[7.22] From the Depths of Elo Hell - Nami Support Guide
Nami
Summoner Spells Back to Top
Don't think of Exhaust as a peeling or "Safe" Summoner Spell, think of it as "Control"
You can use Exhaust offensively and defensively.
Exhaust has 2 uses
- Reduces damage dealt from target by 40%
- Reduces their movement speed by 40%
Exhaust lets you deal with slippery targets such as 
, etc. That are hard to hit with
, etc. That are hard to hit with 
Flash is standard, only special things Nami can do with 
>
>New Runes Back to Top
Masteries Back to Top
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CUNNING
Wander 5/5 - Extra movement speed walking back to lane, moving to other lanes, or while you haven't taken or delt damage in lane
Secret Stash 1/1 - You start with 3 health pots this gives them more value, you trade a lot as Nami, and having 3 empowered health pots, and 
healing is very oppressive.
healing is very oppressive.Meditation 5/5 - 1.5% Mana Regen every 5 seconds, IT'S REALLY GOOD, Nami uses a lot of mana, and especially before first back, this along with Spellthief's Edge 
is your only way of regening mana.
is your only way of regening mana.Bandit 1/1 - Free Gold, and extra gold for auto attacking the enemy Champions, which you will be doing a lot of during laning phase.
Intelligence 5/5 - Nami lives through her abilities, it is crucial to have them up as often as possible.
Windspeaker's Blessing 1/1 - Gives more value you granting who ever is healed Armor & Magic Resist as well as an enhanced heal, also works with 
granting who ever is healed Armor & Magic Resist as well as an enhanced heal, also works with RESOLVE
Recovery 5/5 - Free health regen
Tough Skin 1/1 - Reduce damage from enemy auto attacks, since you are in a lane against 2 champions, you easily get value out of this when trading
Veteran's Scars 5/5 - Again more free health level 1 gives you a good amount of survivability and trading power early
Insight 1/1 - Having 
on cooldown for a shorter time gives the enemy less time to capitalize on them being down and punish you, and also allows you to control fights more often having Exhaust up sooner.
on cooldown for a shorter time gives the enemy less time to capitalize on them being down and punish you, and also allows you to control fights more often having Exhaust up sooner.Abilities Back to Top
| Passive | ||||||||||||||||||
4 |
10 |
12 |
13 |
14 |
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1 |
3 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
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2 |
5 |
15 |
17 |
18 |
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6 |
11 |
16 |
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Skill Order
> 
> 
> 
Passive
- Abilities that hit allies give them a small movement speed boost
Aqua Prison
- Cast a small circle that knocks up enemies hit for a brief time and damages them
Ebb and Flow
- On click abilities that heals allies hit and damages enemies hit and bounces between the two
Tidecaller's Blessing
- Empowers 3 auto attacks to slow and deal magic damage
Tidal Wave
- Cast a slow moving wave, knocks up enemies hit and gives allies hit a large speed boost
Items Back to Top
Starting Items
Core Items
Situational Items
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Starting Items
(+165 Health + 15 Mana Each)using all = (+495 HP & +45 Mana) 
Spellthief's edge, 3 Biscuits, and a ward on cooldown.Spellthief's Edge gives you passive gold income, works on 3 stacks that are used when you damage the enemy, whens stacks are used you get gold, and do a little more magic damage.
It is really important to be constantly trying to get all of the stacks of Spellthief's edge so you get the max gold and damage on the enemy.
You trade your health for the enemies health a lot, so your 3 Health Pots are a lot more than the 1 Health Pot the enemy ADC, so you have a lot more potential HP to attempt to trade with. You only get a Trinket ward 180 Seconds (3 minutes) so you need to have a good read on the Enemy Jungler potential location.
Once you get 
Sightstone, you can switch to Sweeper, holding on to is only beneficial if you are trapped on your side of the map.
Sightstone, you can switch to Sweeper, holding on to is only beneficial if you are trapped on your side of the map.
CORE
Build Path
>
> > > 
> 
> > 
> > > 
> This is your Core build that you will get around Mid - Late game unless the game is very accelerated for you, you will likely not get past building more than just these items in most of your games.
This build gives Nami a lot of what she wants as quick as possible in the game, and is fine if you are behind, neutral, or a head in gold, since all the items are so cheap, and have decent items that build into the full items, so that you should always have something to buy even on the worst buys. All items enhance your healing and peeling ability.
Why?
Frostfang - after trading a lot levels 1-4 you probably have recalled, and you should have at least 500g if you recall around this time, and Frostfang just makes the bonuses of Spellthief's Edge even more Boots of Mobility - Nami's base movement speed is really slow, and most the time you will want to use Whimsy on a Carry not yourself, so it's not to be able to keep up with them during fights, and lets you get to lanes from base faster and lets you respond to fights across the map quicker. Eye of the Watcher - Frees up an item slot by combining your Sightstone & Frostfang, gives you an extra ward every recall, and 10% Cooldown Reduction, also + 10 AP & +50 HP & + 25% Mana Regen. Ardent Censor - Gives you more value out of and enables auto attack based champions to do even more mixed damage with their auto attacks, Ardent Censors magic damage enhancement and 
Redemption - Stats are great for Nami's Mid-Late game, giving you extra Health and even more Mana Regen, and more importantly the Active of Redemption gives you, even more, options for peeling your carries, Assassins will hate you, and can apply Ardent Censor's Passive to every ally hit. Locket - is an easy last item since it synergies so easily with the previous items, gets bonus shield from the Passive on & .The Armor and Magic Resist you get from Locket, helps you more in the late game and is more useful when you have slightly more health from redemption, and the later you get Locket the more likely it is for you are a higher level to get more value out of the Active shield.
Michael's crucible - Enhances all healing an shields by 20% which is HUGE, especially since you will likely purchase Michael's last after Matchups Back to Top
-
BardEasy -
JannaEasy -
JhinEasy -
Kog'MawMedium -
LuluMedium
VS
Bard
Easy
- Trade 1 Auto, after you are damaged use
- Buffer cast if you get hit by
- Don't stand in minions so you don't get stunned by
VS
Janna
Easy
- Use and auto attacks to bait her
- When her shield is down trade damage as much as possible
- You probably won't kill any lane that janna is in, just farm it out and don't over force it
VS
Jhin
Easy
- when he channels
or 
- Watch out for his 4th bullet auto attack
- from long range to cancel his ULT
VS
Kog'Maw
Medium
- to block off his path and to the area he would try to flash to dodge
- Don't trade with him when his
is active
VS
Lulu
Medium
- to out sustain her poke
- her when she comes in close to damage your AD to damage her and sustain your ADC
- If you get more value out of less abilities than her throughout a laning phase who ever has the most mana before first back wins.
Early Game Back to Top
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Invade
If you look for an invade level 1, make sure you make note of who has CC on your team, if your team has enough CC then you can start instead of for more damage, and to slow the target being hit during the invade after that have been CC'd
instead of for more damage, and to slow the target being hit during the invade after that have been CC'dWhen invading for the most part it doesn't matter where you go, or when you go, the main thing you need to worry about is that you want all your allies grouped together, and moving in the same direction.
Your trinket ward is all you have before you get Sightstone, it only last 1 minute when placed and covers a shorter area, you have to place it deeper than you would a vision ward to get the same amount of vision, and will only cover an area for 1 minute, so even if the enemy jungler doesn't show on the ward for the 1 minute it is alive, you an assume that he is anywhere but near the ward location.First Recall
The item you get on 1st recall depends on how much gold you have, easily if you have 800 you get Sightstone , but if you only back with 500 you can get and if you back / died with less than that, then you probably don't have to buy anything, if you invest money into more health pots then you have to realise that health pots are a temporary item, and if the enemy already killed you than they are going to have an item advantage, and you ability to trade with them will not be that good, same with buying control wards, 75g is a lot to invest just to cover 1 bush while you are probably being pushed into your tower anyways. If this happens just go back to lane with nothing and playing extremely passive until you can recall again and match the enemy in items.
, but if you only back with 500 you can get and if you back / died with less than that, then you probably don't have to buy anything, if you invest money into more health pots then you have to realise that health pots are a temporary item, and if the enemy already killed you than they are going to have an item advantage, and you ability to trade with them will not be that good, same with buying control wards, 75g is a lot to invest just to cover 1 bush while you are probably being pushed into your tower anyways. If this happens just go back to lane with nothing and playing extremely passive until you can recall again and match the enemy in items.Laning Phase Back to Top
Laning Phase is where Nami shines, you need to be poking as much as possible good trades look like
- 3 Autos with level 1
- 1 Auto Attack > > Auto
When you auto attack you can cast while the auto attack is in mid flight, and it will apply the slow & damage if timed properly.
while the auto attack is in mid flight, and it will apply the slow & damage if timed properly.Poking / damaging / trading with the enemy bot lane is where Nami excels and you need to be / get good at doing it, or else the Nami pick itself becomes very undervalued the later the game goes on.
Past level 3 you need to care when trading for any CC the enemy support might have such as 
and play around the cooldown or the hitbox of these abilities, if you are CC'd by anything you are most likely dead.
and play around the cooldown or the hitbox of these abilities, if you are CC'd by anything you are most likely dead.Make use of the 3 , one way of doing this is by taking an extended auto attack trade with the enemy ADC level 1, then backing off and using a health pot.
, one way of doing this is by taking an extended auto attack trade with the enemy ADC level 1, then backing off and using a health pot.Expect the enemy Jungler to Gank around 3 minutes, if you have the wave pushed all the way into the enemy tower, and are idling right in front of it staring at them, then you can expect the jungler to show up and punish you, you have to be mindful of the minion wave location 1 minute leading up to this or you will find yourself in a bad position with no options.
Mid Game Back to Top
Mid game Nami has to exists through her allies, the strengths that you had during the laning phase can't be used the same way mid game, if you walk up to an enemy carry with a bunch of damage items and try to trade with them you are going to end up dead.
So you need to use your abilities through your fed carries, and ping them to positions to influence their movement for what ever currently needs to be accomplished, if you are ever just watching the game and waiting to react then you are playing to a fault as Nami during the mid game.
If you are every warding past the river you HAVE to be walking with your jungler or other ally. Unless the ward is really going to be worth it then you don't have to go out of your way to get it, which it probably won't be, so just play it safe and only ward in the river or on your side of the map.
Late Game Back to Top
Late game is when Nami is at her weakest, you get so much value out of her Early & Mid game that you should have some sort of lead on your team, and you need to play around that lead what ever it is.
Arams
If the game comes down to 5 people still running down mid it's fine to just sit on your towers / in your base and waiting for the wave to be pushed in, cleared, and the game being delayed as the enemy team walks around and does nothing after pushing the wave.
Warding
Use wards sparingly, most the time you won't need to actually ward a spot you know the enemy is going to be in, and if you invest time to place a ward, then actually spend a Sightstone charge on it you give the enemy small advantages for potentially nothing, don't ward alone and use wards conservatively
Fights
If you are ever away from your team, you should conceder that you are about to die from an enemy champion, or that the enemy is going to start a fight with your team, so be watching out for both.
Teamfighting Back to Top
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Abilities & Items
Nami's Team fighting ability isn't the best, your abilities have long cool downs, and & are hard slow to cast and hard to hit. So before casting any ability you need to conceder if it is proper to actually cast the ability or if you are just casting it in a panic.
& are hard slow to cast and hard to hit. So before casting any ability you need to conceder if it is proper to actually cast the ability or if you are just casting it in a panic.Any time a champion is diving onto your team use first to get the first knock-up on the enemy champion then you can land an easy
first to get the first knock-up on the enemy champion then you can land an easy Before using think about using 
before hand, most the time it's better to use Locket shield at the start of the first, since you can't heal an ally with 100% health you have to wait for them to be damaged before you can get value out of
think about using before hand, most the time it's better to use Locket shield at the start of the first, since you can't heal an ally with 100% health you have to wait for them to be damaged before you can get value out of Before casting you need to know if the enemy champion you re casting it at has a dash up, or flash up, if they do try to cast the bubble towards the area they would flash / dash to, rather than where they are.
you need to know if the enemy champion you re casting it at has a dash up, or flash up, if they do try to cast the bubble towards the area they would flash / dash to, rather than where they are.Positioning
You have to start out of range of the enemy carries if they have the ability to 1 shot you based on their level & items in game at the current time of the fight.
If you don't know where to be during a fight, just stand behind your ADC, or the most fed member on your team, and when they walk into the enemy team, don't walk into the enemy team with them.
Pros and Cons Back to Top
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Pros
- Very, VERY strong laning phase
- Sustain for a single ally during all stages of the game
- Catalyst to strong ADCs
Cons
- Non strong CC, and bubble is hard to hit
- Item dependent
- Lives through ally champions, if you don't have a good carry you are kinda screwed.
Warding Back to Top
Warding with the Warding Trinket
Warding TrinketAt the start of every game, your only options for warding before you get Sightstone, is to use the Warding Trinket.
Sightstone, is to use the Warding Trinket.The Warding Trinket only gives you a 60 Second ward, that gives you a very small range of vision compared to a Sightstone's Vison Ward.
Warding Trinket only gives you a 60 Second ward, that gives you a very small range of vision compared to a Sightstone's Vison Ward.The best way to make use of the Warding Trinket during the early laning phase, is to place it before the enemy jungler shows up, this will change every game depending on the enemy jungler, generally here are some good spots to trinket
Trinkets Outlined in Blue are for when you are on Blue Side
Trinkets Outlined in Red, hey you guessed it, are for when you are on Red Side.
Trinkets Outlined with both, work well on either side.
If you have full control over a lane, placing a trinket in the bot lane bushes isn't terrible as long as you play around the possibility of Gank timing windows properly.
/ 
Once you get Sightstone, you generally want to switch to Sweeper, but you can make use of the trinket wards in a very extended laning phase, but after say 20 minutes, you will most likely NEED to switch to sweeper or you will be walking through enemy wards the entire game.
So when you get Sightstone the ENTIRE game changes. There are ways you SHOULD use, and ways you CAN use it.
USING SIGHTSTONE EFFECTIVELY
Where to place a Sightstone Ward, has a LOT of factors that go into why or when you should place a ward, hopefully this makes it simpler:
When To place a Ward
- If you know the enemy is likely to come from an area in 1-2 minutes.
- If the enemy has the ability to jump over walls, ward over the wall they would come from ex (
) - So you can spot enemy champions moving from one lane to another in the fog of war.
When not to place a ward
- You are near a bush and there isn't a ward in it
- When you are in a lane and afraid that someone is in that bush you are going to ward
- When you already have vision of the target you are try to ward against
Mid - Late Game Warding
- Do you have advantage and 2-3 champions with you > get a ward in their jungle
- Is the game even / you have no ally champions to assist with deep warding > Ward river / enterences to your jungle
- Are you behind / multiple towers have fallen > Ward your Jungle.
Here are all easy Warding spots.
DO NOT WARD ALONE
Mid - Late game, you shouldn't be going on solo missions into the enemies side of the jungle to get a useless deep ward, only to find 5 champions and a grey screen. Any time you want to get a ward on the enemies side of the map, ping your laners / jungler to assist you with walking into the enemy jungle, who knows you might find a solo member of the enemy team instead and be able to pick up an easy kill.