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

Poppy is one of the most reliable tanky top laners and support picks in League of Legends, known for her ability to shut down dashes and pin enemies against walls with ease. Her crowd control and mobility denial make her a nightmare for champions that rely on engaging or escaping through movement abilities. Whether you’re using her to peel for your team or diving into the middle of a fight to disrupt the enemy’s formation, mastering Poppy’s kit can turn her into an unbreakable frontline force. In this guide, we’ll break down the best build, runes, items, and combos to help you make the most out of Poppy in any role.

Poppy Abilities Overview In League of Legends

Here’s a breakdown of Poppy’s abilities in League of Legends:

Passive – Iron Ambassador:
Poppy throws her buckler at her target, dealing bonus magic damage. The buckler then falls to the ground. If Poppy picks it up, she gains a shield. If the buckler hits an enemy, it lands nearby; if it kills the target, it returns to her immediately.

Q – Hammer Shock:
Poppy smashes the ground, dealing physical damage and creating a zone that slows enemies. After a brief delay, the zone erupts for additional damage.

W – Steadfast Presence:
Poppy gains bonus movement speed and resistances. When activated, she creates a barrier around her that stops enemy dashes and grounds them. If an enemy tries to dash through the zone, they are grounded and briefly stunned.

E – Heroic Charge:
Poppy dashes to an enemy, dealing damage and pushing them back. If the target collides with terrain, they’re stunned and take bonus damage.

R – Keeper’s Verdict:
Poppy channels a mighty hammer strike that knocks enemies back toward their base. A quick tap causes a smaller knock-up instead, while a full charge sends enemies flying a long distance.

How To Play Poppy In League of Legends

Best Summoner Spells For Poppy

The best summoner spells for Poppy are Flash and Teleport if you’re playing her in the top lane, or Flash and Smite if you’re playing her in the jungle. Flash gives her reliable gap-closing or escape potential, while Teleport helps with map pressure and split-pushing. In the jungle, Smite is essential for clearing camps and securing objectives.

Best Runes For Poppy

The best runes for Poppy depend on her role, but for top lane and jungle, the most effective and popular choice is the Resolve primary tree with the Inspiration secondary. Here’s a strong setup:

Primary: Resolve
• Grasp of the Undying – Grants sustain and bonus damage in trades.
• Demolish – Helps take down turrets faster after winning lane.
• Second Wind – Great for surviving poke lanes.
• Overgrowth – Gives scaling health to make her tankier late-game.

Secondary: Inspiration
• Magical Footwear – Free boots let you save gold for other items.
• Biscuit Delivery – Extra sustain during laning phase.

Stat Shards
• +Health Scaling
• +Armor or +Magic Resist (based on your lane opponent)
• +Ability Haste or Attack Speed (depending on preference)

This rune setup makes Poppy a durable frontline tank with decent trading power and objective control.

Best Build For Poppy

The best build for Poppy focuses on maximizing her tankiness while giving her enough utility and damage to engage or peel effectively. Here’s a solid and updated build path for top lane or jungle:

Best Core Items
• Sunfire Aegis (Top lane) / Radiant Virtue (Jungle or teamfight-focused)
• Plated Steelcaps or Mercury’s Treads (based on enemy CC or AD threats)
• Thornmail (against heavy healing like Aatrox, Darius, or Sylas)

Situational & Late-Game Items
• Frozen Heart – Great vs AD and attack speed champs like Yasuo or Jax.
• Force of Nature – Strong against heavy AP comps or mages like Cassiopeia or Teemo.
• Abyssal Mask – Boosts damage for your AP teammates while tanking.
• Gargoyle Stoneplate – Ideal in teamfights when you’re frontlining.
• Anathema’s Chains – Good if there’s one fed carry to shut down.

Jungle-Specific Option
• Trailblazer’s Shoulder Guard (with Radiant Virtue) if playing utility tank style.

This build makes Poppy a reliable tank with crowd control, making her perfect for disrupting teamfights and shutting down key threats.

Best Combos To Learn For Poppy

A basic but effective trade combo is E + Q + Auto, where you use Heroic Charge (E) to pin the enemy to a wall, immediately follow up with Hammer Shock (Q) for burst damage, and auto-attack to finish the trade. For a more reliable engage or all-in, try Flash + E + Q, using Flash mid-E to guarantee a wall stun, then cast Q instantly. When chasing or peeling, use W + E + Q, activating Steadfast Presence (W) to block dashes, then charging the enemy into terrain with E and slowing them with Q. In teamfights, a great combo is R (tap) + E + Q, using Keeper’s Verdict (tap for knock-up), then locking down the priority target with your E and finishing the burst with Q. You can also fully charge R (hold) to zone or pick off enemies, especially when your team has secured an advantage or you want to displace a key target. Mastering these combos will make you an annoying and disruptive frontline tank.

Conclusion

Poppy is one of the most reliable and disruptive tanks in League of Legends, perfect for shutting down dashes and controlling fights with her crowd control. With the right runes, tanky build, and well-timed combos, she can peel for her team, dive into the enemy backline, or hold the frontline with ease. Whether you’re playing her top lane or jungle, mastering her combos and itemization will help you dominate matchups and carry your team through solid engages and smart plays.