Rakan · Support
Rakan Guide
More Rakan 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
Rakan belongs to Riot's Support class and is played mainly as Support (100% of the public matches we measured). It attacks from range (300 units) and uses mana. In this guide you play it as Support: your job is to win the bottom lane with your marksman, control vision and enable your carries. The kit brings mobility with Grand Entrance and sustain with Gleaming Quill. Its ultimate is The Quickness. Riot rates it 2/10 in attack, 8/10 in magic, 4/10 in defense and 5/10 in difficulty.
Strengths
- High magic damage: Riot rates it 8/10 in magic.
- Mobility: Grand Entrance lets you reposition, engage or escape.
- Sustain from Gleaming Quill.
Weaknesses
- Mana-hungry early: spamming abilities leaves you empty before the fight.
- Low priority on gold and experience.
Build cheat sheet
Pick the build that fits what you want to do this game.
- Standard buildBalancedRecommendedThe default path: Moonstone Renewer, Echoes of Helia and Imperial Mandate give the health, ability power and mana regeneration 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.
- Burst buildOffensiveAdvancedAll-in on damage: Shadowflame, Void Staff and Bloodletter's Curse stack ability power, magic penetration and health. Choose it when you're ahead or the enemy team is fragile — it gives up safety for kill pressure.
- Defensive buildDefensiveSituationalKeeps enough damage while adding health, magic resist and armor through Locket of the Iron Solari, Hollow Radiance and Knight's Vow. Choose it against dive, assassins or a lane you can't win.
- Utility buildUtilitySituationalBuilt to protect your team: Mikael's Blessing, Shurelya's Battlesong and Moonstone Renewer. Choose it when your carries need peel more than they need your damage.
Builds
Standard build
When to use it
The default path: Moonstone Renewer, Echoes of Helia and Imperial Mandate give the health, ability power and mana regeneration 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.
1100%- SupportMain100% of matches
Starting items
Core items
- 1Moonstone Renewer
- 2Echoes of Helia
- 3Imperial Mandate
Boots
Situational
Runes
Primary· Sorcery
Secondary· Resolve
Shards
Summoner spells
Flash
Exhaust
Burst build
When to use it
All-in on damage: Shadowflame, Void Staff and Bloodletter's Curse stack ability power, magic penetration and health. 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.
1100%- SupportMain100% of matches
Starting items
Core items
- 1Shadowflame
- 2Void Staff
- 3Bloodletter's Curse
Boots
Situational
Runes
Primary· Sorcery
Secondary· Inspiration
Shards
Summoner spells
- Flash
Ignite
Defensive build
When to use it
Keeps enough damage while adding health, magic resist and armor through Locket of the Iron Solari, Hollow Radiance and Knight's Vow. 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.
1100%- SupportMain100% of matches
Starting items
Core items
- 1Locket of the Iron Solari
- 2Hollow Radiance
- 3Knight's Vow
Boots
Situational
Runes
Primary· Resolve
Secondary· Inspiration
Shards
Summoner spells
- Flash
- Exhaust
Utility build
When to use it
Built to protect your team: Mikael's Blessing, Shurelya's Battlesong and Moonstone Renewer. Choose it when your carries need peel more than they need your damage.
Where it's played
Picked before the game: the main lane first, then the alternatives.
1100%- SupportMain100% of matches
Starting items
Core items
- 1Mikael's Blessing
- 2Shurelya's Battlesong
- 3Moonstone Renewer
Boots
Situational
Runes
Primary· Resolve
Secondary· Inspiration
Shards
Summoner spells
- Flash
- Exhaust
Abilities
Fey FeathersPassiveRakan periodically gains a shield.
QGleaming Quill11/10/9/8/7s45 mpFlings a magical feather that deals magic damage. Striking a champion or epic monster enables Rakan to heal his allies.- Cooldown
- 11·10·9·8·7
- Cost
- 45
- Range
- 850
WGrand Entrance14/13/12/11/10s50/60/70/80/90 mpDashes to a location, knocking up nearby enemies on arrival.- Cooldown
- 14·13·12·11·10
- Cost
- 50·60·70·80·90
- Range
- 600
EBattle Dance40/45/50/55/60 mpFlies to an allied champion granting them a shield. Can be re-cast for free for a short duration.- Cost
- 40·45·50·55·60
- Range
- 650
RThe QuicknessUltimate130/110/90s100 mpGains Move Speed, charming and dealing magic damage to enemies touched.- Cooldown
- 130·110·90
- Cost
- 100
- Range
- 150
Strategy
1Early game
Your lane is about your marksman: trade when the enemy walks up to last hit, and ward the river before dragon spawns. Complete your support quest to unlock wards. Trade when the enemy marksman goes for a last hit: they have to choose between the gold and the damage.
- Early items: Kindlegem and Bandleglass Mirror.
2Mid game
In the mid game, move with your jungler to ward and clear vision around dragons and towers. You're the one who decides where fights happen. Your spikes are level 6, when The Quickness comes online, and each completed item: Moonstone Renewer first, then Echoes of Helia.
- Core items: Moonstone Renewer, Echoes of Helia and Imperial Mandate.
3Late game
Late, vision wins games: ward before Baron or Elder, never alone, and stay close to your carries.
- Late items: Zhonya's Hourglass and Banshee's Veil.
4Team fights
Protect whoever the enemy dives, and keep Gleaming Quill for the moment it saves a life. Use The Quickness where it hits the most enemies or catches the key target.
5Playing against Rakan
Riot's own advice for facing this champion:
- Rakan's movement abilities forecast their destination. Try to use this to your advantage.
- Champions with crowd control that can be applied quickly excel against Rakan.
- Catching Rakan with no allies around severely inhibits his mobility. Try to find him alone.
Tips
- Rakan requires allies near him to make the most out of his tools.
- Rakan's dash speeds increase with his Move Speed. Use the extra speed to surprise your enemies!
- Danger is as fun as you let it be.
- Buy a Control Ward every time you go back: it's the cheapest way to win vision.
- After the laning phase, move with your jungler — two players warding are much safer than one.
- Plan fights around The Quickness: without it, Rakan is far less threatening.
Matchups
Strong against
Rakan starts with 610 health and 30 armour against Yuumi's 500 and 25: the early trades are already won on paper.
Rakan starts with 610 health and 30 armour against Senna's 530 and 25: the early trades are already won on paper.
Gleaming Quill lets Rakan recover from Lux's poke, and Lux has no hard crowd control to punish it.
Weak against
Rampant Growth (root) lets Zyra pin Rakan down before Grand Entrance gets them out.
Equinox (silence) lets Soraka pin Rakan down before Grand Entrance gets them out.
Nevermove (root) lets Swain pin Rakan down before Grand Entrance gets them out.
Works well with
Gleaming Quill from Rakan keeps Zeri alive, and Zeri is the damage the team needs to protect.
Gleaming Quill from Rakan keeps Twisted Fate alive, and Twisted Fate is the damage the team needs to protect.
Gleaming Quill from Rakan keeps Miss Fortune alive, and Miss Fortune is the damage the team needs to protect.
Changelog
- Guide created for patch 16.19.1.
Was this helpful?
Your vote helps other players find the best guides.