Understanding the Core of Dark Harvest
The Mechanics Deep Dive
The air crackles with anticipation. You’re poised, ready to strike the final blow, your eyes locked on the low-health enemy. A flash of purple light erupts, and the target explodes in a burst of crimson. Victory is secured, fueled by a power that thrives on the echoes of battle. This is the essence of Dark Harvest, a keystone rune that offers immense potential in the right hands.
League of Legends is a game of constant evolution, where strategies shift and new metas emerge. For many players, Dark Harvest remains a compelling choice, offering a unique playstyle and the potential to turn the tide of any match. This article delves into the intricacies of Dark Harvest, equipping you with the knowledge to master its mechanics, identify synergistic champions, and dominate the Rift with this powerful keystone.
Dark Harvest isn’t just about dealing damage; it’s about seizing opportunities. At its heart, Dark Harvest is a keystone rune that rewards players for engaging in combat and securing kills, offering a significant burst of damage that can drastically alter the outcome of any team fight.
The fundamental mechanic revolves around the collection of “souls.” These souls are not passively gained; they are earned by damaging enemy champions and large monster camps. Whenever an enemy champion, epic monster, or large minion is below a certain health threshold, they become marked as “harvestable.” Attacking a “harvestable” enemy champion will instantly trigger Dark Harvest, dealing bonus adaptive damage based on the number of souls collected. This adaptive damage means the damage dealt will adapt based on whether you’re building for Attack Damage (AD) or Ability Power (AP).
The damage dealt by Dark Harvest is significantly increased based on the amount of souls gathered. Each soul contributes towards a larger number of base damage and a scaling damage increase with additional souls. The more souls you collect, the more powerful your Dark Harvest strikes become.
The cooldown on Dark Harvest is relatively short, encouraging aggressive plays and frequent engagement. However, each time you use it, the cooldown resets if you are successful in your harvest, adding additional potential for consistent damage. This reset allows for exciting opportunities during skirmishes and team fights, where multiple targets can be exposed.
The true appeal of Dark Harvest lies in its ability to drastically shift a fight in your favor. In addition to the bonus damage, the rune often triggers when enemy champions are already low on health, making it a powerful tool for securing kills and snowballing advantages.
The Strengths That Define Dark Harvest
Dark Harvest has earned its place as a popular keystone due to the undeniable strengths it offers to any champion that is willing to take advantage of its mechanics.
One of the key advantages of Dark Harvest is its incredible burst damage potential. The ability to quickly eliminate low-health targets is a powerful tool, allowing you to clean up fights, secure kills, and even execute enemies who might otherwise escape. This is especially beneficial in skirmishes and team fights, where the ability to swiftly take down a key target can turn the tide of battle.
Dark Harvest possesses a distinct scaling ability. As the game progresses and more souls are collected, the rune’s damage output steadily increases. This late-game scaling makes Dark Harvest a viable option for champions who may struggle in the early game, as it allows them to become a significant threat later on, capable of obliterating enemies with a single well-placed attack.
Team fights are where Dark Harvest truly shines. The reset mechanic, which allows for multiple procs of the rune during team fights, makes it an incredibly potent tool for securing kills and dealing significant damage across multiple targets. This allows you to create an advantage in any team fight, and take your team closer to victory.
Champions That Thrive on Dark Harvest
The effectiveness of Dark Harvest depends heavily on the champion who wields it. Certain archetypes and champions greatly benefit from the rune’s mechanics, allowing them to maximize its potential.
Many champions excel at burst damage, the ability to quickly eliminate enemies. These champions are able to swiftly dispatch low-health enemies, instantly triggering Dark Harvest and securing kills. Champions like Lux, known for her long-range burst, can soften enemies from afar, allowing them to trigger Dark Harvest. Other champions include Veigar and other mages, which rely on a single devastating attack to execute their enemies.
Some champions excel at engaging, closing the distance between them and enemies. These champions combine engaging abilities with Dark Harvest, able to reach the enemy team and take them out. Champions like Pyke, the Bloodharbor Ripper, is a prime example. His ultimate ability, Death from Below, is designed to execute low-health enemies, synergizing perfectly with Dark Harvest. Kha’Zix, the Voidreaver, thrives in the jungle and has the ability to burst down enemies in one-on-one encounters.
High mobility is another key factor. Champions capable of swift movement and strategic positioning can easily navigate the battlefield, collecting souls and securing kills. Hecarim, the Shadow of War, benefits greatly from the ability to charge in quickly and assassinate targets, and with Dark Harvest, he is capable of burst-killing his targets. Master Yi, the Wuju Bladesman, is another champion known for mobility, as well as the ability to chase down enemies to collect souls.
Champions with global presence, the ability to make an impact anywhere on the map, are also excellent choices for Dark Harvest. These champions can roam, gank, and contribute from any lane. Karthus, the Deathsinger, can use his ultimate, Requiem, to apply pressure across the entire map. Gangplank, the Saltwater Scourge, can use his cannon barrage to apply damage and collect souls.
Strategy and Execution on the Rift
Utilizing Dark Harvest effectively requires understanding the mechanics and incorporating them into your gameplay strategy.
During the early game, Dark Harvest’s impact is limited. Focus on farming, safely collecting minions, and looking for opportunities to land damage on low-health enemies. Don’t force engagements, and prioritize establishing a solid foundation for the mid and late game.
The mid game is where Dark Harvest truly shines. Focus on objective control, participating in team fights, and aggressively looking for opportunities to collect souls. Coordinate with your team to apply pressure and zone enemies, and use your mobility to hunt for vulnerable targets.
As the game progresses into the late game, maximize your Dark Harvest’s potential. Position yourself strategically during team fights, focus on eliminating high-priority targets, and use your mobility to take down enemies. Remember to prioritize the “harvestable” targets with low health to maximize the rune’s impact.
Team composition plays a crucial role in Dark Harvest’s effectiveness. Consider the strengths and weaknesses of both your own team and the enemy composition when selecting Dark Harvest. Synergize with your allies, identify potential counter picks, and prepare to adjust your gameplay based on the ever-changing dynamics of each match.
Itemization and Rune Combinations
Itemization plays an important role in maximizing the effectiveness of Dark Harvest.
Certain items can amplify the burst damage and allow your champions to eliminate targets. For example, on AP champions, you might consider building items that provide Ability Power (AP) and magic penetration, such as Lich Bane and Rabadon’s Deathcap. For AD champions, items that provide Attack Damage (AD), attack speed, and armor penetration will be very helpful.
Consider items that offer sustain and mobility, such as Hextech Rocketbelt, or Galeforce.
In order to maximize your damage output, you will have to optimize your secondary runes as well. The choice of secondary runes can significantly influence your performance. Electrocute, for instance, can provide a significant damage boost and complement Dark Harvest’s burst potential.
Navigating Counterplay and Situational Awareness
Dark Harvest, like any strategic element in League of Legends, is not without its weaknesses. Understanding how to counter Dark Harvest and how to choose it wisely is crucial for success.
Certain champions and playstyles can mitigate the effectiveness of Dark Harvest. Champions with high sustain or shields can make it difficult to execute enemies and collect souls.
Certain items can decrease the effectiveness of Dark Harvest. Guardian Angel, for example, provides a second chance in fights, negating the burst damage.
The choice of Dark Harvest must be based on your team’s composition and the enemy’s team’s composition. If the enemy team features many tanks or high-sustain champions, consider other options, as Dark Harvest may not be as effective.
