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The Wise and Powerful Wizard Merlin! - Season 8.1

12 14 14,048

5.5

by updated

Smite God: Merlin

Tap Mouse over an item or ability icon for detailed info

Build Summary

Starting Build

Book of Souls

Healing Potion

Mana Potion

Merlin's Skill Order

Eclipse / Radiate / Frostbolt

1 X

1 4 6 7 9

Vortex / Dragonfire / Blizzard

2 A

2 8 10 11 12

Flicker

3 B

3 13 14 15 16

Elemental Mastery

4 Y

5 17 18 19 20

1 4 6 7 9

Eclipse / Radiate / Frostbolt

1 X

Eclipse (Arcane): Merlin conjures an orb of condensed celestial energy that grows in size as it travels, dealing damage every 0.4s and marking Enemies hit.
Enemies marked take additional damage if they stay within the outer range of Eclipse.

Ability Type: Circle, Damage
Initial Arcane Damage: 40 / 60 / 80 / 100 / 120 (+55% of your Magical Power)
Arcane Damage Per Tick: 5 / 15 / 25 / 35 / 45 (+8% of your Magical Power)
Arcane Range/Radius: 60/15,25)
Arcane Duration: 3s
Arcane Cooldown: 14s

Radiate (Fire): Merlin channels a beam of intense fire for 2s that deals damage every 0.25s. Each time Radiate hits an Enemy, it also applies a Burn, dealing additional damage over time.

Ability Type: Line, Damage
Fire Damage Per Tick: 8 / 14 / 20 / 26 / 32 (+18% of your Magical Power)
Fire Burn Damage: 5 / 10 / 15 / 20 / 25 (+5% of your Magical Power)
Fire Duration: 2s
Fire Range: 45
Fire Cooldown: 14 / 13.5 / 13 / 12.5 / 12s

Frostbolt (Ice): Merlin hurls a Frostbolt that explodes if it hits an Enemy, dealing an additional 15% damage if they are slowed.

Ability Type: Line, Damage
Ice Damage: 60 / 95 / 130 / 165 / 200 (+55% of your Magical Power)
Ice Range/Radius: 70 / 15
Ice Cooldown: 6s

Cost: 60

2 8 10 11 12

Vortex / Dragonfire / Blizzard

2 A

Vortex (Arcane): Merlin deploys a field of arcane energy at a location. After a delay, the Vortex deals damage and pulls Enemies towards the center.

Ability Type: Circle, Knockup, Damage
Arcane Damage: 50 / 80 / 110 / 140 / 170 (+60% of your Magical Power)
Range/Radius: 60 / 20
Cooldown: 16 / 15 / 14 / 13 / 12s

Dragonfire (Fire): Merlin summons forth two ethereal dragons that spout flames towards each other, dealing damage to Enemies every 0.25s. If caught in the center of the area, Enemy gods have their protections reduced. The dragons last for 3s.

Ability Type: Area, Debuff, Damage
Fire Damage Per Tick: 8 / 11 / 14 / 17 / 20 (+20% of your Magical Power)
Fire Protection Reduction: 4%
Fire Max Stacks: 4
Fire Duration: 4s
Range: 50
Cooldown: 16 / 15.5 / 15 / 14.5 / 14s

Blizzard (Ice): Merlin creates a Blizzard at a target location that lasts for 4s. After a brief delay, shards of ice start hurling down every 0.5s. Enemies hit take damage and progressively get more slowed while they stay within the area. Enemies hit take damage and progressively get more slowed while they stay within the area.

Ability Type: Circle, Slow, Damage
Ice Damage Per Tick: 10 / 25 / 40 / 55 / 70 (+15% of your Magical Power)
Ice Slow Per Stack: 8%
Ice Max Stacks: 5
Ice Duration: 2s
Range/Radius: 65 / 20
Cooldown (Vortex / Blizzard): 16 / 15 / 14 / 13 / 12s

Cost: 60 / 65 / 70 / 75 / 80

3 13 14 15 16

Flicker

3 B

Merlin quickly teleports a short distance in front of him.

Ability Type: Teleport
Range: 30
Cost: 70
Cooldown: 24 / 23 / 22 / 21 / 20s

5 17 18 19 20

Elemental Mastery

4 Y

Merlin taps into his inner potential, exploding with energy in the stance he is currently attuned to. During this time Merlin can choose which stance to enter into next.

After the explosion reaches its apex, it collapses in on itself. Enemies are dealt damage from the both the explosion and the implosion and suffer different effects depending on which stance's energy they are being hit by.

Ability Type: Circle, Crowd Control, Damage
Damage: 80 / 110 / 140 / 170 / 210 (+15% of your Magical Power)
Arcane: Knockup
Fire Damage Per Tick: 5 / 10 / 15 / 20 / 25 (+5% of your Magical Power)
Ice Slow: 20%
Slow Duration: 2s
Radius: 25
Cost: 40 / 50 / 60 / 70 / 80
Cooldown: 30 / 27.5 / 25 / 22.5 / 20s

Extended Build

Book of Thoth/CDR

Book of Thoth

Shoes of Focus

Chronos' Pendant

Gem of Isolation

Polynomicon

Bumba's Hammer

Replace Shoes of Focus/Situational

Telkhines Ring

Divine Ruin

Blink Rune

Purification Beads

Aegis Amulet

Belt of Frenzy

Introduction

So, you wanted to become the greatest wizard in all the land? Then come no further, for this guide shall teach you the ways of unlimited casting!

Items

Rather than purchasing a starting item, I'd recommend immediately going for Book of Thoth to capitalize on magical power, as it will be critical for this build; and technically is for the majority of mages.

The next two items to get your CDR up quickly so that you can utilize your spells and escape will be Shoes of Focus, and Chronos' Pendant. Having this early CDR, as well as a lot of mp5 coming in will help you in teammates and giving pressure.

Following up after these items will be Gem of Isolation. This will benefit many of your spells by keeping the enemy in your AOEs, especially while in your frost stance, as your blizzard stacks with this slow.

If you've been snowballing through this and have become level 20, you should immediately get Bumba's Hammer. This is where the fun begins. Because of Bumba's unique property at this time, if you stay in your frost stance, you can cast your 2, basic attack, cast your 1, basic attack, and repeat this. Or just do your 1 and basic over and over again. And because of Isolation slowing down the enemy, they are fundamentally helpless. The other great thing is because you're constantly casting and shooting (and gaining HP back), this will allow your escape to come back quicker, allowing you to engage and disengage more often.

If you're still on the slow end of things but still have some gold, or after you get Bumba, your next item will be Polynomicon, since not only does it stack nicely with Merlin's passive, but since you're shooting your frostbolts 24/7, it's just constant non-stop damage.

If you're not dealing with healers, you can add Telkhine's Ring, just to add the cherry on top of your overwhelming arsenal.

Summary

That is all I have for this time. Until Bumba gets nerfed, I'd suggest utilizing this build until then. Happy casting!

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this not a good build gem of iso is not a good pick for him

(3) |

has some surprising synergy with Merlin.

However: 10% pen and that's it? Only 10 Flat pen IF you choose to build after selling boots, I'm not sure about this one chief.

Also, I'd remove & and instead replace it with as a relic option.

I personally disagree with your comment saying that " is a critical item on the majority of mages" in my opinion, there are 2 maaaybbeee 3 critical items for the majority of mages, and in my opinion they are: - and

These are just my opinions of course.

Note: I don't think Spear is critical on Merlin

The reason for book of thoth is to have that higher damage output to benefit Polynomicon. Had this tested several times in multiple games and it works very well. Only reason why I didn't add Spear was because of the CDR, however you could replace boots for Rod. I've managed to tear down tanks while they drag their feet from the mix of Gem of Isolation and the blizzard hammering them down. I just made this build because it has worked very well for me, and I wanted to share it for others.

(143) |

This is more of a gimmick build, than one you'd probably want to run in an actual game. Granted, when you're full build with this item it is fairly potent on him. Though the build accompanying this item isn't good. I'd go something like boots tahuti divine soul gem coin/shard bumba's reaver if you wanted to make it work.

The reason that I went more CDR is to better utilize the hammer, as well as being able to switch his kit more frequently when need be. Like what I said to the other fellah, this has worked rather well for me so far. Yes you could could go for heavy pen and maybe hit a bit harder with your overall spells, however with this particular build it's meant to better utilize your hard hitting basic, as well as keeping the enemy slowed consistently. Enemies that are stuck make easier targets for both yourself, and your team.

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(143) |

You do realise that bumba's gives 20% cdr?

Yes I'm aware. That's why you have boots replaced in the end. In Conquest you'll normally be getting damage buff, but if you're ever playing Joust or Clash, you can either still go get damage buff, or get blue buff for the extra 10% (for 40% before getting Bumba's Hammer).

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The Wise and Powerful Wizard Merlin! - Season 8.1

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Table of Contents

Introduction

Items

Summary

The Wise and Powerful Wizard Merlin! - Season 8.1

Smite God: Merlin