Mage / Artillery
Beginner Rule
Keep moving unpredictably against Xerath — standing still or moving in straight lines makes his skillshots much easier to land.
Xerath is an artillery mage who excels at long-range poke and siege situations. He wants to repeatedly hit skillshots from a safe distance before finishing enemies with Rite of the Arcane (R). Many beginners become frustrated by the poke and start moving predictably.
Level 6 – Ultimate adds long-range kill pressure.
First Item – Poke becomes much harder to handle.
Two Items – Can dominate fights from extreme range.
Long-range skillshots
Ultimate snipes
Siege situations
Objective poke
QWhat it does
Fires a long-range beam dealing magic damage.
How to play against
A long-range line — sidestep perpendicular. He telegraphs it clearly.
WWhat it does
Calls down a barrage dealing damage. Centre deals more damage and applies a stronger slow.
How to play against
Move to the very edge of the AoE — centre is the dangerous zone.
EWhat it does
Deals magic damage and stuns the target.
How to play against
A fast stun projectile — dodge it. Getting stunned enables his Q follow-up from enormous range.
RWhat it does
Immobilises himself and gains several long-range barrages.
How to play against
He's completely immobile during R — he can be dived and burst. From afar dodge each shot with lateral movement.
E → W → Q
Standard burst combo.
Poke Rotation → Re-engage
Wears enemies down.
R → Finish Targets
Secures kills from range.
Mana Surge: periodically his basic attack restores Mana. He sustains mana passively — he'll never run out in long fights.
