Liandry’s Torment Guide: Best Builds, Champions, and Burn Strategies to Melt Tanks in League of Legends

Liandry’s Torment remains one of League of Legends’ most storied and strategically potent legendary items. Famed for its powerful damage-over-time (DoT) mechanic that melts high-HP enemies, it has retained relevance across numerous metas and patches. With an unmatched ability to punish tanks and extend mage pressure in prolonged fights, Liandry’s is an evergreen item that every AP user should master. This comprehensive guide explores the thematic lore, in-game mechanics, champion synergy, counters, rune setups, and strategic usage that define Liandry’s Torment in high-level play.

The Dark Origins and Enduring Lore of Liandry’s Torment

Originally introduced as one of League’s earliest burn-based items, Liandry’s Torment draws its thematic power from Liandry, an enigmatic sorceress from the Black Rose known for her manipulation of pain and control. Over the years, the item has undergone multiple reworks, including a period as “Liandry’s Anguish,” but its core identity has never waned: delivering slow, agonizing magic damage scaling with the target’s maximum health. Its crimson design and inflamed visual effects ensure it remains symbolic of suffering and attrition on the battlefield.

Watch: Liandry’s Impact in Action

Stat Breakdown and Passive Effects

• Ability Power: Provides 60 AP to significantly enhance spell damage output.
• Health: Grants 300 HP for improved survivability, especially for brawling mages.
• Searing Torment (Passive): Burns enemies for 1% of their max HP as magic damage every 0.5 seconds over 3 seconds. This burn resets whenever you land another damaging ability, maintaining nearly continuous uptime in skilled hands.
• Escalating Damage (Madness): Each second spent damaging enemy champions increases your total damage by 2%, stacking up to 6% total. Ideal for champions who excel in extended fights.

Ornn can upgrade this item into Liandry’s Lament, further enhancing its stats while keeping its potent passives intact.

Who Benefits Most from Liandry’s Torment?

Liandry’s shines on champions built for extended trades and consistent ability casting rather than single-instance burst. The item fits naturally into the kits of:

Damage Over Time Mages

• Brand – Maximizes burn synergy with his passive and multiple AoE abilities.
• Malzahar – DoT from his E and suppression channel maximize uptime.
• Cassiopeia, Teemo, Swain, Singed – Apply consistent, sticky damage to make full use of both passives.

Brawling AP Frontliners

• Rumble, Vladimir, Mordekaiser – Excel in drawn-out encounters where sustained combat damage and bonus health from Liandry’s become critical.

Utility Spellcasters

• Heimerdinger, Zyra, Taliyah – Frequent spellcasts keep the burn continually applied across teamfights.

Liandry’s is generally inefficient on champions prioritizing burst mobility, such as LeBlanc or Syndra, where the fight ends before the passive can deal full damage.

When Should You Build Liandry’s?

Liandry’s Torment excels against compositions that focus on health stacking, healing, or tanky frontlines. It is especially effective when your primary threats are bruisers, juggernauts, or teamfight supports, as the percent-health burn punishes durability.

• Optimal Build Timing: First or second item when tank presence is high, or as a core component by mid-game in attrition-heavy matchups.
• Avoid When: Facing squishy teams built around assassins or burst-poke mages who end fights quickly. Alternatives like Luden’s Tempest might be more suitable in those cases.

Top-Shelf Item Synergies

• Rylai’s Crystal Scepter – Applies a slow to your spells, increasing Liandry’s uptime by helping land repeat hits and making escape harder for enemies.
• Void Staff – Crucial against magic resistance stacking, letting the burn deal unimpeded damage.
• Cosmic Drive – Allows frequent spell use to reapply burns, synergizing well with both passive effects.
• Morellonomicon, Demonic Embrace – Add anti-heal or further DoT effects, supporting multi-burn layering in heavy teamfight settings.

Recommended Rune Setups for Burn-Based Dominance

• Conqueror: Extremely viable for sustained cc/dps champions, amplifying long-fight capability.
• Arcane Comet: Offers consistent chip that complements Liandry’s in poke-based lanes.
• Dark Harvest: Particularly dangerous in ARAM or skirmish-heavy environments for pop-and-burn playstyles.
• Presence of Mind and Legend: Tenacity as secondaries ensure better spell uptime and resilience in cluttered battles.

Practical Usage Tips for In-Game Success

• Stay Active With Spells: Reapplying burns keeps pressure on the enemy. Build around cooldown reduction where possible.
• Target Frontliners: Tanks and bruisers benefit more from percent HP scaling. Let Liandry’s do the work during extended objectives.
• Leverage Siege and Objective Zones: Baron, Dragon pit, or turret sieges allow maximum passive value when space control is prioritized.

Limitations and Direct Counters

• Magic Resistance: Items like Force of Nature or Spirit Visage drastically reduce Liandry’s output. Prioritize magic penetration.
• Short-Burst Engagements: If duels are decided in seconds, the long-burn nature of Liandry’s becomes irrelevant.
• Healing and Shield Counters: If enemies can regenerate between burn ticks, ensure to combine with Grievous Wounds (e.g., Morellonomicon).

Alternative Items Based on Game Needs

Item	Strengths	Recommended Usage
Luden’s Tempest	Burst and wave-clear against squishy targets	When fights end quickly or poke is prioritized
Demonic Embrace	Additional health and hybrid burn effect	Good for AP tank/fighters like Swain or Amumu
Riftmaker	Grants omnivamp and true damage scaling	Best in drain tank or split-push strategies

Mode-specific Effectiveness

• Summoner’s Rift: Optimal on spellcasters facing tanks or teamfight-heavy comps. Consider timing, enemy builds, and team needs.
• ARAM: The non-stop brawling combined with grouped targets makes Liandry’s one of ARAM’s most threatening AP items.
• Wild Rift: Same role and utility, though stat tuning may differ. Ideal for punishing grouped tanks and brawlers.

Ornn Upgrade: Liandry’s Lament

Through Ornn’s Masterwork system, Liandry’s becomes Liandry’s Lament, boosting both AP and HP. While passive effects remain the same, the increased stats turn mid-game AP bruisers into an even greater teamfighting threat.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is Liandry’s Torment primarily used for?

It is a mage item designed to deal increasing magic damage over time, especially versus tanky or high-HP targets. The passive burn scales with enemy max health and ramps further the longer you’re in combat.

Who are the best users of Liandry’s?

Champions like Brand, Malzahar, Cassiopeia, Swain, and Rumble see the best results. Any AP caster relying on sustained damage can benefit.

Can the burn from Liandry’s stack?

It cannot stack with itself but can work in tandem with other burn effects, such as Demonic Embrace or champion passives (e.g., Teemo).

Does crowd control increase its effectiveness?

While older versions interacted with crowd control, the current burn applies consistently. However, slows or roots help to ensure skills land continuously for reapplication.

Where can I learn more?

Check out strategy platforms like Mobafire and Dignitas for builds and in-depth tips.

Liandry’s Torment: Your Go-To Item for Tank-Shredding AP Pressure

Few items in League of Legends carry both the thematic weight and consistent mechanical relevance of Liandry’s Torment. Whether you’re sieging turrets on Summoner’s Rift or dominating ARAM as a DoT-heavy spellcaster, Liandry’s provides the sustained threat necessary for overcoming frontlines and heal-stacked foes. Mastering its usage, timing, and synergy ensures you stay relevant deep into late game teamfights where durability becomes the name of survival.