How To Use Xerath’s Ultimate?

Xerath is in a great place in season 12 of League of Legends. The mythic items such as Luden’s Tempest and Liandry’s Anguish really give him an edge over many mage champions in the game. The additional magic penetration and max HP burn effect are very useful for bursting enemies quickly. And as long as you’re aiming your skill shots, Xerath is one of the best mid-lane carries in LoL. However, Xerath’s R is a key to carrying games with him. So today, we’ll talk about how to use Xerath’s ultimate effectively in League of Legends!

Xerath currently has two viable roles – mid laner and support. But no matter which one you personally play, you still need to know how to make the most out of this ability. Unlike other mages in LoL, Xerath’s ultimate can be reused multiple times. This is both a good and a bad thing. On the one hand, Xerath’s R is excellent for repeatedly dealing damage. But on the other hand, the initial damage may not be enough sometimes, so you’ll have to aim again!

In any case, let’s take a look at Xerath’s ult and explain how to use it!

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What is Xerath’s Ultimate?

Rite of the Arcane is a unique ability that allows Xerath to shoot multiple bolts of energy at his opponents. Each shot deals the same amount of damage and procs the same effects in case Xerath has any (for example, the passive burn from Liandriy’s Anguish). At the first rank, or level 6, Xerath has 3 available shots. And with each rank, he gains one more charge of Rite of the Arcane. So at level 16, Xerath has 5 shots of his ultimate!

Once you press R as Xerath, your screen will zoom out the game, allowing you to have a better view of Summoner’s Rift. This is an advantage for you because you can see more of the map. And it’s pretty handy when searching for enemies to take down. Rite of the Arcane lasts for 10 seconds.

Keep in mind that Rite of the Arcane doesn’t remove the fog of war, so you can’t see enemies behind their turrets or in bushes.

How to Use Xerath’s Ultimate Effectively?

The goal when using Xerath’s ult is always the same: hit all charges. However, this isn’t always easy since many factors can influence the outcome of your usage.

For example, once you activate Xerath’s R, you become a stationary target. This makes you vulnerable since enemy champions can simply walk in, interrupt your ultimate, or slay you. Because of this, you must think about how you’re going to use your ulti before you actually use it. Hiding behind terrains or turrets is always the preferred way, but try to stay out of trouble by using your range advantage. 

The second, and perhaps the most important tip, is to play mind games with your opponents. You see, when Xerath uses his ultimate, people usually abandon everything and start pacing back and forth in order to dodge the shots. And all you have to do is not be impatient. If you wait long enough or let more time pass between your shots, you will have more success hitting all charges. This is because you’ll actually see the pattern at which the opponent is moving, so you can better anticipate his position.

And lastly, don’t click anything except the R button during Rite of the Arcane. Many new players make the mistake of right-clicking or spamming their other abilities while they’re in their ultimate. All of these actions will interrupt your ultimate usage, so it’s better to not press anything else. Remember, your mouse is only for aiming during your Rite of the Arcane, and your R is the only button for damaging!

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How to Quickly Use Xerath’s Ultimate?

Sometimes you see pro players and popular streamers fire off 3 charges of Xerath’s ult almost instantly. The shots go one after the other, with minimal time between the charges. This makes it much harder for the enemy to dodge and gives you a more significant kill potential. But how do they use Xerath’s ultimate so quickly?

Well, the critical factor here is the ping. Most streamers and professionals play League of Legends with no more than 20 or 30 ping. These are the recommended numbers if you’re a serious LoL player. However, your ping depends on your internet provider as well as your distance away from the League’s server. So you can’t really control it. But it is the only thing that can make you fire off 3 charges on Xerath very quickly!

Another factor is your own skill. Experienced mid laners, such as Faker, have good muscle memory and know the recharge timer of the ability. This allows them to activate it immediately after it becomes ready!

But if you do have a good ping and you can spam your R button, then when should you use the Xerath ultimate so quickly?

Easy! The best way to use Xerath’s ult very quickly is when enemies are in crowd control. Any time you see the enemy ADC in stun, snare, or slow, you can simply shoot your Rite of the Arcane instantly. Xerath’s damage is very high, and it’s totally possible to take down a marksman only with your ultimate. 

And that’s how to use Xerath’s ultimate in League of Legends!