Pantheon Build Guide : Mid Pantheon, Total Map Dominance

Introduction

Hello! I am MoeZiilla from the North American server, and this is my first guide to a champion. This guide is on Pantheon, my favorite and most played champion in the league of legends.

In this guide I will give you the tools to success, but skill with any champion must be developed over time and practice.

Pros / Cons

Pantheon has the potential to be an extremely strong champion and snowball into easy domination, but as all champions do, he has some weaknesses.

Pros

Cons

Of course the pros easily outway the cons, right Teemo?

All credit goes to youtuber,
FlyingPanda1990

Runes

Runes are an extremely important part of the game, and this is especially true during the laning phase. I have done a lot of research on runes in order to find the most viable choices for the champions I play, and I found a source of information from a very awesome summoner that has helped me a ton and can help you as well.

http://www.mobafire.com/league-of-legends/build/rune-tips-what-secondary-and-primary-means-and-more-24255
- This guide by Searz explains all the best and worst runes out there to choose from. Please take a look as it is incredibly thorough and very useful. In the guide he includes a huge collection of graphs showing in detail which runes are better in which situations, including using different items. I can quote the main evidence for my rune choices here.

"ArP marks are the most versatile source of extra physical damage. They scale good and give good early damage. I recommend them to all who are unsure about which runes to get."

"ArP marks and quints are often the best choice for most champions that rely on physical spells. Physical spells are spells that deal physical damage. Like 's & and 's & ."

Here is an example of one of his graphs:

Using these resources I found that for an AD caster like Pantheon, AD Quints and ArP Marks results in the most damage throughout the entire game. This is a setup used by many pros to maximize rune efficiency, and damage against champions. The reason we choose AD quints is because they are more efficient than ArP quints and count as "bonus" AD for Pantheon's spells. Pantheon has a massive "bonus" AD ratio of 5.0 on only two abilities he can spam. 1.4 scaling from , and 0.6 scaling per which is doubled against champions. 0.6 x 3 = 1.8 x 2 = 3.6 scaling on one ability which is devastating. ArP marks however, are more efficient than AD marks and will provide a lot more damage overall in the entire game, especially in my build based a lot off reducing a ton of my opponents armor.

My glyphs are standard for a mid, flat Magic Resist, while my seals are Mp5 due to the fact that I wont need armor in the mid lane and the extra mana regen helps Pantheon Tremendously. Choose armor seals if facing an AD mid like or .

Masteries

My Offense tree is very standard for an AD Caster, choosing over , and getting but not . This is because Crit-Damage and CD reduction are good stats, while Attack Speed helps very little. This will give Pantheon MAX DAMAGE.

I have seen many people go into the Utility tree for the mana-regen from but this tree benefits very little else, causing you to be weaker in fights. Most importantly, I know now that Pantheon does not need mana-regen enough to have to sacrifice survivability by entering the Utility tree. That stat used to be something I picked up so I could spam skills more but I realize that sacrificing early game is not worth it, and it will only make you lazy, not needing to know how to conserve mana. That is why you should choose the defense tree over utility as pretty much any offensive champion.

My Defense tree is also fairly simple, giving pantheon a lot of bonus hp from , and some MR from since he will be fighting AP carries in the mid lane. Choose instead if fighting against an AD mid like or , even though you can easily beat them anyway.

Skill Sequence

I have played Pantheon quite a bit, and I have yet to stick to one route in maxing my skills. The question has always been whether Q or E is better to max first, and right now it seems no one is decided. They deal roughly the same damage for a while, while his E will eventually be most his damage, but the penalty for leveling his E its damage is not consistent, or good for poking.

This chart I made shows the damage of each spell when leveled up, through burst and through DPS. It in no ways proves one better than the other because in certain situations one will always be preferable. I have over a lot of games found that getting 3 points into his Q early, and then maxing out E way very well be the best option.

This is because just isn't good in the early levels, doing little more than autoattacks, but during the midgame it does far more damage and is far more useful than after you can straight on people at level 6. I choose to level up spear shot 3 times in order to get more early game damage and harass, and thus being able to snowball off a few early kills. After you get your ult, proceed to gank both lanes constantly while maxing your E, so that you will be able to nuke most of a champions HP in one combo.

(R) -> Q -> W -> E -> Q

If you don't believe me that this is the best option, than I would say choose either because the damage between the two is so similar early on, that you will be fine on any choice you make. Just choose Q if you like to poke, and E if you like to all in.

Spells and Abilities

First of all as Mid Lane Pantheon your summoner spells should be and in almost every game. These two are default for most champions and will net you many extra kills and prevent countless deaths.

FLASH

The reason for flash is that it is probably the most versatile summoner spell out there, able to both secure kills, and to make epic escapes. Being able to flash into a leap stun is a terrific initiation and or gap closer, while flashing over a wall can almost ensure an escape.

IGNITE

Ignite is critically important on Pantheon because he relies on an extremely aggressive early game, and he should get as many kills as possible during it. Ignite will probably pick you up at least one or two extra kills per game, and the heal reduction is terrific in tough fights as well. Picking a more defensive spell is not very viable because as an assassin, offense is the greatest defense.

AEGIS PROTECTION

Pantheon's passive is probably one of the strongest in the game, especially paired with the reset from . This not only makes him a terrific skirmisher, it allows him to tower dive with ease. This kind of pressure can help you win your lane easily, which should always happen with Pantheon or he will be useless for his team. Skillful abuse of this passive to block many attacks is what can make or break a Pantheon.

SPEAR SHOT

This is Pantheon's strong poke spell, giving tons of damage at low levels and that's why we put 3 points into it early on. This skill can and should be used to harass your opponent, but refrain from using it to farm as you will quickly run out of mana and become very weak, and unanle to pick up easy kills. Always leave enough mana to use your full combo with one extra spear, this is enough to take an oppurtunity and secure a kill. (This skill paired with the passive from makes Pantheon one of the best kill stealers in the game. Abuse it well!)

AEGIS OF ZEONIA

Pantheon's utility spell is a gap closer, a peeler, a passive reseter, gives hard CC, and is on a short CD. These multiple uses are what makes this spell so great, even though the damage is minimal. This spell makes for great initiation and gap closing, but I would have to say that it only its third best use in serious play. More often this skill should be used after your passive blocks an attack so that it creates that "double-block" which takes some skill but will help you win small fights. Finally, the best and most vital part of this skill in helping your team is to interrupt big abilities like and . It is your job to save this spell until your team really needs it or you are wasting a huge chunk of Pantheon's true potential.

HEARTSEEKER STRIKE

This is Pantheon's main damage spell, which allows him to nuke for huge damage on any target. This ability is channeled so it can be interrupted, so in big team fight you must make sure the entire channel will finish and hit for all 3 strikes. This ability paired with autoattacks between abilities can quickly stack up your passive so if possible utilize that to block more attacks and thus win more fights. This ability and have short CD's so don't be afraid to use them in every trade as long as you can maintain mana. Be a total bully and never let them farm because if they fight you, they will die. We max this skill after 3 points into because at that point this skill will be doing more damage. All the way through the mistake you will be able to take out more than half anyone's HP with this epic spell.

GRAND SKYFALL

Pantheon's ult is one of the most terrifying, iconic, and epic ability in the League of Legends and is the primary reason we have Pantheon Mid. As Pantheon mid your job is to abuse it to the max, and force a cautious play style from every enemy laner for the entire game. From the side bushes at mid you can reach and gank either lane. Do this often to help people win their lanes and for you to get fed. If you tell people when your about to jump, and you position it well which takes some practice, nobody will be able to escape it in time. After mandropping on their faces, you can instantly cast followed by . They will now be at much lower HP, stunned in front of you, and then your followed by yet another should overkill any opponent. Repeat this combo countless times every game until people rage in /all chat about that "bull**** ult". Applying this full map dominance is what will terrify your enemies and win you games.

You can also make some very epic plays with this ult in the middle of a fight. :P

Starting Items

+ 4x 's ( sight ward x1 is also an option) is a good overall start for both offense and defense. It also provides a good amount of sustain. I choose this so I never have to worry about enemies outrunning me.

+ 2x 's is a higher risk higher reward kind of start as it gives more early game damage and builds into your . This start gives much less sustain, but is still good. I choose this when I'm sure I can get an early kill and I don't need sustain.

+ 1x 's + 1x sight ward is an excellent start for Pantheon, especially people who don't like too or know how to conserve mana and health. It provides the most sustain possible and helps throughout a lot of the game, but if you are planning on having blue buff and/or you can conserve mana well on your own, you could do better with another start.

Core Items

These items are in order of priority, which sometimes changes on the current situation. Situations usually involve needing more of a certain defense and are easily fixed through simple changes like getting or an earlier . As Pantheon however, you are not a tank and getting tons of damage will benefit your team more than full defense items like .

BF SWORD

Pantheon wants the most damage for the least cost and the BF sword is terrific on him for that very reason. It is however unlikely that you will have 1550g after your first back but if you do you should definitely buy this item. The amount of pure AD is terrific on pantheon who has such good AD scaling and it can easily be built into an or as a final item. Get this item whenever you can afford it.

THE BRUTALIZER

Pantheon's typical 1st core item is easy to build, and supplies every stat pantheon wants most, AD, ArP, and CD reduction. This incomplete item is so good on its own that we wait to build it into until much later when its actually worth it. Rush this almost every game, because it will increase your damage tremendously.

LAST WHISPER

Last Whisper has been used on a lot of AD Bruiser's and Assassin's lately and it has great synergy with . This item gives a ton of damage due to all its cheap AD combined with your massive ArP causing you to deal almost true damage. Get this after and also try to get the before this if possible.

MERCURY'S TREADS

These boots are probably the best in the game due to the amazing tenacity passive, and are even better for Mid Laners due to needing a lot of MR. Pantheon is very fast so these can safely be bought late. On rare occasions you should replace these with other boots, maybe even to buy mercs later in the game because they are so important.

HEXDRINKER - Situational

Hexdrinker is a very cost efficient item, providing good damage, and tons of survivability against AP builders. As Mid Lane Pantheon, some MR is very important so you don't get nuked instantly. Pantheon builds this item for the decent amount of damage, but mainly for the terrific passive shield that will save your life and get you kills. Don't build this item before previous items unless needs because damage is more important than survivability for an assassin, and its best to get more damage before this item anyway.

OTHER BOOTS - Situational

Other boots are situational and should only replace if the enemy team has little CC. Ninja Tabi can greatly reduce autoattack damage, Ionian Boots of Lucidity will increase your damage if you are fed, and Boots of Mobility will give you huge roaming potential.

Lategame Items

Once again I will list the items in order of priority, but this order can change easily in different games, especially for these late game items. This may mean an early or even rarely a .

THE BLOODTHIRSTER

This item gives a whopping 100 AD giving your 5.0 scaling damage 500 extra damage. This item is extremely efficient and should be bought in most games that you are doing well in as it will allow nobody to survive your burst. You should get this item even before for sheer damage if you are snowballing hard, but the later the game progresses, the less efficient this item will get. The reason for this is its harder to minion farm in the teamfight critical part of the game, so the stacks may fall, and also due to the fact that lifesteal will help very little in full 5v5 fights, allowing you to live about 1% longer. In the endgame will do more damage, so keep that in mind.

THE BLACK CLEAVER

Much like , this is simply a lategame upgrade, but I have compared them and it seems to give more damage than Maw, especially in teamfights where the armor reduction passive helps your whole team.. This item will still provide a large amount of extra AD and ArP, and even some health. Do not buy this item too early as it is not extremely cost efficient after you have already bought . It is perfectly viable to buy this item after when the enemies have too much AP.

MAW OF MALMORTIUS

This item may not be as cost efficient as its smaller version , but it is a great lategame upgrade for Pantheon because it supplies a huge amount of raw AD in addition to the very important MR and passive against AP builders. The massive damage this item provides (often more than and it's great synergy with make it a great item to buy even if magic resist is not needed. Don't get this if the Magic Resist will be wasted.

GUARDIAN ANGEL

One of the best defensive items out there, especially for an assassin like pantheon. It effectively gives Pantheon a second life, allowing him to potentially get his entire nuke combo off again or escape with his life. This item also has great synergy with because Pantheon is left at low hp. This item is better than items that let Pantheon live longer because he is an assassin who's main purpose is to be able to kamakaze into team fights dealing massive damage. You can choose to buy this item before others, but I strongly don't suggest it because it is expensive and you need you damage. It is probably best to get this as your 6th item because as I have said before, offense is the greatest defense.

Final Item

When a final item is needed, you should already have a allowing for an easy build into an or if you didn't get it earlier. Another option that may be viable against heavy AD is to sell the and purchase a . All three of these items are good choices and it should really be up to personal preference.

This item will be quite cheap if a was already purchased, with some minion farming, it can be a great source of pure AD and sustain in fights. Although I prefer , this is a valid option that you may choose if you wish.

Never buy this item until lategame, its not worth it. This is probably the best final item for pantheon, providing more damage than any other, and at a time in the game when its high cost means little. One advantage has over is that it doesn't need any minion farming in the teamfight critical part of the game so you never need to worry about that, especially since Pantheon has a high chance of dying in this stage. Another advantage is that in the lategame, Pantheon's burst will not always kill and he will need to autoattack more, giving more use to the crit rating.

In most games you will not need to buy this item, but if the enemy ADC is just ridiculously fed, and especially if you didn't buy a , (which you should have) then it may just keep you alive long enough to deal more damage and be more helpful to your team. In most cases however, and even are the superior final items.

Remember, throughout the whole game and especially the late game, it is Pantheon's duty to pulverize their squishies. This educational picture demonstrates the correct fashion of demolishing bot lane.

Lane Matchups

First of all I would like to say I have not played against every champion in the mid lane, far from it. Therefore I have had to do some research to find out what the favorable matchups for Pantheon are, but I found some very good information.

Pantheon is the one of the strongest early game champions, and that is why you cannot just passive farm and be successful. You must abuse his early strength before it runs out. Pantheon needs to be very aggressive throughout the entire early-mid game in order to get fed or else he will be of little use in the late game. That being said, these champions are ranked on how much they oppose Pantheons ability to get fed.

For dangerous champions, Pantheon either needs to be aggressive when they are weak, (before level 6 for example) or he must get fed in another fashion. Generally the best way to get ded 1-5 is to abuse your Mid Lane opponent, but once you hit level 6, you can ignore difficult matchups and gank other lanes constantly. In this section I will attempt to show you what approach to use on each champion and how to succeed.

Champions A-J

Easy Medium Hard

Champions K-N

Easy Medium Hard

Champions O-Z

~section in progress~

Conclusion

Thank you all very much for reading my guide on how to build Mid Lane Pantheon and as long as you learned how to play Pantheon even a little better I will be happy! Feel free to follow parts of my guide and alter it your very own way and I'm sure you will still have success! I want to thank summoner Arch Angeloid who plays almost entirely Pantheon as I have watched and learned a great deal about how to play this awesome champion from him.

http://www.lolking.net/summoner/na/21028654 Arch Angeloid, NA, Diamond I

Now go forth, and wreak havoc upon the league of legends!

Mid Pantheon, Total Map Dominance

Mid Pantheon, Total Map Dominance

Recommended Items

Spells:

Flash

Ignite

Items

Ability Order

Mortal Will (PASSIVE)

Comet Spear (Q)

Shield Vault (W)

Aegis Assault (E)

Grand Starfall (R)