Olaf; how to build?

[Migey]

Okay.

Tried Olaf for the first time today.

I'm in love.

First three games, got two quadrakills, an unofficial penta, and countless doubles and triples. Innumerable kills at less then 10% health, insane early level ownage, etc. This guy is just awesome. But, I feel like I'm not building him properly. Unfortunately, I can't seem to find any up to date, well researched or written, or consistent guides out there.

So far I've been going Q - E - E - W, and from there R > E > Q > W.

As for build, I've started off cloth armor + 4 health pots and a mana pot, then to wriggles, berserkers (or mercurys depending on team comp), into frozen mallet, warmogs, atmas, frozen heart, soul visage (I think thats the name of the health, CDR, and + healing item?), selling the wriggles before soul visage. This build gives me insane tankiness, a fair amount of AD with Atmas, about 4.5k health for juicy W hits, and insane tankiness combined with my ultimate. But am I doing it right? I feel like I'm blundering around not understanding exactly what to go for, or even if I should be going Q over W, or Berserkers over Ionian for CDR. Should I be focusing less on tankiness/CDR with my Frozen Heart and going for more AD?

What I love most about the build is how spammable it makes stuff in teamfights. With the full build my Q is 4.8 CD, and obviously if I throw it at my feet, it has a grand whooping total of 0.3 seconds cooldown. This means in the thick of a teamfight I can just spam countless Qs and Es and deal a suprising amount of AoE damage.

Any Olaf pros out there can validate my strategy?

[Deoxysprime]

I'm certainly not a pro, but you seem to be almost dead-on for how to build him and play him.

1. Your skill order is great. Undertow is the most useful skill at level 1 when laning and his E is easily the most damaging of his skills.

2. Your build is pretty good. I don't like Spirit Visage (you spend a bit on the CDR and health regen boost, I'd rather spend that money on something else.) It's not a bad item by any means, I just don't prefer it.

I like Frozen Mallet, Atma's, Warmog's, Zeke's Herald, Maw of Malmortius (or Banshee's Veil,) and Mercury Treads/Berserker Greaves. Force of Nature, Randuin's Omen, and heavy AD items are fine on him too. Olaf is best built with a lot of health (and you seem to grasp that.) Your build, as I said, is good. Frozen Heart isn't something I prefer, but it's one of the best armor items in the game. It's a perfectly acceptable item to build. The CDR isn't too important though.

3. Starting with a mana potion is fine, but I like to have the fifth health potion. If you're not too conservative with your spells it's good to keep that mana potion though.

4. Spamming Q in team fights isn't advisable unless you're just chasing someone and you happen to pick it up on your way to continue beating people up. A lot of your damage comes from auto-attacks (especially at low HP!)

You're doing great in general. There are a couple of minor things to clean up once you get some more practice, but you're doing great otherwise.

[Duilliath]

I'd prefer Randuin's Omen over Frozen Heart.

Zeke's herald is something I really like to buy as your AD will love you for it as well and all the stats work well for Olaf. For Magic resist, I don't see how you can go wrong with Maw of Malmortius... Olaf naturally hits harder when at low health, so what could be better than to hit harderer?

[ddsad2212]

That build is good for carrying, but the thing about olaf is that he has good damage even when he is not built for it. Must people not build olaf very much as a tank/support where your role is to chase the ad carry down and not let them do anything in the team fight. But while that build works I'd suggest sticking with it. Then going to a more tanky support build as the people you play get better. But if you can carry in lane, that build (apart from spirit visage imo) is fine.

[Duilliath]

Sidenote, solomid has a couple Olaf guides. While most of them are fairly old, Olaf hasn't seen a lot of changes. They should give you a decent idea from which to start at least.

[Deleted]

I just spam CDR with CDR Boots, Shurelyas, Randuin's, Frozen Heart (this should get you at cap with masteries aswell). I get Frozen Mallet for damage, and GA as the last item. Shurelyas and Randuin's allows you to chase and lock their ADC down, with tons of armor all you gotta do is spam Q and E. I play him jungle though, usually get an early Brutalizer to get CDR maxed very early, and the ARP is delicious.

[Deleted]

I've played him loads the last couple of months, this is how I usually build:

Runes: AD Reds, Flat Armor yellows, Scaling MR blues, Movespeed quints
Masteries: 9/21/0, with points in +minion damage and AD
Skill Order: R > Q > E > W.

Q gives you wave clear ability first off. It also allows you to harass with little to no risk to yourself (whereas harassing with E chunks you as well). It's very easy to be pushed against as an Olaf, so maxing Axes and farming + harassing with them at the same time makes your lane go 10x easier. It also slows for 40% at max rank. That's huge for chasing people down

E is hella strong for trades against people. I'd max E first against people with little to no push early, who build tanky, Shen for example.

W I get one point at 4, just for a little sustain in lane if needed.

R is self explanatory. Used in conjunction with Shurelias/Ghost - you won't be stopped so split push, if 5 chase you, pop them both and walk (run out of there)

Summoners: Ignite + Ghost (Can use Teleport over ignite if you want to be a split push monster)

Build:
Start Boots + 4 pots

First buys: Philostone + Heart of Gold

After your 2gp/10 decide how the game is going. Upgrade your boots to either Merc Treads/Ninja Tabi/Lucidity (Having max CDR on Olaf is pretty much critical) boots. Usually, I upgrade straight into Shurelias + Randuins Omen, however build at this point to counter their team. AD Bruiser Top + Jungle with AD bottom? Get a chain vest. In terms of early game damage, get Phage and/or Hexdrinker. This shouldn't be needed in most cases though.

Once you have Shurelias + Randuins from here on I start building the following items;

Core: Frozen Mallet, Guardian Angel
Optional: Force of Nature, Sunfire Cape, Frozen Heart, Maw of Malmortis, Blood Thirster, Warmogs, Banshee Veil - You get the idea. Build for what your team needs/lacks.

Playstyle - First 20 minutes of the game, or until teams start grouping just be a terror and split push non-stop. Use axes to clear waves/Harass your opponent in lane (try to be precise and hit the creeps as little as possible if you don't want to push them under their turret) however after 6, it's not really a problem due to Olafs ultimate. Force them to come and deal with you, allowing your team to take other objectives. Group up for dragons/towers/buff objectives if needed.

Teamfights - Dive through and zone the AD carry. You have a 40% slow, true damage, perma-slow (if you have mallet) and can't be stopped. Force the other team to peel you off in numbers. This should allow your AD carry free reign, or, will relieve a little bit of pressure from them. Spam that true damage on that carry, and remember you have 2 "use" items in Randuins and Shurelias. The longer their AD Carry is focusing you, the more time yours has to do damage. If you don't want to dive that deep straight away, you can peel for your AD carry early fight, Axes + Randuins does this perfectly fine.

[Migey]

Why would you go GP10 as Olaf? What possible benefit is there in that?

And the reason I get Spirit Visage is because it gives me a lot of good stuff for very little; health, handy ofc, Cooldown Reduction which I thought was paramount on Olaf for more E spam, and it gives me regenration bonuses for my lifesteal.

[Deleted]

Why would you go GP10 as Olaf? What possible benefit is there in that?

And the reason I get Spirit Visage is because it gives me a lot of good stuff for very little; health, handy ofc, Cooldown Reduction which I thought was paramount on Olaf for more E spam, and it gives me regenration bonuses for my lifesteal.

Because gold and they build into damn good items mid to late anyway?

[Toxigen]

Why would you go GP10 as Olaf? What possible benefit is there in that?

As previously stated, Olaf doesn't need to build damage to do lots of damage.

Philo + HoG basically guarantee you're going to have a shit load of money as the late game begins...in addition, they build into two really critical items for Olaf.

I agree with Styles and play Olaf very similarly, however I tend to let my GP/10 items do their thing first and save Shurelyas and Randuins for mid/late game. My build typically goes:

Boots + 4 hp pot
Philo
HoG
Some form of defensive item based on who I'm laning against...either a chain vest or null mantle.
Phage
Upgrade boots to appropriate choice based on opponents
Hexdrinker
Zeke's
Shurelyas
Randuins

Now I've let those GP/10 items tick away and produce me lots of monies...it really rushes you to your late-game build.

I also tell my support I'll be getting the Zeke's - the aura is strong and the CDR is fantastic for Olaf.

Final build:
Tier 2 boots
Shurelyas
Randuins
Zeke's
Frozen Mallet
Maw of Malmortious

35% CDR is just insane damage output, with the best part being much of it is true damage.

I rarely ever get to upgrade to MoM, the cost to upgrade is rather steep and I consider it a luxury upgrade for those super late games (15,000 gold required for final build to complete).

And yeah, as discussed above...your job is simply to dive their carry. No one can stop you, just go in there and smash faces.

[Boomcats]

Almost everytime Dyrus or another pro took Olaf top they went for the same build.

The general idea is supporty/CDR/GP10 items that build into tank items:

The core is:
Philo Stone
HoG
Kindlegems (awesome)
Aegis (this was built quite often at the world championship if you get fed early)
Merc Treads
Glacial Shroud
Maw
Phage
Shureylias (RUSH THIS)

From there you just finish the items based on team comp and who gets fed. I am awful at Olaf (I never win with him)- but I would look at the world championship builds that are quite readily available on most ELObuff or something like that sites, since he was used so much.

[Deleted]

You want to know how to REALLY play Olaf?

Take a look at Olaf's skillset for 2 mins.

Okay what do you get from it? Hmm... A low cd ranged slow, a AD/LS buff, True damage and the best ultimate in the game for a bruisers.

A lot of people play olaf WAY too squishy. Olaf's in-built steroid + consistent true damage makes him AWESOME with a full tank build.

A build that focuses on CDR and HP is the best. His ultimate grants him Armor/MR, so building health early on makes him a complete beast, and a well played Olaf can take anyone on. Anyone.

While EVERY match is different, here are some core items: Frozen Heart, Randuins and Zeke's Herald. These are NEVER! bad to get in ANY game!

With those 3 items, you will have 40% CDR, you'll be crazy tanky, you got something to bring in teamfights other than tankiness and your ability to stick to ANYONE is (nearly) unmatched, IF ofc you hit your axes ^^

With 40% CDR @ lvl 18, your axe should have around 5 secs CD, your E around 5 as well and your W around 10 (can't remember exact numbers)...

Beforementioned items + FoN + Merc/Ninja Tabi (NEVER BESERKERS) + GA/Atma's makes for an insane lategame on Olaf, with consistent true damage, teamwide buff/debuff, crazy tankiness and amazing sticking power.

[Deleted]

Voyboy was the guy who really..revolutionised Olaf top in the last couple of months (Well, CLG), and he was originally going for the Lucidity boots for dat Q spam early. I change the Gold per 5 early, because I don't buy them for the gold generation, I build them for the solid items they are standalone, which you'll usually have pre 7-8 minutes (Health, Health Regen, Mana Regen). I'll always get Kindlegem after Boots 2 (Critical for chasing down faster with axes in lane, let's you bully HARD) and from then on I decide if I need the armor and get Wardens Mail (Which also gives sick Health Regen in lane, 20 health regen). It all depends on the lane. If I'm winning hard, I'll go Shurelias, as it allows you to chase on a minor cooldown (Free Ghost), if the lanes going even, and it's against an AD bruiser, I'll get Wardens, or a Negatron into Shurelias if it's an AP.

If they have a very damage-specific centric team (Like the time I played vs Vlad, Diana and TF), I went Mercs > Negatron Cloak > Hexdrinker after my double Gold items. Those 3 could put so much pressure on a lane, that I valued survival over the farming, and it paid off (They surrendered at 20 minutes when I was 4/2/4 with 160-170ish CS)

[sam86]

I know olaf counter some top lanes, but I prefer him jungle, also Merc are always better unless enemy team is dumb that they have no AP carry (or Heim, his cannons shred MR anyway)
And sorry I can name a lot of "better" heroes than Olaf, he isn't bad, but he isn't updated (still much better than WW, who is a joke now for anything)

[Deleted]

I know olaf counter some top lanes, but I prefer him jungle, also Merc are always better unless enemy team is dumb that they have no AP carry (or Heim, his cannons shred MR anyway)
And sorry I can name a lot of "better" heroes than Olaf, he isn't bad, but he isn't updated (still much better than WW, who is a joke now for anything)

Not necessarily as his ult makes him immune to all CC. Mercs aren't always the best choice.

[Deleted]

Not necessarily as his ult makes him immune to all CC. Mercs aren't always the best choice.

If the enemy has long-cd CC, like Nautilus Ult or Alistar's Q/W, Ninja Tabi can be very much worth it... Can't think of any boots that might work other than NTani or Merc's.

[Deleted]

If the enemy has long-cd CC, like Nautilus Ult or Alistar's Q/W, Ninja Tabi can be very much worth it... Can't think of any boots that might work other than NTani or Merc's.

Lucidity if you aren't CDR capped. It's usually between the 3. Mercs will be good if they are AP centric, like the scenario I mentioned earlier

[Kurdiern]

CDR on Olaf is scary as fuck. Build him tanky with some CDR and you have a man mode viking charging at you with shit ton of health and resistances, slamming you for True Damage every few seconds with his CDR.

[Deleted]

Lucidity if you aren't CDR capped. It's usually between the 3. Mercs will be good if they are AP centric, like the scenario I mentioned earlier

I'd only go Mercs if they have INCREDIBLE amounts of CC, on a somewhat low CD, if not, I'd always go for CDR.

[Deleted]

I'd only go Mercs if they have INCREDIBLE amounts of CC, on a somewhat low CD, if not, I'd always go for CDR.

I rarely take it for the tenacity. Usually it's for that extra MR boost.