Merlin

Merlin Guide

Merlin reigns over mid lane. Focus on fast wave clear with your 1 and 3, then harass enemies with your 2. Save your 1 or blink to escape ganks. Merlin lacks mobility, so be careful.

Merlin excels with dive comps or lots of CC. Gods like Ares, Fenrir, and Da Ji group up enemies for you to obliterate. Merlin also does well with double jungle. Invade early for kills with your high damage and CC.

Your 1 (Arcane) and 3 (Blizzard) clear waves. Use your 2 (Void Orb) to poke from a distance. It hits hard and slows. Your ult (Elemental Mastery) gives new abilities in fire, ice, and arcane stance. Switch for the right tool. Fire has a line attack that burns. Ice has a ground target slowing area. Arcane has a beam to pull enemies.

In team fights, stay behind your frontline. Look for chances to CC enemies with your ice abilities or pull them out of position with your arcane beam. Burst them down with your high damage. Use blink to reposition if needed. Watch out for dives.

For objectives like GF, FG, or towers, use your 2 from a distance to slow enemies contesting. Your 3 (Blizzard) also zones them. If they engage, switch to ice stance to CC them so your team can collapse. Fire stance can then finish them. Late game, defend objectives with your Arcane beam to pull enemies into your team.

Merlin requires practice to master, but he reigns in team fights and objectives when ahead. Comboing his abilities and managing his stances in chaotic fights separates good and great Merlin players. Focus on safe poke and clear early, get kills, and snowball. Know your damage—if ahead, you can eliminate squishies. A fed Merlin controls the pace.

Start with Mage’s Blessing, Lost Artifact, and pots. Finish Chronos’ Pendant, giving CDR, mana, and power. Cooldowns are key for Merlin. Next is Pen Boots, Spear of Magus, Rod of Tahuti, and Soul Gem. Spear of Magus synergizes great with your DoTs. Last two are situational—Charon’s Coin for movement or Divine Ruin for antiheal. The purple pot equals oneshots late game!

Skill priority is 4, 2, 3, 1. Max your 2 for reduced cooldown and increased damage. Then max 3 for clear and lower cooldown. Level 1 at 8 for mobility, and ult at 5, 9, and 13.

Merlin reigns through aggression and snowballing kills. Your CC, high damage, and stance switching allow you to dominate team fights and objectives. Practice landing your abilities, comboing them efficiently, and managing your stances. Know your damage potential—if ahead, you destroy teams. Learn to defend yourself from divers hunting you.