Volibear How to Play: Tips & Power Spikes

When Volibear Mid 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. 10.9 min
   First item at 10.9 min

   Statikk Shiv is done — Volibear's first real damage or durability spike.
6. 18.7 min
   Two items at 18.7 min

   ›Statikk Shiv + Hextech Gunblade: the window to group and take objectives.
7. 24.3 min
   Three-item core at 24.3 min

   ››Statikk Shiv + Hextech Gunblade + Shadowflame completes Volibear's core build.
8. 35 min
   Strongest in games of about 35 minutes

   Volibear wins 49.5% 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.

Volibear plays an even lane: no extreme in gold, leads or scaling, so the matchup decides how hard to push. On average Volibear Mid is 84 gold ahead of the lane opponent at 15 minutes and ahead in 50% of games. A 1,000-gold lead at 15 turns into a 69% win rate; a 1,000-gold deficit leaves 28%. Volibear averages 1.41 solo kills by 15 minutes.

Volibear win rate by gold at 15

• 1,000+ gold ahead69.2%
• Ahead62.7%
• Behind29.9%
• 1,000+ gold behind28.3%

Lane matchups that decide the plan

Press these lanes

Yasuo+974 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.