Brand 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.

A Brand ARAM build piles burn on burn: Blackfire Torch and Liandry’s Torment first, then Rylai’s Crystal Scepter and Void Staff, so every spell keeps the whole enemy team on fire. Riot nerfs him on the Howling Abyss to 95% damage dealt and 110% damage taken.

Each item earned its slot by what its text does for his patch 26.21 spells. Nobody’s win rates came into it.

What are Brand’s ARAM nerfs?

Two of them, and they make sense. Brand is an area mage on a map that packs ten champions into one lane, so his fire reaches more targets per cast than anywhere else, and Riot answers with 95% damage dealt and 110% damage taken. In practice the first barely shows, since more targets per spell outweighs a few percent off each hit. The second hurts more. A mage with no dash who takes extra damage has to stand farther back than on the Rift, and that changes how you place Pillar of Flame (farther ahead, cast earlier).

Why is Brand so strong on the Howling Abyss?

From Riot’s patch 26.21 data:

• Blaze (passive): spells set targets ablaze for damage over 4 seconds, stacking up to 3 times; at max stacks on a champion, it detonates after 2 seconds in an area.
• Sear (Q): a fireball that stuns a target already ablaze. Cooldown 8/7.5/7/6.5/6.
• Pillar of Flame (W): a delayed pillar that damages enemies in an area, hitting burning targets harder. Cooldown 10/9.5/9/8.5/8.
• Conflagration (E): a blast that spreads to nearby enemies, farther if the target is ablaze. Cooldown 13/12/11/10/9.
• Pyroclasm (R): bounces up to 5 times between Brand and nearby enemies, prioritizing max Blaze on champions and slowing burning targets. Cooldown 100/90/80.

Clumps feed Blaze. On a narrow lane enemies stand close together, so Conflagration spreads to two or three of them, Pillar of Flame catches the same group, and suddenly several champions carry Blaze stacks at once. Each one that hits three stacks detonates on its neighbors. Pyroclasm is even better here: with five enemies near each other, every one of its bounces finds a champion, not a minion. Is there a downside? He’s the easiest target on the map for any assassin with a dash, and ARAM rolls plenty of those.

Which items fit a Brand ARAM build?

Burns that stack with Blaze, plus a slow. Four items and boots.

Blackfire Torch comes first. Baleful Blaze makes his damaging abilities burn for bonus magic damage over 3 seconds, and Blackfire adds a slice of Ability Power for each enemy champion affected by that burn. With Conflagration spreading through a group, that’s often three or four champions at once. It brings 80 Ability Power, 600 Mana and 20 Ability Haste as well, and Brand spends a lot of Mana.

Liandry’s Torment is the second burn. Torment deals 2% of max Health per second as magic damage for 3 seconds on ability hits, which hurts tanks who’d otherwise shrug off Blaze. Suffering grows his damage the longer he stays in combat with champions, up to 6%. The 300 Health is welcome given the damage taken nerf.

Rylai’s Crystal Scepter third. Rimefrost slows enemies hit by his damaging abilities by 30% for 1 second, so a Pillar of Flame that lands becomes a slow on the whole group, which keeps them inside the next Blaze detonation. Another 400 Health comes with it (honestly, the Health is half the reason).

Void Staff last: 40% Magic Penetration, because ARAM tanks pick up Magic Resist as the game drags on. On his feet, Sorcerer’s Shoes stack 12 more penetration, flat this time.

How do you play him in team fights?

• Open with Conflagration on the middle target. It spreads to nearby enemies, and twice as far if the target is already burning.
• Sear only a burning target. The stun needs Blaze already on them.
• Drop Pillar of Flame where they’ll be. It hits after a short delay, so aim ahead of the group.
• Cast Pyroclasm into a clump. With enemies close together, all of its bounces find champions.
• Stand behind your frontline. No dash, no shield, and 110% damage taken.

How do fountain shopping and Mark affect Brand?

You won’t recall. Shopping happens at the fountain at the start and each time you respawn, so aim to finish Blackfire Torch first; its Ability Power bonus only counts with the full item. Health relics are the only healing between deaths, and Brand, who takes extra damage, should grab one when nobody else is close (sure, the tank comes first if he’s lower).

Spells lock when the game loads. Mark throws a snowball that lets him dash to the target, which on a mage who wants distance mostly means jumping into five enemies. Thing is, Flash solves the problem Brand actually has, which is getting away from a diver. Why gamble on Mark? There’s rarely a good reason.

Is Brand good in ARAM?

Very. The 95% damage dealt and 110% damage taken nerfs are real, but a narrow lane that keeps enemies clumped together suits Blaze better than any map in the game. Long story short, his weakness is the same as on the Rift. Anyone who reaches him first wins.

The supports and divers who catch him are listed in our Brand counters guide. The League item index has full stats for everything above, the roles explainer covers how mages fit a team, and his skins sit on the Brand skins page.

To sum up the Brand ARAM build: Blackfire Torch, Liandry’s Torment, Rylai’s Crystal Scepter and Void Staff with Sorcerer’s Shoes, cast into the biggest group you can find, from as far back as you can.

FAQ

Is Brand nerfed in ARAM?

Slightly. The Wiki’s patch 26.21 data puts his damage dealt at 95% and his damage taken at 110%.

What is the best Brand ARAM build?

Blackfire Torch, Liandry’s Torment, Rylai’s Crystal Scepter and Void Staff, with Sorcerer’s Shoes.

Why does Blackfire Torch suit him?

Blackfire grants Ability Power for each enemy champion burning from Baleful Blaze, and Brand’s spells hit several champions at once.

How does Blaze work?

Brand’s spells set targets ablaze, stacking up to 3 times. At max stacks on a champion, Blaze detonates after 2 seconds and damages everyone around them.

How was this Brand build chosen?

From his patch 26.21 kit and item text: area spells that burn want items that burn and slow. No win-rate data was used.