Tank Elise build with runes and items. Tank Elise guide offers in-depth how-to play, skill order and tips. Play Tank Elise build in League of Legends Patch 25.05!
You start with Guardian's Horn. Your #1 rush should be item that counters enemy team most (MR or Armor item). Get Jak'Sho as #2 item. Then adapt.
You will be more tanky later on, so play more carefully in the early game.
Triumph is better overall (heal + gold), but if you want to have easier time with your mana, go Presence of the Mind.
Guardian's Horn is a surprisingly good item for its price. You can keep it for very long time (or even have it as 6th item).
You need to adapt your items to the game. Enemy team heavy on AP? Buy MR. They heavy on AD? Buy Armor. You need some damage? Well buy that.
Be careful to not waste Aftershock. Try timing it and keeping it for going in.
Tips and Tricks
Champion
As Elise, you have your 'Ultimate' Spider Form (R) since lvl 1. You can lose track of enemy levels and get surprised by their level 6 spike and their ultimate. Watch out!
You can use your Volatile Spiderling / Skittering Frenzy (W) for bush control.
Elise Combo #1: cast Volatile Spiderling / Skittering Frenzy (W) in ANY direction. When you Neurotoxin / Venomous Bite (Q) (Q in Spider Form), spider will fly to your target and explode.
You can block enemy skillshots with your spiders! See a skillshot going your way? Just turn around and enter Spider Form (given you have any spiders)!
Human and Spider Form interactions
Elise is treated as melee in Spider Form and as ranged in Human Form. That means there are interactions with certain runes and items. Examples below.
Grasp of the Undying - If you want to deal more damage, get more Health and heal for more with Grasp of the Undying - when auto from ranged, switch to melee (when animation is mid-flight)!
First Strike - If you play Elise with First Strike rune, if you fire Human Volatile Spiderling / Skittering Frenzy (W) and change to Spider Form, you actually get the melee gold. This way you can farm and earn additional gold per minute by syncing W with First Strike.
Credit: Nxal
Hubris - if you score a takedown when in Spider Form, you get more Attack Damage (melee effect), than you would get in Human Form.
Build
Playing as Elise Tank, you have nice execute ability with Q (Spider form), even though you don't build that much AP.
Riot
Spider Form is most effective at finishing off enemies with low health; Human Form's Neurotoxin does more damage to healthy foes.
When in Spider Form, Spiderlings will attack the target that Elise uses Venomous Bite on.
Elise's Spider Form and Spider Form abilities do not cost mana and can be prioritized when you are trying to conserve mana.