Introduction
I have spent quite a few games playing as Blitzcrank, and have acquired many self-appointed titles in recognition of my prowess such as "Champcrank" and "Best Blitz Ever". In addition to these titles, I have learned quite a few tricks to Blitzcrank that I would now like to impart to the community. Most of these will be tips on how to get more epic grabs, but there are a few others I will touch on as well.
Items
The best Blitz's are support/tank hybrids. Get items that will give you survivability, so that if you initiate a fight with a pull, you can stay to finish stragglers at the end. Blitz can be a very potent killing machine, but it is best to leave the DPSing to your allies. My personal favorite item is Frozen Heart. Unless they have zero physical dps, I pick it up every game. CD reduction is great for more fists/grabs, armor helps you live, and the mana helps keep you going, while making your passive extra potent to boot.
Runes
Mostly up to personal preference. You don't have to buy a special set of runes for Blitz, he can benefit from almost anything, depending on your playstyle.
Skills
This will be the meat of my mini-guide. Juicy stuff here.
Rocket Grab
The move that makes me call Blitz the miracle champion. Proper application and timing can completely turn a game around, netting your team crucial kills that would never have been possible otherwise. Something to keep in mind when using this skill is that it functions off of a kind of hit-box. You do not have to make perfect contact with an enemy to pull them, just grazing them is enough. This allows the range of rocket grab to be slightly longer than what is seen in the targeting circle. Also, larger champions like Cho'Gath can be pulled from ridiculous distances. Here are a few uses of rocket grab you may not know of:
- Pulling Through Barriers: You can pull through just about anything. The most important thing to remember when pulling someone through an object is to leave a small space open for them to land on, otherwise they will not come through.
- Dragon Reset: Pull the dragon from back of the cliffs surrounding him, leaving a small space for him to come through. He won't attack you, but he will immediately begin to move back to his starting position, regenerating all his life along the way. If you ever solo queue and can't get your team to stop an opponent's dragon attempt, you can do this to waste the other teams rally, usually forcing them to give up on dragon and just return to their lanes. There is almost no chance of last hitting the dragon with your grab at level one to steal it, and unlikely that you will be able to out-DPS the regen once you pull it out.
- Flash Grab: Send out a rocket grab, and then flash backwards before your fist makes contact with an opponent. The target will be pulled to the location you flashed to if you time this properly. Not as powerful as it used to be with the range of flash cut in half, but do not underestimate its usefulness. With a lane partner and power fist, this is almost a guaranteed kill early game if you get them to the tower. Later on, landing a flash grab on an opponent can give your team the crucial extra second or two they need to kill an enemy before the rest of their team can react. Similarly, it can allow you to dive deep enough to grab a squishy enemy behind the tank, and still pull them back to the safety of your team. Flash grabs are a precious resource, you can only do one every 3 minutes tops. If possible, coordinate with a teammate to get the enemy slowed or stunned before you attempt this to maximize your chances of success.
- Interrupting Movement Abilities: Tristana's jump, Tryn's slash, Corki's valkyrie, and to a lesser extent, Alistar's charge and Malphite's ult. You can yank all these champions out of these abilities. Smart players will try and juke your grab, but activating these abilities is the one moment where they absolutely cannot juke. They have a pre-determined destination, and are taking a straight line to it. It can be hard to pull someone out of these abilities, but at the same time time, if you wait for them to be used with your finger on the trigger, you can capture many a nearly missed kill. Not that you will likely be pulling Malphite mid-charge, but it is possible to grab him and cancel his ult.
Overdrive
Not much special to say here. Just always try and save it for an escape or chasing an almost dead enemy.
Power Fist
Works great with sheen. Can also cancel abilities like Tristana's jump and Corki's valkryrie, although it is difficult to time.
Static Field
Do not underestimate the active version's range, and try not to use it during a fight unless you can be sure of a kill or hitting 3+ enemies. Out of fights, it can be very useful for farming, and with its short CD you shouldn't hesitate to use it for this. In regard to the passive, you actually have to stay close to an enemy for about three seconds for it to strike. Running in and out of range will cause it to not strike at all.
[Passive]Mana Barrier
Do not underestimate the power of this skill. It allows Blitz to act as bait with a perfect balance of safety and effectiveness. When people see a champion at low life, they go for the kill, often tower-diving for it and putting themselves in great danger. Blitz can capitalize on a tower dive better than any other champion thanks to rocket grab and power fist. Mana Barrier is so effective becasue it is a passive that everyone forgets about, after all, nobody chases a Tryn at low life, because the obvious danger his ult poses is branded into everyone's mind, making them cautious even when his life seemingly hangs by a thread.
Summoner Spells
Flash is my top pick here, I never go without it. I also really enjoy getting clairvoyance. It can make many complicated pulls cake thanks to the vision it provides. Teleport is nice, especially when used to save an ally in danger. Any other spell can be replaced simply by careful planning and conservative playing.
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Junior Member
its also a lot easier. fleeing champions are more likely to run in straight lines.
