Jax’s midscope update gave him an additional source of magic damage that scales really well with AP, to the point where he has a burst combo that outdoes the damage of LeBlanc, one of LoL’s most powerful burst mages.
In order to modernize some of LoL’s older champions, a series of midscope updates are planned to refresh some older kits without losing what made them great in the first place. These will come alongside larger reworks rather than outright replacing them.
Jax’s midscope update came at the outset of Season 13, kicking off the season with a new ult for a champion that, historically, hasn’t had much of an ultimate. However, giving him an ultimate that instantly does AoE damage with 100% AP scaling has pushed him over the edge and made him a viable AP carry.
While it’s always been possible to build AP on Jax, his midscope update has pushed him over the edge and into having some of the highest AP burst damage in League of Legends. He even outscales LeBlanc’s highest damage burst combo.
Jax becomes a terrifying burst mage after LoL mid-scope update
He certainly doesn’t have the same range as many of the burst mages in League of Legends, but Jax has been given incredible potential to be an AP powerhouse in Season 13 by his midscope update.
Jax has always had ability power scaling, something that served him well when hybrid items were more prominent. Earlier versions of Guinsoo’s Rageblade as well as Hextech Gunblade had a place on the champion, and he was able to benefit from their AP scaling.
However, some big AP burst damage being added to his kit via the mid-scope update may have given Jax enough scaling to survive a full-on burst mage. There are meme-y AP builds on champions like Rengar that can one-shot if they build a substantial lead, but this update may change the way players think about building Jax in every League of Legends match.
A Reddit thread about Jax’s new kit has been gaining some traction, comparing his burst to a fully charged Nunu ult and saying that he outscales it. But getting Nunu’s ult fully stacked isn’t something that happens often, so let’s look at a more practical application: LeBlanc’s full combo.
Using Mimic on LeBlanc’s Q gives her the highest damage potential, and that combo scales with 360% of her ability power across all abilities used. The fact that Jax can clear LB’s highest burst combo while easily applying on-hit effects for items like Nashor’s Tooth and Lich Bane makes him one of LoL’s most effective burst mages in terms of raw damage potential.
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It’s a bit of a rough comparison considering LeBlanc has much higher mobility and utility, but, when it comes to raw AP burst damage, Jax is in a league all his own. But what does an AP Jax build look like?
If you’re looking for full-on burst damage, Nashor’s and Lich Bane both do well. Riftmaker will be your best Mythic for AP builds on Jax considering how well he does in extended engagements, and will allow him to trade well even in the early stages of the game. And, since Lich Bane is so strong on him, picking up an early Sheen can provide an early game power spike.
However, if you’re more used to rushing Blade of the Ruined King for trading, there’s a hybrid build with a ton of potential as well.
With how much AD and attack speed scaling Jax has, building some traditional AD items can help out a lot. Especially when it comes to taking trades in lane through the game’s earlier stages. While it’s a ton of fun to play AP Jax in the late game, getting to the point where he has enough items to burst someone down takes a great deal of time. Going full AP is still a bit of a gamble.
Either way, Jax’s newfound burst damage and AP scaling has given the champion a new lease on life. Dedicated Jax players will surely be experimenting to push the boundaries of what this champion is capable of in the coming weeks.
