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

Jax is one of the most powerful scaling champions in League of Legends, known for his explosive dueling potential and unmatched late-game carry power. With a mix of burst, sustain, and crowd control, he excels in extended trades and can quickly take over games once he hits his item spikes. Whether you’re split-pushing or jumping into teamfights with your trusty lamppost, Jax brings consistent pressure and massive outplay potential. In this guide, we’ll break down the best build, runes, items, and combos to help you master Jax and dominate from top lane or jungle.

Jax Abilities Overview In League of Legends

Passive – Relentless Assault
Jax gains bonus attack speed for a few seconds every time he lands a basic attack. This stacks multiple times, making him stronger the longer fights go on.

Q – Leap Strike
Jax leaps to a target—enemy, ally, or ward—and deals physical and magic damage. It’s great for engaging, escaping, or gap-closing during trades.

W – Empower
Jax empowers his next basic attack or Leap Strike to deal bonus magic damage. It resets his auto attack timer, so use it right after an auto for a quick burst.

E – Counter Strike
Jax enters a defensive stance, dodging all basic attacks for a short duration. After the duration ends (or manually reactivated), he stuns all nearby enemies and deals physical damage. It’s key for winning trades and avoiding burst from auto-heavy champions.

R – Grandmaster’s Might
Passive: Every third consecutive basic attack deals bonus magic damage.
Active: Jax gains bonus armor and magic resist for a few seconds, making him tankier during all-ins or teamfights.

Together, Jax’s kit rewards smart timing, fast trades, and extended fights. With perfect use of his abilities, especially E and W, he can outplay most melee champions and carry hard once he scales.

How To Play Jax In League of Legends

Best Summoner Spells For Jax

The best summoner spells for Jax are Flash and Teleport. Flash gives Jax instant mobility for escaping, chasing, or pulling off clutch engages with Leap Strike. Teleport lets him apply split-push pressure, join teamfights across the map, and maintain lane presence without losing farm. If you’re playing jungle Jax, swap Teleport for Smite to secure camps and objectives. This setup gives you both map control and the ability to make aggressive plays or reposition when needed.

Best Runes For Jax

The best runes for Jax come from the Precision tree with Conqueror as the keystone, giving him sustained damage and healing in extended trades. Follow it with Triumph for extra survivability on takedowns, Legend: Alacrity for more attack speed, and Last Stand to deal extra damage while low. For your secondary runes, go Resolve with Second Wind for lane sustain against poke or Bone Plating for burst reduction, and Unflinching to help resist crowd control. Use stat shards for Attack Speed, Adaptive Force, and either Armor or Magic Resist based on your lane opponent. This setup makes Jax tanky and deadly in long fights.

Best Build For Jax

The best build for Jax in League of Legends focuses on scaling into a late-game monster while staying durable in fights. Start with Divine Sunderer for sustain, burst, and percent-health damage—perfect for extended trades. Follow it with Plated Steelcaps or Mercury’s Treads, depending on whether you’re facing heavy AD or CC. Next, build Blade of the Ruined King for attack speed and extra damage against tanks, then Sterak’s Gage for survivability in skirmishes. Round out your build with Frozen Heart to counter auto-attackers or Death’s Dance for healing and damage delay. Finish with Guardian Angel or Thornmail based on whether you need a revive or anti-heal. This setup turns Jax into a true 1v9 champion once he’s fully built.

Best Combos To Learn For Jax

The best Jax combo to master starts with Leap Strike (Q) into Empower (W) for a fast burst, then follow with basic attacks to stack your passive and trigger Grandmaster’s Might (R) passive on every third hit. For extended trades or all-ins, use Q → W → Auto → E to leap in, deal damage, and then activate Counter Strike to dodge enemy autos and stun. If you’re being chased or need to re-engage smartly, you can use E first → Q in → then reactivate E mid-leap to guarantee the stun lands. Jax’s strength lies in weaving autos between abilities and perfectly timing your E to outplay enemy bursts or crowd control.

Conclusion

Jax is a powerful scaling champion who shines in extended fights and late-game duels. With the right runes, build, and clean combos, he can dominate lanes, outplay opponents, and become a serious split-pushing threat. Whether you’re jumping into teamfights or taking towers solo, mastering Jax’s timing and mechanics gives you the tools to carry games with confidence.