Blitzcrank Support/Tank Build

Blitzcrank Support/Tank Build

Blitzcrank is an extremely effective support/tank champion who specializes in bizarre assassination methods. Blitzcrank's passive ability allows him to automatically convert half his mana into hit points when his health falls below 20% which makes him a tough champion to kill.
This build revolves around two concepts: 1.) Enemy underestimation of hp due to Blitzcrank's innate passive ability and 2.) The major amount of damage/disables related to the lightning bolts from his ult's passive, multiple power fist strikes, ignite, and the constant drain of enemy hp coming from the Sunfire Capes you'll be wearing.


Difficulty of Play - 6/10
- You have very little damage output before level 6, and will be behind on gaining gold from farming minions due to this underpowered attack damage.
- Blitzcrank has super slow movement speed, and relies heavily on boots of swiftness and his overdrive ability to get around.
- Your primary focus as a support/tank character is to provide your allied carry(s) with easy kills... ideally your stats will look like 3/0/25 at the end of the game... which takes some getting used to if you've never played a support role before!
- Being a defensive-based build, you will need a working knowledge of enemy AD/AP offensive items, and which defensive armors provide armor/magic resistance.


Ideal Item Purchase Sequence:

Sapphire Crystal - 200 Mana

Health Potion - Restores 200 Health over 20 seconds.

Mana Potion - Restores 100 Mana over 20 seconds.

Ruby Crystal - 180 Health

Catalyst the Protector
290 Health 325 Mana
Passive: Restores 300 Health and 250 Mana upon leveling up.

NOTE: Sell your Potion(s) for gold if not used.

Boots of Speed - UNIQUE Passive: Enhanced Movement 1.

Boots of Swiftness - UNIQUE Passive: Enhanced Movement 3.
(Replaces Boots of Speed in Slot 2)

Negatron Cloak - 48 Magic Resistance

Giant's Belt - 430 Health

Chain Vest - 45 Armor

Sunfire Cape - 450 Health
45 Armor
Passive: Deals 40 Magic Damage a second to nearby enemies.
(Replaces Giant's Belt in Slot 4)

Giant's Belt - 430 Health

Banshee's Veil - 500 Health
400 Mana
60 Magic Resist
UNIQUE Passive: Blocks one negative spell every 30 seconds.
(Replaces Catalyst the Protector in Slot 1)

Chain Vest - 45 Armor

Sunfire Cape - 450 Health

45 Armor

Passive: Deals 40 Magic Damage a second to nearby enemies.

(Replaces Chain Vest in Slot 3)

NOTE: If enemy team has several AP-based characters doing magic damage, purchase another Negatron Cloak and then a Force of Nature.






Or...

NOTE: If enemy team has several AD-based characters doing physical damage, purchase another Chain Vest and then a Thornmail.

Giant's Belt - 430 Health

Sunfire Cape - 450 Health

45 Armor

Passive: Deals 40 Magic Damage a second to nearby enemies.

(Replaces Giant's Belt in Slot 6)

Elixir of Fortitude - Grants 230-400 Health, based on champion level, and 20 Attack Damage for 4 minutes

Elixir of Brilliance - Grants 31-65 Ability Power, based on your champions level, and reduces cooldowns by 10% for 4 minutes.

Elixir of Agility - Grants 12-21% Critical Strike, based on champion level, and 35% Attack Speed for 4 minutes.

Oracle's Elixir - Gives your Champion stealth detection until they die.








Masteries:

9/0/21

Death Timer Reduction: -3.33%
Health Regeneration: +4%
Mana Regeneration: +4%, +1/sec
Experience Gain: +2.5%
Mana: +5%
Gold: +0.10/sec
Movement Speed: +3%
Cool-down Reduction: -6%, -3%
Summoner Cool-down Reduction: -15%

Exhaust: -25 armor, -25 magic resist, +.5 second duration
Ignite: +10 Ability Power during cooldown.
Ability Power: +.6/lvl


Runes:
9x Greater Mark of Knowledge +1.17 mana per level (+21.06 at champion level 18)
9x Greater Seal of Vitality +1.08 health per level (+19.44 at champion level 18)
9x Greater Glyph of Knowledge +1.42 mana per level (+25.56 at champion level 18)
3x Greater Quintessence of Knowledge +4.17 mana per level (+75.06 at champion level 18)


+644 Mana at level 18
+175 Health at level 18


Summoner Spells:
Exhaust and Ignite allow for an easy early-game kill if you can grab an enemy under your tower.

Ability Selection:
1 - Power Fist
2 - Rocket Grab
3 - Power Fist
4 - Overdrive
5 - Power Fist
6 - Static Field
7 - Power Fist
8 - Overdrive
9 - Power Fist
10 - Overdrive
11 - Static Field
12 - Overdrive
13 - Overdrive
14 - Rocket Grab
15 - Rocket Grab
16 - Static Field
17 - Rocket Grab
18 - Rocket Grab


Things to Watch out for:

Morgana - This champion has a shield that blocks your rocket grab. Along with this, Morgana has abilities that will stop you in your tracks and lower your magic resistance while doing lots of AP-based damage.

Udyr - This champion has very well-balanced hybrid damage, a damage absorbing shield, a stun, quite a bit of dodge, and is usually built with a fair amount of lifesteal. Be sure to use caution around Udyr.

Madred's Bloodrazor - As with any champion who has a lot of health, Blitzcrank is damaged heavily by this item. If you encounter more than one enemy with this item, it's best to pop one of them in the air with your Power Fist ability, engage Overdrive, and retreat to the nearest allied tower.

The Bloodthirster - Champions with several stacks of this item can pose a problem if you encounter them 1v1. Like with Madred's Bloodrazor, it's usually best to pop your enemy in the air with your Power Fist ability, engage Overdrive, and retreat to the nearest allied tower.


Summary/Tips:


- Use your Power Fist ability to last-hit minions for extra gold.


- When aiming your Rocket Grab, ensure there are no enemy minions in your way.


- Only use your ultimate when finishing-off enemy champions, or to kill large batches of minions for gold. The Static Field ability does several hundred damage per 2.5-seconds when it's not on cooldown, be sure to utilize this.


- This character/build works best with allied champions who dish-out a lot of damage, do NOT play this build if your teammates are primarily healers/tanks.


- When you grab an enemy, immediately use your power fist on them to pop them in the air. This will allow extra time for your teammates to land hits in as well.


- This build makes Blitzcrank an excellent tower pusher late-game, if you have the opportunity to take down an enemy tower that's at 1/3 health, go for it, you can endure several tower blasts.


- Try to grab enemies into a pack of your minions, as they will do extra damage to the enemy while at the same time increases the probability that the lightning bolts coming from your static field will hit the enemy champion as opposed to an enemy minion.


- Initiate team fights by grabbing their lowest-health/hardest-hitter first. If you grab an enemy tank wearing 4 Sunfire Capes, you've arguably done more harm than good.


- Camp out in bushes and surprised-grab enemy champions through walls for no other reason than to disrupt their routine. This causes enemies to play extra cautiously, which gives your allies an advantage with minion farming.


- Remember, your role is to take hits while the rest of your team deals direct damage, if you're lower than 1/2 health go back to base to heal.


- Grabbing characters such as Fiddlesticks and Nunu will cancel their ult.


- Utilize your Catalyst the Protector's passive bonus when you're leveling to ensure you provide the greatest amount of early-game support possible.


- Kill The Golem whenever possible for super-quick cooldowns.


- Your overdrive ability is very important for escaping, don't use it to farm minions faster if there are several enemies missing in action, you may be prone to an enemy gank.


- Buy sight wards and place them all over the map to setup ambushes.


Please feel free to comment! : )