League of Legends · Patch 26.13
Viego Jungle Hail of Blades Build Guide
The HoB crit path for Viego is what players are calling broken in patch 26.13 solo queue. Here is the exact rune setup, item order, pathing logic, and when to deviate.
Patch 26.13
Crit Build
Aggressive Early
Core idea: Hail of Blades gives burst autos that combo with Viego's many auto-reset abilities (Q, E, possession). Paired with crit scaling on Q and R, you delete squishy carries and chain possessions faster than any bruiser setup. Best vs 3+ squishies.
1Runes
Domination - Keystone
Hail of Blades
Grants 3 rapid attacks after a brief pause following a new champion target. Perfect with Viego's Q and possession auto-resets. Makes early ganks burst far harder than Conqueror ramp-up in squishy games.
Domination Row 2
Sudden Impact
Lethality burst after dashing - fires on Viego's W dash and E stasis every engage.
Domination Row 3
Sixth Sense / Eyeball Collector
Sixth Sense for vision / objective control. Eyeball Collector if you plan to get kills early and snowball harder.
Domination Row 4
Treasure Hunter
Gold for each unique takedown. Accelerates your first crit item spike faster than any other choice.
Precision Secondary
Triumph
Healing on takedown - keeps you alive through possession chains and multi-kills.
Precision Secondary
Legend: Alacrity (or Bloodline)
Alacrity for more HoB synergy attack speed. Bloodline if you need sustain in long games.
Shards: Attack Speed / Adaptive Force / Health (default). Swap third shard to Armor vs heavy AD or MR vs heavy AP enemy jungle.
2Item Build Order
1B
Serrated Dirk (first back)
Lethality + crit component setup. Buy this before completing any full item if possible. Sets up The Collector.
1
The Collector
Essential first item. Lethality, execute on low-health targets, and crit chance. The execute procs Viego's possession reset window. Fastest snowball item.
B
Plated Steelcaps (or Mercury Treads)
Buy tier 1 boots early for cost efficiency. Complete them or sell late game. Steelcaps vs AD-heavy comps, Mercs vs heavy CC.
2
Immortal Shieldbow
Shield keeps you alive through 1v1 fights and greedy dives. Solid damage and crit. Lets you overextend for possessions without dying.
3
Infinity Edge
The spike item. At 100% crit, Viego Q and R deal massive bonus damage. Players describe this as the "delete carry" power spike. Buy this third.
4
Lord Dominik's Regards (or Mortal Reminder)
LDR vs tanky enemies. Mortal Reminder vs healing-heavy comps. Buy earlier if enemies are stacking armor after seeing your build.
5
Guardian Angel (or Death's Dance)
Sell boots for this sixth item slot. GA for burst-heavy enemy comps. Death's Dance for sustained damage output and split-push scenarios.
3Skill Order and Early Levels
Max Q for damage and clear speed. E second for dueling. W last (you have mobility from items and dashes).
Q
>
E
>
W
Take R at level 6, 11, 16 as normal. Level 1: Q. Level 2: W (for gank safety and slow). Level 3: Q. Level 4: E. Q every level up after that.
Clear tip: Use Q's auto reset immediately after each auto in the jungle. W applies a slow that helps during ganks even at rank 1. HoB fires best when you open with a dash (E or W) then auto-attack.
4Key Decision Points
| Situation | Correct Play |
|---|---|
| Enemy team has 3+ squishy carries | Full HoB crit path - go aggressive, hunt carries, chain possessions to snowball. This is the ideal scenario for this build. |
| Enemy team has 3+ tanks or heavy armor | Consider Conqueror - HoB still viable but less optimal. Buy LDR as item 2 instead of Shieldbow if you keep HoB. |
| LDR vs Mortal Reminder | LDR if they have 2+ tanks building armor. Mortal Reminder if they have Soraka, Yuumi, Lifesteal carries, or healing-heavy support. |
| Boots timing | Delay full boot completion - Viego's W and E provide enough mobility for most engages. Sell boots late game for the 6th item slot. |
| First Smite objective vs early gank | If enemy bot lane is pushed up at level 3-4, skip second jungle camp and gank. HoB burst at level 3 with Dirk is strong enough to secure early kills. |
5Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Defaulting Conqueror in squishy games - misses the HoB burst snowball window entirely. HoB vs 3+ squishies is significantly stronger.
- Building Kraken Slayer first - slower crit spike. This build wants Collector into Shieldbow into IE for the 100% crit power moment.
- Not using Q auto-resets properly in the jungle - hitting Q then waiting costs time and DPS. Q fires an auto reset; use it immediately every time.
- Overextending for possessions without HoB active - HoB fires only on the first auto after targeting a new champion. Do not fight without triggering it first.
- Skipping LDR vs armor-stacking enemies - buy it earlier (item 2 instead of 4) if you see the enemy building armor in response to your build.
- Slow jungle clears pre-level 4 - focus on Q resets and hit both wolves/raptors with AoE from Q to speed up your first clear.
6Build Demonstration
Full Hail of Blades Viego guide with runes, item pathing, jungle pathing, and macro decisions.