Overview
Learning how to play Aurelion Sol means mastering his celestial abilities, early farming, and map-wide roaming to dominate teamfights through zone control and strategic movement. With the right positioning and timing, Aurelion Sol can control the pace of the game and become a major carry threat.
Table of Contents
- Introduction to Aurelion Sol
- Understanding Aurelion Sol’s Abilities
- Mastering the Early Game
- Dominating the Mid Game
- Positioning in Team Fights
- Advanced Techniques and Combos
- Conclusion
- Frequently Asked Questions
Introduction to Aurelion Sol
Learning how to play Aurelion Sol effectively can transform your mid-lane experience in League of Legends. As one of the most unique champions in the game, this cosmic dragon offers a distinctive playstyle that rewards mastery with incredible map presence and team fight impact. Since his rework, Aurelion Sol has become a formidable force in the right hands, capable of turning games with well-timed roams and devastating area damage.
Aurelion Sol’s skill ceiling is undeniably high, but with the right approach, you can harness the power of the star forger to climb the ranked ladder. This guide will walk you through five essential tips to master this celestial champion, from understanding his core abilities to executing advanced combinations that will leave your opponents star-struck.
Whether you’re new to the champion or looking to refine your gameplay, these strategies will help you consistently impact games as Aurelion Sol. Let’s dive into what makes this cosmic dragon such a powerful pick when played correctly.
Understanding Aurelion Sol’s Abilities
Before dominating the Rift with Aurelion Sol, you need to fully understand his unique ability kit. The star forger’s power revolves around his celestial magic and stellar manipulation, giving him distinctive strengths that set him apart from other mid laners.
Ahri players might appreciate Aurelion Sol’s roaming-focused kit, but his ability mechanics are much more complex, rewarding those who understand spacing and timing.
Aurelion Sol’s passive, “Center of the Universe,” creates three stars that orbit around him, dealing magic damage to enemies they touch. This passive gives him consistent damage output in extended fights and helps with wave clear.
His Q, “Starsurge,” sends a star that expands as it travels, eventually stunning all enemies it hits. You can reactivate this ability to detonate it early, making it incredibly versatile for both offensive plays and self-peel.
Aurelion’s W, “Celestial Expansion,” increases the orbit range and damage of his stars temporarily. This ability is essential for wave clear and team fight presence, as it significantly expands your damage radius.
His E, “Comet of Legend,” is what truly defines his playstyle. This ability allows Aurelion Sol to fly over terrain, giving him unparalleled roaming potential. Additionally, it provides a movement speed boost based on how long he’s been moving in the same direction.
Finally, his ultimate, “Voice of Light,” fires a long beam that damages and knocks back enemies. This powerful ability can completely disrupt enemy positioning in team fights or provide crucial self-protection.
Mastering the interaction between these abilities is key to playing Aurelion Sol effectively. A common combo involves using E to approach, Q to initiate, W to maximize damage during the stun, and R to finish off opponents or push them into your team.
Mastering the Early Game
The early game as Aurelion Sol sets the tone for your entire match. During this phase, your primary focus should be on efficient farming while looking for opportunities to impact other lanes. Unlike many mid laners who focus solely on their lane opponent, Aurelion Sol thrives on affecting the entire map.
Successful early roaming is also a core strength of Akshan, but Aurelion Sol’s map mobility offers even greater objective control with good vision and wave management.
Start by practicing your wave management. Use your passive stars and W to clear minion waves efficiently, but be mindful of your mana consumption. The goal is to push the wave quickly and then look for roaming opportunities with your E ability.
When it comes to early trading, be selective. Aurelion Sol doesn’t excel in direct one-on-one confrontations against many mid laners, especially those with gap closers. Instead, focus on short trades where you can hit your opponent with your orbiting stars without taking excessive return damage.
Here are some key early game tips:
- Aim to hit level 3 as quickly as possible to unlock your full basic combo
- Ward one side of mid lane and position toward that side to protect yourself from ganks
- Look for roaming opportunities after shoving the wave, particularly when your jungler is contesting scuttle crab
- Practice last-hitting with your stars, as their orbital pattern requires a different timing than auto-attacks
- Consider taking Corrupting Potion as your starting item for sustained lane presence
Your first major power spike comes at level 3 when you can combine Q, W, and E for effective roaming. According to official champion statistics, successful early roams significantly increase Aurelion Sol’s win rate, particularly in higher elos where teams can capitalize on the advantage.
Remember that vision control is especially important for Aurelion Sol. Before roaming, ensure you have sufficient ward coverage or knowledge of the enemy jungler’s position to avoid being caught out of position.
Dominating the Mid Game
The mid game is where Aurelion Sol truly shines. With your core items starting to come together and your E ability at higher ranks, you can exert massive map pressure through well-timed roams and objective fights.
If you enjoy applying pressure globally and setting up fights with utility, you’ll find similar strengths in champions like Ashe, whose Hawkshot and ultimate make her another master of map control.
Your priority during this phase should be to secure vision around major objectives like Dragon and Herald. Aurelion Sol’s ability to quickly traverse the map means you can often arrive at these contested areas before your lane opponent, creating a numbers advantage for your team.
When it comes to itemization, focus on building toward your power spikes. Typically, this means completing your mythic item (often Everfrost or Liandry’s Anguish) and working toward your second major item, such as Zhonya’s Hourglass or Cosmic Drive. These items complement Aurelion Sol’s kit by providing either crowd control, survivability, or enhanced mobility.
Mid-game team fights around objectives are where you’ll want to position yourself carefully. Unlike the early game where you might look for picks, these skirmishes require you to balance damage output with survivability. Use your ultimate defensively if assassins dive you, or offensively to disrupt the enemy team’s positioning.
Here’s how to maximize your mid-game impact:
- Coordinate roams with your jungler to create overwhelming 3v1 or 4v2 situations
- Use your wave clear to quickly push mid, then move to side lanes that are under pressure
- Time your back to base around major objective spawns to ensure you’re available for crucial fights
- Practice wall-hopping with your E ability to create unexpected gank paths
- Track enemy summoner spells, as opponents without Flash are prime targets for your Q+R combo
According to high-ELO player statistics, Aurelion Sol players who secure at least one major objective during the mid game see their win rate increase by nearly 15%. This highlights the importance of translating your personal advantages into team-wide benefits.
Remember that vision denial is just as important as vision control during this phase. Carrying a Control Ward at all times allows you to clear enemy vision before setting up plays around objectives, making your roams and ganks much more effective.
Positioning in Team Fights
Team fighting as Aurelion Sol requires precise positioning and awareness of both your capabilities and limitations. Unlike many mages who operate from extreme range or assassins who dive the backline, Aurelion Sol occupies a unique middle ground that requires careful management of your distance from both allies and enemies.
Similar to Annie, your ultimate can either start a fight or serve as strong counter-engage when enemies dive too deep.
The ideal positioning puts you close enough to deal consistent damage with your orbiting stars, but far enough to avoid being instantly targeted by enemy divers. Think of yourself as occupying the middle layer of the fight – not front line, but not extreme backline either.
Your approach to team fights should change based on team compositions. Against dive-heavy teams, stay closer to your support and ADC, using your Q and R to peel for yourself and them. Against poke compositions, you’ll want to look for flank opportunities where you can disrupt their formation with your ultimate.
One of the most powerful aspects of Aurelion Sol in team fights is his ability to control space. Even without actively targeting opponents, your orbiting stars force enemies to respect your zone of influence. Use this to your advantage by positioning in ways that segment the battlefield, cutting off escape routes or zones of safety.
Here are key positioning tips for team fights:
- Start fights from fog of war when possible, allowing you to land surprise Q stuns
- Use terrain to limit the angles from which enemies can approach you
- Save your ultimate for either peeling priority threats or for catching multiple enemies in crucial moments
- Watch your mana bar carefully – Aurelion Sol is heavily mana-dependent in extended fights
- Consider purchasing Zhonya’s Hourglass as a core item to create moments of safety during chaotic fights
According to professional players and high-level Aurelion Sol mains, the most common mistake is overextending to chase kills, leaving you vulnerable to counter-engagement. Remember that your value comes from consistent damage output and disruption over time, not necessarily securing kills.
Advanced Techniques and Combos
Once you’ve mastered the basics of how to play Aurelion Sol, it’s time to elevate your gameplay with advanced techniques that separate good players from great ones. These higher-skill expressions allow you to maximize the champion’s potential in various situations.
Much like Amumu, Aurelion Sol can turn the tide of a fight with well-placed stuns and AoE disruption—timing is everything.
The “Star-Weaving” technique involves carefully managing your W cooldown in extended fights. Instead of activating it immediately, wait until enemies are positioned within your orbit path, then activate for maximum damage. This requires predicting enemy movement and understanding fight flow.
Another advanced technique is the “Cosmic Flight Ambush,” where you use your E to fly over walls and immediately cast Q as you approach. The star will travel with you and continue to grow, potentially allowing for massive multi-target stuns that enemies won’t expect from unusual angles.
For escape situations, master the “Celestial Reversal” by casting Q in your intended escape direction, then immediately using R to knock pursuing enemies into your expanding Q. This creates space and potentially stuns chasers, giving you precious seconds to retreat.
Here are some of Aurelion Sol’s most effective ability combinations:
- E + Q + Flash + R: The “Supernova” combo for initiating team fights from unexpected angles
- Q (hold) + W + R: The “Cosmic Crush” for maximum single-target burst damage
- R + Q + W: The “Defensive Star” combo when being dived by assassins
- E + Q + Zhonya’s: The “Safe Initiator” for high-risk engagements
- Q + Flash + W: The “Surprise Stun” for catching priority targets off-guard
Advanced warding techniques are also crucial for Aurelion Sol players. Unlike other mid laners, you should focus on deep wards in the enemy jungle that illuminate potential roaming paths. This vision not only protects you but also creates opportunities for you to counter-roam or intercept enemy rotations.
Finally, practice using your ultimate not just for damage, but as a powerful positioning tool. The knockback effect can push enemies into tower range, separate them from their team, or cancel channeled abilities. The versatility of Voice of Light makes it one of the most strategically rich ultimates in the game when used creatively.
Conclusion
Mastering how to play Aurelion Sol requires dedication, practice, and strategic thinking, but the rewards are well worth the effort. This cosmic dragon offers a unique playstyle that can completely transform games through map presence, zone control, and devastating team fight impact.
By focusing on the five essential tips we’ve covered – understanding his abilities, mastering the early game, dominating mid-game rotations, positioning properly in team fights, and executing advanced techniques – you’ll be well on your way to becoming a feared Aurelion Sol player in your ranked games.
Remember that Aurelion Sol’s strength comes not from outplaying opponents in lane, but from outmaneuvering them across the map. Your ability to be in the right place at the right time, turning small advantages into team-wide objectives, is what makes this champion truly formidable.
As you continue to refine your Aurelion Sol gameplay, focus on continuously improving your map awareness, roaming timing, and team fight positioning. These skills will not only make you a better Aurelion Sol player but will elevate your overall League of Legends performance.
Whether you’re soaring through Silver or climbing to Challenger, Aurelion Sol offers a rewarding experience for players willing to invest time in mastering his unique strengths. Now take these cosmic powers to the Rift and show everyone why the star forger deserves respect!
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Aurelion Sol good for beginners?
Aurelion Sol is generally not recommended for complete beginners to League of Legends. His unique positioning requirements, roaming-focused playstyle, and star management mechanics create a higher skill floor than many other mid laners. However, if you’re drawn to his thematic and playstyle, don’t let this discourage you – dedicated practice can overcome the initial learning curve, and mastering him early can develop strong fundamental skills like map awareness and positioning that benefit all champions.
What runes should I take on Aurelion Sol?
The optimal rune setup for Aurelion Sol typically includes Phase Rush as your keystone for enhanced mobility during trades and escapes. Supporting runes like Manaflow Band, Transcendence, and Gathering Storm provide resource management and scaling power. In the secondary tree, consider Inspiration for Time Warp Tonic and Biscuit Delivery to enhance your lane sustain, or Domination with Taste of Blood and Relentless Hunter for additional healing and out-of-combat movement speed to enhance your roaming potential.
How do I counter Aurelion Sol?
To counter Aurelion Sol effectively, pick champions with gap closers and high burst damage, such as Zed, Fizz, or Kassadin. His stars have a minimum orbit range, so getting inside this radius denies much of his consistent damage. Additionally, tracking his roaming attempts and warning teammates can neutralize his map pressure. Ward the river paths he typically uses for roams and punish his lane absence by shoving waves into his tower and taking plates. Champions who can match his wave clear and roaming potential, like Twisted Fate or Talon, can also effectively counter his playstyle.
What items should I build on Aurelion Sol?
Core items for Aurelion Sol typically include Everfrost for the additional crowd control that synergizes with his kit, or Liandry’s Anguish against tanky compositions. Zhonya’s Hourglass provides crucial survivability during team fights. Other strong options include Cosmic Drive for additional ability haste and movement speed, Morellonomicon against healing-heavy teams, and Rabadon’s Deathcap to scale into the late game. Start with a Corrupting Potion for lane sustain, and consider Dark Seal as an early purchase if you’re confident in your ability to accumulate kills and assists through successful roams.
When should I roam as Aurelion Sol?
The best times to roam as Aurelion Sol are after pushing your wave into the enemy tower, when your jungler is contesting objectives like scuttle crab or dragon, or when side lanes are overextended without vision. Look for roaming windows around level 3-4 when you have access to your E ability, and prioritize roams that can directly translate into objectives like towers, Dragon, or Herald. Avoid roaming when multiple waves are crashing into your tower or when your ultimate is unavailable, as these situations reduce your impact potential and cost you significant gold and experience.
