Xerath/Strategy

Skill usage

 * range has the potential for both strong harass and farm.
 * is best used to harras, but it can also be used to hit an entire line of minions.
 * is great for farming since it does the most damage, minions don't dodge.
 * An early point into can help keep you safe from ganks as you can stun anyone who comes close, but it should generally be maxed last, as it is hard to use in lane with minions.
 * However, he does have a weaknesses. You will need to occasionally attack a minion or champion with an auto-attack to maintain your mana, as Xerath's mana costs are very high,
 * If there are no minions nearby, consider auto-attacking a wraith to gain the passive mana.
 * 2 good combo's are
 * Use the stun from to land an easy bullseye with  and a quick .  This will deal the maximum damage.
 * Use the slow from to help you land, and follow up with . This will deal less damage, but is easier to land.
 * is one of the most damaging mages, along with his range allowing him to build full offense, but he has 2 major weaknesses:
 * His abilities are all skill shots, and can be avoided.
 * is very mana-hungry, his passive requires him to get close.
 * In team fights  deals severe AoE damage, and is very effective against enemies that are tightly grouped..
 * has amazing range and massive damage, however it's delay and small area make it easy for unhindered enemies to dodge. Thus it is best used in conjunction with an ally.  Allowing  to turn a 1v1 into a 1v2.
 * It is also great for stealing objectives. He can reach both dragon and baron from mid lane.
 * 's immunity to displacement effects can be used defensively against Blitzcrank's grab or Gragis's ult.
 * Xerath has several options for summoner spells:
 * Ignite is generally a poor choice since xerath is rarely close enough to use it.
 * Flash is best used for defense, as xerath already has long range.
 * allows for better lane-control and opens some gank-options.
 * Barrier can help you survive against assassins, one of xerath's major weaknesses.
 * Cleanse is generally a poor choice, since you have no escape to capitalize on it.
 * has a short range, but protects you from some of your counters who have to rely on getting close in order to kill you, namely and . It also slows down targets so you can more reliably hit with all your attacks.
 * Smite is generally a poor choice as xerath can already deal high damage to minions, and does very poorly in the jungle.
 * , combined with 's extraordinary range, allows you to control the enemy buffs without putting yourself into real danger, in addition to greatly improving map- and objective-control. It also allows you to snipe recalling champions.
 * is not viable because of Xerath's passive and high mana cost.

Build usage

 * 's range can allow him to build full offensive with Cooldown Reduction, Ability Power, Magic Penetration, and some Mana regeneration to power it.
 * ​2 Core items are the  or, which gives you AP, Mana, and CDR in good amounts.
 * is the more defensive option, giving you MR, and more mana regeneration, allowing you to stay away more often.
 * is the more offensive option, giving you more AP, and being 400 cheaper, but you will need to move closer to gain mana from your passive more often.
 * While  combined with  will let you hit 40% CDR, it is not recommended to get both. 5 points in sorcery mastery, along either CDR glyphs/Quints, blue buff, or Ionian's boots of lucidity can get you to the 40% cap.
 * should be bought right after hitting the CDR cap. It provides a large boost in damage.
 * Void Staff will help you against target's that stack magic resist, and combine nicely with Haunting Guise, and/or Sorcerer Boots.
 * Building  will give you Ability power,  armor, and a powerful active that can help you survive if the enemy team has gapclosing abilities.
 * Rylais Crystal Scepter can slow people down, making it easier to land more attacks.
 * Xerath should use Magic Penetration Glyphs

Countering

 * deals magic damage, magic resist is the obvious counter.
 * While all of spells have a very long range, they are also all delayed and/or skill shots and can be dodged.
 * As such, he is vulnerable to high mobility characters, such as, , , , and.
 * is also a strong counter as her stealth can negate his long range advantage.
 * Speed may be a better stat then magic resist  against.
 * is most powerful late game, especially with full items. Try to stop and starve him early.
 * mana can be depleted quickly and he needs to come in short range for his passive to work.
 * Try and make him waste his attacks, and then counter when he is out of mana.
 * With his long range can be a threat to other lanes, notify your team if he leaves your lane.
 * Most of attacks are AoE, try to stay spread out in team fights.
 * Avoid getting hit by his, as the stun gives him ample opportunity to land his combo.
 * Observing Xerath can help you to dodge his . When you see Xerath slow down, it's time to start dodging left or right, perpendicular to the imaginary line between you and Xerath. This gives you extra warning to dodge the Q in addition to the Q's lit warning track.
 * Casting makes Xerath immobile, and makes him immune to displacements. However, hard CC like stuns and silences interrupt his ultimate and put it on cooldown, so saving these for when he casts his ultimate is worth it.
 * When Xerath uses his ultimate, a large circle quickly expands from it. This circle is visible by everyone, and it indicates his maximum cast range. Use this to your advantage, and keep in mind that his ultimate is an AoE.