Skip to content
Riftback

Skarner

the Crystal Vanguard

CClassic SRJungleTopFighter · TankPre-rework kit
Patch 26.19 · updated 2026-09-23

Quick build

Utility Tank

Full build
JungleClassic SR0/21/9 masteries
Max
SmiteFlash

First buy

Core

  • Spirit of the Ancient Golem
  • Boots of Mobility
  • Sunfire Cape

Loadout

Jungle · AD Standard · 0/21/9 masteries

Report an error

Overview

Difficulty
Difficulty 4 of 10
Class
Fighter, Tank
Released
· later addition

Base stats

Health
536+96
HP regen
1.67+0.17
Mana
245+40
Mana regen
1.38+0.09
Attack
58.3+4.2
Armor
26.8+3.8
MR
31.25+1.25
Move speed
345
Range
125
Attack speed
0.625+2.1%

Abilities

P, Energize

Pre-rework

Description

Basic attacks reduce Skarner's ability cooldowns by 0.5 seconds, doubled to 1 second against champions.

Build

Each build as its own page: Utility Tank (Jungle) · Hybrid On-Hit (Top)

JungleClassic SR
Max
SmiteFlash

  1. First buy

  2. Early

    • Spirit Stone
    • Kindlegem

    Toward Spirit of the Ancient Golem.

  3. Core

    • Spirit of the Ancient Golem
    • Boots of Mobility
    • Sunfire Cape

  4. Late

    • Iceborn Gauntlet
    • Locket of the Iron Solari
    • Ruby Sightstone

  5. Full build

    • Spirit of the Ancient Golem
    • Boots of Mobility
    • Sunfire Cape
    • Iceborn Gauntlet
    • Locket of the Iron Solari
    • Ruby Sightstone

Runes & masteries

0/21/9 · Jungle

AD Standard

Marks
  • 9× +1 Attack Damage
Seals
  • 9× +1 Armor
Glyphs
  • 9× +1.4 Magic Resist
Quintessences
  • 3× +26 Health

Page total

Armor
+9
Attack Damage
+9
Health
+78
Magic Resist
+12.6
Summoner's WrathSummoner's WrathUp to 1 rankImproves the Summoner Spells Exhaust, Ignite, Ghost, Surge, Rally, and PromoteFuryFuryUp to 4 ranks+1% Attack Speed per rankSorcerySorceryUp to 4 ranks+1% Cooldown Reduction per rankButcherButcherUp to 2 ranksBasic attacks deal 2/4 bonus damage to minions and monsters
DeadlinessDeadlinessUp to 4 ranks+0.166/0.333/0.498/0.664 Attack Damage per levelBlastBlastUp to 4 ranks+0.25/0.5/0.75/1 Ability Power per levelDestructionDestructionUp to 1 rankIncrease damage to turrets by 5%
HavocHavocUp to 3 ranksIncreases damage dealt by 0.67%/1.33%/2%Weapon ExpertiseWeapon ExpertiseUp to 1 rank+8% Armor PenetrationArcane KnowledgeArcane KnowledgeUp to 1 rank+8% Magic Penetration
LethalityLethalityUp to 2 ranks+2.5%/5% Critical Strike Damage (5%/10% for melee)Brute ForceBrute ForceUp to 2 ranks+1.5/3 Attack DamageMental ForceMental ForceUp to 3 ranks+2/4/6 Ability PowerSpellswordSpellswordUp to 1 rankDeals 5% of your Ability Power as magic damage on basic attacks
FrenzyFrenzyUp to 1 rankGrants 10% attack speed for 2 seconds after landing a critical hitSunderSunderUp to 3 ranks+2/4/6 LethalityArchmageArchmageUp to 4 ranksIncreases Ability Power by 1.25%/2.5%/3.75%/5%
ExecutionerExecutionerUp to 1 rank · CapstoneIncreases damage dealt by 5% to targets below 50% Health

offense0

Summoner's Resolve (1 of 1 ranks)Summoner's Resolve1 / 1 ranksImproves the Summoner Spells Cleanse, Heal, Smite, Barrier, and FortifyPerseverancePerseveranceUp to 3 ranksGrants up to +2/4/6 Health Regen per 5 seconds based on missing HealthDurability (4 of 4 ranks)Durability4 / 4 ranks+1.5/3/4.5/6 Health per levelTough Skin (2 of 2 ranks)Tough Skin2 / 2 ranksReduces damage taken from monsters by 1/2
Hardiness (3 of 3 ranks)Hardiness3 / 3 ranks+2/4/6 ArmorResistanceResistanceUp to 3 ranks+2/4/6 Magic ResistBladed Armor (1 of 1 ranks)Bladed Armor1 / 1 ranksDeals 6 damage to any enemy monster that attacks you
Unyielding (2 of 2 ranks)Unyielding2 / 2 ranksReduces damage taken from enemy champions by 1/2RelentlessRelentlessUp to 2 ranksReduces the effectiveness of slows by 7.5%/15%Veteran's Scars (1 of 1 ranks)Veteran's Scars1 / 1 ranks+30 HealthSafeguard (1 of 1 ranks)Safeguard1 / 1 ranksReduces damage taken from turrets by 5%
Block (1 of 1 ranks)Block1 / 1 ranksReduces damage taken from champion basic attacks by 3TenaciousTenaciousUp to 3 ranksReduces the duration of crowd control effects by 5%/10%/15%Juggernaut (3 of 3 ranks)Juggernaut3 / 3 ranksIncreases your maximum Health by 1.5%/2.75%/4%
Defender (1 of 1 ranks)Defender1 / 1 ranksGrants +1 Armor and Magic Resist for each nearby enemy championLegendary ArmorLegendary ArmorUp to 3 ranksIncreases bonus Armor and Magic Resist by +2%/4%/6%Good HandsGood HandsUp to 1 rankReduce time spent dead by 10%Reinforced ArmorReinforced ArmorUp to 1 rankReduce damage taken from critical strikes by 10%
Honor Guard (1 of 1 ranks)Honor Guard1 / 1 ranks · CapstoneReduces damage taken from all sources by 3%

defense21

Summoner's Insight (1 of 1 ranks)Summoner's Insight1 / 1 ranksImproves the Summoner Spells Teleport, Flash, Clarity, Revive, and Clairvoyance.Wanderer (3 of 3 ranks)Wanderer3 / 3 ranksGrants +0.66%/1.33%/2% increased Movement Speed when out of combatMeditationMeditationUp to 3 ranks+1/2/3 Mana Regen per 5 secondsImproved Recall (1 of 1 ranks)Improved Recall1 / 1 ranksReduces the cast time of Recall by 1 second
ScoutScoutUp to 1 rankWards gain 25% increased vision range for the first 3 seconds after placing themMastermind (3 of 3 ranks)Mastermind3 / 3 ranksReduces the cooldown of Summoner Spells by 4%/7%/10%Expanded MindExpanded MindUp to 3 ranks+4/7/10 mana per levelArtificerArtificerUp to 2 ranksReduces the cooldown of activated items by 7.5%/15%
GreedGreedUp to 4 ranksGrants an additional +0.5/1/1.5/2 gold every 10 secondsRunic Affinity (1 of 1 ranks)Runic Affinity1 / 1 ranksIncreases the duration of neutral monster buffs by 20%VampirismVampirismUp to 3 ranks+1%/2%/3% Lifesteal and Spell VampBiscuiteerBiscuiteerUp to 1 rankStart the game with a regenerative biscuit that restores 80 Health and 50 Mana over 10 seconds
WealthWealthUp to 2 ranksIncreases starting gold by 40/75AwarenessAwarenessUp to 4 ranksIncreases Experience earned by 1.25%/2.5%/3.75%/5%Strength of SpiritStrength of SpiritUp to 3 ranksUp to +1/2/3 Health Regen per 5 seconds for each 400 Mana you possessExplorerExplorerUp to 1 rankStart the game with an Explorer's Ward.
PickpocketPickpocketUp to 1 rankGrants 5 gold (melee) or 3 gold (ranged) each time you basic attack an enemy champion (5s cooldown)IntelligenceIntelligenceUp to 3 ranks+2%/4%/6% Cooldown Reduction
NimbleNimbleUp to 1 rank · CapstoneGrants 3% increased Movement Speed

utility9

Skill order

Max order››
Skill order by level for Utility Tank
Lv123456789101112131415161718
Q1Q at level 14Q at level 45Q at level 57Q at level 79Q at level 9
W3W at level 314W at level 1415W at level 1517W at level 1718W at level 18
E2E at level 28E at level 810E at level 1012E at level 1213E at level 13
R6R at level 611R at level 1116R at level 16

Matchups

Strong against

  • KatarinaKatarinaImpaleImpaleRActive: Skarner stings the target enemy champion, dealing magic damage and suppressing them for 1.75 seconds, during which he can move freely and drag his victim around with him. When the effects end, the target is dealt the same magic damage again. drags Katarina back out of the fight she spent ShunpoShunpoEActive: Katarina blinks to the target unit and gains 15% damage reduction for 1.5 seconds. If the target is an enemy, she deals them magic damage. entering, and Death LotusDeath LotusRKatarina throws daggers at up to three nearby enemy Champions, dealing magic damage and applying Grievous Wounds. is a channel the suppression ends. Crystal SlashCrystal SlashQSkarner lashes out with his claws, dealing physical damage to all nearby enemies and charging himself with Crystal Energy for several seconds if a unit is struck. If he casts Crystal Slash again while powered by Crystal Energy, he deals bonus magic damage and slows all targets hit.'s slow means she does not get back in.Full matchup page
  • Master YiMaster YiImpaleImpaleRActive: Skarner stings the target enemy champion, dealing magic damage and suppressing them for 1.75 seconds, during which he can move freely and drag his victim around with him. When the effects end, the target is dealt the same magic damage again. is suppression, HighlanderHighlanderRMaster Yi gains Movement Speed and Attack Speed and becomes immune to slows. Champion kills refresh his cooldowns; assists refund half.'s speed and resets do nothing about being carried backwards, and Crystalline ExoskeletonCrystalline ExoskeletonWActive: Skarner shields himself for up to 6 seconds. While the shield persists, he also gains bonus attack speed and bonus movement speed. outlasts Yi's burst window.Full matchup page
  • TryndamereTryndamereUndying RageUndying RageRActive: Tryndamere's lust for battle becomes so strong that he becomes immune to death for 5 seconds and gains Fury. keeps Tryndamere alive while ImpaleImpaleRActive: Skarner stings the target enemy champion, dealing magic damage and suppressing them for 1.75 seconds, during which he can move freely and drag his victim around with him. When the effects end, the target is dealt the same magic damage again. carries him into Skarner's team, FractureFractureEActive: Skarner launches a blast of energy in the target direction, dealing magic damage and applying Crystal Mark on enemies hit for 6 seconds. Skarner can deal damage to these enemies to consume the mark and heal himself, with each subsequent heal being 50% less effective than the last. slows the walk back, and the five seconds run out somewhere he did not choose.Full matchup page

Weak against

  • TeemoTeemoSkarner has to arrive. Blinding DartBlinding DartQActive: Teemo shoots a dart at the target enemy that deals magic damage and blinds them for a duration. and Noxious TrapNoxious TrapRActive: Teemo tosses a poisonous mushroom to the target location that becomes stealthed after arming over 1 second, lasting for up to 10 minutes and granting sight of its surroundings. Teemo periodically stocks a Noxious Trap charge, up to 3. The mushroom will explode upon enemy contact, inflicting poison to nearby enemies and slowing them for 4 seconds, as well as revealing them. mean he arrives slowly and hits nothing when he does, while Toxic ShotToxic ShotEPassive: Teemo's basic attacks are empowered to deal bonus magic damage on-hit and inflict poison. poison: The target takes magic damage every second over 4 seconds. Subsequent inflictions refresh the duration. chips through Crystalline ExoskeletonCrystalline ExoskeletonWActive: Skarner shields himself for up to 6 seconds. While the shield persists, he also gains bonus attack speed and bonus movement speed. from outside ImpaleImpaleRActive: Skarner stings the target enemy champion, dealing magic damage and suppressing them for 1.75 seconds, during which he can move freely and drag his victim around with him. When the effects end, the target is dealt the same magic damage again.'s range.Full matchup page
  • VayneVayneCondemnCondemnEActive: Vayne fires a heavy bolt at the target enemy that deals physical damage and knocks them back 475 units, though not through terrain. If the target collides with terrain, they take the same physical damage and become stunned for 1.5 seconds. answers the ImpaleImpaleRActive: Skarner stings the target enemy champion, dealing magic damage and suppressing them for 1.75 seconds, during which he can move freely and drag his victim around with him. When the effects end, the target is dealt the same magic damage again. approach outright, and TumbleTumbleQActive: Vayne dashes a fixed distance in the target direction, though not through terrain, and empowers her next basic attack within 3 seconds to deal bonus physical damage. Tumble resets Vayne's basic attack timer. keeps Vayne at a range where Crystal SlashCrystal SlashQSkarner lashes out with his claws, dealing physical damage to all nearby enemies and charging himself with Crystal Energy for several seconds if a unit is struck. If he casts Crystal Slash again while powered by Crystal Energy, he deals bonus magic damage and slows all targets hit. never charges EnergizeEnergizePassiveBasic attacks lower all ability cooldowns by 0.5 seconds. Double effect when attacking champions.. Silver BoltsSilver BoltsWPassive: Vayne's basic attacks on-hit and Condemn apply a stack of Silver Bolts for 3.5 seconds, refreshing on subsequent applications, expiring upon attacking a new enemy, and stacking up to 3 times. The third stack consumes them all to deal bonus true damage, with a minimum threshold. Silver Bolts is capped at 200 damage against monsters. handles the shield.Full matchup page
  • OlafOlafRagnarokRagnarokRActive: Olaf becomes enraged for 6 seconds, cleansing himself of all crowd control and becoming immune to them, as well as gaining bonus armor, bonus magic resistance, and lethality. answers the suppression Skarner's entire kit is built around, and UndertowUndertowQActive: Olaf throws an axe to the target location that deals physical damage to enemies it passes through and slows them decaying over 2.5 seconds. The axe remains in place for a duration equal to Undertow's cooldown, granting sight of its surroundings for 0.5 seconds. Olaf can pick up the axe to reduce Undertow's cooldown by 4.5 seconds.'s slow stops the approach that would have set it up.Full matchup page
  • MorganaMorganaBlack ShieldBlack ShieldEActive: Morgana grants a shield to the target allied champion or herself for 5 seconds, which absorbs incoming magic damage and grants crowd control immunity while it holds. blanks ImpaleImpaleRActive: Skarner stings the target enemy champion, dealing magic damage and suppressing them for 1.75 seconds, during which he can move freely and drag his victim around with him. When the effects end, the target is dealt the same magic damage again. - the entire reason Skarner exists - and turns his engage into an empty walk forward.Full matchup page
  • AsheAsheEnchanted Crystal ArrowEnchanted Crystal ArrowRActive: Ashe fires a massive arrow of ice in the target direction, briefly granting sight of the area it flies through. The arrow shatters upon hitting an enemy champion, dealing them magic damage, stunning them for 1–3.5 seconds, and granting sight of the area around them for 1 second. Enemies surrounding the primary target are dealt 50% damage and slowed by 50% for 3 seconds. starts fights from a screen away, and permanent Frost ShotFrost ShotQToggle: Ashe's basic attacks slow enemies hit for 2 seconds. slows mean Skarner never reaches ImpaleImpaleRActive: Skarner stings the target enemy champion, dealing magic damage and suppressing them for 1.75 seconds, during which he can move freely and drag his victim around with him. When the effects end, the target is dealt the same magic damage again. range.Full matchup page

Classic vs modern5 recorded kit changes

Source kit

League Classic

5 changes

Compared with

Current League

Classic

Energize

Basic attacks lower all ability cooldowns by 0.5 seconds. Double effect when attacking champions.

Current League

Threads of Vibration

Skarner's Attacks, Shattered Earth, Upheaval, and Impale, apply Quaking. At max stacks of Quaking, enemies take max Health magic damage over its duration.

Coming from current LeagueNothing here rams, dashes, goes unstoppable or slams terrain; engagement comes from Q's slow and W's movement speed followed by a hard single-target suppression, and the Q empowered state buffs basic attacks so continued attacking (not just Q spam) matters.
Remembering Skarner in 2013Classic is the pre-V4.2 Skarner; V4.2 removed the empowered-attack slow, removed Fracture's heal, and changed W's movement speed, anyone remembering 2014-2015 'old Skarner' is missing the slow-and-heal package Classic has.
Base-stat shifts13
Base health
Classic: 536Current League: 630
Health per level
Classic: 96Current League: 110
Health regen
Classic: 1.67Current League: 7.5
Base mana
Classic: 245Current League: 320
Base attack damage
Classic: 58.3Current League: 63
Attack damage per level
Classic: 4.2Current League: 0
Base armor
Classic: 26.8Current League: 33
Armor per level
Classic: 3.8Current League: 4.5
Base magic resist
Classic: 31.25Current League: 32
Magic resist per level
Classic: 1.25Current League: 2.05
Move speed
Classic: 345Current League: 335
Attack range
Classic: 125Current League: 150
Attack speed per level
Classic: 2.1%Current League: 2%

Skins

  • Skarner

  • Earthrune Skarner

  • Battlecast Alpha Skarner

  • Guardian of the Sands Skarner

  • Cosmic Sting Skarner

Skarner has 1 more skin in Classic with no English name, not shown here.

History & Notes

Released 2011-08-09, part of the 2009–2013 wave Classic drew its roster from. Classic ships the pre-rework kit, frozen at patch 3.13.24. The modern game plays a different champion, compared under “Vs. modern”. Riot's next 3 balance steps after the freeze are listed below.

Changed after 3.13

  1. V4.2
    • Stats, Base attack speed reduced to 0.619 from 0.625.
    • Crystal Slash, Removed: Slow on empowered attack.
    • Crystal Slash, New Effect: Skarner gains 8/10/12/14/16% attack speed when hitting enemy units, stacking up to 3 times.
    • Crystalline Exoskeleton, Cooldown reduced to 16 seconds from 18.
    • Crystalline Exoskeleton, New Effect: Bonus movement speed increases over 3 seconds to 16/20/24/28/32% from a flat 15/17/19/21/23%.
    • Crystalline Exoskeleton, Removed: Bonus attack speed.
  2. V4.3
    • Crystal Slash, Mana cost reduced to 16/18/20/22/24 from 20/22/24/26/28.
    • Fracture, Slow increased to 45/50/55/60/65% from 30/35/40/45/50%.
  3. V4.4
    • Fracture, Projectile width increased to 70 from 60.
    • Fracture, Projectile speed increased to 1500 from 1400.
Contributors
Reio