Combos · ADC

Nilah combos

the Joy Unbound

4 Nilah 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 › AA › E › AA. Further down: every ability's cooldown, cost and range, and the skill max order measured over ranked games.

Nilah combos

Written guide · based on the official ability texts

The trade

Q AA AA

E AA AA

When: An enemy is within range.

Formless Blade deals damage in a straight line and increases your attack range; Slipstream dashes you in enthusiastically and damages along your path.

Team protection

W AA AA

When: Your team is engaged.

Jubilant Veil raises your movement speed and makes you dodge every attack; any ally you touch during the mist gains this effect too.

The gathering ultimate

When: The enemies are around you.

Apotheosis whirls your whip-blade, deals damage to the enemies around you then pulls them toward you.

The engage with the veil

Q AA AA

When: Your team engages against enemy basic attacks.

Jubilant Veil raises your movement speed and lets you avoid every attack; Slipstream dashes you onto the target, damaging along your path; Formless Blade increases your attack range.

Role in team fights

Nilah is a melee marksman: she joins the fight with Slipstream, places Jubilant Veil to make her team immune to attacks while the mist lasts, then Apotheosis pulls the enemies toward her. She is better when her allies heal or protect her, since she strengthens and shares those effects.

Common mistakes

Casting the ultimate without being in contact.
Using Jubilant Veil with no ally to touch.
Neglecting your allies' healing and shields.

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 · Formless Blade	4	30 Mana	600
W · Jubilant Veil	26/25/24/23/22	60/45/30/15/0 Mana	150
E · Slipstream	0.5	40 Mana	550
R · Apotheosis	110/95/80	100 Mana	400

Official ability descriptions

PassiveJoy Unending

Nilah gains increased experience from last-hitting minions along with the ability to enhance and share nearby healing and shielding from her allies.

QFormless Blade

With a snap of her whip-blade, Nilah damages any enemies she hits in a straight line in her chosen direction. This action extends her attack range for a short duration.

WJubilant Veil

Nilah envelops herself in mist, increasing her movement speed and allowing her to gracefully dodge all incoming attacks. Any allies she touches during the mist's duration will also gain this effect.

ESlipstream

Nilah enthusiastically dashes toward her target, dealing damage to any enemies she passes through on the way.

RApotheosis

Twirling her whip-blade in joyful exuberance, Nilah deals damage to enemies around her before pulling them closer with her weapon.

Frequently asked questions

What is Nilah's main combo?

The trade: Q › AA › E › AA. An enemy is within range. Formless Blade deals damage in a straight line and increases your attack range; Slipstream dashes you in enthusiastically and damages along your path.

What is the cooldown of Nilah's ultimate?

Apotheosis has a 110/95/80 second cooldown depending on its rank.

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