Mel is among the latest additions to League of Legends, and she is a champion that definitely deserves more attention. Choosing the proper Mel build can have a big impact on your success, so we’re about to learn what makes her so special. This guide on how to play Mel in League of Legends was made following Blix.gg’s tests, so let’s dive in.
Contents
Mel’s Abilities
The first thing we need to discuss is the Mel League of Legends abilities. Let’s cover each one.
Searing Brilliance – Passive
Mel’s passive is called Searing Brilliance. This option allows her to apply Overwhelm stacks, which store magical damage. If the stored damage amount is higher than the opponent’s HP and shield (combined), it will be executed.
Furthermore, this passive ability allows Mel’s next attack to fire 3 additional projectiles. Each of them will do damage, and the effect can stack for up to 9 extra projectiles.
When playing with Mel, you should be careful not to waste the attacks on a target that’s not worth it. Fortunately, you can’t waste it when attacking wards. It’s also worth knowing that the Overwhelm stacks have a 6 seconds duration.
Radiant Volley – Q
Once you pick League of Legends Mel, you will have access to her Q (Radiant Volley). When used, it will release 6 projectiles that will explode in an AoE. The explosion deals 25% less damage when it hits minions.
Rebuttal – W
Mel’s W allows her to create a special reflective projectile that will prevent her from taking damage. While in the barrier, the champion will have 30% decaying MS for one sec.
It’s worth knowing that the projectiles that will be reflected will deal a specific percentage of the original damage. That said, this will not work against towers. The good news is that it will block non-projectiles.
Rebuttal has a fairly long CD, and it will block almost the same things as Windwall from Yaso.
Solar Snare – E
When used, Mel will root enemies for 1.75s and deal magic damage. Enemies near the orb will take magical damage per second and will have their MS reduced by 30%. When used against minions, the ability will do 50% less damage.
Golden Eclipse – R
The last ability we want to mention in the Mel League of Legends guide is her R. It increases Overwhelm’s damage, and when used, the champion unleashes her power on all enemies that are under Overwhelm’s effect. This will inflict magic damage in addition to the extra damage from the stacks.
It’s worth knowing that Mel can only cast this if the enemy has the Overwhelm debuff. After doing damage, the champion has 6 seconds to use this ability
Mel Skill Build
When talking about the Mel kit League of Legends, it really depends on the opponents you are facing. Having said that, we at Blix.gg believe that it’s best to max Q before the rest. Besides having a low cooldown, it will allow her to get more procs and be more offensive.
In some instances, it might be better to focus on W instead of E, but only if you want to be more defensive. Generally speaking, E is the better option because it will allow you to do more damage.
It goes without saying, but you should get your ultimate whenever possible.
Mel Runes
Considering that League of Legends Mel is a mage, it’s no surprise that Arcane Comet works really well. First Strike is also a solid option and can work well in a lot of situations.
Regarding the minor runes, the mage will benefit from anything that allows her to do more damage. Things like Manaflow Band and Transcendence are also great.
Mel Boosts
While doing this Mel League of Legends guide, we tested several options, and it turns out that Lucity Boots works very well her. This thing allows Mel to have lower cooldowns, resulting in more overall damage.
In some cases, however, the champion may want to get things like Played Steelcaps. This item will give her 25 armor and 45 movement speed, making it a solid pick against specific opponents.
Mel Item Build
Like other spell casters, Mel will want to focus on items that give her AP and Mana. Naturally, things like the ability haste also work well, and she also needs health in order to survive. With that said, here are a couple of interesting items that could work well for her:
- Luden’s Companion – A solid item that will provide her 100 ability power, 600 mana, and 10 ability haste.
- Void Staff – A good option for Mel that provides 40% magic penetration and 95 ability power.
- Rabadon’s Deathcap – This item will increase the champion’s overall passive damage, as well as her ultimate.
- Zhonya’s Hourglass – With 120 AP and 50 armor, the item is great for all spellcasters, including Mel.
- Shadowflame – Tanks to the Magic Penetration, Mel can bring down squishy targets much faster
- Horizon Focus – An item that will work well if Mel plays against ranged opponents.
- Morellonomicon – Playing against opponents who can heal themselves a lot is never fun, but this item makes Mel’s job a bit easier.
- Luden’s Companion – Although League of Legends Mel already has a lot of bursts, this item allows her to be even more dangerous.
Synergy With Different Champions
Another important point in this Mel League of Legends guide we’d want to talk about is the synergy between her and other options. Although the names here might change in the future, for now, we believe she works well with the following champions:
- Rell – It comes as no surprise that Rell is an excellent pick because she can keep enemies in place. This enables Mel to unleash her damaged output and be a lot more effective. Moreover, Rell can roam and help the champion in the early game, allowing her to snowball out of control.
- Amumu – Similar to Rell, Amumu’s abilities allow the champion to keep opponents in place. This means that Mel will be able to do more damage than usual. Amumu is also a solid jungler (albeit not the best right now), and the champion can also help Mel to snowball. Once the laning stage is over, the synergy between the two can lead to easy team fights.
- Lee Sin – Finally, we have Lee Sin. Considering she is among the most offensive junglers in the game, it’s no surprise she works well with an aggressive champion like Mel. These two can secure easy kills early on and set themselves up for success in the mid and late game.
Conclusion
Although Mel might not be the best option in League of Legends right now, there’s no arguing the champion is worth it. Her potential damage output makes her a very solid option in a lot of combos. She can be exceptionally strong when played properly and when paired with some of the champions who work well with her.