Marksmage Graves Guide — AP Graves Deals 300% AP Damage Per Shot
In ARAM Mayhem, Graves's four-pellet passive synergizes with Marksmage to deal 300% AP as physical damage in a single auto-attack. Combined with ReEnergize's infinite Energized bug, AP Graves gains explosive burst and permanent bonus range. This guide covers core mechanics, item builds, and augment synergies.
AP Graves Overview
In the current patch 26.3 of ARAM Mayhem, 
Graves leverages his unique four-pellet passive to create an absurdly powerful synergy with 
Marksmage — dealing 300% AP as physical damage in a single auto-attack. Combined with 
ReEnergize's infinite Energized bug, AP Graves not only delivers explosive burst damage but also gains permanent bonus range and percent-health damage. This guide covers the mechanics behind these two core interactions, recommended item builds, and augment synergies.
| Recommended Augment | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Marksmage | Core: 75% AP physical damage on auto-attack, each of 4 pellets procs = 300% AP |
| ReEnergize | Core: Infinite Energized bug, with RFC gives permanent +100 range + 10% current HP damage |
 Zealot | Grants crit chance from AP; crits fire 2 extra pellets for even more Marksmage procs |
 Slow And Steady | Converts attack speed to AD; Graves doesn't need AS, so it's essentially free AD |
 Back To Basics | Seals ultimate for +35% ability damage; Graves's pellets benefit from ability damage bonus |
**Key Takeaways** • Marksmage procs 4x on Graves, dealing 300% AP as physical damage per shot • ReEnergize + Rapid Firecannon triggers infinite Energized bug for permanent +100 range • Core items: Lich Bane, Rabadon's Deathcap, Serylda's Grudge, Rite of Ruin • Stack both AP and armor penetration to maximize damage output • Became top-tier after patch 26.3 ratio bug fix
Core Mechanic: Marksmage's Quadruple Proc
Marksmage's effect grants bonus physical damage equal to 75% AP on auto-attacks. This is decent on its own, but on Graves it becomes game-changing. Graves's passive fires four pellets per auto-attack, and after the ratio bug was fixed in patch 26.3, players discovered that each of the four pellets independently procs Marksmage's damage.
This means Graves's Marksmage bonus per auto-attack is: 75% × 4 = 300% AP. With just 300 AP, a single shot deals nearly 1000 bonus damage — two shots can even destroy a turret instantly.
Even more impressive, Graves's auto-attacks fire two additional pellets on critical strike, and these extra pellets also proc Marksmage's damage, further raising the damage ceiling.
Marksmage deals **AP-scaling physical damage**, so the two most important stats are ability power and armor penetration. You need to stack both to maximize your damage output.
AP Graves vs AD Graves Comparison
| Aspect | AP Graves (Marksmage) | Traditional AD Graves |
|---|---|---|
| Burst Damage | Extremely High (300% AP + AD) | Moderate |
| Range | Permanent +100 (with ReEnergize) | Standard |
| Augment Dependency | High (requires Marksmage) | Low |
| Best Against | Squishy champions | Tanks / High armor |
| Sustained DPS | Reload-dependent | Consistent |
Recommended Item Build
If you pick up Marksmage in your first or second augment slot, you can fully commit to the AP Graves build. Here are the recommended items:
| Item Name | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Lich Bane | AP + bonus auto-attack damage after casting spells, further amplifying auto-attacks |
| Rabadon's Deathcap | Massively boosts AP, directly amplifying Marksmage damage |
| Serylda's Grudge | Percent armor penetration, preventing armor from reducing physical damage |
| Rite of Ruin | Provides both AP and critical strike chance, perfectly fitting AP Graves's needs |
For critical strike options, there are several approaches: first, picking up Zealot, which provides critical strike chance based on AP; second, building Rite of Ruin for both crit and AP; third, building Sundered Sky, whose passive guarantees a critical strike on the first attack against champions.
Hidden Mechanic: ReEnergize's Infinite Energized
ReEnergize's normal effect is: attacking a different target refunds your Energized charge and deals bonus magic damage equal to 10% of the target's current health. However, in the current patch, Graves with ReEnergize triggers a special interaction — the Energized effect procs infinitely without needing to switch targets. Even when repeatedly attacking the same target, the Energized charge keeps refunding.
When combined with Rapid Firecannon, the effect becomes even more absurd: the Energized effect stays active permanently, granting a permanent 100+ bonus range plus 10% of the target's current health as damage on every auto-attack.
The ReEnergize + Rapid Firecannon combo is essentially a free range boost plus Blade of The Ruined King's passive (percent-health damage). A single Silver augment delivers Gold-tier value — the efficiency is absurd.
Other Augment Synergies
Beyond the two core mechanics above, Graves also has unique synergies with these augments: Slow And Steady converts attack speed into attack damage — since Graves's unique auto-attack pattern doesn't rely much on attack speed, this is essentially free AD; Back To Basics seals your ultimate but grants 35% bonus ability damage, and Graves's auto-attack pellets benefit from the ability damage bonus — another free damage boost.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Marksmage proc 4 times on Graves?
Graves's passive fires 4 pellets per auto-attack, and each pellet independently procs Marksmage's 75% AP bonus. This totals 75% × 4 = 300% AP as physical damage. This mechanic was confirmed after the ratio bug fix in patch 26.3.
What is the ReEnergize infinite Energized bug?
Normally ReEnergize requires attacking different targets to refund Energized charge, but on Graves it triggers a special interaction where the Energized effect procs infinitely even when attacking the same target. Combined with Rapid Firecannon, this grants permanent +100 range and 10% current health damage.
Does AP Graves need armor penetration?
Yes, absolutely. Marksmage deals AP-scaling physical damage, which is reduced by armor. Build Serylda's Grudge for percent armor penetration. You need to stack both AP and armor penetration to maximize damage output.
What's the benefit of critical strike on AP Graves?
Graves fires 2 additional pellets on critical strike, and these extra pellets also proc Marksmage's damage. This increases Marksmage procs from 4 to 6 per auto-attack, further raising the damage ceiling.
When should you NOT play AP Graves?
If you don't get Marksmage in early augment slots, don't force the AP build. Also, against heavy tank compositions with high armor, traditional AD Graves with armor penetration may be more reliable. AP Graves excels against squishy enemy teams.