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

Shyvana is a powerful and versatile jungler in League of Legends, known for her ability to dish out massive damage and control objectives with ease. Whether you’re focusing on her AP burst potential or tanky bruiser setup, Shyvana excels at farming quickly, invading confidently, and dominating team fights once she transforms with her Dragon’s Descent. In this guide, we’ll break down the best build paths, runes, item choices, and essential combos to help you make the most of her aggressive, high-impact playstyle.

Shyvana Abilities Overview In League of Legends

Here’s a breakdown of Shyvana’s abilities in League of Legends:
• Passive – Fury of the Dragonborn: Shyvana deals bonus damage to dragons and gains Armor and Magic Resist based on how many dragons her team has killed. This makes her a strong objective-focused champion who gets stronger as the game progresses.
• Q – Twin Bite: Her next auto attack strikes twice, with the second hit dealing bonus physical damage. This ability scales well with attack speed and resets her basic attack timer, making it essential for fast jungle clears and burst trades.
• W – Burnout: Shyvana surrounds herself with fire, dealing damage over time to nearby enemies and gaining bonus movement speed. Auto attacks extend the duration, which helps her stick to targets in fights and gank effectively.
• E – Flame Breath: Shyvana fires a fireball that deals magic damage and marks enemies hit. Basic attacks against marked targets deal bonus damage. In dragon form, this becomes a fiery explosion that deals area damage and leaves a burning zone.
• R – Dragon’s Descent: Her ultimate transforms her into a dragon, gaining bonus health and flight range. She knocks back enemies in her path and enhances all her abilities. Fury is built through basic attacks and used to fuel this transformation.

How To Play Shyvana In League of Legends

Best Summoner Spells For Shyvana

The best summoner spells for Shyvana are Smite and Flash. Smite is essential for jungling, allowing her to secure camps, take objectives like Dragon and Baron, and unlock jungle item upgrades such as Chilling or Unsealed Smite for added crowd control or dueling power. Flash, on the other hand, provides much-needed mobility for both engaging and escaping, which is especially valuable since Shyvana lacks hard crowd control. Combining Smite and Flash gives her the versatility and map control she needs to dominate the jungle and dive into fights confidently with Dragon’s Descent.

Best Runes For Shyvana

The best runes for Shyvana depend on your playstyle—go with Dark Harvest, Sudden Impact, Eyeball Collection, and Ultimate Hunter from the Domination tree if you’re playing AP Shyvana for burst damage, and pair it with Nimbus Cloak and Celerity from Sorcery for extra mobility; but if you prefer a bruiser or tank approach, take Conqueror, Triumph, Legend: Alacrity, and Last Stand from Precision for sustained damage, and combine it with Conditioning and Revitalize from Resolve to boost your durability—both setups give her the flexibility to dominate the jungle, scale well, and thrive in teamfights.

Best Build for Shyvana

The best build for Shyvana in League of Legends depends on whether you’re going AP or bruiser. For AP Shyvana, go with Nashor’s Tooth, Riftmaker, Zhonya’s Hourglass, Rabadon’s Deathcap, Void Staff, and Sorcerer’s Shoes—this setup gives her high burst, sustain, and survivability. For bruiser/tank Shyvana, build Frostfire Gauntlet or Radiant Virtue, then go Titanic Hydra, Dead Man’s Plate, Spirit Visage, Thornmail, and Plated Steelcaps or Mercury’s Treads to stay tanky while still dishing out damage. Always adapt based on enemy comp—go AP if your team needs magic damage, or tank if you need to frontline.

Best Combos To Learn For Shyvana

Here are the best Shyvana combos to master:

1. E + Auto + Q (AP Shyvana poke): In human form, use Flame Breath (E) to mark your target, then auto attack to trigger the bonus damage, and immediately use Twin Bite (Q) for a quick burst. This is your go-to poke or all-in combo in lane or jungle skirmishes.

2. R + W + E + Q (Dragon Dive Combo): When engaging, start with Dragon’s Descent (R) to fly into the enemy team, activate Burnout (W) on landing for AoE damage and movement speed, then cast Flame Breath (E) in dragon form (it becomes AoE), and finish with Twin Bite (Q) to cleave them down.

3. E + Q reset (Fast burst): After marking with E, you can quickly auto attack → Q to reset your auto and apply damage instantly. Works especially well with AP builds to melt squishies.

4. W kite combo: Activate Burnout (W) while chasing or escaping, then throw out E for poke or zoning. Useful in kiting or when you’re low and need to buy time.

Practice these combos to maximize your burst and mobility, whether you’re diving carries or outplaying in skirmishes.

Conclusion

Shyvana is a powerful and flexible champion that thrives in both AP and AD builds depending on your team’s needs and playstyle. Whether you’re diving into fights with her explosive dragon form or melting enemies with fiery combos, mastering her abilities and optimizing her build can make you a serious threat on the Rift. With the right runes, items, and combos, Shyvana can dominate teamfights, clear the jungle fast, and carry games with ease.