6.2 Domination Tree: Electrocute, Dark Harvest, Predator
The Domination rune tree in League of Legends is designed for champions who thrive on burst damage, snowballing leads, and punishing enemy mistakes. Its keystones focus on amplifying damage output in specific combat scenarios, making them ideal for assassins, burst mages, and aggressive skirmishers. Understanding these keystones is crucial for maximizing your champion's offensive potential and dictating the pace of the game.
The three primary keystones within the Domination tree are:
- Electrocute: This keystone is a staple for champions who can quickly land three separate attacks or abilities on an enemy champion within a short timeframe. Upon activation, Electrocute deals bonus adaptive damage to the target and all enemies around them. It's excellent for assassins and burst mages who aim to quickly eliminate a squishy target in lane or during a skirmish. The damage scales with your attack damage and ability power, making it a potent tool for snowballing early leads. To proc Electrocute, you need to hit an enemy champion with three distinct damage instances within 3 seconds.
- Dark Harvest: This keystone is a stacking mechanic that rewards aggressive play and securing kills or assists. When an enemy champion is below a certain health threshold, or when a large monster or epic monster dies nearby, Dark Harvest collects 'souls'. Each soul permanently increases the bonus adaptive damage dealt by Dark Harvest. When activated, it deals bonus adaptive damage to a low-health enemy champion. Dark Harvest excels in games where kills are frequent and can lead to immense late-game damage potential. It's often chosen by champions who can reliably secure kills or by those who want to scale into a hyper-carry.
- Predator: This keystone is focused on mobility and engagement. After activating Predator, you gain a significant burst of out-of-combat movement speed for a short duration. Your next attack or ability against an enemy champion consumes this bonus movement speed and deals bonus adaptive damage. Predator is ideal for champions who need to close the gap quickly to initiate fights or gank lanes effectively. Junglers and roaming mid laners often favor Predator for its ability to surprise opponents and secure kills. The bonus damage is a nice addition, but the primary draw is the rapid approach speed.
The Domination tree also offers other potent minor runes that synergize well with these keystones. For example, Sudden Impact grants bonus lethality or magic penetration after using a dash, blink, or invisibility. Eyeball Collection grants adaptive force as you collect eyeballs from champion takedowns or wards destroyed. Treasure Hunter grants bonus gold on unique takedowns, further aiding in snowballing leads.
Choosing the right Domination keystone depends heavily on your champion's kit and your intended playstyle. Electrocute is for consistent burst, Dark Harvest for scaling kill potential, and Predator for aggressive engagement and ganking. Mastering these keystones and their synergies within the Domination tree can significantly elevate your offensive capabilities and impact on the game.