Best Graves ARAM Build Guide 2025: Items, Runes & Tips

Graves ARAM Build feels right at home on the Howling Abyss. His shotgun can wipe out a squishy champion in a heartbeat, yet he is asking for tank hits once his items stack up. Short trades and sudden brawls pop up every few seconds, and that is precisely when Graves shines the brightest.

Start, Mid, End-Game Power

Early game poke from cannons can chip away at your health, but a quick dash and a well-timed Pillar let Graves shrug it off. By the time Eclipse lights up, even the loudest yells about snowballing start to quiet down.

• Crucial Item Choices

ARAM hands out gold plates faster than you can spend them, so choices must lean hard toward damage and survival. Trying to pick up boots and wait for late-game spikes feels nice in classic Summoners Rift, yet ARAM waits for no one.

• Eclipse: gives burst damage, a slick shield, and just enough omnivamp to outlast that final curtain call after the fountain.
• The Collector ensures that those tiny pings, saying ‘Survive me,’ die louder than anything else left on the screen.
• Serylda’s Grudge: Grants armor penetration and applies a slow, allowing Graves to stick to targets and kite effectively.

Situational Items

1. Maw of Malmortius: Excellent against AP-heavy comps due to the spell shield and lifeline passive.
2. Guardian Angel: Grants you a late-game lifeline, perfect when you carry most of the damage.
3. Black Cleaver: Gives health and armor shred, so your squad can drop rigid front liners even when it has no dedicated tank-buster.

• Boots

1. Plated Steelcaps or Mercury’s Treads, depending on enemy damage sources.
2. These items round out the ideal Graves ARAM build, making you a powerhouse in sustained and burst damage scenarios.

Graves ARAM Runes Explained

Choosing the right runes is just as important as your item path. Graves benefits most from offensive rune choices that bolster his damage while offering some sustain.

• Primary: Domination

1. Dark Harvest: This keystone scales with a soul collection, turning you into a late-game monster.
2. Sudden Impact: Works perfectly with Graves’ dash (E), giving him a quick burst of lethality.
3. Eyeball Collection: Further increases your AD with each takedown.
4. Treasure Hunter: Helps you snowball early by granting extra gold on unique kills.

• Secondary: Precision

1. Triumph: Scoring a takedown heals you so you can stick around even during nonstop team clashes.
2. Legend: A permanent attack-speed increase makes your autos land faster and feels way smoother.
3. Together, these runes lay down a solid base for a push-the-pace Graves ARAM setup.

Optimal Skill Order for Graves

Skill leveling in ARAM should be flexible but generally follows this priority:

1. Q – End of the Line: Max first for its powerful damage and short cooldown.
2. E – Quickdraw: Max second for mobility and stacking armor.
3. W – Smoke Screen: Max last, but use it strategically to disrupt enemy vision and movement.

Your ultimate Collateral Damage (R) should be leveled at 6, 11, and 16 as usual.

Graves ARAM Gameplay Tips

When you queue up for ARAM and lock in Graves, you’ll want to mix bold attacking moves with solid self-protection so you stay alive while dealing damage. Keep these simple tips in mind to tighten that balance:

• Early Game

1. Play safe and poke with your Q.
2. Use the brushes to sneak in autos for extra damage.
3. Focus on collecting souls if you’re running Dark Harvest.

• Mid Game

1. Look for all-ins when your ultimate is up.
2. Dash in with E only when it’s safe to secure a kill or reposition.
3. Time your combo: Auto > Q > Auto > E > Auto > R.

• Late Game

1. You’re a threat now; don’t overextend.
2. Stay behind your tanks and play around your cooldowns.
3. Your Graves ARAM build should now be nearly complete, letting you melt squishes and chunk tanks.

Synergies and Counters

Graves performs best with champions that can initiate fights or provide strong crowd control. Allies like Leona, Amumu, or Sona can help you freely dish out damage. Avoid diving into heavy CC comps without proper backup. Champions like Lux or Veigar, who can control space and keep you at bay, are natural counters to Graves in ARAM.

Final Thoughts on the Graves ARAM Build

Mastering the best Graves ARAM build requires understanding his damaged windows and surviving long enough to dish out your full combo. Pick solid items, set your runes, choose the right skills, and tweak everything as the game unfolds, and you will become a real headache for the enemy on the Howling Abyss. A Graves ARAM build done right doesn’t just pile up kills; it can flip the outcome of even the tightest team fight.

So play smart, push hard, and make sure every bullet finds its mark with Graves in ARAM!