Ekko is one of the best assassins we have in League of Legends. He is known for his deadly in-and-out playstyle that allows him to quickly slay a target and get away safely.
Ekko’s damage is obnoxious, especially in the late game. And even though Ekko isn’t a new champion in LoL, players are still confused about the type of damage he deals.
So, is Ekko an AP or an AD champion?
Is Ekko AD or AP?

Ekko is a pure AP champion, which means that he only deals magic damage. Every ability in Ekko’s kit scales with AP and not with AD.
Most players go for a full AP build on Ekko because the more AP he has, the more damage his abilities deal.
Even though Ekko may look like a brutal champion that deals physical damage, that’s not really the case. And ever since Riot Games released him on the Summoner’s Rift, Ekko has been an AP assassin.
However, Ekko’s role has changed from mid to jungle, from jungle to top, and from top back to mid lane. You can now play Ekko in any of these three roles, as long as you don’t run into a problematic matchup.
He’s a great laner and a great jungler too.
On the other hand, Ekko’s build has also changed many times over the years, but we mostly go for items such as Hextech Rocketbelt, Lich Bane, Zhonya’s Hourglass, and Rabadon’s Deathcap.
Yes, some players prefer to build Ekko as a tank, but most just build him full AP.
So, if you were wondering whether Ekko is magic or physical and what type of damage does Ekko do, here’s a summary.
Ekko is considered a magic champion, and he only deals magic damage, except for his basic attack, which deals physical damage.
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Ekko’s Abilities Explained
Passive, Z-Drive Resonance

Ekko’s passive – Z-Drive Resonance is a fairly easy ability to understand.
When Ekko auto-attacks an enemy or hits it with his Q, he marks that enemy with a blue ring around them.
Each basic attack generates one ring, but his Q can apply two rings since it can strike twice.
The rings burst on the third attack, or Q hit, dealing bonus magic damage to the target.
Z-Drive Resonance does 30-140 magic damage (based on level), plus 80% of your Ability Power. This damage is increased by 300% percent against jungle monsters.
This effect works similarly to Vayne’s W – Silver Bolts. And the idea is simple – strike the enemy two times, then strike them another time for bonus damage.
However, Vayne can only apply her rings via auto-attacks, while Ekko can also do that with his Q – Timewinder.
Remember that only two rings can be active on each enemy Ekko damages because the third hit will always trigger the bonus damage.
It doesn’t matter whether you activate the burst with your Q or auto-attacks because the damage is the same.
If you proc the Z-Drive Resonance stacks (burst the rings) on an enemy champion, you’ll also gain a burst of Movement Speed too.
Z-Drive Resonance has a cooldown, which means that you can’t apply it on the same target immediately after triggering it once.
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Q, Timewinder

Ekko’s Q – Timewinder is a damaging spell, similar to Ahri’s Q.
Once activated, Ekko’s Q travels forward then backward, damaging all enemies in its path, slowing them, and applying a stack of Ekko’s passive.
It does more damage when it travels backward, so make sure you strike your target twice.
Timewinder does 60 / 75 / 90 / 105 / 120 (+ 30% AP) damage when it travels forward and 40 / 65 / 90 / 115 / 140 (+ 60% AP) damage when it travels backward.
The slow effect scales like this: 32 / 39 / 46 / 53 / 60% on each rank.
It’s simple – you always want to hit your enemies twice with Ekko’s Q. Positioning yourself so that this ability will damage your target twice is crucial on this champion.
Not only does it increase the damage done, but it also helps you apply your passive.
How should you use Ekko’s Q?
During the laning phase, you can cast Ekko’s Q through all enemy minions, so it strikes them twice. This will put two stacks on each minion, allowing you to deal bonus damage to them.
And this makes it very easy for you to farm since the passive’s damage is enough to execute the minions from 30-40% HP.
On the other hand, Ekko’s Q should always be used on the enemy champion you’re trying to assassinate. The most common combo you can do on Ekko is E > AA > Q or E > AA > Q > AA.
This guarantees that you’ll proc Z-Drive Resonance and deal a lot of damage. There are many variations in this combo, but that’s how Ekko deals damage in a nutshell.
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W, Parallel Convergence

Ekko’s W – Parallel Convergence is a ground-targeted AoE ability (a ring). It can be cast from a great range, and it takes 2 seconds for the ability to arrive.
If Ekko enters the ring within that time, he’ll stun all enemies inside and gain a shield. If he doesn’t, the ring only reveals the area and slows the enemies.
Parallel Convergence’s shield is 80 / 100 / 120 / 140 / 160, plus 150% of Ekko’s AP. This shield can easily be 50 or 60% of Ekko’s HP in the late game, so it’s crucial to take advantage of it!
Ekko’s W also has a passive effect – Ekko’s auto-attacks deal bonus magic damage to his enemies. This damage is increased the more AP Ekko has and the more missing health his target has.
This effect works with every basic attack and doesn’t have a cooldown like Z-Drive Resonance.
How do you use ekko W?
Parallel Convergence can be used in several different ways. You can use it as a defensive tool to shield yourself while in lane or the jungle. Or you can use it as an engage tool to stun enemies and quickly assassinate a target.
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E, Phase Dive

Ekko’s E is a dash ability that has two parts. When you first activate it, Ekko simply dashes in the chosen direction.
But then the ability empowers Ekko’s next basic attack and allows him to instantly jump to the enemy. This second part works like a Blink, so it can’t be avoided.
If you aren’t sure what I mean here, let me explain. If Ekko auto-attacks you after he dashes with his E, you can’t stop him from getting to you unless you’re far away.
You can’t Flash away from it either, since the Blink will always follow you to your final destination.
Ekko’s basic attack after using Phase Drive deals 50 / 75 / 100 / 125 / 150 (+ 40% AP) bonus magic damage.
You can use this ability to pass through terrain around Summoner’s Rift.
R, Chronobreak

Ekko’s R – Chronobreak allows him to go back in time. A copy (echo) of Ekko is always lingering behind him, showing where he was 4 seconds ago.
When he uses R, he quickly goes to that 4-seconds-ago position while being untargetable and immune to all abilities and attacks. Chronobreak deals damage and heals Ekko too.
Chronobreak deals 150 / 300 / 450 (+ 150% AP) magic damage. Although Ekko’s ulti is powerful, it’s not always easy to use it for dealing damage.
You’ll need to escape certain death a lot of the time, so it’s mostly used as a defensive tool.
Chronobreak heals Ekko for 100 / 150 / 200 (+ 60% AP) (increased by 3% per 1% of health lost in the past 4 seconds). You can use it to regain your lost HP during a fight or unfavorable trade.
With enough Ability Haste, you’ll have this ability on around 30 seconds cooldown, so you can always correct your mistakes.
You can also be creative with Ekko’s R. Sometimes, you can use it to go back to lane after you’ve recalled and bought your items.
Or you can use it to surprise your enemies and damage them while going back in time and healing yourself.
How long is Ekko’s ult?
The base cooldown of Ekko’s ultimate is 110 / 80 / 50 seconds per rank. It always returns Ekko to his position 4 seconds ago, no matter how long that distance is.
For example, if Ekko teleports to the enemy base after spawning and ults immediately, he’ll come back to his own base.
How to You Use Ekko’s Abilities Effectively?

Ekko should be used as an AP assassin in most games. The best way to set up and score kills is to throw your W from the fog of war so you can surprise-stun your target.
Then you should E + AA + Q that enemy until your passive triggers, and you quickly burst him. You can then use R to get to safety.
This is obviously the ideal playstyle for Ekko. When you become experienced enough, you’ll know when and how to set up these scenarios more frequently.
You’ll know how to fake your W position so you can always secure your stun. And you’ll know when exactly to press your R button.
However, you’ll have to compromise in many games too. League of Legends is a chaotic game, and you’ll often need to use your R just to save yourself.
But Ekko’s damage without his ultimate is enough to slay most enemies, so he is a great pick overall.
You can definitely use Ekko to climb in solo queue, both as a jungler and mid laner.
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What Should I Build on Ekko?
You can build a variety of different items on Ekko. In reality, most AP items are beneficial, but some just work better than others. Here’s a list of recommended items on Ekko!
Mythic Items:
- Hextech Rocketbelt
- Luden’s Tempest
Core Items:
- Lich Bane
- Zhonya’s Hourglass
- Void Staff
Useful Items:
- Rabadon’s Deathcap
- Morellonomicon
- Mejai’s Soulstealer
- Nashor’s Tooth
- Banshee’s Veil
Conclusion
To summarize – Ekko is an AP champion that only deals magic damage. His role is an assassin, and his playstlye is pretty safe. This is an amazing champion to become a great player with.
He requires a bit of skill and knowledge, but he also rewards players for their effort.
And I hope I helped you understand how Ekko deals his damage and why he is a great champion to play in League of Legends!