The Return of Hextech Gunblade: Best Hybrid Champions to Smurf With

After years of begging, pleading, and crying on the League of Legends subreddit, it actually happened.

Hextech Gunblade is back in Season 16.

If you started playing after Season 10, you might not understand the hype. "It's just an item," you say. "Why is everyone freaking out?"

Let me explain something to you. Hextech Gunblade isn't just an item. It is the single most broken, unfair, tilt-inducing burst tool Riot has ever created for hybrid assassins. It was removed for a reason. And now that it's back? It's time to abuse it before Riot realizes their mistake and nerfs it into the ground.

It gives AD. It gives AP. It gives Omnivamp (healing from ALL damage). And most importantly, it has an Active: A targeted lightning bolt that deals magic damage and slows the enemy by 40%.

It is the ultimate "1v1 me bro" item. If you are smurfing in Season 16, Gunblade isn't just a nostalgia trip—it's your ticket to free LP.

Here are the champions that break the game with it.

1. Katarina (The Original Abuser)

Katarina and Gunblade go together like Yasuo players and 0/10 power spikes. They were made for each other. Without Gunblade, Kat has to rely on awkward AD builds or pure glass cannon AP. *With* Gunblade, she becomes a drain-tank assassin.

• Why it's broken: Kat's ultimate scales with both AD and AP. Gunblade gives both. The slow from the active guarantees that enemies can't walk out of your daggers.
• The Smurf Strat: Rush Gunblade first item. Do not pass Go. Do not buy Nashor's Tooth. The moment you finish Gunblade (around 11 minutes if you're farming well), you can one-shot the enemy Mid laner without even using your Ult. Jump on them (E), Gunblade Active, Dagger, Auto, E. They die. It's disgusting.

2. Akali (The One-Shot Ninja)

Akali has felt... clunky for a few seasons. She was good, but she lacked that instant "pop" she used to have. Gunblade fixes everything.

• Why it's broken: Akali's Q heals her again thanks to the Omnivamp. You can trade aggressively, heal back up on the minion wave, and force your opponent to recall.
• The Combo: R1 -> Gunblade Active (mid-air) -> E1. The slow makes landing your E shuriken impossible to miss. If you hit E, they are dead. R2 executes.

3. Jax (The Hybrid Raid Boss)

"Imagine if I had a real weapon." Jax with Gunblade feels like a throwback to Season 2, and it is terrifying.

• Why it's broken: Jax loves long fights. Gunblade gives him the sustain to stay in the fight forever. The active adds a burst component that Jax usually lacks, allowing him to pop ADCs before they can flash away.
• The Smurf Strat: Split push forever. Who can stop you? A tank? You heal through their damage. A squishy carry? You jump on them, Gunblade zap them, and BONK them twice. You are the final boss of Top Lane.

4. Kayle (The Late Game Monster)

Kayle is usually a "wait until Level 16" champion. Gunblade allows her to actually play the game at 15 minutes.

• The Smurf Strat: The slow active is a death sentence for anyone trying to run away from you. Usually, people can just walk away from Kayle. With Gunblade, they are stuck in the "Zone of Death" while you shred their armor with mixed damage.

The Psychological "Nostalgia Buff"

There is a psychological aspect to this too. When you lock in Katarina and ping that you are building Gunblade, the veteran players on the enemy team feel a shiver of fear. They remember Season 7. They remember being one-shot instantly.

You are winning the mental war before the game even starts.

Season 16 has brought back the glory days of hybrid carries. Don't miss out. Grab a fresh smurf account, lock in Akali, build Gunblade, and remind these new players why we used to ban these champions every single game.

Get your Gunblade-ready smurf here.