Talk:Ahri/@comment-33536623-20150214135952/@comment-26111493-20150215090834

I've never thought of Ahri as a "backup" champion. I would only reserve that title for a champ that is more useful for their utility than their damage (i.e. Lulu). Ahri is a carry, but she can be difficult to carry with, especially with the recent range nerfs.

I can't give any advice about top lane (is Ahri top actually a thing?), but mid is my specialty and Ahri is my main. The most important thing about her is that she is a kite mage and very mobile. Her mobility is what defines her kit so use it to your advantage. Be sure to dodge enemy skill shots and counter with your own. If you have good enough reaction time, you can fire your Q just as the enemy laner fires a skill shot, dodge theirs with your movement speed and still have your Q land. Of couse, some champs can be a bit challenging when they have no skill shots (looking at you, Ryze).

Since Ahri excels in mobility, it's best to have somewhere to move around. So it's best not to get pushed into your tower, but instead, try to keep the lane frozen in the middle. Post-6 (or if you feel confident in your ability to escape a gank) feel free to shove the lane as hard as you can. Unless the enemy team has some insane point-and-click lockdown, you should be able to escape most of the time with your ult. Now that's not to say to only use your ult to escape. If the enemy misses a crucial skill (like, say, Xerath's stun), that's your chance to pull the trigger and make them pay. You can take that one step further and use your ult to make said skills miss, and you'll already be one step ahead. Be advised, it's best to avoid that tactic unless you are 100% sure you can follow up with the rest of your abilities. Otherwise, it's just a wasted ult.

WARDS ARE YOUR FRIEND. Should go without saying, but some well-placed wards can help set up picks that will get you ahead. Some really good ward spots are the paths along the river leading into the enemy jungle. Ahri can snowball surprisingly hard in the right hands, so any early kills are a huge bonus. That said, given Ahri's mobility, post-6 roaming is usually a good idea (especially if you can sneak away from your enemy laner without them realizing you didn't go back to base).

Items-wise, if you are good about managing your mana and not spamming spells, I would go straight for a Needlessly Large Rod if you can get it early. This will give her a noticeable power spike. Otherwise, Morellonomicon is a good choice (or Athene's if you want some extra MR). Make sure to itemize according to your dance partner to help you win trades (An early Abyssal Scepter against Leblanc or Kass, Zhonya's against Zed or Jayce, etc.).

As far as actually picking Ahri goes, avoid picking her into hard CC team comps. She can't contribute to a teamfight if she can't move, since she has to be diving in and out. Lissandra will give her nightmares in all phases of the game. Yasuo can be difficult to manage since his wall blocks her entire kit, but once it's on CD, land your charm and dodge the twister and he's toast. If you're against a champ that can jump on you (LeBlanc, Fizz, Akali, etc.), if you can predict the jump, let them eat a point blank charm and make them regret it.

Hope some of this helps, and happy laning!