Shaco ARAM Build and Guide

Updated for patch 26.22. 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 Shaco ARAM build leans on stealth and burst: Youmuu’s Ghostblade for speed, Umbral Glaive for a true-damage opener after Deceive, Infinity Edge for the crit, and Edge of Night to block the one spell that would catch him. Shaco carries a single ARAM modifier, a buff: he deals 105% damage on the Howling Abyss.

Each pick below traces back to a line of his patch 26.22 kit (boxes included). Nobody looked up win rates for this page.

How is Shaco changed in ARAM?

That’s the whole list. His damage goes up by 5%, and nothing else changes: no extra damage taken, no healing cut, no shield nerf (he has no shield anyway). Every other modifier sits at the normal 100%, so the rest of his numbers match Summoner’s Rift exactly. Why would Riot buff an assassin here? Because the Abyss is a bad map for one. There’s no jungle to hide in, no brush on the side lanes, and five enemies who can see him walk up the same bridge every fight, so the small damage bump is compensation for losing his favourite tricks.

Why is Shaco awkward on the Howling Abyss?

His kit assumes space. On a single lane, he has to make that space himself. The patch 26.22 abilities:

• Backstab (passive): extra damage on basic attacks and Two-Shiv Poison when he hits from behind.
• Deceive (Q): Shaco turns Invisible and teleports; his first attack while Invisible is empowered and crits from behind. Cooldown 13/12.5/12/11.5/11.
• Jack In The Box (W): a hidden box that fears and attacks nearby enemies once triggered. Cooldown 15.
• Two-Shiv Poison (E): his shivs poison and slow on hit; thrown, the shiv hits harder on targets under 30% health. Cooldown 8.
• Hallucinate (R): a clone that attacks nearby enemies and explodes into three mini boxes when it dies. Cooldown 100/90/80.

Getting behind someone is the hard part. On Summoner’s Rift he walks through fog; here the enemy backline stands behind its own frontline, and Deceive is his only teleport. Boxes do better than you’d expect, honestly. Fights in ARAM happen in the same few spots near the towers, so a box planted where the enemy team keeps standing will usually get triggered. Hallucinate then doubles the threat, and when the clone dies its three mini boxes land right in the fight (which is where the enemy team already is).

What should a Shaco ARAM build focus on?

Burst on one target, plus a way to survive the moment he appears. Shaco is 125 range, so once he reveals himself he’s in melee distance of everyone.

Youmuu’s Ghostblade comes first. It gives 55 Attack Damage and 18 Lethality, Haunt grants Move Speed out of combat, and the Wraith Step active adds Move Speed and Ghosting. That’s how he walks around the frontline instead of through it, then uses Deceive to close the last few steps.

Umbral Glaive is second. Its Nightstalker passive makes the next attack against a champion deal extra true damage after he’s been unseen for a short while, and Deceive makes him Invisible, so the opener stacks with the empowered crit. The item carries 60 Attack Damage and 18 Lethality. Sure, the ward-revealing passive matters less on the Abyss. The burst still does.

Infinity Edge third. Deceive’s first attack crits from behind, and Infinity Edge adds 30% Critical Strike Damage with 25% Critical Strike Chance and 75 Attack Damage. It’s 3,500 gold (the priciest piece on this list), so expect it late.

Edge of Night finishes it. Annul blocks the next enemy ability, which on a champion who jumps into five people is the difference between one stun and none, and the 250 Health gives him a bit more room. For boots, Boots of Swiftness trim slows by 25% and add 55 Move Speed.

How do you play Shaco on the Howling Abyss?

• Box the choke points. Enemies walk the same path to every fight, so boxes placed there get triggered.
• Wait for the enemy to use their crowd control on your frontline before you Deceive in.
• Aim for the backline. Backstab and the Deceive crit only pay off from behind.
• Throw Two-Shiv Poison at anyone under 30% health; the thrown shiv deals bonus damage below that line.
• Send Hallucinate into the clump. When the clone dies, its mini boxes spawn where enemies are standing.

How do no-recall shopping and Mark change the plan?

You only shop when you die, so the first full item waits for the first respawn or later. Youmuu’s Ghostblade at 2,800 gold is the target; buy its components on the way if you can’t afford it whole. Health relics on the lane are the only healing between deaths, and Shaco has no self-heal, so grabbing them matters more for him than for most.

Hit someone with the Mark snowball and Shaco can dash straight to them. Spells are fixed once the match loads. Is Mark worth it on Shaco? For what it’s worth, it’s a second gap closer for a champion who has exactly one, and a snowball dash followed by Deceive puts him behind the backline from much further away. Flash does a similar job but only once per long cooldown.

Is Shaco good in ARAM?

He’s playable, not strong. The 105% damage dealt is the only modifier, which is kind on paper. Thing is, the map takes away more than the buff gives back: no fog, no flanks, and enemies who always know which way he’s coming.

Facing him in the jungle instead? The Shaco counters guide covers it. Every number behind these four items can be checked in the League items database. Prefer the cosmetic side of the jester? That’s the Shaco skins page.

Put simply, the Shaco ARAM build is Youmuu’s Ghostblade, Umbral Glaive, Infinity Edge and Edge of Night on Boots of Swiftness, with boxes on every choke point.

FAQ

What are Shaco’s ARAM modifiers?

Wiki data for patch 26.22 lists one: 105% damage dealt. All other modifiers stay at 100%.

What items should Shaco build in ARAM?

Youmuu’s Ghostblade, Umbral Glaive, Infinity Edge and Edge of Night, with Boots of Swiftness.

Why does Umbral Glaive fit Shaco?

Its Nightstalker passive adds true damage to the next attack on a champion after a short time unseen, and Deceive makes Shaco Invisible before his empowered attack.

Are boxes useful in ARAM?

Yes. Jack In The Box fears and attacks nearby enemies when triggered, and on a single lane enemies keep walking through the same spots.

How was this Shaco build put together?

Each item answers a part of his patch 26.22 ability text. Win-rate data was not used.