Master Ahri – Challenger Guide For 2024

Game Plan

Early Game Strategy (0 – 15 min)

In the initial stages of the game, Ahri ranks as average in strength. During this phase, your primary goal should be efficient farming to acquire the essential item, Lost Chapter, swiftly. Optimize the use of Ahri’s Orb of Deception (Q) by aiming to strike both minions and the opposing midlaner simultaneously, enhancing both your farm and harassment capabilities.

Before obtaining her ultimate, Spirit Rush, Ahri’s mobility is limited. It’s crucial to maintain awareness of the enemy jungler’s whereabouts. Position yourself near walls that are opposite the jungler’s last known location to minimize vulnerability to ganks. Upon unlocking her ultimate ability, capitalize on its mobility by pushing your lane quickly and roaming to assist side lanes or secure kills. Exercise caution if followed by the enemy laner into fog of war areas, as it could provide a strategic opportunity to ambush them.

Mid Game Approach (15 – 25 min)

Entering mid-game, Ahri’s effectiveness significantly increases. Continue emphasizing roaming, particularly when your ultimate is available, to eliminate overextended enemies. When your ultimate is on cooldown, focus on safely clearing your minion waves without venturing too far from safety. Consider transitioning to a side lane to utilize your ultimate and Charm (E) more effectively in skirmishes and securing important picks.

During team engagements, employ strategic positioning by flanking unsuspecting enemies from areas outside their vision, possibly aided by an Oracle’s Lens to clear wards. If direct access to the adversary’s backline is not viable, patiently wear down their front line until an opportunity arises to isolate a target with Charm.

Late Game Tactics (25+ min)

As the game progresses past the 25-minute mark, continue accumulating farm until Ahri reaches her full item build. Use minion waves as leverage by establishing ambushes, or “death brushes,” enhancing the chances of catching enemy champions off-guard with Charm followed by a quick burst of damage.

Team fighting dynamics should mirror mid-game strategies, focusing on flanking to disrupt the enemy backline and quickly eliminate key targets. This approach not only weakens the enemy’s fighting capability but also signals to your team when to initiate a full engagement. In circumstances where engagement fails or proves too risky, Ahri can utilize the final charge of her ultimate to safely disengage.

Leverage the fog of war to your team’s advantage, especially near crucial conflict points like Baron or in the jungle, which offers natural choke points conducive to landing multiple hits with Orb of Deception. Effective use of vision control and terrain can significantly tip team battles in your favor.

Powerspikes

Powerspikes of Ahri

Throughout the early phase of the game, Ahri experiences a notable power spike at level 2 when both her Orb of Deception (Q) and Charm (E) are available. This early acquisition of abilities allows for aggressive trades against opponents that can turn the lane in her favor. However, a transformative shift in Ahri’s gameplay manifests as soon as she reaches level 6. With the addition of her ultimate, Spirit Rush, Ahri’s threat level soars, empowering her to capitalize on the enemy’s mistakes through either securing kills or exerting pressure when they overextend.

After the initial recall and purchase of her first major item component, typically aimed at boosting her mana pool and ability power, Ahri’s potential to clear minion waves promptly escalates. This rapid escalation in wave clear capability considerably constrains opponents under their turret, offering tactical advantages in lane control and pressure.

Transitioning into the mid game, Ahri continues to scale significantly with levels and items. Upon reaching level 9, her main damage tool, Orb of Deception, reaches its maximum effectiveness, further enhancing her lane dominance and pushing capacity. Coupled with at least one or two core items completed by this stage, she becomes a formidable force capable of consistently pressuring lanes and initiating favorable skirmishes.

Another spike in power occurs at level 11 when Ahri’s ultimate gains a second point, drastically enhancing her mobility and potential for picking off out-of-position foes. This capability notably assists in skirmishes or team fights around critical map objectives and can shift the tide to her team’s favor by secure eliminations on key enemy threats.

In the late game, Ahri’s power curve begins to plateau. While she does achieve a significant ability power spike upon reaching level 16, with all three points allocated in her ultimate reducing its cooldown, her comparative impact may diminish as enemies start to accumulate defensive items. In this stage, her role subtly shifts to focusing on catching squishier targets like enemy supports or AD carries with her Charm, leveraging surprise factor and vision denial to orchestrate high-stakes picks. While bursting down frontline champions might no longer be feasible, her capacity at isolating and quickly eliminating more vulnerable opponents remains valuable in securing late-game objectives or crucial teamfight victories.

Despite a potential fall off compared to other late-game powerhouses, Ahri can still leverage her high mobility and burst potential. The key is to play around vision, looking for overextended targets and utilizing the low cooldown on her ultimate to make aggressive moves while retaining an escape route. This adaptability can be pivotal in late-game scenarios, turning Ahri into a decisive element in clutch moments.

Strengths

Ahri’s Lane Sustainability and Sustain

One of the defining strengths of Ahri lies in her passive ability, which significantly boosts her staying power in lane. This passive not only provides Ahri with essential health regeneration through spells but also allows her to maintain lane presence and endure even against highly aggressive opponents. While the healing effect provided might not appear substantial at a glance, its accumulated impact over time enables Ahri to remain in lane, continually farming and applying pressure without requiring frequent retreats for health recovery.

Exceptional Pick Potential

Ahri’s Charm (E) ability is a cornerstone of her kit, offering exceptional pick potential that is effective during all phases of the game. This ability proves especially valuable when Ahri utilizes her ultimate, Spirit Rush (R), which allows for swift and unpredictable positioning. By combining Charm with Spirit Rush, Ahri can effectively isolate and pick off mispositioned enemies, thus swinging skirmishes or even major team fights in her favor by swiftly reducing the number of threats on the field. This tactic not only disrupts enemy formations but also significantly increases Ahri’s gold lead as she accumulates kills and assists.

Unmatched Mobility in Team Fights

Ahri’s ultimate, Spirit Rush, is a pivotal tool in her arsenal, providing her with unmatched mobility that can be decisively exploited during team fights. This high mobility is instrumental in allowing Ahri to execute flanks with high efficiency. By navigating to the sidelines of a confrontation, she can target and eliminate key adversaries before they have a chance to react effectively. Following a successful engagement, Ahri’s ultimate also grants the agility needed to escape from retaliatory measures by opposing team members, reinforcing her role as a formidable and elusive mage in team engagements.

Overall, these strengths collectively make Ahri a versatile and resilient champion in League of Legends. Her ability to sustain herself in lanes, coupled with her powerful pick potential and exceptional mobility in team fights, enables players to exert influence across the map, turning the tide in skirmishes and securing pivotal objectives for their team.

Weaknesses

Vulnerability During Ultimate Cooldown

Ahri’s effectiveness and survivability are notably diminished when her ultimate, Spirit Rush, is on cooldown. This limitation exposes Ahri to heightened risks, making it crucial for her to adopt a more conservative playstyle during these periods. Aggressive maneuvers or positioning without the safety net her ultimate provides can lead to precarious situations where Ahri might find herself vulnerable to enemy attacks without a reliable means of escape. To mitigate such risks, players must emphasize map awareness and position strategically, ensuring they aren’t extending too far into potentially dangerous territory while her key escape mechanism is unavailable.

Challenges with Skillshots

Another aspect that adds to Ahri’s complexity is her reliance on skillshots. Her primary abilities, including her critical charm (E), require precise aiming and timing to hit targets. The charm’s relatively narrow hitbox further compounds this challenge, demanding a high degree of accuracy and practice to master. Missing these abilities can significantly cripple Ahri’s effectiveness in skirmishes and team fights, leaving her without crucial control or damage output. This inherent difficulty is compounded in situations where quick reflexes and predictive aiming are essential, making Ahri a less forgiving champion for novice players or those with less precision in skillshot execution.

Susceptibility to Heavy Crowd Control

Compounding Ahri’s challenges is her vulnerability to team compositions loaded with heavy crowd control (CC). While her kit does include tools designed to enhance her mobility and allow her to dodge incoming CC, these abilities are not always available. In high-stakes matches where timing and positioning are critical, Ahri must sometimes hold back, waiting for opponents to expend their crucial CC abilities before she can safely engage using her ultimate. This delay in her engagement can limit her effectiveness, forcing her to play reactively and often putting her at a strategic disadvantage. The necessity to navigate around such limitations requires not only skill but also excellent timing and decision-making to maximize her impact without falling victim to disabling effects.

These weaknesses require players to maintain a high level of tactical acuity when playing as Ahri. Mastering her involves not just learning her mechanical skills but also developing an intuitive understanding of when to engage or disengage, and how best to position oneself in varied combat scenarios to minimize these vulnerabilities.

Tips & Tricks for Mastering Ahri’s Gameplay

To maximize Ahri’s potential in lane, you should adopt a strategy of consistent harassment. Gradually wear down your opponent’s health through frequent use of your abilities, particularly Orb of Deception (Q) and Fox-Fire (W). This attritional approach softens the enemy for a more decisive engagement, preparing them for an “all-in” when they are sufficiently weakened and less able to retaliate effectively. Be vigilant and reactive to opportunities where the enemy makes a positioning mistake, providing you a perfect window for a full assault.

In broader team conflict scenarios, Ahri’s role can often transition into initial peeling efforts. At the onset of team fights, help protect your more vulnerable teammates, using Charm (E) to disrupt enemies who try to dive your backline. This not only safeguards your team’s damage output but also paves the way for a healthier team fight progression. As the skirmish unfolds, keep an eye out for opponents who overextend or find themselves misplaced. Such targets are ideal for Ahri to capitalize on with her burst potential and mobility. Using Spirit Rush (R), Ahri can swiftly reposition herself to target these isolated enemies, tipping the team fight in her favor.

Dealing with scenarios where killing the enemy laner isn’t feasible, perhaps due to their defensive posture or superior sustain, requires a change in tactics. Push the wave to ensure they are pinned under their turret, and then utilize your ultimate, Spirit Rush, to roam. Ahri’s strength in roaming stems from her high mobility and the significant threat posed by her combined use of Charm and Spirit Rush. Proactively seeking gank opportunities in other lanes can not only shift the dynamics of those lanes in your team’s favor but also accrue valuable kills or assists that enhance Ahri’s power spike. Such actions pressure the map significantly, contributing to a potential snowball effect that could lead your team to victory.

By employing these strategies, you can play Ahri to her strengths, maximizing both her laning pressure and her impact across the map. Whether it’s chipping away at your lane opponent until they’re vulnerable, peeling in team fights, or making game-altering moves through proactive roaming, mastering these tactics will elevate your Ahri gameplay considerably.

Combos

Mastering Ahri’s Skill Combos

Executing the correct combos with Ahri can drastically increase your effectiveness in various game scenarios. One of the most surprising combos to initiate with is EFQRWAAT. Begin by casting Charm (E) then quickly using Flash to close the distance or reposition, followed by Orb of Deception (Q). As soon as you finish casting Q, use Spirit Rush (R) to dash forward, deploy Fox-Fire (W) while you are in motion, and conclude with an auto-attack (AA) as soon as you land. This swift combo hardly gives opponents time to react and maximizes the burst damage you can land in an instant.

For a slightly nuanced approach, consider the EFRWQAARAARAA combo. Start by casting E, then Flash during the animation to conceal your initial move. Immediately after, dash forward with R and cast W mid-air. Once you land, execute Q followed by an AA, then R once more to ensure the second part of Q hits, finishing with another AA. This combination is particularly useful for ambushes and ensures you make the most out of Ahri’s mobility and burst potential.

In scenarios where you have a clear line of sight, the EQRWAA combo is straightforward yet effective. Quickly chain E, Q, and R one right after the other, use W while dashing, and finish with an AA upon landing. This is great for quick takedowns where minimal obstacles are present.

To be more deceptive with your E, use the ERWQ combo. Cast E followed immediately by R to mask your charm’s animation. Utilize W while moving and finish with Q upon landing. This maneuver can confuse opponents, making them less likely to dodge the charm.

For a full-on assault at level 6, the REQRWAARAAT combo can be devastating. Initiate with R to position yourself optimally, followed quickly by E and Q. Dash again with R, use W to adjust your placement ensuring the second hit of Q lands, and then close off with AA, another R, and one final AA. This sequence maximizes Ahri’s ult damage and mobility for a lethal combination.

In chase situations, RQAAWRAAREAA offers a relentless pursuit pattern. Leap in with R, use Q when in range, and throw in an AA. Follow it with W to keep your target locked, R closer again, and finish with AA and a final R to optimally position yourself for landing E as effortlessly as possible.

During quick trades, AAWQ can be particularly effective. Start with an AA to ensure W (Fox-Fire) homes in on your target, instantly cast W and Q right after. This provides a quick burst of damage and is relatively easy to pull off.

Lastly, the basic QWAA combo serves as your go-to during routine trades. Simply cast Q and immediately attach W and an AA. This combo is quick, ensuring you deal solid damage without committing too much into the fight.

Practicing these combos in different situations will enhance your gameplay, making you a versatile threat on the battlefield. Remember, the key to mastering Ahri is not just knowing her combos but understanding the best scenarios to use them effectively.

How to Counter

Strategies for Effectively Countering Ahri in Lane

Laning against Ahri can be tricky, yet with the right strategies, you can turn the tide in your favor. One critical factor is monitoring the cooldown of her Charm (E). This ability is central to her defensive and offensive maneuvers. When her Charm is inactive, Ahri’s ability to protect herself significantly diminishes, making this an ideal time to engage. Capitalize on her vulnerability during this period by initiating combat or applying heavy pressure, especially if she is also reluctant to use her ultimate prematurely.

Positioning in lane is similarly crucial. By staying proximate to but not directly in the minion wave, you force Ahri to make a choice each time she casts her Orb of Deception (Q): to either push the lane or attempt to land poke on you. You should stay close enough to dash behind minions for cover; this makes it challenging for her to hit you with her Charm, reducing her kill potential in lane.

An effective strategy to curb Ahri’s impact is to keep a vigilant watch on her ultimate, Spirit Rush. This ability significantly enhances her mobility and threat level. During phases when Spirit Rush is on cooldown, her susceptibility increases exponentially. Engage more boldly during these windows, and communicate with your jungler to set up ganks, ensuring the wave is near your turret for easier assistance and a higher success rate of the gank.

Countering Ahri’s Roaming and Power Spikes

Ahri tends to roam post-level 6 upon acquiring her ultimate. It’s crucial to alert your teammates whenever she absents herself from lane. If following her is unsafe or not possible, a viable alternative is to push the lane to force her to return, thus minimizing her impact across the map. Constant map awareness and warding can preemptively notify you and your team of her movements, reducing unexpected encounters that lead to deaths and map pressure.

Regarding her power spikes, Ahri gains a significant increase in threat after purchasing her first major item and each time she levels up her ultimate. Her early game, however, remains relatively weaker. Challenge her during this phase by harassing and denying her farm, thereby delaying her power spikes. After she gains her ultimate, Ahri becomes more formidable in chases. It’s essential to keep your health sufficiently high and avoid extending too far without proper vision. Respect her burst damage potential following her first item completion and adjust your gameplay to either a more defensive or cautious offensive style based on her positioning and item progression.

In summary, countering Ahri revolves around exploiting the windows of opportunity when her crucial abilities are on cooldown and adopting an adaptive playstyle that respects her potential damage output at various stages of the game. By maintaining pressure and limiting her ability to roam or secure kills, you can effectively mitigate the impact Ahri has and lead your team to a more positioned advantage throughout the match.