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ARAM · Howling AbyssMatchup guidePatch 16.20.1

Shen vs Vex

Build, runes, abilities and practical pre-game checks in one queue-aware reference.

ShenVSVex

Matchup guide

Choose the matchup

Search any two champions. ARAM uses one shared lane, so no Rift role selection is required.

VS
FormatOne shared lane

Choose two champions from the list.

ARAM context

One shared lane, one champion-specific plan

The page uses ARAM starting, shopping and teamfight rules. Its internal build source is not shown as a Rift assignment.

Howling Abyss
Review patch unknownRecommendation review pending

These patches track recommendation review, build validation and item lookup separately. Updating item data does not complete a build review.

Recommendation patch
— Data Dragon
Build validation patch
16.19.1 Data Dragon
Item lookup patch
16.20.1 Data Dragon

Howling Abyss rules

Prepare for one shared lane

ARAM removes the normal Rift role map. Build around the champion, the five-player team and the next fight instead.

01
Start together

Review rerolls and the shared bench, then leave with an opening that fits this champion and the team around it.

02
Shop while dead

You cannot Recall to buy. Plan components before leaving the shop and use each death timer deliberately.

03
Share health relics

A relic heals nearby allies after a short delay. Signal it and avoid taking the trigger when a lower-health teammate needs the area.

04
Fight with the wave

Minions create structure pressure and safer space. Clearing first can be more useful than forcing another low-health engage.

ARAM · Howling Abyss

ARAM tank reference

Compare the opening with Riot's ARAM Recommended shop before leaving base. After that, purchases happen only while dead; the six usable inventory slots do not increase.

Death-only shopping
S
ARAM opening · separate from item 1

Guardian's Horn

950 gold

An ARAM health and regeneration starter to compare with the current Recommended shop.

1
Physical-defence Boots

Plated Steelcaps

1,200 gold

Adds movement and basic-attack defence against physical pressure.

2
Mixed resistance

Jak'Sho, The Protean

3,200 gold

Adds mixed resistance during extended fights.

3
Armour and wave control

Sunfire Aegis

2,800 gold

Adds health, armour and close-range wave control.

4
Against magic damage

Kaenic Rookern

2,900 gold

Adds dedicated magic resistance against sustained spell damage.

5
Against critical strikes

Randuin's Omen

2,700 gold

Adds armour and critical-strike protection against attack-heavy opponents.

6
Health and recovery

Warmog's Armor

3,100 gold

Completes the permanent inventory with health and recovery after the resistance core.

Buy this only after selling the Guardian starter when all six permanent slots are needed.

Complete build choices

Choose the route before play

Recommendation review pending

AlternativeToo much healingChempunk Chainsword adds anti-heal without abandoning attack damage and health.View full route

Best when: Chempunk Chainsword adds anti-heal without abandoning attack damage and health.

  1. Physical-defence BootsPlated Steelcaps
  2. Mixed resistanceJak'Sho, The Protean
  3. Chempunk Chainsword
  4. Against magic damageKaenic Rookern
  5. Against critical strikesRanduin's Omen
  6. Health and recoveryWarmog's Armor

Buy this only after selling the Guardian starter when all six permanent slots are needed.

AlternativePhysical burstDeath's Dance delays physical damage so takedowns can stabilise the fight.View full route

Best when: Death's Dance delays physical damage so takedowns can stabilise the fight.

  1. Physical-defence BootsPlated Steelcaps
  2. Mixed resistanceJak'Sho, The Protean
  3. Death's Dance
  4. Against magic damageKaenic Rookern
  5. Against critical strikesRanduin's Omen
  6. Health and recoveryWarmog's Armor

Buy this only after selling the Guardian starter when all six permanent slots are needed.

AlternativeThey stack armourBlack Cleaver shreds armour during extended fights.View full route

Best when: Black Cleaver shreds armour during extended fights.

  1. Physical-defence BootsPlated Steelcaps
  2. Mixed resistanceJak'Sho, The Protean
  3. Black Cleaver
  4. Against magic damageKaenic Rookern
  5. Against critical strikesRanduin's Omen
  6. Health and recoveryWarmog's Armor

Buy this only after selling the Guardian starter when all six permanent slots are needed.

Complete build comparison

Complete build comparison

Recommendation review pending

Build review neededARAM tank referenceRecommendation review pendingView full route

Recommendation review pending

  1. Physical-defence BootsPlated Steelcaps
  2. Mixed resistanceJak'Sho, The Protean
  3. Armour and wave controlSunfire Aegis
  4. Against magic damageKaenic Rookern
  5. Against critical strikesRanduin's Omen
  6. Health and recoveryWarmog's Armor

Buy this only after selling the Guardian starter when all six permanent slots are needed.

AlternativeToo much healingChempunk Chainsword adds anti-heal without abandoning attack damage and health.View full route

Best when: Chempunk Chainsword adds anti-heal without abandoning attack damage and health.

  1. Physical-defence BootsPlated Steelcaps
  2. Mixed resistanceJak'Sho, The Protean
  3. Chempunk Chainsword
  4. Against magic damageKaenic Rookern
  5. Against critical strikesRanduin's Omen
  6. Health and recoveryWarmog's Armor

Buy this only after selling the Guardian starter when all six permanent slots are needed.

AlternativePhysical burstDeath's Dance delays physical damage so takedowns can stabilise the fight.View full route

Best when: Death's Dance delays physical damage so takedowns can stabilise the fight.

  1. Physical-defence BootsPlated Steelcaps
  2. Mixed resistanceJak'Sho, The Protean
  3. Death's Dance
  4. Against magic damageKaenic Rookern
  5. Against critical strikesRanduin's Omen
  6. Health and recoveryWarmog's Armor

Buy this only after selling the Guardian starter when all six permanent slots are needed.

AlternativeThey stack armourBlack Cleaver shreds armour during extended fights.View full route

Best when: Black Cleaver shreds armour during extended fights.

  1. Physical-defence BootsPlated Steelcaps
  2. Mixed resistanceJak'Sho, The Protean
  3. Black Cleaver
  4. Against magic damageKaenic Rookern
  5. Against critical strikesRanduin's Omen
  6. Health and recoveryWarmog's Armor

Buy this only after selling the Guardian starter when all six permanent slots are needed.

Runes and summoner spells

Runes and summoner spellsShenHowling Abyss

ARAM rewards reliable access to clustered fights. Mark helps a melee front liner enter; Flash preserves a separate escape or reposition.

ARAM
Primary tree

Resolve

Grasp of the UndyingFont of LifeConditioningOvergrowth
Secondary tree

Precision

TriumphLegend: Haste
Summoner spells
FlashMark
Howling Abyss only

Mark and Clarity are mode-specific choices. Do not copy this pair onto a Summoner's Rift page.

Protect the next fight

Choose the second spell around access, survival and team resources rather than treating every ARAM champion as a diver.

Matchup notes

What changes when Vex is opposite you?

Pre-game kit comparison
Shared-lane interaction

Compare reliable reach and repeatable value

Track which champion can apply damage, control or protection without crossing the enemy team's safe space. ARAM does not turn this kit comparison into a lane-counter claim.

Team context first

Rerolls, allied range, engage and protection can matter more than either champion in isolation.

Your plan

Use the route you prepared

Use the champion-specific ARAM build as a starting reference, then check the current Recommended shop, your five-player composition and the next available death shop.

Ability reminders

Shen reminders

  • Keep an eye on allies and be ready to save them with your teleport.
  • Leverage your Energy to get a long-term advantage over Mana users.

Static alternatives

Compare the problem before changing the plan

These choices are not selected from live scores. Use one only after you identify the stated match problem yourself.

Too much healing

Chempunk Chainsword

Chempunk Chainsword adds anti-heal without abandoning attack damage and health.

Physical burst

Death's Dance

Death's Dance delays physical damage so takedowns can stabilise the fight.

They stack armour

Black Cleaver

Black Cleaver shreds armour during extended fights.

Only when enemy healing is deciding fights

Oblivion Orb

Oblivion Orb supplies healing reduction without committing to a completed Morellonomicon. Skip both when healing is not the problem or an ally already covers your target reliably. Healing reduction does not reduce shields.

Conditional component, not a core item. Complete Morellonomicon only when its stats and slot efficiency justify delaying another purchase.

Ability reference

Compare both kits

Ability reference Data Dragon 16.20.1

Cooldown (s) / Cost / Listed range (units) Data Dragon 16.20.1

Shen

  1. P
    Ki Barrier

    After casting a spell, Shen gets a shield. Affecting other champions reduces the cooldown of this effect.

  2. Q
    Twilight Assault

    Shen recalls his spirit blade to attack with it, dealing damage based on the target's max health. The attacks are greatly empowered if it collides with an enemy champion, and all collided enemies are slowed while running away from Shen.

    Cooldown (s) 8/7.25/6.5/5.75/5 · Cost 140/130/120/110/100 · Listed range (units) 400
  3. W
    Spirit's Refuge

    Attacks that would hit Shen or his allies near his spirit blade are blocked.

    Cooldown (s) 16/14.5/13/11.5/10 · Cost 40 · Listed range (units) 400
  4. E
    Shadow Dash

    Shen dashes in a direction, taunting enemies in his path.

    Cooldown (s) 18/16/14/12/10 · Cost 150 · Listed range (units) 600
  5. R
    Stand United

    Shen shields target allied champion from incoming damage, and soon after teleports to their location.

    The exported range is not a verified gameplay distance. Check the current ability tooltip.

    Cooldown (s) 200/180/160

Vex

  1. P
    Doom 'n Gloom

    Vex periodically becomes empowered, causing her next basic Ability to fear enemies and interrupt dashes. Whenever a nearby enemy dashes, Vex applies a mark that can be consumed for bonus damage that also reduces the cooldown of her empowered state.

  2. Q
    Mistral Bolt

    Launch a damaging missile that accelerates mid-flight.

    Cooldown (s) 8/7/6/5/4 · Cost 45/50/55/60/65 · Listed range (units) 1200
  3. W
    Personal Space

    Gain a shield and damage nearby enemies.

    Cooldown (s) 16/15/14/13/12 · Cost 75 · Listed range (units) 475
  4. E
    Looming Darkness

    Summon a damaging and slowing zone that applies Gloom to enemies.

    Cooldown (s) 12 · Cost 70/80/90/100/110 · Listed range (units) 800
  5. R
    Shadow Surge

    Fire a missile that marks an enemy champion. Recast to dash to them and deal damage.

    Cooldown (s) 140/120/100 · Cost 100 · Listed range (units) 2000/2500/3000

Adapt the plan

What to do when the game changes

Judge the whole lane or map state, not only personal kills. Choose the situation closest to the current game.

Even plan

Trade around health, range and the next wave

1
Wave

Let the team clear without spending every important cooldown at once.

2
Map play

Track the shared lane, brush control and available relics rather than looking for a Rift rotation.

3
Fights

Use the champion's reliable range, protection or control before forcing a low-percentage engage.

Shared-lane plan

Shen on Howling Abyss

Read health, range, wave position and respawn timing together. ARAM has no side-lane rotation, neutral-objective setup or normal ward-control loop.

ARAM only
1
Before the fight

Clear or escort the wave, check which allies are alive and preserve enough health to use the champion's reliable range, protection or engage.

2
During the fight

Use the nearest safe target and the team's reachable follow-up. Do not cross the whole enemy formation for a single low-health champion.

3
After the fight

Push with surviving minions, take the safe structure damage available and reset only through a real death rather than donating one alone.

Keep preparing

Stay with Howling Abyss information

Open the complete ARAM build or compare another champion. Rift role counters are intentionally kept out of this page.

Open full ARAM buildCompare another pair