Morgana support dominates through one of the best CC abilities in the game — a Q root that holds enemies for up to 3 seconds. Your job is to land Q on the enemy carry, drop W on them, and either Arcane Comet procs or R chains finish them off. Defensively, your E black shield is one of the best anti-engage tools in the game.
Abilities
Skills Overview
P
Soul Siphon
Passive
Morgana drains spirit from her enemies, healing as she deals damage to champions, large minions, and medium and larger jungler monsters.
Soul Siphon heals Morgana when her abilities damage champions and monsters. Max W third but cast it in fights to sustain — W's DoT heals you while doing damage.
Q
Dark Binding
Skillshot · Root · Long Duration
Morgana binds an enemy in place with dark magic, forcing them to feel the pain they've caused and dealing magic damage.
CD: 10 · Cost: 50/55/60/65/70
Q has a 0.5-second delay before activating — predict movement to hit running targets. Aim where they will be, not where they are.
W
Tormented Shadow
Point-click Zone · DoT · Grievous Wounds
Morgana casts a cursed shadow on an area, damaging enemies who dare stand in her dark circle. They receive magic damage over time, which increases the lower health they are.
CD: 12 · Cost: 70/80/90/100/110
W denies healing and life-steal in its area. Drop W under enemies who use sustain (Aatrox, Samira self-heal combos). Also perfect for objectives and choke points.
E
Black Shield
Point-click · Magic CC Shield · Spell Block
Morgana anoints an ally with a protective barrier of starfire, which absorbs magical damage and disabling effects until it is broken.
CD: 26/23.5/21/18.5/16 · Cost: 80
E blocks ALL magic CC — Leona ult, Nautilus hook, Blitzcrank grab, Amumu R. Shield your ADC early in engage sequences, never reactively.
R
Soul Shackles
AoE · Tether · Stun · Knockup
Morgana unleashes the full force of her Celestial power as she unbinds her wings and hovers above the ground. She lashes chains of dark pain onto nearby enemy champions, gaining Move Speed. The chains slow and deal initial damage and, after a delay, stun those who are unable to break them.
CD: 120/110/100 · Cost: 100
R tethers enemies near you — don't break it by moving far. Stand still in the center of the enemy group. The longer you stay near them, the bigger the stun when it detonates.
Skill Leveling Order — Max Q first, then W, then E · R at 6 / 11 / 16
| Level | Q | W | E | R | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Take Q — root threat established | ||||
| 2 | Take W — DoT and anti-heal zone | ||||
| 3 | Level Q — longer root duration | ||||
| 4 | Take E — magic CC shield | ||||
| 5 | Level Q | ||||
| 6 | R — Soul Shackles unlocked | ||||
| 7 | Level Q | ||||
| 8 | Level W | ||||
| 9 | Q maxed | ||||
| 10 | Level W | ||||
| 11 | R rank 2 | ||||
| 12 | Level W | ||||
| 13 | W maxed | ||||
| 14 | Level E | ||||
| 15 | Level E | ||||
| 16 | R rank 3 | ||||
| 17 | Level E | ||||
| 18 | E maxed |
Itemization
Recommended Builds
Starter Items
Spellthief's Edge
Q and W both proc Spellthief. Gold generation for your items.
400g
Health Potion
Sustain through early aggressive lanes.
50g
Core Build
Rylai's Crystal Scepter
W permanently slows everyone in it. Enemies can't walk out of your DoT zone when Rylai's is active.
2600g
Sorcerer's Shoes
Magic pen for W damage and to make your burst meaningful after Q lands.
1100g
Morellonomicon
Stacks with W's anti-heal. Drop W on healing champions for massive grievous wounds application.
2500g
Void Staff
Essential magic pen for mid and late game when enemies buy MR.
2800g
Situational
Rabadon's Deathcap
Maximum burst. One Q hit into W + R stuns one-shots squishies at full build.
3600g
Abyssal Mask
AoE MR shred for magic-heavy team compositions. Amplifies your AP carries' damage.
2700g
Shurelya's Battlesong
Movement speed helps you maintain R tether distance and reposition for second Q.
2500g
Rylai's + Morellonomicon + W is one of the most frustrating zone-control combos in the game. Enemies are slowed, anti-healed, and burning — all at once.
Utility Core
Moonstone Renewer
Morgana's W heals her via Soul Siphon. Moonstone amplifies sustained healing during fights.
2500g
Ionian Boots of Lucidity
More frequent E shields and Q roots.
950g
Redemption
AoE teamfight healing. Your long root gives allies time to receive the heal.
2300g
Locket of the Iron Solari
AoE shield vs dive comps. Combine with E black shield for double layer protection.
2500g
Utility Morgana trades damage for consistent protection. Best when your team has enough AP and needs your E shield + Locket combo to survive aggression.
Runes
Sorcery Primary
Arcane Comet
A rooted enemy cannot dodge Arcane Comet — it's guaranteed free damage on top of W DoT.
Manaflow Band
Morgana's W is expensive and she needs mana to maintain E shields. Manaflow is essential.
Transcendence
Ability haste shortens Q cooldown dramatically — more roots per fight.
Gathering Storm
Morgana scales into lategame. Gathering Storm makes your W and Q burst deadly at 30+ minutes.
Inspiration Secondary
Perfect Timing
Stopwatch safety net vs hard engage lanes that kill you before you land Q.
Cosmic Insight
Summoner spell haste. Ignite up faster to punish after Q roots.
Shards
Ability Haste · Mana · Health
Gameplay
How to Play Morgana
01
Early Game
Q Poke, W Denial, E the ADC
- Level 1 Q — even threatening the Q keeps enemies walking backward. Hit level 2 and immediately get W.
- Drop W under enemies taking CS to force them off last hits while generating Spellthief gold.
- E your ADC before Leona, Blitzcrank, or Nautilus engages — not after. Reactive E often comes too late.
- Your Q is most accurate when enemies are walking in a straight line — watch for enemies walking along a wall.
- Don't take ignite vs poke lanes. Exhaust or Barrier keeps you alive through lane bullying until you outscale.
02
Mid Game
Roam for Picks, Zone Objectives
- Look for picks in the river with Q. One rooted target dies instantly if your jungler follows up.
- W under dragon and Baron objectives forces enemies to fight in your damage zone to contest.
- Black shield your allies before Morgana (enemy), Lux Q, or Amumu R animations — anticipate the CC.
- Ward the lane brushes and roam ward mid. Morgana roams well — your Q root turns mid lane ganks lethal.
- If you hit Q on the enemy carry walking to mid, your jungler has 3 seconds to dive and kill them.
03
Late Game
R + Black Shield Win Teamfights
- R in teamfights whenever you can get close to 3+ enemies. Walk into their backline via fog of war for surprise.
- Flash + R is your primary engage combo in late game — get into the middle of the enemy team instantly.
- Save E for the most valuable target — usually your ADC or AP carry. One E can completely negate an enemy's main win condition.
- W on grouped enemies in teamfights provides massive AoE slow (Rylai's) and anti-heal simultaneously.
- Never tunnel-vision on hitting Q. If you're being dove, E your carry and zone the diver with W.
Teamfighting
How to Teamfight as Morgana
Morgana wins teamfights by locking down the most dangerous enemy with Q and negating the opponent's CC with E black shields. A well-timed R in a grouped team fight swings the outcome completely.
1
Pre-Fight — Shield Your ADC
Before engage
01
Pre-cast E on your ADC before the enemy engage happens. The 4-second shield timer starts immediately.
02
Drop W on expected fight locations — objectives, choke points, brushes — before the fight starts.
03
Position with line-of-sight to the enemy carry for your Q. Identify your primary Q target before committing.
E has a short cooldown but only blocks MAGIC CC. Against purely physical engage (Malphite R if he builds AD, Jarvan flag-drag), your E provides no protection. Know what it blocks.
2
Fight — Root and Burn
Main fight phase
01
Q the enemy carry the moment they step into range. A 3-second root on a carry is a death sentence.
02
Drop W immediately after Q lands. The rooted target can't leave the damage zone for the full DoT.
03
Wait for R timing. R only stuns if enemies stay within tether range for 3 seconds — engage in the center of a group.
04
Flash + R from fog of war for surprise flanks. The stun on multiple enemies wins fights instantly.
3
Aftermath — E Peel, W Chase
Post-fight
01
E the carry being chased so enemy slows and CC don't land as they mop up.
02
W under retreating enemies to slow their escape and deny any healing they try to use.
03
Save Q for anyone who tries to turn. A single Q root ends any desperation counter-engage.
Morgana's R stun fires even if she dies before the timer ends. If you're about to die but enemies are still tethered, staying in position to stun them is worth trading your life.
Tips & Tricks
Advanced Mechanics & Hidden Tech
Advanced mechanics for Morgana.
Basic
Q Prediction — Lead Your Target
Q has a travel time. Aim at where your target will be in 0.5 seconds based on their movement direction. Most beginners aim at the current position — advanced players lead the target and hit running opponents.
Basic
E Before, Not After
Black Shield lasts 4 seconds but has a cast time. You must use E BEFORE the enemy CC ability hits your ally, not after. Watch for Leona's Zenith Blade animation, Blitzcrank's hook wind-up, and Nautilus's anchor swing.
Intermediate
W Wall Targeting
W applies DoT in a circular zone. Place it slightly overlapping terrain so enemies can't simply walk out one side. Corners and narrow corridors in the jungle are ideal W zones — enemies trapped against a wall take full damage.
Intermediate
Q Through Minions
Q does NOT travel through minions unless you buy an item that provides spell penetration. Always have clear vision of your target and aim around the minion wave, not through it.
Advanced
R Self-Engage with Flash
Morgana R only stuns enemies near you after 3 seconds. Use Flash into the enemy backline immediately after casting R so you tether their carries. A well-timed Flash + R is harder to escape than any engage support.
Basic
Soul Siphon Sustain
Every second your W damages a champion, you heal via your passive. In extended fights where you stand in your own W zone next to an enemy, you out-sustain most poke. Don't back unnecessarily — spam W.
Advanced
Anti-Engage Black Shield Targets
Beyond your ADC, consider shielding your jungler during their engage (pre-E before Amumu jumps in), your fed mid-laner chasing a kill, or even your top laner split-pushing into a trap. The 4-second duration makes proactive uses very powerful.
Matchups
Counters & Matchups
Morgana struggles against AD engage supports whose CC ignores her black shield. She excels against teams that rely on magic CC chains to win fights.
Click any matchup to expand tips & how to play against them
Loses Against
Alistar's W+Q is a physical headbutt/pulverize combo. E cannot block physical CC. He dives under your turret without fear of your Q because his ult negates your entire damage output.
Poke Alistar with W before he engages to keep him low. Call for your jungler when he uses W+Q — punish the long cooldown with a 2v2 all-in.
Pyke's slipperiness and stealth make Q difficult to land. His Q hook deals physical damage (E doesn't block it). His execute R kills your shielded ADC instantly regardless of E.
Focus on landing Q when Pyke uses his gray health bar — he takes less damage but is still CC'd. Ward bush entrances to deny his stealth angles.
Thresh hooks deal physical damage — E doesn't block them. His lantern can save his ADC from your Q, and his box traps you from repositioning for R.
E protects from Thresh's Flay magic slow, not the hook. Buy Sweeper and deny bush vision — Thresh loses most of his power without setup angles.
Wins Against
Leona's entire kit is magic CC. E blocks her E (Zenith Blade), her W (Eclipse), and her R. A properly timed black shield makes Leona useless.
E your ADC the moment you see Leona's E animation. She telegraphs her engage and E timing practice makes this matchup trivial.
Nautilus's hook (magic damage) is blocked by E. His R is magic CC — also blocked by E. One E negates his two win conditions.
E your ADC when Nautilus positions to hook. The blocked hook wastes his entire cooldown cycle. Q him when he's waiting for hook cooldown — he can't dodge it.
Lux support's Q root is magic damage — blocked by E. Her entire kit is magic-based. E your ADC and they're completely immune to Lux's CC and much of her damage.
E before Lux Q animation and your ADC is untouchable. Punish Lux with aggressive Q poke whenever she misses her Q.