Wild Rift Aatrox champion guide: release date, best build, runes & ability upgrades

Aatrox released in Wild Rift patch 3.5, and is a melee bruiser who plays primarily in the Baron lane. To help inform players of the upcoming champion, here is everything to know regarding Wild Rift Aatrox.

This champion reigns from the region of Shurima, and was originally a god. Many hailed Aatrox as the vanguard of every noble conflict, followed by thousands of mortals who worshipped and served the warrior.

While in combat, a group of people bound his consciousness into his sword, forever trapping his immortal essence to it. Stuck in the sword for all eternity, he possessed those who attempted to wield the sword, forcing his will onto the bearer.

And it’s in this almost demonic form which he made his debut for Wild Rift.

To read more on Aatrox’s lore, click here.

Aatrox release date in Wild Rift

Aatrox released on November 17 at the same time as Kayn.

This was around two weeks after the release of Warwick. As of now, there is no Lillia release date, but she’s speculated to drop in the next couple of weeks, likely during a supplement update within Wild Rift patch 3.5.

Wild Rift Aatrox item build

Recommended item build

• Black Cleaver
• Death’s Dance
• Sterak’s Gauge
• Gargoyle Enchant
• Serylda’s Grudge
• Guardian Angel

Alternative items

• Divine Sunderer
• Thornmail
• Maw of Malmortius

Build Aatrox as you would practically any other AD bruiser in the game. In essence, items like Black Cleaver and Death’s Dance are a must. The other items serve to supplement defensive stats or more AD.

Wild Rift Aatrox runes

Recommended Runes

• Conqueror
• Triumph
• Hunter – Titan
• Demolish

Taking Conqueror on Aatrox is an absolute must. The champion excels in extended trades, and the rune synergizes excellently with Aatrox’s play style. As for the other runes, they’re relatively more flexible.

Aatrox abilities

The champion utilizes dashes and area-of-effect crowd-controlling abilities to deal damage to as many enemies as possible. The more damage Aatrox deals, the more he’s rewarded, creating a high-skill cap on the champion’s play style.

Aatrox’s capability to front line are insane when wielded by a skilled player. But if the player misses Aatrox’s moves, the Baron lane champion melts down surprisingly quickly.

Here are all of Aatrox’s abilities in Wild Rift:

Deathbringer stance (passive)

• Aatrox’s next basic attack periodically deals bonus physical damage and heals him.

The Darkin Blade (first ability)

• Aatrox slams his sword down up to three times, with each use having a different area of effect.

Infernal Chains (second ability)

• The Darkin smashes the ground. Hitting an enemy champion creates an area of effect which drags them into the center if they don’t escape fast enough.

Umbral Dash (third ability)

• On activation, Aatrox dashes towards the target direction. The ability passive grants Aatrox healing upon damaging enemy champions.

World Ender (ultimate)

• Aatrox unleashes his demonic form, which fears nearby enemy minions and grants him additional attack damage, healing, and movement speed. Takedowns extend the duration of the skill.

Ability upgrade priority

• The Darkin Blade (1) > Umbral Dash (3) > Infernal Chains (2)