Aleister: The Keep-Away Magician With A Cardboard Helmet

Build and Guide Aleister

Cheat Sheet
Skill Build

Focus on building up Matrix of Woe above the rest. Start with this and grab Magic Barrier at Level 2. Then keep your focus on Matrix between the first Magic Prison point.

Items

Virtue's Necklace, Zweihander, Boomstick, Apocalypse, Hecate's Diadem, Holy of Holies

Arcana

Prioritise raw Ability Power above all else with a secondary focus on Cooldown Speed. Attack Speed comes into play to aid Aleister's passive ability, but is mostly gained elsewhere. Earn some Magic Lifesteal from Purple Arcana and look into gaining Magic Pierce in Green arcana to increase your effectiveness against tanks.

Talents

Flash, Sprint, Endure

Introduction
[removed]Looking a little like everyone's favorite Marvel villain while sounding like a Dragon Ball Z baddie who's certainly overstayed his welcome, Aleister, in the right hands, can convey that very same feeling to those he faces in the battlefield. Played in a wrong hands, however, and it's his team who'll feel the fatigue.

With ludicrously high Ability Power, fast casts and a bunch of mean crowd-control spells, Aleister isn't someone other mages would like to see head their way. On his own, he's a bit of a wet fish. Grouped up with sufficient support is another story.

Skill Build


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Aleister's passive ability, Wicked Plot, shares slight similarities to certain other Hero passives in that it enables Alesiter to stack 'Curse' on his opponents through Ability and auto-attack hits before exploding for additional damage at a certain stack count. While a stack is only applied on every third auto-attack, each of his abilities inflicts one or more stacks depending on their use. Exploding for True Damage, it's a way for Aleister to really help burn down tanks who've charged into a fight without a team.

Magic Barrier is a short horizontal path that stuns and slows any who walk through it. It deals moderate damage and triggers individually for each person walking through, but will only effect the same person once on each cast. It's a little tricky to aim, but can be used to close off chokes, halt an approaching enemy or root them in place for a follow-up Ability.

What's a good follow up ability for Magic Barrier? Matrix of Woe. This AOE ability leaves a large pool of magic on the target area that rapidly ticks for sizeable damage. It will automatically apply a Curse stack twice – once upon cast and another just as it dissipates – meaning anyone who lingers in circle for its entire duration can easily accumulate a lethal third stack if any other of Aleister's abilities landed during that time.

Then there's Magic Prison. It works a little differently to how you'd expect. Rather than being another placable AOE ability that roots a target in place, this one is a conal strike that requires Aleister's attention to hold. Cancelled upon movement and stemming from just in front of his hitbox, Magic Prison stuns the target for up to 2.5 seconds as long as Aleister is able to hold still.

[removed]Due to Aleister's relatively low defences, getting up close is a dangerous thing for him to attempt. For that reason, he's best used to poke the enemy from afar for most of the match. Matrix of Woe and its long-lasting effects make this is a great skill to focus on for the majority of the game.

Grab Matrix of Woe at the start of just about any match-up as if can shave off a decent amount of a target's HP early on. Magic Barrier should come with your first level up, with Matrix of Woe vying for that next point. At level 4 you'll want to unlock Magic Prison to complete your combo setup, but go straight back into prioritising Matrix of Woe for each available point after that. It's Aleister's safest skill to fire off and one of his more potent in most situations. Sure, it doesn't do much to control the opposite team in bigger fights, but the sudden stun and movement-restricting effects of your other abilities are still potent enough without their damage scaling up with additional points early on.

Talents
[removed]Although fairly well equipped to keep his opponent's at arms length, Aleister struggles to retreat in hurry. It may not become available until much later into your Arena of Valor career, but Flicker can help enormously when it comes to setting up a key position before a fight or quickly retreating from the threat. Due to its finicky use, you usually have to anticipate when you'll need to pop Flicker to ensure it doesn't send you further into the fight. If you've already been caught by the enemy, it probably won't help matters. Instead, use its availability as a reason to get a little closer to the action, throw out your combo and quickly blink away while it does its job. Try to refrain from follow-up auto-attacks – especially if you don't have Zweihander on hand.

If you're not up for risking life and limb for a kill, taking Sprint can serve a similar purpose while being a little less of an edge case. Sprint is a straight-forward skill that drastically increases Aleister's chances of survival. Best used right after throwing out Magic Barrier, whether or not you manage to catch a foe in their tracks isn't the focus. It's already caused them to veer slightly off course either way, so just pop Sprint and retreat back to safety. In other situations, it can be used to get close enough to the action to throw out another Magic Barrier to stop anyone hoping to retreat from a sticky situation. Most builds will have Aleister going for pure damage over speed-boosting boots, so he typically needs all the help he can get when it comes to chasing those looking to dodge death.

As a last resort, Endure can be taken if you absolutely trust your team to prey on those singled out by your abilities. There's a strong chance Aleister will become the target of choice once he's close enough to cause his signature mischief, so being able to essentially step out of the fight after firing off his combo should give his allies more time to deliver the decisive blow before he starts to see the light.

Items
With a heavy reliance on casting abilities and spells early on, Aleister's mana can take a huge hit in the early game. To combat this, we build into Virtue's Bracelet as quickly as possible. It doesn't award mana quite as quickly as building into Orb of the Magi, but it provides more of that all-important Cooldown Speed by the end of it. Gaining additional mana on kills and assists should serve as motivation to get involved.

From there we're banking on Zweihander and Boomstick to serve a similar purpose. We won't see an immediate benefit from Zweihander's increase auto-attacks, but that will change as we scale our Ability Power more throughout the match. The main point here is to speed up the rate at which we're able to trigger Wicked Plot while significantly increasing the damage sent out to achieve it. Boomstick, on the other hand, serves to increase the potency of our Matrix of Woe by dealing additional AOE damage at the start of a bigger brawl. This becomes a consistently strong opening attack that can give a clear advantage to your team in stalemate sitautions. Poking from a distance will trigger the Boomstick explosion, so don't be afraid to linger around at low health if you're certain the risk can really pay off for your team.

From here, the next preferred item pick depends entirely on the current situation or the player's own choice. If you're having no problem dispatching enemies, Apocalypse should serve you well. Not for the faint of heart, this once again plays into your auto-attacks and commitment to stacking Wicket Plot by turning each Ability cast into a trigger for a more powerful auto-attack. If weaved in with each of Aleister's rapid casts, it can quickly overwhelm an opponent. Those looking for a more defensive option can go Rhea's Blessing. It might not offer the same Ability Power, but the Cooldown Speed reduction remains the same while granting shields and Magic Life Steal that could keep a more brittle Aleister from having to recall too often.

From there, the undisputed picks of Aleister's repertoire remain Hecate's Diadem and Holy of Holies. Both of these serve a single purpose – to turn each ability into a move of pure devastation. Massive amounts of Ability Power play with the raw percentage increase of Hecate's Diadem, aided even more by a staggering HP/Ability Power increase from Holy of Holies. With Magic Penetration on top, this also serves as the gateway to Aleister finally being able to take on those tanks that have caused him so much trouble thus far.

Arcana
Arcana picks can be a little tricky once tiers start to deviate away from core stats. As ever, Aleister craves raw killing power, making Red arcana shine with their unparalleled Ability Power increases. Attack Speed can sometimes come into this, but we still tend to rely on rapidly weaving Abilities to care too much about minor increases here. For higher-tier picks, Corruption is a wise choice.

Magic Life Steal is a great place to focus your efforts when it comes to Purple arcana. Aleister can't really be saved when it comes to his lack of raw defenses, so increasing Max HP doesn't really stand out here. Instead, we hope to have him become self-sustainable on the battlefield by shying away from fatal attacks and heal any minor scratches through his own stubborn aggression. Magic Life Steal gained through arcana like Revelation helps while awarding extra Ability Power at the same time. Two birds with one spell.

Usually specced out to increase defensive capabilities, Green arcana can grant generous offensive and defence opportunities; so it's your choice here, really. Corrosion is a great choice for any player looking to really dish out the pain with both additional Ability Power and Magic Pierce helping to break through bulky tanks. If you're usually looking to cripple heroes similar to yourself, Spellbound can keep you alive in duels while Assault can help in multi-target team battles where additional cooldown reduction is key. If you're prone to risky ventures, focus on pure Armor here to keep fast melee champions from ripping through you.

Early Game
[removed]No matter which lane you happen to find yourself on as Aleister, the goal remains the same – power up as soon as possible. Grabbing Matrix of Woe as your first Ability is all you'll need to harass your opponent enough to buy time. You won't have much chance to kill them through ticking damage and slow, weak auto-attacks, but the pressure can be used to hold them off long enough for a Jungler or roamer to sneak up for the killing blow.

Try to orchestrate these types of assaults and prepare for their execution. Keep both Matrix of Woe and Magic Barrier on hand to root your enemy in the middle of a burning field of magic. Their movement should be easily predicted by your approaching backup. Firing off this combo as they watch from the brush should give more than enough reason for them to launch into the fray.

Mid Game
[removed]Your performance in the mid-game can really make or break the match here. Aleister enjoys a fairly uninterrupted early game, but begins to show his lack of defense as things go on. Here, you'll start to learn who's going to oppose you the most and will begin to harbor a strong hate for any melee or ranged attack who's quick on their feet. Due to the time and focus needed to position your AOE skills, plenty of attackers will dodge them, usually accidentally, if you're not careful. Lacking a decent range on his auto-attack, losing access to his abilities drastically reduces the effectiveness of Aleister as a whole – one of the main reasons we tend to focus on Cooldown Speed reduction through item choices.

Called upon for strong crowd-control capabilities, Aleister plays a vital role in giving his allies a target to focus on. Rooting them in place while dropping high-damage attacks underfoot it his forté, and his teammates are always looking for these tell-tale signs when it comes to really stepping up the fight. You're someone safe from one-hit combos early into the mid-game phase, so take this opportunity to play aggressively. Stand as one with your team try to throw out at many Matrix of Woe/Magic Barrier combos as you can and hope that your team joins in to finish off those you're melting down.

With your strong mana regeneration, Matrix of Woe can be used to quickly mop up minions along the lanes, too. Try to keep on top of that gold accumulation. You're not great against the towers or jungle creatures, but you're strong when it comes to pushing out lanes. Use any free opportunity to follow through with this to speed up your Ability Power acquisition.

Late Game
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Whether you're rocking a full equipment set or not, late-game Aleister play is a double-edged sword. Able to annihilate enemies in a few short casts, Aleister's full combo requires him to be very close to the eye of the storm. Melee champions can't do much to dodge his attacks from close-range, but they can surely kill Aleister with a faster finger. Think of each team fight as a two-stage affair – harass and execute.

Start things off by attacking from afar with simple Matrix of Woe drops every few seconds. They'll cause a lot of positional issues for the enemy that should hopefully play in your team's favor. Boomstick triggers should play well with the piercing effect of Hecate's Diadem well here. Just focus on sustainable damage rather than a kill-combos for now.

Once enough damage as gone out, step a little close and pick out a target. Drop your usual 1-2 combo underfoot and follow up with Magic Prison to let everything take a fatal turn. Try not to dwell too much on those auto-attack triggers; they're too slow and you don't really have time to fly that close to the sun. If you've targeted an enemy who's already taken a few too many to the chin, this combo should be enough to finish them off. Otherwise, you're hoping for a teammate to use the downtime of your Magic Prison to aid in their own way. Remember; moving will cancel Magic Prison. The aim is to make sure the targeted enemy is taking damage throughout the cast, which is why we hold them within our own spells.

Before all this, just take a step back. Only risk your life when the fight is entirely in your favor. With so much crowd-control potential, you're a strong asset to the fight both at the start and at the end. Stay behind your allies and just try to cause as much mischief as possible through harsh damaging fields, stuns and slowdown effects. You'll be putting a stop to your opponent's potential damage output and even causing severe mobility issues. Then, once everything is back under control, go in for the hard-hitting combos. Without all that, your team will feel the pain.

Just steer clear of physical attackers. They'll knock you down in no time at all

FAQ/Tips
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Aleister can typically cast his Matrix of Woe/Magic Barrier combo while on the move, making for an offensive retreat down a lane.

Try not to rely on auto-aiming Aleister's abilities. The moment one misses its mark, most will take advantage of that mistake.

Magic Prison requires a 2.5 second channel time to properly execute. Using this with too many enemies around will typically waste its use or, worse, get you killed. Don't use it as a getaway ability.

Short recast times make Aleister a great sustainable damage-dealer.

Focus on constant ability usage over triggering Wicked Plot through auto-attacks. It'll happen anyway.

His frequent and large attacks enable him to hold enemies at vital chokes; like lane entrances.

Matchups


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Aleister plays best behind a strong team, and doesn't always have to rely on stalwart allies to hold is targets in place. He can rack up higher damage by using Matrix of Woe before rooting an enemy within, but reversing the use of these abilities can make targeting a little easier.

Those facing off against Aleister should know that his burst damage can come frequently, but needs a steady hand to pull off well. Try to move unpredictably, but keep an eye out for Magic Barrier – especially if you haven't seen Matrix of Woe for 4+ seconds. If you have, you can typically afford to be a little more aggressive. Walking through his Matrix will incur high damage, but it won't slow you down. Tanks can pursue through Aleister's abilities no problem, but faster physical attackers like Butterfly and Valhein will have to focus on their raw power to get the job done.

When closing in on Aleister, save any stuns for when you're just a step or two away from him. This is typically the only chance he has to drop a 1-2-3 combo underfoot to aim for a stun kill, but beating him to the trigger is usually the nail in the coffin. Again, tanks rarely need to fear his abilities and those with gap-closers – like Thane – can make quick work of him if he's without backup.

As with any magical attacker, Aleister is best paired with anyone carrying Soaring Aura for that extra Magic Resist deduction – so picks like Gildur and Chaugnar are great here. Similarly, Alice's massive 'Hissy Fit' gives Aleister plenty of reason to throw his abilities around. Playing as Aleister is little more than attacking from a distance before heading in to finish what remains. On his own, he's very vulnerable.