How to Play Naafiri in League of Legends? What Build, Runes, and Abilities?

Naafiri is the brand-new champion in League of Legends, already available on the live servers of League! She is a powerful Darkin trapped within a dagger by Myisha, an aspect of Targon, while she sought to become their leader. A human found the dagger but was attacked by desert dogs under Naafiri's influence. The blade spread through the pack, merging her consciousness with one of the canines. Now united, Naafiri and her pack aim to conquer Runeterra by sharing their wisdom with others.

If you're interested in playing Naafiri as Mid or Jungle, we offer a comprehensive guide with recommended items, runes, and the order to level her abilities!

The suggested runes for Naafiri in Mid and Jungle offer a mix of high damage, gold generation, and healing through Triumph. Of course, these choices can be adapted based on the enemy champions, but these runes will generally be the ones you go for.

For summoner spells, choose Flash, essential for most champions, whether for offensive or defensive purposes. If you're playing Jungle, opt for Smite, the standard spell for all Junglers. For the Mid lane, Ignite can be useful due to its significant early damage and healing reduction against champions with high regeneration.

Regarding the build, start with the Mythic item "Duskblade of Draktharr". In addition to providing significant bonus damage, its ability to become elusive after eliminating a target is perfect for escaping dangerous situations or continuing your offensive. As an alternative, if you prefer one-on-one duels, you can consider Eclipse as the Mythic item.

A standard build for Naafiri in Mid and Jungle includes the "Black Cleaver", which offers CDR, health, and armor reduction against enemies. Then, based on your opponents, choose "Serylda's Grudge" if you're facing tanks or "Ravenous Hydra" for sustain.

For late-game options, several interesting choices are available, such as "Death's Dance", "Serpent's Fang", "Edge of Night", and "Maw of Malmortius", each offering unique advantages depending on the situation. You can also consider "Hextech Chemblade" if you're facing compositions with a lot of healing.

As for boots, you can opt for "Steelcaps" to mitigate physical damage, especially from basic attacks. "Mercury's Treads" provide tenacity against various forms of crowd control, but it's important to note that they don't work against suppressions and knock-ups. "Lucidity Boots" are also a good choice, reducing cooldowns for more frequent ultimates and abilities. Avoid "Berserker's Greaves," as attack speed is not necessary for Naafiri.

Regarding abilities in Mid and Jungle, prioritize leveling them in the following order: Q, E, W, R. Generally, start with Q, put a point in E at level 2, and W at level 3.

You now have a solid foundation for playing Naafiri effectively in League of Legends!