New League of Legends Runes Series: A Guide to Inspiration

Our Runes Series will be covering each of the five major trees, looking at the different runes within each and discussing how they will be best used. Our experts will be analyzing which champions, items, and mentalities will likely be most effective in using each one. If you’re looking for another tree, here are Precision, Domination, Sorcery, and Resolve.

Inspiration: How to bend the rules of the game

Keystone

Unsealed Spellbook

• This one is all about flexibility and adapting to what you need. You can use it for early game tactics like Ignite aggression, random multi-Smite cheeses, or in late game for peeling with Exhaust or split-pushing with Teleports late game.
• This Keystone in combination with CDR boots will be a very potent pairing.
• Annie, Bard, and Darius are the sort of champs that can benefit from taking the Unsealed Spellbook.

Glacial Augment

• Champs who have a consistent slowing ability or use Hextech GLP-800 will strongly consider this Keystone.
• It will greatly augment the sticking power of champs like Swain and Gnar.

Kleptomancy

• If you want some scaling power and can easily proc auto-attacks, this may be the Keystone for you.
• Ranged Supports that can poke like Lulu or carries that are dependent on scaling items like Gangplank and Ezreal should consider Kleptomancy.

Contraption

Hextech Flashtraption

• This Contraption will be utilized by Junglers who are looking to set up high-tempo early game tactics based on ganks and invades, and do not have the ability to dash over walls.
• Between your Flashes, Junglers like Eve will be able to find creative paths to pounce on unsuspecting foes.

Biscuit Delivery

•  These special biscuits will be a great option for champions that are looking to augment their laning phase sustain and create some extra lasting power.
• Champions like Gangplank and Soraka will be taking baking lessons to bring these to the Rift.

Perfect Timing

• This choice is very situational – it will be mostly used by Mid laners who are looking to outscale an assassin or burst mages that are heavily reliant on their ultimates, such as Zed, Annie and Fizz.
• Keep your stasis ready as a trump card to come out victorious in a duel, or to save yourself when death would normally be certain.

Tomorrow

Magical Footwear

• If you’re playing a scaling champ that isn’t looking to leave lane often, consider the delayed investment of these boots.
• Keep in mind that you’ll be sacrificing a bit of early movement and potential defensive options, but you’ll be coming ahead in value later on.
• Janna exemplifies an ideal pairing.

Future’s Market

• Cheat the system to hit your power spikes much faster, you can likely catch your opponent off guard.
• It’s also handy for topping off with some consumables before you head back to lane.
• Champions like Gnar may want to consider the shortcuts provided by Future’s Market.

Minion Dematerializer

• This likely won’t be used too often, even on champions who have trouble waveclearing early on.
• However, it may open the possibility of someone discovering a very early breakpoint.

Beyond

Cosmic Insight

• This is an ideal choice for Supports or champs that have a potent Flash combo.
• Give it a try on champs like Annie and Sona.

Approach Velocity

• Have a Support that excels at using CC to peel or engage? Want to have more maneuverability in team fights? This is the rune for you.
• Nami and Lulu are the sort of champs that are gonna want to take this.

Celestial Body

• This tanky choice will be used for solo lanes in farming matchups and CC-oriented Supports that are looking to scale.
• Champions like Braum who don’t really care about dealing damage may want to consider taking this.

Secondary Trees

Inspiration + Resolve  = 20% Potion and Elixir Duration +145 Health
Inspiration + Domination = 20% Potion and Elixir Duration +16 Attack Damage or +27 Ability Power, adaptive
Inspiration + Sorcery = 20% Potion and Elixir Duration +16 Attack Damage or +27 Ability Power, adaptive
Inspiration + Precision = 20% Potion and Elixir Duration +20% Attack Speed

Precision

• Champions who want to abuse the utility of Glacial Augment, such as Gnar, may want to consider this tree to have more consistent damage output.

Domination

• Ranged Supports who like to roam will love this pairing due to the flexibility to fight very early while using Zombie Wards to maintain map pressure. They may also want to consider Kleptomancy or Unsealed Spellbook for some early cheese tactics.

Sorcery

• This will be the go-to pairing for mage Supports and also a very viable option for Mid Lane control mages who lost good Keystones to Sorcery. Try Glacial Augment with a Hextech GLP for a super potent combo.

Resolve

• Font of Life can provide extra utility for tanky Supports. They’ll gain overall tankiness so they won’t get blown up by heavy burst combos in lane, or assassins late game.

Thanks for reading! That concludes our series. For more discussion or questions for our coaches about Inspiration, drop by our Discord. To learn more about the other trees, check out Precision, Domination, Sorcery, and Resolve.