Horizon Focus

What is Horizon Focus? 🔭

Horizon Focus is the long-range mage’s damage amplifier — a legendary designed specifically for AP champions whose primary abilities hit at 600+ units away from the caster. The HYPERSHOT passive converts every qualifying long-range ability hit into a 6-second +10% damage amplification mark on the target, while FOCUS turns every HYPERSHOT activation into a 1400-unit area reveal and AoE mark application — spreading the mark to all nearby enemy champions for 3 seconds from the 30-second CD FOCUS window.

The 600-unit range threshold is the item’s core design constraint: only abilities hitting at 600 or more units from the cast position trigger HYPERSHOT. This specifically rewards mages with long-range skillshot abilities — Lux Q, Xerath Q/W/E, Zoe Q, Veigar E Cage at range — while excluding melee-range or short-range ability interactions. At 2,700 Gold, Horizon Focus is one of the most cost-efficient mage legendaries, providing 75 AP + 25 AH at a significantly lower price point than Shadowflame (3,000g), Rabadon’s Deathcap (3,600g), or Morellonomicon (2,900g).

The FOCUS passive is the AoE dimension of the item: on a 30-second cooldown, any HYPERSHOT trigger simultaneously reveals a 1400-unit area around the hit target for 2 seconds and applies the Hypershot mark to all enemy champions within that 1400-unit radius for 3 seconds. In teamfights where enemies cluster within 1400 units, a single long-range ability hit can mark the entire enemy team simultaneously — amplifying all subsequent damage dealt to every marked target by 10% for the 3-second mark duration. Sell: 1,890 Gold. ID: 4628.

📊 Base Statistics

🔨 Recipe & Components

Horizon Focus builds from Fiendish Codex × 2 + Amplifying Tome with a 600g combine:

🎯 HYPERSHOT & FOCUS — Complete Mechanics Reference

HYPERSHOT — 600-Unit Range Threshold

The 600-unit distance is measured from the user’s cast position to where the target was hit — not from the user to the target’s current standing position. This distinction matters: if the caster moves between casting an ability and the projectile landing, the measurement is from the position where the cast was initiated, not where the caster is standing when the ability connects. Abilities with travel time (long-range projectiles) measure HYPERSHOT range from the original cast position regardless of how far the caster has moved during flight time.

At 600 units, the range threshold excludes typical melee-range and short-range abilities while including the majority of standard mage skillshot ranges (most primary Q poke abilities have 800-1,200+ unit ranges). The threshold means Horizon Focus requires genuine long-range play — the mage must be 600+ units from the target to trigger HYPERSHOT, which is most of a mage’s optimal operating distance in lane and teamfights.

FOCUS — 1400-Unit AoE Reveal and Multi-Mark on 30s CD

FOCUS activates upon triggering Hypershot and provides two simultaneous effects: 1) sight of a 1400-unit area around the target for 2 seconds, and 2) applies Hypershot’s mark to all enemy champions within 1400 units for 3 seconds. The 30-second cooldown limits FOCUS to approximately once per teamfight sequence, but when it fires in a clustered teamfight scenario, it can mark the entire enemy team simultaneously.

1400 units is a very large radius — for reference, base turret attack range is 775 units. A 1400-unit FOCUS radius covers an area roughly 1.8× turret attack range in diameter. In grouped teamfights where enemies stack within 1400 units of the initial HYPERSHOT target, FOCUS applies the Hypershot mark to all of them — meaning every damage source (the mage, allies) hitting any marked enemy receives the 10% amplification for 3 seconds.

Critical Interaction Rules — Pets, Traps, Clones, AoE Abilities

Not triggered against pets or traps: HYPERSHOT specifically requires a champion ability hitting a champion target. Hitting Teemo mushrooms, Caitlyn traps, or companion pets (Tibbers, Daisy) does not trigger HYPERSHOT. The mechanic is exclusively champion-vs-champion ability interactions.

IS triggered against clones — FOCUS consumed by clones: HYPERSHOT triggers when a champion ability hits a clone (Shaco Box clones, LeBlanc Mirror Image, Wukong’s decoy). However, FOCUS is consumed against clones — meaning the 30-second FOCUS CD can be wasted by hitting a clone with a long-range ability if FOCUS was ready. Be cautious of clone mechanics when FOCUS is available.

Range from cast position to hit location: the 600-unit range requirement is measured from where the ability was cast to where the target was hit. For abilities with cast delay or travel time, the measurement is the original cast point distance — not the caster’s current position when the ability resolves.

Persistent AoE abilities — initial cast only: for abilities that remain at a location for a period of time (the wiki examples: Tormented Shadow — Viktor W, Spirit Fire — Nasus E, The Equalizer — Rumble R), only the initial cast triggers HYPERSHOT. The lingering zone’s continued damage or subsequent ticks do not re-trigger HYPERSHOT. This means HYPERSHOT fires once per cast of these abilities, even if the zone persists for several seconds hitting enemies repeatedly.

HYPERSHOT & FOCUS — Full Mechanics Table

🗺️ Map-Specific Differences

🎯 When to Build Horizon Focus

Horizon Focus is the right pick when the mage’s primary damage abilities consistently hit at 600+ units and the game plan involves poking or engaging from long range. The item is specifically designed for the long-range mage archetype — champions whose Q or primary poke ability has an 800-1,200+ unit range and who already operate at maximum poke distance as standard play. For these champions, HYPERSHOT activates on essentially every ability use during a fight, providing consistent 10% damage amplification throughout the combat sequence.

✅ Build Horizon Focus When:

• Playing a long-range poke mage with 800+ unit primary abilities: Xerath (Q 1400-1600 unit range, W, E — all trigger HYPERSHOT from lane distance), Lux (Q 1175 units, E 1100 units — Horizon Focus amplifies the entire poke rotation including R Finales Funkeln), Zoe (Q Paddle Star 800+ units when angled, E Sleepy Trouble Bubble 800 units), Veigar (E Cage 650-750 units, R 650 units at range)
• Team composition has AoE allies who benefit from FOCUS multi-mark: when allies deal significant AoE damage to clustered enemies, a FOCUS activation that marks the entire enemy group amplifies all allied AoE damage by 10% simultaneously; Orianna (Command: Shockwave R), Seraphine (high notes hitting multiple targets), Karthus (Requiem R global damage) all deal more effective damage when FOCUS marks the entire enemy cluster from a Horizon Focus holder’s single HYPERSHOT trigger
• Enemy team tends to cluster in 1400-unit groups: FOCUS’s AoE mark application is strongest against enemies who move as a group; against compositions with heavy engage that stack up in teamfights, one HYPERSHOT trigger with FOCUS applies the 10% amplification to all 4-5 clustered enemies simultaneously — the combined 10% extra damage from 5 allied damage sources hitting 5 marked enemies is a massive total damage advantage in the 3-second FOCUS mark window
• Budget AP item slot — first item for long-range poke mages: at 2,700g, Horizon Focus completes approximately 300-900g earlier than competing mage legendaries; the HYPERSHOT +10% amplification starts being active from first item completion; for long-range mages whose first item arrival usually coincides with the first teamfight windows, completing Horizon Focus first secures the HYPERSHOT advantage before opponents reach full build

❌ Do NOT Build Horizon Focus When:

• Playing a short-range burst mage who engages within 600 units: LeBlanc (W Distortion 600-unit leap into melee range), Fizz (E Playful Trickster 400-unit hop), Kassadin (R Riftwalk 700-unit blink but engages at melee range), Sylas (W 700-unit dash into target) — these champions’ primary damage is dealt at close range or while dashed onto the target; HYPERSHOT requires 600 units from cast position to hit location, which close-range dive mages never reach during their primary engage
• Playing a melee AP fighter who doesn’t use 600+ unit abilities: Diana, Ekko, Irelia AP builds — primary damage is melee range; HYPERSHOT never activates; Shadowflame, Rabadon’s Deathcap, or Stormsurge provide more valuable AP without requiring a range threshold that these champions cannot meet
• Enemy team is highly spread and never clusters within 1400 units: against split-push compositions where enemies deliberately avoid grouping, FOCUS’s AoE mark application rarely fires on multiple targets; the FOCUS CD becomes a single-target mark that’s still useful (HYPERSHOT still applies to the direct hit) but the multi-mark AoE value is lost; against spread compositions, Morellonomicon (grievous wounds + AH) or Shadowflame (AP + magic pen) may provide more consistent value

👥 Best Champions for Horizon Focus

✅ Optimal — Long-Range Skillshot Mages

• Xerath — Eye of Destruction (W) 1,000 units, Arcanopulse (Q) up to 1,600 units, Shocking Orb (E) 1,000 units, Rite of the Arcane (R) global. Xerath operates at maximum ability range by design — every Q, W, and E cast from standard poke position triggers HYPERSHOT at 600+ units. The HYPERSHOT mark is then covered by the follow-up ability from the same poke rotation (Q marks → W hits marked target with 10% amplification, or Q marks → R Rite of the Arcane shots all hit at +10%). Xerath is arguably the single best Horizon Focus user: global R and 1,600-unit Q make 600 units a trivial threshold to meet on every cast.
• Lux — Light Binding (Q) 1,175 units, Lucent Singularity (E) 1,100 units, Finales Funkeln (R) global range. Lux’s entire kit operates at 600+ units in standard positioning. Q at 700-1,000 units triggers HYPERSHOT, marks target, and applies FOCUS (if available) — then E + R follow-up hits the marked target with +10% amplified damage. Lux support builds also benefit: Q at 600+ units marks the target for the entire lane’s follow-up damage including the ADC, whose auto-attacks also receive the 10% amplification during the 6-second mark window.
• Veigar — Event Horizon (E) 650-750 units, Primordial Burst (R) 650 units. Veigar’s E cage and R execute both comfortably exceed 600 units when placed at range. HYPERSHOT on E cage placement applies the mark before the cage stuns — enabling the 10% amplification to be active when W and R follow-up lands. The Veigar-Horizon Focus combination is particularly effective because Veigar’s R Primordial Burst already scales with the target’s missing HP — applying an additional 10% damage amplification on top of the execute formula significantly increases the one-shot threshold.
• Syndra — Dark Sphere (Q) 700 units, Force of Will (W) 950 units, Scatter the Weak (E) 700 units, Unleashed Power (R) 675 units. Syndra’s standard combat range of 700+ units places most of her abilities above the HYPERSHOT threshold. Q at 700 units triggers HYPERSHOT, mark applies; W and R hitting the marked target within 6 seconds (extremely fast for Syndra’s burst combo) all receive the 10% amplification. Syndra’s high burst damage amplified by 10% is a significant absolute damage increase per combo.
• Zoe — Paddle Star (Q) at maximum angle 800-1,200+ units, Sleepy Trouble Bubble (E) 800 units. Zoe’s Q projectile can be fired at 800+ units when utilized at maximum angle through terrain bounce, easily triggering HYPERSHOT. E Sleepy Trouble Bubble at 800 units marks targets before the sleep lands — the sleep debuff triggers then while the HYPERSHOT mark is active, enabling the follow-up Q or spell pick to deal +10% amplified damage against a sleeping target.

Situational — Mages with Some Long-Range Abilities

• Orianna (support/mid): Command: Attack (Q) 825 units. Orianna’s Q sends the Ball to a location or champion — from Orianna’s cast position to the Ball’s destination at 825 units, HYPERSHOT triggers. The FOCUS AoE mark application then marks all enemies near the Ball position for Orianna’s follow-up E shield push or R Command: Shockwave — amplifying all R damage across all marked enemies by 10%. Orianna’s AoE teamfight R hitting 5 marked enemies at +10% is a very large absolute damage advantage.
• Brand: Sear (Q) 1,050 units, Pillar of Flame (W) 900 units. Brand’s Q and W both exceed 600 units comfortably. HYPERSHOT applies on Q or W hits at range; Conflagration (E) triggered by ablaze stacks hits the marked target with 10% amplification. The Pyroclasm (R) bouncing ultimate can chain-hit marked targets for amplified damage during the 6-second mark window.
• Karma: Inner Flame (Q) 950 units. Karma’s Q at 700-950 units triggers HYPERSHOT in support positioning. The follow-up W, E, or Mantra-empowered Q hitting the marked target gains 10% amplification. Horizon Focus on Karma support activates HYPERSHOT in the poke pattern before ability-centric engagements.

❌ Not Recommended

• LeBlanc, Fizz, Kassadin, Sylas: primary damage delivered at close range (dash-in melee/near-melee range); HYPERSHOT 600-unit threshold not met during primary engages; Horizon Focus provides 75 AP + 25 AH without HYPERSHOT activation = just a stat item; other mage legendaries provide equivalent or better stats without the dead passive
• Supports with short-range buffing abilities: Lulu, Nami, Soraka — abilities centered on allies at short range; HYPERSHOT’s enemy champion damage requirement isn’t met by ally-targeted abilities; enchanter supports don’t need the range amplification pattern that defines Horizon Focus’s value proposition

⚙️ Recommended Build Paths

Xerath — Maximum Long-Range HYPERSHOT Uptime

1. Fiendish Codex — First back (850g) — +30 AP + 10 AH immediately; AH starts reducing Q Arcanopulse and W Eye of Destruction CDs from first back
2. Horizon Focus — First full item — HYPERSHOT live at 2,700g; Q at 1,000+ units triggers HYPERSHOT on every standard poke; FOCUS (30s CD) applies multi-mark when enemies cluster within 1400 units of the initial hit
3. Shadowflame — Second item — CINDERBLOOM: +magic pen scaling with target’s current HP (more pen when target is healthier); +100 AP + 10 AP extra; combined with HYPERSHOT’s +10% damage amplification, Shadowflame magic pen ensures HYPERSHOT-marked targets also take amplified and armor-reduced magical damage
4. Rabadon’s Deathcap — Third item — OVERDRIVE: +30% total AP amplification; after two AP items (Horizon Focus 75 AP + Shadowflame 110 AP total, stacking with other sources), Rabadon’s 30% amplification dramatically increases total AP; every HYPERSHOT-amplified ability does 10% more of the now-amplified AP scaling damage
5. Void Staff — Fourth item — DISSOLVE: 40% magic pen; essential when enemies begin stacking MR against Xerath’s poke dominance; Void Staff magic pen combines with HYPERSHOT’s 10% amplification for maximum damage through MR-stacking targets
6. Morellonomicon — Fifth item situational — AFFLICTION: applies grievous wounds (reduced healing) on ability damage; when enemy team runs heavy healing (Soraka, Yuumi, Drain tanks), Morellonomicon’s grievous wounds on Xerath’s poke pattern prevents enemies from sustaining through HYPERSHOT-amplified poke damage

Lux — HYPERSHOT Poke into Teamfight Combo

7. Horizon Focus — First full item — HYPERSHOT live from lane phase; Q at 700-900 units marks targets in poke pattern; FOCUS activates in teamfights to mark all 4-5 clustered enemies from one Q landing
8. Shadowflame — Second item — magic pen + AP; CINDERBLOOM penetration applies alongside HYPERSHOT amplification on all marked target damage
9. Rabadon’s Deathcap — Third item — 30% total AP amplification; Lux R Finales Funkeln at high AP with HYPERSHOT +10% + Rabadon’s 30% = significant burst ceiling increase
10. Void Staff — Fourth item — 40% magic pen vs MR stacking; Lux poke at full build with pen + amplification penetrates most MR investments
11. Stormsurge — Fifth item situational — STORMRAIDER: dealing ability damage during movement speed buff; provides +AP + movement speed and AoE proc; movement speed aids Lux’s repositioning to maintain 600+ units from targets after using HYPERSHOT

🔄 Similar Items — AP Mage Damage Family

❌ Common Mistakes & How to Avoid Them

• Building Horizon Focus on short-range or dive mages: the most common Horizon Focus error is purchasing it on mages who never reach 600 units in their primary combat pattern. Fizz, LeBlanc, Kassadin, and Sylas deal primary damage during dashes that bring them to the target — far inside the 600-unit threshold. On these champions, Horizon Focus provides 75 AP + 25 AH with a completely inactive HYPERSHOT passive: the item underperforms every competing AP legendary on a dead passive. Always verify that the champion’s primary poke or damage ability reaches 600+ units in standard positioning before purchasing
• Wasting FOCUS CD on clones: FOCUS is consumed against clones (Shaco, LeBlanc, Wukong) — a long-range ability hitting a clone wastes the 30-second FOCUS cooldown without applying the multi-mark to actual champions. When the enemy has clone-generating champions, be cautious about firing long-range abilities at uncertain targets when FOCUS is available. Identifying whether the target is a clone before committing a 600+ unit ability preserves the FOCUS CD for the real champion target
• Forgetting the initial-cast-only rule for persistent AoE abilities: Viktor W Tormented Shadow, Nasus E Spirit Fire, Rumble R The Equalizer — HYPERSHOT fires once on the initial placement, not on every subsequent damage tick from the lingering zone. Building Horizon Focus expecting to chain-trigger HYPERSHOT multiple times from a single Rumble R placement is incorrect; HYPERSHOT triggers once per cast, not once per tick. Plan ability rotations around the single-trigger-per-cast rule for these abilities
• Not following up on HYPERSHOT marks within 6 seconds: HYPERSHOT marks last 6 seconds after application — the entire remaining ability rotation should land on the marked target within this window for maximum amplification. Casting Q to apply HYPERSHOT then waiting to cast E/R means the mark may expire before the follow-up lands. In high-poke scenarios, fire the HYPERSHOT-triggering ability and immediately follow up with all remaining on-CD abilities to maximize how much damage receives the 10% amplification during the 6-second window
• Ignoring FOCUS range in teamfight positioning: FOCUS applies marks within 1400 units of the HYPERSHOT hit target. If the Horizon Focus holder fires a long-range ability and FOCUS activates but the rest of the enemy team is 1,500+ units away from the hit target, FOCUS marks nobody except the direct hit. In teamfights, position such that the expected HYPERSHOT target is within 1400 units of the clustered enemy group — firing at an isolated frontline target when the enemy backline is 2000 units away wastes FOCUS’s multi-mark potential

✅ Best Practices

• Prioritize 600+ unit positioning for every primary ability cast: maintain 600+ units from targets during standard poke to ensure every Q/W/E cast triggers HYPERSHOT; for Xerath and Lux, this is their natural combat position; champions who are tempted to position at 400-500 units for ‘safer’ targeting should resist — the HYPERSHOT 10% amplification requires 600+ units and staying at range is the correct trade-off for item value
• Layer HYPERSHOT marks before the high-damage ability: apply HYPERSHOT with a lower-damage ability (Q or E) first, then land the high-damage ability (R ultimate) on the marked target within 6 seconds; the +10% amplification on the ultimate lands more absolute bonus damage on an expensive ability than applying the mark with the ultimate itself and having no follow-up to amplify
• Save FOCUS-ready abilities for clustered enemy groups: when FOCUS is off cooldown, wait for the enemy team to cluster within 1400 units before firing the HYPERSHOT-triggering ability; applying FOCUS marks to 4-5 enemies simultaneously creates a 3-second window where all allied damage across all 5 targets receives 10% amplification — far more total bonus damage than wasting FOCUS on an isolated target
• Build Horizon Focus as first item for efficient early-game HYPERSHOT uptime: the 2,700g cost completes earlier than Shadowflame (3,000g) and Rabadon’s Deathcap (3,600g); first-item HYPERSHOT amplification is active from the first teamfight; the 25 AH also begins reducing poke ability CDs from item completion — more poke casts = more HYPERSHOT applications per fight
• In Arena: build Horizon Focus first for 90 AP + HYPERSHOT + FOCUS AoE marking in confined spaces: Arena’s 90 AP boost makes Horizon Focus the most gold-efficient AP item at 2,700g; the smaller Arena combat zones mean 1400-unit FOCUS radius covers most of the arena, applying marks to both enemy champions from a single long-range hit; the round-long FOCUS applications compound the item’s value in Arena’s frequent forced engagements

FAQ

Q: Does Horizon Focus trigger on abilities that hit at exactly 600 units or must it be more than 600?

A: A: The trigger requirement is 600 OR MORE units from the cast position to where the target was hit. An ability landing at exactly 600 units qualifies and triggers HYPERSHOT. The measurement is from the caster’s position at the time of casting to the location where the target was struck — not to the target’s current position after they may have moved during ability travel time.

Q: Does the 10% HYPERSHOT damage amplification apply to allied damage too?

A: A: Yes — the HYPERSHOT mark increases DAMAGE DEALT to the marked target by 10%, which applies to all damage sources hitting the marked target, including allied champion damage, allied ability damage, and basic attacks. When a Lux support applies HYPERSHOT to the enemy ADC, the allied bot lane ADC’s basic attacks also deal +10% damage to the marked target during the 6-second mark window. In teamfights where FOCUS applies the mark to multiple enemies, every allied damage source hitting any marked enemy receives the 10% amplification simultaneously.

Q: Does HYPERSHOT trigger against Shaco’s clone, LeBlanc’s Mirror Image, or Wukong’s decoy?

A: A: HYPERSHOT IS triggered against clones — a long-range ability hitting a Shaco clone, LeBlanc Mirror Image, or Wukong decoy at 600+ units will activate HYPERSHOT. However, FOCUS is consumed against clones — if FOCUS was off cooldown when the ability hit the clone, the 30-second FOCUS CD is burned without applying marks to real champions. The wiki explicitly notes this distinction. Against clone-heavy opponents, be cautious about firing 600+ unit abilities at uncertain targets when FOCUS is available to avoid wasting the CD.

Q: How does HYPERSHOT interact with Viktor W Tormented Shadow or Rumble R The Equalizer (persistent AoE abilities)?

A: A: Only the INITIAL CAST of persistent AoE abilities triggers HYPERSHOT. The wiki explicitly names Tormented Shadow (Viktor W), Spirit Fire (Nasus E), and The Equalizer (Rumble R) as examples. Placing Viktor’s W at 700 units from cast position triggers HYPERSHOT once when the zone is created — the W zone’s subsequent damage ticks on enemies standing in it do NOT re-trigger HYPERSHOT. This means HYPERSHOT fires once per cast, not repeatedly across the ability’s duration. Plan ability follow-ups around the single HYPERSHOT trigger from the initial cast.

Q: Is Horizon Focus good as a first item for most mage builds?

A: For long-range poke mages (Xerath, Lux, Veigar), yes — Horizon Focus is frequently optimal as a first item due to its low 2,700g cost (completing earlier than Shadowflame at 3,000g or Rabadon’s at 3,600g) and immediate HYPERSHOT activation from first item completion. The 25 AH also reduces ability CDs from the earliest midgame power spike. For short-range or dive mages, Horizon Focus is incorrect as any item — Shadowflame (flat AP + magic pen, no range requirement), Morellonomicon (AP + AH + grievous wounds), or Stormsurge (AP + movement speed proc) are better alternatives that provide value without requiring a 600-unit range threshold the champion’s kit doesn’t meet.