Champion Stats
| Role | Marksman / Assassin |
| Difficulty | |
| Blue Essence | 675 BE |
Why High-Elo Players Smurf with Lucian
Low elo players don't respect the level 2 all-in from Lucian and an engage support. They don't understand that his passive doubles his damage output in short bursts. They also walk in straight lines, making it easy for Lucian to land his full ultimate (The Culling) for a free cross-map kill. Most bot-laners don't know how to kite his dash, and they'll panic-Flash only to be chased down by his E reset.
The Level 1 Cheese
First Blood Strategy
Start Q (Piercing Light). At level 1, wait for the enemy ADC to walk up to CS, then Q them THROUGH a minion. This extends the range of the ability significantly and catches them off-guard. Follow up with your two passive autos. Repeat this twice, and they'll be at 70% HP, ready for a level 2 engage. It's the most consistent way to establish bot-lane lane priority.
The 'Pay-to-Win' Skin Advantage
'High Noon Lucian' is widely considered his best skin because the auto-attack and ability animations feel significantly crisper and faster. 'PROJECT: Lucian' has sleek VFX and a very modern feel. 'Pulsefire Lucian' has clean visuals that make his passive shots easy to track. Avoid 'Striker Lucian' unless you're a fan of the aesthetic, as the older model feels much clunkier than his modern legendaries.
When They Ban Lucian
Backup Pick: If Lucian is banned,
Draven offers similar oppressive lane dominance.
Samira provides a more all-in combo-based playstyle.
Tristana is a great alternative for better scaling and resets.
Rune Setup
Best Runes: Press the Attack is the mandatory rune for Lucian, as his passive instantly procs the three hits for massive burst damage and increased follow-up damage. Presence of Mind is essential for mana sustain during his ability-intensive combos. Legend: Bloodline provides necessary lifesteal. Secondary Inspiration with Magical Footwear and Biscuits helps you stay in lane and hit your first item spike faster.
Skill Priority
Order:
Q → E → WMax Q first for your primary damage and poke tool in laning phase. Max E second to lower the cooldown on your dash, which is essential for your 'E reset' mechanic mid-to-late game. W is maxed last as it's primarily used for the movement speed utility and passive proc rather than raw damage.
Mastering Lucian's Kit
Piercing Light is a directional beam. It's most effective when used through a minion to catch the enemy ADC from long range. It procs your passive instantly. Always look for the 'line-up' during the laning phase to poke for free.
Ardent Blaze fires a star-shaped missile that marks enemies. Attacking a marked target grants Lucian movement speed. Use it as a passive proc during your combo, or to chase down kiting enemies. It deals magic damage but is mostly a utility spell.
Relentless Pursuit is your dash and reset tool. Its cooldown is reduced every time you land your passive (Lightslinger) shots. Mastery of the E-Auto-Q-Auto-E combo is what allows Lucian to be omnipresent in fights. Always dash toward a target you can safely hit.
The Culling fires a stream of bullets in a direction. You can move and use E while firing. It deals massive damage to minions and champions alike. Use it to force enemies off towers or to pick off low-HP targets who are trying to escape. It's your most iconic and high-damage ability.
Matchup Tips
Vs Tristana
Skill Matchup. Whoever jumps first usually loses. Save your E to dodge her bomb explosion or her jump landing. You out-burst her in early trades, but she outscales you hard if the game goes long.
Easy Lane. He's safe, but you're better. Dash around his Qs and all-in. He can't match your sustained burst damage early. Just don't let him poke you out for free.
Hard Counter. She out-scales you naturally, and her Tumble allows her to dodge your Q and Culling easily. If she survives the laning phase, she will destroy you in the late game. End the game early or lose.
The Ego Check
WARNING: Stop dashing forward without vision. Your E (Relentless Pursuit) is your ONLY escape. If you dash into an enemy jungler, you're dead. Also, don't use your ultimate into a Windwall or
Braum shield; you're just wasting your most powerful damage tool. Lucian is a short-range ADC; if you can't reach the backline safely, just focus on the closest target and reset your dash.
When to Queue Dodge
Dodge if facing Caitlyn or Ashe. Long-range ADCs who can poke you for free are Lucian's biggest weakness—you'll be at 50% HP before you can even get in range to dash. Also dodge into heavy-CC support comps like Leona or Nautilus if your own support is passive, as you'll never be able to commit to an all-in safely.
Teamfight Role
Lucian plays like an assassin in teamfights. Wait for the initial CC to be blown, then E-dash toward a priority target and unleash your combo (E-Auto-Q-Auto-W-Auto). Use your ultimate (The Culling) to shred through enemies from a safe distance or to execute a fleeing target. Kiting with your E resets is what separates a great Lucian from a dead one. Stay mobile and never stop firing.
The 'Disrespect' Build
Full Lethality Lucian. Rush Youmuu's Ghostblade into Collector and Serylda's Grudge. Your ultimate will deal true damage to squishies, and your Q-Auto will chunk for 50% HP. It's the ultimate 'one-shot' build for stomping low elo when you're 5/0. Add a Bloodthirster for the lifesteal to keep the snowball going.
Power Windows
Lucian is one of the strongest ADCs at Levels 2 and 3. This is your primary kill window. Level 6 provides massive kill pressure with The Culling. Item-wise, Gale Force (for the extra dash) or Kraken Slayer (for raw DPS) are your most important spikes. Once you have Navori Quickblades, you can essentially have 100% uptime on your E dash, making you untouchable.
Tilt Factor
Dash directly into the enemy ADC's face, proc PTA, and take 60% of their HP in one second. The sheer shock of the burst damage often causes them to play overly safe for the rest of the lane. All-chat '?' after a Culling kill from max range. Spam your dance (the air horn) after every double kill. A terrified ADC is one who misses every CS.
Recent Patch History
| Patch | Date | Type | Changes |
| V14.16 | Aug 14, 2024 | NERF | P buffed, Q nerfed |
| V13.24 | Dec 6, 2023 | BUFF | E buffed |
| V13.16 | Aug 16, 2023 | BUFF | P buffed |
| V13.12 | Jun 14, 2023 | NERF | P adjusted |
| V12.22 | Nov 16, 2022 | BUFF | Base stats buffed |
Safety Tips
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