Channel

A channel is a trait of certain abilities which is interrupted by crowd control effects that inhibit casting. These effects are: airborne, forced action, silence, disrupt, stasis, stun and suppression. When a caster activates a channeled ability, the caster stops performing any previous actions.

While the effects of the ability are present the caster is channeling the ability. In most cases, the caster can interrupt the channel by performing an action, such as moving, attacking, or casting an ability. Some channels cannot be canceled at all, which prevent the caster from performing any act. Channels that require the caster to be out-of-combat means that entering combat interrupts their channel.

The channeling status disables other effects specified by the ability from being used. This includes attacking, moving, casting abilities, and using summoner spells or item actives.

List of Channeled Abilities

Classic Channels

The following channeled abilities are consistent with one another in terms of being interrupted by the forms of crowd control stated above.

Champion abilities

Champion	Ability	Channel duration	Notes
Caitlyn	Ace in the Hole	1 second	Channeling for the full duration is required to fire the missile. If the target dies or becomes untargetable while channeling, the ability is put on a 5-second cooldown.
Corki	The Package	1 second	Channeling for the full duration is required to secure the package.
Fiddlesticks	Bountiful Harvest	2 seconds	Channeling forms tethers and damages every 0.25 seconds. If the channel completes, it deals an additional burst of damage to affected targets and refunds part of its remaining cooldown. The channel ends but also refunds the cooldown if all targets break their tethers.
Gragas	Drunken Rage	0.75 seconds	Channeling for the full duration is required to gain the bonus damage for his next basic attack.
Ivern	Friend of the Forest	2.5 seconds	Channeling for the full duration is required to place the grove on the camp. Can't be interrupted in the first 0.15 seconds and the last 0.5 seconds.
Janna	Monsoon	3 seconds	Channeling restores health every 0.5 seconds.
Jhin	Curtain Call	10 seconds	Channeling grants the ability to recast four times to shoot a projectile after a 0.25-second delay that deals damage and slows.
Karthus	Requiem	3 seconds	Channeling for the full duration is required to deal the damage. While Death Defied is active, it is impossible to interrupt Requiem.
Katarina	Death Lotus	2.5 seconds	Channeling deals damage every 0.166 seconds.
Lucian	The Culling	3 seconds	Channeling fires projectiles rapidly which deal damage. Can be recast to end the channel early.
Malzahar	Nether Grasp	2.5 seconds	Channeling forms a tether to suppress and deal damage every 0.25 seconds. Summons a zone dealing damage every 0.5 seconds. The zone will persist even if the channel is interrupted. Cleansing the suppression does not interrupt the channel.
Master Yi	Meditate	4 seconds	Channeling restores health every 0.5 seconds.
Miss Fortune	Bullet Time	3 seconds	Channeling deals damage every 0.25 / 0.2142 / 0.1875 seconds.
Nunu	Absolute Zero	3 seconds	Channeling decreases the damage reduction (percentage) and increases the slow percentage. Can be recast after 0.5 seconds to end the channel early.
Quinn	Behind Enemy Lines	2 seconds	Channeling for the full duration is required to unite with Valor. Can be recast after 0.5 seconds to end the channel early.
Rammus	Powerball	6 seconds	Channeling increases movement speed over the duration. Can be recast after 1 second to end the channel early.
Vel'Koz	Life Form Disintegration Ray	2.6 seconds	Channeling deals damage every 0.2 seconds and slows. Can be recast after 1 second to end the channel early.
Warwick	Infinite Duress	1.5 seconds	Channeling suppresses and deals damage every 0.5 seconds and heals. The suppression ends prematurely if the channel is interrupted. Cleansing the suppression does not interrupt the channel.
Xerath	Rite of the Arcane	10 seconds	Channeling grants the ability to recast with a 0.8 second cooldown in between casts. Can be recast 3-5 times based on ability rank to deal damage after 0.5 seconds. If the channel times out, the ability cancels and half of its cooldown is refunded.
Yuumi	Final Chapter	3.5 seconds	Channeling launches a wave every 0.5 seconds, dealing damage and rooting after hitting a number of times.

Item actives

Item	Channel duration	Notes
Black Spear	3 seconds	Channeling for at least a few seconds is required to form the tether.
Eye of the Herald	1 second	Channeling for the full duration is required to summon Rift Herald. If the channel is interrupted, the trinket is lost. Goes on a 3-second cooldown if in combat with non-minions.

Movement Channels

The following channeled abilities have dash or blink mechanics, or autonomous movement, which means they are subject to being interrupted by the two crowd control effects that strictly inhibit movement: root and ground, unless otherwise stated by the ability.

Champion abilities

Champion	Ability	Channel duration	Notes
Fiddlesticks	Crowstorm	1.5 seconds	Channeling for the full duration is required to blink and start dealing damage. Not interrupted by root.
Galio	Hero's Entrance	2.75 seconds	Channeling for the full duration is required to dash and deal the damage and knock up. Becomes immune to crowd control and gains untargetability after 1.25 seconds.
Nunu	Biggest Snowball Ever!	0-10 seconds	Channeling increases the damage, range, size, and stun duration of the snowball over the first 5 seconds and grants bonus movement speed. Can be recast after 0.5 seconds to end the channel early. If the channel is interrupted or times out, or the ability is recast, the snowball releases.
Pantheon	Grand Starfall	2 seconds	Channeling for the full duration is required to blink, vanish, become crowd control immune and deal the damage. If the channel is interrupted, the ability cancels but is placed on a 30-second cooldown.
Shen	Stand United	3 seconds	Channeling for the full duration is required to blink.
Tahm Kench	Abyssal Voyage	6 seconds	Channeling allows an ally champion to join. Can be recast after 0.25 seconds to blink. If the channel is interrupted or cancelled or times out, the ability is put on a 10-second cooldown.
Taliyah	Weaver's Wall	1 second	Channeling for the full duration is required to summon the wall. Recasting after the channel causes her to dash with it.
Twisted Fate	Gate	1.5 seconds	Channeling for the full duration is required to blink.
Ryze	Realm Warp	2 seconds	Channeling for the full duration is required to blink.
Warwick	Jaws of the Beast	0.75 seconds	Channeling locks on and follows target and grants immunity to displacements. Channel's duration lasts longer if target is under the effect of a move block. Not interrupted by ground or root.
Yuumi	You and Me!	0.25 seconds	Channeling for the full duration is required to dash.
Zac	Elastic Slingshot	0-4.5 seconds	Channeling increases the range over the first 0.9-1.3 seconds based on ability rank. If the channel is interrupted, cancelled, or times out, the ability cancels but the cooldown is reduced by half the base amount and half the health cost is refunded.

Summoner spells

Name	Channel duration	Notes
Teleport	4 seconds	Channeling for the full duration is required to blink and gain bonus movement speed.

Objective Channels

The following channeled effects are also interrupted by entering combat.

Champion abilities

Champion	Ability	Channel duration	Notes
Ornn	Living Forge	4 seconds	Channeling for the full duration is required to purchase item.
Zilean	Time in a Bottle	1 second	Channeling for the full duration is required to grant experience. If the channel is interrupted, the passive goes on a 2-second cooldown.

Spells

Name	Channel duration	Notes
Hexflash	0-2.5 seconds; movement channel	Channeling for 1 second is required to blink. Increases the range over the channel. Interrupted by ground and root. Recasting earlier than the first second or entering combat interrupts the channel and places the spell on a 10 second cooldown.
Empowered Recall	4 seconds	Channeling for the full duration is required to blink. Not interrupted by ground and root. Can't be interrupted by damage or crowd control in the last 0.1 seconds of the channel, aside from displacements.
Recall	8 seconds	Channeling for the full duration is required to blink. Not interrupted by ground and root. Can't be interrupted by damage or crowd control in the last 0.1 seconds of the channel, aside fron displacements.

Unstoppable Channels

The following channeled abilities cannot be interrupted by crowd control and are only stopped by death (unless otherwise stated by the ability). Note that any channel can be unstoppable as long as the user is crowd control immune in the process of doing so (e.g. Morgana could place her Black Shield on a channeling target and they would be considered unstoppable while the shield holds).

Champion abilities

Champion	Ability	Channel duration	Notes
Aurelion Sol	Voice of Light	0.3 seconds; classic channel (unstoppable)	Channeling for the full duration is required to deal damage and knock back. Channel starts immediately after a 0.35 seconds cast time.
Irelia	Defiant Dance	0-1.5 seconds; charged channel (unstoppable)	Channeling grants physical damage reduction and increases the damage over the duration. Can be recast to end the channel early.
Kai'Sa	Evolve	2 seconds; classic channel (completely unstoppable)	Channeling for the full duration is required to evolve the selected ability. Cannot be interrupted by any means, persists through death.
Kha'Zix	Evolution	2 seconds; classic channel (completely unstoppable)	Channeling for the full duration is required to evolve the selected ability. Cannot be interrupted by any means, persists through death.
Pantheon	Aegis Assault / Empowered Aegis Assault	1.5 or 2.5 seconds; classic channel (unstoppable)	Channeling deals damage every 0.125 seconds and renders him invulnerable in a certain condition. Can be recast after 0.3 seconds to end the channel early. Can move while channeling, but movement speed is slowed when moving in specific direction.
Sion	Unstoppable Onslaught	0-8 seconds; movement channel (unstoppable)	Channeling renders him immune to crowd control and increases the damage and stun duration over the first 3 seconds of channeling. Can be recast to end the channel early, which has the same result as reaching the maximum channel time.
Urgot	Mercy (recast of Fear Beyond Death)	1.5 seconds; classic channel (unstoppable)	Channeling launches chains which suppress, reel, and execute. Can move while channeling.

Uniquely, Unstoppable Onslaught's is a channeled ability which additionally grants him crowd control immunity during the channel, therefore it cannot be interrupted as any attempt at cast-inhibiting crowd control will be negated.

There are a few exceptions, however:

The ability still be interrupted by death, as with all other channels. If so, the effect will end as if he collided with terrain or an enemy champion, dealing the damage and stunning and knocking up enemies around his current location immediately.
Due to a bug with Roar of the Slayer, he can occasionally cast his ultimate despite being rooted. In this case, he will stand in place until the root's debuff duration ends. During this time, the damage, stun duration and movement speed granted by the ability will still ramp up, and enemies that come into contact with him will be affected by the collision normally.
- The same bug allows him to cast his ultimate during crowd control that inhibits casting and movement abilities. If he starts charging the ability while stunned, airborne or silenced for example, the channel will be interrupted almost immediately, and he will perform the same leap as he does when the channel ends at maximum duration or is ended via its recast.
An allied trigger of the Blast Cone's airborne effect is not considered hostile crowd control and will thus disregard his crowd control immunity, interrupting his ultimate in the process. He will turn to face the direction in which he would be knocked into, then initiate the leap as if he collided with an enemy champion or recasted the ability the ultimate or was affected by an enemy's hard crowd control, overriding the initial airborne effect of the plant.
If he is put into stasis by an allied Bard's Tempered Fate (does not count as hostile crowd control in this case), he will attempt to leap forward (he can't while in stasis however) then initiate the area of effect as if he engaged in a collision. The ability does not appear to go on cooldown for a few seconds according to the HUD but trying to cast it does not bring any result. The steer and channel indicators do not disappear however and he is still able to perform actions as if he were not channeling.

Since Unstoppable Onslaught is a channeled spell, Kalista's Fate's Call will wait with its effect until the channel has ended, dragging him back to her across a potentially massive distance. The pull transpires immediately after the channel ends, but he will still leap forward despite not colliding with anything. The area of effect still occurs in the landing spot he would've stopped at.

Charged Abilities

A charged ability has two activations - the first begins the charging and the second will fire the ability. While using quick cast, the player must keep the hotkey held down to charge the ability and it will fire upon releasing the key. For most charged abilities, the caster is still able to move freely including the use of Flash and Dark Passage.

Charging is a sub-classification. The forms of crowd control that will interrupt a charged ability depends on the ability's super-type.

Champion abilities

Champion	Ability	Channel duration/type	Notes
Galio	Shield of Durand	0-3 seconds; classic channel; unable to cast movement spells	Channeling increases the range of the area of effect, damage, and taunt duration over the duration as well as granting damage reduction and slowing him. If the channel is interrupted or times out, the ability will release instantly.
Pantheon	Comet Spear	0–4 seconds; classic channel	Channeling caps the range after the first 0.35 seconds and slows him. If the channel is interrupted or times out, the ability cancels and is put on cooldown, but half its mana cost is refunded.
Poppy	Keeper's Verdict	0-4 seconds; classic channel	Channeling increases the range and knock back distance over the duration and slows her. If the channel is interrupted or times out, the ability goes on a 30-second cooldown.
Pyke	Bone Skewer	0–3 seconds; classic channel	Channeling increases the range over the duration after the first 0.5 seconds and slows him. If the channel is interrupted or times out, the ability cancels and is put on cooldown, but half its mana cost is refunded.
Sion	Decimating Smash	0–2 seconds; classic channel; unable to move	Channeling increases the range and damage every 0.25 seconds and the stun and airborne duration after 1 second over the next second. If the channel is interrupted, the ability goes on a 2 second cooldown but no mana is refunded.
Varus	Piercing Arrow	0–4 seconds; classic channel	Channeling increases the range and damage over 2 seconds and slows him. If the channel times out, the ability cancels and refunds half of its mana cost.
Vi	Vault Breaker	0–4 seconds; movement channel; able to move	Channeling increases the damage and range over the first 1.25 seconds and slows her. The cooldown is reduced to 3 seconds if the channel is interrupted or times out.
Vladimir	Tides of Blood	0-1.5 seconds; classic channel	Channeling increases the damage and range over the first second. If the channel is interrupted or times out, the ability will release instantly.
Xerath	Arcanopulse	0–3 seconds; classic channel	Channeling increases the range over 1.5 seconds and gradually slows him. If the channel times out, the ability cancels and refunds half of its mana cost.

Casting Times

Most abilities have a very brief casting time that will interrupt other actions, such as movement or attacking (most will automatically have the champion continue in their previous actions, although some will interrupt previous actions indefinitely). These casting times cannot be interrupted by any other effect than the caster's death, unless it was protected by resurrection. Casting times will display a channeling bar above the HUD.

The effects of crowd control are ignored while casting, with the exception of displacement effects. Being displaced while casting a direction-targeted ability will still fire the projectile from the point of cast regardless of the caster's position once the cast time has finished (although it's worth noting that the animation will occasionally fire from the new location for certain abilities of the targeting type). For blinks and dashes, they too will move toward the selected target after the casting has finished regardless of crowd control effects suffered during their cast times

These are notable examples of cast times that are much longer than usual, or casting times that are misunderstood as bugs on account of their ability to ignore crowd control:

Champion abilities

Champion	Ability	Cast duration	Notes
Darius	Noxian Guillotine	0.4 seconds	There is a wind-down animation upon landing, however this is not forced and he can move instantly.
Ezreal	Arcane Shift	0.25 seconds	There is a wind-down animation upon landing, however this is not forced and he can move instantly.
Ezreal	Trueshot Barrage	1 second	Casting for the full duration is required to fire.
Fiora	Riposte	0.75 seconds	Casting for the full duration is required to fire. Can be cast during Lunge's dash.
Kassadin	Riftwalk	0.25 seconds	There is a wind-down animation upon landing, however this is not forced and he can move instantly.
Lux	Final Spark	1 second	Casting for the full duration is required to fire.
Neeko	Pop Blossom	0.6 seconds	Casting for the full duration is required to fire.
Pyke	Death from Below	0.75 seconds	Casting for the full duration is required to blink when applicable.
Tristana	Rocket Jump	0.25 seconds	Casting for the full duration is required to jump.