League of Legends Xerath Guide: Best Build, Runes, Combos

Xerath is a long-range artillery mage in League of Legends who excels at poking enemies from a safe distance and controlling teamfights with his powerful burst damage. Known for his high-skill shot abilities and zoning potential, Xerath thrives in mid lane where he can safely scale and apply pressure with constant poke. In this guide, we’ll break down the best build, runes, items, and combos to help you maximize Xerath’s damage and carry your games with precision and control.

Xerath Abilities Overview In League of Legends

Xerath’s kit is built around long-range magic damage and powerful poke. His passive, Mana Surge, restores mana periodically with his next basic attack, helping with sustain in lane. His Q, Arcanopulse, is a long-range skill shot that deals damage in a line and can be charged to increase its range. His W, Eye of Destruction, is an AoE spell that slows and deals damage based on where enemies are hit—closer to the center means more damage and a stronger slow. His E, Shocking Orb, is a skill shot stun that increases in duration with travel distance, making it key for setup. Finally, his R, Rite of the Arcane, turns him into a stationary artillery cannon, letting him fire multiple long-range blasts across the map with deadly precision.

How To Play Xerath In League of Legends

Best Summoner Spells For Xerath

The best summoner spells for Xerath are Flash and Heal (or Barrier/Exhaust, depending on matchup).

Flash is non-negotiable—it gives Xerath essential mobility to escape ganks or reposition in fights. For the second spell, Heal is great in bot lane if you’re playing him as a support or poke ADC, providing sustain and a movement speed boost. Barrier is a solid choice if you’re mid lane and expecting burst damage from assassins. Exhaust is also viable if you need to shut down an aggressive melee champ trying to dive you.

Best Runes For Xerath

The best runes for Xerath focus on boosting his poke damage, mana sustain, and survivability. Go with Sorcery as your primary tree and Inspiration as secondary:

Primary (Sorcery):
• Arcane Comet – great for landing poke with your Q and W.
• Manaflow Band – helps manage mana in the early game.
• Transcendence – gives ability haste, which is key for longer fights.
• Scorch – adds extra burn damage to your poke in lane.

Secondary (Inspiration):
• Biscuit Delivery – offers sustain and a small permanent mana boost.
• Cosmic Insight – reduces cooldowns for your spells and summoner spells.

Stat Shards:
• Adaptive Force
• Adaptive Force
• Armor (vs AD) or Magic Resist (vs AP)

This setup gives Xerath the range, poke, and safety he needs to dominate from afar while surviving early lane pressure.

Best Build For Xerath

The best build for Xerath in League of Legends focuses on maximizing his poke damage, mana sustain, and cooldown reduction so he can stay active in long-range fights. Start with Luden’s Companion for burst and mana, then build Sorcerer’s Shoes for magic penetration. Follow up with Horizon Focus to amplify damage from your long-range hits, then grab Shadowflame for more penetration and damage against shielded or low-health enemies. After that, go for Rabadon’s Deathcap to spike your AP massively, and round out the build with Void Staff to shred through magic resist. If you need survivability, swap one item for Zhonya’s Hourglass or Banshee’s Veil depending on whether you’re facing assassins or heavy magic burst. This build lets you poke hard, stay safe, and carry late-game fights from a distance.

Best Combos To Learn For Xerath

The best combos to learn for Xerath help you land consistent poke and burst damage from range. A strong trading combo is W → Q → E — start with W to slow, making it easier to land your Q, then follow up with E if you want to stun for safety or aggression. For an all-in, use E → W → Q → R — hit your stun first, drop W for bonus damage and slow, then Q immediately after, and finish with R (Rite of the Arcane) to snipe fleeing enemies. In lane, poke with W → Q often, and always try to lead with W to increase your chances of landing skill shots. Remember, Xerath’s power comes from range and timing, so hitting combos from afar and playing around cooldowns is key.

Conclusion

Xerath is one of the strongest long-range mages in League of Legends, capable of dominating lanes and teamfights with precise poke and massive burst. With the right build, optimal runes, and a solid understanding of his combos, you can maximize his damage and carry games from a safe distance. Whether you’re zoning enemies with his stun or finishing off low-health targets with his ultimate, mastering Xerath’s playstyle gives you the power to control the map and pressure opponents at every stage of the game.