How to Carry with Leomord After the Buff
Overview Leomord’s identity is simple and brutal: he is a fighter who becomes a mounted menace when he summons Barbiel, turning short trades into decisive kills and split-push windows into game-winning pressure. After recent buffs, his mounted uptime, damage against high‑HP targets, and ultimate reliability have improved, making him a stronger solo‑queue carry. This guide explains how to build him, how to play every phase of the match, how to think about macro decisions, and how to outplay common counters. Throughout, focus on three pillars: mounted uptime, cooldown reduction, and sustain. Those three elements convert Leomord’s kit into consistent wins in Solo Q.
Why Leomord Works in Solo Q Solo queue environments reward champions who can create chaos, force 1v1s, and punish poor positioning. Leomord excels at all three. His ability to mount and instantly become a high-mobility threat lets him punish isolated enemies, secure objectives quickly, and split-push while still being able to join fights. In Solo Q, where coordination is inconsistent, a single well-timed flank or pick from Leomord can snowball into a Lord and a match win.
Mindset and Win Conditions Think of Leomord as a lane bully who transitions into a split‑push win condition. Your primary win conditions are: secure early kills or pressure to get items, convert picks into objectives (Turtle/Lord), and force the enemy to respond to side‑lane pressure so your team can take favorable fights or objectives elsewhere. If you can’t find picks, your fallback is to out-rotate and out-objective the enemy using mounted speed.
Core Build Philosophy and Itemization
Core priorities: Cooldown Reduction, Physical Attack, Sustain, Mobility.
Start with boots that match the enemy composition: Tough Boots vs heavy CC or Warrior Boots vs physical heavy lanes. Your core items should amplify mounted damage and survivability. A typical core looks like Endless Battle, Blade of Despair, and Queen’s Wings. Endless Battle gives you true damage and sustain after skills; Blade of Despair is raw burst to finish targets; Queen’s Wings reduces incoming damage and gives lifesteal when low, which is crucial for extended mounted fights. Finish with situational items like Immortality for late-game safety or Antique Cuirass against heavy physical burst teams.
Situational choices:
Brute Force Breastplate if you need repeated small defenses and movement speed stacking.
Malefic Roar if the enemy builds heavy armor.
Hunter Strike for extra cooldown reduction and chase potential.
Dominance Ice if the enemy has heavy lifesteal or you need mana/attack speed control on marksmen.
Why CDR matters: Leomord’s power spikes revolve around his ultimate and mount windows. The more often you can mount and re-mount, the more fights you can force. Items that give CDR or talents that reduce cooldowns are high value.
Emblem and Battle Spell Choices
Emblems: Fighter emblem is the most consistent for durability and sustain; Assassin emblem can be used if you want to snowball early with extra burst. Prioritize talents that give physical penetration, cooldown reduction, and physical lifesteal.
Battle Spells:
Flicker is the safest and most versatile for aggressive plays and clutch engages.
Execute is excellent for finishing low-health targets and securing early kills.
Retribution is only recommended if you plan to jungle with Leomord; otherwise lane Leomord should avoid it.
Skill Order and Combo Execution
Max order: Skill 1 → Skill 2 → Ultimate when available. Skill 1 is your primary poke and mobility tool; Skill 2 provides burst and a short stun/slow that sets up your mount engages. Ultimate is the mount trigger and the window to commit.
Basic combo (mounted engage):
Use Skill 1 to close distance and poke.
Land Skill 2 to slow or lock the target.
Activate Ultimate to mount and immediately use the mounted basic attack chain.
Finish with Blade of Despair and Endless Battle procs; use Flicker if needed to secure or escape.
Advanced combo (flank and isolate):
Hide in brush, approach from an unexpected angle, use Skill 1 to start the trade, land Skill 2, then mount and Flicker through the backline to isolate a squishy. Your goal is to force the enemy to burn defensive spells or die quickly.
Timing matters: don’t mount into a full enemy team. Mount when you have vision of the target’s cooldowns or when the enemy is isolated.
Early Game: Laning and First 10 Minutes
Your early game objective is to win lane and secure a lead. Leomord’s early trades are strong when you land Skill 1 and follow with a short mounted burst. Play aggressively against melee fighters who lack reliable disengage; be cautious against ranged poke and heavy CC.
Wave management: freeze near your tower if you’re vulnerable to ganks; push and roam when you have lane priority. Use mounted speed to rotate to mid or contest Turtle if your team needs help. Vision and map awareness are crucial—Leomord’s roams are most effective when the enemy doesn’t expect them.
Jungle Leomord: If you choose to jungle, take Retribution and prioritize early ganks to snowball lanes. Your clear is slower than pure junglers, so focus on ganking lanes where you can secure kills rather than farming aimlessly.
Mid Game: Roaming, Objectives, and Split-Pushing
Mid game is where Leomord shines. With core items online, you can force 1v1s and take objectives quickly. Your decision-making should revolve around whether to join your team or split-push. If your team lacks engage, your presence in a side lane can draw multiple enemies and create space for your team to take objectives.
Objective priority: after a successful pick, immediately rotate to Turtle or Lord. Leomord’s mounted rotations let you contest or secure objectives faster than many heroes. If the enemy sends two or more to stop you, that’s a win—your team should take the exposed objective.
Split-push technique: push a side lane aggressively, then use mounted speed to join fights or retreat. Keep an eye on the minimap and ping your intentions. If the enemy sends multiple heroes to stop you, your team should force a fight elsewhere.
Late Game: Teamfights and Decision-Making
In late game teamfights, Leomord’s role is to create chaos and isolate high-value targets. You are not a front-line tank; you are a diver who punishes poor positioning. Wait for the enemy to use key defensive spells, then mount and dive the backline. If the enemy has strong peel or heavy CC, avoid committing alone—coordinate with teammates or wait for a flank.
Positioning: approach from fog or brush to avoid being focused early. Use Flicker to reposition mid-combo if necessary. If you’re the only engage tool, be mindful of overcommitting; your death can cost Lord and objectives.
Objective fights: in Lord fights, your job is to either secure the Lord or flank the enemy while your team tanks. If you can pick off a squishy before the Lord spawns, the fight becomes trivial.
Matchups and How to Counter Them
Leomord is strong against immobile fighters and weak against heavy kiting and consistent peel. Understand the matchup and adapt your playstyle.
Against kiting marksmen and mages: build Brute Force or Antique Cuirass early, and look for flanks rather than head-on engages. Use brush and fog to close distance.
Against heavy CC: pick Tough Boots and consider Immortality or Queen’s Wings earlier. Avoid solo dives into teams with multiple hard CCs.
Against assassins: play safer early and avoid 1v1s until you have core items. Use vision and team support to avoid being collapsed on.
Macro Play and Map Awareness
Leomord’s strength is mobility. Use it to pressure lanes, contest objectives, and punish overextensions. Always watch the minimap and track enemy cooldowns. If you see an enemy use their escape or defensive spell, that’s your window to mount and commit.
Rotation priorities:
If your team wins a fight, immediately look for objectives.
If you get a pick, push a tower or take Lord.
If the enemy groups to stop you, force a trade elsewhere.
Vision: place deep wards in enemy jungle to spot rotations. Leomord’s roams are most effective when you know where the enemy is not.
Mechanical Tips and Tricks
Use Skill 1 to bait skillshots and then mount when the enemy’s key spells are down.
Mounting through walls or terrain can surprise enemies; practice angles in custom games.
Use Flicker mid-mount to reposition and secure kills; the combination is deadly.
When split-pushing, keep one escape route in mind—don’t get trapped under enemy towers without a plan.
Psychological Play and Solo Q Realities
Solo queue is noisy and unpredictable. Your job is to create simple, repeatable advantages: win lane, convert kills into objectives, and force the enemy to react. Communicate with pings rather than long chat messages. If teammates are uncooperative, focus on what you can control: wave management, vision, and objective timing. Leomord’s ability to force 1v1s means you can carry many games by creating pressure and converting it into Lord or towers.
Tilt management: don’t chase kills that cost objectives. If a teammate dies, reset and look for the next window. Leomord’s mounted speed lets you recover quickly from mistakes if you don’t overcommit.
Sample Game Timeline (Practical Playthrough)
Early minutes (0–6): Focus on last-hitting and short trades. If you get a kill, push for the first tower or rotate to help mid. Buy boots and a sustain item early.
Mid minutes (6–15): With core items, start split-pushing and looking for picks. Use mounted speed to contest Turtle and rotate to fights. If you secure a pick, take the objective immediately.
Late minutes (15+): Force favorable fights by isolating squishies. If your team is behind, use split-push pressure to draw enemies and create space for your team to farm or contest Lord.
Minimal Bullet Summary of Key Points
Mount often; CDR and sustain are top priorities.
Isolate targets; flank from brush and fog.
Convert picks into objectives; Lord and Turtle are your win conditions.
Adapt items to enemy composition; build defensively vs heavy CC or burst.
Climbing Tips Specific to Solo Q
Prioritize objectives over kills. A single Lord or tower swing wins more games than chasing a kill.
Ping intentions early and often; short, clear pings are more effective than long messages.
Learn to reset after a failed engage; Leomord’s mobility lets you recover if you don’t overcommit.
Practice mount combos in custom games until they are muscle memory.
FAQ
Q What is the best emblem for Leomord? Fighter emblem is the most consistent choice for Solo Q because it provides sustain and durability. Assassin emblem can work if you want to snowball early, but it’s riskier.
Q Which battle spell should I use? Flicker is the safest and most versatile. Execute is strong for finishing and snowballing. Retribution is only for jungle Leomord.
Q How do I counter Leomord? Kite him, use consistent peel and hard CC, and force him to fight under tower. Heroes with displacement and long-range CC make his mount engages risky.
Q Is Leomord viable in high-rank play? Yes, but success depends on timing and coordination. In higher ranks, teams punish solo dives more effectively, so Leomord players must be more selective with engages.
Q When should I buy Immortality? Buy Immortality when you are the primary engage and the enemy has strong burst or when you need a late-game safety net to contest Lord.
Q Should I play Leomord in the jungle or lane? Lane Leomord is more common and consistent in Solo Q. Jungle Leomord can work but requires Retribution and a different early-game approach.
Leomord’s current strengths are best exploited by prioritizing mounted uptime, cooldown reduction, and sustain; in Kelso evening Solo Q focus on split‑push windows and clean flanks to convert picks into objectives.
Condensed One‑Page Build Order
Starting items: Tough Boots or Warrior Boots depending on enemy CC and physical damage. Core path: Endless Battle → Blade of Despair → Queen’s Wings. These three maximize mounted damage, burst, and survivability. Late items (choose two): Immortality; Antique Cuirass; Brute Force Breastplate; Hunter Strike for extra CDR and chase. Emblem and spells: Fighter emblem with CDR and physical lifesteal talents; Flicker for aggressive plays or Execute to secure kills. Skill order: Max Skill 1 first, then Skill 2, take Ultimate whenever available. Play priorities: win lane trades, convert picks into Turtle/Lord, split‑push when safe, mount only when enemy cooldowns or vision favor you.
Matchup Table Versus Top Ten Counters
| # | Counter Hero | Why They Counter | How to Play vs Them |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chou | Hard displacement and lockdown | Avoid 1v1 under CC; bait Ejector then mount |
| 2 | Jawhead | Can toss you away from Barbiel | Keep distance; punish after his ejector is used |
| 3 | Freya | High burst and sustained duel power | Build lifesteal; avoid extended fights without team |
| 4 | Fanny | Extreme mobility to dodge and burst | Ward ropes; play with team to collapse |
| 5 | Benedetta | Dash immunity and outplay potential | Force her to use dash early; punish cooldowns |
| 6 | Aurora | Instant freeze and burst | Avoid clustering; flank from fog to bypass ult |
| 7 | Valir | Pushback cancels mount momentum | Wait for his Searing Torrent; engage after pushback used |
| 8 | Jawhead | (Repeat) Strong isolation tools | Respect ejector windows; use vision |
| 9 | Melissa | Sustained poke and zoning | Close gaps with Skill 1; avoid long poke exchanges |
| 10 | Alpha | High dueling and sustain | Trade when his core is down; build anti‑sustain items |
Practice Script Option
If you want a short custom‑game script to drill combos, I can provide a step‑by‑step routine: warm‑up basic attacks and skill 1 timing, practice the mount‑Flicker reposition, then run 10 isolated 1v1s against bots focusing on mount timing and ultimate windows. This builds muscle memory for clutch engages.
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