Ultimate Nami guide: Best League of Legends build, runes, tips & tricks

Looking to master League of Legends’ Nami? We’ve got the ultimate guide to the Tidecaller right here, including the best runes, builds, tips and tricks.

While she may not be one of League of Legends’ loudest champions, Vastayan enchanter and support champion Nami is capable of sending a game-changing tsunami through the bot lane in the right hands.

The queen of the ocean’s primary function is to buff up her allies with her speed boost, slows and empowerment, as well as top up the team’s health with her regenerative abilities. All about interrupting attacks and making sure her enemies can’t land that final blow, she’s perfect for strategic players.

Has this stunning siren enthralled you? We’ve got the ultimate Nami guide with all of the best builds and runes, as well as some tips and tricks, to help you command the seas as League’s resident Tidecaller.

Who is Nami?

Amid political unrest between the Targonians and Marai, headstrong Vastayan and Tidecaller Nami has decided to take matters into her own hands. Leaving behind the ocean waves for the green pastures of Summoner’s Rift, her goal is to complete the ancient ritual that can save her people.

Commanding the power of the oceans to disrupt enemies whilst heal allies, her presence in the bot lane will strike fear into the hearts of the unworthy  – provided you play her right, of course.

Nami abilties & gameplay

If you’re someone that prefers to stay away from the raw action and help your allies from the backline, Nami is the one for you. Hardly a one-shot powerhouse character, this enchanter plays a purely supportive and disruptive role.

You’ll want to be two steps ahead of your enemy at all times to throw out the perfect Aqua Prison, and once these hit you’ll want to drop Tidecaller’s Blessing on your ally to let them melt the trapped adversary’s health bar.

The slow that comes with Tidecaller’s Blessing also makes sure your enemies can’t simply run away without dropping one of those valuable summoner spells — and also makes it easier for your carries to chase and land that big final blow.

In addition to her disruptive capablities, Nami can heal up her allies while damaging her opponents with Ebb and Flow. Make sure to use it when everyone’s grouped up to get the maximum effect. This is imperative in the mid to late game, where a good heal bouncing from ally, to enemy, and back to an ally can change the fight.

• Passive: Surging Tides – When Nami’s Abilities hit allied champions they gain Movement Speed for a short duration.
• Q: Aqua Prison – Sends a bubble to a target area, dealing damage and stunning all enemies on impact.
• W: Ebb and Flow – Unleashes a stream of water that bounces back and forth between allied and enemy champions, healing allies and damaging enemies.
• E: Tidecaller’s Blessing – Empowers an allied champion for a short duration. The ally’s basic attacks and spells deal bonus magic damage and slow the target.
• R: Tidal Wave –  Summons a massive Tidal Wave that knocks up, slows, and damages enemies. Allies hit gain double the effect of Surging Tides.

Best League of Legends Nami build

Much like her fellow enchanters, Nami’s build is all about maximising her Mana and Ability Power. Starting off with Spellthief’s Edge, you’ll be working towards Imperial Mandate, which not only gives her 100% base mana regen but also deals extra damage to slowed targets. This, of course, synergizes beautifully with her Aqua Prison and Tidecaller’s Blessing.

From here you’ll want to grab the Chemtech Purifier which, when you heal yourself or an ally, allows you both to deal 60% Grievous Wounds damage with their next attack — and given the prevalence of healing in Season 11, it’s a must. It also gives a handy amount of stats.

Items that buff your healing and shielding power like Ardent Censer, Staff of Flowing Water, and Mikael’s Blessing give her more bang for buck (her W mana cost does ramp up quite heavily), and of course, it’s also essential to grab a Watchful Wardstone once you hit level 13.

The final item ensures your team has enough vision to work with. Nami’s movement speed buffs make her perfect for zipping around the map and scanning for enemy wards, so be sure to grab this little box of tricks.

Top meta Nami build in League Season 11

• Mythic: Imperial Mandate (100% of situations)
• Boots: Ionian Boots of Lucidity / Plated Steelcaps (if facing heavy AD)
• Spellthief’s Edge (support item)
• Chemtech Putrifier
• Ardent Censer
• Staff of Flowing Water (if you need additional ally buffing)
• Mikael’s Blessing (if you need a CC cleanse)
• Watchful Wardstone (once you hit level 13)

Best League of Legends Nami runes

In order to get the most out of this bot lane enchanter, you’ll need to have the right runes. Nami pulls her power from the Sorcery and Inspiration trees, with Summon Aery at the forefront of her set. Aery will shield allies or damage enemies, very much in-keeping with Nami’s protective yet defiant nature.

Manaflow Band, Transcendence, Biscuit Delivery and Cosmic Insight are crucial to keeping your mana and damage topped up, while Scorch just adds a little more bite to her attacks every 10 seconds.

• Read More: Ultimate Vex guide for League of Legends

While this is the most standard build for the aquatic Vastayan, you can also run a tank build focused around the Resolve tree, with Guardian, Font of Life, Bone Plating and Unflinching being your go-to runes, and Sorcery’s Manaflow Band and Transcendence for back up. This is great against teams with plenty of assassins if you need that little bit more survivability.

Top meta Nami runes in League Season 11

• Summon Aery
• Manaflow Band
• Transcendence
• Scorch
• Biscuit Delivery
• Cosmic Insight

Nami skins in League of Legends

• Urf the Nami-tee – 750 RP
• Koi Nami – 975 RP
• River Spirit Nami– 975 RP
• Bewitching Nami (Legacy) – 1350 RP
• Cosmic Destiny Nami – 1350 RP
• Deep Sea Nami– 1350 RP
• Program Nami– 1350 RP
• Splendid Staff Nami – 1350 RP
• SKT T1 Nami (Legacy) – 1350 RP

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So that’s everything you need to know to dive onto Summoner’s Rift as Nami. Looking for some more handy tips and tricks? Be sure to check out our dedicated League of Legends page.