Karma is a hybrid support who pokes like a mage but protects like an enchanter. Your Mantra mechanic creates decision-making every 8 seconds — empower a Q for burst poke, a W for a reliable root, or an E for a team speed boost. The player who uses Mantra optimally wins the game; the player who wastes it on the wrong ability loses it.
Abilities
Skills Overview
P
Gathering Fire
Passive
Karma's damaging abilities will reduce the cooldown of Mantra.
Gathering Fire reduces your R (Mantra) cooldown whenever you damage champions with abilities. Spam Q and E in lane to reduce Mantra CD — it refreshes extremely quickly in combat.
Q
Inner Flame
Skillshot · AoE · Slow
Karma sends forth a ball of spirit energy that explodes and deals damage upon hitting an enemy unit.Mantra Bonus: In addition to the explosion, Mantra increases the destructive power of her Inner Flame, creating a cataclysm which deals damage after a short delay.
CD: 9/8/7/6/5 · Cost: 40/50/60/70/80
Inner Flame is your primary poke. The AoE slow zone detonates after a short delay — aim it where enemies are walking, not where they are standing. Mantra Q creates a slow zone AND a sun ring that detonates for massive AoE damage.
W
Focused Resolve
Tether · Root · Self-Heal
Karma creates a tether between herself and a targeted enemy, dealing damage and revealing them. If the tether is not broken, the enemy will be rooted and damaged again.Mantra Bonus: Karma strengthens the link, healing herself and extending the root duration.
CD: 12 · Cost: 50/55/60/65/70
Focused Resolve is a tether that roots after 2 seconds. It breaks on range — stay near your tethered target. Mantra W roots faster AND heals you significantly. Use Mantra W for the guaranteed long-duration root.
E
Inspire
Shield · Movement Speed
Karma summons a protective shield that absorbs incoming damage and increases the Move Speed of the protected ally.Mantra Bonus: Energy radiates out from her target, strengthening the initial shield and applying Inspire to nearby allied champions.
CD: 10/9.5/9/8.5/8 · Cost: 50/55/60/65/70
Inspire is your primary utility — a shield with movement speed. Mantra E creates a multi-person speed boost that spreads to nearby allies. Always shield your ADC in trades and before fights.
R
Mantra
Mantra · Ability Empowerment
Karma empowers her next ability to do an additional effect. Mantra is available at level 1 and does not require a skill point.
CD: 40/38/36/34 · Cost: 0
Mantra empowers your NEXT ability. Priority order: R+W for guaranteed root, R+Q for burst poke in lane, R+E for team speed boost at key moments. Never sit on Mantra for more than 10 seconds.
Skill Leveling Order — Max Q first, then E, then W · R at 6 / 11 / 16
| Level | Q | W | E | R | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Take E — shield your ADC immediately at level 1 | ||||
| 2 | Take Q — poke threat online, Q+E rotation established | ||||
| 3 | Take W — full kit available, root setup ready | ||||
| 4 | Level Q — more poke damage and lower CD | ||||
| 5 | Level Q | ||||
| 6 | R — Mantra unlocked, ability empowerment online | ||||
| 7 | Level Q | ||||
| 8 | Level E — bigger shields | ||||
| 9 | Q maxed ✓ | ||||
| 10 | Level E | ||||
| 11 | R rank 2 | ||||
| 12 | Level E | ||||
| 13 | Level E | ||||
| 14 | E maxed ✓ | ||||
| 15 | Start leveling W — better root duration and healing | ||||
| 16 | R rank 3 | ||||
| 17 | Level W | ||||
| 18 | W maxed ✓ |
Itemization
Recommended Builds
Starter Items
Spellthief's Edge
Your Q poke generates Spellthief charges extremely efficiently. Karma stacks Spellthief faster than almost any other support.
400g
Health Potion
Sustain for aggressive lane phase.
50g
Core Build
Shurelya's Battlesong
Active speed boost stacks with Mantra E — your team can go from 0 to 100 speed in an instant. Shurelya's + Mantra E is the best kite-and-chase tool in the support item pool.
2500g
Ionian Boots of Lucidity
Ability haste reduces Mantra cooldown indirectly through more casts. More Mantra charges per game.
950g
Luden's Tempest
Poke mage item that amplifies your Q burst significantly. Mantra Q + Luden's echo is a devastating poke combo that pokes from extremely long range.
3200g
Shadowflame
Magic penetration ensures your Q poke isn't nullified by Seraph's or other shield items. Shield-bypassing pen is critical against shielded ADC compositions.
3000g
Situational
Void Staff
Against full MR builds. Your Q damage falls off hard against stacked MR — Void Staff restores full effectiveness.
2800g
Moonstone Renewer
If your team needs more healing than damage. Moonstone procs on every Q, E, and W cast — extremely high output on Karma.
2500g
Zhonya's Hourglass
Self-stasis when diving in for Mantra W root. Go in, root, Zhonya's — your team kills while you're safe.
3250g
Shurelya's first for immediate utility impact. Luden's second for poke amplification. The combination of movement speed tools and poke damage makes you one of the most oppressive lane bullies in the support pool.
Enchanter Core
Moonstone Renewer
Healing on every cast — perfect for Karma's high cast frequency.
2500g
Staff of Flowing Water
AP and haste buff to shielded allies. Your E shield gives your ADC a significant burst of ability haste.
2300g
Ardent Censer
Attack speed bonus from your E shield. Excellent on auto-attack ADCs.
2300g
Run full enchanter when your team has enough damage and you need pure utility and healing. Less damage output but much better sustained fight presence.
Runes
Sorcery Primary
Arcane Comet
Your Q slow zone and W tether both proc Arcane Comet. In lane, every Q hit generates a Comet drop on the target. Combined with your high ability haste, Comet is on very short cooldown.
Manaflow Band
Mana sustain for Q spam. Karma's Q poke is mana intensive — Manaflow solves early mana pressure.
Transcendence
Ability haste directly reduces Mantra CD. More Mantra charges = more empowered abilities per fight.
Scorch
Additional burn on every Q hit in lane. Combined with Arcane Comet, your poke deals 20-30 extra damage per hit — substantial over a 10-minute lane.
Resolve Secondary
Font of Life
Your W tether marks enemies for ally healing. Every auto your ADC throws on a tethered target heals them.
Conditioning
Free resistances at 12 minutes for survivability as a melee-range support in a squishy role.
Shards
Ability Haste · Ability Haste · Health
Gameplay
How to Play Karma
01
Early Game
Poke and Zone with Q, Protect with E
- Level 1: take E and shield your ADC before any interaction. The movement speed component lets your ADC reposition from any level 1 all-in attempt.
- Q poke is your primary lane tool — aim the slow zone slightly ahead of where enemies are walking. The AoE slow on Q hit means they take both the missile damage and walk into the secondary zone.
- Mantra Q in lane is a devastating poke. The exploding ring deals bonus damage in a large AoE — use it when the enemy support steps up to engage and the explosion catches them AND their ADC.
- W is your zoning tool — tether the enemy if they try to all-in and walk backward to keep the tether active. If they don't break range within 2 seconds, they're rooted. This deters level 2-3 all-in attempts.
- Your Gathering Fire passive reduces Mantra CD with every ability hit. Spam Q and E constantly to have Mantra ready every 8-10 seconds — this is significantly faster than the base 45-second CD.
02
Mid Game
Control Objectives with Mantra W Roots
- At mid-game, prioritize Mantra W for roots in skirmishes. A 2.5-second root on the enemy carry is death — pair it with your jungler's follow-up for guaranteed kills.
- Dragon setups: use Q to poke enemies from the river entrance. Force them below 60% HP before the fight starts — a team with full HP vs a team at 60% HP starts the Dragon fight with a massive advantage.
- After landing Mantra W root, activate Shurelya's immediately. Your team closes the distance on the rooted target in the burst of speed while they can't escape.
- Use Mantra E for team disengages. The multi-person speed boost lets your entire team kite backward faster than enemies can chase — a clutch Mantra E disengage wins fights that looked lost.
- Always keep E available for emergencies. Don't use E just to poke — save it for when your ADC is being dived or your jungler is being burst.
03
Late Game
Create Pick Opportunities and Teamfight Utility
- In teamfights, Mantra W on the enemy carry is your highest-priority empowered ability. Catching their ADC in a 2.5-second root while your team collapses is a guaranteed kill.
- Mantra E for fight engages — activate it as your team walks in for the speed burst. Everyone collapses faster, your engage is more effective, and the enemy team has less time to react.
- Keep Q poke active throughout fights. Every Q hit reduces Mantra CD — in a 15-second teamfight, you can generate 2+ Mantra charges if you're casting constantly.
- Late game, your E shield value scales with AP from Luden's and Shadowflame. A Mantra E at full build shields your ADC for a substantial amount that can prevent burst kills.
- Karma's late-game strength is versatility — adapt your Mantra usage to what each fight needs. If your team is chasing, Mantra E. If you need a pick, Mantra W. If you need poke, Mantra Q.
Teamfighting
How to Teamfight as Karma
Karma teamfights by cycling Mantra optimally. Each fight should involve 2-3 Mantra uses — typically Mantra W root on a carry, Mantra E for team speed, and Mantra Q for AoE poke. The player who cycles these three correctly dominates teamfights.
1
Pre-Fight — Poke and Position
Before engage
01
Q poke enemies repeatedly 30-60 seconds before the fight. Chip them to 70% HP so your team's burst is lethal during the actual fight.
02
Prepare Mantra — decide whether you'll open with Mantra W root or Mantra E speed boost based on the team comps.
03
E shield your ADC before the fight opens. They need the movement speed and shield going into the first burst exchange.
Never sit on Mantra — it doesn't stack. If you haven't used Mantra in 15+ seconds, use it on whatever ability is available. Wasted Mantra charges lose teamfights.
2
Fight — Root and Speed
Fight opening
01
Mantra W on the enemy carry when they walk forward to deal damage. The 2.5-second root stops them completely — your team bursts them instantly.
02
Q poke into the cluster during the root. The Mantra Q explosion catches everyone near the rooted target for bonus AoE damage.
03
E rotate on teammates after the initial burst. Moonstone heals on every E cast — constant shielding provides significant sustained healing.
04
Shurelya's active after Mantra W root for your team's follow-up charge speed.
3
Aftermath — Cycle Mantra and Peel
Mid-fight
01
W any diver threatening your backline — the tether root after 2 seconds gives your ADC time to reposition away.
02
Mantra E disengage if your team needs to retreat. The multi-person speed boost lets your entire team kite out of a losing fight.
03
Q fleeing targets to slow their escape and proc Gathering Fire to reduce Mantra CD again.
Your Gathering Fire passive reduces Mantra CD by 2 seconds per champion hit with an ability. In a teamfight where you're constantly casting Q, your Mantra CD drops to under 10 seconds — effectively infinite empowered abilities.
Tips & Tricks
Advanced Mechanics & Hidden Tech
Advanced mechanics for Karma.
Basic
E Before Every Trade
Always E your ADC before they auto-attack in a trade. The movement speed helps them kite and the shield absorbs the counter-damage. Karma who forgets to E is a weaker version of herself.
Basic
Q Slow Zone Aim
Inner Flame detonates a slow zone at the impact point. Aim it AHEAD of where enemies are walking — they walk into the zone rather than away from it. Don't aim at their current position.
Intermediate
Mantra Priority Order
In fights: Mantra W for guaranteed root on carry (highest priority). Mantra E for team speed boost in chase or disengage. Mantra Q for burst poke in lane or zoning. Know which Mantra usage wins each specific situation.
Intermediate
W Tether — Stay Close
Focused Resolve breaks if you move out of tether range. After casting W, walk TOWARD the target (not away) to keep the tether active and guarantee the root. Many Karma players cast W then immediately back away — this breaks the tether.
Advanced
Gathering Fire in Teamfights
Spam every ability during teamfights to minimize Mantra CD. Q the cluster, E allies, W any target — each champion hit reduces Mantra by 2 seconds. Active casting in a 5v5 can generate a Mantra charge every 10-12 seconds.
Basic
Mantra Q Ring in Lane
Mantra Q creates an Inner Flame missile AND a delayed explosive ring at the impact point. The ring deals bonus damage in a large radius. Use Mantra Q when you can hit both the missile AND the ring on clustered enemies.
Intermediate
Mantra E for Disengage
Empowered Inspire (Mantra E) gives movement speed to you AND nearby allies simultaneously. When your team needs to run, Mantra E lets everyone sprint away at the same time — invaluable for preventing wipes.
Advanced
Luden's Q Poke Range
Luden's Tempest echo triggers on the first target hit by Q. The echo fires at the nearest enemy — combine with Mantra Q's extended range to poke from extreme distances while Luden's echo hits secondary targets.
Matchups
Counters & Matchups
Karma struggles against hard-engage supports who close the gap before she can root them, and heavy CC that interrupts her W tether. She excels against passive, low-mobility bot lane opponents.
Click any matchup to expand tips & how to play against them
Loses Against
Blitzcrank hooks Karma from longer range than her Q and immediately removes her from her protective position. His knockup interrupts her W tether setup, nullifying her CC chain.
Stay behind your ADC. Use E proactively whenever Blitz walks to brush — the speed boost lets you reposition before he fires.
Leona closes the gap with E faster than you can W tether. Her CC chain stuns you before your root can activate. Extended trades favor Leona's tankiness and sustained CC.
Q poke Leona relentlessly in lane. She has to choose between trading or not — if she doesn't engage, she starves out. If she does engage, have Mantra W ready.
Nautilus hooks from outside your safe range and his ult tracks any target. His tankiness means your Q poke deals minimal damage to him directly.
Focus your poke on the ADC, not Nautilus. Your Q poke damages both from the AoE — fire Q at Nautilus when the zone would splash onto the ADC.
Wins Against
Soraka has no answer to your Q poke and cannot close the gap to use her silence. Your poke chip damage outpaces her healing significantly.
Q poke Soraka off every heal attempt. She has to get close to W — walking close exposes her to your W tether root.
Yuumi attached to her host makes the host your primary target. Your Q poke damages both equally — Yuumi cannot separately escape your AoE harassment.
Target the host with all poke. Yuumi's heals cannot compensate for sustained Q harassment and Arcane Comet drops.
Sona wants to stay at aura range but your Q range exceeds her safe distance. She cannot sustain through constant Q poke and Comet drops.
Stay at max Q range — you outrange her aura radius significantly. She takes damage without dealing any in return.
Nami's healing is outpaced by your poke output. Your W range prevents her from getting close enough for Ebb and Flow heals without risking a root.
Q poke when Nami tries to walk up for heals. She's forced to choose between healing her ADC and avoiding your Q zone.