Combo Review #9: Kalista + Braum

Some players like to play the farm game, and some players try to play the kill game. If you're more of the second type of player, this combo is definitely for you. Many combinations rely on an early level two power spike to take out their opponents, but this combination has the potential to drop squishies from level one, often resulting in devastating snowballs.

Introduction

Some players like to play the farm game, and some players try to play the kill game. If you're more of the second type of player, this combo is definitely for you. Many combinations rely on an early level two power spike to take out their opponents. However, this combination has the potential to drop squishies from level one, often resulting in devastating snowballs.

Main Goal

Pick up Kalista's Rend (E) and Braum's Winter Bite (Q) at level one. If the enemy support is a squishy but aggressive poke support like a Sona, Janna, or Nami, try and stay near each other and wait for the harass. As soon as they come in to harass, if Braum can nail the enemy with Winter Bite, you can quickly follow up in rapid succession with Kalista's auto attacks to stun, often resulting in extremely early kills with ignite.

Prove level two power spikes are overrated...the fun starts at one.

Additional Synergies

Both Braum and Kalista have extremely powerful sustained fight synergies via their passives and damage spike on Kalista's Rend. Their two ultimates combined also allow for massive amounts of knock-up time, which can easily chain into something like a Yasuo ultimate if you happen to have one on your team.

Alternative Tactics

Alternative tactics include other high CC front line supports with strong passives such as:

• Nautilus - Although his level one isn't quite as good as Braum's, you could potentially chain an auto attack with a hook for massive level one damage. His level six also performs extraordinarily well with Kalista's ultimate.
• Leona - Similar to Braum, Leona can cheese a level one kill very easily. However, her level two is much better as you'll likely need flash to land a level one stun.
• Alistar - This lane is extremely popular, but similar to Leona, his level two is much better and won't require a flash.

You could also swap Kalista out with Draven for another extremely strong level one marksman. Since the majority of his damage lies in his axes, his level one can also cheese, but is a little more obvious.

Potential Difficulties

Creep Damage
This combo works well regardless of if you decide to cheese or not. However, if you do all-in level one, positioning is important in order to reduce creep damage early on, which can potentially destroy an otherwise successful cheese play.

High Sustain Lanes
Against extremely passive sustain lanes like Soraka and Janna, this combo can potentially get poked down if the enemy laners stay behind creeps to avoid Braum's Winter Bite.

Conclusions

Kalista + Braum is a tried and true combo that offers plenty in the way of sustained damage, peel, and initiation. Although both have been nerfed down from their strongest points, this combo can still dominate from early to late.

What do you think about the Kalista Braum combo? Comment below!

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