Viego, the Ruined King, is a unique champion in League of Legends with a fascinating blend of abilities and mechanics that make him a formidable force on the Rift. This guide will walk you through everything you need to know about Viego, including his abilities, best runes, optimal build paths, and essential tips and tricks to dominate your games.

Viego’s Abilities

Passive: Sovereign’s Domination

Viego’s passive is the cornerstone of his kit. When an enemy champion dies, Viego can possess their soul, gaining their abilities and items for a brief period. This also refreshes his ultimate, allowing him to chain multiple kills in quick succession. Mastering this ability requires strategic thinking and quick decision-making to turn the tide of battle.

Q: Blade of the Ruined King

Viego’s Q, named aptly after his title, deals bonus damage based on a percentage of the target’s current health. It also has a passive component where his attacks deal a percentage of the enemy’s health as on-hit damage. When combined with his other abilities, this makes Viego a potent duelist capable of shredding through enemy health bars with ease.

W: Spectral Maw

Spectral Maw is Viego’s gap-closing and crowd control ability. He charges up and dashes forward, stunning the first enemy hit. The stun duration increases with charge time, making it versatile for both quick engagements and prolonged battles. Effective use of this ability can turn skirmishes in Viego’s favor, allowing him to isolate and eliminate key targets.

E: Harrowed Path

Harrowed Path enhances Viego’s mobility and survivability. He spreads mist along terrain, becoming camouflaged and gaining attack speed and movement speed. This ability is particularly useful for jungle clear and ganking, as it allows Viego to maneuver around the map undetected and initiate fights with a speed advantage.

R: Heartbreaker

Viego’s ultimate is an execute ability that targets the enemy with the lowest health in range, dealing damage based on their missing health. This ability is devastating in teamfights, especially when combined with his passive. Using Heartbreaker to finish off a low-health target and then possessing their soul can lead to chain kills and teamfight victories.

Best Runes for Viego

Viego’s rune choices are flexible, allowing him to adapt to various playstyles and matchups.

Primary Path: Precision

• Keystone: Conqueror – Conqueror is the best keystone for Viego, providing sustained damage and healing in extended fights.
• Triumph – This rune offers healing on takedown, which synergizes well with Viego’s passive.
• Legend: Alacrity – Additional attack speed enhances Viego’s DPS, making his auto-attacks more lethal.
• Coup de Grace – Increased damage to low-health enemies helps Viego secure kills more efficiently.

Secondary Path: Domination

• Sudden Impact – Grants a burst of lethality after using Spectral Maw, amplifying Viego’s burst damage.
• Ravenous Hunter – Provides omnivamp, enhancing Viego’s sustain during fights.

Optimal Build for Viego

Viego’s build path can vary based on the game’s requirements and his role. Here are some core items to consider:

Core Items

• Blade of the Ruined King – This item synergizes perfectly with Viego’s kit, offering on-hit damage and lifesteal.
• Kraken Slayer – For shredding through tanky opponents, Kraken Slayer provides true damage on every third attack.
• Immortal Shieldbow – Grants survivability with a shield and lifesteal, making Viego harder to kill in extended skirmishes.

Situational Items

• Death’s Dance – Offers a mix of damage, sustain, and damage conversion, making it ideal for bruiser Viego.
• Guardian Angel – Provides a second chance in teamfights with its resurrection passive.
• Sterak’s Gage – Increases survivability with bonus health and a lifeline shield.
• Wit’s End – Useful against heavy AP teams, offering magic resistance and attack speed.
• Mortal Reminder – Reduces enemy healing, essential against teams with high sustain champions.

Tips and Tricks for Playing Viego

Early Game

• Focus on efficient jungle clearing if playing Viego in the jungle. Use Harrowed Path to maintain high mobility and sustain.
• In the top lane, use your Q’s passive for short trades and sustain. Harass enemies with auto-attacks and abilities to gain an advantage.

Mid Game

• Look for opportunities to possess enemy champions using your passive. Target high-value enemies to maximize the impact of your possession.
• Use Spectral Maw to engage or escape, depending on the situation. The versatility of this ability allows for creative plays.

Late Game

• In teamfights, prioritize using Heartbreaker on low-health enemies to secure kills and refresh your ultimate. This allows you to chain multiple kills and shift the momentum in your favor.
• Position yourself strategically to take advantage of Harrowed Path’s camouflage. This can surprise enemies and give you the upper hand in engagements.

Mastering Viego: Becoming the Ruined King

Viego, with his unique kit and high skill ceiling, can be a game-changer in the right hands. Mastering his abilities, understanding his rune choices, and optimizing his build path are crucial steps towards dominating the Rift as the Ruined King. To effectively utilize Viego, it’s essential to delve deeper into his playstyle, strategic use of his skills, and the adaptability required to excel with him in various game scenarios.

Adapting to Different Situations

Viego’s adaptability is one of his greatest strengths. His rune choices and build paths can be tailored to suit different playstyles and matchups, making him a versatile champion. For example, if you’re facing a team with high burst damage, opting for defensive items like Guardian Angel and Sterak’s Gage can increase your survivability. On the other hand, against tanky opponents, items like Kraken Slayer and Blade of the Ruined King help you deal sustained damage.

Example: Turning the Tide

Imagine a scenario where your team is behind, and the enemy ADC is fed. During a crucial teamfight, you manage to isolate and kill the ADC using Spectral Maw and Heartbreaker. By possessing their soul, you gain access to their items and abilities, allowing you to use their high damage output to turn the fight around. This demonstrates the potential impact of Viego’s passive and his ability to change the course of the game with strategic play.

Viego’s potential as a game-changing champion lies in the hands of the player. Mastering his abilities, making informed rune and item choices, and adapting to the game’s needs are essential for success. Whether you’re executing perfect engages or making clutch plays by possessing enemy champions, Viego’s unique kit offers endless opportunities to outplay your opponents and lead your team to victory.

Final Thoughts

Viego, with his unique kit and high skill ceiling, can be a game-changer in the right hands. Mastering his abilities, understanding his rune choices, and optimizing his build path are crucial steps towards dominating the Rift as the Ruined King.