Ekko 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 Ekko ARAM build is an AP assassin path: Hextech Rocketbelt for a second dash, Lich Bane for burst, Zhonya’s Hourglass for survival. Riot helps him here. 110% damage dealt, 120% Tenacity, damage taken unchanged.

His patch 26.21 abilities set the item order, with each item read from its own description. Win rates weren’t looked at.

How is Ekko changed in ARAM?

Two buffs and a neutral line. Ekko deals 110% damage, a healthy bump for an assassin, and his Tenacity sits at 120%, so crowd control on him wears off faster. Damage taken is unchanged at 100%. Why the Tenacity? ARAM teams throw a lot of crowd control into a narrow lane, and an assassin who dives in has to survive it long enough to use Chronobreak (that’s our reading of it, at least). The damage buff makes the dive worth it.

Why does Ekko work on the Howling Abyss?

His W stun and his ultimate both hit areas, and the enemy team stands together. Riot’s patch 26.21 data:

• Z-Drive Resonance (passive): the third attack or damaging spell on the same target adds bonus magic damage and, on a champion, a burst of speed.
• Timewinder (Q): a grenade that opens a slowing field when it hits an enemy champion, then returns to Ekko, damaging again. Cooldown 9/8.5/8/7.5/7.
• Parallel Convergence (W): bonus magic damage to low-Health enemies on attack; cast, it opens an anomaly after a few seconds that slows, and entering it shields Ekko and stuns enemies inside. Cooldown 22/20/18/16/14.
• Phase Dive (E): an evasive roll, then an attack that teleports him to the target. Cooldown 9/8.5/8/7.5/7.
• Chronobreak (R): untargetable, he rewinds to where he was a few seconds ago, heals for part of the damage taken in that window, and deals heavy damage around his arrival point. Cooldown 110/80/50.

Parallel Convergence stuns every enemy inside the anomaly when Ekko enters it, and in a narrow lane the anomaly often lands on several champions at once. Chronobreak deals heavy damage to enemies near his arrival zone, which, if he dived in from the middle of a fight, is usually still the middle of the fight. Funny enough, the 120% Tenacity helps the W the most. It takes a few seconds to arm, and Ekko has to walk into it, so shorter crowd control means he gets there in time more often. His problem? He’s still a 125-range assassin without much Health.

What should an Ekko ARAM build focus on?

Ability Power with a mobility item, then burst and a defensive active. Four items and boots.

Hextech Rocketbelt first. Its Supersonic active dashes in a target direction and fires missiles that deal magic damage, which is a second gap closer next to Phase Dive. The 350 Health is welcome, and the 10 Ability Haste shortens his W and Chronobreak. Rocketbelt into Phase Dive covers a lot of ground before the enemy team reacts.

Lich Bane comes second. Its Spellblade adds bonus magic damage to the next attack after an ability, and Phase Dive ends in an empowered attack, which is exactly the setup Spellblade wants. Every Timewinder, Parallel Convergence or Phase Dive arms it again. On paper it’s 100 Ability Power (a lot, for the price) with a little Move Speed and Ability Haste mixed in.

Zhonya’s Hourglass goes third. Its Time Stop active puts Ekko in Stasis for 2.5 seconds. Chronobreak rewinds him to where he was a few seconds ago, so a Stasis right after diving buys time for the enemy to waste their burst, and then the rewind takes him out. Add 105 Ability Power and 50 Armor.

The last slot is damage. Rabadon’s Deathcap raises total Ability Power by 30% through Magical Opus, while Void Staff gives 40% Magic Penetration against teams that stack Magic Resist. Boots: Sorcerer’s Shoes for 12 Magic Penetration.

How do you play Ekko on the Howling Abyss?

• Place Parallel Convergence where the fight will be. The anomaly arms after a few seconds, so drop it ahead of your engage.
• Use Phase Dive to land inside the anomaly. Entering it shields Ekko and stuns every enemy inside.
• Note your position before diving. Chronobreak returns you to where you were a few seconds earlier, damaging enemies near that spot.
• Throw Timewinder through the group. It slows on the way out and damages again on the return.
• Hold Zhonya’s for the moment after you dive. Stasis buys time for Chronobreak to come up again or for the enemy to waste cooldowns.

How do shopping and Mark work for Ekko?

Recall isn’t available in ARAM. Buying happens at the fountain at the start and each time you respawn, so head for Hextech Rocketbelt components first, since the extra dash is what lets him reach the backline. Health relics on the lane are important for him; he has no healing besides Chronobreak.

Whatever two summoners you lock in, you keep. Mark lets you dash to the champion your snowball hits, and on Ekko that’s a third way in next to Phase Dive and Rocketbelt. Too many dashes? Not really. To be fair, Flash is still valuable for escaping when Chronobreak is down, so the choice comes down to how aggressive your team comp is.

Is Ekko good in ARAM?

Yes. His modifiers, 110% damage dealt, 100% damage taken and 120% Tenacity, all lean in his favor, and the narrow lane suits his area stun and his ultimate. Long story short, he’s a strong diver who needs to pick the right moment, since a mistimed dive with Chronobreak down usually ends in the fountain.

The mid laners who beat him on the Rift are covered in the Ekko counters guide. Ekko plays both mid and jungle on the Rift, and our guide to LoL roles explains both. Every item here has a page (with patch numbers) in the LoL items database, and his outfits are on the Ekko skins page.

Put simply, the Ekko ARAM build is Hextech Rocketbelt, Lich Bane, Zhonya’s Hourglass and Rabadon’s Deathcap or Void Staff, and the plan is landing inside an armed anomaly with Chronobreak ready to pull you out.

FAQ

Is Ekko buffed in ARAM?

Yes. The Wiki’s patch 26.21 data gives Ekko 110% damage dealt, 100% damage taken and 120% Tenacity in ARAM.

What items does the Ekko ARAM build use?

Hextech Rocketbelt, Lich Bane, Zhonya’s Hourglass, and Rabadon’s Deathcap or Void Staff, with Sorcerer’s Shoes.

Why build Lich Bane on Ekko?

Lich Bane’s Spellblade adds bonus magic damage to the attack after an ability. Phase Dive ends in an empowered attack, so the two combine on every dive.

How does Ekko’s stun work on the Howling Abyss?

Parallel Convergence creates an anomaly after a few seconds. If Ekko enters it, he gains a shield and stuns enemies inside, which can hit several champions in a narrow lane.

Were win rates used for this build?

No. Thing is, his patch 26.21 kit asks for a second dash, a Spellblade and a safety button, and the items follow from that.