Claude

Claude boasts significant strengths as a Marksman, primarily his high sustained physical damage output, which becomes especially potent against high-HP targets. His kit provides excellent mobility and escape options, allowing him to reposition quickly in team fights or dodge incoming threats. This agility, combined with his damage, makes him a formidable duelist and a strong late-game carry.

However, Claude also comes with notable weaknesses. His durability is very low, making him extremely vulnerable to burst damage and crowd control. Without proper positioning or protection from teammates, he can be easily eliminated. His moderate difficulty means that mastering his unique mobility and optimizing his damage output requires practice and precise execution, making him less forgiving for newer players.

Claude's abilities revolve around enhancing his basic attacks and providing unparalleled mobility.

• Battle Side-by-side (Passive): Dexter, Claude's monkey, assists with every basic attack, dealing 20 + 30% Total Physical Attack (Physical Damage) to the same target. This scaling means that items increasing Claude's Total Physical Attack will directly boost Dexter's damage, making basic attack-focused builds highly efficient for Claude. This passive is crucial for his sustained damage output.
• Art of Thievery (Skill 1): Claude releases a wave that deals 160 + 40% Total Physical Attack (Physical Damage) to enemies in a fan-shaped area, also slowing their Movement Speed and Attack Speed. For each enemy hit, Claude gains Movement and Attack Speed, doubled for enemy heroes, stacking up to 5 times. The 40% Total Physical Attack scaling makes this skill a decent source of early-game poke and a vital tool for gaining combat stats. Use this skill to constantly harass enemies from a safe distance and stack up your buffs before engaging in extended trades or team fights.
• Battle Mirror Image (Skill 2): Claude conjures a mirror image of Dexter at a target location that attacks nearby enemies for a short duration, dealing 20 + 30% Total Physical Attack (Physical Damage) with its basic attacks and triggering Claude's attack effects. Claude can reactivate this skill to switch places with the mirror image. The 30% Total Physical Attack scaling on the mirror image's attacks means it benefits from your damage items. This skill is incredibly versatile; use it to dash into fights, secure kills, or unpredictably escape ambushes by placing the image in a safe spot beforehand.
• Blazing Duet (Ultimate): Claude and Dexter rapidly fire at nearby enemies for 3 seconds, dealing 130 + 10% Total Physical Attack (Physical Damage) to up to two enemies per shot. These attacks count as basic attacks, and Claude gains a shield with each hit. The 10% Total Physical Attack scaling is lower per hit, but the rapid-fire nature means it accumulates significant damage, especially with items that trigger on basic attacks. The ultimate also provides a shield, enhancing Claude's survivability during his main damage phase. This skill is your primary damage source in team fights; activate it when you are safely positioned to unleash a barrage of attacks.

Claude's recommended build focuses on maximizing his physical attack, attack speed, and basic attack effects to synergize with his skills and passive.

• Demon Hunter Sword: This item is absolutely core for Claude. Its unique passive, Devour, makes your basic attacks deal 8% of the target's current HP as extra Physical Damage. This is incredibly potent on Claude due to his rapid attack speed and ultimate, allowing him to shred high-HP targets like tanks and fighters.
• Demon Boots: As a skill-reliant Marksman in the early game, mana can be an issue. Demon Boots provide mana restoration on minion kills or assists, ensuring Claude can continuously use his skills for farming and poking without frequently recalling to base.
• Golden Staff: This item's unique passive, Swift, converts every 1% extra Critical Chance into 1% extra Attack Speed. While Claude doesn't build critical chance items, Golden Staff itself provides attack speed and its other passive, Endless Strike, further enhances basic attack effects, making it perfect for Claude's damage profile.
• Corrosion Scythe: Corrosion Scythe grants additional Physical Damage on basic attacks and applies a slow to targets. This item is excellent for Claude as it enhances his chasing and kiting potential, making it harder for enemies to escape his relentless barrage of attacks.
• Immortality: A crucial defensive item for Claude in the late game. Its unique passive, Immortal, revives you 2.5 seconds after death with a portion of HP and a shield. Given Claude's low durability, this item provides a second chance in critical team fights, allowing him to re-engage or escape.
• Malefic Roar: This item is essential for dealing with tanky enemies in the late game. Its unique passive, Armor Buster, grants extra Physical Penetration based on the enemy's Physical Defense, capped at 40%. This ensures that Claude's damage remains effective even against targets stacking physical defense.

Mastering Claude's playstyle revolves around intelligent positioning, aggressive farming, and precise skill execution to maximize his damage output while mitigating his low durability.

In the early game, focus on farming efficiently to acquire your core items quickly. Use Art of Thievery to poke enemies in lane and stack its Movement and Attack Speed buffs, which are crucial for trading effectively. Always be mindful of your low durability; avoid unnecessary risks and use Battle Mirror Image as a primary escape tool if ambushed. Place your mirror image in a safe location before initiating a trade or pushing a tower, allowing you to quickly teleport back if things go south.

During team fights, your primary goal is to unleash Blazing Duet effectively. Before activating your ultimate, ensure you have a clear path to deal damage to multiple enemies without being immediately focused. Use Battle Mirror Image to safely dive into the enemy backline or to reposition away from immediate threats. Your ultimate triggers basic attack effects, so items like Demon Hunter Sword will deal massive damage. Always aim to hit fewer targets with your ultimate if possible, as it prioritizes up to two enemies, maximizing damage on key targets. Constantly move and use your mobility to poke and kite, making it difficult for enemies to lock you down.

Understanding Claude's matchups is key to maximizing his effectiveness on the battlefield.

• Synergizes well with Angela: Claude needs to approach enemies to deal high sustained damage. Angela provides crucial cover and sustain, ensuring Claude's durability is maintained while he focuses on unleashing his damage. Her ability to shield and heal allows Claude to play more aggressively and survive longer in team fights.
• Strong against Akai: Claude is highly effective against high-HP heroes like Akai. By utilizing Demon Hunter Sword, Claude can inflict heavy pressure due to its percentage-based damage. His mobility and high DPS allow him to outmaneuver and chip away at Akai's health, making him a strong counter to such durable targets.
• Countered by Gatotkaca: Claude can struggle against heroes like Gatotkaca. While Demon Hunter Sword is powerful against high-HP targets, some heroes, like Gatotkaca, might have abilities that scale when their HP drops, making them dangerous even at low health. Furthermore, as a Marksman, Claude is inherently weak against heroes with high armor or strong crowd control, which Gatotkaca often possesses, limiting Claude's ability to effectively burst him down.

A common and effective combo for Claude to engage and maximize damage in a skirmish or team fight involves intelligent use of his mobility and ultimate. First, use Battle Mirror Image to place Dexter's clone in a strategic, safe location near the enemy, but not directly in the thick of the fight. Next, activate Art of Thievery towards the target to apply a slow, reduce their attack speed, and gain crucial Movement and Attack Speed buffs for yourself. Once your buffs are active and you're in position, reactivate Battle Mirror Image to teleport to your clone, instantly closing the distance or repositioning. Immediately follow this with Blazing Duet to unleash a torrent of basic attacks, shredding your target. If the situation becomes too dangerous, you can use the remaining duration of your clone or simply kite with your enhanced movement speed from Art of Thievery to disengage.

• Prioritize farming early game to quickly acquire core items like Demon Hunter Sword, which significantly boosts your damage output.
• Utilize Battle Mirror Image creatively for both aggressive plays and crucial escapes, always thinking one step ahead about your positioning.
• Master the timing of Blazing Duet, ensuring you activate it when safely positioned to maximize its damage on key targets and benefit from its defensive shield.
• Adapt your playstyle based on enemy team composition, focusing on kiting against burst threats and shredding high-HP targets with your rapid basic attacks.