League of Legends S12: Jarvan IV Top Build Guide

From runes to items, gameplay tips amd more, we've put together a guide to help you master playing Jarvan IV in the toplane 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

Goredrinker

3300 Gold

Sterak's Gage

3100 Gold

Build

Goredrinker is a core item for most toplane bruisers, and it will help Jarvan IV with sustain.

Sterak's Gage builds on it thanks to its healing and shielding potential.

Other useful items include Thornmail, Guardian Angel, and Death's Dance.

Starting Item & Boots

Health Potion

50 Gold

Doran's Shield

450 Gold

Defensive Boots

1100 Gold

Skill Order

While your choices may differ according to how the game progresses, the typical Jarvan IV skill priority is:

R > Q > E > W

Summoner Spells

These are the summoner spells most typically taken by Jarvan IV in this role. Naturally, this may change depending on match-ups.

Gameplay

In the toplane, Jarvan IV is more of an engage bruiser type, who will feed off trades and try to push the lane as much as possible. He's also useful when roaming into the jungle or to the midlane to help out, given his typical role as a jungler.

• Level 1 - Take Q - Dragon Strike, for long-range poke early on.
• Level 2 - Take E - Demacian Standard, for the attack speed passive and the closer/escape tool.
• First Back - Build towards your Goredrinker, which is a key tool, or take defensive boots if you're struggling to hold.

Tips & Tricks

• Jarvan's E+Q combo is key to getting around in lane, whether that's to close the gap to a fleeing opponent, or escaping over walls when the going gets rough. Learn to use it effectively.
• Remember, you can use Flash to change the trajectory of your E+Q combo.
• Golden Aegis gets stronger the more enemy champions are around you.
• You can use Demacian Standard for vision, if you're unsure of where an enemy champion is and have no wards.
• Demacian Standard's attack speed buff also applies to allies, so drop it in a teamfight.
• At max rank, Demacian Standard lasts eight seconds - which could be enough for two casts of Dragon Strike with a little extra cooldown from items.