There are a total of 147 champions in League of Legends, and Riot has just released the most complicated one yet. Aphelios, the Weapon of the Faithful is a Marksman created by two of the most well-known designers at Riot Games: Stashu and CertainlyT. These two designers are responsible for some of the more complicated champions in the game, such as Qiyana, Yasuo, and Thresh. However, all of these champions can carry the game in the right hands, and Aphelios is no different.

Instead of the 4 standard abilities that most champions have, Aphelios has 5 weapons that he equips throughout the game. He holds a main weapon and an off-hand weapon which alter his basic attack and abilities. While his kit can be extremely confusing, his versatility can give players the opportunity to outplay their opponents in any situation. This guide will help players learn all of the basics that Aphelios needs to dominate the Rift.

Overview of Aphelios’ Abilities and Weapons

Aphelios has 5 unique weapons that each start with 50 Moonlight (Ammo). His basic attacks cost 1 Moonlight, and his abilities (Q and R) cost 10. Once his Moonlight hits 0 he will switch to the next weapon in the queue. Also, instead of upgrading his abilities when he levels up (like the other 146 champions in the game), the player can choose to upgrade either his Attack Damage, Attack Speed, or Armor Penetration.

Basic Attack

  • Calibrum (Sniper Rifle): Adds extra range and hitting an enemy with an ability marks them. Aphelios’s next basic attack against marked enemies uses his off-hand weapon and has global range Severum (Pistol): Loses projectile, heals Aphelios, and grants a shield at full health. Gravitum (Graviton Cannon): 30% decaying slow Infernum (Flamethrower): Adds an area of effect (AOE) of 4 bolts behind the primary target (critical strikes create 8 bolts in a wider spread) Crescendum (Chakram): Can’t auto attack again until the projectile bounces back, but when returned, it resets his basic attack. Casting abilities creates copies of the chakram which then strengthens his basic attacks based on the amount he’s holding

Q Ability

  • Moonshot (Calibrum): Fires in a straight line and damages and mark the first enemy hit Onslaught (Severum): Aphelios gains movement speed and automatically attacks the nearest enemy (prioritizing champions) six times alternating between Severum and his off-hand weapon Blinding Eclipse (Gravitum): Roots all enemies affected by Gravitum’s slow Duskwave (Infernum): Damages enemies in a cone, and then after a delay Aphelios attacks enemies hit with his off-hand weapon from global range Sentry (Crescendum): Aphelios deploys a sentry that autonomously attacks the nearest enemy in range with a clone of his off-hand weapon.

Moonlight Vigil (R Ability)

Aphelios casts a lunar spotlight that stops when it hits an enemy champion. Centered around the hit enemy, Aphelios deals damage and locks on to each enemy hit. A volley of basic attacks rain from the sky  on top of each locked on enemy with global range based on Aphelios’s main weapon.

  • Calibrum: Applies an empowered mark that deals extra damage per mark Severum: If at least one enemy is hit, Aphelios gets healed Gravitum: Enemies are slowed by 99% Infernum: Initial blast deals extra damage and the basic attacks deal damage in a circle instead of a cone. Crescendum: 3 additional chakram clones return to Aphelios, on top of the chakrams gained from the initial blast.

Runes

These are the standard runes for Marksmen. In the Precision Tree, Press the Attack gives solid burst damage in short skirmishes, Triumph and Bloodline provide sustainability in teamfights, and Coup de Grace allows Aphelios to secure kills and get further ahead. Then taking Magical Footwear and Biscuit Delivery in the Inspiration Tree gives Aphelios sustainability and survivability.

Items and Stat Leveling

As a Marksman who wants to use his abilities often and has empowered basic attacks, Essence Reaver and Runaan’s Hurricane are core items on Aphelios. Infinity Edge is usually the strongest third item, but the rest of the build depends on the enemy team and how the game is going. Phantom Dancer and Guardian Angel provide defensive capabilities from Assassins and burst damage, Bloodthirster provides sustainability and damage in long teamfights, and Mortal Reminder counters an enemy team with a lot of healing. As for his unique stat leveling, maxing his Attack Speed or Armor Penetration is generally the best bet. Max Attack Speed first against a squishier team, and max Armor Penetration first against an armor stacking team. The Attack Damage Aphelios gains from leveling that stat does not scale well into the late game.

Laning Phase & Teamfights

It’ll be difficult to get accustomed to Aphelios’ laning phase. He starts with Calibrum and Severum and doesn’t learn his Q until level 2, so depending on the lane players will need to adapt to two different playstyles. Summoners can either play aggressively to hit level 2 first, or be overly defensive and let the enemy laners push until Aphelios can get level 2 safely. What makes Aphelios strong is his versatility. Players will need to adjust their main and off-hand weapons of choice based on lane matchups. Use Calibrum (Sniper Rifle) when the lane favors poke and harass. Severum (Pistol) and Infernum (Flamethrower) are strong against defensive lanes giving Aphelios sustain and pushing power. Crescendum can be used to provide huge damage during a gank while the crowd control that Gravitum (Graviton Cannon) provides can be used both offensively and defensively.

With Aphelios’ 5 weapons, two teamfights will never play out the same. The way he wants to approach a full 5v5 or a small skirmish will depend on his current main and off-hand weapons. The Calibrum, Infernum, and Crescendum Moonlight Vigils are very strong during developing teamfights, especially in small areas. The AOE damage and healing can win fights single-handedly. He can also use the AOE crowd control from his Gravitum Moonlight Vigil to initiate or disengage a fight.

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