Top 10 Abilities That Can Damage Turrets

The entire concept of League of Legends is to destroy the enemy turrets to get to the enemy Nexus. Now, not only will your enemies stop you from destroying their turrets (obviously) but turrets themselves are not that easy to take down. With multiple plates, shielding effects in the early game, and no damage taken from most abilities, taking down turrets can feel overwhelming. But there are some abilities that still take them down pretty quickly.

A few abilities in-game have the ability to damage turrets. At the top of this list, you will always find Ziggs’ Satchel Charge and Tristana’s Explosive Charge. Following it up will be Garen’s Decisive Strike, Ezrael’s Essence Flux, and Camille’s Precision Protocol.

Towards the bottom of the list, we have Yorick’s Last Rites, Jax’s Empower, Volibear’s Stormbringer, and Nasus’s Siphoning Strike. A special mention is Zeri’s Burst Fire ability, I will tell you later why it is out of the ordinary.

These abilities do varying damage to towers. While some incapacitate them, others just deal more damage than regular auto attacks. But how each one works and its usage will be discussed ahead in the article.

Ziggs’ W- Satchel Charge

Ziggs is most commonly used as an Ability Power Carry (APC) due to his ability to knock down turrets. His Satchel Charge throws an explosive device at the target location. The device explodes after 4 seconds or can be detonated early by re-casting the ability. If an enemy turret’s health is below a certain threshold, Ziggs can use the ability on the tower to instantly destroy it.

The maximum health threshold for the turret’s health scales with ability level. At level 1, Satchel Charge can execute turrets at 25% health or below. It scales as 25>27.5>30>32.5>35% at max level. That means any turret with just over 1/3rd of its health will be no more if Ziggs get in range.

Best Usage For Maximum Effectiveness

Ziggs’ Satchel Charge only deals damage to turrets when they are under the maximum health threshold. Anything above that will render the ability useless. So remember to not waste mana on this ability unless you see a small icon above the tower indicating the tower will be executed. This ability cannot be spammed to bring the tower done, it is more of a one-and-done ability.

Tristana’s E- Explosive Charge

The second ability on my list is Tristana’s Explosive Charge. One of the top-picked Attack Damage Carries (ADC) at her peak, Tristana has been played repeatedly by many professional League of Legends players, including G2’s Rekkles. The Yordle Gunner is famous for her level 2 all-ins coupled with her ability to finish off towers before the enemy ADC gets their mythic.

Tristana’s Explosive Charge applies an explosive charge to the target that explodes after 4 seconds. The charge does area damage when it explodes, dealing damage to all enemy units around it. Charge damage can be amped up using basic attacks on the target, 30% for each stack up to a max of 4 stacks. This means charge damage can be increased by 120% if the target is hit 4 times. It can also be increased up to 33% based on critical strike chance.

Minimum physical damage and bonus damage per stack both scale with level. Minimum physical damage goes from 70>80>90>100>110 while bonus damage per stack goes from 21>24>27>30>33% at max level.

Best Usage For Maximum Effectiveness

The best way to use Tristana’s E is to repeatedly use it on the turret. Even if you cannot get a single stack for the bonus damage, it will still do some damage. Keep chipping away at it as soon as your ability comes off cooldown and you see the opportunity. Combo it up with her Q for quicker stacking ability with the additional attack speed. This ability can be used again and again to take down turret health till you finish it off. Move around the map to take other turrets as well.

Garen’s Q- Decisive Strike

The spin-to-win top laner is known for his easy mechanics and insane sustainability. With fairly basic ability combinations that can get you some easy kills in 1v1s, Garen is definitely revered in the top lane, at least in lower elo. As a frequent split-pusher, Garen’s Q helps him take down towers and open up the map with ease.

Garen’s Q, Decisive Strike, empowers his next basic attack for 4.5 seconds. His empowered auto attack deals bonus attack damage and silences the target. This ability can also work on turrets as the additional attack damage is dealt to the tower. Decisive Strike gives you 30>60>90>120>150 bonus physical damage +50% AD.

This ability also cleanses Garen of all slows and provides him with a +35% bonus movement speed for a few seconds so you can get on top of your opponent with ease.

Best Usage For Maximum Effectiveness

Garen’s Decisive Strike is not that hard to maneuver effectively. All you have to do is press Q every time you get to the tower to deal some additional attack damage. This should help you take down towers fairly quickly and roam around the map. You should also try to use the bonus movement speed boost to damage the turret with your Q and escape before the enemy ganks you.

Ezrael’s W- Essence Flux

Ezrael is probably one of the most mobile ADCs on Summoner’s Rift. With his constant teleportation using E and less reliance on auto attacks, he is rarely seen standing in one place. And if he is, you are not playing him right. The constant poke with Q makes him a menace to deal with. What is even harder is the extra damage he deals through his W, even turrets aren’t safe.

Ezrael’s Essence Flux releases an orb in the targeted direction. This orb marks the first enemy, structure, or jungle monster it hits. If Ezrael hits the target with an auto attack or ability, the orb explodes, dealing a burst of magic damage. If the orb attaches to a turret, it can only be explored using an auto attack as abilities do not target it. The magic damage scales as 80>135>190>245>300 +60% bonus AD and up to +90% AP at max level.

With this high mobility ADC, poke out the towers using your W and auto-attack until your enemies go AFK.

Best Usage For Maximum Effectiveness

Ezrael’s W does not need any pro-level mechanics. All you need to make sure is that the orb hits the turret and you detonate it using a basic attack. Remember that the orb does not deal any damage on its own and can be intercepted by enemy champions if they come between the trajectory.

Camille’s Q- Precision Protocol

Camille has always been an S-rank top laner and her stats show for it. With insane true damage on her Q, she can cut down foes in seconds if they try to step up against the Steel Shadow. Although she has a pretty high skill ceiling, those who master her definitely reap some awesome benefits.

Camille’s Q, Precision Protocol, allows her to hit like a truck. Both charges of her Q empower her auto attack, giving her bonus AD and bonus movement speed. If Q is re-casted before 1.5 seconds have elapsed, it mimics the same effects as the first cast. If she waits 1.5 seconds before re-casting, the bonus damage is doubled, and 40-100% of the attack’s total damage is dealt as true damage. This works on turrets as well and bypasses their shielding effects.

Bonus physical damage scales as 20>25>30>35>40% AD while increased mixed damage scales as 40>50>60>70>80% AD.

Best Usage For Maximum Effectiveness

Precision Protocol does a ton of damage when activated, especially on Q2. Using this a few times on turrets should bring them down low enough to take out with one or two minion waves. Always make sure to wait for 1.5 seconds before re-casting Q as it will deal true damage and double the bonus damage. If you see the enemy coming, get in some last hits, and E away.

Yorick’s Q- Last Rites

When you hear split-pusher, Yorick is the first champion that comes to mind. With a kit entirely enabling him to split-push his heart out, Yorick can take down towers faster than most champions. His Q empowers his basic attack for 5 seconds, giving him bonus physical damage, and healing him for 10-68 health.

The Shepherd of Souls uses this empowered auto attack coupled with the Demolish rune to run down to the enemy Nexus in no time. Yorick’s Last Rites gives him 30>55>80>105>130 +40 AD bonus attack damage every time he activates it. When you are at an enemy turret, use this repeatedly to hack it down to nothingness. Have your Mist Walker ready to back you up though in case the enemy jungler comes running along.

Best Usage For Maximum Effectiveness

Yorick is primarily built for split-pushing, it is his win condition. Get an early Hullbreaker with Demolish runes. All you need then is to get to the tower. (Xanax) Use Q as soon as it gets off cooldown to get yourself some plates before they fall off.

Jax’s W- Empower

Jax uses his lamp staff to auto-attack anything that stands in his path, to death. Having flexible roles on Summoner’s Rift, Jax does some crazy damage to champions as well as turrets. Once he has substantial attack speed plus his passive stacked up, blink and your tower is gone.

Jax’s Empower does what it says, it empowers his next auto attack. His basic attack is empowered for 10 seconds and does 50>85>120>155>190 +60% AP damage. No matter if you are in a 1v1 or taking down a turret, his Empower helps in all scenarios.

Best Usage For Maximum Effectiveness

The most effective use of Jax’s Empower is when you have your passive stacked up. As his W is an auto-attack resetter, you can keep hitting the tower, press W to reset, and deal some additional damage.

Volibear’s R- Stormbringer

Volibear’s Stormbringer is a one of a kind ability. It has a status affect like no other ability in the game, which also makes him a very powerful dive buddy to have by your side. Volibear excels at 1v1 and can take out most laners on his own, even under turrets. That is because his R disables all turrets in the vicinity for a few seconds, rendering them unable to attack.

The Relentless Storm’s Stormbringer ability can be amazing when diving enemy champions by disabling the turret while your team cleans up the enemy champion. Stormbringer also gives Volibear the ghosting trait, bonus health scaling as 170>350>525, and 35% increased size. When Volibear crashes down on his unfortunate target, he slows nearby enemies by 50%, and physical damage scaling as 300>500>700 +250% AD and 125% AP. The physical damage dealt while crashing also applies to turrets.

Best Usage For Maximum Effectiveness

Stormbringer is not the best ability to deal damage to take out turrets. A better utilization would be to disable turrets while ganking. A lot of enemies like to run under turret when they are getting ganked so removing that option all together is a great way to get ahead.

Nasus’ Q- Siphoning Strike

The scaling king, Nasus, is well-known for his late game power and infinite scaling. The annoying thing is that his entire kit is made around his Q and getting stacks. With Siphoning Strike, Nasus empowers his next basic attack for 10 seconds. It then deals additional attack damage and grants Nasus stacks.

Siphoning Strike grants Nasus 3 stacks if he kills a minion with this ability. If he kills a champion, large minion, or jungle monster using this ability, he will gain 12 stacks. Each time he activates this ability, his next auto attack gains 30>50>70>90>110 bonus AD +siphoning strikes he has accumulated. Each stack grants him 1 additional AD.

If you are good at farming and can hit over 500 stacks, you will be taking down champions like they are minions, and turrets like they are champions.

Best Usage For Maximum Effectiveness

The Curator of Sands is good at taking down anything he sees once he gets his stacks in. Since his Q damage applies to every hit and cannot be reduced below the stacks he already has, it makes him a force to be reckoned with. Focus on farming in the early game until you get a good amount of stacks. Once at 350+ stacks, split push and take out all the turrets until you reach the enemy nexus.

Zeri’s Q- Burst Fire

Zeri’s Burst Fire is definitely a unique ability. The Spark of Zaun’s Q, although an ability, is considered as an auto attack if you read its description. But for the sake of simplicity, I have included it in this list as an ability. Each time you press Q while playing Zeri, she will shoot out projectiles without targeting anything specific.

Her Q is treated as a non-projectile, applies spell affects, and triggering on-cast affects. They cannot critically hit nor do they proc on-hit effects. Now although this ability can damage turrets, that is majorly because it is treated as an auto-attack in-game. So remember to treat it as one.

Zeri also generates 1 charge for every 40 units she travels and 10 charges every time she casts Burst Fire. At 100 charges, she can basic attack to deal modified damage.

Best Usage For Maximum Effectiveness

There aren’t really any ways for maximum effectiveness since it is your basic mode of damage. If you want to get at a turret, remember that it can be intercepted by minions or champions. So you’ll need a clear shot if you want to damage turret. Clear a path and just spam Q until you see the words ‘Turret has been destroyed’ on your screen.

The Takeaway

Although less, there are abilities that can damage turrets. Some are more utility-based such as Volibear’s Stormbringer, others straight up execute towers like Ziggs’ Satchel Charge. Always make sure to know what exactly the ability does before throwing it out, otherwise you could get reported and spam pinged for sure!

For more LoL content, check out this piece on the best active ability items in LoL.

Also read: Elementalist Lux Combinations