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

Hwei is a unique mage in League of Legends with a versatile kit that blends crowd control, poke, utility, and high burst damage. With multiple spellbooks to choose from mid-fight, he can adapt to nearly any situation—whether you’re zoning enemies, peeling for allies, or deleting squishies. While Hwei has a higher learning curve, mastering his ability combinations rewards you with total lane control and massive teamfight impact. In this guide, we’ll break down the best build, runes, items, and combos to help you play Hwei effectively and carry your games with smart spell usage and precise decision-making.

Hwei Abilities Overview in League of Legends

Passive – Signature of the Visionary
After casting three different types of spells in quick succession, Hwei’s next ability applies a bonus effect, adding extra utility or damage depending on the situation. This encourages creativity and fluent spell weaving in fights.

Q – Subject: Disaster
This spellbook contains offensive abilities focused on damage and area control.
• Q1: Devastating Fire – A straight-line skillshot that explodes on impact, dealing AoE magic damage.
• Q2: Severing Bolt – A delayed AoE strike that deals bonus damage if enemies are already low.
• Q3: Molten Fissure – Creates a slowing lava zone that erupts after a delay, damaging and slowing enemies.

W – Subject: Serenity
This set of spells focuses on utility and healing.
• W1: Fleeting Current – Grants movement speed to allies in a line.
• W2: Pool of Reflection – Heals allies standing in the area over time.
• W3: Stirring Lights – Grants an ally bonus attack speed and damage for a short duration.

E – Subject: Torment
This group provides crowd control and zoning.
• E1: Grim Visage – A targeted fear that causes the enemy to flee.
• E2: Gaze of the Abyss – A delayed trap that roots enemies who step on it.
• E3: Crushing Darkness – A large AoE that slows and eventually stuns enemies caught in the center.

R – Spiraling Despair
Hwei casts a growing AoE vortex on a target champion that spirals outward, damaging enemies and applying stacking despair. At the end of the duration, all enemies inside the vortex are rooted. It’s ideal for setting up combos and turning teamfights when used properly.

Mastering Hwei means learning how to fluidly mix his spellbooks to adapt to every fight. From peeling allies to bursting enemies, his depth gives you unmatched flexibility in mid-lane.

How To Play Hwei In League of Legends

Best Summoner Spells For Hwei

The best summoner spells for Hwei in League of Legends are Flash and Barrier or Teleport, depending on your playstyle and lane matchup. Flash is essential for escaping danger or repositioning during fights, while Barrier offers solid protection against burst damage in mid lane. If you're looking to impact the map and play more strategically, Teleport is a great alternative for macro play and helping teammates.

Best Runes For Hwei

The best runes for Hwei focus on enhancing his poke, sustain, and utility throughout the game. Go with the Sorcery tree as your primary:
• First Strike – Ideal for Hwei’s ranged poke and multi-spell combos, helping you scale gold and deal bonus damage early.
• Manaflow Band – Keeps your mana sustained during constant spellcasting.
• Transcendence – Grants cooldown reduction, which is crucial for cycling through his triple-spell kit more often.
• Scorch – Adds extra poke damage to wear down opponents in lane.

For the secondary tree, choose Inspiration:
• Biscuit Delivery – Helps with sustain in tough matchups.
• Cosmic Insight – Reduces cooldowns on Summoner Spells and items for more consistent impact.

Use shards: Ability Haste, Adaptive Force, and either Armor or Magic Resist depending on your lane matchup. This setup lets Hwei stay active, cast frequently, and remain a threat in lane and late-game fights.

Best Build For Hwei

The best build for Hwei focuses on mana sustain, poke damage, and utility. Start with Lost Chapter and upgrade into Luden’s Tempest for burst, ability haste, and mana regen. Follow with Sorcerer’s Shoes to boost your magic penetration. Next, pick up Shadowflame for bonus damage against shielded targets, then build Horizon Focus to amplify poke from long-range spells. Add Rabadon’s Deathcap for a huge AP spike, and round it out with Void Staff to cut through magic resist. If you need survivability, you can swap in Zhonya’s Hourglass instead of Shadowflame or Horizon. This build gives Hwei the ability to dish out consistent damage, pressure in teamfights, and adapt to different matchups with versatile item choices.

Best Combos To Learn For Hwei

The best combos to learn for Hwei revolve around mixing spells from different spellbooks to maximize utility, burst, and crowd control. A basic poke combo is Q1 (Devastating Fire) → E1 (Grim Visage) → Q2 (Severing Bolt) to fear and then finish off a damaged enemy with burst. For utility and peel, try E2 (Gaze of the Abyss) → W1 (Fleeting Current) → E3 (Crushing Darkness) to trap, speed up allies, and follow up with AoE CC. In teamfights, a powerful engage combo is R (Spiraling Despair) → E3 → Q3 (Molten Fissure) → Q1, layering your CC and damage in the vortex zone. Practice weaving in different spellbooks to trigger your passive and adapt on the fly—Hwei rewards players who can think creatively and cast quickly under pressure.

Conclusion

Hwei is one of the most versatile and creative mages in League of Legends, offering endless ways to impact fights through smart spell combinations and precise execution. With the right runes, build, and mastery of his combos, you can poke from range, control the battlefield, and carry teamfights with ease. Whether you’re zoning enemies, supporting your team, or bursting squishies, mastering Hwei’s toolkit turns you into a game-changing force every match.