Weird Picks #83: Lethality Ezreal Support

Now I know what you're thinking, AP Ezreal support was bad enough, SSJ why you trying to shove another stupid Ezreal support build down our throats? But hear me out! So in its current state, Voltaic Cyclosword is incredibly strong, and works very well on poke/burst champions, but loses normally loses a lot of its effectiveness on sustained damage champions as a result of its passive.

This new way to play gives Ezreal support new life, giving you a powerful poke support with excellent map control as well.

Weird Pick #83

Lethality Ezreal Support

August 2017

Introduction

How to Play

Primary Runes: Electrocute, Cheap Shot, Grisly Mementos, Ultimate Hunter
Secondary Runes: Manaflow Band, Transcendence
Abilities: Q, E, Q, W then prioritize R > Q > E > W
Summoner Spells: Flash + Ignite
Starting Items: World Atlas + 3 Biscuits
Core Items: Sheen
Voltaic Cyclosword
Bloodsong
Plated Steelcaps
Executioner's Calling
Edge of Night

You can finish your Sheen into a Trinity Force sometime later when you feel like it (generally after level 2 boots), but it's a bit expensive and not particularly necessary. Executioner's can also be finished into Mortal Reminder, but again, not necessary until later in the game unless you're up against Soraka.

Why It Works

Voltaic Cyclosword Synergy
Mystic Shot [Q] damages a champion from well outside their range, and that alone charges Galvanize, so Ezreal walks into every trade with an Energized attack already waiting. Firmament then adds bonus physical damage off the target's current health and hands him a burst of lethality for the next four seconds, which is exactly the window he wants to keep poking through. With Sheen stacked on top, he puts out an incredible amount of poke damage and makes it impossible for most laners to sustain through.

Mana Regeneration Items
You may notice that I've chosen to give him mana sustain runes and the World Atlas line rather than armor. The reason for this is because, with Manaflow Band, Sheen, and the World Atlas line combined, it's very difficult to run Ezreal out of mana, allowing him to continuously fire off poke damage without end.

Excellent Cooldown Stacking
The major flaw I see in most Ezreal builds is that he doesn't get going until late game as a marksman. The reason for this is his poor synergy between his poke damage and his need for attack speed in order to deal sustained damage. Using this build, Ezreal quickly brings his cooldown up to par without sacrificing a defensive boot slot. This allows him to fire off empowered Mystic Shots from a safe distance at will.

Potential Pitfalls

Defensively Weak
This build tends to be fairly weak defensively at first until you get your late game items. This means that if you can't get snowballing and pick up your Sheen and Voltaic Cyclosword, most of the power is lost. Against heavy all-in supports, an early death or two will set him back greatly.

No heal/shields
When it comes to supports, any support without a heal or shield becomes very punishing to his marksman if they take too much poke damage early on in the laning phase. This means he needs to win lane early with his AD advantage, and keep the pressure up.

All Skill-Shot Based
Similar to Ezreal's main problem at his core, all his spells are skillshot based. This means that he has the potential to do almost no damage if he fails to land his spells.

No Crowd-Control/Peel
Even most poke-based supports like Zyra and Vel'Koz have some sort of crowd-control, but in Ezreal's case he has none. This spells trouble if your marksman is getting continuously dove.

Conclusions

Ezreal support is viable because lethality items suit his poke so well. As a fan of poke-based supports due to their low counter-play and high range, I think Ezreal support works quite well. I also really like how far back he can sit and still threaten a trade, and I do think that this may someday catch on if shield/heal items are ever nerfed.

Suggested Rating: Low Tier 2