Smolder Build & Runes

Smolder gains

stacks by hitting champions with abilities or killing enemies with his

, enhancing the damage of his basic abilities. This mechanic encourages aggressive play to stack up damage boosts.

Evolves with stack accumulation, starting with area damage around the target, advancing to send out explosions, and ultimately dealing true damage over time with an execute effect on low-health enemies. This ability is central to his kit, offering both wave clear and significant dueling potential.

Is a damaging and slowing ability that creates an explosion when hitting enemy champions, useful for both peeling and engaging.

Provides mobility by allowing Smolder to fly, ignoring terrain and targeting the lowest health enemy, which is key for positioning in fights or escaping.

Calls down a wave of fire from his mother, dealing damage and slowing enemies, with a healing component for Smolder if he's hit. This ultimate can be a game-changer in team fights, offering both offensive and defensive utility​​.

Smolder's power spike is heavily tied to accumulating

stacks to enhance his

. Achieving these stack milestones drastically increases his combat effectiveness.

His

, combined with a fully evolved

, makes him exceptionally strong in clustered team fights where he can apply AoE damage and benefit from the healing if caught in his mother's fire.

Excelling in short to mid-range combat, Smolder becomes a significant threat once he has items that synergize with his abilities, boosting his damage output, survivability, or both.

His early game is weaker due to the necessity of building

stacks to enhance his abilities. Without sufficient stacks, his damage output is significantly reduced.

As a short-ranged marksman, Smolder can be vulnerable to long-range poke and hard engage if not positioned carefully.

While his

is powerful, its effectiveness is contingent on proper timing and positioning. Misuse or avoidance by enemies can greatly diminish his impact in skirmishes or team fights.