last cipher
I made it to GM with it in S10, Master in S11 and S13. it's certainly fallen off a bit as buffs and nerfs go around, but it's still my go-to. I'm currently climbing back up to Master (or GM? maybe? I can def do master, but GM is trickier because people start getting actually really good at the game up there)
Playstyle & Priorities:
As always, in the Mid Lane, keep an eye on the map for good roaming opportunities, keep an eye on where their jungle and your jungle is, and WARD
Flash/Ghost, Attack Speed Keystone (if their team is tanky) or First Strike (if their team is squishy) Keystone
Thresh has a lot of potential with On-Hit damage (peep Flay's passive! 2 damage per soul? That's like an extra 160+ magic damage on hit by the end of the game!) and this build and playstyle tries to capitalize on that.
Do NOT be afraid to use your lantern to collect souls when laning alone. Souls are so clutch. 2 armor, 2 AP, and 2 on-hit damage for every soul? Hell yeah, dude. If you're ahead and can take a tower hit to get a soul, do it. It will come in handy in the lategame.
Build Path:
1st Item (always): Omnivamp Boots
Core Items, almost any order, but get them first:
Heartsteel
Nashor's Tooth
Wit's End (Stormrazor if MR not needed)
Force of Nature (or Dead Man's Plate)
Last item depends on a LOT of variables. In simple terms as a guideline:
Their team is tanky, we need more damage: Terminus
Their team is tanky, we need more tankiness: Dead Man's Plate or Force of Nature
Their team is squishy, we need more damage: Stormrazor or Terminus
Their team is squishy, we need more tankiness: no, you don't. Stormrazor or Terminus. If they're squishy, this build will kill any squishy (or 2!) before they can kill you. Peel for your team, too.
Before First Recall:
First skill: FLAY. It has to be flay for the passive damage it provides and the burst combo it allows.
Ward their jungle bush on the bottom-right side of the mid lane, see if you can get a cheeky first burst damage on them.
Use your hook more as a mobility tool to deal burst damage. Auto -> flay -> auto, run away or finish them off. If timed right, it results in ~1/3 of the enemy's health gone before they have a chance to react. In a matchup where you can dodge skillshots and/or outdamage them (a surprising amount of matchups, honestly)
Rush Omnivamp boots no matter what. The AD scales well with the auto flay auto combo. The omnivamp allows you to get your health back in lane while they recall.
Mid Game (Behind):
Don't be afraid to use Thresh's natural tankiness to your advantage. He's built to be a support, so if you're behind, just roam mid/jg and keep a closer eye on the map to look for opportunities. Don't Let Mid Tower Fall if you can help it!
Mid Game (Ahead):
Push. Push. Push. Thresh has so much natural CC and tankiness, use it to your advantage. The more you can keep their mid-laner behind, the more opportunities you have to get ahead in souls, gold, help your team, etc. When their mid turret falls, start roaming unless your team starts pushing mid hard with you.
Late Game:
Just be Thresh. Hook em, hit em, peel, be a support for your team, and do a surprising amount of damage (get that attack speed going!) but also (because of the damage your building and thresh's natural tankiness) be a formidable threat while split pushing or flanking with a good hook if that's what your team needs.
The beauty of the build and playstyle is that you're not exactly a tank, damage, assassin, or support, because you're a little bit of all of them instead. Thresh bruiser build, I guess, but building attack speed instead of the classic health/AD build that a champ like Sett, J4, or Yasuo might do.
This playstyle & build also works in Baron lane pretty well with some minor adjustments.