Riot Games’ newest initiative in League of Legends, known as mid-scope updates, aims to rejuvenate champions whose designs hold up well, though whose kits have proved difficult to balance over the years. These mid-scope updates have allowed champions like Taliyah and Swain, who have faltered in their intended role, to once more reach the top of the meta.
The most recent champion to receive a mid-scope update is Sivir, an ADC that has been present since the game’s initial release, though one that has fallen off as new, more complicated champions are released. With these changes, Riot has honed in on Sivir’s ability to poke her enemies from a distance, while forcing players to keep an eye on her mana with the removal of her mana refresh.
Though Sivir’s mid-scope update has only been live in League for a little over a week, she was hotfix-nerfed within 24 hours of her changes being available and continues to stand out among other ADCs. Despite unspecified nerfs coming to Sivir in Patch 12.14, the champ could remain an optimal pick for the bot lane, likely even venturing back into professional play once her changes make their way there.
Here is the best build for Sivir in League of Legends.
Best runes for Sivir
Precision
Lethal Tempo: The core of Sivir’s identity has always been her ability to poke her enemies, whether that be through abilities or basic attacks. Like most ADCs, Sivir can accomplish this goal more effectively while taking the Lethal Tempo keystone. When she attacks an enemy champion, Sivir will gain a large burst of attack speed for a few seconds, increasing her range if players can stack the rune further. Combined with Sivir’s innate attack speed boost and her ultimate, Lethal Tempo will ensure that players are constantly dealing damage regardless of how far away their enemies are.
Presence of Mind: Sivir’s E no longer grants her mana for successfully nullifying an enemy ability. Therefore, players are not able to spam Sivir’s Q and W as easily as before, taking away from Sivir’s poke potential, particularly in the early game. Bringing Presence of Mind rewards Sivir with a bit of mana regeneration for attacking enemies, while also restoring a flat amount for takedowns. This rune will prove useful not only in the early game but in late-game fights when spamming abilities becomes easier.
Legend: Alacrity: The more attack speed Sivir has, the easier it is for Sivir to force her enemies to find safety. By stacking Legend: Alacrity, Sivir will slowly gain attack speed for simply playing the game. This rune may not feel useful immediately, but as players reach the late game, they’ll notice that this rune combined with items makes Sivir a formidable threat with basic attacks alone.
Coup de Grace: Coup de Grace is a good rune in general for most ADCs due to providing them with increased damage on low-health opponents. Sivir’s innately high attack speed, combined with the flurry of projectiles she can throw at opponents with ease, should make it easy for players to get their enemies below the 40-percent threshold, which is when this rune will activate. This may be more difficult to do in the late game once champions build more items, but it can prove vital to winning and snowballing the early game.
Inspiration
Magical Footwear: While taking this rune prohibits Sivir from buying boots before she has the Slightly Magical Footwear in her inventory, it saves her around 300 gold and provides a slight increase to the normal movement speed that boots provide. Sivir can access these boots quicker than 12 minutes into the game by accumulating takedowns.
Biscuit Delivery: Similarly to Presence of Mind, Sivir needs external ways to keep her mana regulated. Outside of also granting her a small amount of HP as an extra potion, the biscuits provided with Biscuit Delivery will provide Sivir with a small amount of mana on each use, which can allow her to remain in lane and push waves that would otherwise be difficult without mana.
Bonuses: +10-percent attack speed, +9 adaptive force, +6 armor
Best starting items for Sivir
Doran’s Blade: This central starting item for ADCs provides them with damage, health, and a small amount of omnivamp. It is particularly useful for ensuring that ADCs, many of which are normally very frail, have some method of self-sustain in the laning phase.
Health Potions: Sivir’s defenses remain mostly unchanged with her mid-scope update. Outside of her newly-changed E, which now heals her for blocking an enemy ability, she does not have any way to heal herself without external support. Players should opt for buying health potions until they reach a point where their life steal, omnivamp, or support healing is more reliable.
Stealth Ward: Having a ward handy is never detrimental. Coordinating with your support on where to ward in the laning phase can help to keep an eye on the enemy jungler and prevent successful ganks on the bot lane.
Best core items for Sivir
Kraken Slayer: The passive associated with Sivir’s ultimate has now been moved to her W, making more sense since the passive directly impacts this ability. This active attack speed burst synergizes greatly with the Mythic item Kraken Slayer, which, before her changes, was a suboptimal choice for Sivir. Each third attack with Kraken Slayer allows Sivir to deal bonus true damage, while also passively granting her bonus attack damage, attack speed, and crit chance.
Phantom Dancer: This Legendary-tier item’s usage has surged due to the addition of Zeri to League’s evolving cast because it grants movement speed and ghosting for attacking enemies. Sivir also enjoys the bonuses that this item provides due to her lack of mobility when her ultimate isn’t available. Players should opt for this item after they complete their Mythic item to ensure they can out-speed their opponents—and get away if needed.
Berserker’s Greaves: Sivir can further increase her attack speed and movement speed simultaneously by buying Berserker’s Greaves. The Magical Footwear rune also gives a small boost to the movement speed that these boots provide, which can allow Sivir to outspeed her enemies that don’t account for the runes she has.
Best late-game items for Sivir
Infinity Edge: As the quintessential item for ADCs that rely on crit chance, Infinity Edge, though pricey, takes the already-high damage of Sivir to new levels. At this point, Sivir should have approximately 40 percent crit chance from her other items, meaning the extra 20 percent granted by Infinity Edge will activate its passive. Sivir will then deal 35 percent more damage from hitting critical hits on enemies, which will simultaneously stack the passives of her other items and runes, making her nearly unstoppable once she gets going.
Lord Dominik’s Regards: Sivir struggles immensely with enemies that rush at her with high defenses and health. As an ADC, the most she can do in retaliation is kite them, with the added bonus of having her ultimate increase her movement speed should she need to run away. To better deal with tanky enemies, especially those that have accumulated multiple items into the late-game, players should invest in a Lord Dominik’s Regards, or an incomplete Last Whisper, which grants her armor penetration and increased damage against opponents with more health than her.
Essence Reaver: While Sivir’s final item slot can be adjusted depending on the enemy team’s composition, Essence Reaver serves as a great item to further increase her damage output. After using an ability, Sivir gains a large attack boost to her next basic attack. This can be procced by using any of Sivir’s abilities, which, in the late game, can be spammed almost freely. Players should be aware of Sivir’s mana costs, though, since they will certainly limit her ability to activate this item.
