A guide on how to play Rumble top lane

Formerly regarded as the terror of top lane with first pick and ban status, Rumble has recently fallen in both popularity and usage in comparison to other top lanes due to recent nerfs and surges in use of other champions such as Jayce. Regardless, Rumble still remains a strong and staple pick whose versatile skill-set allows him to make both offensive and defensive plays throughout the game, as well as fair decently against most solo lane matchups.

Runes

- Magic penetration reds are pretty much standard for any AP based damage dealer with regards to maximizing damage.

- Armour yellows are also standard since it helps mitigate the physical damage dished out by the majority of top lane champions alongside minions and tower hits. Even against AP top lanes such as Kennen and Vlad, the majority of their damage for the first 3 or 4 levels will come from their ranged auto attacks that they will abuse in an attempt to zone you from last hits.

- Blue runes should either be AP/lvl to capitalize on Rumble’s strong mid game or MR and/or MR/lvl in case you feel you need the extra mitigation due to a team with heavy AP damage (dual AP solo lanes + AP based jungler like maokai/nunu)

- Movement speed quints are a favourite choice amongst Rumble players as they grant Rumble both great sustained and burst mobility in combination with scrap shield. This movement speed allows Rumble to better chase and flee, roam, and position himself for his Q, E and R.

Masteries

21/9/0 is the most optimal setup for Rumble after his damage nerfs. However, 9/21/0 (as shown below) is another considerable alternative if your team lacks a tanky bruiser/frontline or if you’re not comfortable with certain matchups (this setup is less punishable by mistakes and allows for a more passive playstyle although the drop in damage is quite noticeable).

Skill Build

- Start with E at level 1 for checking brushes, level 1 fight cc, and last hitting

- Level 2 can either be W or Q depending on your circumstance (W allows you to shield some harass from champions such as Nidalee and Vlad and probably escape from some level 2 ganks, while Q can help with last hitting at the tower as well as set you up for a level 2 Q at 3 which is helpful in the event that your jungler ganks your lane)

- Afterwards, max Q first followed by E and then W. Get R whenever possible.

- However, an extra level of W early game should not be overlooked as the stronger shield will allow you to almost completely mitigate a single ranged autoattack from the likes of Nidalee and such.

Item Build

- Start with Boots and 3 health pots in most cases, cloth 5pot is acceptable versus aggressive physical level 1-2 champions like Renekton, J4, Wukong, Garen, etc.

First trip back

- Always buy at least one ward and some health pots.

- If trades between you and your opponent are even/in your favour, then buy your hextech revolver/build towards it.

- If your opponent is stronger or if you are laning 1v2, a doran’s shield is great for providing regen and durability to prevent from getting instagibbed. Ninja tabi works wonders against any physical damage dealer. Because Rumble’s base damage from his spells and overheat attacks are high, investing early game in defensive items is never a bad choice.

- If you are completely dominating your opponent, then a sorcerer boot +haunting guise rush will allow you to dominate even more while opening up a pathway to a snowball magic reduction build.

Post-first trip
As a Rumble player, you will find that one of the most crucial parts to your game is deciding which items to buy to make the most out of your given circumstances. Your item build choices should always be dictated by both team’s compositions as well as the flow of the game.

Snowball/Primary AP Caster

Key items

- Haunting Guise

- Sorcerer Boots

- Abyssal Scepter

Probably the most frequently used build on Rumbles in today's meta, this build allows for mid-game domination especially because of Rumble’s high base damage from his spells. The strategy behind this build is to force a lot of mid-game fights over objectives like dragon and towers especially because most of the other champions on the opposing team wouldn’t have had time yet to itemize for magic resistance (especially bot lane).

If you are crushing your lane, either try and take their tower or make your opponent freeze their lane by constantly zoning them and then try to gank mid or the enemy jungler. The most optimal application of this build is when you are the sole primary AP damage of your team as your opponents will be punished by the rest of your team if they try to build magic resist.

Tanky Rylais

Key items

- Rylai’s Crystal Scepter 

- Merc Treads/Ninja Tabi

In the event that your team lacks a lot of CC and a formidable frontline of champions that can protect your frail AP/AD carries, this build can be utilized to allow Rumble to withstand a lot of damage in teamfights. This build is also more beginner friendly as it allows you to dish out damage without having to be too aware of how much damage the enemy champions can dish out and when they are able to. The build’s damage is a little lacking but there are still some perks to it such as keeping your enemies in your ultimate for a longer period of time, better peeling/chasing, and another slow in your Q.

Mid-Late Game

Key items

- Rabadon’s Deathcap

- Void Staff

- Mercury Treads/Sorcerer Boots/Ninja Tabi

The concept behind this build assumes that you/your team are unable to snowball past your opponents come midgame due to an unfavourable difference in gold/inappropriate composition. The premise is simple though; maximize AP and magic penetration for late game.

This build may also be favorable against teams with champions who innately possess additional magic resistance (e.g. Graves/Soraka bot lane) and your team composition runs double AP, because then their AP might rush an abyssal scepter while your lane opponent is surely always itemizing to mitigate your damage. Boots depends on whatever your goal is in teamfights. Compared to the snowball build, a void staff will yield more magic reduction after the enemy champion has more than 120 magic resist with sorcerer boots, 150 magic resist without.

Situational Items

 - Will of the Ancients: Once a staple pickup on any Rumble, the cost increase and the recent shift in meta leaning towards shorter laning phases has greatly diminished the value of this item on Rumble as the sustain is not needed as much outside lane. Can be picked up if you think your laning phase will last long and others on your team can benefit from it.

- Zhonya’s Hourglass: Definitely a great item on Rumble due to his damage potential being primarily short range and his short cool downs. Should be considered after his core item build or even during if the enemy team’s physical damage dealers are fed.

- Guardian Angel: Always a great item for any hero, just ensure that you actually have enough damage to warrant being focused or are being focused in particular in every teamfight.

 

How to play Rumble
Lane

- Rumble’s early game is weakest at about level 3, after which his damage grows increasingly stronger with each level at a rate rivaled by few other champions.

- As with any other champion, Rumble’s main goals in lane are to kill/setback his enemy lane while last hitting creeps. Unlike many other champions, Rumble has three tools that facilitate his last-hitting under tower, his overheated autoattacks, E and Q.

- When it comes to fighting the opposing champion, Rumble can either poke them down at a range with ticks of Q or his E or unleash his full combination of spells that theoretically should yield the most net hp difference in Rumble’s favour in the event of a trade.

- At 50 heat, use Rumble’s W, E, and Q (order is not as important, but W allows for closer and more accurate E’s) in quick succession which will cause you to overheat allowing for even more damage from your autoattacks (if going in for a kill, your R would come in before you cast WEQ).

- Although this combo is extremely strong, it leaves you vulnerable to ganks/retaliation due to its all-in nature. There are also champions such as Jax and Jayce who can out-trade you even with this tactic due to Jax’s dodge and Jayce’s knockback, and thus different tactics are required to chip at their health.

- When poking with Q or E, always try to use them whilst in the danger zone.

- In the event of an enemy gank, Rumble’s E and W are very good at keeping him safe provided he hasn’t already been CC’ed himself. Rumble’s E, provided you hit both of them, are also great in allowing your team to gank the opposing champion.

- Additionally, especially when playing with not as experienced opponents, Rumble can quite often turn the tide of a 2v1 gank due to his immense damage provided the circumstances are right.

- Using R when you want to go back and are either afraid to overextend/being zoned is a common tactic Rumble players utilize as it wipes out the enemy creep wave fairly quickly and efficiently more often than not netting you all the creep kills. This also prevents the opponent from getting too much damage on your tower.

- If you are able to push your wave to your opponent’s tower, then you may want to roam and gank mid lane/the enemy jungler. Rumble is an extremely effective roamer due to his W’s additional mobility and his R’s immense range and slow.

Teamfights

- Your E can peel diving champions off your squishy back ranks very effectively, or it can also allow you to burst a single target alongside your overheat attacks, R and Q.

- Always be weary of your heat and your cooldowns, don’t be afraid to wait out using spells if it will mean you will be able to use more of them when you need them. You should almost never overheat if your R is still off cd in the early stages of a fight.

- Be smart with when you decide to melee with overheated attacks (i.e. be wary of AOE, burst combos, etc).

- Be careful of being too trigger happy with your W use, as if you don’t require the shield or the additional movement speed, then it becomes wasted usage of heat unless your goal is to overheat.

- Above all, your R is the most influential on the outcome of a teamfight not only out of your skillset, but most other skills other champions possess. Not only is the initial damage important, but the position of the vector as it can be used to zone the enemy team’s back ranks or their frontline, melt squishy champions, or both if you're good/lucky. Other than rare cases where R’s slow can catch an enemy out of position, R is not used to initiate but rather follow-up an initiation or counter-initiate.

Closing words
I hope this guide has either taught you something about Rumble or inspired you to pick him up for the first time/again. Feel free to message me if you have any queries about anything outlined in the guide or anything not outlined in the guide such as matchups.