Orianna Mid Lane Build Guides, Runes, Items, and Abilities

Orianna has a very strong, and very safe laning phase. She has the ability to be blind picked, and can succeed no matter what opponent she is against. She brings utility, and scaling, AP damage to the late game. She has a high learning curve due to her unique mechanics with The Ball, but she is extremely fun to play and getting them 5 man, fight turning ultimates can be very satisfying!

• Use poke combos to chip away at the enemy's health bar, but be aware that you’re an easy target for ganks, so don’t go overboard when trading.
• Play for team fights. Stay in the backline and keep your ball Command: Protect E on the champion who is most likely to engage and set your Command: Shockwave R up.
• Prioritize farming well and making safe coordinated plays. Orianna doesn’t have the luxury or the survivability compared to other mid laners, so smart plays are important.

• Q + AA + W + E: For a more lengthy trade Q and instantly AA, then W E as soon as it lands.
• Q + W: Your most basic trade is Q and instantly W before it lands.
• Q + R + Q + W + E + AA: To sneakily ultimate someone Q towards your target, wait for your next Q cooldown, then right as it comes up ult your target and instantly Q W E.
• Q + W + AA + R + E + AA + AA + Q: To maximise your damage you can delay your R. Q W your opponent then ult them once they reach the max range and E AA them until your next Q.
• Q + R + W + E +AA: To All In Q in front of your target then instantly R W, line your E up for return damage then instantly AA.
• Q + FLASH + Q + W + AA: Surprise Flash kill your opponent by placing your Q down and then walking outside your Q cast range. When your opponent steps up Flash and instantly Q W AA them.
• FLASH + Q + AA + W: To chase someone down for a kill Flash then instantly Q AA and W as soon as your Q lands.
• R + FLASH + Q + W + AA + E: Use Flash and R together to catch opponents by surprise. Have the ball on top of your head then R and right before the Shockwave goes off Flash onto your target then Q W AA E instantly.

1. Laning Phase

The laning phase as Orianna is pretty different depending on if you are vs a ranged champion or a melee champion. Overall though, Orianna is pretty strong in lane and you can expect to build up at least a slight CS lead in almost any matchup.

• Vs ranged:

Against ranged champions you want to go for the comet build and put 3 points in W. This means that your QW trades will be extremely powerful and it will be very difficult for your opponents to ever trade back. Focus on bullying the lane as hard as possible, and you can use your ultimate early to poke. You win almost any ranged matchup as long as you don't die to any ganks and make sure to respect when your QW is on cooldown. Be a little careful how much you use your W at level 2 (if you've already used a lot of mana) as sometimes it's better to wait until you have 2 points in it at level 3 to start spamming it.

• Vs melee:

Against melee champions you will be wanting to harass with Q pretty much as often as possible. Q is very cheap and has a short CD so you can feel free to spam it. Against melee champions the most important thing is your wave control, generally post level 3 you will want the wave to either be on your side or at least pushing towards you. This is to protect you from being run down, all-inned or ganked. Your phase rush cooldown is very important vs melees as well, if you use it while trading you will have to play a little bit safer while it's down.

2. Mid Game

In the mid game as Orianna you will want to do your best to continue to keep up your gold/xp while also being at all the major objective fights. The best way to do this is try shove the side wave as far as you can without dying. Orianna normally wins side lane 1v1s unless you fall very far behind, so the main thing to be aware of is the position of the 2 junglers. If you don't have TP up, it can be a good idea to group with your team instead and just catch sidewaves when they are going to crash on your tower until your TP comes back up. If your sidelane matchup is really easy + your team is winning and you have vision then sidelaning should be very easy, if the opposite of these things are true then you will need to be a lot safer on side.

For objective fights, it's a good rule to try and base around 1 minute before dragon spawns, that way you can spend all your gold and get all your hp and mana back to full. This will give you the best possible chance of grouping up and winning a dragon fight.

Orianna is also pretty good at taking jungle camps, especially with the Seraph's build. Look for opportunities to take away enemy camps or to farm your own if your jungle is too far away to farm them.

3. Teamfighting and Skirmishing

For teamfighting and skirmishing as Orianna you will be wanting to play a front to back teamfight (keep your tanks in front of you). For the most part you will have to hit whoever is in front of you, but try keep the ball in a threatening position and you can create a lot of pressure simply by holding the ult and zoning the enemy carries with it. You can also look to put the ball on an engage champion on your team to try deliver an ulti for you. If your backline is fed you can also look to just shield and peel your ADC instead. Fights in chokes or small areas are ideal and you are extremely good at zoning and controlling space.

Finally you will want to think about various threats to you and your target priority. Normally as Orianna, you will be stuck hitting whoever is in front of you, but if an enemy squishy mispositions they should take priority and you should aim your abilities on them first. Threats are also important, think about specific abilities (for example Blitzcrank hook) that might threaten you and how you can position around them. Sometimes you may have to wait until some abilities are used before you can fully commit to the fight because it might be too dangerous to do so otherwise.

Orianna is a unique and flexible pick in the mid-lane, known for her control and game-changing teamfight potential.

1. Lane Matchups: Identifying Challenges and Skill-Based Matchups

Orianna’s laning phase is exceptionally strong, and she doesn’t face many inherently difficult matchups. Orianna has gotten a lot of buffs lately and her laning is quite strong. I wouldn’t say she really has any bad matchups, but playing against a good LeBlanc player who punishes you in the early game can be challenging.

While Orianna does well in most lanes, Champions like LeBlanc, Syndra and Hwei can exploit her if they engage early. So, to succeed, focus on dodging and landing your own abilities, especially in mage matchups, to come out ahead.

2. Runes: Adjusting for the Right Matchup

Rune choices are key to optimizing Orianna’s early poke and mid-game impact. I advises tailoring your rune choice based on the type of opponent in the lane.

Aery is definitely best in melee matchups or in matchups with a lot of trading. I also like to go Comet into ranged matchups because it will output more damage in the long run.

Using Summon Aery in melee matchups provides steady poke and sustain, while Arcane Comet synergizes well with Orianna’s W slow, ensuring high poke against ranged Champions who won’t dodge as effectively.

3. Itemization: Core and Situational Buys

Orianna’s itemization is flexible and should adapt to game flow and team needs. The first item you can choose between Luden’s and Seraph’s. Seraph’s is a bit better because it offers a defensive piece as well, and Orianna is one of the few mages that struggles with Mana.

Choose Seraph’s Embrace if you’re looking for mana and survivability, or opt for Luden’s Tempest for extra burst damage in the early game. Beyond the first item, I suggests picking Sorcerer’s Shoes and Shadowflame to maximize magic damage output, especially if Orianna is the only AP threat.

For games where you need more defense, Zhonya’s Hourglass or Banshee’s Veil provides survivability against high burst teams. Rabadon’s Deathcap rounds out Orianna’s kit as a late-game item for peak damage.

4. Wave Management: Pushing and Controlling Lane

Orianna’s wave management is one of her core strengths. According to my, early lane control hinges on pushing with confidence.

Her Q-W combo is excellent for both waveclear and poke, especially if you reach level two first, creating pressure that can snowball into an early advantage.

Keep an eye on your opponent’s positioning, and push strategically to maintain control without overextending.

5. Vision Control: Effective Warding Tactics

Orianna’s Q ability can be used to scout for vision, but I suggests relying more on traditional warding placements, especially early in the game.

I warns against overusing Orianna’s Q for vision, as the mana cost can set you back before your first recall. Instead, a standard ward near Raptors at level one provides consistent safety.

6. Synergy with Junglers: Best Champion Pairings

When it comes to Jungler synergy, I recommends prioritizing Orianna’s own game rather than tailoring to a specific Jungle pick.

While Orianna can work well with any composition, pairing her with a Jungle Champion who can initiate, such as Vi or Nocturne, helps create the ideal setup for a devastating Command: Shockwave.

7. Teamfight Positioning: Mastering the Shockwave

Orianna’s Command: Shockwave is one of the most impactful abilities in League, but timing is key. I advises against using it the moment you see a chance.

Maintaining the threat of Shockwave forces enemies to play cautiously. I explains that it’s often more valuable to hold the ability until it’s guaranteed to hit.

With careful timing, Orianna can change the course of a teamfight by herself.

8. Control Over Objectives: Zoning Effectively

Orianna’s Command: Attack allows her to control space around objectives like Dragon and Baron. I explains the importance of positioning the ball at choke points to keep enemies at bay.

Using her ball in these tight spaces forces enemies to think twice before engaging, as they’ll be pressured by both her poke and the looming threat of Shockwave.

Orianna is a Champion who rewards skilled play, from dodging skill shots in lane to landing the perfect Shockwave in teamfights.

Thanks for reading my Orianna guide and I really hope you can take some of this information and apply it to your ranked games! Please drop me a comment, and let me know if there's anything I can improve on. I hope you can pop by any of my social media's and say hi! Feel free to check out any of my other midlane champion guides, and I hope you enjoy them just as much.

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Good luck to you! – Cheng