League of Legends Olaf Guide: Best Build, Runes, Items, Combos

Olaf is a relentless juggernaut in League of Legends, known for his aggressive playstyle and ability to run down enemies without fear. Whether he’s in the jungle or the top lane, Olaf thrives in extended fights thanks to his life steal, attack speed, and immunity to crowd control during his ultimate. In this guide, we’ll break down the best build, runes, and combos to help you maximize Olaf’s power and become a true berserker on the Rift.

Olaf Abilities Overview In League of Legends

Here’s an overview of Olaf’s abilities in League of Legends, broken down for clarity and SEO optimization:

Passive – Berserker Rage: Olaf gains increased attack speed based on how much health he’s missing. The lower his health, the faster he attacks, making him extremely dangerous in extended fights.

Q – Undertow: Olaf throws an axe that deals physical damage and slows enemies it hits. If he picks up the axe, the cooldown is greatly reduced, allowing for constant poke and chase potential.

W – Tough It Out: Olaf gains life steal and bonus attack speed for a few seconds. When activated, it also provides a small burst of healing based on missing health, helping him stay alive during trades.

E – Reckless Swing: Olaf swings his axe for true damage that bypasses shields and resistances. It has a flat health cost, but it’s great for consistent burst damage in duels.

R – Ragnarok: Olaf passively gains bonus resistances, but when activated, he becomes immune to crowd control and gains bonus attack damage and move speed. It’s perfect for diving into the backline or escaping sticky situations.

These abilities make Olaf a strong, no-nonsense fighter who excels at getting in your face and staying there until someone dies.

How To Play Olaf In League of Legends

Best Summoner Spells For Olaf

The best summoner spells for Olaf in League of Legends are Ghost and Smite for jungle, or Ghost and Teleport if you’re playing top lane. Ghost gives Olaf more sticking power during fights and helps him chase down enemies with his ultimate active, while Smite is essential for jungle clears and objective control. If you’re top lane, Teleport offers strong map pressure and scaling potential for teamfights.

Best Runes For Olaf

The best runes for Olaf depend on his role, but generally for both jungle and top lane, Precision as the primary path is optimal:

Primary (Precision):
• Conqueror – Gives Olaf the sustain and damage he needs in extended fights.
• Triumph – Heals on takedowns and helps Olaf snowball during fights.
• Legend: Alacrity – Boosts attack speed, which synergizes with his passive.
• Last Stand – Increases Olaf’s damage when low on health, fitting his berserker playstyle.

Secondary (Inspiration or Resolve):
• Magical Footwear and Cosmic Insight for jungle (faster power spikes and ability haste).
• Or Second Wind and Unflinching from Resolve if you need durability in lane.

Stat Shards:
• Attack Speed
• Adaptive Force
• Armor or Magic Resist (based on matchup)

This setup maximizes Olaf’s dueling power and survivability in both jungle and solo lane roles.

Best Build For Olaf

The best build for Olaf focuses on turning him into a strong duelist who can shred through tanks and squishies alike. Here’s an optimal build path for Olaf jungle or top:
• Mythic Item: Stridebreaker – Gives Olaf mobility and a slow to help stick to targets, plus attack speed and health for sustain.
• Plated Steelcaps or Mercury’s Treads – Choose based on enemy team: Steelcaps vs. AD/auto attackers, Mercs vs. AP/CC.
• Sterak’s Gage – Boosts survivability with bonus health, a shield, and attack damage.
• Death’s Dance – Great sustain and delayed burst damage mitigation in teamfights.
• Maw of Malmortius – Core against heavy AP teams for lifeline shield and lifesteal.
• Guardian Angel – Ideal in late game for extra safety when diving in.

Optional situational items:
• Thornmail vs. healing comps,
• Spirit Visage if paired with enchanters or healing runes,
• Black Cleaver if the enemy is stacking armor.

This build gives Olaf strong engage, sustain, and damage throughout all phases of the game.

Best Combos To Learn For Olaf

The best combos to learn for Olaf are all about timing your abilities for maximum DPS and chase potential. Here are the key ones you should master:

1. Standard Engage Combo:
E (Reckless Swing) → Q (Undertow) → Auto Attacks
Start with your true damage E, then throw your Q to slow and keep them in range. Weave in autos between ability casts for sustained damage.

2. All-In Combo (with Ultimate):
R (Ragnarok) → Ghost → Q → E → Auto Spam
Activate R and Ghost to ignore CC and chase your target, then Q to slow, E for burst, and keep spamming autos and Q/E on cooldown. Olaf becomes unstoppable during this combo.

3. Chase and Kite Combo:
Q → Pick up Axe → Q Again → E
You can keep enemies slowed indefinitely by constantly picking up your axe and rethrowing it. This combo is great for long chases or slowing retreating enemies.

4. Jungle Gank Combo:
Q → W (Tough It Out) → E → Auto Attacks
Start with your axe to slow, pop W for attack speed and lifesteal, then E for burst. This combo gives you strong early gank potential.

Mastering these combos lets Olaf stick to his target, out-sustain opponents, and snowball fights hard.

Conclusion

Olaf is a relentless champion who thrives in extended fights thanks to his true damage, healing, and unstoppable ultimate. With the right runes, items, and a solid understanding of his combos, you can dominate early skirmishes, dive into teamfights without fear, and carry games through sheer force. Whether you’re playing him in the jungle or top lane, mastering Olaf’s kit will turn you into a serious threat in any matchup.