A Guide to Good Karma: Support of all Trades

Starting Items

• Standard start for ap supports, recommend 3 pots over refillable potion to help bully the lane with more overall health regen

Core Items

• Core build for 45% CDR as quickly as possible with maximum shield value. Rylai's and zz'rot provide late game value in the form of pushing power, and extra cc

Situational Items

• Take in place of ardent censor if you adc/team is not auto attack based (ex. corki, ezreal)
• Replacement for Rylai's if the enemy team has boots of swiftness, or slows just won't be very effective
• Replacement for Rylai's if the enemy team is tanky, and the burn damage has high value instead of slows

Core Build Path: ->->->->->->->->->

Explanation: Frostfang is essential for early game poke, as well as gold generation to help boost your mid game item production. Boots are essential for skill shot evasion in lane, allowing for favorable trades. Sightstone is required your role as vision provider for the team. Locket rush against any standard, or ap heavy comp should be a priority, due to the value it provides via magic resist aura, as well as aoe shield being amplified by windspeakers blessing. Eye of the watchers and ardent censor should be completed next, followed by late game utility items.

Typical First Back Purchase

600-750 Gold: 

800-850 Gold: 

900 Gold: 

I'm Rich!: 

Mid Game Items Standard: 

Mid Game Items Against Full AD: 

What not to build: 

While athenes may seem like a great item for Karma, locket is a much better choice for the windspeakers build, due to synergy with aoe shielding. Athenes has potential in more ap-focused build paths however it is not my recommendation for ranked play.

• 

  Alistar

  Hard
• 

  Bard

  Medium
• 

  Blitzcrank

  Medium
• 

  Braum

  Medium
• 

  Janna

  Easy
• 

  Leona

  Hard
• 

  Morgana

  Easy
• 

  Nami

  Medium
• 

  Sona

  Medium
• 

  Soraka

  Hard
• 

  Tahm Kench

  Easy
• 

  Taric

  Hard
• 

  Thresh

  Medium
• 

  Trundle

  Easy
• 

  Vel'Koz

  Medium
• 

  Zyra

  Medium

VS

Alistar

Hard

A very strong Alistar can make karma's job incredibly difficult, as Karma has few options to deal with a flash pulverize into headbutt combo. Your best choice is to poke him in lane, weaving in auto attacks as much as possible so that he is hesitant to engage. Make sure to never get too close to the ADC where he could land a 2 person pulverize in lane, as that will ensure a losing trade. 

VS

Bard

Medium

Shield the empowered meep auto attacks with E, make sure to avoid walls and minions to get stunned by his Q. Use E to dodge the tempered fate when he throws it out, the speed boost is usually enough to out run it. Trading is often favorable in lane with mantra Q. 

VS

Blitzcrank

Medium

Don't get hooked and it is a free lane... am I right? once you have a few points into E you will be relatively safe, as a mantra E should get you or your adc out of a tight situation without burning summoner spells. Also use e to speed away from the hook when he throws it out whenever possible. Mid-late game you will provide WAY more utility with Mantra E

VS

Braum

Medium

Use E to dodge Q and R thrown out by Braum. Try to bait out the shield with a normal Q poke in lane, then follow up with a mantra Q to lay down the hurt while it is on cooldown. 

VS

Janna

Easy

Janna is a game of poking between her E cooldown, a 3 second window will always exist between your Q, and her E, and punishing during that window is essential. Always try to use mantra Q when you know shield is down, often you can target Janna with Q and she will automatically shield her adc out of habit, giving you a favorable trade. Late game, just use mantra E's and overwhelm her with shield value. 

VS

Leona

Hard

Leona provides a large amount of pressure early, and a good zenith blade can send you to the grave level 2 if you are behind. Play passive and unlock w for the mantra w heal at level 3 for added safety. Building a crucible late game can also help to free any teammates caught out by solar flare 

VS

Morgana

Easy

Use E to dodge morgana's binding, then trade with ease. 

VS

Nami

Medium

Very few supports can out trade Nami at early levels, however if you don't do anything drastic, and wait until midgame, Karma quickly will outscale her. Also can easily set up ganks on her early with W, and a squishy nami with no escape dies quickly. 

VS

Sona

Medium

Make sure to use e to shield the empowered hymn of valor auto attacks, trading early game is fairly even and your Q out ranges Sona's abilities, use that to your advantage. Once mid game hits, your mantra E's should provide significantly more utility than sona.  

VS

Soraka

Hard

I HATE THIS CHAMP. In reality though, she won't be killing you in lane, and likely you won't be killing her without jungle help. Just play it safe, take ignite for the kill pressure if the jungler makes it down to bot lane, and max E. Once mid game hits you will provide similar utility, karma in the form of shields and speed, soraka with straight healing. 

VS

Tahm Kench

Easy

Use E to speed up and avoid any members getting caught by devour. Proper spacing and using W can help you kite and poke Tahm out of lane, use auto attacks frequently due to his melee autos and lack of quick punish. 

VS

Taric

Hard

Hard to push taric out of lane, use E to dodge the dazzle stun when he walks toward to try and land it, follow with a W and mantra Q in lane. Once mid game arrives, use mantra E's to make catches and try to take down enemy's/disengage when Taric uses his R. 

VS

Thresh

Medium

Thresh can be tricky if he lands a hook, however you out trade him in every other scenario. Try to use E to speed up the target he is trying to hook in order to dodge the skillshot, follow up with a trade using mantra Q during lane. Outside of lane, the utility of mantra E should help you out scale. 

VS

Trundle

Easy

Trundle provides near nothing during the lane phase, so punish that accordingly with a high level of aggression. Trundle is one of the only supports that out scales karma in the form of being a tank buster and pillar bot. Try to punish him early to make the ADC suffer from being zoned away from minions

VS

Vel'Koz

Medium

Use E to dodge plasma fission and tectonic disruption. If you can bait him into walking forward to throw a Q, then use E to speed towards him to use W and mantra Q you can often force a summoner spell or the kill. 

VS

Zyra

Medium

Early levels can be a bit difficult, but after about 3 points into E you will be able to mitigate her poke and make her significantly less valuable. A W into mantra Q combo can easily set up a kill on her due to no escape. 

Champion	Difficulty	Notes
Alistar		Author Notes
A very strong Alistar can make karma's job incredibly difficult, as Karma has few options to deal with a flash pulverize into headbutt combo. Your best choice is to poke him in lane, weaving in auto attacks as much as possible so that he is hesitant to engage. Make sure to never get too close to the ADC where he could land a 2 person pulverize in lane, as that will ensure a losing trade.
Bard		Author Notes
Shield the empowered meep auto attacks with E, make sure to avoid walls and minions to get stunned by his Q. Use E to dodge the tempered fate when he throws it out, the speed boost is usually enough to out run it. Trading is often favorable in lane with mantra Q.
Blitzcrank		Author Notes
Don't get hooked and it is a free lane... am I right? once you have a few points into E you will be relatively safe, as a mantra E should get you or your adc out of a tight situation without burning summoner spells. Also use e to speed away from the hook when he throws it out whenever possible. Mid-late game you will provide WAY more utility with Mantra E
Braum		Author Notes
Use E to dodge Q and R thrown out by Braum. Try to bait out the shield with a normal Q poke in lane, then follow up with a mantra Q to lay down the hurt while it is on cooldown.
Janna		Author Notes
Janna is a game of poking between her E cooldown, a 3 second window will always exist between your Q, and her E, and punishing during that window is essential. Always try to use mantra Q when you know shield is down, often you can target Janna with Q and she will automatically shield her adc out of habit, giving you a favorable trade. Late game, just use mantra E's and overwhelm her with shield value.
Leona		Author Notes
Leona provides a large amount of pressure early, and a good zenith blade can send you to the grave level 2 if you are behind. Play passive and unlock w for the mantra w heal at level 3 for added safety. Building a crucible late game can also help to free any teammates caught out by solar flare
Morgana		Author Notes
Use E to dodge morgana's binding, then trade with ease.
Nami		Author Notes
Very few supports can out trade Nami at early levels, however if you don't do anything drastic, and wait until midgame, Karma quickly will outscale her. Also can easily set up ganks on her early with W, and a squishy nami with no escape dies quickly.
Sona		Author Notes
Make sure to use e to shield the empowered hymn of valor auto attacks, trading early game is fairly even and your Q out ranges Sona's abilities, use that to your advantage. Once mid game hits, your mantra E's should provide significantly more utility than sona.
Soraka		Author Notes
I HATE THIS CHAMP. In reality though, she won't be killing you in lane, and likely you won't be killing her without jungle help. Just play it safe, take ignite for the kill pressure if the jungler makes it down to bot lane, and max E. Once mid game hits you will provide similar utility, karma in the form of shields and speed, soraka with straight healing.
Tahm Kench		Author Notes
Use E to speed up and avoid any members getting caught by devour. Proper spacing and using W can help you kite and poke Tahm out of lane, use auto attacks frequently due to his melee autos and lack of quick punish.
Taric		Author Notes
Hard to push taric out of lane, use E to dodge the dazzle stun when he walks toward to try and land it, follow with a W and mantra Q in lane. Once mid game arrives, use mantra E's to make catches and try to take down enemy's/disengage when Taric uses his R.
Thresh		Author Notes
Thresh can be tricky if he lands a hook, however you out trade him in every other scenario. Try to use E to speed up the target he is trying to hook in order to dodge the skillshot, follow up with a trade using mantra Q during lane. Outside of lane, the utility of mantra E should help you out scale.
Trundle		Author Notes
Trundle provides near nothing during the lane phase, so punish that accordingly with a high level of aggression. Trundle is one of the only supports that out scales karma in the form of being a tank buster and pillar bot. Try to punish him early to make the ADC suffer from being zoned away from minions
Vel'Koz		Author Notes
Use E to dodge plasma fission and tectonic disruption. If you can bait him into walking forward to throw a Q, then use E to speed towards him to use W and mantra Q you can often force a summoner spell or the kill.
Zyra		Author Notes
Early levels can be a bit difficult, but after about 3 points into E you will be able to mitigate her poke and make her significantly less valuable. A W into mantra Q combo can easily set up a kill on her due to no escape.