Skarner in League of Legends is a crystalline scorpion from Shurima and one of the most unique champions in the game. As a member of the Brackern race, his power is tied to life crystals that carry the memories of his ancestors. Skarner combines durability, speed, and crowd control, making him a valuable pick for players who want to control fights and secure objectives.
This article explains Skarner’s background, his abilities, recommended playstyle, items, and strategies for both playing as him and against him.
Table of Contents
Skarner’s Lore
Skarner comes from a hidden valley in Shurima, where the Brackern once lived in peace. Their bodies are fused with life crystals, which store the living thoughts of past generations. To protect themselves from magical destruction, the Brackern entered hibernation.
Skarner is the only one who has awakened, roused by recent threats. His purpose is to guard his kin from those who would exploit or harm them. This gives him a strong tie to the land and a clear motivation to fight.
Skarner’s Abilities
Skarner’s kit is designed around chasing enemies, locking them down, and dealing consistent damage. His abilities scale with both attack damage and health, giving him flexibility in item builds.
Threads of Vibration (Innate)
Skarner’s attacks and abilities apply stacks of Quaking. At three stacks, enemies take magic damage based on their maximum health. This makes him effective against both squishy champions and tanks.
Shattered Earth
Skarner rips a boulder from the ground and uses it to empower three of his basic attacks. Each strike gains extra range, attack speed, and bonus damage. The third strike slams the rock down, dealing damage based on the target’s maximum health and slowing them.
Upheaval
After using Shattered Earth, Skarner can throw the boulder forward. It explodes on impact, dealing physical damage and slowing enemies. This ability can also damage structures, giving him utility in sieges.
Seismic Bastion
Skarner slams the ground to shield himself and send out a shockwave. This deals magic damage to nearby enemies and slows them. The shield scales with his maximum health, making it stronger when he builds defensively.
Ixtal’s Impact
Skarner charges forward, ignoring terrain and becoming immune to slows. If he collides with an enemy champion or large monster, he grabs them and drags them along. If he crashes them into terrain, they are stunned and take bonus damage.
Impale
Skarner’s ultimate impales up to three nearby champions, suppressing and dragging them for 1.5 seconds. He gains bonus movement speed during this time, allowing him to reposition enemies into his team. Unlike many other suppression abilities, Impale is not channeled and cannot be interrupted by outside crowd control.
Playstyle
Skarner is a durable bruiser who excels at initiating fights and locking down key targets. His strength lies in his ability to control the pace of a battle by suppressing priority enemies.
In the jungle, he clears quickly and uses his crowd control to set up effective ganks. His kit rewards proactive play, especially when combined with movement speed bonuses that let him reach enemies before they can escape.
Tips for Playing Skarner
Ability Usage
- Stack Threads of Vibration by weaving attacks between abilities.
- Use Shattered Earth before auto-attacking to get maximum damage.
- Save Seismic Bastion as a defensive tool or to slow multiple enemies in fights.
- Ixtal’s Impact is a strong engage tool; aim to crash enemies into terrain for the stun.
- With Impale, target high-value carries or initiators to prevent them from influencing the fight.
Itemization
Skarner benefits from items that provide both durability and utility.
- Trinity Force or Iceborn Gauntlet enhance his damage while improving survivability.
- Blade of the Ruined King and Wit’s End synergize with his attack speed and on-hit effects.
- Defensive items such as Randuin’s Omen, Dead Man’s Plate, or Banshee’s Veil help him survive while staying active in fights.
- Movement speed items like Righteous Glory give him even more tools to close the gap and engage.
Runes
- Predator gives him extra movement speed for engages.
- Phase Rush helps him stick to targets in extended fights.
- Celerity and Waterwalking add more mobility for roaming and river control.
Playing Against Skarner
Skarner is most dangerous at close range. Keeping distance is key to countering him. Breaking his shield from Seismic Bastion reduces his mobility, making him easier to kite.
Items like Quicksilver Sash can remove his ultimate suppression, which is often the centerpiece of his impact in teamfights. Champions with strong disengage or mobility can also limit his effectiveness.
Marksmen such as Kalista and Draven are strong picks into Skarner because they can punish him before he gets close enough to use his crowd control.
Skarner’s Role in the Team
Skarner’s role is to secure picks and disrupt fights. With his ultimate, he can drag enemy carries or initiators into his team’s range. His durability allows him to absorb damage while still being a threat.
Teams with Skarner can play around his engage tools by grouping around objectives and forcing fights where his suppression can change the outcome.
Final Thoughts
Skarner in League of Legends is a unique champion that blends lore with gameplay. His connection to the Brackern crystals gives him an identity tied to memory and survival, while his abilities make him a powerful tool for crowd control and initiation.
For players who enjoy controlling fights and setting up plays for their team, Skarner offers a reliable and impactful choice in the jungle.
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