October 5, 2023
Cursed from childhood to be haunted by the ominous Black Mist, Senna was saved and trained by a Sentinel of Light named Urias. She later joined the sacred order herself and proved to be a deadly contender, mastering the pistol Urias gave her.
Senna could never stay in one place for long, and after Urias was slain, she wasn’t sure if she could let anyone get close again.
After the tragedy, Senna sought out Urias’ family in Demacia to tell them of his death. She met his son Lucian who could finally join his father’s order and fulfill his wish of becoming a Sentinel of Light, as Senna’s partner.
As Lucian’s love for Senna grew, his desire to remove her curse grew as well. It was while investigating a new cure that they came into contact with the wraith Thresh. Senna saved Lucian from Thresh’s grasp by staying between the two of them, and with her last breath, she told Lucian to run as far as he could.
In the lantern Senna, neither dead nor alive, learned to use the Mist and pull it into herself. When Lucian liberated the souls within the lantern, Senna was there, waiting. She escaped, wielding a cannon that could channel both darkness and light, forged from the weapons of fallen Sentinels.
She now didn’t have to run. Senna and Lucian’s love survived and now had to face the consequences of her death and rebirth. They both had a clear objective: find and stop Viego, the Ruined King. The one who has been hunting Senna since she was a kid because of a fragment of Isolde’s soul hidden within her.
Senna is a versatile champion that can be played in almost every lane (I’ve tried her both ADC and support, mid and top), although, in my opinion, she shines in the bot lane.
She’s straightforward to learn, has excellent scaling, and is very, very annoying to play against. On the downside, she’s very reliant on mists as she doesn’t gain extra AD per level. Also, her pacing for farming when playing as ADC is a little weird and hard to get used to.
ABILITIES
Absolution (passive): when units die near Senna, their souls are periodically trapped by the Black Mist. Senna can attack these souls to free them, absorbing the Mist that held them in death. Mist fuels her Relic Cannon’s power with increased Attack Damage, Attack Range, and Critical Strike Chance. Attacks from Senna’s Relic Cannon take longer to fire, deal bonus damage, and briefly grant her a portion of her target’s Move Speed.
Here lies Senna’s strength, her infinite scaling thanks to the Mist. She can get souls by double-tapping enemy champions or gathering them around the lane as her ADC farms. This is one of the most important skills in Senna’s belt, if not the most important. Since you don’t get AD per level, you need to have a good Mist per minute ratio.
Piercing Darkness (Q): from the twin barrels of her Relic Cannon, Senna fires a unified beam of light and shadow through a target, healing allies and damaging enemies.
Bread and butter of our skillset. It’s a versatile heal and damage attack with insane range. It’s also a key feature for farming souls. Basic attacks reduce its cooldown by one second, so be sure to try and keep it up as much as you can.
Last Embrace (W): Senna sends forth a wave of Black Mist. If it hits an enemy it latches onto them hungrily, rooting them and everything nearby after a brief delay.
An amazing root that can clear your escape, engage or avoid your target from running away. You get the root after one second or if the target dies – including minions.
Curse of the Black Mist (E): Senna draws the Mist she has stored in her weapon into a storm around her, embracing darkness and becoming a wraith within. Allies who enter the area are camouflaged and also appear as wraiths as the Mist shrouds them. Wraiths gain increased Move Speed, are unselectable, and hide their identities.
In my opinion, this is Senna’s most complicated ability. It has two different types of stealth, Camouflage and Wraith Form. Senna and the allies in her radius are camouflaged and can’t be seen. IfSenna’s allies leave the radius, they become visible as wraiths, but they’re still untargetable. It’s useful for ganking, but you’ve got to be aware of Control Wards. It’s also a fantastic gateway because of the movement speed and untargetability. You can use it to get back to your lane faster too.
Dawning Shadow (R): Senna calls upon the relic stones of fallen Sentinels, splitting her relic cannon into a holy array of shadow and light. She then fires a global beam that shields allies from harm, while damaging enemies caught in the center.
Its best use is in teamfights. Even if you don’t hit the damage beam, the shield is incredibly useful. It has a huge cooldown, so it’s important to try and use it correctly and not waste it. It can also be used to last hit an enemy that ran away with 1HP.
I usually max Q first, as it’s our primary source of damage early in the game. Then I’ll max W, but you could go for E to improve your mobility. So in the first levels, I normally go Q – W – Q – E.
RUNES
Runes are enhancements that add new abilities or buffs to champions, allowing us to slightly modify our playstyle for one of them depending on the game, our lane, the enemy composition, and our team composition. There are five different paths of runes: Precision (Improved attacks and sustained damage), Domination (Burst damage and target access), Sorcery (Empowered abilities and resource manipulation), Resolve (Durability and crowd control), and Inspiration (Creative tools and rule-bending).
Here I’m going to show you my go-to runes depending on the enemy team or my position. Keep in mind that there are many more combinations that can be used and would work with Senna, so make sure to experiment and find your favorite.
INSPIRATION + PRECISION
I’ve been using this build quite a lot recently as I think First Strike has good synergy with Senna because of the double-tapping.
Magical Footwear is always a good choice as it will save you a good 300 gold, and Biscuit Delivery is a must if going down the inspiration tree with Senna as you’re going to burn mana as a maniac in the early game.
This is your typical good old reliable build.
PRECISION + INSPIRATION
Another trusty build. Very useful when you’re facing a lane where you need quite a lot of poke. The movement speed from Fleet Footwork allows you to get mist without putting yourself in danger.
Presence of Mind is amazing on Senna as it rewards your poking, which you can do without mana.
Legend: Tenacity is great for survivability and avoiding hard ccs (Tenacity is a stat that reduces the effect of some crowd control status effects). You could also go for Legend: Alacrity.
Coup de Grace is a good choice when you know you’re going to bully your opponents. If you think you’re going to stay under the tower a lot, you should go for Last Stand, but you have to keep in mind that, with Senna, you’ll want to play as aggressively as possible. If the enemy team has a lot of tanks, Cut Down is also a fantastic choice.
SORCERY + RESOLVE
This build has been seen quite a lot, mainly with Senna support. These runes are a great choice for someone who’s just starting out with Senna.
Aery is suitable for both damaging and protecting but does not excel at either. With this build, you’re going to have both good healing abilities to keep your ADC alive and damaging capabilities to punish your enemies with Piercing Darkness.
Manaflow Band is a must to stack the mana you’ll need to heal endlessly.
Transcendence doesn’t give you anything in lane, but once you get to mid/late game, Piercing Darkness will be so spammable that it won’t matter. Absolute Focus is also a good and popular option, but I would recommend Transcendence over it for Senna beginners.
Gathering Storm is an amazing power scaling rune. It works great with your healing and ultimate, and it makes an amazing synergy with the infinite scaling possibilities of Senna.
Even though taking precision as a secondary path is the most common choice, with this build, I recommend going through Resolve to make it the perfect beginner-friendly rune set.
Bone Plating is a good defense against very pokey champions, and Overgrowth is another good safety measure.
DOMINATION + INSPIRATION
These runes are amazing against a bot lane you can bully. Dark Harvest turns Senna into a scaling beast and is so powerful in the late game. The downside is that you need to get ahead early.
Taste of Blood is fantastic at keeping you alive, but you could also take Cheap Shot as it has good synergy with Last Embrace (W).
Zombie Ward is one of my favorite runes in the game, allowing you to keep a good vision score.
Ultimate Hunter is so powerful, giving the high cooldown of your ultimate, but is currently a good and solid choice to help you build faster.
NOTE
You can mix and match runes as your playstyle requires. I usually take Precision or Inspiration as a secondary path, but your team composition or enemy champions may require some more defense, Resolve, or more burst, Domination. Just take into account your preferences and what the game may need.
ITEMS
Just like with runes, item build paths are flexible and depend a lot on the game and the situation. Here, we will go through some of the most popular items to build on Senna (both for ADC and Support). These can be mixed and are not mutually exclusive.
CORE ITEMS
Eclipse is my usual go-to as a Mythic Item. It gives raw power, and the armor penetration is nothing to joke about, so it’s amazing in tank matchups.
Duskblade of Draktharr is nice for a caster ADC like Senna. It provides some ability haste which is awesome and an extra escape way that you can combine with Curse of the Black Mist (E). In addition, the on-hit effect can be used multiple times in a teamfight.
Kraken Slayer is a tank-killing tool. It gives a lot of raw AD power, and it’s incredibly strong. The main problem with this item is its price. Depending on the game may be worth it.
These are the three Mythic Items I usually choose from. There are other options like Frostfire Gauntlet and Moonstone Renewer that can be useful in certain games but I don’t really play them so experiment!
BUILD
I love Umbral Glaive, and I think it is amazing for Senna. Saves a lot of time when cleaning wards (as she has an abysmal attack speed), and it’s a fantastic combo with Zombie Ward. The ability haste is always well received, so build this if you’re not going to tank. It’s a must.
Manamune – You need to be able to play aggressively with this item (something you want to do anyway) to get stacks, so if you’re behind or being very punished, I wouldn’t recommend building a Tear of the Goddess. On the other hand, if you’re ahead, build this without hesitation, as it will give you excellent carry capabilities.
Rapid Firecannon – The bonus range that this item provides works amazingly with Senna, and the crit and attack speed works very well in early game when Senna is still collecting her first Mist stacks. It’s a great item to build early to take advantage of those stats and get ahead, but I usually end up selling it in the late game and building an Infinity Edge, as the crit gets overshadowed by Senna’s scaling.
Guinsoo’s Rageblade – As Senna has infinite critical strike scaling, you can get ever-increasing amounts of on-hit damage. Excellent, even if you don’t build any other crit items.
The Collector – Good item when you’re ahead and so fed that you could end the game by yourself. It gives you a heavy damage boost to keep your lead strong. Also, the Execute passive gives you some dominance in trades.
Youmuu’s Ghostblade – Offers similar stats as Umbral Glaive. The out-of-combat movement speed lets you sweep objectives and get back to the lane faster, allowing easier roams. The active may be a lifesaver or a death sentence for your enemies.
OTHER ITEMS
Hexdrinker/Maw of Malmortius – If most of the enemy team deals magic damage, you should purchase an early Hexdrinker. The passive can save you in situations where you face large amounts of magic damage. There’s no need to rush building this into a Maw of Malmortious. If it’s not required, focus on your core build.
Executioner’s Calling/Mortal Reminder/Chempunk Chainsword– Anti-heal item that you’ll probably need to buy on your first back, depending on your lane opponent, to make your lane much easier. You can later build it into Mortal Reminder or Chempunk Chainsword.
Last Whisper/Serylda’s Grudge/ Lord Dominik’s Regards – I usually just buy this if they have a team full of tanks (two or more). Then, depending on the tanks, I typically build the full item and go either Serylda’s Grudge when I need the slow or Lord Dominik’s Regards when I need the extra damage.
Infinity Edge – This item is mainly a late-game boost. Once you’re around 60% critical strike chance from your passive, it’s the perfect time to buy this and immensely increase your damage.
There are quite a lot of other items that can be viable and usable by Senna depending on the matchup. Sometimes I build a Mercurial Scimitar (or even just a Quicksilver Sash) to clear CCs off, a Spirit Visage to build against a heavy magic damage team and improve my heal capabilities, or a Guardian Angel.
BOOTS
Ionian Boots of Lucidity – My favorite option for boots. If you have Piercing Darkness (Q) more often, you have more damage, and the slight reduction on the Flash cooldown is no joke either.
Boots of Swiftness – These are never a bad purchase, but if you’re against a team with no slows and don’t need Plated Steelcaps or Mercury’s Treads, I think Ionian Boots of Lucidity are a better choice.
Berserker’s Greaves – Not my favorite choice as Senna is a caster ADC. Piercing Darkness (Q) is our primary source of damage early in the game. Once you get to the late game, you can switch to Berserker’s Greaves if you need some damage boost.
Plated Steelcaps – Great against auto-attacking enemies because of the passive. Don’t build them just for the armor.
Mercury’s Treads – These boots are amazing against a lane with many ccs because of the tenacity increase. Don’t build them just for the magic resist.
STRATEGY
Senna’s early game is not the strongest. Focus on poking as much as you can to get Mist and look for favorable trades at level 2. Your goal during the laning phase is to get as many stacks on your passive as you can while punishing the enemies. Try to play aggressively to gain the lead, and don’t hesitate to use your Curse of the Black Mist (E) to get away if you get into trouble or get to your lane faster.
If you’re playing support, try to ward as much as you can without being too vulnerable. Again, having vision around major objectives is key.
One of my favorite Senna traits is her roaming capabilities with Curse of the Black Mist (E), so if you get a lead on the botlane, don’t hesitate to run towards other lanes and try to pick someone off. However, don’t roam too much as your main goal is to keep collecting Mist as much as you can and help your team with Dawning Shadow (R).
As ADC, you’ll want to stick with your support throughout the mid-game. You’re pretty vulnerable and easy to kill on your own, but you need to gain XP and gold to complete your build. Look for picks to gain kills and increase or create a lead.
Once you’re in the late game, your vision focus as support should be to place wards in high traffic areas, so you can keep track of the enemy team moving around the map. Make sure both Baron and Dragon are warded and stay with your team as much as possible.
As ADC, Senna’s late-game is pretty strong. Your infinite scaling makes you a beast but don’t be overconfident and don’t travel alone. In fights, auto-attack as much as you can while using your Piercing Darkness (Q) on cooldown. Adapt your positioning and use Last Embrace (W) and Curse of the Black Mist (E) as a getaway method. You can also use Last Embrace (W) to avoid an enemy going away with 1HP or creating an entryway for your team to attack.
Senna’s game is mainly about stacking Mist without being too vulnerable and getting to the mid-late game, where she can take full advantage of her infinite scaling.
SUMMONERS
Flash: A must. There’s no discussion here. This one is not replaceable. Senna has low mobility, so this gives her an escape and, sometimes, an efficient engage. High cooldown, so use it carefully.
Heal: With Senna, I usually try to convince my ADC to take either Ignite or Exhaust, as heal does not require me to move closer to the enemies given Senna’s insane range.
Ignite: This is the standard for supports. As I said before, I’m not a fan of taking this, giving Senna’s range.
Barrier: The safest choice to take on Senna. Useful to protect us against dives and CC. This is a good choice against certain pushy and pokey lane opponents.
Exhaust: if my ADC refuses to leave the heal behind for me, I usually go for Exhaust as I think it’s a fantastic tool, very useful in all phases of the game.
So my usual go-to is Heal – Flash or Exhaust – Flash.
CONCLUSION
Senna is an amazing and powerful champion. She’s one of the most annoying supports I’ve ever faced and I love her so much for that. She’s currently my favorite champions in the game, so I hope you’ve enjoyed this small guide and that you’ll give her a try. If you discover some new builds to try, please, let me know!