First Strike is a Keystone rune in the Inspiration tree introduced during Preseason 2022. It rewards players for dealing the first damage in a champion skirmish, granting both bonus gold and increased damage for a short window.
Activation Conditions
First Strike triggers when you damage an enemy champion before they damage you — or within 0.25 seconds of combat beginning. This timing makes it ideal for ranged poke champions and quick-engage assassins who can reliably land the first hit.
Effects and Buff Duration
Upon activation, First Strike immediately grants 5 gold and increases all damage dealt by 10% for 3 seconds. In recent balance updates, Riot boosted its potency: base gold was raised to 15, while damage buff was tweaked to 8%, though melee champions now convert damage into gold at a lower rate than ranged users (50% vs. 35%).
Optimal Usage
First Strike excels on champions who can consistently strike first in trades—think long‑range mages (Ziggs, Xerath) or burst assassins (LeBlanc, Qiyana). Its gold income compounds over repeated trades, accelerating your item power spike and snowball potential.
Counterplay
Avoid taking poke when First Strike is available. Engage only when the opponent’s rune is on cooldown or when you can dodge their first ability. Vision control and movement prediction are key to nullifying its advantage.
Summary
First Strike turns early skirmishes into profitable trades. By rewarding the first successful hit with bonus gold and damage, it amplifies champions built around poke and burst, making it a high-impact choice for aggressive laners.
Written by:
Christian