Ryze has long been a staple in the mid lane of professional League of Legends play. His unique playstyle, blending mobility with sustained damage, makes him a consistent pick for players who can master his combos, wave control, and positioning. To gain an expert perspective on Ryze, we turned to Dignitas’s own mid laner, Nicolaj ‘Jensen’ Jensen, who shared his insights on runes, item builds, wave management, and ultimate usage. Below, you’ll find Jensen’s advice on how to master Ryze, using his experiences to highlight the most effective approaches.

Rune Choices

Ryze’s rune choices primarily come down to Phase Rush versus Arcane Comet. The movement boost from Phase Rush allows Ryze to counter his shorter range by quickly closing gaps or escaping aggressive opponents making it the optimal choice.

Jensen: “Phase Rush is essential because it synergizes really well with Ryze. It gives you the movement speed to kite effectively and reposition during trades or in fights.”

For players interested in a more aggressive, lane-dominant option, Comet is viable but situational. For secondary rune options, he recommends Precision for damage, though in some difficult lanes, Resolve is also effective.

Jensen: “Comet is something you can consider if you’re trying to win the lane, but Phase Rush just feels so much better in most games. Sometimes Resolve’s added survivability can make a difference in tough matchups, especially if they’re poking a lot.”

Itemization

When it comes to items, Jensen emphasizes the flexibility Ryze players have in adapting their builds based on the game’s pace and opponents. “You used to always need to go Archangel’s, Rod of Ages, Rabadon’s, Void Staff, Zhonya’s, but I don’t think Rod of Ages is essential anymore,” he explains. His current core includes Archangel’s Staff for mana scaling and Cosmic Drive for additional speed, which he finds “feels really nice” on Ryze. This setup complements Ryze’s need for speed in both teamfights and skirmishes.

Jensen: “Start with Tear and then you can decide if you need the extra durability from Rod of Ages, or if you’d prefer to skip it and go straight for Archangel’s and Cosmic Drive.”

The choice largely depends on the game’s pace and Ryze’s positioning requirements, as Cosmic Drive gives speed, while Rod of Ages provides a more defensive stat boost. He also stresses the importance of Void Staff and Zhonya’s or Rabadon’s as situational picks.

Jensen: “In some games, you don’t need the defensive stats that Rod of Ages gives you, and Cosmic Drive lets you go ‘more fast’ for high mobility.”

Early Game Strategy

Jensen: “Pushing is the best you can do with Ryze since he’s short-ranged and can be poked out easily. His advantage is in his pushing power, so you want to focus on waves and trade if they step up too far.”

By maintaining lane pressure and controlling the wave, Ryze can secure safer resets and occasionally roam to assist side lanes. Ryze’s trading potential is better than many players expect. This push-and-reset strategy is key to Ryze’s success, allowing him to avoid excessive poking from long-range opponents and set up favorable skirmishes with his team.

Jensen: “If they step up too far, trading is actually pretty easy. And if they don’t, you just push, reset, or roam, because that’s where Ryze’s power is.”

Combos and Ability Usage

For the Q-E-Q combo, Jensen explains the sequence to maximize DPS, “You want to go: Q - E - Q - W - Q - E - Q.” This combo helps Ryze pump out consistent damage and keeps his mana costs manageable, while still letting him trade effectively or push quickly.

Jensen: “There are really only two main combos with Ryze—whether you want to empower your W or your Q. For maximum damage, start with Q and aim to empower your Q. That extra damage makes a big difference compared to empowering your W. Empowering W for the snare is more consistent against champs with movement abilities unless, of course, your teammates have some crowd control you can combo with.”

Alternatively, in situations with champions that have high mobility, the empowered W (Rune Prison) can be essential to land follow-up abilities. The empowered W combo typically follows a sequence like Q - E - W - Q - E - Q. Mastering these combos turns Ryze into a “machine gun,” according to Jensen, as the seamless chaining of spells maximizes his sustained damage.

Mid-to-Late Game Positioning

Jensen highlights Ryze’s ability to split-push effectively in the mid-to-late game due to his wave-clear power and scaling damage. “Ryze is great in side lanes, especially if you’re ahead, because he can 1v1 most champions and pressure lanes effectively,” he notes. This ability to maintain side lane pressure forces opponents to split up, giving Ryze’s team a strategic advantage on the map.

In teamfights, positioning is key. Jensen advises staying in the backline and focusing on sustained damage. Jensen also emphasizes that Ryze can make or break fights by controlling the space effectively with his Realm Warp (R).

Jensen: “You want to weave in and out of fights with your movement speed from Phase Rush and keep casting Q. If you stay alive long enough, Ryze’s sustained damage wins fights.”

Jungler Coordination and Gank Setup

Jensen: “If you apply the concepts of pushing and not taking free damage, you’ll be fine on Ryze. But Ryze does work well with Junglers who have good gank pressure because he has good follow-up crowd control. If your Jungler’s around, chain your crowd control to secure kills and maximize your impact in the early game.”

Working with the jungler can amplify Ryze’s power, as Jensen points out. His snare from Rune Prison is perfect for junglers like Jarvan IV or Sejuani, whose abilities combine well with Ryze’s setup for kills.

Realm Warp (R) Usage

Ryze’s ultimate, Realm Warp, is among the most flexible and complex abilities in the game. Jensen stresses its adaptability and importance in the late game, but warns that Realm Warp requires practice to master and can easily backfire.

Jensen: “It’s a very flexible ultimate. If you have a flank champion, you can send them behind the enemy. You can also use it when chasing down enemies to teleport behind them, forcing them to turn back towards you. Don’t feel pressured to use it every fight. The most important part is to stand around the edge of the portal so you have more time to decide whether to take it or not. Most of the time, I don’t think your team will flame you if you lose a teamfight with Ryze ult still up. Sometimes it’s better to hold onto it than to make a risky play that could backfire.”

Conclusion

Ryze’s playstyle rewards patience, map awareness, and precise decision-making. By mastering his combo sequences, positioning, and understanding when to use Realm Warp, players can maximize Ryze’s potential as a late-game powerhouse. Jensen’s guidance provides a blueprint for becoming a successful Ryze player, emphasizing that “if you’re a good Ryze player, you’ll be fine regardless.”

With these expert insights, you’ll have the tools needed to make an impact with Ryze in your games and unleash the power of the Rune Mage.

We’d like to thank Jensen for taking the time to sit down with us and share his thoughts on Ryze, the Rune Master.

If you’d like to hear and see more of Jensen, check out his socials:

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