If you keep up with League of Legends meme pages then you have probably already heard about Soraka top. It’s becoming more and more popular, but Riot is planning on nerfing her for this exact reason. How dare the player base invent a better, more enjoyable role for a support!
So, before she is eradicated from the top lane, you should probably try her out. And if you are more conservative, check out our Ambulance Soraka guide which teaches you how to play her as a proper support.
When should you use it?
Soraka is way too easy to counter in League of Legends, so I don’t recommend bringing her to ranked games. You could easily lose a ton of LP this way. Plus she has a lot of weaknesses for a top laner, so even if your goal was to win at all costs, you would be at a disadvantage.
Instead, enjoy the experience with her. Soraka is perfect if you want to have some fun. It’s super fun to see your enemies rage because a support defeated them. There isn’t a lot of coherent counterplay against this build either, as most top laners don’t really know what to do with Soraka. They aren’t used to seeing a champion like that in their lane, and their confusion can be hilarious. Their attempts at dodging Starcall can be pretty funny too.
What items does Top Laner Soraka need?
- Zhonya’s Hourglass
- Redemption
- Athene’s Unholy Grail
The rest is up to you. The first thing you should rush are boots, which will be Ionian Boots of Lucidity in most cases. Depending on your matchup, you can get Ninja Tabi or Mercury’s Treads as well.
You should aim to get Ardent Censer as well, but only if you go even with the enemy laner. If that’s not the case, then you need to adapt to the situation. If you are behind and they are focusing AD, go for Thornmail. And if they are running AP, get Abyssal Mask or Banshee’s Veil. These will get you some extra damage resistance and will help you keep up with the other top laner.
That said, if you notice that you’re having an easy time keeping up, then just get that Ardent Censer and throw in a Liandry’s Torment as well. It will help you snowball more easily.
Which runes does Top Laner Soraka need?
Your Keystone is a must, because you cannot switch from Summon Aery to Arcane Comet. I know that because of Starcall’s slow, this may seem like a good idea, but trust me, it’s not. If you go up against a champion that can easily dodge it, then you will need to rely on your Equinox, in which case, your slow will never have a chance. All the damage that Arcane Comet could get you will be lost. Meanwhile, Summon Aery will deal a little bit of damage and shield your teammates as well.
Also, Scorch. It seems like a small little thing, but it makes a huge difference. If you can poke well, you can try playing a game without it and see how much it affects your damage. If you want to stay relevant, then use Scorch and get the most out of it.
When to switch it up
Soraka has plenty of counters in League of Legends, but the absolute worst are Sett and Darius. Statistically, Diana would be the best one to pick against her, but let’s be honest. Who plays Diana top lane? Nobody, that’s who.
So, if you see a Sett or a Darius on the enemy team, start praying. Better yet, if it’s not too late just pick another champion. These two are insanely hard to deal with, because their abilities force Soraka out of the lane in the early game. They make it really hard to farm, and you will only be able to kill them if you get your jungler to help you. Otherwise, your entire early game will be ruined. Thankfully though, Soraka has a better comeback rate, so in most cases she can still win in the long run.
How to play as Top Lane Soraka
Unless you get hard-countered, your early game will be a delight. Since most top laners are melee champions, they will barely be able to farm. You can spam your Starcall on them and gain back all the health that you might have lost, catching an early advantage.
Once the enemy laner has their first item, it will be time for you to start asking for help. You’re still a support after all, so you won’t really be able to kill champions at this point. Instead, feed the your ADC or the mid laner the kill and cash in that assist gold.
Oh, and don’t forget to cast Wish whenever someone is close to getting a kill. That way you will have a lot of assists and thus, way more gold.
