Guide Sections (15)
- Champion Stats
- The Passive Proc
- Ranking Braum's Skins
- When They Ban Braum
- Braum's Keystone Choice
- Skill Max Order for Braum
- Mastering Braum's Kit
- The Braum Matchup Sheet
- Shield Timing
- When Your Engage Gets Peeled
- The Engage Timing
- The Guardian Build
- When Braum Comes Online
- The Unbreakable Wall
- Recent Patch History
Champion Stats
Low elo players don't respect Braum's passive (Concussive Blows). They will let him land a Q and then continue to trade with his ADC, not realizing they are about to be stunned and focused. They also notoriously fail to account for his E (Unbreakable), which can block massive amounts of damage and CC from their main carries.
The Passive Proc
Braum has a surprisingly strong level 1 in invades. Start Q (Winter's Bite). If you land a Q, your entire team can help stack your passive for a guaranteed stun. In lane, your Q poke is strong and can set up early kills. Level 2 with W (Stand Behind Me) gives you the mobility to either engage or escape.
Automating the stun with your ADC is the dream. Q to start, then let them do the work while you move to block. In early invades, Braum is a god. If you hit a Q, that target is 100% dying if your team follows up.
Ranking Braum's Skins
'El Tigre Braum' is the classic smurf skin—the wrestler aesthetic and the 'macho' feel are perfect. 'Santa Braum' is a fun choice with great holiday effects. 'Sugar Rush Braum' offers unique and colorful visuals. Avoid 'Dragonslayer Braum' unless you want the absolute classic feel to hide your skill.
'El Tigre' is the serious choice for the wrestling ego. 'Santa Braum' is the seasonal flex. Use 'Sugar Rush' if you want to look as sweet as the LP you're about to take. Avoid 'Dragonslayer'—it's too basic for a Braum main.
When They Ban Braum
Leona is the closest thing to a tank who doesn't take no for an answer. Alistar if you want to be more proactive in lane. Taric is the safe choice if your ADC is immobile and needs a real bodyguard.
Leona offers a similar 'tanky disruption' profile but goes in instead of peeling. Taric provides defensive healing and shielding. Alistar is the aggressive engage tank alternative.
Braum's Keystone Choice
Guardian is the best choice for maximizing your protection of your ADC. Aftershock is an alternative for higher personal tankiness when you jump in. Secondary Inspiration with Magical Footwear and Cosmic Insight to reach your core items faster.
Skill Max Order for Braum
Max Q first—it's your primary damage, slow, and passive-stacking tool. Max E second for the increased damage reduction and lower cooldown on your shield. Max W last as the bonus armor/MR scales fine with levels.
Mastering Braum's Kit
Winter's Bite. Braum fires a burst of ice, dealing magic damage and slowing. It applies a stack of his passive. This is your primary way to start a fight.
Stand Behind Me. Braum leaps to a nearby ally (or himself), granting both bonus Armor and MR for a few seconds. Use this to reposition and protect.
Unbreakable. Braum raises his shield in a direction, negating the first instance of damage from that direction and reducing all subsequent damage. It also blocks projectiles.
Glacial Fissure. Braum slams the ground, creating a fissure that knocks up and slows all enemies in its path. It deals magic damage and leaves a slow zone.
The Braum Matchup Sheet
Easy Matchup. Your E can block his Q and his R perfectly. You can also easily land a Q on him when he tries to walk up and poke.
Hard Matchup. She can Tumble out of your Q and her true damage ignored your E's reduction. You have to wait for her to be CC'd by someone else before you can stack your passive.
Skill Matchup. Her Black Shield (E) can block your passive stun, but your E can block her Q and her R's binding damage. It's a battle of who uses their defensive spell better.
Shield Timing
Stop jumping in without your ADC! Your W needs an ally to be effective. If you jump forward and your ADC doesn't follow up, you are just taking free damage. Also, time your E perfectly to block the most important abilities (like MF ult or Ezreal Q).
Remember that your E also gives you movement speed. Use it to escape or to catch up to an ally for a W-jump. Braum is about the tactical positioning, not just holding a door.
When Your Engage Gets Peeled
Dodge if facing heavy 'true damage' or 'poke' comps with Vayne or Vel'Koz if your team has no way to jump on them. They can bypass your E's reduction. Also dodge into Morgana who can block your passive stun.
Vayne and Vel'Koz are your counters. True damage ignores your shield's reduction. Morgana's Black Shield makes your passive useless. If you see them, focus on peeling your own carry rather than trying to find the engage.
Dodge if facing heavy 'true damage' or 'poke' comps like Vayne or Vel'Koz. They bypass your E's damage reduction. Morgana is also a pain because she blocks your passive stun.
The Engage Timing
In teamfights, you are the front-line protector. Stay near your carries, use your E to block incoming projectiles, and use your Q and AAs to stack your passive on as many enemies as possible. Your R (Glacial Fissure) is an amazing disruption tool—use it to either initiate on a clumped team or to peel for your carries if they get dove.
The R-Flash is the high-elo move. If they're clumped, Ult first, then Flash to reposition the shockwave. It catches them off guard every time. In teamfights, you are the wall. Stand in front, spam Q, and be the heart of the team.
The Guardian Build
Full On-hit 'Punching' Braum. Kraken Slayer -> Titanic Hydra -> Wit's End. With this build and your passive, you become a stunning machine-gun. It's hilarious to see Braum punching people to death while they are constantly stunned. It's high-risk but high-BM.
Locket is the standard, but Trial of the Mountain (if you're on a specific path) is better for the HP. On-hit Braum is a meme—don't do it in my ranked games. Stick to Knight's Vow and Zeke's to keep your carry alive.
When Braum Comes Online
Level 1 is your strongest passive-stacking point. Level 6 is your massive disruption spike with your ultimate. Your biggest item spike is reaching Knight's Vow or Zeke's Convergence, which makes you and your ADC an unbreakable duo.
Level 1 is your peak for early aggression. Level 6 is your disruption peak. Once you have Locket, you're the ultimate teamfighter. Braum doesn't fall off, he just gets tankier and more protective as the game goes on.
Level 1 is your strongest passive-stacking point—invade! Level 6 is your massive disruption spike. Knight's Vow or Zeke's Convergence is your item spike to make your ADC unkillable.
The Unbreakable Wall
Spam the 'flex' emote every time you block a major ultimate with your E. Type 'The heart is the strongest muscle' in all-chat after a successful peel. The feeling of an enemy ornn or MF seeing their entire ultimate do zero damage because of your shield is purely tilting.
Typing 'Not today' after blocking a Lux Ult or an EZ True-Shot is mandatory. It's the ultimate 'I am the wall' flex. Use the 'Braum Flex' emote while your ADC gets the triple kill.
Recent Patch History
Recent Balance Changes
| Patch | Date | Type | Changes |
|---|---|---|---|
| V14.9 | May 1, 2024 | BUFF | Base stats buffed |
| V13.24 | Dec 6, 2023 | BUFF | R buffed, Base stats buffed |
| V13.3 | Feb 8, 2023 | BUFF | P nerfed, Q buffed, W buffed |
| V12.10 | May 25, 2022 | BUFF | Base stats buffed |
| V12.9 | May 11, 2022 | BUFF | P buffed, E buffed |
