From runes to items, gameplay tips amd more, we've put together a guide to help you master playing Brand in the botlane in League of Legends.
Be mindful that there are several ways to build and play a champion, and you'll need to be adaptable as the game and the enemy team progress.
That said, this guide is a good starting point to helping you get to grips with the champion and making an impact in your games.
Runes
Core Items
Build
Liandry's Anguish is a fantastic item on Brand, synergising with his abilities and dealing tons of damage over time, while ramping up his burst.
Zhonya's Hourglass is a key AP survival tool for any mage character, Brand included.
Other good items include Morellonomicon, Demonic Embrace, and Rylai's Crystal Scepter.
Starting Item & Boots
Skill Order
While your choices may differ according to how the game progresses, the typical Brand skill priority is:
R > W > E > Q
Summoner Spells
These are the summoner spells most typically taken by Brand in this role. Naturally, this may change depending on match-ups.
Gameplay
You may be playing support, but Brand's job is to deal damage - and lots of it. He's best played hyper-aggressively, damaging the enemy laners so much they have to constantly back off or recall - giving your ADC the best chance at getting ahead in farm. In teamfights, if he lands his spells well, Brand is devastating.
- Level 1 - Take W - Pillar of Flame, so you can zone enemy laners.
- Level 2 - Take E - Conflagration, for even more zoning and damage.
- First Back - Start building towards Liandry's with a Lost Chapter. This will provide mana sustain.
Tips & Tricks
- The trick to playing Brand is managing his passive. Your first spell landed on an enemy will set them Ablaze, with each of his abilities having an extra element on Ablaze enemies. For example, to stun an enemy, you'll want to land a Q on an enemy that is Ablaze through a W or an E first.
- Be patient with Brand's spells, as they are easy to miss. Make sure you can land them before going all in.
- Try to apply Ablaze on several enemies before launching your ultimate, so that it bounces among more targets and deals more damage.
- Brand's auto-attacks are quick, allowing you to keep dealing damage while your abilities are on cooldown.
- To land Pillar of Flame more easily, try to stun your opponent by using the Conflagration + Sear combo first.
