by 안녕지지Updated Oct 4, 2026, 10:16 AMTranslated

Classic Top Pantheon: Clearing the Lane with E and Rotating with Your Ultimate

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Chip away health with Q, secure the trade with W, and finish with E's high bonus AD ratio. Once you can push the lane, don't stay in top—use your ultimate to create a numbers advantage in other lanes. This is an AD bruiser guide that combines Ravenous Hydra's wave clear and sustain with The Black Cleaver and Lord Dominik's Regards' armor penetration. This guide compiles the main build video from classic Pantheon one-trick Keegun, along with follow-up rune and skill videos. In the video, he alternated maxing Q or E depending on the matchup, but he later updated in a pinned comment that **due to E's total 360% bonus AD ratio, you can now default to maxing E against anyone**. This guide prioritizes that latest correction.

Key Points First

- Position: Top - Summoner Spells: Flash + Ignite - Runes: Attack Damage / Scaling Health / Mixed Magic Resist & Armor / Mixed Attack Damage & Armor - Masteries: 21 Offense / 9 Defense / 0 Utility - Default Max Order: E → Q → W, R at levels 6, 11, 16 - Q Max Exception: Pure melee opponents with low sustain who keep eating Q poke - Core Items: Tiamat → Ravenous Hydra → The Black Cleaver → Lord Dominik's Regards - Playstyle: Early Q pressure, fast wave clear, post-6 ult roams, picking smart engage angles in late game

Summoner Spells

Flash +

Ignite. Pantheon needs to establish a health advantage early and convert it into kills, so Ignite is the default. Factoring in the guaranteed crit from E and his passive below 15% health, landing a final Q after Ignite significantly widens his kill window. Since you're taking Ignite over Teleport, manage your mana and potions carefully to avoid losing waves from a forced recall. After level 6, your ultimate handles long-range roams, so your goal is to shove the lane first and then disappear from sight.

Runes

Mark of Attack Damage / 9

Seal of Scaling Health / 5

Glyph of Magic Resist + 4

Minor Glyph of Armor / 2

Quintessence of Attack Damage + 1

Quintessence of Armor. Totals: 13.5 AD, 210.6 health at level 18, 7 MR, 7.5 armor. AD boosts both Q and E, scaling health provides durability mid-to-late without sacrificing early AD. The mixed armor and MR means you can survive against different damage types from top laners and junglers. [Main video 02:35–06:56]

Rune Adjustments by Matchup

- If the enemy team is almost full AD, swap magic resist glyphs for armor glyphs. - If the top laner is AD but the enemy team has sufficient AP threats, keep the default mixed page. - Against mostly dodgeable AP skillshots like Ziggs, Xerath, or Ahri, you can take 9 flat MR glyphs and 3 AD quintessences for more damage. - Against lanes that take sustained magic damage like Rumble, Syndra, Swain, or Cassiopeia, consider 9 flat MR glyphs plus MR quintessences.

Masteries: 21 Offense / 9 Defense / 0 Utility

The 21 Offense covers bonus AD while Ignite is on cooldown, cooldown reduction, last-hitting minions under tower, scaling AD, increased damage, and armor penetration. The final Executioner talent increases damage to low-health enemies, pairing well with Pantheon's guaranteed crit below 15% health. Defense 9 gives 1 health regen, 4 health per level, 3 armor, and 1 flat health. The default is 3 points in armor, but if both the enemy laner and jungler are AP, move those 3 points to magic resist. Defense 9 provides more early trade stability than Utility 9. [Main video 00:21–02:33]

Skill Order

Skill order

The default max order is E → Q → W, taking R at levels 6, 11, and 16. Start the lane with Q, take W at level 2, and E at level 3.

Why Maxing E First Is Now the Default

When all three hits land, E has a total 360% bonus AD ratio. Maxing it first lets you clear waves quickly, pushing the lane with fewer spell casts than Q, saving mana. It's especially reliable against tanks, opponents with shields or sustain, or ranged champions who poke from outside Q range. Clearing the wave also gives you more time to rotate with your ultimate. The standard burst combo is W to stun, then E fully, then Q to finish. In short trades, poke with Q first, then when the enemy engages, counter with W-E-Q.

Matchups Where Q Max Is Viable

Consider maxing Q first against champions who constantly walk into Q range and have weak sustain, such as Jax, Kassadin, top Alistar, Nunu, or Gangplank. In that case, the order becomes Q → E → W. However, the creator's latest default recommendation is still E max, so only switch if you can consistently land Q and actually gain lane priority. [Supplemental video 03:12–05:58]

Item Build

Starting Items

The default is

Crystalline Flask + 2

Health Potion +

Mana Potion. You can swap one health potion for a mana potion. Pantheon tends to run out of mana before health, and the Crystal Flask refills on each recall, letting you keep using Q and E. Long Sword or Doran's Blade offer good AD but don't solve mana issues. If the enemy buys Cloth Armor and five potions, Pantheon can run out of mana first and lose pressure. Doran's Ring gives W damage, health, and mana regen, but according to the video it's still experimental.

Sapphire Crystal Start (Situational)

Against pure melee opponents with weak self-sustain who you can constantly hit with Q, like Jax, Kassadin, or Fiora, you can start

Sapphire Crystal + 2 health potions. This gives you an immediate 200 max mana for more Qs, but the potions don't refill on recall like Flask. It's an aggressive, niche choice paired with Q max. [Supplemental video 00:20–03:04]

Core Items

Tiamat into Ravenous Hydra

Your first goal is

Tiamat, and your first completed item is

Ravenous Hydra. The high AD boosts both Q and E, and lifesteal provides lane sustain. Using both Tiamat and Hydra actives lets you clear waves quickly, creating time to rotate with your ultimate. If you only use E to push every wave, you'll burn through mana fast. Hydra lets you clear with autos and the active, reserving mana for the ultimate and fights before roams.

The Black Cleaver and Lord Dominik's Regards

Second item is

The Black Cleaver, third is

Last Whisper. The Black Cleaver gives AD, health, cooldown reduction, flat armor penetration, and shreds up to 25% of the target's armor when dealing physical damage. Lord Dominik's Regards ignores 35% of the enemy's armor, keeping E and Q damage relevant even as tanks start stacking armor. Buying multiple Black Cleavers stacks the armor reduction faster, but the flat penetration part doesn't stack. Rushing a second Cleaver delays Hydra and hurts wave clear and sustain, so unless you're extremely ahead, finish Hydra first. [Main video 06:57–11:46]

Boots

- If you're far ahead and can roam constantly, take

Boots of Mobility. The out-of-combat movespeed lets you reach mid and jungle first without the ultimate. - Against heavy AP damage and hard CC like stuns or fears, take

Mercury's Treads. - If two or more auto-attack-based AD champions are a threat, take

Ninja Tabi. - If slows like Nasus's Wither are your biggest problem, take

Boots of Swiftness. Don't default to Boots of Mobility just because you won lane. If the enemy comp can lock you down with CC after you dive in, Mercury's Treads can actually help you deal more damage by letting you get E off.

Fourth Item and Beyond

- If you're ahead and can dive first while your team follows up, take

Guardian Angel. - Against a strong single AP nuke or CC you need to block first, take

Banshee's Veil. - To survive AP burst while keeping AD, take

Maw of Malmortius. - If you need raw damage and lifesteal over defense, take

The Bloodthirster. Bloodthirster has high full-stack damage but the B.F. Sword buy point is heavy, and you lose stacks on death. In a stable default build, finish Hydra, Black Cleaver, and Lord Dominik's Regards first, then look at Bloodthirster as a final damage option.

Laning Phase

Levels 1–2: Build a Health Lead with Q

Throw Q when the enemy goes for a last hit. Picking moments where you can hit without missing minions gives good mana efficiency. Spamming Q on cooldown will drain your mana first, even with Flask. Once you have W at level 2, don't burn it immediately on the enemy's dash or a gank—hold it and use it while watching their escape path. W instantly readies your passive shield upon stunning, so you can block their next auto and end the trade favorably.

Levels 3–5: Line Up Full E Damage

E deals heavy damage during its channel, but the enemy can sidestep it. Use it when you've already locked them down with W, or when they're locked into last-hitting a minion. When the enemy drops below 15% health, your autos, Q, and E all crit, so don't throw your final Q too early—calculate it to land in the execute range. When pushing, use E and Tiamat together. When freezing, only Q the champion to avoid pushing the wave.

Level 6 and Beyond: Shove and Disappear

Your ultimate's level 1 cooldown is 150 seconds. That sounds long, but don't hesitate to use it if you see a kill or objective angle. Shove the wave, then land behind mid or bot to cut off their escape. Landing closer to the center deals more damage, but cutting off the retreat path is better than chasing the middle damage and having them walk out of range. In Classic mode, there are no turret plates, so staying in top turret gives less fixed reward. While the enemy catches the wave, use your ultimate to create a numbers advantage on another lane, then turn the kill into dragon or turret. Even without ultimate, shoving one wave fast with Hydra and clearing vision makes it hard for the enemy to tell if you're roaming.

Teamfights and Skirmishes

Pantheon isn't the tankiest frontliner in a 5v5 late game. If you can't reach the enemy ADC but use W on the tank first, you'll be stuck after E's channel with no way out. Instead, hold flank vision and use your ultimate to cut off the backline, or hold W for assassins and divers who jump onto your carries and delete them together with your team. The standard burst rotation is **Q → W → E → Q**. Lower their health with the first Q, lock them down with W to guarantee E, then land the second Q when it comes off cooldown in execute range. Weave Tiamat or Hydra active between autos right after W or right after E ends. If you kill someone but run out of mana, your next wave clear and ultimate rotation get interrupted. After Hydra, save one spell and clear waves with autos and the active instead.

Pitfalls to Avoid

- Don't force Q max against opponents who can easily avoid it. - Don't delay Hydra by rushing a second Black Cleaver. - Don't rush Bloodthirster and stall on the B.F. Sword buy point. - Don't consider Blade of the Ruined King as a core item—its attack speed is inefficient on Pantheon. - Youmuu's Ghostblade is deprioritized in this build because its 30 AD is okay but the attack speed and crit are awkward for Pantheon. - Don't think of your ultimate only as a center-damage ability—use it as a mobility tool to cut off escape routes and create number advantages.

TL;DR

Max E first and use Ravenous Hydra to quickly clear the wave. Win early trades with Q-W-E-Q, then from level 6, use your ultimate from fog of war to blow up other lanes, and shred through armor with The Black Cleaver and Lord Dominik's Regards.

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Classic Top Pantheon: Clearing the Lane with E and Rotating with Your Ultimate

Key Points First

Summoner Spells