Nuguri, ShowMaker bring Klepto build to 2019 World Championship
Damwon Gaming solo laners Jang “Nuguri” Ha-gwon and Heo “ShowMaker” Su brought a couple of surprising builds and runes to the 2019 League of Legends World Championship.
Damwon finished day two of Worlds undefeated after taking down Flamengo eSports and Royal Youth. On the first game of the day
versus the Turkish team, Nuguri and ShowMaker went for an unexpected set of runes.
In the top lane, Nuguri locked in Vladimir, while ShowMaker took Leblanc to the mid lane. Both solo laners decided to use Kleptomancy as their main rune, a bold decision considering that a place in Worlds’ main event is a stake.
Damwon’s Kletopmancy strategy turns heads at Worlds
Klepto is Nuguri’s favorite rune. The top laner takes it every time he can and exploits its benefits as much as possible. Klepto grants gold and consumable items to the champion through the entire game. Nuguri picks Klepto so he can stay even in gold with his lane opponent and even push ahead if the conditions are right.
Nuguri added an extra source of gold in the form of a Nomad’s Medallion, an item normally used by supports. When a minion dies by the hand of an ally, it drops gold or mana coins that can only be claimed by the champion holding the item. On top of it, it grants 10% cooldown reduction, 50% base health regeneration, and 10 movement speed.
By picking the Klepto plus the Medallion, Nuguri was able to heal and move faster. The unorthodox build and rune combination proved to be effective as Damwon rolled over Royal Youth.
ShowMaker opted for a more standard build, but he enjoyed the benefits of the Klepto rune. At 15 minutes, ShowMaker had a gold advantage of 1,921 over his lane opponent. In the top lane, the difference was 699.
Nuguri was the player with the most gold by the end of the game, and he also finished the game with a perfect KDA.
Klepto is extremely beneficial for champions like Ezreal and Sona that send their skill shots followed immediately by an auto-attack. Melee champions wouldn’t benefit as much from Klepto. In the solo lanes, it’s not that useful considering that having extra damage or life steal might be an advantage.
It’s possible that Nuguri will keep using Klepto throughout the remainder of the tournament.
Damwon Gaming returns to the stage on Saturday for the second half of the League of Legends World Championship play-in.
Read Also
Esports Betting
These Are Our Betting Tips for the League Championship Series Week 4
Ben Boland
The 2026 LCS Summer Split is in full swing, with the eight North American squads all vying for a chance to represent the region at this year's World Championship. With Worlds being on home soil, there is more than just a ticket to Worlds at stake. Each series in the regular season carries weight, as the standings will determine their seeding and potentially their fate in the playoffs. Week four ...
League of Legends
Caps To Be Announced As Third Inductee in the LoL Hall of Legends
Hannan Mundia
After Faker and Uzi were inducted into the Hall of Legends in 2024 and 2025 respectively, the European League of Legends player Caps will be the next to get the same treatment. League of Legends has been a cornerstone in the professional gaming scene for over a decade. In that time, a handful of players have managed to leave their mark for all future fans and fellow players to learn ...
Esports Betting
MLBB is the most-watched game from the EWC, and it’s hard to see another game beating it
Michael Hassall
The Esports World Cup 2026 has officially passed its midway point and viewership figures for the tournament have surpassed many expectations so far, as per Esports Charts. The viewership tracking site revealed new statistics for the event on Aug. 6, showcasing just how many games had set new records in viewership, including one name leading the way in views: Mobile Legends: Bang Bang. MLBB leads the viewership charts with the ...
League of Legends
LCK 2026 Rounds 3–4 Preview, Schedule, Predictions, and More
Hannan Mundia
2026 LCK Rounds 3-4 are slated to start soon, and this preview highlights the schedule, our expert predictions, and everything else you need to know before watching. The LCK has been upside down recently. Teams that were considered absolute powerhouses are seemingly falling off, while previous underdogs have been causing upset after upset. 2026 LCK Rounds 3-4 are starting soon, and the big question here is which team will reign ...
League of Legends
LEC 2026 Summer split preview, schedule, predictions, and more
Hannan Mundia
The 2026 LEC Summer split will be the deciding split to determine which teams can make it to the World Championship, and this preview aims to highlight everything you need to know about it. It isn’t a stretch to say that the LCK and LCP are the only two competitive League of Legends regions actually pulling their weight currently. The LEC did show potential at the start of the year, ...
League of Legends
How is League of Legends Classic different from the modern version?
Hannan Mundia
League Classic brings the classic League of Legends gameplay and design from when the game first came out, but how is it different from the modern version? The modern League of Legends mode is arguably in its best state in terms of popularity, with a study even reporting that playing LoL can improve brain function. Over a decade of gameplay and multiple marketing tactics by Riot Games have bumped up ...
League of Legends
Best Champions for every role in League of Legends Classic mode
Hannan Mundia
League Classic sees the return of League of Legends Season 3, but which champions were deemed the best during that time? League of Legends has gone through a lot of changes since it first came out. While the map and item-related changes naturally impacted the game's state, so did the many champion nerfs, buffs, and reworks. Multiple champions played completely differently in Season 3 than they do now. Since League ...
