League of Legends Aatrox guide: Best build, runes, items & combos

Aatrox is one of the most dominant top lane champions in League of Legends, known for his powerful sustain, crowd control, and massive damage in extended fights. His ability to heal through team fights while dishing out consistent AoE damage makes him a strong pick in both solo queue and competitive play. Whether you’re diving into skirmishes or looking to carry team fights, mastering Aatrox’s kit, item build, runes, and optimal combos is key to unlocking his full potential. In this guide, we’ll break down everything you need to know to play Aatrox like a pro.

Aatrox Abilities Overview in League of Legends

Aatrox’s passive, Deathbringer Stance, empowers his next basic attack every few seconds to deal bonus physical damage and heal him based on the target’s max health, making him a threat in trades and giving strong lane sustain. His Q, The Darkin Blade, is a three-part slash ability where each cast has a different angle and sweet spot that deals bonus damage and knocks enemies up—mastering the spacing on this ability is key to maximizing his damage. His W, Infernal Chains, pulls enemies hit into the center if they don’t escape the impact zone in time, setting them up for his Q combo. His E, Umbral Dash, gives him a short dash and passive omnivamp, which helps with positioning and healing during extended trades. Finally, his ultimate, World Ender, boosts his movement speed, increases healing, and revives him if he dies during the duration—turning him into a near-unkillable force in team fights.

How To Play Aatrox In League of Legends

Recommended Summoner Spells For Aatrox

The best Summoner Spells for Aatrox in League of Legends are Flash and Teleport. Flash is essential for repositioning during fights, chasing down enemies, or escaping dangerous situations, making it a must-have for almost every top laner. Teleport offers strong map presence, letting you return to lane quickly after recalling or impact fights and objectives across the map. If you’re playing in a lower Elo or want to be more aggressive in lane, you can also consider swapping Teleport for Ignite to secure early kills and apply pressure.

Best Runes for Aatrox In League of Legends

The best runes for Aatrox in League of Legends are from the Precision tree with a secondary in Resolve for extra sustain and durability. Here’s a strong setup optimized for lane dominance and teamfighting:

Primary – Precision:
• Conqueror – Aatrox thrives in extended fights, and Conqueror stacks quickly with his combos to boost healing and damage.
• Triumph – Restores health on takedown, helping you survive clutch fights.
• Legend: Tenacity – Reduces the impact of crowd control, which Aatrox struggles against.
• Last Stand – Increases damage when you’re low on health, which synergizes well with Aatrox’s healing-focused playstyle.

Secondary – Resolve:
• Second Wind – Gives you extra sustain in tough lanes against poke damage.
• Revitalize – Boosts your healing and shielding, which works perfectly with Aatrox’s passive and abilities.

This rune page helps you win trades in lane, survive team fights, and deal consistent damage throughout the game.

Best Build for Aatrox In League of Legends

The best build for Aatrox in League of Legends focuses on combining sustain, damage, and durability so he can dominate in extended fights. Start with Goredrinker as your mythic item—it provides omnivamp, health, ability haste, and an active that heals you based on how many enemies you hit, making it perfect for brawling. Follow that with Plated Steelcaps or Mercury’s Treads, depending on whether you need armor or magic resist. Next, get Black Cleaver to shred armor and boost your damage while also giving you more health and ability haste. After that, build Death’s Dance for its healing and damage delay, or Sterak’s Gage for a shield and bonus AD if you’re being bursted. Maw of Malmortius is a strong pick against heavy magic damage, while Spirit Visage boosts all your healing if you need even more sustain. Round out your build with Guardian Angel for a late-game revive or Thornmail to counter healing-heavy opponents. This setup turns Aatrox into a healing monster that’s nearly impossible to kill in teamfights.

Best Combos To Learn for Aatrox

The best Aatrox combos in League of Legends revolve around landing all parts of your Q – The Darkin Blade and chaining abilities for maximum burst and sustain. The basic trade combo is Q1 > Auto > Q2 > W > Auto > Q3 > E. This lets you weave in autos and time your crowd control with W – Infernal Chains to keep enemies locked in place for your final Q hit. For all-ins, use E > Q1 > W > Q2 > Auto > Q3 > E—your dash helps reposition for Q sweet spots while using W mid-combo ensures enemies can’t escape. In teamfights, activate R – World Ender before diving in, then E > Q1 > W > Q2 > Auto > Q3 to maximize damage and healing. Always try to hit the edge of each Q for bonus damage, and use your second E dash after Q3 to chase or reposition. With practice, these combos turn Aatrox into a deadly frontliner who can delete squishies and outheal tanks.

Conclusion

Aatrox is a powerful top lane champion in League of Legends, known for his sustain, crowd control, and devastating all-in potential. With the right build, runes, and skill combos, you can dominate lanes, win crucial teamfights, and carry games with ease. Mastering his abilities and timing his combos properly is key to unlocking his full potential. Whether you’re diving into solo queue or climbing the ranked ladder, this guide gives you everything you need to make Aatrox a reliable and deadly pick in your champion pool.