The Art of Draven: Tips and Strategies for Carrying Your Team
League of Legends players know that mastering Draven can be the key to climbing the ranks and securing more victories. With his high damage output and flashy playstyle, Draven is one of the most rewarding ADCs to excel with. This guide will cover everything you need to know to maximize your effectiveness with Draven, from laning phase dominance to carrying your team in the late game.
Combining Draven's Abilities for Maximum Damage Output
Draven's potential for massive damage lies in the effective combination of his abilities. Here's how to make the most out of each skill:
Spinning Axe (Q)
Spinning Axe is Draven’s bread and butter. With it, each of Draven's basic attacks becomes an empowered strike that deals extra damage. The key to mastering Spinning Axe is maintaining multiple axes in play by catching them as they bounce. This not only boosts your damage but also increases your Blood Rush (W) uptime due to cooldown resets upon catching the axe.
Pro Tip: Practice catching axes in custom games. The more comfortable you are with positioning to catch axes, the more reliable your damage output will be.
Blood Rush (W)
Blood Rush briefly increases Draven's attack speed and movement speed. It’s crucial for both chasing down enemies and kiting. Catching an axe will reset its cooldown, allowing you to keep the buff up nearly all the time if you play it right.
Pro Tip: Use Blood Rush to quickly reposition for catching axes or dodging skill shots, making you less predictable.
Stand Aside (E)
Stand Aside is Draven’s crowd control ability, which knocks aside all enemies hit and slows them. This can be used to disrupt incoming threats, secure kills by cutting off escapes, or peel for yourself during tricky situations.
Pro Tip: Combine Stand Aside with your Spinning Axe empowered attacks to ensure that your target has no chance to escape.
Whirling Death (R)
Whirling Death is Draven's global ultimate, dealing damage on both the outgoing and returning path. Use it to finish off low-health enemies anywhere on the map, or to deal significant damage in team fights.
Pro Tip: Time Whirling Death to coincide with crowd control from allies, maximizing its impact.
Optimal Rune and Item Builds for Unmatched Power
Your rune and item choices greatly influence your effectiveness:
Runes
- Precision – Keystone: Press the Attack: Enhances your already high damage output by making your target more vulnerable to all subsequent damage.
- Triumph: Provides sustain and bonus gold on enemy takedowns, perfect for snowballing.
- Legend: Bloodline: Grants lifesteal and sustain in team fights.
- Coup de Grace: Increases damage against low-health opponents.
Secondary: Sorcery
- Nimbus Cloak: Grants mobility for making plays or escaping danger.
- Gathering Storm: Scales your damage as the game progresses.
Items
- Core Build: Kraken Slayer, Infinity Edge, Bloodthirster
- Situational Items: Guardian Angel, Mortal Reminder, Mercurial Scimitar
Laning Phase Dominance and CS Efficiency
Securing a strong laning phase is critical to Draven's success:
Early Game Aggression
Take advantage of Draven's high base damage and ability to stack Spinning Axe. Constantly apply pressure to your lane opponents by trading aggressively and looking for early kills.
Pro Tip: Use the bonus gold from Draven’s passive, League of Draven, to complete your first major item before the enemy ADC.
CS Efficiency
Maintain consistent last-hitting while juggling axes. This will ensure steady income and keep you ahead in the lane.
Pro Tip: Use the practice tool to refine your ability to last-hit while keeping up the pressure with Spinning Axe.
Using Stand Aside and Whirling Death in Team Fights
Stand Aside (E)
Draven is often the prime target in team fights. Stand Aside provides a crucial tool for repositioning and disrupting the enemy team. Use it defensively to peel for yourself or aggressively to ensure key targets cannot escape.
Pro Tip: Use Stand Aside to knock away assassins coming for you, giving you time to reposition and fight back.
Whirling Death (R)
When engaging in team fights, look for opportunities to use Whirling Death where it can hit multiple targets. The recall aspect of the ultimate can be used to catch enemies off-guard or to clear waves and join fights simultaneously.
Pro Tip: Monitor teammates who provide crowd control; coordinate your ultimate to sync with stuns or snares for maximum efficiency.
Positioning and Kiting Techniques for Survival
Draven's strength can be his downfall if not positioned correctly. Ensure your survival with the following tactics:
Positioning
Always stay behind your frontline and make good use of your support’s protective abilities. Absolute positioning is key to consistently catching your axes without overextending.
Pro Tip: Maintain a positioning triangle with your support and tank, maximizing your safety and output.
Kiting
Kiting allows you to deal damage while moving, making you harder to pin down. Use Blood Rush effectively to string together attacks while maintaining distance.
Pro Tip: Master the rhythm of moving backward while attacking and catching axes. Practicing this dance will make it second nature in real-game scenarios.
Summary
Mastering Draven in League of Legends can be a challenging yet rewarding endeavor. Focus on combining his abilities for maximum damage, choosing optimal rune and item builds, dominating the laning phase, utilizing team fight techniques effectively, and mastering positioning and kiting for survival.
By following the strategies outlined in this guide, you’ll enhance your gameplay and carry your team to victory more consistently.
Call to Action: Are you ready to dominate with Draven? Head into the Rift, apply these tips, and watch as you ascend the ranks. For more in-depth guides and tips on other champions, subscribe to our newsletter and never miss an update!
