League of Legends S12: Mordekaiser Top Build Guide

From runes to items, gameplay tips amd more, we've put together a guide to help you master playing Mordekaiser 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

Riftmaker

3200 Gold

Nashor's Tooth

3000 Gold

Build

Riftmaker allows magic tanks to dominated protracted trades, thanks to increasing damage and offering lifesteal.

Nashor's Tooth increases attack speed and AP, and deals extra damage when auto attacks hit.

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 Mordekaiser skill priority is:

R > Q > E > W

Summoner Spells

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

Gameplay

Mordekaiser has great poke, sustain, and increased damage in protracted trades, making him a great champion to leave to his own devices in the toplane. He can quickly bully many lane match-ups, and in the late game can become pretty much unkillable if he's allowed to get too far ahead. 

• Level 1 - Take Q - Obliterate, both to poke the enemy from a distance and more quickly farm creeps. 
• Level 2 - Take E - Death's Grasp, and aim to catch out the enemy laner for early trades while you're strong.
• First Back - Start building towards your Riftmaker, or pick up defensive boots if you're struggling in lane.

Tips & Tricks

• Use Obliterate as soon as you grab an enemy with Death's Grasp to ensure they hit, and follow up with an auto to activate your passive. 
• If you get outnumbered in lane and know you're done with, such as through a gank, use Realm of Death to try and take one down with you! 
• Realm of Death makes any situation 1v1, so don't hesitate to use it to save an ally who is being focused down by a carry.
• Use Realm of Death to prevent the enemy jungler smiting a neutral monster such as Dragon!