Game patch 26.20Data Dragon 16.20.1
Reference patch 16.20.1
the Emperor of the Sands
Azir is a ranged damage dealer who needs safe spacing and time to keep attacking. This overview keeps the explanation practical and leaves patch-sensitive numbers to Riot's structured data and the current in-game tooltip.
Usual roleMidStrengths and limits
These are kit-level patterns, not a promise that every lane or matchup plays the same way.
Be careful about putting down both of the soldiers stored by Arise! Unless you're going all-in, always have a soldier in your back pocket if you need to escape over a wall or if you misposition your other soldier and need damage now.
In the lane, try to position your soldiers between the enemy's minions and the enemy champion. This way you can use them both to last hit and to project threat onto your lane opponent.
Think of Emperor's Divide as a defensive ability first and foremost. Use it when the enemy engages on you or your allies. Remember that your team can walk through the soldiers summoned by Emperor's Divide and use this to your advantage when enemy melee champions engage on you.
Azir relies on his soldiers to deal damage and can only move them so often. Try to capitalize on windows of time when his soldiers are stationary.
Azir has immense damage over a prolonged amount of time but lacks the upfront burst of other mages. Try to burst him out before he can turn a confrontation around.
Try to think of Sand Soldiers as fire. Don't stand in the fire.
Practical champion reading
Use these patterns to ask better questions before choosing an item, target or commitment. They describe the kit, not a guaranteed result.
Magic resistance can reduce the broad spell profile, but positioning and cooldown tracking still decide whether the important abilities connect.
Do not judge the champion from one button. Watch which setup, payoff and escape tools are available before choosing a trade or commitment.
Ranged attacks are useful only while a safe line to the target remains. Flanks, hard control and blocked escape routes can remove that advantage quickly.
Target access and survival time usually matter more than one ambitious hit. Reposition between attacks and avoid giving up the safe damage line.
Tenacity can shorten only eligible control. Displacements, airborne effects and repeated slows need their own positioning, blocking or movement answer.
Anti-heal or anti-shielding is situational. Buy it only when the effect is materially protecting targets and your champion can apply the answer reliably.
A spell being available does not mean the complete sequence is sustainable. Watch the resource bar as well as the setup and escape cooldowns.
Defensive item reference
Start with the threat that is actually affecting the match. These are conditional comparisons, not an automatic counter build.
Magic resistance addresses the broad damage profile, while Tenacity can shorten reducible control.
Choose Plated Steelcaps instead only when physical basic attacks from this champion or the rest of the team are the larger repeated threat.Normal Draft and Ranked role map
Each lane is assessed separately. Open a role to reach its queue-specific build and matchup preparation.
Historical reference. Recommendation review pending. Azir is normally played Mid and does not currently have a reviewed Top route. Top usually needs independent laning, durable trading or reliable side-lane pressure. Treat this as a deliberate experiment, not a standard recommendation.
Historical reference. Recommendation review pending. Azir is normally played Mid and does not currently have a reviewed Jungle route. Jungle usually needs repeatable monster clear, safe pathing and objective control without lane income. Treat this as a deliberate experiment, not a standard recommendation.
Historical reference. Recommendation review pending. Azir has an established central-lane plan with access to waves, both sides of the river and meaningful pressure between objectives.
Historical reference. Recommendation review pending. Azir is normally played Mid and does not currently have a reviewed Bot route. Bot usually needs dependable duo-lane scaling and sustained damage with shared early pressure. Treat this as a deliberate experiment, not a standard recommendation.
Historical reference. Recommendation review pending. Azir is normally played Mid and does not currently have a reviewed Support route. Support usually needs useful engage, peel or utility while operating on low gold income. Treat this as a deliberate experiment, not a standard recommendation.
Situational AP purchase
Buy healing reduction when enemy healing or regeneration is deciding fights and you can keep damaging the relevant target. Grievous Wounds reduces healing; it does not reduce shields, magic damage or crowd control.
Oblivion Orb can provide healing reduction without immediately paying for a completed Morellonomicon. Fit the component around your core damage, mana and survival needs; check the current queue's item tooltip.
Complete Morellonomicon when its stats and slot efficiency suit your build. Do not treat it as a mandatory first item just because your champion deals magic damage.
Multiple Grievous Wounds sources do not add their percentages together. Another reliable applier may cover the same target, but you may still need your own source for a separate fight or target.
Repeated spell damage and damage over time can maintain coverage more reliably than a single hit. Match the purchase to your actual spell access, enemy sustain and the teammates who can apply the debuff.
If you die before dealing damage, you apply no healing reduction. If your target dies before healing, there is little healing to prevent. The debuff applies on qualifying damage immediately; it does not need to build up. It remains briefly after your last hit, so teammates can benefit even after you disengage.
Only healing during the active debuff counts. For example, 40% reduction prevents 80 of a 200-point heal, or 400 of a 1,000-point heal, before other modifiers. Compare that with the damage, penetration or survival you delayed; neither example guarantees a kill. Healing after the debuff expires is unaffected.
See the Oblivion Orb and Morellonomicon references for current effects and queue availability. These are situational decisions, not a measured best-build claim.
Kit reference
Ability names, descriptions and numeric fields come from Riot Data Dragon. Practical reads are independently written; the current in-game tooltip remains authoritative.
What it doesAzir can summon the Disc of the Sun from the ruins of allied or enemy turrets.
Practical readShurima's Legacy is the always-on rule shaping Azir's normal trading and fight pattern. Watch its in-game state before committing.
What it doesAzir sends all Sand Soldiers towards a location. Sand Soldiers deal magic damage to enemies they pass through and apply a slow for 1 second.
Practical readConquering Sands contributes a slowing effect and damage. Its value changes with cooldown, range and target access; recognise the setup before moving into its effective area.
What it doesAzir summons a Sand Soldier to attack nearby targets for him, replacing his basic attack against targets within the soldier's range. Their attacks deal magic damage to enemies in a line.
Practical readArise! contributes basic-attack interaction and damage. Its value changes with cooldown, range and target access; recognise the setup before moving into its effective area.
What it doesAzir shields himself briefly and dashes to one of his Sand Soldiers, damaging enemies. If he hits an enemy champion, he instantly readies a new Sand Soldier for deployment and halts his dash.
Practical readShifting Sands contributes movement or repositioning. Its value changes with cooldown, range and target access; recognise the setup before moving into its effective area.
The protection or sustain is part of the cast's value. Compare its timing with incoming damage rather than reading only the offensive effect.
The cast changes position or access. Account for where the champion finishes, not only where the ability begins.
What it doesAzir summons a wall of soldiers which charge forward, knocking back and damaging enemies.
Practical readEmperor's Divide contributes movement or repositioning. Its value changes with cooldown, range and target access; recognise the setup before moving into its effective area.
Levels 1–18
Base values exclude items, runes, temporary buffs and mode-specific modifiers. Cooldowns are the listed base cooldown before ability haste.
Cooldown Data Dragon 16.20.1
Can receive its first point from level 1. Later ranks normally become available at levels 3, 5, 7 and 9.
Can receive its first point from level 1. Later ranks normally become available at levels 3, 5, 7 and 9.
Can receive its first point from level 1. Later ranks normally become available at levels 3, 5, 7 and 9.
First rank becomes available at level 6; later ranks normally become available at levels 11 and 16.
| Level | Health | Mana | Ability milestone |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 575 | 320 Mana | Choose the first basic ability |
| 2 | 653 | 349 Mana | Add another basic ability or rank |
| 3 | 734 | 379 Mana | Add another basic ability or rank |
| 4 | 820 | 411 Mana | Spend one ability point |
| 5 | 909 | 444 Mana | Spend one ability point |
| 6 | 1,002 | 478 Mana | First ultimate rank normally available |
| 7 | 1,098 | 514 Mana | Spend one ability point |
| 8 | 1,199 | 551 Mana | Spend one ability point |
| 9 | 1,303 | 590 Mana | Spend one ability point |
| 10 | 1,411 | 630 Mana | Spend one ability point |
| 11 | 1,523 | 671 Mana | Second ultimate rank normally available |
| 12 | 1,638 | 714 Mana | Spend one ability point |
| 13 | 1,758 | 758 Mana | Spend one ability point |
| 14 | 1,881 | 804 Mana | Spend one ability point |
| 15 | 2,008 | 851 Mana | Spend one ability point |
| 16 | 2,138 | 899 Mana | Final ultimate rank normally available |
| 17 | 2,273 | 949 Mana | Spend one ability point |
| 18 | 2,411 | 1,000 Mana | Spend one ability point |
Choose the next question
Choose a queue-aware build, compare a lane opponent, or return to the full champion library.
