THE ONLY LOCKE MID GUIDE YOU NEED
AP Assassin Release Guide
Locke is not an auto-attack champion.
Locke is not an on-hit champion.
Locke is an AP burst assassin built around landing Q, committing with E, and finishing fights through spell damage.
Your entire gameplan is simple:
Land Q → create kill pressure → go in → execute → get out.
CORE IDENTITY
Locke’s damage is heavily tied to his spells, especially his Q. Even though part of his kit has some on-hit interaction, that is not what makes the champion strong.
Do not overthink it.
You are not trying to DPS people with autos.
You are not trying to play Nashor’s Tooth Locke.
You are not trying to force Lich Bane or random on-hit builds.
You want raw AP, magic penetration, burst damage, and clean spell rotations.
BEST BUILD STYLE
Main Build Idea
AP + Magic Penetration
This is currently the strongest and most consistent way to play Locke because it amplifies the parts of his kit that actually matter: Q damage, E damage, R damage, and full-combo burst.
Core Items
Stormsurge
Your main burst item. It fits Locke’s assassin playstyle perfectly because you are looking to hit a full combo and delete targets quickly.
Shadowflame
Huge damage spike. Locke wants as much AP and magic penetration value as possible, and Shadowflame makes your burst much more threatening.
General Build Logic
Your goal is to stack damage that makes your abilities hit harder. Locke’s short attack range and spell-based combo pattern make AP + pen much more reliable than on-hit builds.
Build for burst.
Build for Q damage.
Build to kill squishies fast.
WHY ON-HIT IS BAIT
Locke has only one small part of his full combo where on-hit damage really matters. The rest of his damage comes from abilities.
That means items like:
Nashor’s Tooth
Lich Bane
Other on-hit setups
are usually bait if you are trying to play the strongest version of Locke.
They can be fun, but they are not the main build.
Locke also has very short attack range, so trying to play him like an auto-attacking champion makes your fights harder than they need to be.
MAIN COMBO
Full Burst Combo
Q Q Q → E1 → R → E2
This is the main full-damage combo shown in the guide.
The idea is to land your Qs first, then commit with E, use R to set up the execute pressure, and finish with E2.
Your Qs matter the most. If you miss Q, your damage drops massively.
SIMPLE COMBO RULES
Before You Go In
Ask yourself:
Did I land Q?
Is the enemy low enough to burst?
Do I have a way out?
Can I finish with R or force a reset-style fight?
If the answer is no, do not randomly send it.
Locke is strongest when he enters fights with setup, not when he coinflips engages.
RUNES
Primary Rune: Electrocute
Electrocute is Locke’s bread-and-butter rune.
It gives him the most reliable burst, fits his combo pattern, and is very easy for him to proc.
You can proc it with:
Q Q Q
or
Q → E1 → E2
This makes Electrocute the best default rune when you want consistent kill pressure.
Domination Options
Sudden Impact
Very strong on Locke because he dashes often during all-ins. If you are playing aggressively and committing into fights, this rune gives great value.
Cheap Shot
Good situational rune. Locke can slow enemies with Q, which makes Cheap Shot easy to activate, especially with Q2 poke. It has a lower cooldown than Sudden Impact, so it can be useful in poke-heavy lanes.
Taste of Blood
Good into harder lanes. Locke can poke consistently, so Taste of Blood gives him sustain and helps him survive rough matchups.
Hunter Runes
Ultimate Hunter
Very strong because Locke’s ultimate uptime is extremely important. More ultimates means more chances to fight, execute, and impact teamfights.
Relentless Hunter
Great for roaming and map tempo. If you want to move first, pressure side lanes, and be active around the map, this rune gives a lot of value.
Alternative Keystone Options
Stormraider’s Surge
Locke’s second-best rune option.
His playstyle is very in-and-out heavy, so the movement speed helps him escape, reposition, and reset after trades.
Take this if you value mobility and fight control over pure burst.
Arcane Comet
Good poke option into harder lanes.
Locke’s Q has long range, and Comet can be very effective when you are playing for lane poke instead of hard all-ins. This can be useful into matchups where walking in is risky.
Sorcery Rune Options
Manaflow Band
Simple and useful. Gives mana and mana sustain, which helps you poke and trade more often.
Transcendence
Good because Locke’s common builds do not always give a lot of haste. Lower cooldowns make your fights smoother.
Celerity
Strong with Stormraider’s and Locke’s W movement speed. Good if you are playing around speed, spacing, and repositioning.
Absolute Focus
Good damage option. Locke can often stay healthy because of his W, so he can keep this rune active in many lanes.
Scorch
Good lane poke rune. Works especially well with Arcane Comet setups.
Gathering Storm
Scaling option. Locke loves AP, so Gathering Storm gives strong value as the game goes longer.
BAIT RUNE
Axiom Arcanist
Do not take this as your main idea.
Locke’s ultimate is treated as AoE, even if it only hits one target, so the rune gets reduced value. It looks tempting, but it is bait compared to stronger options.
Resolve Secondary
Resolve can be very good as a secondary tree, especially for difficult lanes.
Good options:
Second Wind
Bone Plating
Revitalize
Conditioning
Unflinching
Only take Resolve as secondary. Locke does not benefit enough from Resolve primary keystones.
BEST DEFAULT SETUP
Standard Burst Page
Electrocute
Sudden Impact / Cheap Shot / Taste of Blood
Ultimate Hunter or Relentless Hunter
Sorcery or Resolve secondary
Use this page when you want the most consistent Locke experience.
POKE SETUP
Into Harder Lanes
Arcane Comet
Manaflow Band
Scorch
Transcendence / Absolute Focus / Celerity
This setup is better when you cannot freely all-in and need to play around Q poke.
PLAYSTYLE
Laning Phase
Your lane is about landing Q and creating pressure.
Do not force random all-ins before you have setup. Locke becomes much scarier when the enemy has already been poked or slowed.
Use Q to:
poke
pressure last hits
set up trades
prepare all-ins
control spacing
If you miss Q, back off and reset the trade.
Trading Pattern
The basic trading idea is:
Q poke first
wait for the enemy to misstep
use E only when you can actually commit
burst fast
leave before the enemy can punish you
Locke is not meant to stand still and auto-attack. You want fast, clean, controlled trades.
Teamfighting
In teamfights, do not be the first person to run straight into five people.
You are an assassin.
Look for:
flanks
low-health targets
isolated carries
enemies already hit by Q
windows after key CC is used
Your job is to enter at the right moment, burst someone, and create chaos.
BIGGEST MISTAKES
Building On-Hit
This is the biggest trap. Locke’s strongest damage pattern is spell-based, not auto-based.
Going In Without Q
If you miss Q and still engage, you are probably griefing your own damage.
Treating W Like A Free Button
W is strong, but do not press it randomly. Use it with purpose.
Forcing Every Fight
Locke is strong, but he still needs setup. Do not ego every trade.
Ignoring Roams
Locke can create strong map pressure. If mid lane is hard to kill, push and move.
OTP TIPS
Your Q decides your fight.
Miss Q, lose damage. Hit Q, unlock the champion.
AP + pen is your main identity.
Do not get baited by flashy on-hit builds.
Electrocute is your default.
Use it when you want reliable kill pressure.
Stormraider’s is your mobility option.
Use it when you need in-and-out movement.
Comet is your hard-lane option.
Use it when you need to poke instead of all-in.
Do not play Locke like an auto attacker.
Play him like an AP assassin.
QUICK SUMMARY
Locke wants AP and magic penetration.
His best core is built around burst items like Stormsurge and Shadowflame.
His best default rune is Electrocute.
His strongest combo pattern is:
Q Q Q → E1 → R → E2
His biggest bait is building on-hit.
If you want to win on Locke, focus on landing Q, choosing clean all-ins, and building for spell burst.
