Champion Stats
| Role | Mage / Support |
| Difficulty | |
| Blue Essence | 225 BE |
Why High-Elo Players Smurf with Brand
Low elo players have terrible spacing. They consistently clump together in jungle corridors or around objectives, which is the 'dream' scenario for Brand's passive (Ablaze). They also don't respect the DOT damage, often walking away from a fight with 20% HP only to die to the burn 4 seconds later. Brand's ability to turn a lost teamfight into a victory through pure AoE damage makes him a smurf favorite.
The Level 1 Cheese
First Blood Strategy
Start W (Pillar of Flame). It has great range and deals massive area damage. Poke the enemy ADC or Mid whenever they walk up to last-hit. If you land two Ws, they are already at 60% HP. If you are support, use your range to zones them from the wave entirely.
The 'Pay-to-Win' Skin Advantage
'Zombie Brand' is the gold standard—the walking animation is hilarious and the VFX are incredibly clear. 'Eternal Dragon Brand' has some of the most beautiful and modern animations in the game. 'Battle Boss Brand' has very distinct 8-bit sound effects that can be quite distracting for the enemy. Avoid the older skins as they don't capture the 'burning' aesthetic as well.
When They Ban Brand
Backup Pick: If Brand is banned,
Zyra offers similar AoE control and burn damage.
Annie for the simple AoE burst stun.
Vel'Koz if you want more range but still have massive true damage potential.
Rune Setup
Best Runes: Dark Harvest is the best scaling option for Brand—every burn tick has a chance to proc it. Cheap Shot for the bonus true damage on CC'd targets. Secondary Sorcery with Manaflow Band and Scorch to ensure your lane poke is oppressive and you never run out of mana.
Skill Priority
Order:
W → E → QMax W first—it is your primary source of AoE damage and poke. Max E second for the targeted spread damage. Q is maxed last as it is primarily a utility tool for the stun.
Mastering Brand's Kit
Sear. You fire a bolt of fire. If the target is Ablaze (already hit by another spell), they are STUNNED for 1.5 seconds. This is your only self-peel. Use it wisely.
Pillar of Flame. You create a pillar of fire in an area. It deals 25% extra damage to Ablaze targets. This is your primary damage tool. Use it to check bushes or zone enemies.
Conflagration. You set a target on fire. If they are Ablaze, the fire spreads to nearby enemies. Use this to reliably apply your passive to multiple targets before following up with W or R.
Pyroclasm. You release a torrent of fire that bounces between enemies and Brand. It slows enemies. Use this in tight spaces or against clumped teams to guarantee maximum bounces.
Matchup Tips
Skill Matchup. It's a poke battle. Whoever lands their CC first wins. You out-damage her in teamfights, but she has more pick potential. Stay mobile and dodge her Q.
Hard Counter. He can windwall every single one of your abilities except your E. You have to bait out his windwall or wait for him to dash onto you to land a point-blank stun.
Skill Matchup. If you get hooked, you die. If he misses, he's a target for your poke. Stay behind minions and punish his missed hooks with your full combo.
The Ego Check
WARNING: Stop being the front line! Brand is one of the squishiest champions in the game. If you get caught once, you are dead. Stay behind your tanks, wait for the enemy to commit, and then unload your combo. Also, don't miss your Q! If you use E-Q and miss, you have no self-defense left.
When to Queue Dodge
Dodge if facing Zac or Vi. High-mobility divers who can reach you from screens away will make your life a nightmare. Also dodge into heavy-sustain comps with Soraka or Yuumi where your burn damage won't stick effectively.
Teamfight Role
Teamfighting as Brand is simple: hit as many people as possible. Use E (Conflagration) to apply your passive, then W (Pillar of Flame), and finally R (Pyroclasm). The ultimate will bounce between targets, proccing multiple passive explosions. If done correctly, the entire enemy team will simply explode in a chain reaction of fire.
The 'Disrespect' Build
Brand Jungle. With his passive's monster damage, Brand has a surprisingly fast and healthy clear. It's the ultimate 'smurf' pick that confuses the enemy team and allows you to carry from a high-impact role with massive AoE damage. (Or Liandry's into Rylai's for the 'perma-slow burn').
Power Windows
Level 3 is your first burst window (E-Q-W combo). Level 6 is your massive spike—now you can carry any 2v2 or 3v3 skirmish. Your biggest item spike is Liandry's Anguish, which turns your passive into a lethal max-health shredding machine.
Tilt Factor
Walk away from a fight before the enemy dies, letting the burn finish them off. Use the Mastery 7 emote while they are ticking down at 5% HP. Nothing tilts a player more than seeing a teammate run toward them with 3 stacks of your passive, knowing they are about to blow up the whole team.
Recent Patch History
| Patch | Date | Type | Changes |
| V14.17 | Aug 28, 2024 | BUFF | P nerfed |
| V14.14 | Jul 17, 2024 | NERF | E adjusted |
| V14.13 | Jun 26, 2024 | NERF | P nerfed, E nerfed |
| V14.9 | May 1, 2024 | BUFF | P adjusted, Base stats buffed |
| V14.5 | Mar 6, 2024 | NERF | P buffed, R adjusted |
Safety Tips
Safety isn't an accident. It's a deliberate process. By the time you log in, the account is already 'cleared' by Riot's systems.
