Draven 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 Draven ARAM build goes all in on Attack Damage: Bloodthirster for sustain, Infinity Edge and Lord Dominik’s Regards for crits through Armor, then Guardian Angel as insurance. Riot is generous here: 95% damage taken, 105% damage dealt.

Axes first, items second: we read his patch 26.21 abilities, then picked what amplifies them. We skipped win-rate sites entirely.

Does Draven get ARAM buffs?

He does, honestly more than most marksmen. Damage dealt rises to 105% and damage taken drops to 95%, so the axes hit a bit harder and he lives a bit longer. The defensive line matters more. No dash means an assassin who lands on him usually wins, and the cut buys him an extra hit (sometimes two). Nothing else changes, so the rest of his ARAM strength depends on whether he can keep catching axes in the middle of a brawl.

How does his kit work on one lane?

Riot’s patch 26.21 data on his abilities:

• League of Draven (passive): Adoration from catching Spinning Axes and killing minions, monsters or towers; champion kills turn it into bonus gold.
• Spinning Axe (Q): next attack deals bonus physical damage, and the axe bounces up to be caught for another; two at once at most. Cooldown 12/11/10/9/8.
• Blood Rush (W): Attack Speed and fast-decaying Move Speed, refreshed by catching an axe. Cooldown 12.
• Stand Aside (E): axes that damage, knock aside and slow. Cooldown 16/15/14/13/12.
• Whirling Death (R): two axes fly out, reverse after hitting a champion, and execute targets below his Adoration count. Cooldown 100/90/80.

Gold is the hidden stat here. League of Draven pays bonus gold for champion kills based on Adoration, and an ARAM game has far more champion kills than a bot lane, so a Draven who keeps catching axes finishes items faster than anyone else on the map. Whirling Death also crosses the whole lane, reversing after the first champion it hits, and its execute threshold grows with Adoration. The problem? Catching axes means moving to a fixed spot, and on a narrow lane with five enemies throwing skillshots, that spot gets crowded. In practice, throw axes so they land behind you, toward safety.

What should a Draven ARAM build include?

Raw damage, a bit of Life Steal, and one second chance. Four items and boots.

Bloodthirster opens. Its 80 Attack Damage feeds Spinning Axe’s bonus damage, the 15% Life Steal is his only healing on a map without recall, and Ichorshield turns extra healing from Life Steal into a Shield. That last part matters in ARAM (more than on the Rift, where he can walk back to base and heal). Full Health between fights is rare, and the shield gives him a cushion when he steps forward to catch an axe.

Infinity Edge second. It brings 75 Attack Damage, 25% Critical Strike Chance and 30% Critical Strike Damage, so each crit with an axe in hand lands much harder.

Lord Dominik’s Regards third. 35% Armor Penetration helps against tanks who stack Armor late, and Giant Slayer adds up to 15% bonus damage against champions with high bonus Health, maxing at 1500. ARAM frontlines often get there (tanks with two or three Health items, mostly).

Guardian Angel last. Rebirth puts him in stasis for 4 seconds on lethal damage, then restores 50% base Health and full Mana, which is a second life for the ADC everyone targets. Berserker’s Greaves give 30% Attack Speed; Blood Rush covers some, but the boots keep axes cycling faster.

How should he fight on the Howling Abyss?

• Throw axes so they land behind you. (This takes practice, but it’s the whole trick.) Catching them should move you away from the enemy, not into them.
• Keep two axes going when it’s safe. Spinning Axe can be held twice at once.
• Use Stand Aside on divers. It knocks targets aside and slows them, which buys time for your support.
• Cast Whirling Death across the lane. It hits everything in its path and reverses after the first champion, so it can hit twice.
• Track your Adoration. Whirling Death executes enemies below that number, and champion kills turn it into gold.

How do shopping and Mark work for him?

Real talk, the fountain is the only shop he’ll see, once at the start and again after every death. Start toward Bloodthirster, because its Life Steal is his only real healing. Health relics on the map are worth grabbing (just don’t drop an axe for one), since an ADC who loses half his Health in poke has no other way back up.

Summoner spells lock before loading. A snowball that drags him toward its target is the last thing a 550-range marksman should want. Flash is the obvious choice. Is there a case for Mark? Funny enough, only to chase a low-Health target into Whirling Death range, and even then, most games it isn’t worth the risk.

Is Draven good in ARAM?

Yes, if he keeps his axes. 105% damage dealt and 95% damage taken help him, and constant champion kills feed League of Draven’s bonus gold far faster than a bot lane. The weakness stays. Catching axes means moving to a predictable spot, and ARAM is full of skillshots aimed at exactly that.

The champions who punish him are named in the Draven counters guide. Stats for each item above are in our LoL items catalog, the League roles guide covers what an ADC does, and his skins sit on the Draven skins page.

Put simply, the Draven ARAM build is Bloodthirster, Infinity Edge, Lord Dominik’s Regards and Guardian Angel with Berserker’s Greaves, and the job is to keep catching axes from a safe spot while the gold piles up.

FAQ

Is Draven buffed in ARAM?

Yes. His patch 26.21 Wiki values are 105% damage dealt and 95% damage taken.

What is the best Draven ARAM build?

Bloodthirster first, then Infinity Edge, Lord Dominik’s Regards and Guardian Angel, on Berserker’s Greaves.

Does League of Draven work on the Howling Abyss?

Yes. Catching axes and killing units builds Adoration, and champion kills grant bonus gold based on it.

How does Whirling Death execute?

It executes enemies whose Health is below Draven’s number of Adoration stacks.

How was this Draven build chosen?

From his patch 26.21 kit and item text: an attack-based carry with no healing of his own wants Attack Damage, crits and Life Steal. No win-rate data was used.