With Season 9 starting up you may be wondering what some of the best Keystone choices might be for the roles you are playing. This guide will display the best Keystones and general Runes to go for each role, and for the class of Champion in those roles.

Keep in mind that the main focus in this guide is to be on the Keystones rather than all around Runes, and that Runes are always subject to change depending on the enemy team and your team. Thus, the pictures demonstrated are not necessarily going to be the exact Rune Pages you will always want to follow. Instead, they represent the best all-around example of what your Page might look like, depending on the exact Champion.

There have been a couple to changes to the Runes system throughout the Preseason, so a few of the popular Keystones might have changed in how effective they are for certain roles and classes. We will first take a look at the Top Lane Keystones and Runes, then move down through to the Support role and classes. So, let’s first take a look at the Top Lane!

TOP LANE

TANKS

Taking our first look into the Top Lane, we will look at what is best for Tanks. If you are playing a CC heavy Tank in the Top Lane, then look no further than Aftershock for your Keystone. Aftershock adds to your tankiness by granting you a large amount of bonus Armor and Magic Resist for 2.5 seconds. After this time is up, the Aftershock will explode dealing Adaptive Damage to all enemies near you. Aftershock can only be triggered through a form of hard CC, which is why this will only work for Champions with that built into their kit.

Maybe you are playing a Tank in the Top Lane that does not have a bunch of hard CC in their kit. If this is the case, then Grasp of the Undying will be the best choice for you. Grasp of the Undying will not grant you bonus resistances, but it will boost your Health up throughout the game. This Keystone will also heal you for a fairly large amount when triggered and will deal bonus Adaptive Damage when triggered as well.

BRUISERS

So, you like playing Bruisers? Champions who shine in battle and trading with their lane opponents. Well if this is the case, then you will want to take a Keystone that will assist you in your coming skirmishes. There are two Keystones that can really work for Bruisers in the Top Lane, the first of which is Conqueror. Conqueror is a Keystone that, after 4 seconds in combat, will trigger on your next basic attack, converting 20% of your next damaging attacks or abilities to True Damage.

You can see why this would be very helpful in dueling and skirmishes with your opponents. Furthermore, Melee Champions, so all Bruisers, have this 3 second window for this buff refreshed when they deal damage to an enemy Champion. This means you can keep this buff up for as long as your fight is going, so long as you damage an enemy Champion every 3 seconds once the Keystone is triggered.

The second Keystone that works well with some Bruisers in the Top Lane is Press the Attack. This Keystone is more for Bruisers who rely much more on their basic attacks, like Jax or Fiora, as this Keystone is triggered by three consecutive basic attacks on an enemy Champion.

Once you have triggered this Keystone, you will deal bonus Adaptive Damage, as well as making the enemy Champion vulnerable for 6 seconds. This means that they will take 8% to 12% increased damage from all sources for this time. This can be very effective in teamfights as well, considering that whoever becomes vulnerable will take more damage from your whole team as well!

MAGES

Mages in the Top Lane is a relatively new idea that has come around since the end of Season 8 and has been in and out, but there are a few Mages who can still see success in the Top Lane. For when you do decide to take a Mage into the Top Lane being prepared with the proper Keystone will be important. The first Keystone would be Fleet Footwork.

Fleet Footwork can work well on a few Mages in the Top Lane, as Mages will shine in this Lane due to their insane kiting capabilities. Fleet Footwork adds to their ability to kite enemies around the Lane.

This Keystone will work best with Mages like Viktor and Kassadin, as this Keystone is only triggered by a basic attack. Viktor and Kassadin both have empowered autos built into their kit, making this the best Keystone for them.

Going along with the idea of kiting your opponents around the Lane, the next best Keystone for Mages in the Top Lane will be Phase Rush. Phase Rush works provides a similar benefit that Fleet Footwork provides with the Movement Speed bonus. However, it is triggered by hitting an enemy Champion with three separate attacks or abilities and does not heal you like Fleet Footwork does.

Phase Rush provides a 75% slow resistance rather than a heal, allowing you to kite more effectively. Phase Rush is the better option for most Mages, especially those who will not be weaving basic attacks into their ability rotation frequently. Mages in the Top Lane get their biggest benefit from kiting their opponents and Phase Rush compliments this idea perfectly!

JUNGLE

ASSASSINS

Next, we are moving on to the best Keystones in the Jungle. We will first be taking a look at the best Keystones for the class of Assassins in the Jungle, thus the first Keystone we shall examine is going to be Electrocute. Electrocute is the basic "deal more damage" Keystone, which is why it compliments Assassins so well.

You will proc Electrocute by landing 3 separate attacks onto an enemy Champion to deal that sweet, sweet bonus Adaptive Damage to your foe. Electrocute will help you get that extra damage you sometimes need to finish the job. You are an Assassin after all, so the quicker you are able to secure the kill the better.

Another decent choice for certain Jungle Assassins would be Dark Harvest. Dark Harvest is great for Jungle Assassins that can gank frequently and effectively. Dark Harvest procs on enemy Champions that are below half Health when you attack them.

This will deal bonus Adaptive Damage to said enemy Champion as well as increase the amount of damage that Dark Harvest will deal the next time it is triggered. Dark Harvest stacks infinitely, so it has the potential to snowball hard. However, if you do not manage to start stacking it early, it is far less effective than Electrocute. That being said, it is still better than Electrocute in some situations which is why it is here on this list.

BRUISERS

For Bruisers in the Jungle we will have a Keystone that is shared with the Top Laners; Conqueror, and a Keystone in the Domination Tree: Predator. The Conqueror Keystone has already been explained, but the overall page varies slightly so here is a picture below of the Jungle Conqueror Rune Page.

Now let’s take a look at Predator. Predator is a great choice for those Bruiser Junglers that have some Movement Speed built into their kit. Predator will enchant your Boots increasing your Movement Speed and increasing the damage of your next attack or ability. This works well with Champions that have Movement Speed buffs in their kit, like Hecarim or Skarner, because it just further increases their damage and Movement Speed.

Predator can also be very effective for the Jungle Bruisers that do not have much mobility in their kit for the fact that it grants them the mobility that they are lacking. This works great for Champions like Olaf, who does not have much mobility until he gets his Ultimate Ability at level 6.

TANKS

Next will be Tanks in the Jungle. Jungle Tanks, like Top Lane Tanks, also will be using Aftershock. Grasp of the Undying is not a great choice for Jungle Tanks as the best Jungle Tanks all have pretty reliable hard CC built into their kit.

For this reason, they will want to take Aftershock pretty much every time, as they will be able to use it most effectively. Aftershock, as previously stated, is immensely powerful for Tanks for the bonus resistances and burst of AoE Adaptive Damage that the Keystone provides.

MID LANE

ASSASSINS

Moving on to the Mid Lane we will first be looking at the Assassins. Like Assassins in the Jungle, Electrocute will be the best option. Dark Harvest is almost never a better choice for the Mid Lane Assassins, as throughout the early game they are mostly fighting their lane opponent.

Yes, you will be roaming, but you just naturally not have as many opportunities to stack Dark Harvest as the Jungler will, thus Electrocute is the best Keystone for Mid Lane Assassins.

MAGES

When it comes to Mages in the Mid Lane there are two equally good Keystones to choose from. The first of which being Arcane Comet. Arcane Comet is triggered by landing an ability on an enemy Champion and the Keystone goes and deal bonus Adaptive Damage in a small area.

This is effective for Mages as it provides a bit of bonus damage to your abilities while you are poking them down or kiting away from them. Arcane Comet is in a decent spot as well, as it can end up netting you quite a lot of damage by the end of the game.

The second Keystone is going to be Phase Rush. Phase Rush is effective in the Mid Lane for the same reasons that it is effective in the Top Lane. Phase Rush provides that resistance to slows and grants quite a bit of Movement Speed as well. This will help you kite, escape ganks, or even run down an enemy Champion that is fleeing.

Phase Rush is over all a strong Keystone when combined with the proper Mage. Burst Mages often will not get as much out of Phase Rush as Mages that deal consistent Damage over Time, like Aurelion Sol or Cassiopeia.

BRUISERS

There are a few Bruisers that can get played in the Mid Lane like Irelia and Aatrox and they will benefit mostly from Conqueror. The reason being the same for why you would take Conqueror for Top Lane Bruisers; it will net these Champions more damage than other Keystones as they will use it most effectively.

Conqueror is the best Keystone for Mid Lane Bruisers overall, as they are heavy hitters and the Keystone synergizes quite well with their kits.

ADC

MARKSMAN

Moving down to the Bottom Lane there are, again, two very powerful Keystones to be utilized. Fleet Footwork is excellent for Marksman as they will often want to kite away from enemy Champions to get the most out of their range advantage. They will also benefit from the heal the Keystone grants.

The Keystone is very strong for Marksman as it allows them to sustain a bit more in Lane and in fights. Fleet Footwork is absolutely one of the best Keystones for the Bottom Lane role and is only rivaled by one other Keystone: Press the Attack.

Press the Attack is a great Keystone for Marksman Champions as well for the reason that they will be able to trigger the Keystone from a range. Press the Attack is very powerful and synergizes quite well with the Marksman Champions. This Keystone does provide more damage but will not grant the sustain that is granted by Fleet Footwork, which is important to keep in mind when considering the two for your next game.

MAGES

Mages have been making their way into the Bottom Lane, and some of them can do so rather effectively, like Karthus for example. The Keystone that works best with the Bottom Lane Mages is Dark Harvest. You will be able to stack Dark Harvest rather effectively in the Bottom Lane, as you will be going against two opponents rather than one.

This will grant you more opportunities to stack this powerful Keystone so that you may get the most out of it. Electrocute is not a bad option, but it is not the best option for these Bottom Lane Mages. You will want to snowball fast and Dark Harvest has the potential to give you that necessary edge.

SUPPORT

TANKS

Tank Supports are very powerful when used properly, and their Keystone will heavily impact how the Lane can go. The best two Keystone for Tank Supports are Aftershock and Guardian. Aftershock is powerful for the reason stated earlier and this Keystone will work great with Supports like Alistar.

Although Aftershock is very effective, there are other Tank Supports that will benefit more from Guardian than they would with Aftershock, such as Braum. Guardian will protect you as well as your Bottom Laner whenever this Keystone is off Cooldown.

This Keystone is triggered whenever you or whoever you are guarding takes damage so long as they are close to you. To guard someone you cast a spell on that ally, and they will become who you are guarding.

MAGES

Support Mages are powerful as they help your Bottom Laner by poking down the enemy so that they have little to no Lane Pressure. There are two Keystones that will best aid Support Mages to achieve their goal: Electrocute and Arcane Comet. Electrocute is a choice for the same reason that Assassins will take it. It offers a little extra damage.

Arcane Comet is strong for the same reason that Electrocute is, but it is also a small area that the damage will be dealt. This means that there is potential for the Keystone to hit both of the enemy Champions in the Bottom Lane.

ENCHANTERS (SONA, RAKA, JANNA)

Finally, we get to the end of this guide with the Enchanter Supports. When I say Enchanters, I mean the Champions like Soraka, Sona, Janna, or Nami. Champions that are like Mages but meant to cast spells and abilities on allies more often than enemies to heal or shield them. The best keystone for these Supports is Summon Aery.

Summon Aery is extremely effective for these Champions as if you were to cast an ability on your Bottom Laner, then Aery will go and shield them, adding to the effectiveness of your ability. Summon Aery also procs off of damaging enemies. This means if you were to hit an enemy with an offensive ability, the Keystone will go and do a little bit of bonus Adaptive Damage to that enemy Champion as well.

Summon Aery is an amazing Keystone for the Enchanter Supports and can be effective for Mage Supports as well. However, Mage Supports will get more out of the other two offensive Keystones previously stated.

I hope this guide for the best Keystones in each role has been helpful and that you can get the most out of each of these Keystones. Try these out in some Normal Games to get an idea of how effective each Keystone is and how they synergize with the different Champions that you play. Once you get the hang of it, take it to Ranked and climb your way up the Ranked Ladder! Good Luck and Have Fun in your coming games Summoners!

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