From runes to items, gameplay tips amd more, we've put together a guide to help you master playing Annie in the midlane 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
Luden's Tempest is usually a must on most midlane mages, and Annie is no different. Offering mana, magic penetration and ability haste, it's a great tool for dealing burst damage.
Zhonya's Hourglass helps with Annie's survivability, as well as ramping up her magic damage.
Other good items include Shadowflame, Morellonomicon, and Void Staff.
Starting Item & Boots
Skill Order
While your choices may differ according to how the game progresses, the typical Annie skill priority is:
R > Q > W > E
Summoner Spells
These are the summoner spells most typically taken by Annie in this role. Naturally, this may change depending on match-ups.
Gameplay
Annie is more of a burst mage, with the intention of elimiting her enemies within one spell rotation. Load her up with AP and magic penetration, and watch her annihilate the more squishy targets almost instantly.
- Level 1 - Take Q - Disintegrate, for the magic damage poke.
- Level 2 - Take W - Incinerate, for the wave clear potential.
- First Back - Start building towards Luden's Tempest with a Lost Chapter, which will help with mana management.
Tips & Tricks
- Use Molten Shield to activate your passive at the last moment, in order to surprise your opponent.
- Remember that you can control Tibbers using R+Right Click, in order to target a specific champion.
- Molten Shield also applies to Tibbers.
- The mana cost of Disintegrate is refunded if you kill your target, and the cooldown is halved. Use it to last-hit minions so that you benefit.