AP Rammus – The Ultimate Build Guide (Season 12)

Have you ever wondered whether Rammus can be an Ability Power character or not? 

If you have, then you are at the right place! So many have wondered about it, so we decided to show you a build favored by many.

To find out the best build for him which can keep him alive but maximize the damage he does, read on!

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Rammus Tank on Ability Power?

Rammus is one of the tankiest champions in League of Legends. His abilities and passive stats increase in a way perfect for a tank. The usual items and runes build on damage, making the champion have the best cohesion with his skills and even his ultimate. The whole playstyle around this champion focuses on taking all the damage and covering his team.

 With that being said, building him on AP will be an exciting but kind of innovative attempt, no matter how you look at it. There are some cases where a little bit of ability power wonders with the champion and the team fights! Here, we will go through the details and show you the best balanced AP build you can use on this speedy tank.

When Should You Build Rammus on AP? 

The short answer is NEVER. As we said, it will be an exciting idea, but a full Ability Power Rammus screams for defeat. If you want to get him some AP, then it is possible, but you still will have to mix tanky items to better his survivability so he can perform his role effectively.

If you decide to go for it, it will be best if your team lacks mages; in these cases, you can afford to go slightly in that way and get yourself an item like Riftmaker. The builds themselves can vary. Thus we will look at it in the following section!

How to Build Rammus and What are the Best Options?

Before we start, it is essential to note that the build of Rammus depends on many factors. The lane one, the ally and enemy team composition, and the overall game flow. Considering these factors, the builds can vary, and it is essential to know them.

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Best Runes Strategy

When it comes to runes, no matter the build, Rammus follows to be built on Resolve and Domination. That is because this champion’s passive stats are scaling, and abilities are all about sustaining damage and surviving while creating chances for teammates!

The domination path can vary depending on the game situation and team composition and your position – jungler or top laner.

In the case of a player who picks Rammus as a jungler. The domination path should be as follow:

• Aftershock – is the best pick due to his skills and role
• Shield Bash – increase damage and sustainability
• Conditioning – extra Armor and MR won’t hurt on Rammus!
• Revitalizing is perfect for the shields if you have a healer or slightly increase damage!

If you decide to go on Top lane, swap shield bash for Demolish. By doing so, you will be able to push the lane faster and put more pressure on the enemy.

For the Domination paths, it again depends on the lane. In case you are playing as a jungler, you should pick the following:

• Sudden Impact – little bit more damage with this AP build
• Ultimate Hunter – To decrease the cooldown on your R!

If you are on Top, simply change Sudden Impact with Cheap Shot!

The bonuses are the same 2 to Armor and 1 to ability haste. That one is optional and can be switched to attack speed by your preferences.

Skills, Leveling – When to Level Them up!

Like the champion stats, the skills are made similarly for a tanky build. For example, the passive Spiked Shell is made to deal damage which scale of the Armor Rammus has.

Rammus Q is the ability that gives him the chance to create opportunities for team fights. It accelerates his movement and allows him to create combos using his other skills. It is the ability you have to level up on 2,8,10,12,13.

This passive works extensively with his E – Frenzying Taunt, which forces the enemy to attack Rammus while giving the caster increased attack speed. Frenzying Tanut is something you will need in the later game, so level it up on 3,14,15,17,18.

While he uses the E to taunt the enemy and damage them with passive AA and his abilities, Rammus can use Defensive Ball Curl – W to boost his Armor and magic resist increasing his survivability and simultaneously, the damage dealt from the passive. For his W, you have to level it up on 1,4,5,7,9.

Lastly is his ultimate, Rammus R is the best ability working with his AP items. It is an active one where once he jumps on the enemies, the slamming does magic damage scaling of Ability Power. That makes it the primary use of the AP items we will show in this build! The R should rise on levels 6,11,16.

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Summoners Spells

It’s kind of straightforward when it comes to the summoner’s spells. You have options between Flash, Teleport, Smite, and Exhaust. 

It depends on your lane and enemy champions what to pick. If you are on Top, it is a good idea to get TP so you can get to your lane faster or teleport on Bottom Lane to assist your teammates. 

The exhaust is a good option if you place versus champions like Singed or someone like Tristana who will run away fast. 

Flash is just essential, which you always have to pick! It allows you to escape to safety or make combos with your ult!

Items Path – What to Pick!

As you know, items are essential for League of Legends’ success in one match. You all start equal, but the one who gains an advantage in Gold and gets things first wins.

Deciding on a good build in League of Legends according to the game flow is essential for your team to win. That is why it is necessary to know what to buy or not. 

The first thing you have to do is get your starter items. In the case of playing on Top, it would be Doran blade or shield. Next, pay attention to what you play; if they have the range or will defeat you in one versus one, go for the protection; if you can push them, go for the blade. Lastly, pick a potion and your ward, and strive to out farm them!

For the jungler position, it is the Emberknife and Refillable Potions. You will need these to farm well and be able to sustain in the early game!

The late-game builds depend on the team and the enemy team composition. Therefore, it is wise to start building the mythical item first. In our case, with the Ap make, it will be the Riftmaker. 

This item is excellent for Rammus on ability power because it gives him Health, Omnivamp, Ability Haste, a good amount of AP, and even more for each completed Legendary Item. The Riftmaker will be the core item in this build!

As we already know the primary one, we ought to move on to the second and third most essential items for Rammus. As you know, all about him screams tank! That is why your following items must be tanky and focus on his ability to survive.

For that reason, we need to get Spirit Visage and Thornmail. Both give him great buffs and stats. For one, the Thornmail damages enemies, giving him a lot of Armor and HP. 

On the other hand, Spirit Visage increases the shielding and healing, which is excellent, giving MR and Health. With these three items, you will be able to deal damage and stay outlive the enemy champion!

Boots can be either Sorcerer’s Shoes or Plated Steelclaps – pay attention to the enemy team!

After you build the essential items, you will have to pick the rest of the build based on how the game is going and team compositions. You can either go full Armor by getting Randuin, Gargoyle Stoneplate, or even the Dead Man’s plate. For magic resist, it will be the Abyssal Mask. A huge recommendation is to build something for magic penetration; for example, the boots can be Sorcerers and then Void Staff. That will maximize the magical damage you do!

Final Thoughts

Suppose you have read everything. You now know how to build Rammus on Ability Power and, at the same time, which items will allow him to stay long enough to defeat the enemy players.

Based on the information, you can now make an educated decision and pick whether to go with the standard build or try this little off Meta one!