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Shen

Shen

Top Lane Tank

The Eye of Twilight — Global tank with CC and anti-auto zone

VS
Renekton

Renekton

Top Lane Fighter

Matchup Dynamics

How This Matchup Works

Shen wins through short, forced trades with `E – Shadow Dash` into `Q – Twilight Assault` and by converting prio into global plays with `R – Stand United`. Renekton's main threat is Cull the Meek + Slice and Dice windows that beat extended fights. The lane pivots at level 2 (taunt threat) and again at 6 when both ultimates unlock.

Early Game (1-5)

Renekton Favored - Renekton outranges or outdamages early; avoid long trades until wave advantage or jungle cover; trade only after key spell is used.

Mid Game (6-11)

Skill Matchup - Item spikes and TP timers decide skirmishes; play around objective timers and side waves.

Late Game (12+)

Skill Matchup - Late fights hinge on flanks and cooldown tracking; both can win with vision and setup.

Key Interactions

  • W – Spirit's Refuge vs autos: Cast W – Spirit's Refuge as Renekton commits to an auto/Q weave; 1.75s block denies on-hits; punish for ~2 seconds before their next cooldown.
  • E – Shadow Dash into Q – Cull the Meek/W – Ruthless Predator: Buffer E – Shadow Dash through Q – Cull the Meek wind-up or after W – Ruthless Predator miss; you have ~8–12s before it returns at early ranks to trade then disengage.
  • Blade return slow: Drag Spirit Blade through Renekton with Q – Twilight Assault; on-hit slow for 2s while they move away lets you stick for two autos.
  • E – Slice and Dice punish: Bait E – Slice and Dice; when it is on cooldown (often ≥10s early), walk up with wave advantage and taunt-flash for a forced trade or kill.

Shen

Strengths

  • Point-and-click global with `R – Stand United` to create 5v4s
  • `W – Spirit's Refuge` blocks autos for 1.75s to flip trades
  • `E – Shadow Dash` taunt sets guaranteed `Q`-empowered autos
  • Can control waves with Tiamat/Titanic for safe crashes

Weaknesses

  • Energy gated if `E` whiffs; lose lane if wave is bad
  • Low sustained DPS pre-Titanic; extended fights can fail
  • Predictable engage angle; telegraphed `E` can be dodged
  • Vulnerable to heavy poke before level 6

Renekton

Strengths

  • Renekton has lane-winning burst/duel windows with `Cull the Meek` or `Slice and Dice`
  • Power spikes on first item and level 6 create dive threat
  • Wave control tools to punish failed crashes

Weaknesses

  • Telegraphed patterns: punish after `Ruthless Predator`/`Cull the Meek` used
  • Struggles to match Shen's global plays mid game
  • Can be denied by taunt-flash under tower if dash is down

Power Curve Comparison EXPERIMENTAL

Power Curve Visualization

Win Conditions

Shen's Win Condition

  • Hit level 2 first; thin to 3-4 caster lead; taunt on cooldown gaps; crash wave 3 for safe recall/ward
  • Freeze 5-6 minions after first bounce; force trades when blade is behind enemy
  • Buy Tiamat early; maintain slow push to threaten dive with jungler at 6
  • Track `Flash`; use taunt-flash to chain CC into Titanic execute under turret

Renekton's Win Condition

  • Keep wave mid-lane; trade when `W – Spirit's Refuge` is down; punish Shen's long `E` cooldown
  • Hold disengage tool (Slice and Dice) for taunt; bait it then re-engage once Shen wastes `E`
  • Stack wave for level 6 dive; call jungler on cannon wave crash
  • Ward river/tri early; deny Shen's level 2 push with jungle pressure

Laning Phase Guide

Level/Phase Shen Renekton
Level 1 Start Q; place Spirit Blade behind enemy on spawn; last-hit only to avoid push if jungler pathing top; trade single auto after Q – Cull the Meek used; ward river 2:20 if slow pushing Start Q – Cull the Meek or E – Slice and Dice depending on champ; poke on last-hits; stand outside blade return line; ward 1:25 pixel if cheesing brush
Level 2 Skill E; stack wave 2; threaten E>Q autos when {oE} or {oW} is down; crash wave 3 at ~2:45 for reset or deep ward tri/river Respect Shen level 2 all-in; keep minion wave thin; hold E – Slice and Dice to dodge taunt; ping jungler if wave is stacking
Level 3 Take W; bait trade then cast W on blade to block autos for 1.75s; exit before minion aggro flips; keep wave near your third melee Use W – Ruthless Predator or shield to short trade; avoid fighting inside `W – Spirit's Refuge`; trim wave to stop freezes
Level 4-5 Hold E for gank or {oE}; set up taunt-flash if {oE} is burned; base on cannon crash for Tiamat or boots Track taunt-flash; keep distance when E – Slice and Dice is down; call jungler on stacked wave to break freeze
Level 6 Unlock R; if wave slow-pushed, hover for `R`; ping cooldown; punish {oR} long cooldowns by cross-mapping Track Shen R; ping timers; threaten all-in with R – Dominus when Shen R is down; deny roams by hard-pushing on R channel
Level 7-8 Complete Tiamat/Titanic component; perma shove then move to river for objective setup; shadow jungler on Herald timers Match shove with waveclear or freeze 6+ minions near tower; punish Shen when E is down >15s at rank 1-2
Level 9 Max Q; threaten constant slow via blade hits; transition to side-lane; keep TP and R desynced to cover map Respect Q rank 5 DPS; pre-place vision in river/tri; play for item spike and jungler pressure

Power Spikes

Level Spikes

Shen Renekton
Level Description Level Description
2 Minor E unlock + Q slow enables forced short trades off cooldowns 3 Major Full combo access creates first all-in window
6 Major R opens cross-map plays; punish enemy when they show bot 6 Critical Ultimate online for dive/duel threat
9 Major Q max grants high DPS and 50% AS on blade-hit empowers autos 9 Minor Primary ability max; lane control improves
13 Minor Lower E CD allows taunt every ~12–10s with ability haste

Item Spikes

Shen Renekton
Item Description Item Description
Tiamat (1200g) Wave control to crash on command; enables roam setup Black Cleaver (3000g) Armor shred improves extended trades
Titanic Hydra (3300g) Burst on-hit + HP converts trades to kills Stridebreaker (3300g) Gap close to punish taunt whiffs
Hollow Radiance (2800g) Immolate waveclear + tank stats for front line Death's Dance (3300g) Delays burst; enables risky skirmishes
Plated Steelcaps (1200g) Cuts basic attack damage; crucial vs AAs
Spirit Visage (2700g) Boosts shields/heals; synergizes with kit

Best Build for Shen

Starting Items

Doran's Shield + Health Potion

Core Items

Tiamat → Titanic Hydra → Plated Steelcaps → Hollow Radiance/Spirit Visage

Runes

Primary: Grasp of the Undying, Shield Bash, Second Wind, Overgrowth

Secondary: Approach Velocity, Magical Footwear

Summoner Spells

Flash + Teleport (Ignite if kill pressure)

Priority Build Path

1
Tiamat

Wave control for crash and roam timings

2
Titanic Hydra

HP-to-damage conversion for duels and sieges

3
Plated Steelcaps

Reduces AA damage; early survivability

4
Hollow Radiance

AOE burn to push and front line

Situational Adjustments

  • Spirit Visage: Enemy AP + shields/heals to amplify R/W value
  • Thornmail: Vs heavy sustain/AA; pair with taunt for GW
  • Kaenic Rookern: Vs burst AP; large magic shield for engages

Key Patterns

Lethal Combos

Shen Full Combo (Level 6+):

E – Shadow Dash > Q (blade hits) > Auto > Titanic Hydra reset > Auto > Ignite

Lethal ~35–45% HP on squishies at 1 item if E lands and Hydra is ready
Renekton Escape/Counter Combo:

Slice and Dice to engage/disengage > Cull the Meek damage window > ultimate to finish

Threatens kill if Shen W is down and Flash unavailable

Trading Combos

Shen Short Trade:

Q pull-through slow > Auto > step inside W – Spirit's Refuge for 1.75s > Auto then back

Short trade; exit before enemy key cooldown returns
Renekton Quick Trade:

Short trade with Cull the Meek > auto reset if available > disengage with Slice and Dice

Punish when Shen E is down >12s early

Lethal Thresholds

  • Shen Kill Range: Post-Titanic + Ignite: E hit sets kill at ~40% HP if Flashless; under tower use taunt-flash + Hydra to finish
  • Renekton Kill Range: Level 6 + first item: kill at ~30–40% if Shen W/E down
  • Critical Levels: 2 (taunt), 6 (global), 9 (Q max) for Shen; 3/6/9 for opponent

Level by Level Game Plan

Level Primary Goal Lane Position Trading Opportunities Kill Windows Setup Opportunities
1 Blade positioning and CS lead Keep wave just outside tower range Auto once after enemy last-hit then walk back Low unless enemy blows cooldown Aim for slow push to hit level 2 first; Ahead: zone at bush; Even: farm; Behind: hug wave and call for cover
2 Leverage E threat Hold wave 6–8 minions near your side E>Q autos only if enemy key spell down Medium with Ignite + minion lead Crash 3rd wave and ward; Ahead: dive with jungler; Even: reset; Behind: drop wave and base
3 Enable W blocks Freeze after bounce Bait then cast W on blade and take 2 autos Medium if E hits and wave small Track jungler path
4-5 Pre-6 stability Thin to avoid big waves Short trades on CDs; avoid extended Low unless jungle arrives Base on cannon for Tiamat/boots
6 Global impact Hover where you can R safely Only fight with R advantage or jungler High with E+Ignite if enemy wastes ult Sync wave, then look bot on spawn timer
7-8 Item completion Perma push then move Use Hydra reset for burst then kite out Medium; look for taunt-flash Herald control with prio
9+ Transition to side-lane Side-lane opposite objective Q max short trades Medium-High with Hydra + vision TP/R timers for objective fights
Mid Game (11-16) Cross-map picks Play long lane with vision Catch overextends with E flash High on isolated targets Crash wave then move first to objective
Late Game (16+) Front to back + picks Flank from fog; peel carries Engage, peel, or zone with W Pick carries with taunt-flash Control river chokes with wards

First Back Goals

Ideal Back (1200–1500g)

  • Tiamat (1200g)
  • Control Ward (75g)

Crash cannon wave; deny freeze and sync `R`

Standard Back (700–900g)

  • Ruby Crystal (400g)
  • Boots (300g)

Bounce wave then recall safely

Teamfight Tips

Aspect Shen Renekton
Primary Role Engage/peel hybrid with global pressure Duelist/engage depending on kit
Target Priority Enemy diver hitting backline
Immobile carries
Objective contesters		 Shen when W is down
Allied carries
Frontline low HP
Objective Control Set up early at Herald/Drake with `R` ready
Force numbers advantage via cross-map		 Start on spawn with shove
Turn when Shen shows bot on `R`
Positioning Flank from fog; hold E flash for carry
Zone with W in choke		 Mark Shen to stop `R` channel
Fight in long lane away from Shen blade
Other Tips Interrupt dashes with taunt mid-air
Use W on hyper-carry during crit windows		 Bait Shen E near minions then re-engage
Hold mobility for taunt-flash