Syndra 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.

Syndra in ARAM wants all-out burst, so her build reads Sorcerer’s Shoes, Luden’s Echo, then Shadowflame, Rabadon’s Deathcap and Void Staff. She’s one of the few champions Riot buffs on the Howling Abyss, with 105% damage dealt and a flat 5 Ability Haste, so more spheres land more often.

Every item here answers something in her patch 26.21 kit; we skipped win-rate tables.

How is Syndra changed in ARAM?

Both changes are buffs. She deals 5% more damage and starts every game with 5 extra Ability Haste before buying anything. Damage taken stays normal. Why help a burst mage? Syndra has no dash at all, and on a single lane the enemy team always knows where she’ll be standing, so Riot gives her a bit more power to make up for being an easy target. Funny enough, that makes her one of the better-treated mages in the mode.

Why does Syndra work on the Howling Abyss?

Her spheres stay on the ground, and the Abyss gives her a narrow lane to fill with them. The patch 26.21 kit:

• Transcendent (passive): Splinters of Wrath from levels and damage upgrade each ability, ending with an execute on her ultimate.
• Dark Sphere (Q): a sphere that deals magic damage and stays behind for her other spells. Cooldown 7.
• Force of Will (W): grabs a sphere or an enemy minion and throws it for magic damage and a slow. Cooldown 13/12/11/10/9.
• Scatter the Weak (E): knocks enemies and spheres back, stunning anyone a sphere hits. Cooldown 15.
• R, her ultimate: fires every Dark Sphere she has at one enemy champion. Cooldown 120/100/80.

In a narrow lane, Scatter the Weak is far easier to land. Spheres placed in front of the enemy team turn the knock-back into a multi-person stun, and nobody has room to walk around it. Transcendent also fills up quickly, since constant fighting means constant damage for Splinters of Wrath. And the ultimate? With more spheres on the field from the extra Ability Haste, it hits harder here than on Summoner’s Rift (well, as long as she survives long enough to cast it).

What should a Syndra ARAM build focus on?

Ability Power and Magic Penetration. She doesn’t need Haste as badly as most mages because ARAM already gives her some.

Luden’s Echo comes first. Echo fires bonus magic damage at the target and nearby enemies whenever her abilities deal damage, which turns each Dark Sphere into a small area hit, and it brings 100 Ability Power with 600 Mana. Mana matters (spheres every few seconds add up), so don’t skip it.

Shadowflame is second. Anyone under 40% Health takes critical magic damage from Cinderbloom (20% extra), a natural partner for an ultimate that already punishes low targets. Its stat line (big Ability Power, some flat Magic Penetration) is about as greedy as a Syndra ARAM game allows.

Rabadon’s Deathcap third. Rabadon’s multiplies everything she already has: Magical Opus adds 30% to her total Ability Power. It’s expensive. It’s also the biggest damage jump in the build.

Void Staff closes it, with 40% Magic Penetration for the tanks that ARAM so often gives the enemy team. Sorcerer’s Shoes add 12 flat Magic Penetration. For a safer game, swap the last item for Zhonya’s Hourglass, whose Stasis lasts 2.5 seconds.

How do you play Syndra on the Howling Abyss?

• Drop spheres between you and the enemy. Scatter the Weak stuns anyone a sphere hits during the knock-back.
• Throw minions with Force of Will when no sphere is handy; it slows on hit.
• Stack spheres before the ultimate. It fires every sphere she has, so more spheres mean more damage.
• Save Scatter the Weak for divers. With no dash, the stun is her only self-defense.
• Target low health champions with your ultimate late, once Transcendent’s execute is unlocked.

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

Shopping happens only after dying, so plan the first purchase around Luden’s Echo and buy its components on early deaths. Syndra has no healing at all, so the health relics on the lane are her only recovery between fights. She’s squishy, and losing one to the enemy hurts more than it seems.

What about Mark? Land the snowball and she could dash in after it. Summoners lock before load. On Syndra, Mark is a trap most of the time: dashing a no-escape mage into five enemies tends to end with a respawn timer. Flash is the honest pick, since it doubles as her only escape. Put simply, keep the snowball for your tank.

Is Syndra a strong pick on the Howling Abyss?

Yes, she’s a strong pick. The 105% damage dealt and the free 5 Ability Haste both help, the narrow lane makes her stun easier, and long-range burst is exactly what ARAM rewards. Her weakness is the same as anywhere, to be fair: no dash, so a diving team can reach her, and a Syndra ARAM game against three divers is a long one.

Facing her in mid lane instead? The Syndra counters guide handles that matchup. Our LoL item list has every stat mentioned here, and her looks are on the Syndra skins page.

Long story short, the Syndra ARAM build stacks burst from Luden’s Echo onward, and the real skill is placing spheres in front of the enemy team before every stun.

FAQ

What are Syndra’s ARAM modifiers?

Two buffs, per patch 26.21 wiki data: 105% damage dealt and 5 Ability Haste.

What items should Syndra build in ARAM?

Start with Luden’s Echo and Sorcerer’s Shoes, then Shadowflame, Rabadon’s Deathcap and Void Staff. Zhonya’s Hourglass is the safer last item.

How does her stun work on one lane?

Scatter the Weak knocks back enemies and Dark Spheres, and enemies hit by a sphere are stunned. In a narrow lane, it often catches more than one champion.

Should Syndra take Mark?

Usually not. She has no dash or escape of her own, so Flash is the safer summoner spell.

How was this Syndra build picked?

Items were matched to her patch 26.21 abilities. No win-rate data was used.