Shield Tank Blitzcrank Build

Shield Tank Blitzcrank Build.

Shield Tank Blitzcrank build with runes and items. Shield Tank Blitzcrank guide offers in-depth how-to play, skill order and tips. Play Shield Tank Blitzcrank build in League of Legends Patch 26.5!

Author: Wrekah

TLDR

Starting items
Guardian's Horn should be final item in your build.
Tear of the Goddess should be final item in your build.
Quick Skill Order
Blitzcrank ability Rocket Grab should be leveled first.
Q
Blitzcrank ability Power Fist should be leveled second.
E
Blitzcrank ability Overdrive should be leveled third.
W
Final items
Ionian Boots of Lucidity should be final item in your build.
Fimbulwinter should be final item in your build.
Kaenic Rookern should be final item in your build.
Spirit Visage should be final item in your build.
Heartsteel should be final item in your build.
Sterak's Gage should be final item in your build.
Quick Runes
Major rune Grasp of the Undying from Resolve tree.
Minor rune Precision.
Summoner spells
Pick Mark as your Summoner Spell.
Pick Flash as your Summoner Spell.

Shield Tank Blitzcrank Runes

Resolve
Resolve major tree Grasp of the Undying rune.
Resolve major tree Aftershock rune.
Resolve major tree Guardian rune.
Resolve major tree Demolish rune.
Resolve major tree Font of Life rune.
Resolve major tree Shield Bash rune.
Resolve major tree Conditioning rune.
Resolve major tree Second Wind rune.
Resolve major tree Bone Plating rune.
Resolve major tree Overgrowth rune.
Resolve major tree Revitalize rune.
Resolve major tree Unflinching rune.
Precision
Precision minor tree Absorb Life rune.
Precision minor tree Triumph rune.
Precision minor tree Presence of Mind rune.
Precision minor tree Legend: Alacrity rune.
Precision minor tree Legend: Haste rune.
Precision minor tree Legend: Bloodline rune.
Precision minor tree Coup de Grace rune.
Precision minor tree Cut Down rune.
Precision minor tree Last Stand rune.
Passive
Passive tree Adaptive Force rune (+9 Adaptive Force).
Passive tree Attack Speed rune (+10% Attack Speed).
Passive tree Ability Haste rune (+8 Ability Haste).
Passive tree Adaptive Force rune (+9 Adaptive Force).
Passive tree Move Speed rune (+2 Movement Speed).
Passive tree Health Scaling rune (+10-180 Health (based on level)).
Passive tree Health rune (+65 Health).
Passive tree Tenacity And Slow Resist rune (+10 Tenacity and Slow Resist).
Passive tree Health Scaling rune (+10-180 Health (based on level)).

Optional Summoner Spells

Exhaust

Exhaust

Defensive option. Exhaust for peeling against enemy divers and assassins and protecting your carries.

Ignite

Ignite

Offensive option if you are feeling spicy. Grievous Wounds + some damage. Good in early fights and you can score some kills, but reduces your going-in potential. Especially later.

Ghost

Ghost

Ghost for extra mobility - great for chasing down fleeing enemies and ensuring you can land your CC.

Optional Runes

Aftershock

Aftershock

Aftershock can be good, if you have reliable hard CC - you get tons of resistances right when you engage, which pairs nicely with Fimbulwinter shield popping and other shields: tank a hit, shield up, proc Aftershock.

Presence of Mind

Presence of Mind

Triumph is better overall (heal + gold), but if you want to have easier time with your mana, go Presence of Mind.

Demolish

Demolish

If you are into taking objectives, you can consider taking Demolish rune. Usually it is worth it and lets you push turrets quicker. Utility slash team oriented option.

Looking for another tank build? Check these:
HeartsteelBlitzcrankTankBlitzcrank

How it works

  1. The idea of the build is centered around getting frequent, massive shields from Fimbulwinter combined with Sterak's Gage and more.
  2. You act as a disruption tank with surprisingly high survivability.

Playstyle

  1. 🧊

    Stack Tear of the Goddess and rush Fimbulwinter.

  2. 🛡️

    Stay in fights and spam slow/CC to get big shields over and over.

  3. 🧰

    Adapt your tank items to what the enemy team is throwing at you.

How to play

Shield Tank Blitzcrank

  1. Your Mana Barrier (Passive) gives you a massive shield when low on health. Combined with Fimbulwinter and Sterak's Gage, you are gonna get super massive shield. Do not be afraid when low, you can actually bait enemies pretty well.
  2. Your Power Fist (E) and Rocket Grab (Q) will constantly proc Fimbulwinter shields in fights.

Getting started

  1. Start with Guardian's Horn and Tear of the Goddess. Your early goal is to stack Tear as fast as possible.
  2. Rush Fimbulwinter #1. Once completed and fully stacked, every time you slow/CC an enemy, you will gain a shield.

Items

  1. Sterak's Gage is good counter against burst damage and works nicely with shield tank fantasy. (Note: Protoplasm Harness is another option that might be better in the future, but currently, Sterak's Gage remains superior for this setup).
  2. Spirit Visage heavily amplifies both your healing and shielding, it is core item.

Adapting

  1. After your core items (Fimbulwinter, Sterak's, Kaenic, Spirit Visage), adapt to the enemy team.
  2. If they are heavy on AD, go Armor (Frozen Heart, Randuin's). If they are heavy on AP, buy MR (Force of Nature).

Runes

  1. Be careful to not waste Aftershock. Try timing it and keeping it for going in.

Items

  1. Just remember that using Rocket Grab (Q) from afar is gonna proc your Fimbulwinter shields, so sometimes it might be a waste (but grabbing right enemy might outweigh it).

Tips and Tricks

Champion

Hook Combos

  1. To make sure that you chain CC after pulling somebody with Q, use R before E (if they some good ways of getting out) - Q + R + E
  2. If enemy has some kind of ability / item / Flash that can counter your Rocket Grab (Q) and they are waiting for your Q animation, use Static Field (R) first to silence them.
  3. General combo is to Q + auto + E + auto + R. More autos you land, bigger damage you land thanks to Static Field (R) Passive (on-hit proc explosion).

Rocket Grab
Rocket Grab (Q)

  1. Sometimes it is better to hold on your Rocket Grab (Q), rather than using it if you are not sure if you hit it. It puts pressure on the enemy, as they need to take into account your Q.
  2. If enemy is juking you left and right, just get close to him with your Overdrive (W), then punch him with Power Fist (E) and then finally use Rocket Grab (Q) to catch him.
  3. Hook through dying minions - time your Q to pass through a minion as it dies to surprise enemies hiding behind wave.
  4. Be careful who you pull with Rocket Grab (Q)! As sometimes you might lose fight just by yourself.

Power Fist
Power Fist (E)

  1. Power Fist (E) resets auto attack. Use it for your advantage when fighting in melee range and when pushing turrets.

Static Field
Static Field (R)

  1. Instead of using Static Field (R) right away, after you catch somebody, punch them few times (AA + E + AA) before using R. This way you will do more damage, thanks to your R Passive (on-hit proc explosion).
  2. Static Field (R) destroys shields, use it for your advantage and hold your R when enemy champions get big shields.

Riot

  1. The 1-2-3 combo of Rocket Grab, Power Fist, and Static Field can devastate an individual opponent.
  2. Using Blitzcrank's grab to pull an enemy into your tower range followed by a Power Fist will allow the tower to get several hits on them.

Skill Order

  • Blitzcrank [object Object] ability.
    Q
    Rocket Grab
  • Blitzcrank [object Object] ability.
    W
    Overdrive
  • Blitzcrank [object Object] ability.
    E
    Power Fist
  • Blitzcrank [object Object] ability.
    R
    Static Field

Items

Starting items
Guardian's Horn item.
Tear of the Goddess item.
Boots
Ionian Boots of Lucidity item.
Mercury's Treads item.
Plated Steelcaps item.
Rush this
Fimbulwinter item.
Core shield items
Additional considerations for these items is advised!
Sterak's Gage item.
Spirit Visage item.
Kaenic Rookern item.
Fimbulwinter item.
Good tank items
Jak'Sho, The Protean item.
Warmog's Armor item.
Good MR items
Hollow Radiance item.
Spirit Visage item.
Abyssal Mask item.
Kaenic Rookern item.
Force of Nature item.
Good Armor items
Thornmail item.
Iceborn Gauntlet item.
Sunfire Aegis item.
Unending Despair item.
Dead Man's Plate item.
Randuin's Omen item.
Frozen Heart item.
Situational - going bruiser
Titanic Hydra item.
Sundered Sky item.
Blade of The Ruined King item.
Wit's End item.
Heartsteel item.
Situational - support
Zeke's Convergence item.
Knight's Vow item.
For the last fight
Additional considerations for these items is advised!
Elixir of Iron item.
Elixir of Sorcery item.
Example final build
Ionian Boots of Lucidity item.
Fimbulwinter item.
Kaenic Rookern item.
Spirit Visage item.
Heartsteel item.
Sterak's Gage item.