Understanding the Power of the Cloud Drake in League of Legends
Fast answer first. Then use the tabs or video for more detail.
- Watch the video explanation below for a faster overview.
- Game mechanics may change with updates or patches.
- Use this block to get the short answer without scrolling the whole page.
- Read the FAQ section if the article has one.
- Use the table of contents to jump straight to the detailed section you need.
- Watch the video first, then skim the article for specifics.
The Cloud Drake in League of Legends is a elemental drake that, upon being slain, grants a permanent out-of-combat movement speed bonus. This bonus is amplified for each Cloud Drake slain, making a team that secures multiple Cloud Drakes significantly faster when roaming the map or rotating between objectives. The Cloud Soul provides a similar effect, granting passive bonus movement speed and empowering ultimate abilities with bonus damage and increased range.
The Benefits of Slaying Cloud Drakes
Cloud Drakes offer a very particular advantage: mobility. While other drakes might boost damage output or defensive stats, the Cloud Drake enhances a team’s ability to traverse the map quickly, impacting various aspects of gameplay:
- Enhanced Roaming: Supports and Junglers can reach sidelanes faster, enabling quicker ganks and counter-ganks.
- Objective Control: Teams can rotate to Baron Nashor, Dragon, or towers more efficiently, allowing for faster sieges and better objective defense.
- Improved Positioning: In team fights, the increased out-of-combat movement speed allows for quicker repositioning, making it easier to kite enemies or flank the backline.
- Escape Potential: When facing unfavorable engagements, the bonus movement speed provides a crucial advantage for disengaging and escaping dangerous situations.
Cloud Soul and its Impact
The Cloud Soul is awarded to the first team that slays four drakes of any combination, with the final drake always being an Elder Dragon spawn after the elemental rifts form. This Soul provides a significant bonus over the stackable drake buffs. The Cloud Soul grants:
- Passive Movement Speed: Further enhances out-of-combat movement speed, making it incredibly difficult for enemies to catch the team with the Soul.
- Ultimate Ability Enhancement: Provides bonus damage on the next instance of damage from an ultimate ability. Additionally, some ultimates gain added range. This dramatically empowers specific champions with ultimate abilities designed to be used from a distance or as a game-changing engagement tool.
Strategic Considerations for Cloud Drakes
Recognizing the value of Cloud Drakes and the Cloud Soul is essential for strategic decision-making. Teams must weigh the benefits of securing these buffs against other objectives on the map.
- Early Game Focus: Securing early Cloud Drakes can give a team a substantial lead in map control and roaming potential.
- Prioritizing Mobility: Teams with champions that heavily rely on mobility, such as assassins or hyper-carries, may find the Cloud Drake particularly valuable.
- Counter-Drafting: Understanding that the enemy team is prioritizing Cloud Drakes can influence champion selection and strategic approach. Selecting champions with crowd control or strong engage tools can help to mitigate the enemy team’s mobility advantage.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about the Cloud Drake
1. How much movement speed does each Cloud Drake provide?
Each Cloud Drake grants 3.5% out-of-combat movement speed.
2. Does the movement speed bonus stack with other movement speed items or abilities?
Yes, the movement speed bonus from Cloud Drakes stacks additively with other sources of movement speed. However, diminishing returns apply at higher movement speed values.
3. What exactly does the Cloud Soul do?
The Cloud Soul provides 10% bonus movement speed (not just out of combat) and grants bonus damage to the first instance of damage from an ultimate ability, as well as increased range.
4. How much bonus damage does the Cloud Soul provide to ultimate abilities?
The Cloud Soul grants 50% bonus AD, 30% bonus AP and 3% bonus health as damage on the next instance of damage from an ultimate ability.
5. Are there any ultimate abilities that don’t benefit from the Cloud Soul?
While the Cloud Soul technically empowers all ultimate abilities in some way (through the damage, range, or both) certain ultimates benefit far more due to their design. Abilities that don’t do damage, or have limited scaling, will see minimal benefits.
6. How does the Cloud Drake affect the jungle role?
The Cloud Drake significantly benefits the jungle role by allowing for faster rotations between camps and lanes, enabling more efficient ganking and objective control.
7. Is the Cloud Drake a good objective to prioritize in the early game?
The value of prioritizing Cloud Drakes in the early game depends on the team composition and overall strategy. If the team values mobility and map control, securing early Cloud Drakes can provide a significant advantage.
8. Can the enemy team see how many Cloud Drake buffs we have?
Yes, the number of elemental drake buffs, including Cloud Drakes, is visible on the scoreboard for both teams.
9. How does the Cloud Drake interact with champions that have built-in movement speed buffs?
The Cloud Drake bonus stacks with a champion’s inherent movement speed buffs. This can amplify the effectiveness of champions like Hecarim or Master Yi.
10. How does the Cloud Drake affect split-pushing strategies?
The increased movement speed allows split-pushers to rotate between lanes faster and escape ganks more effectively, making split-pushing strategies more viable.
11. Does the Cloud Soul movement speed persist in combat?
Yes, unlike the individual Cloud Drake buffs, the Cloud Soul’s movement speed bonus is active even in combat.
12. Does the Cloud Soul only affect the user’s ultimate?
Yes, the Cloud Soul’s effects only apply to the champion that possesses the Soul. It does not buff the ultimate abilities of allies.
13. What are the counter-strategies to playing against a team with multiple Cloud Drake buffs?
Counter-strategies include:
- Vision Control: Maintain deep vision to track enemy movements and anticipate rotations.
- Engage Tools: Employ champions or items with strong engage tools to catch out enemies who are overextended.
- Objective Trading: If contesting drakes is too risky, focus on securing other objectives such as towers or Baron Nashor.
- Slows and CC: Using slow effects and crowd control can negate movement speed advantage.
14. How does the Cloud Drake compare to other elemental drakes in terms of value?
The value of the Cloud Drake is subjective and depends on the game state and team composition. While other drakes like the Infernal Drake may provide more direct damage output, the Cloud Drake’s mobility can be strategically advantageous in certain situations.
15. Does the Cloud Drake affect out-of-combat regeneration, like health or mana?
No, the Cloud Drake does not directly affect out-of-combat regeneration. Its sole effect is to increase out-of-combat movement speed. However, this increased mobility allows for better usage of fountain regeneration.