Overview of Build

Since patch 4.20 Heimerdinger’s passive was changed from having increased health regen for his turrets, allies, and himself to only his turrets and allies. To compensate this they gave the Donger increased base health regen stats (so much so that he actually has the best base health regen in the game). So this build capitalizes on that fact and the way that Heimer, much like Teemo, is one of those champs that the enemy team loves to dive and try to kill no matter what.

Basic Rune Page Setup

3x AP Quints, MR Glyphs, Armor Marks and Health Seals

Core Item Build:

As for his core item build you are going to always want to start off with Rod of Ages. This gives you enough baseline stats of health, mana, and AP to help carry into your tank items later. It also gives you enough to sustain through lane and survive or even pull off the turn against the 2 v1 ganks that are almost guaranteed to happen.

From there it depends on your matchup. Against an AD opponent you rush Zhonya Hourglass. Zhonya is the bread and butter of any Heimerdinger build. This is the ultimate outplay item in the game and synergizes exceptionally well with Heimerdinger's kit more so than probably any other champion in the game.

If you are going against an AP top opponent then Banner of Command is what you get. Banner of Command in 4.20 has been changed to build out of Aegis of the Legion and a Fiendish Codex. Much like Zhonya it seems like this item was made for Heimer. The increased health regen on Aegis ramps up Heimer’s passive making him not only able to survive multiple ganks but also extended sieges - all the while healing both himself and his allies especially well for doing nothing but standing near him.

As for boots, this is where you have room to adapt based on the current state of the game. Just use your common sense. All AD enemy team? Ninja Tabis. Lots of AP and CC? Merc Treads. Or if you are feeling really strong and are ahead it’s still acceptable to build Sorcerer shoes. The great thing about this build is that with those three core items (Rod of Ages, Banner of Command, Zhonya) You can still blow up any enemy carry with your full ult combo.

Rounding out the Build:

When it comes to your final two items there are many different ways to go and you should use your discretion to discern what kind of matchup you have in game and whether or not your team is winning or losing. My favorite fifth item for this build is Spirit Visage. The 100% more health regen plus the increased regen from the item passive lets run around like you have your own personal Soraka bot. Then round it all out late game with a Guardian Angel. That way when they do finally find a way to take you down you come right back like nothing happened.

Play Style:

Whether you are new to Heimer or a Donger enthusiast there are a few key tips to playing this build. First off know your limits. Remember that you are not going to have Void staff and Rabadons. That means it will take longer to kill people when you are alone. Like I said before though, this doesn’t mean that you can’t. The basics of the Heimerdinger Wombo are as follows: Find a decent death brush or a somewhat safe area in the open. Set up your turrets and wait for that unsuspecting enemy carry. Then when they get to that point where they are close enough for you to lob a grenade on their head do so and activate your Ult with the rocket transmogrification. As long as you land everything with that combo you should be able to take out the enemy ADC or Mid laner even as Tank Heimer.

In teamfights is where you think like a team player. It’s usually much more difficult to land his full combo in the chaos of a team fight especially if you have not had time to set up turrets beforehand. When the fight breaks out your first job should be to set down as many turrets as fast as you can. Next, assess the situation and decide which iteration of your ultimate is the best for the current scenario. Heres three basic tips to decide which to use.

Evolved Turret:

This is best when fights break down in tight areas. Either Dragon/Baron pit or Jungle corridors. This also works extremely well when the enemy team is diving your Towers. Remember your turrets will try their best to attack whoever it is you are auto attacking. So keep this in mind and attack accordingly.

Evolved Rockets:

Is one of the enemy carries out of position? If so go for your Wombo on them. Lob a grenade to hold them still and fire all torpedos. You might not kill them but you can be sure you just chunked them hard enough for their entire team to rethink their whole team fight plan.

Evolved Grenade:

Not enough Heimerdingers use this ability. Its a surprising powerful initiation tool when coordinated with your team and works just as well as a strong disengage tool. Aiming the three bounces accurately enough can usually stun/slow the entire enemy team giving your Heimersquad the time it needs to evaluate the situation and decide to jump in or swag walk out Heimerdinger style.

After using your Ultimate do what Tankdinger is meant to do. Stay alive. This means kiting the best you can and constantly using all your abilities as soon as they come off cooldown. The hardest part of being a Heimerdinger in general is making sure that the fight is always happening on your turrets. This will most likely take some help from your teammates but when Solo-Q strangers are not cooperating it’s up to you to make sure to drop those turrets in the most advantageous places you can. While doing all this remember that as long as you are alive that means your turrets are still shooting. Many people underestimate the damage of your turrets but they do very well on their own. So as long as you keep the fight alive that keeps your team’s chances of victory alive.

Final Thoughts:

Tankdinger isn’t going to be tankiest nor is he going to be the most damage. However, he does find that sweet spot right in the middle that can really disrupt an enemy teams thought process and strategy. When you combine that with a team who understands how to work with a Heimerdinger and take full advantage of his team wide health regen stats you are able to have successful teamfights and extended sieges that have an exponentially higher chance of working out in your favor.

Raise Your Turrets!