How to play Viktor, The Machine Herald in League of Legends

Mar 23, 2022

Reading time: 3 min

Viktor, The Machine Herald, is a powerful control mage but there are ways to really make an impact with the legend. Here is how to play Viktor like the best players.

Viktor has many strengths that make him a premium pick in League of Legends. He has a unique piece of itemization, effortless wave clear, consistent area crowd control, and tons of magic damage to pump out in team fights.

Viktor functions best with allies who can begin a fight for him while he controls large sections of the battlefield. To make the most of Viktor, play him in the mid lane.

How to play Viktor in mid lane

Viktor is best played as a mid laner, funneling gold and experience into himself to deal as much damage as possible. At the same time, Viktor can abuse immobile melee champions in the laning phase thanks to his range and high-damage abilities.

Most Viktor players choose between Summon Aery and First Strike for their runes. Summon Aery offers consistent poke damage as well as a way for Viktor to potentially empower his shield. First Strike is best used in lanes where Viktor is able to easily harass his opponent, turning damage into gold.

Most Viktor players max his E for wave clear, with his Q being taken second for the shield and empowered auto-attack damage. Viktor’s most common item builds focus on using Luden’s Echo, which synergizes with Viktor’s poking playstyle and sudden burst. Other core items include Zhonya’s Hourglass for improved tank stats and safety, Shadowflame and Void Staff for magic penetration, and a filling of other mage options like Lichbane and Rabadon’s Deathcap.

Viktor excels with levels, items, and time to become a massive threat in the mid and late game. Let your enemies come to you or wait for allies to start fights before committing your most impactful spells. Otherwise, prioritize picking up mid lane farm and using your wave clear to maintain priority and arrive first to objective fights.

Viktor stars in Arcane Netflix show

Viktor also took center stage in the animated adaptation of the game on Netflix. It’s no surprise he became a key element in Arcane since his backstory is so interesting in League of Legends lore.

Viktor was disliked by some of his colleagues for his unconventional experiments and research. At the center of his research, Viktor sought to “eliminate all sources of human error.” As he continued to pour himself into research without eating or sleeping, Viktor became weak and collapsed in the lab.

This led Viktor to perform an operation on himself, convinced that “human weakness and emotions” were holding him back. During the self-surgery, Viktor had parts of his brain removed and replaced with mechanical circuitry.

In Arcane, Viktor’s backstory is a bit different. He slowly became weak and frail from a terminal illness. Doctors determined that it was due to pollution in the poor city he grew up in. Viktor decided to search for a cure for the disease and discovered Hexcore, which he believed could lead to some type of “evolution” to extend his life and the life of others.