League of Legends Elise Guide: Best Build, Runes & Combos

Elise is a powerful AP jungler in League of Legends, known for her early-game pressure, high burst damage, and versatile playstyle thanks to her ability to switch between human and spider forms. With strong ganks, hard CC, and execution potential, she excels at snowballing lanes and taking control of the map. Whether you’re looking to dominate the early game or pick off key targets with deadly precision, this guide covers everything you need to play Elise at a high level—best build, runes, items, and combos that let you make an impact from level 3 and never let up.

Elise Abilities Overview in League of Legends

Elise is a unique AP jungler with two forms—Human and Spider—that give her strong burst, utility, and mobility. Her Human form focuses on ranged poke and crowd control, while her Spider form lets her dive in and finish off targets. Mastering how and when to swap between these forms is key to dominating with Elise. Here’s a full breakdown of her abilities:

Passive – Spider Queen
When Elise is in Human form, she generates a spiderling with each ability cast (up to 3/4/5 based on level). In Spider form, her basic attacks deal bonus magic damage and her spiderlings attack nearby enemies.

Q – Neurotoxin / Venomous Bite
• Human Form (Neurotoxin): Deals damage based on the target’s current health.
• Spider Form (Venomous Bite): Lunges at the target, dealing damage based on their missing health.
Use Human Q to poke and soften enemies, then Spider Q to execute low-health targets.

W – Volatile Spiderling / Skittering Frenzy
• Human Form (Volatile Spiderling): Sends out a spiderling that explodes on contact or after a short delay, dealing AoE magic damage.
• Spider Form (Skittering Frenzy): Increases Elise’s and her spiderlings’ attack speed and heals Elise slightly with each auto attack.

E – Cocoon / Rappel
• Human Form (Cocoon): Fires a skill shot that stuns the first enemy hit.
• Spider Form (Rappel): Leaps into the air, becoming untargetable. Elise can then descend onto a nearby enemy or walk on terrain if no target is selected.

R – Spider Form / Human Form
Elise’s ultimate lets her switch between Human and Spider form, changing her abilities and gaining bonus movement speed, melee attacks, and spiderlings when in Spider form.

Elise’s strength comes from using her Human form to poke and stun, then switching to Spider form to dive in and finish the job. With precise execution, she becomes a deadly jungler who can gank early, duel effectively, and control the pace of the game.

How To Play Elise in League of Legends

Best Summoner Spells for Elise in League of Legends

The best summoner spell combo for Elise is Flash + Smite, which gives her strong jungle control and high kill potential.
• Flash is essential for making aggressive plays, repositioning during fights, or escaping sticky situations. It also lets you pull off surprise Flash + Cocoon (E) combos for unexpected ganks.
• Smite is a must for all junglers, helping you clear camps faster, secure objectives like Dragon and Baron, and win early skirmishes.

This setup gives Elise everything she needs to dominate the jungle—early gank pressure, objective control, and the ability to chase or escape when needed.

Best Runes for Elise in League of Legends

Elise excels in early-game aggression and burst damage, so the best rune setup focuses on enhancing her pick potential, snowballing power, and objective control. Here’s the optimal rune page for jungle Elise:

Primary Path: Domination
• Electrocute – Perfect for Elise’s combo-heavy playstyle. It procs easily with her Human-to-Spider rotation for maximum burst.
• Sudden Impact – Activates when Elise uses Rappel (Spider E), giving bonus magic penetration to amplify her dive damage.
• Eyeball Collection – Grants extra AP with each takedown, helping her scale better into mid game.
• Treasure Hunter – Provides bonus gold from unique takedowns, accelerating your first big item and snowballing your lead.

Secondary Path: Sorcery
• Nimbus Cloak – Gives a speed boost after casting Smite or Flash, perfect for sticking to targets during ganks.
• Waterwalking – Boosts your movement speed and AP while in the river, helping with faster rotations and objective fights.

Bonus Stats:
• +Ability Haste
• +Adaptive Force
• +Health or Armor (based on matchup)

This rune setup gives Elise explosive early-game power, excellent mobility for ganks, and strong scaling through AP and gold bonuses. It’s built for high-pressure jungle dominance.

Best Build for Elise in League of Legends

Elise thrives as an early-game AP burst jungler, so her best build focuses on magic penetration, cooldown reduction, and survivability to let her snowball leads and pick off targets with ease. Here’s the optimal build for jungle Elise:

Starting Items:
• Gustwalker’s Smite + Refillable Potion – Gustwalker grants bonus movement speed for better ganks and faster clears.

Core Items:
• Night Harvester – Best mythic for Elise. Gives AP, health, and an empowered burst on-hit, perfectly fitting her combo style.
• Sorcerer’s Shoes – Adds magic penetration, giving Elise more damage in early ganks and mid-game fights.
• Shadowflame – Offers flat magic pen and bonus damage against shielded targets—great for bursting squishies.

Situational Items:
• Zhonya’s Hourglass – Crucial for surviving after diving into the backline or baiting cooldowns post-Rappel.
• Banshee’s Veil – Good against comps with heavy CC or poke, giving you protection before diving in.
• Void Staff – A must-pick if the enemy team is stacking magic resist.
• Morellonomicon – Apply Grievous Wounds if you’re facing heavy healing champions.

Late-Game Damage Option:
• Rabadon’s Deathcap – If you’re snowballing hard, this gives a huge AP spike and turns you into a full-blown carry.

This build gives Elise everything she needs to dominate the early game with burst, scale into mid-game picks, and stay relevant with utility and survivability in late-game fights. Adjust based on the enemy comp, but always focus on bursting key targets fast.

Best Combos to Learn for Elise in League of Legends

Elise’s strength lies in her quick burst combo and ability to dive in and out using her dual forms. Mastering her combos lets you delete squishy targets, pull off clean ganks, and outplay in tight fights. Here are the core combos every Elise player should learn:

1. Standard Burst Combo (Gank/All-In):
Human E → Q → W → R → Spider Q → Auto → W → Spider E (to escape)
Start in Human form with Cocoon (E) to stun, then Q → W for poke damage. Immediately switch to Spider form with R, jump in with Spider Q, auto attack, activate Spider W for attack speed and healing, then use Rappel (Spider E) to finish or disengage.

2. Flash Cocoon Combo (Surprise Engage):
Flash → E → Q → W → R → Spider Q → Auto → W
Great for catching enemies off-guard or punishing overextended targets. Flash first, land Cocoon, and follow the standard burst rotation.

3. Tower Dive Combo:
Human E → Q → W → R → Spider Q → Auto → Rappel (Spider E)
Dive with a clean combo and use Rappel at the end to reset turret aggro or wait for cooldowns. Make sure to descend on a minion or champion once it’s safe.

4. Spider-First Burst (if already close):
Spider Q → Auto → W → R → Human Q → W → E (if needed)
If you’re already in Spider form and in range, lead with Spider Q and basic attacks, then switch to Human to finish the combo or CC with E if they try to escape.

Elise is all about clean execution and fast switching between forms. Practice landing Cocoon consistently, managing cooldowns between forms, and using Rappel smartly for dives, dodges, and resets.

Conclusion

Elise is one of the strongest early-game junglers in League of Legends, capable of snowballing leads through fast clears, high burst damage, and deadly ganks. With the right runes, items, and well-timed combos, she can dominate the map from level 3 and turn small leads into game-winning pressure. Mastering her dual forms, landing key Cocoons, and diving smart with Rappel will make you a constant threat in every game. If you’re looking for a jungle champion that rewards aggressive, calculated play, Elise is the perfect pick to carry games and control the tempo from start to finish.