Manamune Lucian – A Complete Guide – Season 12

If you have watched even a single game of League of Legends Worlds 2020, then you’ve probably noticed the near 100% ban rate on Lucian. And in the games when he did sneak in, he completely demolished everyone. Well, the secret to that unstoppable power is his new build – Manamune Lucian – and here is the guide to it!

ALSO READ: Best Bot Lane Duos

Manamune Lucian

If there is one thing that makes the Manamune build OP for Lucian, it’s his double tap passive – Lightslinger. In combination with the upgraded Muramana, Lucian can proc its bonus damage twice every time he uses an ability. This means that he doubles the effects of the item by merely playing the game.

But what truly makes him the scariest champion to face in League of Legends right now is that he reaches the 40% cooldown reduction ridiculously quickly. This allows him to use his spells and proc his double attacks more frequently, and the items he uses also give him a tremendous amount of mana and are very cheap! Actually, Manamune’s Lucian core build of three items costs a total of 9100 gold, which is laughable compared to many other champions. 

On the other hand, Lucian fits the meta perfectly! He is very strong in the early game and only becomes stronger as the game goes on. The amount of damage Lucian can output is rarely matched by another champion, AP or AD. Plus, he has an easy escape tool through his E – Relentless Pursuit that he can use it all the time because of the low CDR and high mana. All of this makes him a perfect pick for both objective fights and laning.

In truth, Lucian is viable in all three lanes. He is currently the best in mid since there aren’t many champions that can really oppose him. Lucian has an easy time farming and poking with his Q – Piercing Light and his W – Ardent Ablaze helps him win most of his trades. All in all, he is a favorite in many aspects of the game, and if you don’t have him in your champion pool, now is the perfect time to play him!

Let’s jump to the runes and items for Manamune Lucian!

Best Runes for Manamune Lucian

Press the Attack

• Press the Attack is one of the features that make Manamune Lucian viable. If you hit an enemy with three separate attacks, they will take up to 12% bonus damage. And this is very easy to do with Lucian due to his passive. So every time you fight, you get a high damage buff to help you win.

Presence of Mind

• Presence of Mind is taken for the additional mana regeneration it provides when you score a kill or an assist. This simply means that you will never go out of mana as long as you’re victorious.

Legend: Bloodline

• Legend: Bloodline is here because this build revolves around getting a Tear of the Goddess early and not a Vampiric Scepter. And since you go with a mana/cdr oriented build instead of the lifesteal/on-hit damage build with Blade of the Ruined King as a first item, you’ll need this rune and its healing to help you survive. 

Coup de Grace

• Coup de Grace is a great rune overall for the flat damage boost on targets that are under 40% HP. It can be a turning point for you in many 1v1 duels if you do decide to go all-in.

Magical Footwear

• Magical Footwear is taken to help you get to your core items quicker. The free boots allow you to focus on getting Manamune as early as possible and start scaling.

Biscuit Delivery

• Biscuit Delivery is the best rune for the laning phase. The additional health/mana potions allow you to pressure enemies and trade favorably.

Bonuses

• Attack Speed and Adaptive Force are pretty much given, and depending on the matchup, choose Armor or Magic Resist.

Best Items for Manamune Lucian

Manamune

• Manamune is the central item of this build. The main mechanic we’re aiming for here is its transformation to Muramana, which converts your maximum mana to high damaging attacks. 90% of the games, you should start building it with Tear of the Goddess, but if you get ahead early, you should get Pickaxe to bully your enemy laner.

Essence Reaver

• Essence Reaver gives you crit and CDR, both of which are essential for this build. Plus, basic and critical attacks restore your mana, and that’s invaluable throughout the game.

Infinity Edge

• Infinity Edge is the third item to complete the core build with. It excels the crit chance and boosts your damage tenfold in the mid-game. You should always prioritize it over any other item in its place.

Rapidfire Cannon

• Rapidfire Cannon is taken for the additional 25% critical chance, and its passive – the extra range for your first auto-attack. This is great for chasing down enemies or starting a fight. It keeps you safer and makes you a better kiter.

Mortal Reminder

• Mortal Reminder is taken if you don’t face particular threats in the game. The grievous wounds you open in your enemies are great in the current meta. But, if you’re struggling to survive team fights, then situational items like Mercurial Scimitar, Maw of Malmortius, or Death’s Dance should be taken instead.

Mercury’s Treads

• There’s not just one right choice of boots for Lucian. Mercury’s Treads are a big favorite because they reduce the duration of CC. Ninja Tabi is great if you’re facing multiple marksman champions. And both Ionian Boots of Lucidity and Berserker’s Greaves can give you an upper hand in certain situations. So, choose freely.

Summoner’s Spells

Flash and Ignite are the most popular combo for Manamune Lucian. However, Ignite can be exchanged for Cleanse or Teleport if the game demands them. If you’re interested in more Manamune builds, check out our Kai’Sa Manamune build