Why Build Bruiser Shinbi?

Before we get into the build, it is important to understand why we are building Shinbi this way, and how it works. Shinbi has a very versatile kit that gives her build flexibility that not many other heroes can pull off. This versatility comes from Biting Melody (passive) and her Circle Rhythm (E) requiring her to remain in melee, and Line Tempo (Q) and All Kill (R) being usable at range. This split of range and melee in Shinbi's kit give us the option to flex from the traditional magic damage items, which tend to favor ranged heroes, into a more defensive build path that allows us to lean more heavily on Shinbi's built in melee kit. When building Shinbi in this way, you can expect to have comparable mitigation numbers as the traditional tanks with respectable damage output. That being said, the main strength of this build is its flexibilty, allowing you to pivot your build after your first item to whatever the situation calls for, as this build works very well with slotting in different tank and damage items. One last thing to note, this build can very easily work in offlane in addition to midlane.

Skill Order

Bruiser Shinbi's skill order is pretty straightforward. By default, you want to max Circle Rhythm (E) for its increased damage, reduced cooldown, and shield scaling. If you are in a difficult lane or are being repeat ganked by the enemy jungler you can max Line Tempo (Q) to last hit more safely.

Crest - Razorback vs. Nyr Warboots

This is one of the first decisions you'll be making, and mostly depends on the enemy team composition. Most of the time, Razorback will be your go to here. If the enemy team has multiple ranged carries or heroes with good self peel then Nyr Warboots will be a better choice to let you stick to your targets better.

1st Core Item - Dreambinder

Dreambinder is an overall great item for Shinbi, no matter what build you may be going. Ability Damage, Tenacity, and Health are all great stats for Shinbi, and the 25% slow on damaging abilities means if you hit any of your abilities you slow your enemy for 1 second. This passive does not apply to the damage from Shinbi's passive, however. When used with Shinbi's Rushing Beat (RMB) and Line Tempo (Q), this item allows you to stick on your target very easily. Last thing to note, this item increases your damage done to enemies that are slowed by 10%, which we can leverage later on in our build path. Overall, at 3,000 gold this item gives you great value and is a must buy.

2nd and 3rd Items

Your second item will depend on your lane opponenet and which enemy is strongest. Each of the following items would be good 2nd and 3rd item choices

Flux Matrix

If you are against a magic damage hero, then Flux Matrix is your best option for your second option. The 35 Magic Armor and 350 Health make you noticeably more difficult to kill, and the 20 Ability Haste lets you get more abilities out which means more slows, more applications of your passive, and faster stacking of All Kill (R). The 20% Tenacity reduction does not benefit Shinbi directly, but the 15% additional magic damage taken stacks with Dreambinder's passive allowing you to stay competitive in the damage department. If the enemy team has any magic damage at all, then picking this up as a 3rd item is still recommended.

Tainted Guard

If you are against multiple heroes that benefit greatly from self healing or against a physical damage dealer, then Tainted Guard is a great 2nd item. The 305 Health, 40 Physical Armor, and 15 Ability Haste are helpful, but the real reason you would build this item is the Blighted passive reducing healing and applying a bleed on enemies that basic attack you. If you find yourself needing some anti heal pretty quickly, then you should pick up at least the Horned Plate early, and could start building toward another item. Overall, a mid game option.

World Breaker

If you find yourself ahead of your lane opponent, and want to push that lead further, then World Breaker is a great 2nd or 3rd option. The Ability Damage and Health are both stats Shinbi greatly benefits from , and the Tenacity make you more difficult to lock down - allowing you better stick to your priority targets. The Fiend passive, granting you a stacking damage increase, is a nice initial damage boost where the Maya passive, which grants you more ability damage based on your maximum health, gives this item tremendous value when pathing into more defensive options. If you do not end up going this item 2nd, then it is a must buy 3rd item!

4th and 5th Items

After you have a solid tanky base, you can choose to continue to go for defensive items, or you can pivot back into more damage. I have listed some items that all synergize very well with Shinbi's kit and slot in well to this build.

Tonics

Your 2 choices for tonics are Intellect and Protection - whichever you feel you require most.