All MOBA games have a tendency to embrace, but also avoid the concept of time in playable abilities, as it can be quite difficult to execute properly. Riot’s efforts to tame time and create a champion whose kit relies on it gave us Ekko, The Boy Who Shattered Time.
An iconic character, also featured in their hit show “Arcane”, Ekko remains unique to this day as the only champion who can effectively revert time, and as one of the most beloved AP Assassins in the entire game.
His sheer damage output, mobility, sustain and overall playmaking potential turn Ekko into arguably the strongest AP Jungler, although some players may find it difficult to successfully carry games with him. That issue is easily solved by taking the right approach to the character’s kit, which demands instantaneous assassinations and rapid escapes, granted by the dynamics of his kit.
In this guide, we will be taking a look at the optimal Jungle pathing for Ekko, alongside the Summoner’s, Runes, Items, and a handful of tips and tricks to take with you! Stay tuned!
Summoner Spells
Flash + Smite
The standard Summoner Spells for Ekko are nothing unusual, but there is always room for discussion when it comes to replacing Flash with perhaps a more offensive option.
Indeed, most Assassins can give up on the universally fitting Flash, in order to have space for Ignite or another preferred Summoner’s. However, we needn’t forget how Ekko’s entire kit is centered around his outplay potential, with plenty of mobility and various mechanics to have fun with.
Truthfully though, Flash may perhaps be the wisest pick, as it synergizes especially well with the fast-paced gameplay Assassins tend to thrive on, and you are also likely to have more experience running that Summoner spell than any other.
Best Ekko Runes
The dynamics of League allow for constant changes on all of the game’s mechanics, including the Runes. Although we’ve seen Conqueror Ekko a bit too often at times, none of the changes brought by Patch 11.23 really affect his core options.
Electrocute and Dark Harvest are the ideal keystones to run, followed by Sudden Impact, Eyeball Collection, and lastly Ultimate Hunter. For the secondary Runes, the Inspiration tree provides players with Magical Footwear and Cosmic Insight, which are simply looking to further accelerate the already fast-paced playstyle.
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(Off Meta)
Needless to say, Dark Harvest is only ideal for players with plenty of experience on either the champion or playing the Rune, otherwise, Electrocute is the safe pick.
Sudden Impact can naturally be procced with two of Ekko’s abilities, and Ultimate Hunter simply opens the door for Ekko players to spam the champion’s signature move.
The secondary Runes can also be swapped out according to preference, with options such as Gathering Storm or Triumph being more than decent in the right hands.
Best Ekko Items
Starting Items: Hailblade + Refillable Potion
Mythic: Hextech Rocketbelt / Crown of the Shattered Queen
Core Items: Sorcerer’s Shoes, Lich Bane, Mejai’s Soulstealer, Nashor’s Tooth
Finishing Options: Rabadon’s Deathcap, Shadowflame, Zhonya’s Hourglass, Cosmic Drive
Very similarly to Diana, Ekko can now play around two Mythic options, both being equally good depending on each game and its particularities. While Hextech Rocketbelt remains the go-to pick, as it provides additional burst damage, mobility, and cooldown reduction, the Crown of the Shattered Queen can compensate that through the unique spell shield and damage reduction, alongside the already useful raw stats.
Although it is a matter of preference, we’d recommend players to start playing Ekko with Hextech Rocketbelt, and only give the Crown of the Shattered Queen a try after having a few games under their belts. Nonetheless, another way to choose between these Mythics is going to be according to your Summoner Spells, as Rocketbelt’s dash can somewhat compensate the mobility lost by picking Ignite instead of Flash.
Thus, if you plan on running Ekko with Ignite and Smite, Rocketbelt is the wisest choice, as the Crown of the Shattered Queen build provides extra sustain, but also requires Flash, otherwise leaving Ekko without one of the biggest playmaking tools in League.
Skill Order
Q > E > W > R
It is still worth noting that at LVL 1, players should be putting their first skill point into W, in order to help with the first Buff clear. Not only does this spell provide a considerable amount of shielding to mitigate some of the damage with, but the added stun can also save you a few hits’ worth of Health.
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The Best Jungle Paths for Ekko
Heading for the main topic of this guide, Jungle pathing and ganking with Diana, alongside some bonus tips. We are going to cover the possible starts from each side, but players should keep a few factors in mind when deciding upon where their Jungle pathing should start. These are:
- Which laners are going to provide more help in clearing the first camp?
- Counter-jungle opportunities, based on where the enemy Jungler is likely to start.
- Which lane would you like to gank first, depending on both the allied and enemy champions.
Keep in mind that despite playing him in the Jungle, Ekko’s was still designed to be an Assassin. Players shouldn’t focus as much on clearing camps as they should on killing enemies, especially in the latter stages of the games, when a pick on a high-value target can convert into objectives or sometimes the win.
Red Side, Red Clear
Ekko is not the fastest champion when it comes to clearing the Jungle, especially since your first ability is going to be W, leaving it up to your Passive’s damage to do most of the clearing. Although some players would gladly cast Smite on the Red Buff, we recommend you save it for the large Raptor.
Once you’ve unlocked your second ability, clearing camps becomes slightly easier, but in order to gain back some tempo, use Smite at the Raptor camp to finish it swiftly, heading towards the Wolves next.
After clearing yet another multi-mob camp, go straight to the Blue Buff and use Smite to burst it down as quickly as possible, to then transition towards the Gromp, which is also going to give some Health and Mana back.
From that point on, be on the lookout for ganking possibilities, whenever an enemy is pushing too far towards your allied turrets. If that’s not the case, secure some vision and an extra bit of gold by killing the Scuttler, using W to break its shell.
You might have noticed that we did not mention anything about the Krugs, for good reason. Since Ekko’s starting clear is quite slow, clearing them would require a lot of time, which in terms would enable the enemy Jungler to gain an advantage through tempo alone.
Red Side, Blue Clear
Starting your clear at the Red Side’s Blue Buff is slightly easier than the previous clear, as you now have the assistance of two allied champions. The clear is still going to be sluggish, as your starting ability is W, so the extra help is more than welcome, as it allows you to comfortably save Smite for the Gromp.
Having cleared your second camp, rush towards the Wolves and Raptors for that extra experience and gold, using your Refillable Potion to save some Health for the time you reach the Red Buff.
Since your clear is quite slow, cast the second Smite on Red and head for the Krugs, but remember to always monitor the enemy Jungler and your Laners. If there is an opening for a gank, namely if an enemy champion has pushed too far, strike them down with the help of your W and gap closing E, to at least burn their Flash, resuming your clear afterwards.
Otherwise, after clearing Krugs head into the River and break the Scuttler’s shield with W, which is going to provide you with a brief shield, just in case the enemy Jungler may be on the way to contest.
From there, force a gank on either Mid or Top to secure a takedown for your team, or to at least accelerate your team’s tempo, by applying kill pressure onto your enemies.
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Blue Side, Red Clear
The Blue Side’s Red Clear is a perfect mirror of the Red Side clear, as it once again requires you to skip over the Krugs and save Smite for the large Raptor. However, having both of your Bot Laners assisting you will indeed make a difference, as you can gain some extra tempo when compared to the same start on the opposite side.
Heading into your Top Side, clear the Wolves as quickly as possible and rush the Blue Buff, using the second Smite charge to accelerate the clear. From there, you can start looking for gank openings, while you also clear the Gromp.
If the lanes are not in a favorable position yet, head into the River to secure some vision by slaying the Scuttler, and maybe force a gank on either Top or Mid, hopefully converting your efforts into a takedown or priority for your Laners.
Blue Side, Blue Clear
Heading into the last starting position, Blue Side’s Blue Buff, we should note that this clear is going to be considerably slower than the previous two.
Slay the Blue Buff while saving Smite for Gromp, as it’s going to heal you back to full Health once cleared. The slowest part of your clear is going to be killing both multi-mob camps one after the other, without using Smite, as you will prefer to have it for Red.
After the second buff has been cleared, players can choose to finish their Bot Side by killing the Krugs, although that is going to take quite some time, or to head into the River to gain vision.
Either way, once the Scuttler has been killed, you do need to force a gank in order to catch up on the time spent clearing the Jungle, transitioning into the classic Assassin playstyle.
Best Tips and Tricks for Ekko
- Although Ekko’s signature ability is without a doubt his Ultimate, that does not mean that he should only start ganking once he hits LVL 6. Given his Q, E, and Passive damage, it is remarkably easy to burst down targets, allowing your Laners to finish the kill.
- The positioning of your W is the primary ganking tool, as it can seal off large portions of the lanes, putting the enemy player into a rather uncomfortable position. Walking through Ekko’s W will provide sufficient slow for you and your Laner to close in on them, and they also risk getting stunned if you reach the sphere in time with your E.
- Once Mejai’s Soulstealer is fully stacked, you should always keep in mind how precious those stats are. Do not hesitate to use your R with the sole purpose of running away from unfavorable trades, saving your stacks in the meantime.
- When getting chased by your opponents, track the line left by your Ultimate and cast W in its path. If the enemies are foolish enough to walk through your W right when your Ultimate would warp you into it, pull the trigger. This is a devastating combo, as the enemy team will suddenly wake up stunned and taking damage, while your R and W also heal and shield you.
- When playing items with active abilities, such as Zhonya’s or Rocketbelt, always account for those actives, either to deal some extra damage or to simply buy time until your abilities reset.
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Finalizing Thoughts
Although Ekko’s aesthetics and abilities may hint otherwise, he is still an AP Assassin at his core, requiring Summoners to play him accordingly. Jungle players might be tempted to a path and clear as usual, but The Boy Who Shattered Time has no time for it, as he looks to get his Dark Seal and Lich Bane as soon as possible, to then delete the enemy carries.
As is common practice with kill-oriented Junglers, occasionally drop a Control Ward in the enemy’s territory, hoping to catch a glimpse of a low health or overall squishy foe, which you can easily catch up to using your E.
Similar to Diana, some players forget about Ekko’s Passive, which deals bonus damage once three stacks are applied to a target. Combining that with the Spellblade effect of Lich Bane gives you an enormous burst, ideal for finishing kills before the rest of the enemy team can react.
The specific time window on your Ultimate allows you to pull of some very simple, yet impactful plays. For example, using E to enter the Dragon or Baron Pit to challenge the Smite battle and then R out, or recall somewhere in the enemy Jungle to shop, then use your Ultimate to warp back in for the flank.
With that in mind, we hope you found this guide useful, and if so, keep an eye out for more League-related content, including guides, on our website!
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