Volibear How to Play: Tips & Power Spikes

Volibear is a lane bully: trade early and often, push the advantage, and turn the gold lead into the first item spike. From this patch's ranked data, Volibear wins by playing to these strengths: pressure side lanes; fight around objectives; front-line for your carries. Volibear's spikes in a typical ranked game: All three basic abilities at level 3; Ultimate rank 1 at level 6; Ultimate rank 2 at level 11; Ultimate rank 3 at level 16; First item at 11.9 min.

When Volibear Top 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 Volibear wins most.

1. Lv 3
   All three basic abilities at level 3

   Volibear'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 Volibear hits it.
3. Lv 11
   Ultimate rank 2 at level 11

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

   Lower ultimate cooldown means more fights Volibear can start or win.
5. 11.9 min
   First item at 11.9 min

   Statikk Shiv is done — Volibear's first real damage or durability spike.
6. 19.8 min
   Two items at 19.8 min

   ›Statikk Shiv + Dusk and Dawn: the window to group and take objectives.
7. 20 min
   Strongest in games of about 20 minutes

   Volibear wins 56.6% of games that end around this point.
8. 24.0 min
   Three-item core at 24.0 min

   ››Statikk Shiv + Dusk and Dawn + Navori Flickerblade completes Volibear's core build.

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

On average Volibear Top is 219 gold ahead of the lane opponent at 15 minutes and ahead in 54% of games. A 1,000-gold lead at 15 turns into a 66% win rate; a 1,000-gold deficit leaves 32%. Volibear averages 1.83 solo kills by 15 minutes.

Volibear win rate by gold at 15

• 1,000+ gold ahead66.0%
• Ahead62.5%
• Behind36.5%
• 1,000+ gold behind31.9%

Lane matchups that decide the plan

Respect these lanes

Akali−780 gold at 15

Teemo−718 gold at 15

Press these lanes

Trundle+1,226 gold at 15

Nasus+930 gold at 15

Ornn+905 gold at 15

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