"Enchanter" Pyke :3

Trailblazer #005 Peak Challenger

#1 Pyke

28K viewsMay 2, 202611 min read

English

Pyke

supp

Enchanter

Off-meta

Tank

100%

"Enchanter" Pyke :3

This variation of Pyke is very suited towards more passive/reactive players (proactive only in high macro) and especially exceeding in peeling allies over removing threats.

I play Pyke since he was released and noticed many variations of Pyke throughout his existence as a champ (Aftershock Frozen Heart; Duskblade Pentakill Printer[2x Gold on Takedown]; 0.5s Oneshot Prowlers Claw)
Nowadays however Pyke seems like a quite normal lethality champ which IMO is quite disappointing compared to what we had.
What I wanna present here is a new perspective to Pyke, one that only falls off as much as a Rell does for a Tank. This Guide brings a way to play Pyke alot around low CD's and lots of controlled wins. Particularly through keeping your carries alive.

The Setup for this build relies alot on Jack Of All Trades (JOAT), since the goal is to stack tons of Ability Haste meanwhile accessing high utility items.

The Item rush can be varied depending on if specific items like Mikael's early are required. However the usual Build will start like this:
World's Atlas ⇒ Boots+Serrated Dirk ⇒ Cloth Armor & Null-Magic Mantle + Glowing Mote
With this we already achieve the desired 10 stacks of JOAT meanwhile allowing to purchase Locket quite early.

Core Build should be:
Celestial Opposition/Bloodsong (whatever u pref tbh.), Locket of the Iron Solari, Umbral Glaive/Serpent's Fang/Edge of Night (matchup), Mikael's Blessing/Redemption/etc. (just any relevant utility item), Hexdrinker/Frozen Heart (2nd Tank item).

These are not in order and can be bought in any order relevant to the match. Note that Locket simply has a very high value in many cases like:
Kennen/Karthus/Aurora/Qiyana Ults (AOE) or Zed/Talon/Kayn/Akali (Single Target)
It gives Pyke effectively about 400-600hp (considering the +25 Armor/Magic Resist + 290-360 Shield).

As for the Runes, the Core is quite simply based around keeping a good curve on the game.

Can take Hexflash over Cashback if enemy carries are both immobile targets
(Viktor/Orianna mid, Varus/Jinx adc)
I personally prefer taking exhaust however TOGETHER with ignite (Ignite + Exhaust), therefore I play Cashback 95% of the time.

As for the secondary runes it can be considered to priotize Bone Plating for Skirmish power (or certain matchups). Otherwise priotize getting high generic power from Nimbus Cloak + Transcendence.

Note that Heal and Shield Power% DON'T increase your total healing from Passive, but instead make your Passive heal FASTER. Despite not increasing the total healing, it still is a good stat for Locket & Redemption.

Now being done with the Build setup, a brief gameplay direction.

It is important to understand that with this build we are not chasing solo kill montages, however, we still are a highly mobile support with decent cc application excelling at catching targets before a teamfight can happen. With this setup we are alot better as how Pyke mains would call "hook botting" since that will be the main pace in midgame.
With the new season we got alot more power in rotations and people tend to make mistakes on those. Being aware of that helps reading rotations correctly and notice how to explot weakpoints. This unfortunately can feel very inconsistent since for SoloQ most players tend to autopilot at some point making things very unpredictable.
Atleast this build allows us to reach +67 AH (40% CDR) quite early, around 15minutes, with that we can assure being quite safe on our roams.

I came up with this setup atfirst because I was mad they removed Trailblazer (fun item) but while looking to craft something for Pyke, I realized that with this approach I manage to play alot more consistent instead of an usual clip farmer being silly. If u feel like you also struggle with this I highly recommend trying to win a few with a new mindset.
Imagine you're playing with a Smolder, back then I was quite annoyed at this champ. Not because I thought it was necessarily weak, quite opposite actually, it seemed quite powerful. However I couldn't vibe with just waiting on a clock to tick until I get an ADC. Now instead I see it as if I was playing Smolder. Just picture this, when you land a clean Q+E on enemy Braum while his Q is on CD and your Smolder throws his W, Q and even E. Back then I would say wow 100 damage... Now instead I say WOW 3 STACKS FOR FREE.

If you read it throughout the end, damn.. I didn't expect that while typing but thanks, its appreciated.
Feel free to dm me on discord if there are any questions to this Guide as this is my first one.
Otherwise, have a nice day and good luck have fun in SoloQ.

S+

Impossible

Very Hard

Hard

Even

Favorable

Easy

Free

By Difficulty

Filter tiers...

Showing 35 of 35 matchups

Mel

Rating: 9.5/10

If I didn't have a personal grudge against Sylas, ban this champ.

S+

Q:10/9/8/7/6

W:38/35/33/29/26

E:11/10.5/10/9.5/9

R:120/100/80

If I didn't have a personal grudge against Sylas, ban this champ. Must bait her W out while E is on CD, otherwise she can punish deadly. Note that since her W Rework you can Ult into her W.

Aurora

Smash. Quite similar to Sylas it's very hard to assure lethal while ganking her.

S+

Aurora matchup: Smash. Quite similar to Sylas it's very hard to assure lethal while ganking her. Ideally land hook before her W lands to avoid her invisibility. Locket rush has very high value to not get nuked by her.

Sylas

Rating: 9/10

Can essentially do anything against you.

Sylas matchup: Can essentially do anything against you. He has 3 realistic ways to avoid your ultimate (E dash, W heal and Zhonyas). Quite vulnerbale to ganks early however (if mid/top).

Morgana

Rating: 8.5/10

A patience game with this champ tbh, Mercs rush.

Morgana matchup: A patience game with this champ tbh, Mercs rush. ideally play for roams or, if possible, look for E lineups that hit more than 1.

Elise

Rating: 7.5/10

Must have Bone Plating. Otherwise a question wheter u manage to track her roa...

Elise matchup: Must have Bone Plating. Otherwise a question wheter u manage to track her roams and ideally negate them.

Rell

Rating: 7/10

Simply a very strong Champion to face in general.

Rell matchup: Simply a very strong Champion to face in general. Attempt to read her flash timers later in the game and if possible to counter her potential flash W+R combo with a precise hook.

Soraka

Rating: 7/10

Mostly a skill check on if short hook is mastered.

Soraka matchup: Mostly a skill check on if short hook is mastered. If yes, then lane becomes alot easier. Also very effective to not play for lethal Ults but mobile Ults (R+QE or E+R).

Heimerdinger

Rating: 7/10

Not alot to do early game as he falls off harder.

Heimerdinger matchup: Not alot to do early game as he falls off harder. If your ADC is unable to clear his Q, just be patient because Heimerdinger players expect you to throw somehow.

LeBlanc

Rating: 7/10

very XD champ, but quite weak once you have Locket/Hexdrinker.

LeBlanc matchup: very XD champ, but quite weak once you have Locket/Hexdrinker. If she ever uses W to poke your ADC and they didn't explode by it, then you have a large window to look for engage. Can hug ADC to block her E.

Blitzcrank

Rating: 6.5/10

Must buy EoN over Umbal Glaive.

Blitzcrank matchup: Must buy EoN over Umbal Glaive. Ideally he focuses hooks on you, since your E cd is always lower than his Q.

Lux

Rating: 6/10

Scary if paired with high burst ADC's (Jhin&Caitlyn).

Lux matchup: Scary if paired with high burst ADC's (Jhin&Caitlyn). Look out for Mikael's if there is a 2nd threat.

Rakan

Rating: 5.5/10

Mostly just a hinderance and no threat.

Rakan matchup: Mostly just a hinderance and no threat. Similar to Rell try tracking flash timer and prevent his R + Flash W engages with a precise Q or even a well placed E.

Thresh

Rating: 5.5/10

Matchup gets 3x easier when warding his W is trained.

Thresh matchup: Matchup gets 3x easier when warding his W is trained. Short hook check can also be done, however a skilled Thresh can win it quite often. Also check for Mikael's value.

Janna

Rating: 5/10

Similar to Soraka but less punishing.

Janna matchup: Similar to Soraka but less punishing. Short hooks and higher paced combos (R+QE or E+R).

Poppy

Rating: 5/10

Keep distance & Hug ADC if Q up.

Poppy matchup: Keep distance & Hug ADC if Q up. Quite immobile when not engaging, therefore quite easy to chunk when landing Q with Glacial Augment.

Renata Glasc

Rating: 4.5/10

if not outmatched by ADC power, then easy to catch.

Renata Glasc matchup: if not outmatched by ADC power, then easy to catch. Very immobile and reliant on brute forcing. Can easily use R once her W is popped.

Karma

Rating: 4/10

Serpents over Umbral, otherwise quite simple.

Karma matchup: Serpents over Umbral, otherwise quite simple. Karma relies alot on movementspeed instead of dashes, making Glacial Augment quite lethal for her.

Braum

Rating: 3.5/10

Bait Braum Q, then exploit overextend.

Braum matchup: Bait Braum Q, then exploit overextend. With Glacial Augment quite easy for ADC's to stack Lethal Tempo and chunk him. Don't bother all-ins until lead established.

Lulu

Rating: 3.5/10

Seprents over Umbral, don't dive if not advantageous.

Lulu matchup: Seprents over Umbral, don't dive if not advantageous. Skilled Lulu's will attempt landing W or even R to cancel your momentum, simply keep space and utilize Glacial Augment.

Taric

Rating: 3.5/10

Must have antiheal ASAP, otherwise very immobile.

Taric matchup: Must have antiheal ASAP, otherwise very immobile.

Camille

Rating: 3.5/10

Hug ADC at all times to potentially lineup E.

Camille matchup: Hug ADC at all times to potentially lineup E. Can always hold Q to cancel her E. Note that Locket has very high value to negate her Q² burst.

Nautilus

Rating: 3/10

Quite easy matchup actually, requires awareness on Hook vs Hook buffer.

Nautilus matchup: Quite easy matchup actually, requires awareness on Hook vs Hook buffer.

Bard

Rating: 3/10

Pick up Bone plating to deny Electro+Cheapshot.

Bard matchup: Pick up Bone plating to deny Electro+Cheapshot. Alot easier with this approach since we're not looking to threaten lethal on our own.

Neeko

Rating: 3/10

Surprisingly easy to deny her Ult engage with Q.

Neeko matchup: Surprisingly easy to deny her Ult engage with Q. Similar to Rell track her flash timer. Note that her W cooldown only starts ticking when the clone does. Averaging a potential +3s up to +10s CD to abuse.

Seraphine

Rating: 3/10

Only a threat when paired with Ashe.

Seraphine matchup: Only a threat when paired with Ashe. Otherwise only consider Mikael's if your team has 1 highly valuable target for Seraphine R. Note to Ashe paired matchup that Unflinching has immense value.

Alistar

Rating: 2.5/10

Can cancel his W+Q combo by hooking him or E dodge.

Alistar matchup: Can cancel his W+Q combo by hooking him or E dodge. Just make sure to avoid hooking while he has flash advantage over your ADC.

Tahm Kench

Rating: 2.5/10

Big victim to getting caught, serpents value check.

Tahm Kench matchup: Big victim to getting caught, serpents value check. Can potentially always hold Q for his W. Note that Tahm Kench W has an audio cue even when out of vision ⇒ put SFX a tiny bit higher if possible.

Nami

Rating: 2/10

Pacing decided by adc draft, nonetheless quite easy.

Nami matchup: Pacing decided by adc draft, nonetheless quite easy.

Leona

Rating: 2/10

Mikael's rush 👍, also hug ADC early and hold E.

Leona matchup: Mikael's rush 👍, also hug ADC early and hold E. Very easy matchup when not forced to burst. Play with range and possibly isolate her before a fight to chunk.

Pantheon

Rating: 2/10

Can avoid his stun with Q or buffer E.

Pantheon matchup: Can avoid his stun with Q or buffer E.

Zilean

Rating: 2/10

Very weak to being slowed. Later on always keep a way out with E when looking...

Zilean matchup: Very weak to being slowed. Later on always keep a way out with E when looking for a catch.

Senna

Rating: 2/10

If enemy has high AD draft, rush Frozen Heart over Locket.

Senna matchup: If enemy has high AD draft, rush Frozen Heart over Locket. A simple matchup really, very weak to slows and if necessary buy antiheal.

Sona

Rating: 2/10

Make sure that your team has both serpents & antiheal.

Sona matchup: Make sure that your team has both serpents & antiheal. If no one seems willing to buy either, get both.

Milio

Rating: 1.5/10

By far weakest cc against Pyke Q.

Milio matchup: By far weakest cc against Pyke Q. Milio players tend to throw Q for fun sometimes, which is deadly for him since your Q has the same CD. Simply stepping up can be enough to bait his Q.

Yuumi

Rating: 1/10

Yuumi. Tbf most ADC's paired to Yuumi are quite decent into Pyke (Tristana, E...

Yuumi matchup: Yuumi. Tbf most ADC's paired to Yuumi are quite decent into Pyke (Tristana, Ezreal, Zeri), however if Prio is easy to obtain ⇒ hold junglers hand and invade.

"Enchanter" Pyke :3

This variation of Pyke is very suited towards more passive/reactive players (proactive only in high macro) and especially exceeding in peeling allies over removing threats.

Author