Summary
Itemization
Aphelios is a very classic carry in terms of itemization, a bit like Xayah or Jhin. Aphelios is very dependent on its mana so you'll need to quickly build a False Spectral in order to make sure you don't run out of it. The rest of his build is super traditional with the Runaan in order to have the most optimal dps possible.
How to play Aphelios
Aphelios is quite a weird AD carry since he has five different weapons Whilst the basic gameplay of the champion is pretty much the same as all the other AD carries, the subtlety will be in the management of weapons. To do that, it will be important to understand how these weapons affect the champion's skills.
Perfect to poke from a high distance.
Calibrum is Aphelios' precision riffle, it increases the range of his basic attacks. When one of Aphelios' two skills hits an opponent, the opponent is marked and, without any range limit, Aphelios can attack him with his secondary weapon and inflict bonus damage.
• Calibrum's Q sends a long-range projectile that inflicts additional damage. The target hit by the spell is marked, Aphelios can send a basic attack on the marked target without range limit with the secondary weapon.
• Calibrum's R is a very large projectile that deals area damage and inflicts an automatic attack on all marked targets. When launched with the Calibrum, hit opponents are automatically attacked with a base attack and are marked Aphelios with no range limit.
Perfect to hit & run, sustain and survive in the melee.
Severum converts a percentage of the damage you deal into Healing. When you already have all your HPs, it can even grant you a shield that can last up to 30 seconds.
• Severum's Q offers a movespeed bonus and allows Aphelios to attack the closest target very quickly with his two weapons while prioritizing champions.
• Severum's R offers fixed healing for each target hit and, as with all other variants of the R, a basic attack is inflicted on each target hit with the equipped weapon, restoring a lot of HPs.
Utility weapons allowing Crowd Controls.
Gravitum slows down your target with each automatic attack and marks it.
• Gravitum's Q can only be activated when marked opponents (by a base attack or the R) are within range. It inflicts magical damage and roots them.
• Gravitum's R marks all hit opponents and slows them down enormously for a few seconds. Use Gravitum's Q one or two seconds after hitting the opponents to optimize crowd control.
Perfect to inflict AoE damage and clear waves.
Infernum allows your base attacks to inflict cone damage behind your target, allowing you to push minions faster and inflict heavy zone damage in team combat. Note that zone damage can also inflict critical hits.
• Infernum's Q sends a wave of flames in front Aphelios. Targets hit are automatically targeted by a basic attack from the secondary weapon.
• Infernum's R deals damage on each hit target, then deals area damage all around each opponent hit by the R.
Most powerful weapon, especially suitable for duels.
Crescendum is a boomerang, which means Aphelios has to get it back before he can start it again. Therefore, the closer the target, the greater the attack speed and DPS.
Hitting units using the Crescendum as a secondary weapon invokes a Chakram which inflicts additional damage on Crescendum base attacks (max 20 Chakrams)
• Crescendulm's Q creates a turret that attacks the closest target, the latter is affected by the critical hit chance and attack speed.
• Crescendum's R invokes 3 Chakram + 1 Shakram per enemy hit. This will significantly increase your DPS.
Aphelios' strong point is its adaptability, but it is also its weak point because meeting your ideal conditions (which depend on each player) can be tricky.
- Level 1: you have no spell at level 1 except your weapon change! So play very safe while waiting for level 2.
- Level 2: Now that you have your first spell, adapt to the situation, your opponents, your weapons and your support — but think carefully. Don't hesitate to keep your Gravitum to control your opponents if you need to, either offensively or defensively.
- Level 6: as for level 2 there is no specific rule as it all depends on your weapons, wait for an all-in from your support and go for it!
Keep in mind that each main weapon and each secondary weapon varies the gameplay, so you have to be aware of the depth of gameplay and the subtleties of each one in order to really understand the potential of each combo. For example, if you want maximum DPS you need to have the Crescendum as a secondary weapon and as the main weapon you need to have a weapon that allows you to mark targets.
Each time you use the Crescendum as a secondary weapon you will gain Chakram stacks, up to a maximum of 20. Each Chakram significantly amplifies the damage inflicted by the Crescendum's automatic attacks. So when you want to play with the Crescendum you want to avoid playing with Gravitum which has no synergy with the secondary weapon.
And it's just one combo among many: by playing the champion you'll be able to learn them all and do incredible things, provided you take the time to read the spells and think about the synergies that the weapons have with each other.
Match-Ups
Tips & Tricks
- The cooldown of your Q is inherent to each weapon, so you can use it twice in a row with a different weapon, thus optimizing the burst and the possibilities of the champion.
- Using Q consumes 10 bullets out of the 50 present, and Aphelios is really manavore so don't throw it just anyhow. On the contrary, if you want a specific weapon, do not hesitate to use it on minions or jungle monsters to get rid of the previous one.
- During the laning phase, it can be interesting to use Gravitum as a secondary weapon in order to be able to control opponents if they try an all-in. It's also a good way to follow an all-in from one of your allies.
- Runaan's Hurricane is the best ally of Aphelios, don't be afraid to play safe while waiting for him.
- Each weapon has a different gameplay, so don't hesitate to keep your favorite weapon in your secondary slot while waiting for a teamfight.
- Regardless of the weapon, when the R hits, an automatic attack is always sent to the opponent.
- The range of the R is extremely large, use this to your advantage to burst an entire team without even being seen.
- You can't reset the Chakrams loss delay without attacking a champion, monster or minions. With the Crescendum, the bonus damage of the Chakrams works on towers but doesn't refresh the buff.
