Rakan’s lore shows him as incredibly charming and lovable, yet these are the last things you’d want to describe him as once he starts dominating your lane. He can be played both offensively and defensively, both of which can be a nightmare to deal with when you’re up against an experienced player.
So, what’s the secret behind all of these overpowered Rakan one tricks you’ve been seeing lately?
Well, they’re building full AP on him! (Nope, we’re not kidding!) In fact, it’s been a popular off-meta pick for a while.
If you’re interested in learning more about it, here’s how you can do it too!
Why should you play full AP Rakan?
Rakan’s entire kit revolves around utility and crowd control. As such, he’s most suitable for the support role. However, this doesn’t mean you cannot go full AP with him, especially when every other game features an AP mage support such as Lux or Zyra.
AP damage can be a real game-changer in this meta, so who’s to say you shouldn’t be able to one-shot the enemy ADC while playing your favorite Vastayan troublemaker?
You’ll have everything you need to be an excellent AP carry: massive escape potential with your W or E, tons of engage, and high levels of AOE damage to destroy the enemy team.
While we’ve said he’s best played in the support role, if you’d still rather take him mid, be our guest! As long as the enemy laner doesn’t lock in something like Talon or Kata, you’re good to go.
Also read: Full AP Nautilus Mid
Best Runes for Full AP Rakan
Electrocute
Electrocute is Rakan’s bread and butter when you’re going for a full AP build. It brings out the full potential of your standard W+Q+AA combo by adding bonus damage to it on a relatively short cooldown. In the late game, this means death for every squishy out there.
Sudden impact
Sudden impact works incredibly well with Rakan as it provides extra lethality and magic pen that could win you the early game by themselves.
Ghost Poro
You’ll get extra vision and bonus AP damage, so what’s not to love?
Ultimate hunter
Ultimate Hunter works much better than both Ravenous Hunter and Ingenious Hunter simply because Rakan benefits from CD on his ult way too much. It’s especially valuable in the late game as you’ll rely on your ultimate in team fights a lot.
Absolute focus
Absolute focus is one of the best secondary runes you can use with Rakan. It gives flat AP based on your level, which will in turn help you scale well.
Gathering storm
The logic is the same as it were with Absolute Focus. The flat ability power GS provides over time is incredibly useful on Rakan, especially when the game drags on.
Also read: Manamune Jhin – A Complete Guide
Best Items for Full AP Rakan
Luden’s Tempest
If you’re going for max Ability Power, Luden’s is the best choice of Mythic you can make. You’ll get 20 ability haste, 80 ability power, 6 magic pen, and 600 mana, while also getting extra magic penetration on your Legendary items. Its passive also works well with your AOE damage, granting you some extra movement speed and waveclear potential.
Lich Bane
Rakan is all about mobility, so the extra movement speed you’ll get certainly won’t hurt. Besides that, Lich Bane works beautifully with electrocute, as it gives you extra damage on your basic attack after you’ve hit your W+Q combo.
Horizon Focus
The extra 115 AP this item provides makes Rakan incredibly strong in the mid-game. Hitting your W also gets you extra damage, which is more than enough for you to singlehandedly beat other squishies.
Rabadon’s Deathcap
Even though it’s quite expensive to build, it’s certainly a worthy investment to make. The extra ability power you’ll get will give you some incredible one-shot potential with your full combo.
Morello/Void Staff
If the enemy has tons of Life Steal and Healing, take Morello. Otherwise (if they’re building magic resistance) Void Staff becomes the better choice.
The last item depends on the matchup
Cosmic Drive, Banshee’s, and Ardent Censers all make a good pick depending on the game. At this point, you’ll have enough AP to one-shot everyone standing in your way, so choose whatever you feel like you need the most!
Best Spells for Full AP Rakan
Rakan works best with Flash and Ignite, especially if you’re considering taking him mid-lane. Otherwise, you could switch to Flash/Exhaust or Flash/Heal, depending on the matchup.
Potential Disadvantages of This Build
Even though AP Rakan is incredibly fun to play, this build does come with certain disadvantages. Since you’ll be focusing on damage and not building any defensive items, you’ll be very easy to kill.
Besides that, tanky enemies could prove to be a bit of an issue, especially if they get fed. We suggest you consider taking Precision as your secondary runes if their team is overly tanky.
The Bottom Line
Full AP Rakan is incredibly fun to play, especially in mid-lane or as a support.
Overall, if you’re ready to start one-shotting enemies and winning every team fight with your Ultimate, don’t hesitate to try out our build!
