Combos · Support

Nami combos

the Tidecaller

3 Nami combos explained key by key: in which order to cast the abilities, when to use them and what each step does. The main combo is Q › E › W. Further down: every ability's cooldown, cost and range, and the skill max order measured over ranked games.

Nami combos

Written guide · based on the official ability texts

The lane engage

When: Your carry is ready to strike.

Aqua Prison stuns on impact, Tidecaller's Blessing empowers your ally, Ebb and Flow heals your team and damages the target as it bounces.

Protection

When: An ally is in trouble.

Ebb and Flow bounces between allied and enemy champions: it heals allies and damages enemies. Tidecaller's Blessing slows the aggressors.

The engage ultimate

When: A team fight starts.

Tidal Wave knocks the enemies it hits into the air, slows and damages them; your allies it hits gain double the effect of Surging Tides.

Common mistakes

Casting Aqua Prison without accounting for the bubble's travel time: it stuns on impact, so plan its trajectory.
Forgetting to heal: Ebb and Flow is also your sustain tool.
Using the ultimate with no ally nearby: its speed effect benefits your team.

Cooldowns, costs and ranges

A combo only comes back once its abilities are off cooldown: these values (rank 1 to max rank, in seconds) tell how long to wait between two combos. Source: Data Dragon 16.19.1.

Ability	Cooldown (s)	Cost	Range
Q · Aqua Prison	12/11/10/9/8	60 Mana	875
W · Ebb and Flow	10	70/75/80/85/90 Mana	725
E · Tidecaller's Blessing	11	55/60/65/70/75 Mana	800
R · Tidal Wave	120/110/100	100 Mana	2550

Official ability descriptions

PassiveSurging Tides

When Nami's Abilities hit allied champions they gain Move Speed for a short duration.

QAqua Prison

Sends a bubble to a target area, dealing damage and stunning all enemies on impact.

WEbb and Flow

Unleashes a stream of water that bounces back and forth between allied and enemy champions, healing allies and damaging enemies.

ETidecaller's Blessing

Empowers an allied champion for a short duration. The ally's basic attacks and spells deal bonus magic damage and slow the target.

RTidal Wave

Summons a massive Tidal Wave that knocks up, slows, and damages enemies. Allies hit gain double the effect of Surging Tides.

Skill order

Max order: W > E > Q58.7% · 92 games

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15
Q			●											●	●
W	●			●	●		●		●
E		●						●		●		●	●
R						●					●

The order shows which abilities reach rank 5 first; the grid shows the most-played level-up sequence with that order (measured over 178 games).

Riot's official tips for playing Nami

Aqua Prison has a long cooldown, make sure to use it at the right moment.
Using Ebb and Flow during an engagement with enemy champions will help sway the battle in your favor.
Nami's ultimate can come in very handy for initiating on enemies who are far away.

How to play around Nami's combos

Aqua Prison is a very powerful ability with a long cooldown, take advantage of the situation if Nami misses this ability.
Tidal Wave has a very long range but travels slowly, be aware of when it is coming your way as you can move out of its path.
Try to avoid fighting an opponent affected by Tidecaller's Blessing, it lasts a short duration so waiting it out can help you greatly.

Frequently asked questions

What is Nami's main combo?

The lane engage: Q › E › W. Your carry is ready to strike. Aqua Prison stuns on impact, Tidecaller's Blessing empowers your ally, Ebb and Flow heals your team and damages the target as it bounces.

Which ability should I max first on Nami?

The most-played max order is W > E > Q (92 games, 58.7% win rate).

What is the cooldown of Nami's ultimate?

Tidal Wave has a 120/110/100 second cooldown depending on its rank.

Build, runes and counters: full Nami guide · every champion's combos · tier list