Starter items

Core items

Offensive items

Defensive items

Hello! Nick here, making a guide for one of my favorite DC characters, Lex Luthor!

Firstly, Let's review a few tips of top laning--
As a top laner in Coast city, you're more often than not going to be in the lane on your lonesome, so be careful with how deep you go into enemy lines, and always be watchful of your surroundings. When you do get graced by the arrival of your Jungler for a gank, be equally courteous and join in, focusing whomever you need to to gain that kill.

Alright, for starters let's go over the amplifiers/mods I've selected.

I choose the Enhanced Fatality's Energy Lance for the extra damage early game.

The Empowered Cosmic Staff is ideal in that it's skill hit effect damage is increased favorably. This means every time Lex's drone's hit an opponent, they'll apply this effect.

The Empowered Psi-scimitar gives you all the sustainability you'll need as Lex Luthor, both in solo laning and a team fight., with the added bonus of an empowered basic effect.

Side note for Lex Luthor new players-
Lex plays differently in that, as other champions are in the thick of it, Lex has the range to hover and orbit around the fight, never going in the fight. After placing drones, move out of the way, get clear of the fight and don't become collateral damage. Augment your drones accordingly with the same caution!


So, let's begin!

After you and your team invade (If you do), get to lane and begin taking down enemy minions. Since the drones you put out will target it's nearest target, (Intelligently) harass your opponent by placing drones nearest to them to bully them out of farming your minions. If you do take this aggressive route, make sure you get clear of the enemies range of retaliation. Once you hit Level two, make sure you go straight for Lex's "E"-skill; CRITICAL MASS. With this, place drones near the enemy and immediately augment it with your "E". This will definitely take your competitor down a peg. All the while farming, upgrade Fatality's Lance to tier 3 and stop there. Upgrading the Lance to tier 3 provides you with cheap and credit-efficient power and power penetration in early game. This is when you begin saving for the Psi-Scimitar, and rank that up to Tier 3 as quickly as possible. This weapon, as I covered before, gives you the will regeneration you need to keep you in lane, and in late game, prolonged team fights.

If you are ganked while top laning, never fear! as soon as you estimate when they'll be closer, place a drone or two in the direction you're running slightly ahead of you, then augment said drone(s) with your "W" skill, tactical disruption. If you placed your drone correctly, you may very well not only have stunned your pursuer, but augmenting your sentry will make it's attacks slow it's targets. Usually, in my experience being ganked, I've placed the sentry in front of me enough that by the time the chasing enemy get's to me, we're on top of my placed drone. With the stunned/slowed enemy, you can safely make your way back to base.
When managing to push your opponent out of lane, and they are damaged so badly that they are hanging on to dear life, see if you can make them out without getting under their turret. If you can see them, I'd recommend Orbitial Remediation. His ultimate can move in the direction a player typically moves in--straight.

When you have enough credits and fully ranked your Psi-Scimitar, move onto the Cosmic Staff and get that item to Tier 3, followed by Neron's Contract, then move onto Atlantean Royal Seal. Neron's Contract is fantastic on Lex Luthor, but it has to be used smartly to get the bang for your buck. In a team fight especially, after you've placed three Sentries out and augmented them with Critical Mass, and you're low on health. Hit that contract and go invincible. The opponents focusing you won't realize what's happening until it's much too late-- On the off chance they do realize, they won't be getting far enough in time due to Skill Harrier effects. The opponent team will get melted down like so much slag; This strategy usually get's me a triple kill or double kill. As an added bonus, if Oribital Remediation is available, use that too before going down into Neron's bubble. Fitting, that a ruthless business man makes great use of a contract, eh? If you can't or do not like this little strategy, never fear! You can substitute this item by taking up the Book of Eternity. This willl give you that added Penetration.

By the late game, you should already be hitting the credit amounts to go into the Starheart and topping off your Fatality Lance, and, if you need it, Eclipso's Diamond can substitute the Atlantean Royal Seal.

As far as skill upgrading goes, make sure you first level up his entire kit, and then move on to upgrading his "R", followed by his "Q" , then his passive and his following skills. The Sentries and their links are good ways to damage the enemy, and ranking up your Sentry gives you stronger game pieces.

The last, and most important piece of advice I can give you for playing Lex Luthor, is:
Remember this is a co-operative team game! Stick by your team members and stay behind them when engaging the enemy team. As per his character in the comic books, Lex Luthor fights his battles from behind safe distances, playing the field using his team and machines to do his dirty work.

So have fun out there, and take out your opponents effortlessly as Lex Corps Sentr-- I mean Lex Luthor!