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Sometimes, players wonder why Runes carry so much importance in League of Legends. So much so that picking the wrong combination can make you lose a game. The answer becomes apparent when you examine each Rune and what they offer. Each of them gives added effects, both passives, and actives, to any champion who picks them. As a result, it is crucial always to select the one that complements who you have chosen to play.
Grasp of the Undying is a Rune that grants extra damage, healing, and permanent increase to maximum health whenever it becomes available. Because of its effects, Tanks favor it because their kits benefit a lot from the Rune’s utility. Also, when paired with the correct Runes, it helps fulfill that frontline or split-pushing role well.
Although I play Jungle, Mid, and Support, I sometimes flex top and, when not playing, discuss with other topliners. This action helped me understand their perspectives on the champions they play and how to explain them to anyone needing a guide.
Before we dive into understanding what this Rune entails, I will first explain the Rune layout in League of Legends.
League of Legends Rune Setup
Runes are grouped into five trees, each having ‘branches’ called tiers from 1 – 4. The developers name every Tier 1 Rune a Keystone, and as such, Grasp of the Undying is a Keystone in itself.
Rune Trees
- Domination (T1 – T4)
- Inspiration (T1 – T4)
- Precision (T1 – T4)
- Resolve (T1 – T4)
- Sorcery (T1 – T4)
I will explain only the Resolve Rune Tree in line with this guide.
Resolve
This Tree is the go-to for Tanks and Engage supports because it contains Runes that help them efficiently fulfill their roles. Under the Resolve Rune Tree, we have:
Tier 1
- Grasp of the Undying
- Aftershock
- Guardian
Tier 2
- Demolish
- Font of Life
- Shield Bash
Tier 3
- Conditioning
- Second Wind
- Bone Plating
Tier 4
- Overgrowth
- Revitalize
- Unflinching
Based on the Runes’ layout and design, you can only pick one from each tier. As such, learning how these Runes interact will help you select the suitable options that suit your game plan.
Grasp of the Undying – Rune Details
Effect
Every 4 seconds in combat, your next basic attack on a champion will:
- Deal bonus magic damage equal to 4% of your max health.
- Heals you for 2% of your max health.
- Permanently increase your health by 5.
Ranged Champions: Damage, healing, and permanent health gained reduced by 40%.
Combat, in this case, refers to attacking minions or an enemy. It also extends to include taking damage from enemy minions or champions. Once you enter combat, the Rune timer begins to count from 0, and the moment it reaches 4 seconds, it becomes ready to proc.
Grasp of the Undying – Rune Application
The keystone works best on Tanks, and as such, you will mostly see topliners pick it. Choosing to use Grasp of the Undying makes you adjust your game plan even before the match begins. The reason is that the Rune only pays off if you proc it on an opponent at least once every 4 seconds.
With this fact in mind, you want to hit your lane opponent whenever you enter combat. The result is you dishing out extra damage, healing your champion, and permanently increasing their maximum health—these effects aid in getting the better of trades and winning skirmishes when you correctly use the Rune.
A notable fact about Grasp of the Undying is that it has no cap. This feature means you can keep triggering it and gaining extra health without a set limit. Length of games and the actions of team fights during the mid and late-game might, however, become drawbacks sometimes.
Does this mean the Rune is useless later on in the game?
My answer is No.
During my discussion with a Diamond 2 Shen main, he pointed out that the permanent extra health comes in handy later in the game for Tanks. The healing might become irrelevant, but the health you keep gaining has no limit, and since the extra damage depends on your overall health, it keeps increasing. If you play Tanks, this Rune is likely your best bet.
Runes That Work With Grasp of the Undying
These are the Runes that complement Grasp of the Undying and are under the Resolve Rune Tree:
Tier 2
Demolish
This Tier 2 Resolve Rune allows you to deal massive damage to enemy structures like turrets when it successfully charges up. It works best when used on a split-pushing champion like Sion. With it, you can create so much space that the enemy team either has to respond to you or risk losing their turrets all the way to base.
Shield Bash
After gaining a shield, Shield Bash grants extra adaptive damage on your next basic attack. It also increases your magic resistance and armour whenever you become shielded. A fantastic feature of this Rune is that you still receive its effect even when an ally shields you.
Together with Grasp of the Undying, you will always dish out more damage to your lane opponent while taking minor damage.
Note: Font of Life works best on engage supports who concentrate on utility for the team. It favours 2v2s in the bottom lane or full team fights. However, in a 1v1, the Rune becomes useless.
Tier 3
Conditioning
This T3 Rune grants permanent extra armour and magic resistance when the game reaches 12 minutes. Your champion becomes tankier with these additional stats, and with Grasp, Tanks can take more beating and soak up more damage for the team.
Second Wind
With this Rune, you begin to heal immediately after taking damage. This healing lasts over 10 seconds and restores 4% of your missing health +6.
When trading in your lane, Second Wind provides extra healing in addition to Grasp of the Undying. This effect allows you to stay longer in fights or back off with more health than your opponent.
Bone Plating
Since the subsequent three attacks from an enemy deal less damage to you after their initial attack, Bone Plating also excels at trading and skirmishes.
When added to Grasp, you end up taking minor damage in the skirmish, healing from the keystone while dealing extra damage to the enemy.
Tier 4
Overgrowth
Overgrowth grants you a permanent increase to maximum whenever a minion or jungle monster dies near you. However, the extra health has a limit of 120 minions or monsters or both, but when it reaches this limit, you instantly receive 3.5% of your maximum health as bonus health.
Choosing Overgrowth with Grasp of the Undying significantly boosts the permanent extra health you gain later in the game. For Tanks, this is bliss!
Revitalize
Revitalize increases any healing or shielding you either cast or receive. Helpful in lane if you have a self-shielding or healing ability or picked Second Wind.
Note: Unflinching works better when picked on Tank support champions. The extra tenacity helps them break free from enemy disabling abilities or crowd control faster.
Grasp of the Undying – Secondary Runes
Since you must pick a secondary rune after selecting the main one, these are Runes from other Trees that work well with Grasp of the Undying.
Precision
Tier 2
Triumph
This Rune gives back 12% of your missing health after killing an opponent or getting an assist. It also grants 20 additional gold on takedowns.
However, it works when picked on Tanks that need the tenacity from the T3 Legend: Tenacity Rune under the Precision tree. With Triumph, you can survive some damage over time (DoT) effects.
Presence of Mind
Presence of Mind helps with mana issues because of its effect. Gaining increased mana regeneration and receiving 15% of maximum mana or energy can help you deal with mana issues.
To enjoy this Rune together with Grasp of the Undying, pick it on mana-hungry Tanks like Cho’Gath and Yorick.
Tier 3
Legend: Tenacity
This Rune grants 5% tenacity and a permanent 2.5% whenever you gain a stack by killing an opponent or getting an assist. You can also gain stacks by killing large or epic monsters and minions.
Tenacity reduces the duration of crowd control abilities like slows and stuns on your champion. This stat helps Tanks and Bruisers stay active in fights against teams with a high amount of disabling abilities.
Tier 4
Coup de Grace
Coup de Grace (pronounced Ku-day-gra) lets you deal 8% more damage to any enemy champion with less than 40% health. This effect means that the lower the enemy’s health falls, the greater the damage they will take from you.
With Grasp of the Undying, you can survive team fights and deal increased damage to enemies with lesser health than you.
Last Stand
Last Stand increases the damage you dish out when your health becomes low. Since Tanks have high armour and magic resistances, enemies might find it hard to take them down, and that’s where Last Stand comes into play.
This Rune works wonders on a champion like Poppy because her kit allows her to become tankier the lower her health drops.
Domination
Tier 2
Cheap Shot
This Rune works best on Tanks with abilities that interfere with the movements of enemy champions. These abilities can be taunts, slows, roots, and even knock-ups. With Cheap Shot, you deal increased damage to any enemy champion with impaired movements.
A good part of this effect is that it activates when your allies interfere with enemy mobility.
Taste of Blood
Taste of Blood heals you for a small amount whenever you damage an enemy champion. While the Rune has a cooldown of 20 seconds, it helps sustain you when joined with Ravenous Hunter.
Tier 4
Ravenous Hunter
This Rune grants 1.2% Omnivamp for each stack you gain through takedowns (kills and assists). Together with Taste of Blood, they make it hard for enemies to bring you down in team fights because of the level of sustain you will have in the late game.
Note: Omnivamp means healing from every type of damage you deal. Whenever physical, magical, or true damage, the healing remains valid.
Inspiration Rune Tree
Tier 3
Biscuit Delivery
With this Rune, you receive a biscuit every 2 mins till the 6 mins mark, making three biscuits in six minutes. Consuming a biscuit restores 10% of missing health and mana. It also permanently increases the mana cap by 50.
With Grasp of the Undying, you can always take trades and skirmishes since you have the healing from Grasp and biscuits to help you heal up.
Tier 4
Time Warp Tonic
When you have this Rune, you instantly receive 50% of the health and mana you would gain from consuming a biscuit or potion. It also increases your movement speed by 5% while under the effects of a potion or biscuit.
With Biscuit Delivery, early game trades and skirmishes become easier since you remain healthy.
Approach Velocity
As its name implies, you gain extra movement speed towards enemy champions with impaired movements. The effect increases by 15% if you impair the enemy’s movement.
This Rune helps Tanks that lack gap-closing abilities to catch up to opponents.
Champions that use Grasp of the Undying
Like I mentioned earlier, Grasp works best on Tanks, but some are worth mentioning.
- Tahm Kench
- Yorick
- Dr. Mundo
- Ornn
- Poppy
- Sion
- Cho’Gath
- Shen
- Gnar
These champions play in the top lane and perform the frontline roles for their teams. With Grasp of the Undying and other correct Runes, they can become an unstoppable force.
FAQs
Question: How much does Grasp of the Undying heal?
Answer: When you proc it, Grasp of the Undying heals you for 2% of your maximum health (1.2% for ranged champions).
Question: Is Grasp of the Undying useless later in the game?
Answer: No, it is not useless. The permanent extra health you gain does not have a limit, and it adds up in the late game.
Question: Is Grasp of the Undying good on ranged champions?
Answer: Yes, Grasp of the Undying can work on some ranged champions like Teemo and little Gnar.
Question: Grasp of the Undying is under what Rune Tree?
Answer: The Resolve Rune Tree.
Grasp of the Undying Guide: Wrapping Up
Grasp of the Undying is a Rune that Tanks enjoy in League of Legends. The Rune grants healing, extra damage, and permanent extra maximum health whenever you proc it. With its effects, you can trade and engage in early game skirmishes without worrying about sustaining.
Although some Bruisers and ranged champions pick this Rune, it favours Tanks the most.