Heimerdinger 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 Heimerdinger ARAM build is a poke-and-zone mage build: Luden’s Echo for rocket damage, Rylai’s Crystal Scepter for slows, Zhonya’s Hourglass for the dive, and Void Staff late. The Howling Abyss nerfs him to 90% damage dealt and 110% damage taken, because turrets on a single lane are hard to walk around.

We built the list by reading his patch 26.21 kit against each item. Win-rate sites played no role.

Why is Heimerdinger nerfed in ARAM?

Because the lane can’t be avoided. On Summoner’s Rift, a team can take another route around a turret nest; on the Abyss, every fight passes through it. So Riot sets his damage dealt at 90% and his damage taken at 110%. The first hurts his rockets and turrets a little. The second makes him easier to burst when someone does reach him (and someone always tries).

How do turrets work on the Howling Abyss?

His abilities, per Riot’s patch 26.21 data:

• Hextech Affinity (passive): Move Speed near allied towers and his own turrets.
• H-28 G Evolution Turret (Q): places a rapid-fire turret with a pass-through beam; it deals half damage to towers. Cooldown 1.
• Hextech Micro-Rockets (W): long-range rockets that converge on the cursor. Cooldown 11/10/9/8/7.
• CH-2 Electron Storm Grenade (E): damages, stuns anyone hit directly, and slows those nearby. Cooldown 11.
• UPGRADE! (R): makes his next spell stronger. Cooldown 100/85/70.

A single narrow lane means enemies have to walk into his turret zone to fight at all. Set up turrets slightly behind your front line, and every enemy who engages fights them too. The grenade stuns anyone hit directly and slows the rest, which on a crowded lane often means a stun plus several slows. Rockets converge on the cursor, so aim them into the middle of a group. His weak point? A diver who gets past the turrets finds a squishy mage taking 110% damage.

What items does a Heimerdinger ARAM build need?

Area damage, slows, safety and penetration. Four items and boots, with nothing that requires him to walk toward the enemy.

Luden’s Echo goes first. Every damaging ability fires 6 Echoes of bonus magic damage at the target and enemies around it, and rockets plus grenade on a clumped lane set it off on several champions at once. It also brings 100 Ability Power and 600 Mana.

Rylai’s Crystal Scepter second. Rimefrost slows anyone his damaging abilities hit by 30% for 1 second, so rockets and the grenade both leave enemies stuck in the turret zone longer. The 400 Health is welcome against the damage taken nerf.

Zhonya’s Hourglass third. When an assassin finally reaches him, Time Stop freezes him for 2.5 seconds while the turrets keep firing at whoever came in. That’s the whole point of the item on him.

Void Staff last, with 40% Magic Penetration for tanks who’ve stacked Magic Resist by the late game. Sorcerer’s Shoes give another 12 flat penetration (honestly, the default pick here).

How should he play team fights?

• Place turrets behind your front line. Enemies have to fight through them to reach your team.
• Rocket the clump. Hextech Micro-Rockets converge on the cursor, so aim at the middle of the group.
• Grenade the diver. CH-2 stuns anyone hit directly, ideal for the assassin coming at you.
• Upgrade the grenade or rockets for fights, turrets for sieges. UPGRADE! empowers the next spell.
• Stay near your turrets. Hextech Affinity gives Move Speed close to them, his only mobility.

How do shopping and Mark work for Heimerdinger?

Recall doesn’t exist here. Luden’s Echo parts are the first thing to grab whenever he’s standing in the fountain, because the Echo bolts only fire from the finished item. Health relics are worth a detour for a mage taking 110% damage (sure, if they’re near your turrets).

The summoner spells picked in the lobby stay for the whole game. A Mark hit gives a dash to the target, which pulls Heimerdinger away from his turrets, the opposite of what he wants. Flash is the obvious choice. Does Mark ever make sense? Funny enough, only to finish a fleeing low-Health enemy, and turrets already do that.

Is Heimerdinger good in ARAM?

Yes, despite the nerfs. 90% damage dealt and 110% damage taken are real, but a single lane forces every enemy to fight through his turrets, and few champions zone a lane that well. His weakness hasn’t changed: anyone who gets past the turrets.

Supports and divers who manage that are named in our Heimerdinger counters guide. Full item stats sit in the item list, the roles page explains mage supports, and his skins are on the Heimerdinger skins page.

Put simply, the Heimerdinger ARAM build is Luden’s Echo, Rylai’s Crystal Scepter, Zhonya’s Hourglass and Void Staff with Sorcerer’s Shoes, and the plan is to set turrets behind your team, rocket the clump, and grenade whoever dives.

FAQ

Is Heimerdinger nerfed in ARAM?

Yes. According to the Wiki’s patch 26.21 data, he deals 90% damage and takes 110%.

What is the best Heimerdinger ARAM build?

Four items: Luden’s Echo, Rylai’s, Zhonya’s and Void Staff. Boots: Sorcerer’s Shoes.

Where should the turrets go?

Slightly behind your front line, so enemies who engage have to fight through them.

What does UPGRADE! do?

It gives his next spell increased effects, on a 100/85/70 second cooldown.

How was this Heimerdinger build chosen?

From his patch 26.21 kit and item text: area spells on a narrow lane want area damage and slows, and a squishy mage wants stasis. No win-rate data was used.