Sylas How to Play: Tips & Power Spikes

When Sylas Jungle gets stronger, in the order it happens in a typical ranked game: ability unlocks from the most common skill order, item spikes at the median minute players finish them, and the game length Sylas wins most.

1. Lv 3
   All three basic abilities at level 3

   Sylas's full combo is online — the first point where trading all-in is realistic.
2. Lv 6
   Ultimate rank 1 at level 6

   The biggest early spike: look for a kill or a roam as soon as Sylas hits it.
3. Lv 11
   Ultimate rank 2 at level 11

   Lower ultimate cooldown means more fights Sylas can start or win.
4. Lv 16
   Ultimate rank 3 at level 16

   Lower ultimate cooldown means more fights Sylas can start or win.
5. 0.2 min
   First item at 0.2 min

   Scorchclaw Pup is done — Sylas's first real damage or durability spike.
6. 10.2 min
   Two items at 10.2 min

   ›Scorchclaw Pup + Hextech Rocketbelt: the window to group and take objectives.
7. 18.6 min
   Three-item core at 18.6 min

   ››Scorchclaw Pup + Hextech Rocketbelt + Riftmaker completes Sylas's core build.
8. 25 min
   Strongest in games of about 25 minutes

   Sylas wins 50.8% of games that end around this point.

Item timings are medians: half of players finish later. Fall behind in farm and every item spike moves back with it.

Sylas plays an even lane: no extreme in gold, leads or scaling, so the matchup decides how hard to push. On average Sylas Jungle is 3 gold behind the lane opponent at 15 minutes and ahead in only 50% of games. A 1,000-gold lead at 15 turns into a 67% win rate; a 1,000-gold deficit leaves 29%. Sylas averages 0.22 solo kills by 15 minutes.

Sylas win rate by gold at 15

• 1,000+ gold ahead66.8%
• Ahead60.3%
• Behind37.1%
• 1,000+ gold behind28.5%

Lane matchups that decide the plan

Respect these lanes

Volibear−556 gold at 15

Briar−465 gold at 15

Kha'Zix−407 gold at 15

Press these lanes

Rammus+633 gold at 15

Amumu+534 gold at 15

Fiddlesticks+513 gold at 15

What Sylas does better or worse than other champions after laning, from this patch's ranked games — percentiles where 100 is the highest of every champion.