Welcome to the League of Legends Champion Spotlight featuring Jayce, the Defender of Tomorrow.
Jayce changes between melee and ranged, either initiating fights and soaking up damage or taking out enemies from afar.
Clever manipulation of these two stances is the key to victory.
Jayce’s ultimate is Transform and is automatically learned at level 1.
When activated, Jayce transforms his weapon between the Mercury Hammer and the Mercury Cannon, each with their own unique abilities.
After transforming to the Cannon, Jayce’s next basic attack will reduce his target’s armor and magic resist.
When transforming to the Hammer, his first basic attack will deal bonus damage.
Additionally, Jayce gains bonus armor and magic resistance while wielding the Mercury Hammer.
Jayce’s passive is Hextech Capacitor. Every time Jayce Transforms his weapon, he gains bonus movement speed for a short time.
With the Mercury Hammer equipped, To the Skies causes Jayce to leap to target enemy, damaging and slowing surrounding foes.
Lightning Field passively causes Jayce’s basic attacks to restore his mana.
When activated, it damages nearby enemies every second for a few seconds.
Thundering Blow damages, knocks back, and briefly stuns target enemy.
Thundering Blow deals bonus damage based on the target’s maximum health.
While wielding the Mercury Cannon, Shock Blast fires out a skill shot nuke that detonates at the end of its range or when striking an enemy, damaging all enemies caught in the explosion.
Hyper Charge greatly increases Jayce’s attack speed for his next few basic attacks.
Acceleration Gate places a wall that increases the movement speed of all allies who pass through it.
Additionally, firing Shock Blast through Acceleration Gate will increase its speed, range, and damage.
When jungling as Jayce, remember to constantly Transform weapons to increase your damage.
For example, starting in Mercury Cannon, hitting Hyper Charge, and then Transforming for the bonus damage and Lightning Field is one of the fastest ways to clear through the jungle.
Opening as a ranged physical carry, Jayce performs best when helping ganks.
As Nunu comes in from behind, Jayce opens with Acceleration Gate and Shock Blast into Transform.
To the Skies, Lightning Storm, and Ignite deal incredible damage against Janna and Miss Fortune, picking up First Blood and assisting in the second kill.
Jayce’s early game is extremely potent in a solo lane, as you can deal plenty of damage in a short time.
Land a basic attack from Mercury Cannon, Transform, hit To the Skies and land another basic attack all while Lightning Field is activated.
The best time to dive a turret is when you have a minion wave to distract it.
Acceleration Gate plus Shock Blast takes a chunk out of Gangplank’s health and then lets Jayce kite with the movement speed.
Jayce then lands To the Skies and a basic attack, picking up First Blood underneath the turret.
Jayce has a lot of interesting ability combinations. With the Mercury Hammer, the slow from To the Skies makes it extremely easy to hit Shock Blast.
Then as Gangplank is low, Acceleration Gate makes a second Shock Blast deal incredible amounts of damage, picking up a second kill.
Jayce’s skillset also allows him to make the best of some sticky situations.
Opening with the Mercury Cannon, Acceleration Gate on top of Transform lets Jayce create a lot of distance from Gangplank.
Once Rammus’s taunt wears off, Thundering Blow from the Mercury Hammer shoves Gangplank back, allowing Jayce to Flash safely underneath his turret.
Soon after, Gragas comes in to gank. Choosing to fight with the Mercury Cannon, Shock Blast through Acceleration Gate softens up Gangplank, allowing Jayce to close in for the kill.
Transforming to the Mercury Hammer, landing To the Skies, Lightning Field, and Thundering Blow takes down Gangplank.
Shock Blast briefly reveals the fog of war when it explodes, meaning you can use it to find a target for To the Skies, either to initiate a jungle camp or to escape from your enemies.
Be careful about engaging in melee range if you aren’t built for durability.
Jayce jumps in on Graves with To the Skies, Thundering Blow, and Lightning Field, picking up the kill.
However, he’s also quickly focused down by Rumble and dies.
Another way to handle fights with a squishier build is to fight with the Mercury Cannon and team up on secluded enemies.
Shock Blast and Acceleration Gate make the beginning of the fight easy as Alistar takes plenty of damage, and Jayce keeps his distance from Rumble.
Upon finding Shyvana diving Graves below him, he Transforms, lands To the Skies, and quickly drops her.
Now with a numbers advantage it’s easy for the blue team to group up and continue the fight.
I recommend focusing on one primary form in each game you play, building more durability to rely on the Mercury Hammer or maxing out your damage while ignoring survival when relying on the Mercury Cannon.
Let’s look at an example Mercury Cannon build.
For Runes, try Flat Attack Damage Marks, Flat Armor Seals, Magic Resist per Level Glyphs, and Flat Attack Damage Quintessences.
For Masteries, I recommend 21/9/0, taking all the physical damage increasing masteries in Offense plus Armor and Health in Defense.
For Summoner Spells, Ignite and Flash will let you play aggressively to kill opponents while also allowing you to escape from bad fights.
For items, open with Boots of Speed, Health Potions, and Doran’s Blades or a Prospector’s Blade.
Upgrade to Berserker’s Greaves, buy Vampiric Scepter, and build toward Infinity Edge.
Add a Phantom Dancer, Last Whisper, Bloodthirster or Sanguine Blade, and finish with Banshee’s Veil or Odyn’s Veil.
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