Orianna 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 Orianna ARAM build is a Mana and Ability Haste mage build that keeps the Ball firing and Shockwave coming back fast. ARAM balance cuts both ways. Her damage output sits at 90% and the damage she suffers at 105%. Her ultimate still pulls every enemy near the Ball together, and in one lane that’s a lot of enemies.

Every pick below traces back to a line in her patch 26.21 kit and a passive in the shop. We skipped win-rate tables entirely.

How is Orianna changed in ARAM?

Two cuts, then. She deals 10% less damage and takes 5% more. Why would Riot trim a mage here? Because a single lane is where Command: Attack poke and Shockwave shine brightest: enemies walk in a straight line toward a Ball that drops to a 3 second cooldown, and a five-man team clumped in a corridor is the ideal Shockwave target. The damage cut makes her poke a little less oppressive, which is fair enough on a champion whose Q comes back every 3 seconds at rank 5. Her utility is untouched, and that’s still what wins her fights.

Why does Orianna still work on the Howling Abyss?

Because nothing in ARAM balance touches her shield, her slow or the pull. Riot’s text for patch 26.21:

• Clockwork Windup (passive): extra magic damage on attacks, building up on repeated hits against one target.
• Command: Attack (Q): sends the Ball to a location, damaging enemies on the way; it stays where it lands. Cooldown 7/6/5/4/3.
• Command: Dissonance (W): a magic damage pulse around the Ball that leaves a field speeding allies and slowing enemies. Cooldown 7.
• Command: Protect (E): the Ball attaches to an allied champion with a Shield plus bonus Armor and Magic Resist, damaging enemies it crosses. Cooldown 9.
• Command: Shockwave (R): a delayed shockwave from the Ball that damages and launches nearby enemies toward it. Cooldown 110/95/80.

Shockwave is the reason to lock her in. On the Rift it catches whoever happens to be near the Ball; in ARAM, where the enemy team stands shoulder to shoulder, it can launch four or five people into one spot. Thing is, Command: Protect adds a second trick. Put the Ball on the ally who dives first (usually the tank), and Shockwave goes off from the middle of the enemy team without Orianna ever moving. Honestly, that combo alone justifies the nerf, and it’s the first thing to practise if you’re new to her.

What should an Orianna ARAM build focus on?

Ability Haste and Mana first, damage second. Why Mana before damage? With no recall, it runs out faster than anything else on a champion who casts every few seconds.

In practice, Blackfire Torch is the first item. Baleful Blaze makes damaging abilities burn for bonus magic damage over 3 seconds, and Blackfire adds a slice of Ability Power for each enemy champion currently burning. Dissonance and Shockwave both hit several enemies at once, so the stacks build fast. It carries 600 Mana and 20 Ability Haste too.

Malignance is second. Scorn adds 20 Ultimate Ability Haste, shortening the 110 second wait for Shockwave, and Hatefog burns the ground under every champion the ultimate hits for 3s while cutting their Magic Resist. After a five-man Shockwave, that’s five burning patches.

Third, Rabadon’s Deathcap: 130 Ability Power and Magical Opus, which raises total Ability Power by 30%. Put simply, it’s the item that recovers most of the damage the modifier takes away. Zhonya’s Hourglass is fourth, since 105% damage taken on a champion with no dash means getting caught hurts, and Time Stop gives 2.5 seconds of Stasis. Boots are Sorcerer’s Shoes (12 Magic Penetration), or Ionian Boots of Lucidity for more Haste.

How do you play Orianna on the Howling Abyss?

• Park the Ball where enemies walk. Command: Attack leaves it at the target location, and Dissonance or Shockwave come out from there.
• Put the Ball on your diver with Command: Protect. When they land, Shockwave goes off in the enemy backline.
• Slow chasers with Dissonance. The field slows enemies and speeds your team, which is your only escape.
• Stand behind your frontline. With no dash and extra damage taken, you can’t afford to be the first target.
• Attack between casts. Clockwork Windup’s damage grows the more you hit the same target.

How do no-recall shopping and Mark affect Orianna?

Recall doesn’t exist on this map. The fountain is open at the start and after each death, and the relics on the lane are the only refill between. For a mage casting every few seconds, Mana is the real limit, which is why Blackfire Torch with its Mana comes first. Run dry and you’re auto-attacking (Clockwork Windup helps, but not much).

Mark hands you a snowball that, on a hit, opens a dash to whoever it struck. Summoners are chosen before loading and don’t change. On Orianna it’s an odd fit, since she wants to stay behind her team, but a snowball hit on the enemy carry followed by Command: Protect on yourself and a dash in turns into a surprise Shockwave. To be fair, most Orianna players keep a defensive spell instead. Mark is for the confident.

Is Orianna good in ARAM?

She’s fine, with the nerfs priced in. The 90% damage dealt and 105% damage taken modifiers cut her damage and make her squishier, but a clumped enemy team is the best possible Shockwave target, and her shield, slow and pull all keep full strength. Her weakness hasn’t changed: no dash, 525 range, and a Ball that can only be in one place.

The assassins who punish that are covered in our Orianna counters guide. On the Rift she plays mid, and our roles guide for LoL explains what that means. Full numbers for every item named here are in the LoL item database, and the Orianna skins page collects her cosmetics.

The Orianna ARAM build, in short: Blackfire Torch, Malignance, Rabadon’s Deathcap and Zhonya’s Hourglass, with the Ball parked where the enemy has to walk.

FAQ

Is Orianna nerfed in ARAM?

Yes. Her patch 26.21 ARAM modifiers in the League of Legends Wiki’s data are 90% damage dealt and 105% damage taken.

What items should Orianna build in ARAM?

Blackfire Torch, Malignance, Rabadon’s Deathcap and Zhonya’s Hourglass, with Sorcerer’s Shoes or Ionian Boots of Lucidity.

Why Blackfire Torch first?

Its burn hits every enemy her abilities damage, and it grants Ability Power for each burning champion, which suits Dissonance and Shockwave. It also gives Mana for a mode with no recall.

Can Orianna cast Shockwave from an ally?

Yes. If Command: Protect has attached the Ball to an ally, Shockwave goes off from wherever that ally stands.

How were these items picked?

Each item had to fit something her patch 26.21 kit actually does. Win rates never came up.