This guide is about how i personally find Rod of Ages being a much better option compared to all other mythics to help Rakan becoming a great pseudo tank. So great that you don't even realised it when the HP bar refilled itself. Rakan despite building this, is still going to be a Support. I've got mastery 7 with only building Rod of Ages first on Rakan in wild rift, and its return to League definitely helped me stacking S and S+ with him.

My Rakan playstyle is pretty much the same in every game as I am only solo queuing. When laning, I am going to engage a lot and using my E Battle Dance as an escape tool. Battle Dance has 2 charges, so the second cast is usually after seeing if my ADC can follow up - when I immediately return to combat with it - or not, where I safely retreat. It's always me dancing around, soaking up damage a lot and heal back up. As in a teamfight, I love to play around a diver to catch them up and engage. This build being pseudo tank is purely for soaking up damage better to make up for mistakes, Rakan cannot tank well with this build. However, building this opens a window for Rakan to deal surprisingly large amount of damage due to the dual stats checking of Rod of Ages.

There are a lot of item & rune pages. Rakan is highly adaptable to any build after being allowed to survive after crucial situations.

ROD OF AGES - 60 Ability Power - 300 Health - 400 Mana

Passive: This item gains 20 health, 20 mana and 4 ability power every minute, up to 10 times, for a maximum of 200 health, 200 mana, and 40 ability power. Upon reaching max stacks, gain a level and all effects of this passive are increased by 50% (Note: this will not increase the level cap of 18). UNIQUE Passive: Restore mana equal to 8% of premitigated damage taken from champions as well as health equal to 20% of mana spent, up to 15 health per cast. Toggled abilities can only heal for up to 15 per second. For every 250 health or mana restored this way, gain 25% decaying movement speed for 2 seconds. Mythic Passive: Grants all other Legendary items 5 ability haste

In a nutshell, Rod of Ages gives you 300HP, 60AP, and 400 mana. You do nothing and 10 minutes later, it becomes 500HP, 100AP, and 600 mana. With this item, unless you're snowballing and fight until when you're well off with 3,000 gold waiting to be spent, you have infinite mana. I rarely find myself in such situation but when I do, I step in and take damage. Rod of Ages's passive allow me to basically LOSE MANA = GAIN HP and LOSE HP = GAIN MANA . With this effect early achieved by Catalyst of Aeons, you will be playing Rakan feeling like you are about to be out of HP and mana but it just gradually comes back to you.

Plus, your Q Gleaming Quill heals you and allies by 30-115 (levels 1-18) (+55% AP) . This is already broken with the staggering amount of AP you received from Rod of Ages compared to other mythics like Shurelya's Battlesong or Imperial Mandate.

The only stats support mythics provide you that are actually valuable is Ability Haste and base mana regeneration, but like i said, you will be given enough mana to wipe everyone up. The only concern here is ability haste so, though rod's passive does give a small amount, procced at your own risk.

SPIRIT VISAGE - 10 Ability Haste - 450 Health - 100% Base Health Regeneration - 50 Magic Resistance

UNIQUE Passive: Increases all healing and shielding received by 25%.

The item speaks for itself. With building Spirit Visage, you are going to receive 100% Base Health Regen with it's passive amplifying all healing and shielding effect on you by 30%. Your passive's shield, Fey Feathers, is going to be stronger, and your Q, Gleaming Quill, will heal you more.

Plus, if there's any other healing and shielding champion on your team, you are going to thrive even stronger. There are actually a lot of champions who has shielding that does well in other lanes, as you have taken the support position. They include, but not limited to, Nilah, Senna going marksman in bottom, Annie, Seraphine, Sona mid (ye i've seen it actually quite strong), Karma, K'Sante, Orianna, etc, going on other lanes. These champion vibes with Spirit Visage so well to enhance his shielding and healing.

PROS • Stacking a lot of HP and AP, which comes back to high Q healing and passive shielding • VERY high damage if stacked more AP items on top • Sustain extremely well in lane thanks to increased regen effects • Can be sticky enough to allow teammates to attack • Heal teammates just as well to help them stay in combat, heal your self even more

CONS • Cannot tank well enough if targeted by a lot of sources of burst damage • Lack ability haste compared to other builds • Cannot buff movement speed and attack speed for teammates, as building those items does not resonate with this build. • Protecting ADC in the early game is a harder task

GUARDIAN This is absolutely the best option to keep you and your ADC protected during the early game, and its effect is still strong throughout the game. Rakan is very often seen using his Battle Dance to snatch himself to his ADC, whether to protect, to close the gap and engage, or to retreat safely, he would be immediately be right in range to have this keystone proc.

AFTERSHOCK This keystone is the best to become even more tanky upon being the only frontline in your team. Aftershock provides increased Amor and Magic Resist after your W and R, which allows you to stay tanky after an engage. This is less suggested as it leans more on successful teamfights than protecting ADC.

CHEAPSHOT ✦ Cheap Shot Cheap shot is prefered over Sudden Impact in most cases because it applies to all kind of dammage onto the enemy affected by your W and R. Sudden Impact is only good when you build Lich Bane and Nashor's Tooth, because after the effect proc, you can only damage them with Q and AA during the effect time.

ZOMBIE WARD ✦ Zombie Ward Zombie ward is vitally important as you are a support. It is the best vision control ward working well with the playstyle of bringing oracle lens after upgrading relics, scanning important warding spots and temporarily save your own number of wards to allow less options to be decided during warding.

ULTIMATE HUNTER ✦ Ultimate Hunter Ultimate Hunter is a great way to take back some of the Ability Haste you lack, but it only on your ultimate. This makes you readily prepared for combats better, but still cannot jump around with W and E as often.

ABSOLUTE FOCUS ✦ Absolute Focus Abolute Focus is an amazing option for builds that focus on ability power and damage dealing. This vibes well with your Q healing too.

GATHERING STORM ✦ Gathering Storm Same reason. Simply understand this as AP = good.

TRANSCENDENCE ✦ Transcendence Transcendence is a great tool to regain the Ability Haste you lost to build this. Though, sacrificing cheap shot and zombie ward may lose valuable aspects of supporting the game.

Assuming you are in blue side. The following maps showcase everywhere you should ward. This is my personal preferences of warding. Your task during the mid-game is purely warding, attend teamfights, protect ADC, and pushing mid lane.