Graves

Graves is a 5-cost Factory New champion that usually plays as a backline damage dealer. It needs safe damage uptime, and the unit gets much better when your frontline buys enough time. Graves appears in Capped & Loaded and N.O.V.A. lines, so keep copies when those boards are open.

Consider playing around Graves when your health and economy let you reach late levels and the board needs a high-cost capstone. For items, Bloodthirster and Hand Of Justice are strong signals that Graves can become a real carry. For team direction, it fits naturally when you are already moving toward Capped & Loaded and N.O.V.A.. If it stays one-star, the traits do not activate, or the items point elsewhere, treat it as a transition unit instead of forcing the line.

Bloodthirster, Hand Of Justice and Quicksilver are recommended. Bloodthirster adds sustain and a low-health shield for extended melee fights, Hand Of Justice gives flexible damage and healing and Quicksilver protects the carry from early crowd control. The point of the setup is to give it enough uptime to convert its damage pattern into round wins.

When the perfect setup is not available, use Edge of Night, Sterak's Gage, Titan's Resolve and Hextech Gunblade as substitutes. For damage substitutes, match the damage type and cast tempo instead of forcing random stats. If Graves is only a trait slot, one useful item is enough and the premium items should go to your real carry or main tank.

Early: preserve health and economy instead of waiting for an expensive unit. Mid game: keep items flexible while leveling. Late game: Graves is a capstone piece, so once upgraded, build the final board around Factory New and support its cast pattern.

Place Graves in the back two rows with a clear line to the enemy frontline. Spread it away from your other carry unless you need same-side focus fire. It needs time to start casting, so avoid letting it get deleted immediately.