Aatrox
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Good (7/10)
High Investment Required
Epic Relics
Paid Relics
Aatrox is a champion of extremes. Players appreciate his massive late-game stat ceilings and board-wiping potential with World Ender, but frequently criticize his slow early-game tempo and vulnerability to aggression. While his 6-star power offers immense stats, many consider him reliant on specific Epic or Paid relics to fix his speed issues.
The World Ender
The definitive relic for Aatrox. It grants +0|+3 (enabling Titanic status), strikes an enemy on play to discount World Ender, and causes your board to strike the enemy Nexus when you play World Ender.
Combined with The Darkin Blade's health buff, Aatrox becomes Titanic, granting +1 Starting Mana. This allows you to play him as early as Turn 1 or 2.
Grants Overwhelm to your massive Darkin units, ensuring that your high stats translate directly into Nexus damage.
Strategy
This is the premier setup for Aatrox. The combination of The Darkin Blade and Starforged Gauntlets solves his two biggest problems: mana generation and immediate board impact. You can drop Aatrox early, remove a threat immediately, and accelerate your World Ender condition. Once World Ender is played, the board-wide strike usually ends the game instantly.
Titanic Strike
- Provides +1 Starting Mana if the champion has 8+ Attack or Health.
Grants +0|+3, pushing Aatrox's base stats to 5|8 to activate Starforged Gauntlets.
Strikes an enemy on summon. This removes a unit and reduces the cost of World Ender.
Strategy
If you do not own The Darkin Blade, this is the most consistent alternative for high-level play. It secures the extra mana gem to play Aatrox early, while Stalker's Blade provides the necessary removal and cost reduction for your win condition.
Double Stalker Control
- Strikes the weakest enemy on summon.
- Strikes the weakest enemy on summon again. Two strikes mean two discounts for World Ender.
Creates a fleeting copy of Aatrox in hand each round. This gives you 'Deathbringer Slash', a spell that strikes enemies and heals Aatrox.
Strategy
This build focuses on stabilizing the board through repeated removal. By striking twice on summon, you clear aggressive early units and heavily discount World Ender. The Grand General's Counterplan ensures you always have a strike spell available to heal Aatrox and further discount your ultimate.
Budget Darkin (Rare Only)
- Essential for immediate board impact and discounting World Ender.
- Provides consistent removal and healing via Aatrox's champion spell.
Grants +2|+2 when Aatrox survives damage. Since Aatrox regenerates and has high health, this allows him to scale into a massive threat quickly.
Strategy
A solid setup for players without Epic relics. Use Stalker's Blade to stabilize on entry, then use the champion spell from GGC to pick off enemies. Each strike triggers The Berserker's Buckle, making Aatrox huge very quickly.
Other Relic Options
Can be combined with the 'Secret Technique' relic (if available) to massively boost Aatrox's stats, simulating a 6-star power level.
Useful for closing out games immediately upon leveling up, which often happens the turn you play World Ender.
Allows Aatrox to absorb keywords from dead units. Useful in specific mutators or adventures where enemies have powerful keywords like Elusive or Lifesteal.
Constellation
Aatrox's constellation focuses heavily on raw stats and cost reduction for his equipment. While powerful in a vacuum, players note that it lacks utility features like built-in mana ramp (Manaflow), forcing reliance on Starforged Gauntlets. The upgrades make him a stat-check monster but do not fundamentally change his 'slow start' weakness without specific relics.
Infernal Chains
When an equipped ally strikes, reduce the cost of a random card in hand by 1.
Corrupted Weapon
+1 Starting Mana. Game Start: Create in hand 2 random Darkin equipment.
Infernal Chains II
When an equipped ally strikes, reduce the cost of a random card in hand by 2.
Armed To The Teeth
Allies with Equipment or attachments have +2|+2.Review
Grants 'Armed to the Teeth' (Allies have +1|+1 for each keyword). This is a solid stat boost that synergizes with the various keywords Darkin weapons provide, helping units survive early trades.
Manaflow
Game Start: Get a mana gem.Review
Manages Aatrox's healing and sustain, granting 'Support: Heal my ally and me 2'. This adds survivability but is often considered less impactful than mana generation for a 6-cost champion.
Darkin Awakened
When you summon or transform a Darkin, double its stats.Review
Doubles the stats of allies equipped with Darkin weapons. This power allows for 'silly numbers,' turning Aatrox and his followers into massive threats instantly. However, it is purely a stat multiplier and does not address his lack of removal or speed.
Gameplay Tips
Strike to Discount
Aatrox's level-up condition and the cost reduction of World Ender are driven by allies striking. This includes combat strikes, but also strikes from spells like Deathbringer Slash or relics like Stalker's Blade. Prioritize effects that force strikes to accelerate your win condition.
Initiative Management
Equipping a unit passes initiative to the opponent. Be very careful when equipping Darkin weapons against decks with removal or stuns. Sometimes it is better to attack with unequipped units than to pass priority and lose your attack token to a stun.
The World Ender Wipe
When you cast World Ender, all equipped allies transform into their Darkin forms. If you have The Darkin Blade relic equipped, this action also causes your board to strike the enemy Nexus. This is your primary finisher—ensure you have a wide board of equipped units before casting it for maximum damage.
Drafting Darkin
Aatrox's deck benefits significantly from powers that reduce the cost of Epic cards, as all Darkin equipment and units are Epic rarity. Look for the 'Epic Chest' power or similar cost-reduction nodes to cheat out your heavy hitters early.