This is one of the guides I wrote in Leaguecraft.com and it needed a lot of tweaking since I wrote it back in 2010. I’ve updated some items and masteries to reflect the current version of the game. Although many items, masteries, runes, and skills have changed, the assassin concept of Pantheon remains intact.
Introduction
This guide will not cover play style since it differs from one player to another. It will also not cover strategies such as zone awareness, positioning, etc. The purpose of this guide is to get a full understanding on what Pantheon can do and how to make him effective based solely on my own experience.
Version Changes:
(10/23/2013) – Rewrote to reflect current game version
(08/04/2010) – Improved explanation on items
Pros:
– Early game lane control
– Effective target setup
– Strong single target and AoE damage
– Strong survivability
– Great tower diver
Cons:
– Expensive skills for early game
– Grand Skyfall damage is negligeable until Skill level 3
– Mana user
Champion Skills
Aegis Protection (Passive):
This passive is excellent when you first start playing as Pantheon. It’s an auto-block as long as you’re attacking and using attack skills. When you get more experienced with Pantheon, you’ll eventually learn on how to time your attacks to virtually have a this skill proc as soon as it’s used up. I’ll cover more about this later.
Spear Shot:
This is your main source of burst damage. I use this skill to soften my would-be kill by constantly chucking my spear until their HP is low enough for me to finish them off.
Aegis of Zeonia:
Most guide suggest that you open your attack with this, but I disagree because this skill forces an Aegis Protection proc. More often than not, you have the Aegis Protection active due to killing minions, thus opening with this skill wastes the Aegis Protection. For beginners, I believe you can’t go wrong using this as an opening attack, but as you get more experience you’ll understand what I’m talking about. This skill is also good for defense when you’re trying to retreat or to save a wounded team member from dying by stunning their pursuer.
Heartseeker Strike:
I do not prioritize in leveling this skill. I keep this at level 1 for its passive ability until I get Spear Shot and Aegis of Zeonia at level 5. Some may argue about this skill dealing double damage to champions, but using this skill will leave your mana pool exhausted and you can’t even protect yourself anymore. Only at late game that this become useful when you have better damage items.
Grand Skyfall:
As a beginner, this skill is often used as a teleportation skill with style. But with experience, you’ll find this skill very useful in team fights in conjunction with your team member’s AoE Crowd Control. But often I find myself using this to farm, killing 10+ minions in one shot is a beauty.
Runes
I focus my runes for damage and armor penetration. I do not use other runes like dodge or magic resist since it will only gimp your early game.
all Marks of Desolation (Armor Pen)
all Seal of Strength (Phys Damage)
all Glyph of Stregth (Phys Damage)
all Quin of Strength (Phys Damage)
Masteries
This is an assassin build, thus it will be a bit glassy
Offense: 21pts
1/1 Summoner’s Wrath
4/4 Fury
4/4 Deadliness
1/1 Weapon Expertise
3/3 Havoc
2/2 Brute Force
2/2 Lethality
3/3 Sunder
1/1 Executioner
Defense: 0pt
Utility: 9pts
3/3 Wanderer
3/3 Meditation
3/3 Mastermind
Summoner Spells
I only use these 2 summoner spell regardless of what champion I’m using.
1) Exhaust
2) Ghost
In my opinion, these are the only skills that can be used for both offensive and defensive. With your Masteries in Cripple, your Exhaust also reduced your target’s defenses. And with Masteries in Haste, you can catch anyone trying to run away. Some players prefer Cleanse and Flash, but those are pure defensive summoner skills. Even if you can Flash forward to attack, the usefulness of Ghost still much better.
Skill Order
Level 1: Aegis of Zeonia
Level 2: Spear Shot
Level 3: Spear Shot
Level 4: Heartseeker Strike
Level 5: Heartseeker Strike
Level 6: Grand Skyfall
Level 7: Spear Shot
Level 8: Spear Shot
Level 9: Spear Shot
Level 10: Heartseeker Strike
Level 11: Grand Skyfall
Level 12: Heartseeker Strike
Level 13: Heartseeker Strike
Level 14: Aegis of Zeonia
Level 15: Aegis of Zeonia
Level 16: Grand Skyfall
Level 17: Aegis of Zeonia
Level 18: Aegis of Zeonia
At level 1, many pick Spear Shot first, but ever since its cost was flattened, it becomes too expensive early game.
As you can see, I dont prioritize with Heartseeker Strike since it’s not needed early game. The cost of the skill doesn’t makes much sense with its low damage output. This skill only shines late game when you had your high physical damage and armor penetration items.
Skill Combinations
Common Basic Skill Combo:
Aegis of Zeonia – Heartseeker Strike – Spear Shot – Ignite
Normally after this combo, your mana pool is exhausted and still didn’t kill your target.
Recommended Skill Combo:
Exhaust – Spear Shot – Auto-attack (wait for exhaustion to wear off) – Aegis of Zeonia – Heartseeker Strike – Spear Shot – Ghost – Auto-attack (rarely, if target not dead)
My recommended combo requires a great deal of mana management and simple mathematics. Unlike the Common Combo, where you don’t require to manage your mana, this combo had guaranteed me kills if you have calculated your mana before starting the combo. Also you need to monitor your target’s HP and determine if they are going to die after your combo. Being patient typically pays off. As I mentioned above, initiating with Exhaust instead of Aegis of Zeonia will insure that the shield buff proc’d by the Aegis of Zeonia will not be wasted.
Team Fights
Pantheon is not meant to be a game dominator where he rack up all kills and can 1v1 just about anyone. Although you can play that way, but I highly suggest to simply play with your team more often than not.
In a team fight, the main focus is usually the casters to die first. This gives you an opportunity to follow your tank’s initiative with your Grand Skyfall. Pantheon’s ultimate often causes opponents to scatter, which gives your team an opportunity to kill someone who’ve isolated themselves from their team.
As Pantheon, your late game will not be as good as your early game since by then, most player already purchased item to keep you at bay. Thus during team fight, your main concern is to weaken your opponent and control the fight with your stun. You can also use your Exhaustion and Aegis of Zeonia to save a team mate or finish off an opponent trying to run away using your Spear Shot and Ghost.
In a high end game, players usually know what to do, which gives you the opportunity to push lanes and farm minions and monsters. But regardless of which game play you are, you have the ability to drop down anywhere when your team needs you.
Recap
So a recap; Some of Pantheon’s skill are good early game and some are good late game. Playing in a team will give you more kills since you have the ability to control the fight and finish off stragglers. Bottom line, “Falling into a well is the least of your concerns”. 😉
