Talk:Xerath/@comment-27066268-20160201191647/@comment-24055932-20160205094024

I wouldn't advise at all too maximize CDR as priority. With his mana costs and constant cooldown on passive, when spamming spells there is no "mana overkill". You'll still be oom really fast and have to pause spamming for a while till you get your mana back... which isn't really why you buy the CDR. Then your Q has to be charged anyway and slows you, so proper positioning is way more important than making a barrage of spells.

Generally, Xerath is a sniper. From great distance, he aims for the enemy carries. And just like a sniper, it's important to hit the right moment to unleash your abilities on the enemy. Shooting at will on the other hand mainly increases your chance of getting caught out. Even with the perfect build, any tank will be a tough nut to crack, so don't even bother with them if you don't absolutly have to - that's something old Xerath specialized at, but it's a thing of the past.

Accordingly to this playstyle, Xerath technically doesn't need either CDR nor Manaregen at all. These two are mainly a buffer for your mistakes, minimizing the drawbacks of making inaccurate shots. What Xerath truly strives for are raw AP and magic penetration. Aim your shots on the carries, and make every shot hurt like hell. Play around your teams abilities (especially its CC [both hard CC like Malphite, Vi as well as soft CC like Ezreal's IBG]) and watch for opportunities (misspositioning from either carries or frontline, lined up shots...)