Skins
Counters
Base Stats
Gameplay Ratings
Attack
Defense
Magic
Per Level
Abilities
E
Shifting Sands
Azir shields himself briefly and dashes to one of his Sand Soldiers, damaging enemies. If he hits an enemy champion, he instantly readies a new Sand Soldier for deployment and halts his dash.
Passive
Shurima's Legacy
Azir can summon the Disc of the Sun from the ruins of allied or enemy turrets.
Q
Conquering Sands
Azir sends all Sand Soldiers towards a location. Sand Soldiers deal magic damage to enemies they pass through and apply a slow for 1 second.
R (Ultimate)
Emperor's Divide
Azir summons a wall of soldiers which charge forward, knocking back and damaging enemies.
W
Arise!
Azir summons a Sand Soldier to attack nearby targets for him, replacing his basic attack against targets within the soldier's range. Their attacks deal magic damage to enemies in a line.
Playing As Azir
- -Be careful about putting down both of the soldiers stored by Arise! Unless you're going all-in, always have a soldier in your back pocket if you need to escape over a wall or if you misposition your other soldier and need damage now.
- -In the lane, try to position your soldiers between the enemy's minions and the enemy champion. This way you can use them both to last hit and to project threat onto your lane opponent.
- -Think of Emperor's Divide as a defensive ability first and foremost. Use it when the enemy engages on you or your allies. Remember that your team can walk through the soldiers summoned by Emperor's Divide and use this to your advantage when enemy melee champions engage on you.
- -Be a bird!
Playing Against Azir
- -Azir relies on his soldiers to deal damage and can only move them so often. Try to capitalize on windows of time when his soldiers are stationary.
- -Azir has immense damage over a prolonged amount of time but lacks the upfront burst of other mages. Try to burst him out before he can turn a confrontation around.
- -Try to think of Sand Soldiers as fire. Don't stand in the fire.
Lore
Azir was a mortal emperor of Shurima in a far distant age, a proud man who stood at the cusp of immortality. His hubris saw him betrayed and murdered at the moment of his greatest triumph, but now, millennia later, he has been reborn as an Ascended being of immense power. With his buried city risen from the sand, Azir seeks to restore Shurima to its former glory.
About Azir, the Emperor of the Sands
Azir was a mortal emperor of Shurima in a far distant age, a proud man who stood at the cusp of immortality. His hubris saw him betrayed and murdered at the moment of his greatest triumph, but now, millennia later, he has been reborn as an Ascended being of immense power. With his buried city risen from the sand, Azir seeks to restore Shurima to its former glory.
How to Play Azir
Playing Azireffectively comes down to understanding the champion's role, combo patterns, and power spikes. As a mage, Azir benefits from the recommended runes and core items shown above, which reflect the current meta across ranked play.
Strengths & Ally Tips
- Be careful about putting down both of the soldiers stored by Arise! Unless you're going all-in, always have a soldier in your back pocket if you need to escape over a wall or if you misposition your other soldier and need damage now.
- In the lane, try to position your soldiers between the enemy's minions and the enemy champion. This way you can use them both to last hit and to project threat onto your lane opponent.
- Think of Emperor's Divide as a defensive ability first and foremost. Use it when the enemy engages on you or your allies. Remember that your team can walk through the soldiers summoned by Emperor's Divide and use this to your advantage when enemy melee champions engage on you.
- Be a bird!
Playing Against Azir
- Azir relies on his soldiers to deal damage and can only move them so often. Try to capitalize on windows of time when his soldiers are stationary.
- Azir has immense damage over a prolonged amount of time but lacks the upfront burst of other mages. Try to burst him out before he can turn a confrontation around.
- Try to think of Sand Soldiers as fire. Don't stand in the fire.
Azir Counters and Matchups
Azir's toughest matchup this patch is Sett. Conversely, Azir performs strongly into Swain.
Difficulty and Who Should Play Azir
Riot rates Azir's difficulty at 9/10. Azir rewards mastery and has a steep learning curve — expect to spend dozens of games before seeing the payoff.

