League of Legends: Best Support Runes In 2025, Ranked

Summary

Vision is crucial for Support players; Deep Ward rune aids in controlling vision, making enemy ward clearing difficult.
The Font of Life rune offers sustained healing for tanks and defensive Supports, synergizing well with Revitalize for extra healing output.
The Relentless Hunter rune focuses on speed, which is beneficial for roaming supports such as Pyke or Janna, aiding in ganking and map control.

As a newbie League of Legends enthusiast, diving into the Support role is an excellent introduction to the game. Unlike solo lanes or the demanding Jungle, this position offers a less stressful environment to grasp the game mechanics without feeling too much pressure. The Support role boasts a variety of champion archetypes, enabling players to pick their preferred fit for their team’s needs or personal playstyle.

On one hand, you have aggressive, tanky bruisers that initiate attacks and take charge, while on the other, there are defensive enchanters who focus on boosting teammates from a secure backline position. It’s all about finding your comfort zone within this diverse role!

When selecting a character in a given role, runes are just as crucial because they can significantly influence the character’s playstyle, the types of items you can opt for, and your lane’s success rate. Some runes are particularly powerful on specific champions and playstyles. Notably, certain runes provide direct benefits to allies by healing or shielding them, while others enhance their damage output and clearance abilities indirectly, making it easier for them to take down the enemy base with ease. There is a variety of options for every class and player, and the meta is always changing, offering new and intriguing build possibilities for each class.

8. Deep Ward

Behind Enemy Lines

Passive: Stealth Wards and Totem Wards placed in the enemy jungle are considered Deep. All Deep Wards are granted 1 bonus health. Deep Stealth Wards last 30 – 45 (based on average champion level) seconds longer, and Deep Totem Wards last 45 – 150 (based on average champion level) seconds longer.
At level 9, wards placed in the river will also be considered Deep.

As a Support player, it’s crucial to grasp the concept of vision, for denying the enemy’s sight offers ample chances for strategic moves in lanes and across the map. Knowing the position of enemy players at any moment can potentially save lives. Since the Domination Tree underwent a mini-vision overhaul, Deep Ward has become increasingly popular on the rift. Placing wards behind enemy lines now provides a significant boost, making it simpler to control vision as enemies have to spend extra time clearing them out and may be oblivious to additional hidden ones lurking around every turn.

At level 9, incorporating the river into the rune’s influence makes it borderline too strong, especially during critical moments before an objective. In these situations, the Support can swiftly move along the river, illuminating the map for their team and pressuring the opposing side to employ additional cleaning tools that may deplete before the entire area is sanitized.

Another advantage of this rune lies in its ability to encourage players who are less adept at deep-jungle warding to deviate from their path and find a strategic vantage point for placing concealed vision. This enhances players’ map knowledge and situational awareness, while significantly boosting the team’s support capabilities.

Though not the most potent rune in the game, its versatility makes it challenging to play without it due to its numerous beneficial effects.

7. Font Of Life

Sustain On The Offensive

Passive: Slowing or immobilizing an enemy champion heals you and the nearest and most wounded allied champion for (10 − 50 /7 − 35) (based on your level).
Cooldown: 20 seconds

Support roles can be divided into several categories: casters, enchanters, tanks, and some that embody aspects of all three. For instance, when playing as tank-oriented Supports like Nautilus or opting for a defensive build against an aggressive Botlane, the Font of Life rune offers a modest but cumulative source of additional sustain. This can be decisive in tight situations. The range on this rune is quite expansive, and since the player will typically spend the initial game phase in the duo-lane, they can repeatedly recharge their ADC without encountering challenging conditions or performing overly complex maneuvers.

As a gamer, I can tell you that what makes this rune truly shine is its ability to harmonize with other runes in the Resolve tree, such as Revitalize, amplifying the healing power for my ally and growing stronger over time. In combat, the healing it provides during team fights can be just as crucial, especially when it triggers multiple times within a single skirmish, often initiated by something as basic as a long-range slow. This rune is versatile, working effectively in both close-quarters melee and ranged situations involving enchanters. It’s an excellent pick for any champion with some crowd control abilities, and while other runes might decisively alter the tide of battle, nobody will begrudge having a bit more health under their belt.

6. Relentless Hunter

Unexpected Speed

Passive: Gain 8 bonus movement speed while out of combat per Bounty Hunter stack, up to 40 at 5 stacks.
Earn a Bounty Hunter stack when scoring a takedown against an enemy champion, up to one per unique champion.

In the game known as League, swiftness plays a crucial role. Some strategies and champions thrive in quick scenarios that surprise the opposition and prevent them from outmaneuvering an attack with sheer speed. For Supports, speed determines how they navigate the map, setting up vision, and ambushing other lanes at unpredictable moments. If the enemy support is absent for a brief moment, swift communication is essential, as they can move rapidly between lanes thanks to abilities like Relentless Hunter and tier-two boots. With these runes, they can dash from one lane to another in just seconds, which could mean the difference between a successful takedown or a missed opportunity.

As a gamer, I’ve found this item to be fantastic for champions like Pyke who thrive on movement speed enhancements. It’s also a game-changer for any hook Supports who love darting between lanes at top speeds, causing chaos, and then disappearing back to Botlane as if nothing happened. For certain enchanters, like Janna, it’s an excellent pick because she’s already swift on the map, and this additional speed boost makes ganks almost impossible to dodge, and hitting her in lane even harder than usual. The minor drawback is that it needs kills to fully stack, one from each enemy player, and the speed is only active when not engaged in combat. However, the advantages far outweigh the downside, making for some amazing gameplay moments. By the time the speed diminishes, the opponent’s already defeated!

5. Revitalize

Amping Up The Support

Passive: Grants 5% Heal and shield power. Outgoing healing and outgoing shielding are increased by 10% on targets below 40% of their maximum health.
Incoming healing, incoming shielding, self-healing, and self-shielding are increased by 10% while you are below 40% of your maximum health.

In simple terms, the powerful rune called Revitalize is cherished by enchanters, who are typically champions like Soraka, Lulu, and Yuumi. These characters have long been recognized for their strength in suitable situations, providing a significant enhancement to a team’s scaling potential and teamfight power, transforming carry champions into formidable forces that can easily overpower entire enemy teams. The key attribute determining the amount of healing provided is heal and shield strength. Most items exclusive to enchanters contain this stat in varying degrees, and when combined with Revitalize, the defensive output of the Support becomes extraordinarily high. Additionally, a bonus for allies with low health further amplifies its potency.

In a game, percentages are incredibly effective at adjusting an amount since fixed numbers have their limits in advancing the player. Yet, if multiple factors amplify the protective output exponentially, survival becomes challenging, especially for a Support player who strategically places and consistently replenishes shields. This rune complements numerous other Support runes and boosts every healing instance the player can generate. For example, Soraka’s ultimate can heal thousands of HP across the entire map with a single click, making it a decisive factor in many games. Additionally, the Revitalize rune significantly impacts the game by providing extra healing to secure victory.

4. Glacial Augment

You’re Not Going Anywhere

Passive: Immobilizing an enemy champion will cause 3 glacial rays to emanate from them toward you and other nearby enemy champions, creating icy zones with a 700-unit radius that last for 3 (+ 100% of the immobilizing effect’s duration) seconds.
Enemies within the icy zones, which have a width of 80 units, are slowed by 20% (+ 7% per 100 bonus AD) (+ 6% per 100 AP) (+ 9% per 10% heal and shield power) and have their damage reduced by 15% against your allies, excluding yourself.
Cooldown 25 seconds

In simpler terms, Engage Supports represent only one facet of a role’s dual nature, opting for beefy tanks instead of fragile or defensive champions. These tanks initiate fights, making life miserable for opponents. Glacial Augment, after multiple adaptations, is an excellent choice for any hook champion seeking to become more tenacious and irritating. As the game progresses, this ability gradually slows enemies, making it difficult for them to move with just a click of a button. Moreover, since the effect is area-of-effect (AoE), a single stun can slow down a large group of enemies simultaneously, exhausting their offensive capabilities towards your team.

As a fan, I’d like to share my thoughts on a versatile rune that isn’t exclusive to just tanky champions. In fact, mage supports with crowd control abilities can truly benefit from it. For instance, Neeko, who typically focuses on damage items, can become quite frustrating for opponents when using this rune. The endless roots she can lay down are already tricky to dodge, but adding additional crowd control makes her even more annoying. This extra utility significantly alters how certain champions operate within a team fight context.

Given the variety of runes out there, it’s worth experimenting with this one, not necessarily every game, but it excels against carry champions with limited mobility. They will find it challenging to escape the confines of the icy field, making it an effective choice for counterplay.

3. Guardian

Hold That ADC Close

Passive: While within 350 units of an allied champion, you raise your Guard. Allied champions you affect with unit-targeted abilities are also Guarded for 3 seconds, regardless of distance.
If you or a Guarded ally would take 90 – 250 (based on level) damage within 2.5 seconds or lethal damage from an enemy champion, monster, or turret, you both gain a shield for 45 – 120 (based on level) (+ 12.5% of your AP) (+ 8% of your bonus health) for 2 seconds.
Cooldown: 90-40 (based on level) seconds

The time-honored defensive rune Guardian has long been a lifesaver for ADC characters in League of Legends. This versatile rune works well on both tank champions who can absorb damage during an engagement, and squishier healers who might otherwise find it tough to survive an enemy hook. The shielding provided by this rune can be quite substantial, and since the Support character typically stays close to their teammate throughout a team fight, the proximity requirement is essentially negligible, making it harder for aggressors to target the carry.

The advantage is that the player has significant control over how they employ the rune. A smart move could be to deliberately stay separate from the carry until the majority of the damage occurs, or an opportunity arises for an attack. Effectively deciding when to activate the shield is quite beneficial, as one of the main drawbacks is the lengthy cooldown which opponents can exploit by attacking before the optimal moment if they time it correctly. In essence, this rune is a great pick for a Support player and can be effective in various situations across all character classes.

2. Summon Aery

Cute Yet Deadly

Passive: Damaging basic attacks, abilities, and item effects against an enemy champion signal Aery to pounce at them over 0.45 seconds, dealing 10 – 50 (based on level) (+ 10% bonus AD) (+ 5% AP) physical or magic damage. Healing, shielding, or buffing an allied champion signals Aery to leap to their side over 0.35 seconds, shielding them for 30 – 100 (based on level) (+ 10% bonus AD) (+ 5% AP) for 2 seconds.

As an enthusiast, I’d say that an enchanter champion’s primary duty lies in consistently bolstering our team with buffs, sustaining their health to ensure uninterrupted combat. However, a significant aspect of the role involves using skill shots to gradually deplete the enemy’s health reserves, preventing them from attacking us with full health bars. Aery, this delightful rune shaped like a cat, is an enchanter’s dream. It not only amplifies our shielding and healing capabilities but also increases damage dealt to enemies. This versatile rune is ideal for the laning phase and maintains its worth throughout the late game, making it an indispensable asset in my arsenal.

Compared to Comet, which lacks supportive features, Poke is surprisingly potent because players can repeatedly deploy the kitten without a lengthy cooldown, making it an effective complement to abilities and runes that sustain damage after being used. Moreover, the shields it offers are far from feeble, providing ongoing reinforcement for each subsequent shield and every poke landed in between. This rune is an excellent choice for enchanters in nearly every game, dealing enough damage to rival some of the aggressive runes available while also offering all the support a player could desire.

1. Hex Flash

A Play-making Machine

Passive: While Flash has a remaining cooldown greater than 2 seconds, it is replaced by Hexflash.
Active: You begin charging for up to 2.5 seconds, increasing Hexflash’s range over the duration. After at least 1 second, you can reactivate the spell, which is automatically done when the charge completes without reactivation. Releasing the charge earlier than 1 second or entering combat with an enemy champion will put Hexflash on cooldown for 10 seconds.
Recast: You blink to the target location within range.
Cooldown 20 seconds

In the grand scheme of the game, Hexflash stands out as a unique and somewhat unconventional rune. It’s not only peculiar but also has the potential to be incredibly powerful. The idea of an additional mini flash might initially seem absurd, and using it for the first time can feel quite disorienting due to its unusual utility that’s unlike anything else in the game. However, upon further contemplation, the benefits become clear. With vision traps, navigating small gaps, and a fresh approach to confronting enemies, Hexflash effectively transforms engage supports into stealthy ambushers.

With Hexflash, you’ll discover numerous techniques to master, ranging from stealthily leaping between bushes unnoticed to effortlessly traversing seemingly impassable gaps. The range of possibilities is vast, offering a unique blend of power and skill expression that is difficult to find with any other rune. What makes it truly standout is its instant cooldown, unlike most flash abilities which require a wait of five minutes for recharge. Instead, users of Hexflash can continue leaping over walls every 20 seconds, catching opponents off guard and creating numerous attack opportunities from angles they wouldn’t expect. It may seem straightforward at first, but there is no other rune in the Support class that can rival the level of power and control this small blink provides, providing engage supports with everything they need to carry the game.

2025-04-12 06:06