Summoner Spells Back to Top
New Runes Back to Top
Masteries Back to Top
Abilities Back to Top
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Items Back to Top
Starting Items
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The shop in game will try and tell you to get the new jungle talisman for mana regen, but without the lifesteal and extra damage on monsters, Shaco won't last long in the jungle. Take this as a very cost efficient replacement for your 2 pots. The refillable potion pays for itself like grandma's soup in the Wind Waker.
Core Items
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Full build Shaco.... good god just look at what his monstrosity of a joker ripoff can do. The first 3 items are in order, after that build the others at your discretion. This build lets Shaco hit like a truck before the enemy can fight back. If they try and fight, its too late, if not, you have back-stab to keep the damage up. With Shaco's crits from Q, and IE adding damage, Warlord's is going to heal for a staggering amount, if you have thunderlord's, then you have the AD to make that sting like a yellow jacket on steriods. If they build armor, last whisper makes sure they can't hide behind it.
Situational Items
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Some alternate options for Shaco. BotRK is infamous for ripping through HP tanks and chasing down fleeing targets. Black cleaver provides the phage passive and nice HP, if you go for this I'd replace the Last Whisper. Tri force is an older Shaco option, but surprisingly good because of sheen and phage. Guardian angel is self explanatory, if you want to stay alive over going all in for offense, grab this.
Matchups Back to Top
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AatroxEasy
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AmumuMedium
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BardEasy
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Cho'GathHard
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DianaMedium
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Dr. MundoMedium
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EkkoHard
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EvelynnEasy
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GragasMedium
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Jarvan IVMedium
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Kha'ZixMedium
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Lee SinHard
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Master YiMedium
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Rek'SaiHard
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RengarHard
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Tahm KenchEasy
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Xin ZhaoMedium
VS

Aatrox
Easy
Aatrox is kinda in a bad spot right now. He's been nerfed to the ground and shunned to the jungle where he can abuse his lifesteal, but he can't escape his frailty. As Shaco, you can hit him hard on his first clear when he's weak and might not even have his passive. He is nothing but fodder at your shanks, feast off his fragility.
VS

Amumu
Medium
Late game, he's extremely tough to fight unless you're ahead. Early game, he's fragile so that's when you counter him. In teamfights, he shuts you down hardcore, his curse of the sad mummy keeps you in place for the enemy to blow you up. Play safe around him and go in for picks on low health targets.
VS

Bard
Easy
Why are you fighting level 15's? All jokes aside, Bard jungle is a thing sadly, most likely a joke or a troll which I do find enjoyable from time to time I'll admit it, but it's so pathetically easy to kill him early and late its not worth concern. Just watch for his ult and his tunnel leading you into traps.
VS

Cho'Gath
Hard
He wrecks you, he has a silence, knockup, and tons of damage. This is everything Shaco hates. You can't kill him before he kills you, he's too tanky, he has too much CC. Don't try and fight him, just look for squishies.
VS

Diana
Medium
This one really depends on the length of the game. Late game both of you are going to pop squishies no problem, the problem is you are more squishy than she is. You can usually win an all out slap fight with your clone and red smite, but if it's about who can be the better assassin, she will pop you faster. I would say invade her if you're confident with ol' hand Heath Ledger
VS

Dr. Mundo
Medium
Well, in the advent of Mundo buffs, this guy wrecks. He doesn't have the CC to stop you from doing your job, but trying to fight him is clicking the banners on the sides of facebook kind of risky. If you really want him dead, make sure you have ignite.
VS

Ekko
Hard
Ekko has been making his rounds and has been annoying assassins the entire time. He has several tools to render you as a clown moot including the dreaded untargetability. The more you burst him in his AP form, the more he heals and deals with his ultimate. More common as of now, is tank Ekko meaning there is no way you can kill him before he can take you out UNLESS you catch him with low HP.
VS

Evelynn
Easy
She has high DPS, like you. She hates pink wards, like you (seeing a pattern here?) Evelynn and Shaco are both very similar concepts, but Shaco pulls it off better in my opinion, however, she's easier than he is. If you get the drop on her on her first clears, she goes down easily, but later on she's going to be harder to kill than you by a long margin. Not as hard to catch, but much tankier. Shut her down early to get the advantage, and push it hardcore.
VS

Gragas
Medium
Graggy here is quite a pain to deal with as Shaco. He has his body slam to chase you over walls, he has percent HP damage and he can displace you in teamfights. Even on his first clears its risky to fight him. Don't risk dueling him unless you know 100% you can win because a fed Gragas is a nightmare.
VS

Jarvan IV
Medium
Honestly this could go both ways. He can destroy you in no seconds flat if he gets the drop on you, but on his first clears he's going to get low. That's your opportunity to strike him down. If he gets the advantage, he will win the fights. If you get the advantage he's still more useful to a teamfight than you are.
VS

Kha'Zix
Medium
The preseason has been good to Kha and with buffs on the way (at time of writing), its going to be important to note that if you don't shut him down early, he's going to shut you down late. His isolation damage can reach insane levels, but in the early game, he's frail. Later on you can get the drop on him and take him out if he's low, but alot of Kha's (myself included) build somewhat tanky, especially with black cleaver.
VS

Lee Sin
Hard
The classic counter for Shaco. 2 forms of vision, his one form of great CC, 2 dashes, he's just a great champion. If you're playing draft, try to get this guy banned, if you can't don't play Shaco against him. With experience, Lee becomes not nearly as terrifying, but no less hard to fight. Your best option is to invade him on his first clear when he's weakest if you want to risk invading him at all.
VS

Master Yi
Medium
Early game, he's weak and you can fight him. Late game, he can essentially 2 shot you. Nothing is worse than seeing a Master Yi carry a game after going 3/7/0. Although I will say that since he can't be slowed during highlander, if he gets feared, he runs all the way back to base. Its hilarious to see a Yi respawn, use highlander, homeguards, ghost, youmuu's, and charge out to kill anyone left in the base, only to get feared and, since he can't be slowed, run AAAAAAALL the way back.
VS

Rek'Sai
Hard
She can see you while you're invisible, and reveals you to her team. She has more damage unless you get fed so don't fight her without teammates. She stays fairly healthy in the jungle sooooooo don't pick Shaco into Rek'Sai.
VS

Rengar
Hard
Well this one's unavoidable, especially after preseason. His ult directly counters you, it reveals you even if stealthed. Not to everyone, but only to the one person who matters, Rengar. He has the damage to take you out before you can do much to the enemy. It's so annoying to go in for a perfect assassination, only to be jumped on by a lion and killed in less than a second. Don't fight him if he has some AD, he will win.
VS

Tahm Kench
Easy
Well, in all honesty he's more useful than you are, and he's incredibly hard to kill late game. However, he can't eat what he can't see, and with his low mobility he can't run if he's caught out. Not to mention how weak he is on his first clear, so that's your opportunity to steal his buffs and his life.
VS

Xin Zhao
Medium
He's not really the hardest champ to fight, but if he gets the drop on you he can kill you easily. His damage at all stages of the game is kinda stupid, and of course he has a knockup and a ridiculous heal every three hits. Unless he has devourer, then its every two hits. So why isn't he hard? He's not scary unless he gets farmed or fed, so shut him down early.
Pros and Cons Back to Top
So you may be asking yourself, why would I ever play Shaco if other champions do what he does so much better at much less risk? The answer comes down to personal choice. If Shaco's pros strike a chord with you, and you like the idea, then go for it ya crazy kids. If he seems too unreliable and not enough payoff for playing well, then that's perfectly fine too. the beauty of this game is what each different player brings to the table. That said, heres my Shaco pros and cons.
Pros 
High DPS mid to late game
Abilities that allow him to make clean assassinations and getaways
Extremely Satisfying escapes
Mind games for days
Stealth and blink is a deadly combination
Actually viable AP alternate build
Cons 
Extremely Squishy
Near useless if behind
Not the fastest clearer until mid game
Very high risk
Countered with a 75 gold item
Very little dependable CC
Jungle Start Back to Top
Normal routes:
Starting camps:
Grab your boxes first and take down the Blue buff with them. Start placing them at 41 seconds in, since they last for one minute, you should be able to get the 4th one in in just enough time. This is where the split happens.
VV If invading VV--------------------------------Clear Blue buff------------------------------VV If Farming VV
Save smite and take Q. Use Smite and grab E
Take their red or their lives if possible Go to wolves then smite red
------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------
Secure your red and raptors Grab wraiths and krugs
if healthy enough, get krugs--------------VV VV--------------Farm until low HP
First Back
Your first back should include your stalker's blade and a hunter's potion (possibly boots and a sword)
Invading tips and tricks Back to Top
If you're picking up Shaco, it's probably because you've heard of his legendary ability to invade the enemy jungle. However it is imperative to know when to and when NOT to invade. It's embarrassing when an allied Shaco attempts to invade something like a Warwick and feeds first blood, then gets behind and can't help as WW goes on a legendary killing spree. So here I'll try and give some general, but not 100% constant, tips to knowing when to invade.
When to invade:
If the enemy is a squishy champion with weak early game, they are prime victims for invade. Going immediately from a smiteless blue (which can be done by putting boxes behind the blue buff at exactly 42 seconds into the game and positioning yourself so the golem aggros on the boxes) to the enemy red buff. If you know for a fact they won't take red buff until they back, go ahead and take it. If not, put a box in the bush near wraiths and take it quickly. IF you catch them in the middle of taking red, smite steal it and try to kill them; you'll either force them out of the jungle or kill them. While invading keep one thing in mind. YOU MUST KEEP EYES ON THE ENEMY LANES, if the enemy jungler calls backup, you'll either die or lose valuable time for farming. A behind Shaco is near useless.
When NOT to invade:
Are they tanky? Are they strong early game? Are they Lee Sin/Udyr/Shyvana? If you've answered yes to any or all of these questions, DON'T INVADE. Invading could be detrimental if done poorly and since invading isn't your only option, it's better to save yourself the loss. A strong jungler is near impossible for Shaco to invade, so just farm like normal and don't fight them.
Early invade route:
Here is a more in-depth route that I briefly mentioned above, but didn't expand on until this.
1. Grab blue buff with no leash and no smite
2. Rush the enemy red buff and possibly get first blood
3. Steal enemy krugs
4. Look for a gank top lane
5. Return to your jungle and take wolves (Keep everything warded, the enemy will probably be mad at being invaded and will be looking for payback
6. Secure your red buff with smite
7. Look for a gank mid
8. Check the enemy blue buff and gromp for a steal
9. Gank bot lane if possible
Closing Statements Back to Top
Thank you all for a third time for joining me on an expedition in missed opportunities for clown jokes. This guide was alot of fun for me, cause I got to rethink some past Shaco highlights, and had an excuse to play Shaco for "research". Definitely one of my favorite champions for just having fun. Instead of having a specific song for you guys (though badministrator's Shaco tribute and "Real Slim Shaco" are both great options) I have a couple videos.
Kshway shows us the true meaning of terror as ronald Mcdonald runs around with butcher knives and burgers in boxes to give people cardiac arrest.
I've actually learned how to do this through another video, its amazingly funny and gives a good tip as to another strategy for clone mind games.
As for the killer clown thats all for now, I'll be keeping my eyes on the patch notes and updating as needed, but until then, this is Dark Echoes signing out.
Change Log Back to Top
12/19/2015:
Changing up the masteries in preparation for a new stormraiders buff. It was originally 100% slow resistance, but it was reduced to 75% which is still crazy. Added a new item build to complement this need for insane burst potential.
4/27/2016:
Riot hasn't changed much about Shaco, but the items and meta around him have changed. Added a couple more champs to the matchup section as well as making a minor change here and there specifically to item builds (duskblade and all that).