Focus on hitting your abilities. Ice Stance is strong in the early game, as mid-late game arrives, put effort into using Void and Fire. Become familiar with doing a quick 180 flicker to escape danger. Play with your team, don't be afraid to move up. Your abilities do insane amounts of damage mid-late game. Use this to your advantage; Fight within your abilities if you are getting dove.
Mage's Blessing
+10 Bonus Ability Damage +10 Physical Power +30 Magical Power +2 MP5 Per 10% Missing Mana ROLE QUEST: MID Kill or Assist Lane Minions or Enemy gods to gain stacks. Lane Minions are worth 1 Stack and Enemy gods are worth 5 Stacks. At 75 Stacks Mage's Blessing Evolves, gaining 10% Cooldown Reduction.
Lost Artifact
Healing Potion
This consumable heals 250 Health over 25 seconds.
Healing Potion
This consumable heals 250 Health over 25 seconds.
Mana Potion
This consumable heals 150 Mana over 25 seconds.
Mana Potion
This consumable heals 150 Mana over 25 seconds.
Complete Boots before finishing Chronos Pendate.
Chronos' Pendant
PASSIVE - Every 10s the Pendant activates, subtracting 1s from all of your abilities currently on Cooldown. The initial countdown will not start until you leave the fountain.
Shoes of the Magi
Y10 Spear of the Magus
PASSIVE - Whenever you damage an enemy god with an ability you mark them to take 5% increased damage from all sources. This effect lasts for 8s and can only occur once every 15s.
Y10 Soul Gem
PASSIVE - On successful hit of an Ability you gain 1 stack. At 3 Stacks your next Ability that damages an enemy God will deal bonus damage equal to 20% of your Magical power to each God hit, and will heal yourself and allies within 20 units for 15 (+5 Per Level) and will consume the 3 stacks.
Y10 Typhon's Fang
PASSIVE - Your Healing obtained from Magical Lifesteal is increased by 15%. Your Magical power is increased by 1.5x the amount of Magical Lifesteal you have.
Obsidian Shard
PASSIVE - Your first ability cast gains 20% Magical Penetration. This can only occur once every 10 seconds.
For Joust is it very strong to go a lifesteal heavy build on Merlin. In higher level Joust you will often face against double front-line comps that will dive you. With Merlin's high damage, especially with spear of magus in combination with lifesteal, you can out-trade and kill aggressive tanks. With this build you will have 30% CDR and 30 %Pen (40 on first cast.) Soul gem can be replaced with Bancrofts if you are getting dove extremely hard and need the additional power/lifesteal.