S2026 Mid Rakan Guide from a Master Player (Long Post Warning)

Mid Rakan Guide from Last Year

The playstyle hasn't changed much, so if you want to know how to play him, I recommend checking out last year's post.

Table of Contents

1. Build
2. Matchups
3. Closing Thoughts

1. Build

1-1. Summoner Spells

Flash + Ignite — locked in.

Reason: Rakan is a bit short on damage by nature, so Ignite fills that gap. I considered Teleport at first, but Rakan can't really sidelane, and given his engage-focused role, I figured it's better to just join fights early rather than looking for TP plays. So Flash + Ignite is my go-to.

1-2. Runes

Pros of each rune page:

Electrocute + Resolve: The most standard setup. Balanced between offense and defense, works well into any champion. Electrocute + Sorcery: Full offense setup. Good against easier matchups. Electrocute + Inspiration: Taken purely for the Elixir of Force. Good against champs like Twisted Fate or anyone where the level 6 all-in is crucial. Arcane Comet + Resolve: Gives up damage for defense. You lose a lot of late-game damage, but the early poke from Comet helps you survive.

Rune priority:

Electrocute + Resolve >>> Electrocute + Inspiration >>> Electrocute + Sorcery > Arcane Comet + Resolve

Q. Doesn't Ultimate Hunter make sense over Treasure Hunter since Akshan doesn't really pump out that much damage? A. I take it for the ult CD reduction on takedowns that comes with it.

Q. Is Ultimate Hunter that much worse than Treasure Hunter? A. I've never tried Ultimate Hunter, so I can't say for sure, but it's definitely worth considering.

Q. Can I take Revitalize instead of Unflinching? A. Yeah. I swap them based on the matchup.

Q. Is Bone Plating bad into assassins? A. Yeah, most assassins have longer poke range than Rakan.

Q. Can I take [another rune]? A. As long as you're taking the Elixir of Force, the other slot doesn't really matter.

1-3. Core Items

Starting item is always Doran's Ring + 2 pots. I pick up Dark Seal on first recall.

First item choice: Rocketbelt or Malignance.

Rocketbelt — Good against longer range or tough matchups. You'll be pretty short on damage. Malignance — Good into easy matchups. You lose some utility and playmaking power.

For the Rocketbelt build: Go Rocketbelt > Malignance > Shadowflame (or Stormsurge). Stormsurge gives more single-target damage than Shadowflame.

For the Malignance build: Go Malignance > Shadowflame (or Stormsurge) > Stormsurge (or another mage item).

If your Dark Seal stacks are looking good, feel free to throw a Mejai's in there.

1-4. Boots

Choose one: Sorcs, Swifties, or Lucidity Boots.

Damage: Sorcs > Swifties > Lucidity Playmaking: Lucidity > Swifties > Sorcs

I default to Sorcs, but if I can't afford them, I just go with whatever I can get.

Think of Lucidity Boots more for the summoner spell haste than the ability haste.

2. Matchups

I'll just go over the most common ones.

vs Sylas It's a skill matchup, but Sylas has the edge. Rakan's lategame is a bit better overall, but depending on team comps Sylas can be stronger too.

vs Orianna Laning phase is tough, but Rakan has better teamfight value later on.

vs Zed Also a skill matchup, but more manageable than Sylas. Just think of it as whoever gets the first kill will be in the driver's seat for the rest of the game.

vs Twisted Fate, Ahri Laning is easy, but it's really hard to cover their roams. Their waveclear is also better, so you have to shut them down early or force a fight at level 6.

vs Akali Last season I'd say it was playable, but now that I'm higher elo and facing good Akali players, it's gotten pretty rough. When laning against her, you have to go in with the mindset that one mistake means death, just like against Sylas.

vs Katarina, Galio I honestly think these are the easiest mid lane matchups in the entire game. Of course, you still need to play properly after level 6. Especially with Katarina — don't underestimate her. If you give her one kill, she'll run the game.

As for the rest of the champions I didn't cover here, just assume the laning phase is going to suck.

+PS) LeBlanc isn't on the list because I perma-ban her.

3. Closing Thoughts

I was originally going to write a much longer post, but I have a tendency to cut things short when it starts feeling too long and tiring.

One thing I've noticed while playing Mid Rakan is that there are actually quite a few of us out there.

Hope this guide helps you out, even just a little bit.