and Death's Dance. Choose it against dive, assassins or a lane you can't win.
Against magic damageDefensiveSituationalFor a team that kills with abilities: magic resist boots and a magic resist item in the core.

Builds

Defensive build

DefensiveRecommended

Open build

When to use it

Keeps enough damage while adding magic resist, attack damage and life steal through Mercurial Scimitar, Maw of Malmortius and Death's Dance. Choose it against dive, assassins or a lane you can't win.

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

Starting items

World AtlasHealth Potion

Core items

1Mercurial Scimitar
2Maw of Malmortius
3Death's Dance

Boots

Plated Steelcaps

Situational

Guardian AngelAgainst heavy physical damage.Kaenic RookernAgainst heavy magic damage.Chempunk ChainswordCuts the enemy's healing.Lord Dominik's RegardsAgainst tanky teams.

Runes

Primary· Precision

Secondary· Resolve

Shards

Summoner spells

Flash
Ignite

Abilities

Gift of the Drowned OnesPassiveWhen Pyke is hidden from enemies, he regenerates damage that he has recently taken from champions. Pyke also cannot gain extra Maximum Health from any source, and instead gains Bonus AD.
QBone Skewer10/9.5/9/8.5/8s70/75/80/85/90 mpPyke either stabs an enemy in front of him or pulls an enemy towards him.
Cooldown
10·9.5·9·8.5·8
Cost
70·75·80·85·90
Range
400
WGhostwater Dive14/13/12/11/10s65 mpPyke enters Camouflage and gains significant Move Speed that decays over time.
Cooldown
14·13·12·11·10
Cost
65
Range
600
EPhantom Undertow15/14/13/12/11s40 mpPyke dashes and leaves behind a phantom that will return to him, stunning enemy champions along its path.
Cooldown
15·14·13·12·11
Cost
40
Range
550
Basic ability — applies a stun and moves you. Save it for priority targets or to interrupt a channel.
RDeath From BelowUltimate100/85/70s100 mpPyke blinks to and executes low health enemies, allowing him to cast this spell again and granting additional gold to an ally who assists.
Cooldown
100·85·70
Cost
100
Range
750
Ultimate — moves you. Keep it to escape unless the kill is certain.

Strategy

1Safe laning

Safe support means staying next to your marksman, warding ahead and saving your abilities to answer the enemy engage. Trade when the enemy marksman goes for a last hit: they have to choose between the gold and the damage.

2Surviving fights

Protect whoever the enemy dives: Phantom Undertow on the diver is worth more than any damage you could deal. Your way out is Phantom Undertow: if it's on cooldown, stay further back.

3Positioning and peel

Stand where the enemy has to go through your team to reach you, and protect whoever the enemy focuses. Hold Phantom Undertow for the enemy diver.

4Playing from behind

When the game goes badly, farm what's safe, defend with your team and wait for the enemy to make a mistake: a single won fight can turn it around.

Tips

Keep Phantom Undertow for escaping, not for chasing.
Save Phantom Undertow for whoever jumps on your team.
Go back when your key abilities are down: a reset costs less than a death.
Never be the first to show on the map in the late game.
If enemies are missing from the map, back off before they appear.

Matchups

Weak against

Taric
Dazzle (stun) lets Taric pin Pyke down before Phantom Undertow gets them out.
Swain
Nevermove (root) lets Swain pin Pyke down before Phantom Undertow gets them out.
Alistar
Trample (stun) lets Alistar pin Pyke down before Phantom Undertow gets them out.