Voltaic Cyclosword

Voltaic Cyclosword is a Legendary Assassin item costing 3000 gold that provides +55 Attack Damage, +10 Ability Haste, and +18 Lethality. It belongs to the Energized item family — generating Energize stacks through movement (1 stack per 24 units traveled) and basic attacks (6 stacks per attack), capping at 100 stacks. When fully Energized, the passive FIRMAMENT makes the next basic attack deal 100 bonus physical damage on-hit and slow the target by 20% for 0.75 seconds. The second passive GALVANIZE increases Energize stack generation by 75% for dashes, blinks, and movement in stealth — making Voltaic Cyclosword the highest-value Energized item for mobile assassins who close distance through dashes or stealth approach rather than walking. The FIRMAMENT slow bypasses spell shields and benefits from life steal, and the additive slow bug means Tenacity does not reduce it.

Voltaic Cyclosword is a Legendary-tier item available on Summoner’s Rift (5v5), ARAM, Nexus Blitz, and Arena. Categorized under Assassin, Attack Damage, Armor Penetration, and Ability Haste menus with ID 6699. Limited to 1 Voltaic Cyclosword per player. The removed Masterwork upgrade was Swordnado.

📊 Stats at a Glance

💡 Voltaic Cyclosword vs Youmuu’s Ghostblade — The Core Tradeoff: Both items cost nearly the same, provide +55 AD and +18 Lethality, and are designed for melee AD assassins. The divergence is what they provide beyond the shared stat base: Youmuu’s provides movement speed (HAUNT passive + WRAITH STEP active) for rapid gap-closing and map mobility, while Voltaic provides Energized burst damage + slow (FIRMAMENT) and Ability Haste (+10 AH) for ability-cooldown-dependent assassins. The choice comes down to: does the champion need movement to reach targets (Youmuu’s), or does the champion need a slow to secure kills and shorter ability cooldowns (Voltaic Cyclosword)? Many builds run both — the stats stack efficiently and they solve different problems.

🔨 Recipe & Build Path

💡 The Brutalizer as First Component: The Brutalizer (1337g) is the natural first back component for Voltaic Cyclosword on lane assassins. Its +30 AD, +15 AH, and +10 Lethality provide a genuine early-game power spike that functions as a standalone lane item while the full Voltaic is being completed. The 1337g cost fits a standard first-back budget after an efficient early trade or two. Holding The Brutalizer through the early mid-game before completing Voltaic is a valid strategic choice when the lane opponent is manageable with component stats.

⚡ Passive Effects

UNIQUE Passive — ENERGIZED

EFFECT: Moving and basic attacking generates Energize stacks up to 100. Every basic attack on-attack generates 6 stacks. Every 24 in-game units traveled generates 1 stack. GALVANIZE’s 75% bonus means every 24 units traveled during a dash, blink, or stealth movement generates 1.75 stacks instead of 1. Abilities that apply on-hit effects also generate 6 stacks on proc. Displacement (being moved by enemy abilities) also generates 6 stacks — meaning even when a champion is forcibly moved, stacks generate at the attack rate.

💡 Stack Rate Math — How Fast Is Full Energize?: From zero stacks: 100 stacks ÷ 6 per attack = ~17 basic attacks needed to reach full Energize from attacks alone. At 1.0 base AS, that’s 17 seconds of sustained attacking. In practice, movement stacks combine with attack stacks — a 400-unit dash generates 400 ÷ 24 × 1.75 = approximately 29 stacks from one dash. Zed’s W shadow dash (approximately 550 units) generates 550 ÷ 24 × 1.75 = ~40 stacks from a single W shadow teleport. A full approach sequence of two dashes plus 3–4 basic attacks can fully charge FIRMAMENT before the burst combo even begins.

UNIQUE Passive — GALVANIZE

EFFECT: Voltaic Cyclosword’s GALVANIZE passive increases Energize stack generation by 75% for distance traveled during dashes, blinks, and movement while in stealth. This is Voltaic Cyclosword’s defining differentiator from other Energized items (Statikk Shiv, Rapid Firecannon) — mobile assassins who close gaps through ability dashes or stealth approach generate stacks faster than walking or attacking would suggest, meaning FIRMAMENT is charged before the first auto lands in a typical assassin engage sequence.

💡 GALVANIZE Stealth Interaction: Moving while invisible — through Kha’Zix’s Void Assault, Rengar’s Unseen Predator, Shaco’s Deceive, or Twitch’s Ambush — generates stacks at 1.75 per 24 units instead of 1. A Rengar who closes 600 units during his leap-pounce from a brush generates 600 ÷ 24 × 1.75 = ~44 stacks from the stealth approach alone. Combined with the standard 6 stacks from the on-hit landing, stealth assassins arrive at the target with FIRMAMENT often pre-charged or within 2–3 attacks of firing, without needing to farm stacks in lane first.

UNIQUE Passive — FIRMAMENT

EFFECT: When fully Energized, the next basic attack fires FIRMAMENT — dealing 100 bonus physical damage on-hit and slowing the target by 20% for 0.75 seconds. The 100 damage is proc damage that does not trigger spell effects (no Luden’s, Liandry’s chain), is not blocked by spell shields, and benefits from life steal. The 20% slow is an additive MS modifier with the same documented bug as FROSTFIRE TEMPEST — it is unaffected by slow resist and Tenacity, and stacks additively with other slows rather than multiplicatively.

💡 FIRMAMENT Slow Timing in the Kill Window: The 20% slow for 0.75 seconds is not a large slow by raw numbers — but its timing in the assassin combo is precisely what makes it valuable. Voltaic Cyclosword’s FIRMAMENT typically fires on the first or second basic attack of the assassination sequence (due to GALVANIZE pre-charging during the dash approach). A 20% slow applied at the start of the kill combo prevents the target from flashing or repositioning during the burst window — 0.75 seconds is exactly long enough to ensure the follow-up Q or E ability lands before the flash-escape reaction time. Against carries who rely on a single flash to escape assassination attempts, FIRMAMENT’s slow consumes that window.

⚠️ FIRMAMENT Slow Bug — Tenacity Non-Interaction: The FIRMAMENT slow is calculated as an additive percent movement speed modifier rather than a standard multiplicative slow. The practical result: Tenacity does not reduce the FIRMAMENT slow, and slow resist items have no effect on it. Mercury’s Treads’ 30% Tenacity does not reduce the 20% slow to 14% — it remains a full 20% regardless of Tenacity stacking. Additionally, FIRMAMENT’s 20% slow stacks additively with any other simultaneous slow effects, potentially creating a combined slow higher than either source alone. This is the same documented bug as FROSTFIRE TEMPEST’s slow and has not been patched.

🎯 Who Should Buy This Item

Champion Archetypes

• Dash-Heavy Melee Assassins: The GALVANIZE 75% bonus stack rate rewards champions who close gaps through multiple dashes or blinks per engagement — Zed (W shadow + Q), Talon (E wall-vault), Qiyana (Q-E combination), and Irelia (Q reset chain). Each dash contributes approximately double the movement stacks of regular walking, meaning FIRMAMENT is charged before or within the first strike of the burst rotation rather than mid-combo.
• Stealth Approach Assassins: Champions who approach targets while invisible (Kha’Zix, Rengar, Shaco, Twitch, Evelynn) benefit from GALVANIZE’s stealth movement bonus. The entire stealth approach contributes 1.75 stacks per 24 units — a standard 600-unit stealth approach generates ~44 stacks before the first auto-attack fires. FIRMAMENT is online early in the engagement without requiring farm-generated stacks from earlier in the fight.
• Ability-Haste-Dependent Assassins: The +10 AH differentiates Voltaic from Youmuu’s Ghostblade for champions whose kill rotation requires specific ability cooldowns. On Zed, 10 AH reduces W’s cooldown from 22 to ~20 seconds, enabling slightly more frequent double-shadow setups. On Talon, it shortens E’s wall-vault cooldown to allow faster map movements between kills. The AH component makes Voltaic better than Youmuu’s specifically when the ability cooldown reduction materially changes the playstyle frequency.

Specific Champion Examples

⏰ When to Buy

As a First Item

First item Voltaic Cyclosword is correct when the lane matchup is winnable with lethality + on-hit burst as the primary kill condition and the opponent doesn’t build armor early. Against squishy immobile targets (Orianna, Azir, Syndra) in the mid lane, first item Voltaic provides 18 Lethality + 55 AD + the FIRMAMENT slow that secures kills at level 6 before armor buys. The 3000g cost is on the higher end for a first item — The Brutalizer (1337g) is typically held as the power spike purchase until the full 3000g is available, rather than rushing the full completion through smaller components.

As a Second Item Alongside Youmuu’s

The most common second-item timing is pairing Voltaic with first-item Youmuu’s Ghostblade. The combined stat profile provides: +110 AD total, +36 Lethality total, +10 AH, WRAITH STEP gap-close (Youmuu’s), and FIRMAMENT slow (Voltaic). This pairing covers both the mobility problem (Youmuu’s ghosting through units) and the kill-security problem (Voltaic’s slow preventing escape) simultaneously. For Zed and Talon who regularly run both items, the two-item lethality stack represents the highest burst-damage floor in their respective item paths.

Situational / Skip

Skip Voltaic Cyclosword on immobile assassins with no dashes who would not benefit from GALVANIZE — champions who approach targets purely through walking generate stacks at only 1 per 24 units, making FIRMAMENT charge no faster than any other Energized item. In that case, Statikk Shiv (for the chain lightning on-hit clearing) or Edge of Night (spell shield for safe approach) provide more appropriate first/second item value. Voltaic’s premium is specifically for the GALVANIZE mobility interaction — without it, the item is a solid but not exceptional lethality purchase.

💡 Synergies

Best Paired Items

• Youmuu’s Ghostblade: The natural first-item pairing for most assassin builds that reach Voltaic second. Youmuu’s covers mobility (HAUNT + WRAITH STEP gap-close + ghosting through units) while Voltaic covers burst damage insurance (FIRMAMENT 100 physical on-hit) and kill security (20% slow). Together the two items provide +110 AD, +36 Lethality, +10 AH, the highest combined lethality available in two items for melee assassins.
• Edge of Night: Spell shield on approach survives the CC that prevents Voltaic’s GALVANIZE from charging during the dash sequence. Against heavy spell-shield-countering comps, Edge of Night first absorbs the root/stun while Voltaic’s FIRMAMENT fires on the first auto after the dash lands through the now-consumed shield. The combined approach protection + FIRMAMENT slow creates a reliable kill window against CC-heavy supports and mid laners.
• Axiom Arc: Ultimate CDR on kills pairs with Voltaic’s +10 AH to create the fastest ability-refund rotation in lethality builds. Axiom reduces ultimate cooldowns by 20 seconds per kill — combined with Voltaic’s 10 AH and Youmuu’s 0 AH, the total effective ult CDR between kills is substantially higher than any single lethality item provides independently. On Zed whose Death Mark defines every kill rotation, shorter ult cooldown from Axiom + faster ability rotation from Voltaic’s AH enables kill-rotations at approximately 40-second intervals.
• Serrated Dirk (component): Voltaic completes through The Brutalizer, which itself upgrades from Serrated Dirk. Holding Dirk (1000g) before The Brutalizer is a valid early lane power spike — Dirk’s 30 AD + 10 Lethality at 1000g is one of the most efficient early-game damage purchases, and completing into Voltaic later doesn’t waste any component gold.

Champion & Ability Synergies

• Zed double-shadow GALVANIZE: Zed’s W Living Shadow teleport is a blink — generating 1.75 stacks per 24 units. A full W shadow teleport of approximately 350 units generates ~26 stacks from the blink itself. Combined with the 6 stacks from the W-empowered Q landing (abilities applying on-hit effects grant 6 stacks), Zed enters the R shadow swap with approximately 32+ stacks already accumulated. The R shadow swap (~600 units) adds another ~44 stacks — reaching full FIRMAMENT before the execution auto. In practice, Zed should have 100 stacks charged by the time Death Mark’s detonation period begins.
• Rengar Unseen Predator into burst: Rengar’s initial leap from brush during Unseen Predator activates while he is in stealth — the entire leap distance charges at the GALVANIZE 1.75 rate. The leap covers approximately 600 units: 600 ÷ 24 × 1.75 = ~44 stacks. The landing auto generates 6 more stacks — FIRMAMENT fires either on the landing auto or the first Savagery-empowered auto, applying the 100 physical on-hit damage and 20% slow during the exact moment Rengar’s Ferocity is highest.
• Kha’Zix Void Assault stealth: Kha’Zix’s Void Assault activates stealth and increases movement speed. Moving during Void Assault generates GALVANIZE stacks at 1.75 per 24 units. A 400-unit repositioning during Void Assault generates ~29 stacks before the re-engage auto fires. Combined with the 6 stacks from the first Taste Their Fear auto, FIRMAMENT often charges on the second attack during the isolation burst window — the slow preventing the isolated target from breaking isolation range and losing the Kha’Zix damage bonus.
• Irelia Q reset chain: Each Bladesurge Q is a dash — GALVANIZE charges at 1.75 per 24 units on every individual Q cast. A standard 4-Q reset chain through a low-HP minion wave generates 4 × ~15 units of dash range = ~35–40 GALVANIZE stacks per Q chain, plus 6 per Q hit if Q applies on-hit effects. By the time Irelia reaches the priority target at the end of a reset chain, FIRMAMENT is charged and ready to fire on the champion auto — the slow preventing the target from retreating while Ionian Fervor stacks are building.

❌ Common Mistakes & How to Avoid Them

• Not understanding that GALVANIZE only applies to dashes, blinks, and stealth movement: GALVANIZE’s 75% bonus does not apply to regular walking — only to the specific movement types of dashes, blinks, and stealth movement. Running toward a target without dashing generates stacks at the standard 1 per 24 units regardless of speed. On champions without dashes (walking-approach assassins), the GALVANIZE passive is entirely irrelevant, and Voltaic Cyclosword provides no Energize charging advantage over any other Energized item.
• Confusing FIRMAMENT as a spell that triggers spell effects: FIRMAMENT deals proc damage — it does NOT trigger Luden’s Companion, Liandry’s Torment, Shadowflame, or any other spell effect item. On AD assassin builds that don’t run spell effect items this is irrelevant, but on hybrid builds attempting to chain FIRMAMENT into AP spell effects, the interaction doesn’t exist. FIRMAMENT fires its 100 physical damage independently without generating any secondary spell effect procs.
• Assuming spell shields block FIRMAMENT: Banshee’s Veil, Sivir’s E, and Morgana’s Black Shield do not block FIRMAMENT. The proc damage classification bypasses spell shields — the 100 physical on-hit and the 20% slow both apply regardless of the target’s spell shield status. Don’t avoid targeting shielded carries with the FIRMAMENT auto — the slow and burst damage apply through the shield.
• Not using the FIRMAMENT slow to deny flash: The 0.75-second FIRMAMENT slow is most valuable as a flash-denial mechanic rather than a raw damage contribution. 100 physical damage is notable but not fight-deciding alone — the 0.75-second 20% slow that fires at the start of the assassination sequence is the timing that prevents the target from flash-escaping the follow-up burst. Time FIRMAMENT to fire on the first auto before using the primary ability burst (Zed R, Rengar Ferocity combo) to lock the target in place for the execution window.
• Choosing Voltaic over Youmuu’s on champions who need mobility, not AH: Voltaic’s +10 AH and FIRMAMENT slow solve the ability cooldown and kill-security problem. Youmuu’s HAUNT + WRAITH STEP solves the gap-closing and map-speed problem. Champions who primarily struggle to reach targets — without dash kits — need Youmuu’s mobility, not Voltaic’s slow. Build Voltaic as a second item once Youmuu’s has already addressed the approach problem, not as a Youmuu’s replacement.

⚔️ Counter Items & Playing Against Voltaic Cyclosword

Items That Counter Voltaic

• Plated Steelcaps: 15% damage reduction from basic attacks directly reduces FIRMAMENT’s 100 physical on-hit contribution. Steelcaps applies after armor reduction — the combined effect of armor + Steelcaps’ 15% reduction means FIRMAMENT’s effective damage is approximately 60–70 physical against a Steelcaps wearer rather than the full 100. Steelcaps also adds 15 armor, making the item the most cost-efficient single purchase against Voltaic’s physical on-hit output.
• Banshee’s Veil / Sivir Spell Shield: These do NOT block FIRMAMENT — but they do block the ability that delivers the assassin to melee range (Zed R, Talon E, Qiyana E). The approach ability consuming the spell shield means the assassin arrives without their primary CC or burst delivery mechanism. Against Voltaic carriers who need to land a specific ability to complete the kill rotation, the spell shield forces a gap in the burst sequence even though FIRMAMENT itself fires through it.
• Stopwatch / Zhonya’s Hourglass: Timed correctly, stasis during the FIRMAMENT application window prevents the 100 physical damage from dealing lethal amounts. More importantly, 2.5 seconds of stasis creates distance from the slow — the 0.75-second slow expires during stasis and the target is mobile again when they exit. Against Voltaic assassins whose GALVANIZE pre-charging means FIRMAMENT fires early in the combo, stasis timing is the highest-value defensive mechanic to negate the kill window.

Strategic Counterplay

Voltaic Cyclosword’s kill window is defined by two distinct phases: the GALVANIZE charging phase (the dash approach where stacks accumulate) and the FIRMAMENT execution phase (the auto-attack sequence where the slow fires). Counterplay exists in both phases. During the GALVANIZE phase: hard CC or displacement before the dash completes interrupts the stack accumulation and prevents the assassin from reaching attack range with FIRMAMENT pre-charged. During the FIRMAMENT phase: stasis timing or a second survivability tool (Guardian Angel, Immortal Shieldbow passive) absorbs the burst window after the FIRMAMENT slow expires. The weakest counterplay is attempting to outrun the 0.75-second slow — 0.75 seconds is too short to create meaningful distance against an assassin with additional attack speed or a follow-up ability that closes gaps after the slow ends.

FAQ

Q: Does GALVANIZE apply to all Energized items or only Voltaic Cyclosword?

A: GALVANIZE is unique to Voltaic Cyclosword — it does not transfer to other Energized items in the build. However, all Energized items share the same 100-stack pool. Stacks generated by Voltaic’s GALVANIZE (during dashes) contribute toward the FIRMAMENT proc from Voltaic Cyclosword’s own effect. If a champion holds two Energized items (hypothetically), both would benefit from GALVANIZE’s boosted charging since the stacks feed into the shared pool — but GALVANIZE itself is the Voltaic passive specifically, not a team-wide buff.

Q: Does displacement (being knocked back or pulled) generate Energize stacks?

A: Yes — displacement to another location generates 6 Energize stacks, equivalent to a basic attack’s stack contribution. Being Blitzcrank-hooked, Nautilus-anchored, or knocked back by Gragas E all grant 6 stacks from the displacement movement. This interaction is not amplified by GALVANIZE — it uses the 6-stack flat rate rather than the 1.75 per 24 units calculation. Displacement grants stacks at the attack equivalent rather than the movement rate, regardless of the distance displaced.

Q: Is FIRMAMENT’s slow actually 20% if the enemy has Mercury’s Treads?

A: Yes — FIRMAMENT’s slow is unaffected by Tenacity due to the same additive MS modifier calculation bug documented on FROSTFIRE TEMPEST. Mercury’s Treads’ 30% Tenacity does not reduce the FIRMAMENT slow from 20% to 14% — it remains a full 20% regardless of Tenacity investment. This is an explicitly documented bug that has not been patched. Plan around FIRMAMENT providing a consistent 20% slow regardless of the target’s defensive item choices.

Q: Can Voltaic Cyclosword and Youmuu’s Ghostblade be built in the same game?

A: Yes — they are different items with no mutual exclusivity. Youmuu’s + Voltaic is one of the most common two-item lethality combinations for melee assassins. Youmuu’s addresses the gap-closing problem (HAUNT out-of-combat speed + WRAITH STEP ghosting), Voltaic addresses the kill-security problem (FIRMAMENT slow preventing escape). Together they provide +110 AD, +36 Lethality, +10 AH, passive map speed, an active dash, and an on-hit slow — a near-complete offensive toolkit in two item slots.

Q: Does FIRMAMENT deal damage to towers?A: Yes — unlike some on-hit effects, FIRMAMENT’s 100 physical damage applies to structures. The FIRMAMENT proc fires on the next basic attack at full stacks regardless of whether the target is a champion, monster, or tower. This means FIRMAMENT contributes to split-push tower damage — a fully charged Energized auto against a tower deals the 100 physical on-hit in addition to the standard physical auto damage. The slow component has no effect on structures, but the damage applies normally.