Starter Guide: Twin Disciplines Akali (Mid) Mid

Akali farms to level 6 and then the lane is hers. Mark of the Assassin (Q) is a double-tap - cast it, then trigger it with a basic attack or Crescent Slash - and Shadow Dance (R) closes any distance on charges.

Pre-6 you last-hit with Q procs and stay honest. Post-6, a full Q-R-auto-E rotation removes a mage from lane. Twilight Shroud (W) is the duel and the escape: drop it on yourself in a fight, drop it behind you when the jungler shows. Twin Disciplines pays in both currencies - early Attack Damage and Ability Power both unlock a passive - which is what the Hextech line is for.

• Starting Items: Boots of Speed and Health Potions.
• Core Build: Sorcerer's Shoes, Hextech Gunblade for both passives at once, Rylai's Crystal Scepter so nothing walks away, and Zhonya's Hourglass for the dive she was going to make anyway.
• Situational: Abyssal Scepter, Void Staff, Rabadon's Deathcap, Guardian Angel.

Flash and Ignite: Flash to force a Shadow Dance reset into range, Ignite to finish anyone who escapes Mark of the Assassin's double proc.

Max Mark of the Assassin (Q) first - it is the lane and the burst - then Crescent Slash (E). One early rank of Twilight Shroud (W) carries until the last levels.

9x Magic Penetration Marks, 9x Armor Seals, 9x Ability Power Glyphs, 3x Ability Power Quints. 21/0/9 masteries.

Hardest against Kassadin, Garen, and Lee Sin - point-click silences and gap closers punish her before Twilight Shroud can save her. Strong against Karthus, Twisted Fate, and Lux, immobile mages her all-in reaches before they can answer. Pairs best with Amumu, Jarvan IV, and Shen, whose crowd control turns her burst into a kill instead of a trade.

Combos worth drilling

• Full Burst: Q (Mark of the Assassin) onto the target -> melee auto-attack to consume the mark for the second hit -> E (Crescent Slash) -> R (Shadow Dance) to finish or reposition.
• Vanish: low HP in a losing fight -> W (Twilight Shroud) on yourself -> walk out without attacking or casting anything else, since either one reveals you early.

Mistakes to avoid

• Don't throw Mark of the Assassin (Q) without a follow-up ready: the mark only pays out on a melee auto or Crescent Slash, so throwing it from max range with nothing to punish it wastes half the combo.
• Don't stand still inside Twilight Shroud (W) to fight: it hides her, not her cooldowns - attacking or casting from inside briefly reveals her, so use it to reposition, not to tank a full trade in place.

• Early Game (Levels 1-5): Farm with Mark of the Assassin procs and don't force all-ins before level 6 - Shadow Dance is what turns a poke into a kill.
• Mid Game (Levels 6-11): Roam off a shoved wave using Shadow Dance's reset charges, and look for isolated targets Twilight Shroud can cover the approach on.
• Late Game (Levels 12+): Wait for a target to get caught out of position, burst them down before their team can peel, and use Twilight Shroud to vanish out if the kill isn't clean.