5 Monstrous Builds for The Harrowing

Banner by Patrick "Zombienot" Young

It’s that time of year again, summoners. The mists of the Shadow Isles swirl and all caught in its wake are enthralled forever in the abyssal gloom of its forsaken forests. The Harrowing is upon us, but instead of running in fear, why not inspire it yourself?

Assume the guise of the monster and stalk, hunt and maim your victims using 5 builds on particularly horrific champions that bring out the unique flavor of the ghostly festivities.

Note: Do not attempt to use these builds in ranked matches.

These suggestions are thematic and are best served in custom or normal matches. The Philippine eSports Organization staff washes its hands of any hilarity and/or grief that may be caused if these monstrous builds were to be set loose on the ranked queues of the world.

To vouch for the primordial evil these champions can unleash via these builds, let’s hear the gripping tales of those who have witnessed the death and destruction left in the monsters’ wakes. Who knows, we may even sneak a glance into the mind of the beast. Anything is possible during the Harrowing.

We hope you enjoy masquerading as these devilish characters for the Harrowing. Be sure to try out the builds in the limited game mode, Twisted Treeline Hexakill, for epic 6 vs. 6 clashes on the haunted map.

 

It’s alive!

One more wave of minions. Lux rains down spell after spell and we take the hill. Their defenses are breached! I plant another flag in the dirt, claiming it for Demacia and justice. Just then… out of the mist, he came.

It can’t be. Was this the man of father’s bone-chilling tales? The one who… no matter. If he was indeed still a man, he looked more terrifying than the stories ever made him out to be. We would prevail no matter what the obstacle.

Garen rushed forward but was quickly swept aside. The monster’s great ax nearly cleaving him in two. A guttural below from the beast. “CRUSH!!”

I know what I must do. I leap into the air, and I come crashing down, creating a cataclysm to seal the abomination in. “Have at thee, foul creature!” He seems to understand my words.

“Prince… son. Father. I… I snapped your father’s neck.”

A sinister grin sprawls across a jaw more metal than sinew. It is him. The monster dies here. “Everyone press forward. Lux! The Final Spark!”

Lux charges her magics while Corki rains down missiles at the once great Noxian warrior. They seem to have no effect. I thrust my lance, pierce his chest… and it laughs.

“I’ll drown you in your own blood, little prince.”

Suddenly, he grabs at my neck. It’s all I can do to twist free, throw my standard backward, and quickly pull myself to safety. Lux’s greatest spell rips through Sion, engulfing him in light. Right on cue, he arrives.

“DEMACIA!” Garen slams his blade into the head of our great foe, and the day is won.

“To the nexus, my comrades!” I lead the charge, when I hear something rustling behind us.

“What… am I? Swain. General. How long? Noxus is… RRARGH!”

Impossible. His flesh shifts, bones creaking, locking back into place. What dark sorcery has brought this demon into Valoran? Before we can react, he charges straight into all of us, knocking us down.

“Please… release me. The chains. No more.”

He knows not of where he is. I’d almost pity the beast were it not for his unspeakable crimes against our kingdom… and for my father. Nami traps him in a bubble and we let loose at him again. I pierce him with my lance for Garen to unleash a flurry of spinning strikes and fell the monstrosity.

To my horror, his figure stirs out of the pool of blood, red streams leaking from his eyes and head. Limbs barely attached are quickly snapped back into place as the crunch of his bones are met with a howl of madness. We cannot win. It cannot be killed.

“They’ll never find all your pieces… KILL! WAR! BLOOD!”

The build:

Sion’s remake has really breathed new life (aha, get it?) into the champion. Armed with a new suite of crowd control effects and an insanely fun if not all too easy to miss ultimate, the Undead Abomination is the perfect candidate to kick off the Harrowing festivities. This build focuses on utilizing Sion’s toughness and passive revive ability to create a nigh unstoppable wall. Whether its sieging or counter-sieging, Sion can burst right out the gate and trample all opponents.

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The goal is to be the center of attention and that means you have to be able to take loads of punishment. Start by layering a Warmog’s Armor and Frozen Heart with a Maw of Malmortius. Frozen Heart will give you all the armor you need and the Maw will boost your magic resistance as well as provide most of the missing damage from the build with its increasing AD bonus the lower your HP gets.

To become an unstoppable beast, you’ll have to charge at them with no fear, so pick up Boots of Mobility with a Homeguard enchantment to speed across the map. This, combined with your ultimate’s charge (its speed does not stack with Homeguard, however, so use it wisely) can traverse large distances in no time. Get the rarely used Ohmwrecker to bypass turrets. While the feature is yet to be implemented, in the future, you can also use the item to bolster your own base defenses. Fill your last slot with an appropriate item depending on if you’re laning or jungling. Obviously the jungle item would come first if you were filling that role.

Bonus: As a quick tip for those unfamiliar with the new Sion, you can activate his W at any point, even while charging. A nice little combo would be to lead with your E to slow your target, approach and start charging your Q while activating your W. Release your Q once it’s charged enough for the knockup and then detonate your shield.

¡Ay, mis hijos!

Fire. Fire does not hurt me. It does not burn. Only my longing, only my sorrow.

“Come back to me, child. Your mother needs you.”

I see anger in her eyes. Anger and fear. She’s lost! I must bring her back. Bring her back that I may be with my beloved at last.

A burst of light. A bear? A giant, hulking bear. NO. It will not stop my love. I trap it in place. Drown it in an endless pool.

I let loose the chains. I am bound to her now, my sweet, sweet angel. She will not disobey me again.

“Don’t make me hurt you…” I hear her say. Insolent child.

“I NEED HIM. I NEED TO BE WITH HIM AGAIN! For that, I need you.”

There is only fear in her eyes now, but it’s alright. Mother is here. I cradle her head against my bosom. Oh, she has gone to sleep. I see the darkness well up in her eyes.

“Annie? Annie, what happe- oh no…”

Who’s there? Who’s that voice? Annie? There is no ‘Annie’ here. Only one of my children. I turn. Another! Another blasted child of mine. To me, darling, to me.

“Teemo, run!”

Another voice? And who is Teemo? I only see my children. I must reclaim them all. My love, I am coming.

“¡Ay, mis hijos!”

The build:

For those of you who don’t know, the Ghost Bride Morgana skin is based on the Mexican legend of La Llorona or the weeping woman. It is said that a beautiful lady once drowned her children to be with a man, and took her own life after he rejected her. Refused by heaven for her sins, she wanders the earth, half living, half dead, forever crying and in search of the children she lost, that she may present them at the gates and enter the afterlife. Needless to say, if you want to pull off this theme, you’ll need to dress up in that skin.

Though Morgana is mainly a support these days, this build is best suited for top lane Morgana. It focuses solely on sticking to a target. Wouldn’t want those kids to get away, now would we?

Start by building up a Rod of Ages to give you enough durability to enter the fray. Afterwards, Zhonya’s Hourglass and Abyssal Scepter will supply more defense, while also augmenting your ability power.

Round out with the items that really give this build a unique feel: Twin Shadows for movement speed and an active to find your children through the fog of war, and Liandry’s Torment so they too can feel the sting of your tears as you drag them back into your arms.

Bonus: For creepy points, type “Ay mi hijos!” or “Oh, my children!” in all chat after each kill.

 

The Night of the Living Yorick

Reload. Aim. Fire. Dodge. Fall back. Keep firing. Ha! Right between the eyes.

“There’s no end to them, Graves.”

Lucian. I never liked that prissy little showboat, but he’s the best man I’ve got right now. Ezreal’s limping away from the carnage. Poor kid can barely even shift anymore. Miss Fortune can strut all she likes, but against this–

“AAAAAAAAAIIIEEEEEEE~”

Ah, hell. There goes Miss Fortune, and without her, we’re desperately short on time and bullets. I wish Tristana were here. Damn things took her in her sleep. We shoulda been more alert.

Lucian and I duck into a ditch. I chuck a smoke bomb to slow their advance, but I doubt it’ll hold them for long. One question still in my mind.

“Did the kid find out where these things are coming from yet?”

Lucian shook his head. He closed his eyes and knelt. Some kinda ritual? Bah, who needs ‘em. I got me a nice pack of–

Hmm, count em. 6, 7, 8… 12. I got 12 shots. That and I hear them tearing Ezreal’s brains out as I’m tryna think. Damn.

Once the smoke clears, I see it. Lumbering mass, lantern swinging from his shoulder. Had some tattered rags and a… damn big shovel. He digs a lil’ hole and I’ll be damned, out comes another one of them ghouls. It’s their leader.

I motion to Lucian, but he’s already looking me in the eyes, guns at the ready. He knows what’s next. I want to tell him we’ll make it out of this. That we can beat these things. The dozens, hell, hundreds of swarming masses tell me otherwise.

They’re downright ugly as all hell, blood oozing from their jowls, swiping claws everywhere, and I’ll be damned how they walk so fast without any legs.

Lucian rushes forward. “For Senna!” I hear him cry. I lose sight of him as he’s engulfed by the oncoming horde. Here goes nothing.

Reload. Aim. Fire… Darkness.

The build:

This build is all about maximizing Yorick’s mana pool and cooldowns. The crux to this build is the combination of Ionian Boots of Lucidity, Spirit Visage and Essence Reaver. With these items plus the right masteries, you should be at full CDR. The rest is just rounding out Yorick’s tankiness.

Start your usual top lane business with a Tear of the Goddess which you’ll turn into the Muramana later on. Essence Reaver’s mana return mechanic will help keep up with the Muramana active and all your ghoul spells as you’ll want to keep spamming for that extra damage reduction per active ghoul.

Note that you won’t be as tough as your usual Yorick build. The point is simply to keep an endless stream of ghouls rushing at opponents for that zombie horde feel.

Pull this build off right and you’ll be a shambling rush of undead chaos that comes right back from the grave every time.

Bonus: Spew typical zombie lines such as “Brains!” or “Rrrrrgghhhh…” as you approach a fight.

Your Worst Nightmare

They don’t love you.

I’ve been hearing that voice for weeks. Over and over it taunts me. Rage has been my weapon but now I have found peace. Can it not last more than one fleeting moment?

You are no ruler. You are no warrior. You know it, they know it, everybody sees.

Liar! I have my allies, stalwart and true. We work together to bring an age of prosperity to the Freljord.

Allies that would turn on you at the slightest nudge? How can you trust a drunkard, or a boy whose best friend is a feral beast? And your lover? The one who now pines for the folk hero of the wastes?

SILENCE! Where is my sword? Find the rack. Reach. Swing. It cuts through the frigid air and for a moment, snow refuses to touch the space in front of me. It feels good in my right hand. At home.

Your right arm is stronger than your left, no? So be it.

Pain. Unimaginable pain shooting up my arm. I close my eyes, grit my teeth.

Yes, that’s it. My greatest creation…

Greatest what? I…

“Hey, bucko. Come inside. ‘Ave a drink! Hey, what’s wrong with your sword? Lemme see..”

How dare you touch me you lumbering buffoon. All you do is drink. What use are you? I should slay you where you stand!

Blood, yes. More. Feed. Me.

The pain. The pain subsides. Gasps. From whom– Eyes. Eyes everywhere, watching me. Screams. Why? I am no monster. I AM YOUR SAVIOR. YOUR CHAMPION.

Feed. Me. More.

It feels good. Kill. Blood. More. Spill. Rend. Slash. MORE!

Wait. Wait, no. Is that…?

“Beloved… why? Tell me–”

Ashe? She’s scared. Fleeing from me. I see in her eyes a ghastly reflection. Are those my eyes? Why are they hollow? My blade… no. There is no blade. Only my arm.Kill. Blood. More…

She screams. The sound is delicious. I lean in close to see the life slip from her, and whisper.

“I am your worst nightmare.”

The build:

Tryndamere has always been a popular (and monstrous) champion due to his ability to nearly one shot enemies with critical strikes in the late game. For this Harrowing build however, we’re going to focus on his sadistic side, and unlock the inner demons that fuel his rage-based playstyle. This build is best served with his legendary skin, Demonblade Tryndamere, though any skin would do, as long as you embrace the madness.

Start out as a jungler, and quickly build up the stacks on your machete to eventually get a Feral Flare. From then on, focus on life steal and attack speed. Yes, Tryndamere’s crits are devastating, but we don’t want to kill them outright. We want to enjoy the kill and prolong their suffering as much as possible.

To that end, we’re going to use Youmuu’s Ghostblade, because the name is thematic and the active ability will give you a frightening burst of DPS. Build a Blade of the Ruined King, which is another aptly named item for the persona you’re adopting, for life steal and another slow to pair with your shout ability. Round the build out with a Bloodthirster (a lot of these item names just fit right in, don’t they?) and your Tryndamere standard Infinity Edge to augment your crits.

Once your build starts to get going, sneak into the enemy jungle and ward blind spots behind enemy towers and stalk your victims as they’re retreating or coming from their base. Spin out from the jungle and savor their cries of anguish as you hack them to pieces.

Bonus: If you’re willing to, type cryptic messages in all chat before the ambush, such as “I can see you.” or “Do you think you can escape me?”.

 

The Candy Crusher

“Gods above, what is that– that thing?!”

Xin Zhao is a rational man under normal circumstances, but what we faced on this day was anything but. It hobbled on two stubby legs, but could outpace even Draven as he frantically lobbed his axes at the beast to no avail. My most powerful healing magics do little to slow its advance as it closes in on him.

“No. No, you can’t do this to me. I’m Draven! Not Draven, DRAVEEEEE–”

His catchphrase was stymied by a blunt crack right between his eyes. My ally was no more. As quickly as the Noxian executioner was slain, Xin Zhao was nowhere to be found. To my horror, I had lost sight of the little creature as well.

A noise. Behind me. I spin, staff at the ready. Then I see it, a hollow grin plastered on its face, its eyes appeared to be staring past me, into me. Draven’s grey matter dripping from its… lollipop. A giant lollipop? A quick Equinox in its path barely phases the otherworldly abomination. And then it spoke.

“Valoran… will know… harmony…”

The voice seemed disembodied. It had to be, as I did not see its lips move. The only inclination that it was trying to communicate were sudden jerks of its impossibly large head. Another blur, and I lose sight of it again.

A tap at my feet. I slowly tilt my gaze downward, that sinister grin, the last thing I see on Runeterra.

The build:

Poppy can be used in a variety of ways, and all you really need to instill fear into anyone at any time of the year is to simply use the Lollipoppy skin, perhaps the single most horrific thing Riot Games has ever released to its player base. So yes, for this to work, much like Morgana, having the skin is a must.

For this Harrowing theme, we’re going to go with an AP Poppy that maximizes single target burst. Play in either solo lane, though mid might give you an easier laning phase given the short lane and squishier targets. Start by building a Lich Bane into a Rabaddon’s Deathcap for a big spike in ability power.

Follow that up with a Void Staff to cut through any magic resistance, then a Deathfire Grasp for even more single target burst. All that %hp damage will have you kneecapping and skull splitting them into oblivion.

Last but not least, take a Morellonomicon to remove any pesky healing attempts from Soraka or similar party poopers. Now go and spread terror with the candy crusher of nightmares.

Bonus: Actually, you don’t need bonus points. Running the skin is traumatizing enough for all your opponents.

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