League of Legends: Ambessa Complete Guide

Ambessa, the latest champion in League of Legends, brings an iconic character to life for fans of Arcane—the formidable Noxian warlord and mother of Mel Medarda. Primarily suited for the Top Lane, Ambessa’s flexible kit allows her to thrive in various roles, including potential picks for Mid Lane and even Jungle in specific matchups. However, this guide will focus on mastering Ambessa as a laner, with tips that can be applied across roles.

Ambessa is a fighter with elements reminiscent of champions like Riven and Renekton, but her playstyle diverges as she lacks hard Crowd Control (CC) until level 6. Known for her exceptional mobility, Ambessa can dash after every ability cast, allowing her to weave in and out of fights seamlessly. Her kit also provides durability and sustain through a shield, making her a resilient force on the Rift.

In this guide, we’ll break down the mechanics and strategies you need to dominate with Ambessa, providing insights to help you play her like a pro and secure wins. Let’s dive in!

Ambessa Abilities Explained

Passive - Drakehound’s Step

When Ambessa casts an ability, issuing a Move or Attack command will cause her to dash in that direction once the ability finishes. Each ability cast grants her a charge for 4 seconds (up to 3 charges). While she has a charge, Ambessa gains 75 additional Attack Range and 50% increased Attack Speed. Each attack consumes a charge, dealing physical damage and restoring Energy.

Notably, Ambessa’s passive dashes cannot cross walls—only her ultimate allows her to bypass obstacles. Attacking after casting abilities is essential to maintain her Energy; failing to do so will deplete her resources quickly.

Q - Cunning Sweep / Sundering Slam

• Cunning Sweep: Ambessa sweeps her blades in front of her, dealing max Health physical damage to enemies hit at the edge of the strike, while others take reduced damage (50%). Hitting an enemy readies Sundering Slam for the next use.
• Sundering Slam: Ambessa slams her blades down, dealing max Health physical damage to the first enemy hit, with others taking 50% of this damage.

Maximizing damage with this ability requires consistently hitting enemies at the edge of Cunning Sweep.

W - Repudiation

Ambessa gains a 2-second Shield and braces herself for 0.5 seconds before slamming the ground, dealing physical damage to nearby enemies. If Ambessa absorbs damage from an enemy champion, large monster, or structure while bracing, the damage of the slam is increased.

E - Lacerate

Ambessa swings her chains in a wide arc, dealing physical damage and slowing enemies by 99%, with the slow decaying over 1 second. Using Drakehound’s Step with this ability triggers an additional attack.

Aside from her ultimate, Lacerate provides Ambessa’s only Crowd Control. Combining it with her passive dash enhances damage output and allows for reapplication of the slow.

R (Ultimate) - Public Execution

• Passive: Ambessa gains percentage-based Armor Penetration, and her abilities heal her for a portion of the damage dealt.
• Active: Ambessa becomes Unstoppable and blinks to the farthest enemy champion in a line, Suppressing them for 0.75 seconds before slamming them into the ground, dealing physical damage and Stunning them for 0.4 seconds.

Her ultimate provides excellent access to the backline, similar to Leona’s E. If the ultimate doesn’t connect with an enemy, Ambessa won’t move. Additionally, her ultimate is her only means of crossing walls, but only if an enemy champion is positioned on the other side. Ambessa cannot combine R with Flash, as her movement is locked during the ability. However, she can follow up her ultimate with a passive dash for additional mobility upon landing.

Best Ambessa Combos

As a fighter, Ambessa thrives on precise combos that utilize her dashes and empowered auto-attacks, giving her a variety of options to outmaneuver opponents. Here’s how to maximize her combo potential for different situations:

Flash Combos

Ambessa can utilize Flash immediately after casting any of her basic abilities to close the gap or reposition. However, Flash cannot be combined with her ultimate due to its movement lock.

Short Trade Combo

Q1 - Dash In - AA - Q2 - Dash Out

This quick combo allows Ambessa to dive in, deal moderate damage, and dash back out, making it ideal for short skirmishes.

Safe Trade with Shielded Engage

W - Dash In - AA - Q1 - Dash Out - Q2 from Range

Starting with W grants Ambessa a shield, allowing her to engage safely and land a hit before dashing back. Her Q2 range lets her finish the trade from a distance after dashing out, maintaining safety as her shield drops.

Animation Canceling Techniques

Ambessa has several options for canceling animations to speed up her actions. For instance, if dashing with her passive, clicking back on herself can interrupt the dash, allowing her to quickly follow up with another action. She can also cancel her dash by using other abilities. A common combo for this is:

Q1 - Cancel Dash with E - Cancel Dash - Q2

Full Ability Combo for Safe Engage and Disengage

W - Dash In - Q1 - E - Cancel Dash - AA - Q2 - Dash Out if Necessary

This combo maximizes Ambessa’s ability usage, providing a safe way to engage while keeping an escape dash available at the end. The auto-attack (AA) is essential here as it replenishes enough Energy for a final Q to retreat if needed.

All-In Ultimate Combo

R - Q1 - E - Cancel Dash - Q2

To burst a target immediately after ulting, this is a powerful combination. It keeps W available, offering the option to chase with a dash or retreat if necessary. This combo is highly effective for securing kills and taking control in fights.

Mastering these combos allows Ambessa to maximize her damage, manage her Energy, and maintain optimal positioning, making her a formidable threat on the Rift.

Best Ambessa Build

Ability Max Order

R > Q > E > W

When deciding which abilities to max first on Ambessa, there’s little debate about her Q, as it serves as her primary damage source, especially with its two-part nature. Like most champions, she should put points into her ultimate, R, whenever possible for power spikes.

The choice for secondary abilities comes down to W or E. In most matchups, E is preferred since it provides additional damage, which is usually more beneficial.

Runes for Ambessa

With her frequent ability use and reliance on auto-attacks, Conqueror is an ideal rune for Ambessa, synergizing well with the sustain from her ultimate.

Alternative options include:
• Electrocute for a burst-damage approach.
• Hail of Blades, Grasp of the Undying, and Phase Rush could also be viable based on playstyle and matchup.

Boot Options for Ambessa

Ambessa’s choice of boots will generally depend on the enemy team composition:
• Plated Steelcaps are a strong choice against auto-attack-heavy teams or high AD (Attack Damage) compositions.
• Mercury’s Treads are better suited for teams with substantial magic damage or Crowd Control (CC).

If the enemy team is balanced, choose based on your specific lane matchup. Additional boot choices include Ionian Boots of Lucidity for cooldown reduction or Boots of Swiftness for roaming and slow reduction.

Core Items for Ambessa

Ambessa’s core items should prioritize AD (Attack Damage), Health, and Ability Haste. Key items in this category include:
• Black Cleaver for armor shredding and durability,
• Ravenous Hydra for wave-clear and sustain, and
• Eclipse for burst and survivability.

Players focused on maximizing damage output may prefer a Lethality build, though its effectiveness will vary based on the current meta and potential adjustments.

Additional Items for Ambessa

After securing her core items, Ambessa, like many Top Lane champions, can opt for defensive items to counter the enemy team’s strengths:
• Maw of Malmortius is effective against heavy AP compositions, providing both magic resistance and bonus damage.
• Spirit Visage works well with her ultimate’s healing, enhancing her sustain.
• Death’s Dance is beneficial for those who want to survive prolonged fights against AD-heavy opponents.
• Thornmail is a good choice if the enemy team has a lot of healing and no one else is applying anti-heal.

Additional non-resistance options for Ambessa outside her core build include:
• Spear of Shojin for more frequent ability usage,
• Sundered Sky for added durability and damage, and
• Sterak’s Gage for extra health and a shield to mitigate burst damage.

With careful selection and adaptation of these items, you can ensure Ambessa remains effective and resilient against any opponent on the Rift.

Conclusion

Mastering Ambessa in League of Legends requires a strong grasp of her unique abilities, playstyle, and build options. As a highly mobile and resilient fighter, Ambessa excels in the Top Lane but can also adapt to other roles depending on the matchup. By focusing on her optimal ability max order, utilizing effective combos, and selecting items tailored to counter your opponents, you can leverage her strengths to dominate the Rift. With practice and strategic play, Ambessa can become a powerful asset in any team composition, offering both durability and aggressive potential. Follow these insights, and you’ll be well-equipped to play Ambessa like a pro and make a significant impact in your games.