Azir ARAM Build and Guide

Updated for patch 26.21. Ability details come from Riot’s official game data for this patch; ARAM balance numbers come from the League of Legends Wiki’s champion data.

An Azir ARAM build leans on long fights and safe distance: Liandry’s Torment and Zhonya’s Hourglass first, then Rabadon’s Deathcap and Void Staff, so his soldiers keep poking from behind the front line. On the Howling Abyss he takes 95% damage and gets 20 bonus Ability Haste.

The order came from his patch 26.21 kit and item text, nothing else. Win rates weren’t part of it.

What are Azir’s ARAM balance changes?

For an Azir ARAM game, the defensive pair is what counts. Damage taken drops to 95%, which matters for a mage with one dash and no other escape, and the flat 20 Ability Haste shaves time off Conquering Sands, Shifting Sands and Emperor’s Divide before he owns a single item. Damage dealt stays at 100%. The Attack Speed line (102.5%) is easy to ignore, although soldiers do replace his basic attack, so it isn’t completely wasted. Why does the haste matter so much? Shifting Sands sits at 22 seconds on rank 1, and on one lane that’s the gap between surviving a dive and not.

How does Azir’s kit work on the Howling Abyss?

From Riot’s patch 26.21 data:

• Shurima’s Legacy (passive): he can summon the Disc of the Sun from the ruins of allied or enemy turrets.
• Conquering Sands (Q): sends all Sand Soldiers to a location, dealing magic damage to enemies they pass through and slowing for 1 second. Cooldown 14/12/10/8/6.
• Arise! (W): summons a Sand Soldier that attacks nearby targets for him; its attacks hit enemies in a line with magic damage. Cooldown 1.5.
• Shifting Sands (E): shields him briefly and dashes him to one of his soldiers, damaging enemies; hitting an enemy champion halts the dash and readies a new soldier. Cooldown 22/20.5/19/17.5/16.
• Emperor’s Divide (R): a wall of soldiers charges forward, knocking enemies back and damaging them. Cooldown 120/105/90.

One lane is good news for line damage. Soldier attacks pierce through enemies in a line, and on a narrow lane where five players stand close together, a single soldier often hits two or three of them per attack (more if the enemy front line is careless). Conquering Sands slows everyone the soldiers pass through. Then there’s the wall. Emperor’s Divide pushes divers back toward their own side, and on the Abyss there’s nowhere sideways for them to go, so a well-aimed ult can split a team in half. His weak point doesn’t change, though: 525 range, one dash, and the dash needs a soldier.

Which items should an Azir ARAM build use?

Damage that grows over a long fight, plus one item that saves him. Four items and boots.

Liandry’s Torment goes first. Torment burns enemies hit by his damaging abilities for 2% of their max Health as magic damage per second over 3 seconds, and Suffering adds 2% bonus damage for each second in combat with champions, up to 6%. ARAM fights rarely end fast. Suffering hits its cap in most of them, and the burn keeps stacking onto anyone a soldier line passes through, which on a crowded lane is almost everyone. The 300 Health is a nice extra for a mage who lacks any.

Zhonya’s Hourglass is the second buy, honestly earlier if the enemy has two divers. Time Stop puts him in stasis for 2.5 seconds, which covers the moment after Shifting Sands is spent and an assassin lands on him anyway. It also brings 50 Armor and 105 Ability Power.

Rabadon’s Deathcap third (the boring pick, but the math is hard to argue with). Magical Opus raises his total Ability Power by 30%, and it’s worth more the more AP already sits in his inventory, which is why it waits until two items are done.

Void Staff last: 40 Magic Penetration, because tanks on the Abyss tend to stack Magic Resist late. Sorcerer’s Shoes add 12 flat Magic Penetration on top for the same reason.

How should you play Azir on the Howling Abyss?

• Keep a soldier behind you. Shifting Sands dashes to a soldier, so a soldier placed toward your side of the lane is your escape route.
• Poke through the front line. Soldier attacks hit in a line, so aim Arise! where enemies stack up.
• Save Emperor’s Divide for divers. The wall knocks enemies back, which undoes an engage on you or your carry.
• Use Conquering Sands to slow, not just to damage. Everyone the soldiers pass through is slowed for 1 second.
• Grab the Disc of the Sun when a turret falls. Shurima’s Legacy works on enemy turret ruins too.

How do fountain shopping and Mark change things for him?

You can’t recall. Shopping happens at the fountain at the start and each time you respawn, so the first visit should go toward Liandry’s Torment, since its burn does nothing until the item is complete. Health relics on the map are the only healing between deaths, and Azir, who has no self-heal, should grab one before each big fight if nobody else needs it (to be fair, the tank usually needs it more).

Look, the summoner spells you lock in are the ones you keep all match. Mark throws a snowball and lets you dash to whoever it hits, and on Azir that’s a second dash straight into the enemy team, which is the opposite of what a 525-range mage wants. Flash stays. Is there a case for Mark? Mark is fine only if you plan to use it as an Emperor’s Divide setup, and even then it’s a gamble.

Is Azir good in ARAM?

He’s solid. Lower damage taken and free haste land on the two things he lacks most, survivability and uptime, and the single narrow lane turns his line-piercing soldiers into constant multi-target poke. The weakness stays the same as on the Rift: catch him without a soldier near him and he has nowhere to go.

Champions that exploit that are in the Azir counters guide. Full stats for every item above sit in the League items list, and his skins have their own Azir cosmetics page.

In practice, the Azir ARAM build is Liandry’s Torment, Zhonya’s Hourglass, Rabadon’s Deathcap and Void Staff with Sorcerer’s Shoes, and the plan is soldiers in front, one soldier behind, and the wall for anyone who dives.

FAQ

Is Azir buffed in ARAM?

Yes: he takes 95% damage and gets 20 bonus Ability Haste, while damage dealt is 100% (Wiki data, patch 26.21).

What is the best Azir ARAM build?

Liandry’s Torment, Zhonya’s Hourglass, Rabadon’s Deathcap and Void Staff, with Sorcerer’s Shoes.

Why does Azir need Zhonya’s Hourglass on one lane?

Shifting Sands is his only escape and it needs a soldier. Time Stop gives a second way out when the dash is down.

Can Azir’s soldiers hit more than one enemy?

Yes. Sand Soldier attacks deal magic damage to enemies in a line, so on a narrow lane they often hit several champions.

How was this Azir build chosen?

From his patch 26.21 ability text and the item descriptions: long fights favor Liandry’s Torment, and a single escape calls for Zhonya’s Hourglass. No win-rate data was used.