Chronos’s Passive⁚ Wheel of Time
Chronos is empowered by time itself, gaining permanent stacks of magical power every 1.5-2 minutes, up to 25 times. This passive, previously tied to his Accelerate ability, now functions independently, providing a consistent increase in damage output over the course of a match.
How the passive works
Chronos’s passive, the Wheel of Time, grants him a stack of bonus magical power every 1.5 to 2 minutes, accumulating up to a maximum of 25 stacks. These stacks are permanent, meaning they are not lost upon death or ability usage, providing a scaling increase in magical power throughout the match. This passive is separate from his Accelerate ability. The passive’s timer is constant, ticking down whether or not Chronos is actively engaged in combat or not. This ensures that Chronos consistently gains power as the game progresses, making him a late-game powerhouse capable of dealing substantial damage with his abilities and basic attacks.
Stacking Magical Power
The Wheel of Time passive allows Chronos to accumulate magical power over time, granting a stack of bonus magical power every 1.5 to 2 minutes. These stacks increase his overall magical damage, making his abilities and basic attacks more potent. The stacking is automatic and continuous, not dependent on any action from the player, allowing it to be a reliable source of damage increase throughout the game. There is no need to perform any specific action. This stacking mechanism allows Chronos to scale effectively into the late game, where the accumulated magical power significantly impacts his damage output, turning him into a formidable threat.
Permanent Stacks
The stacks gained from Chronos’s Wheel of Time passive are permanent, meaning they do not expire or diminish over time. Once a stack is acquired, it remains for the duration of the match. This permanent accumulation of magical power ensures that Chronos becomes progressively stronger as the game progresses. There is no decay of power. This makes him a hyper-carry, as the longer the game lasts, the more dangerous he becomes. The permanent nature of these stacks differentiates Chronos from other mages who may rely on temporary buffs or item procs for their power spikes. This unique mechanic ensures that a well-played Chronos can be an unstoppable force in the late game.
Chronos’s Abilities
Chronos’s abilities revolve around manipulating time, offering a mix of damage, crowd control, and self-enhancement. These abilities allow for aggressive plays and strategic retreats, making him a versatile mage.
Time Rift
Time Rift is Chronos’s primary damaging ability. He creates a rift in time, dealing damage to all enemies caught within its area of effect. This ability is essential for wave clear and poking enemies during the laning phase. The damage scales with magical power, making it a significant source of burst damage as the game progresses. It is often used in combination with other abilities for maximum impact, especially after stunning an opponent. Landing the ability consistently is key to mastering Chronos.
Accelerate
Accelerate empowers Chronos with increased movement and attack speed. This ability is crucial for both chasing down enemies and escaping dangerous situations. It grants a significant boost to his mobility, allowing him to reposition quickly during fights. Furthermore, the attack speed bonus enhances his basic attacks, making them a more potent source of damage. The utility of this ability makes it pivotal for engaging and disengaging in combat, as well as for rapidly applying on-hit effects from items like Polynomicon.
Stop Time
Stop Time is a powerful crowd control ability that allows Chronos to stun enemies in a targeted area. This ability is not only essential for setting up kills for himself and his team, but also for disrupting enemy engagements. The stun duration provides a valuable window for follow-up damage. Landing Stop Time effectively requires precise aiming, but mastering this ability is critical for maximizing Chronos’s impact in team fights and making picks on vulnerable targets. It is a key part of his combo potential.
Rewind
Rewind is Chronos’s ultimate ability, offering both offensive and defensive capabilities. Upon activation, Chronos briefly becomes invulnerable and returns to his location from a few seconds prior, regaining health and mana in the process. This ability can be used to escape danger, bait enemies, or reposition for a more advantageous attack. The health and mana restoration provides crucial sustain, allowing Chronos to stay in fights longer. Timing Rewind effectively is key to avoiding death and turning the tides of battle, making it a complex yet crucial part of his kit.
Chronos Builds
Chronos’s builds typically revolve around three main categories⁚ ability-based, attack speed focused, and hybrid approaches. Players often adapt their builds based on the situation and their preferred playstyle, but focusing on one is better.
Ability-Based Builds
Ability-based Chronos builds prioritize maximizing magical power and cooldown reduction. Core items often include Shoes of Focus, Chronos Pendant, and Polynomicon. Obsidian Shard or Spear of Desolation is typically added for penetration, while Rod of Tahuti boosts overall damage. Divine Ruin is a situational replacement if anti-heal is needed. Players focus on using Time Rift, Stop Time, and Rewind to burst down enemies. This build excels at dealing high damage with abilities and is well-suited for mid-lane and solo roles. It focuses on high burst damage and ability use, maximizing Chronos’s potential as a magical damage dealer.
Attack Speed Builds
While less common than ability-based builds, attack speed builds for Chronos focus on enhancing his basic attacks. This approach leverages the additional true damage he gains after using an ability. Core items can include Telkhines Ring and Demonic Grip to boost both attack speed and magical power. Players may also incorporate items like Cyclopean Ring and Charon’s Coin. This build aims to transform Chronos into an auto-attack carry, but is not usually recommended. It relies on sustained damage output through basic attacks, often in tandem with his Accelerate ability. This build is a niche option for Chronos and can be less effective than ability-based builds.
Hybrid Builds
Hybrid builds for Chronos aim to balance ability damage with enhanced basic attacks. This approach acknowledges Chronos’s potential as a hybrid carry. Players might incorporate items such as Polynomicon for ability burst, along with attack speed items like Telkhines Ring. This allows Chronos to maximize the true damage from his passive. Some builds also consider a mix of magical penetration and attack speed. The goal is to create a versatile build that can effectively deal damage with both abilities and basic attacks. This build is very situational and can be a good option for players who like to mix it up. This approach is not always recommended, but can be fun.
Itemization
Effective itemization for Chronos involves a careful selection of items that enhance his magical power, attack speed, and sustain. This includes starter items, core items, and situational choices that counter enemy builds.
Starter Items
For Chronos, a strong start involves selecting items that provide early sustain and mana management. Popular choices include Sands of Time, which offers MP5 based on missing mana, and Spellbook, which grants true damage to minions and additional MP5. Healing Potions and Mana Potions are also crucial to ensure you can stay in lane longer, especially in the early game where Chronos is vulnerable to ganks. Purification Beads are recommended to counter early crowd control. Upgrading to Pendulum of Ages or Book of Thoth later is vital for scaling.
Core Items
Chronos’s core build typically revolves around maximizing his magical power, cooldown reduction, and ability damage. Essential items include Chronos Pendant for cooldown reduction and mana, and Polynomicon to synergize with his abilities and basic attacks, providing burst potential. Telkhines Ring enhances basic attack damage, while Charon’s Coin adds penetration for increased damage output. A Perfected Rod of Tahuti is also critical for scaling and late-game damage. These items work together to amplify Chronos’s strengths, turning him into a hyper carry capable of dealing massive amounts of damage.
Situational Items
Depending on the enemy team composition and the flow of the match, Chronos may require situational items. Divine Ruin or Spear of Desolation can be included to counter healing or provide additional penetration. If crowd control is a major issue, consider adding a Mantle of Discord for protection and damage mitigation. For more sustain, Typhon’s Fang could be considered. Furthermore, items like Obsidian Shard or Soul Reaver might be necessary based on enemy god protections or health. Lastly, items like Gem of Focus can also be incorporated in order to reduce cooldowns, and increase burst damage. The ability to adapt is key with Chronos.
Gameplay Strategies
Chronos excels with a mix of ability damage and well-timed basic attacks, especially once Polynomicon is obtained. Utilizing his stun and burst damage to secure kills is essential. Early game focus on farming and stacking. Mid game aim to punish enemies with calculated combos.
Early Game
In the early game, Chronos should prioritize farming and stacking his passive, ‘Wheel of Time’, which grants a permanent increase to magical power over time. Start with items like Sands of Time, Spellbook, and potions to maintain mana and health; Be cautious, as Chronos is vulnerable to ganks pre-level five. Focus on clearing minion waves effectively with Time Rift while avoiding unnecessary risks. Secure the early game farm and aim to upgrade starter items into Pendulum of Ages and Book of Thoth, starting the snowball process. Don’t forget to grab Purification Beads for any CC heavy enemies.
Mid Game
In the mid-game, Chronos begins to shine as he accumulates magical power from his passive and core items. Focus on completing key items such as Chronos Pendant and Polynomicon to amplify damage output and sustain. Utilize Time Rift and basic attacks to harass enemies and secure kills. During this phase, Chronos transitions into a powerful threat, capable of executing devastating combos with Stop Time and Rewind. Be mindful of positioning and use Accelerate to reposition and engage or disengage from fights. Also, begin grouping with your team for objectives and fights.
Late Game Combos
In the late game, Chronos becomes a hyper-carry capable of single-handedly winning team fights with effective combos. A standard combo involves using Stop Time to stun an enemy, quickly followed by Time Rift to deal massive damage. Immediately follow with a basic attack empowered by Polynomicon for additional burst damage. Rewind can be used offensively to reposition and catch enemies off guard or defensively to escape dangerous situations. Be mindful of using Rewind in a way that doesn’t interrupt your ability combo flow. Continue to prioritize squishy targets.
Chronos’s Strengths and Weaknesses
Chronos boasts high burst damage, mobility, and sustain, making him a potent mage. However, he is vulnerable to ganks early, requires good aim for basics, and his abilities can be hard to confirm.
Pros
Chronos excels with his high burst damage capabilities, allowing him to quickly eliminate squishy targets. He also has good mobility due to his accelerate ability, making him hard to catch. His sustain is another key advantage, enabling him to stay in fights longer than other mages. Chronos is considered a relatively safe pick, as he can use his abilities to escape danger; He can also provide potent crowd control with his stun, making him valuable in team fights. Furthermore, his passive allows him to scale well into the late game, becoming a hyper carry that can dominate the battlefield.
Cons
Chronos is vulnerable to ganks in the early game, especially before level 5, due to his limited escape options early on. His damaging abilities can be harder to confirm compared to other mages, requiring precise aim. Landing basic attacks is also crucial for his damage output, which can be difficult for some players. He is also reliant on his abilities to be effective, making him vulnerable when they are on cooldown. Chronos’s effectiveness can be impacted by anti-heal items, which can reduce his sustain. Finally, mastering Chronos requires a good understanding of his abilities and when to use them, making him a harder god to master than some.