What is Profane Hydra? ☠️
Profane Hydra is a legendary HYDRA item designed for assassins and lethality-focused AD fighters. It is the armor penetration variant of the HYDRA item family, adding +18 Lethality to the standard HYDRA CLEAVE passive AoE splash framework. Unlike Ravenous Hydra (life steal sustain) or Titanic Hydra (HP scaling), Profane Hydra’s identity is single-target burst amplification through lethality combined with CLEAVE wave clear and the HERETICAL CLEAVE active for grouped burst
The lethality stat directly interacts with the CLEAVE passive’s AoE splashes — every target hit by CLEAVE splash in fights with low-armor enemies receives the full lethality reduction. HERETICAL CLEAVE’s 80% AD physical damage also benefits from lethality, making grouped low-armor fights even more explosive with the active than the other HYDRA variants provide.
At 2,850 Gold, it is the cheapest HYDRA item. Sell price: 1,995 Gold. ID: 6698. Available on SR 5v5, ARAM, Nexus Blitz, and Arena. Flavor text: „The depths demand sacrifice.“
📊 Base Statistics
| Statistic | Value |
| Total Cost | 2,850 Gold |
| Combine Cost | 313 Gold |
| Sell Price | 1,995 Gold |
| Attack Damage | +55 AD |
| Ability Haste | +10 |
| Lethality | +18 |
| Item ID | 6698 |
| Availability | SR 5v5, ARAM, Nexus Blitz, Arena |
| ⚠️ HYDRA Item Limitation — Only 1 Per ChampionProfane Hydra, Ravenous Hydra, and Titanic Hydra share the HYDRA item group.Limited to 1 HYDRA item per champion — you cannot hold Profane Hydra AND Ravenous Hydra simultaneously.Choose: Profane for lethality assassins and fighters who want armor pen, Ravenous for life steal sustain, Titanic for HP-scaling tank fighters.The 313g combine cost is by far the lowest in the HYDRA family — most of Profane Hydra’s value is in the components themselves. |
🔨 Recipe & Components
Profane Hydra has a unique recipe combining the CLEAVE foundation with a lethality component and an extremely low combine cost:
| Component | Cost | Notes |
| Tiamat | 1,200 Gold (+500 combine) | 2x Long Sword — AoE CLEAVE splash foundation; CLEAVE passive activates immediately on purchase |
| Long Sword | 350 Gold | Part of Tiamat — first AD input |
| Long Sword | 350 Gold | Part of Tiamat — second AD input |
| The Brutalizer | 1,337 Gold (+212 combine) | Glowing Mote + Pickaxe — AD + lethality + ability haste |
| Glowing Mote | 250 Gold | Part of The Brutalizer — ability haste input |
| Pickaxe | 875 Gold | Part of The Brutalizer — AD + lethality input |
| Combine Cost | 313 Gold | Final assembly — lowest combine in HYDRA family by a significant margin |
| Total | 2,850 Gold | Complete Profane Hydra |
| 💡 313 Gold Combine — Tiamat + Brutalizer Delivers Nearly All the ValueTiamat (1,200g) activates CLEAVE passive immediately — AoE splash begins on purchase.The Brutalizer (1,337g) provides AD + lethality + AH — a strong mid-item on its own for assassins.With only 313g combine, holding both components until 2,850g is a short spike.Unlike other HYDRA variants, Profane Hydra’s mid-game component (The Brutalizer) directly feeds the lethality build before full completion.Standard acquisition: Tiamat first for CLEAVE wave clear, then Brutalizer for lethality, then 313g combine on the same back. |
⚔️ Active & Passive Mechanics — Critical Distinctions
HERETICAL CLEAVE Active — AoE Burst
HERETICAL CLEAVE deals 80% AD physical damage to enemies within a 450 radius. The center of the area is offset 100 units in the direction the caster is facing — meaning the active fires slightly forward from the champion’s position, rewarding facing the target cluster before activation. Cooldown: 10 seconds.
HERETICAL CLEAVE — Complete Mechanics Reference
| Mechanic | Behavior |
| Damage type | Area damage — DOES trigger spell effects |
| Spell shield | HERETICAL CLEAVE IS blocked by spell shields |
| Targeting | Auto-targeted — fires automatically at enemies in range |
| Center offset | 100 units in the direction the caster is facing — face your targets before activating |
| Cast time | Equal to the user’s attack windup — not instant; slower attack windup = longer delay |
| Item slot bug | If Profane Hydra’s item slot is changed during cast time, the AoE will NOT occur (bug) |
| Stealth | HERETICAL CLEAVE cast BREAKS stealth |
| Cooldown start | Goes on cooldown upon being used, at the start of its cast (not on completion) |
| Lethality interaction | Physical damage — benefits from the 18 lethality for all targets hit |
CLEAVE Passive — AoE Splash on Every Basic Attack
CLEAVE causes basic attacks on-hit to deal physical damage to other enemies in a 350 radius centered around the primary attack target. Values: 40% AD melee / 20% AD ranged. Critical distinctions unique to Profane Hydra’s CLEAVE vs. other HYDRA CLEAVE variants:
CLEAVE Profane Hydra — Complete Mechanics Reference
| Mechanic | Profane Hydra CLEAVE | Tiamat / Ravenous / Titanic / Stridebreaker CLEAVE |
| Damage type | Proc damage — NOT spell effects | Proc damage — NOT spell effects (same) |
| Spell shield | NOT blocked | NOT blocked (same) |
| Structures | Does NOT trigger on structures | Does NOT trigger (same) |
| Invulnerable targets | WILL NOT trigger if target is invulnerable (bug) | WILL trigger even on invulnerable targets — Profane is the exception |
| Damage per cast instance | Can only damage a unit ONCE per cast instance (bug) | Can damage a single target MULTIPLE times if CLEAVE is triggered multiple times per cast |
| Maximum splashes | 10 CLEAVE splashes maximum | 10 CLEAVE splashes maximum (same) |
| Life steal | Benefits from life steal at 100% effectiveness | Benefits from life steal at 100% (same) |
| Runaan’s Hurricane interaction | Bug: Profane can only hit a target once per cast — Runaan’s multiple triggers don’t work | Runaan’s multiple triggers CAN hit a target multiple times |
| ⚠️ Two Profane Hydra-Specific CLEAVE Bugs — Critical to KnowBUG 1 — INVULNERABLE TARGETS: Profane Hydra’s CLEAVE will NOT trigger if the primary target is invulnerable. → This is UNLIKE Tiamat, Ravenous Hydra, Stridebreaker, and Titanic Hydra, which trigger CLEAVE even on invulnerable targets. → Practical impact: attacking a Tryndamere in R or a Zac passive blob does NOT generate CLEAVE splash on nearby enemies with Profane Hydra. BUG 2 — ONCE PER CAST INSTANCE: Profane Hydra’s CLEAVE can only damage a unit once per cast instance. → This is UNLIKE other HYDRA items where Runaan’s Hurricane bolts can trigger CLEAVE multiple times per cast, each time hitting the same secondary target. → With Runaan’s + Profane Hydra: a secondary target only receives ONE CLEAVE hit per attack regardless of how many bolt triggers occur. → With Runaan’s + Ravenous/Titanic Hydra: secondary targets can receive MULTIPLE CLEAVE hits from multiple bolt triggers. Both bugs are documented on the wiki. They are unique to Profane Hydra and do not apply to any other HYDRA item. |
| 💡 CLEAVE vs HERETICAL CLEAVE — Opposite Spell Shield Interactions (Same as Ravenous Hydra)CLEAVE (passive): Proc damage, NOT spell effects, NOT blocked by spell shields.HERETICAL CLEAVE (active): Area damage, DOES trigger spell effects, IS blocked by spell shields.These two effects on the same item have completely opposite spell shield interactions.Against Banshee’s Veil: CLEAVE splash still hits them; HERETICAL CLEAVE does not.This distinction is the same pattern as Ravenous Hydra — both HYDRA items share the asymmetric mechanic. |
🏟️ Arena Mode — Map-Specific Differences
| Stat / Effect | SR 5v5 / ARAM / Nexus Blitz | Arena |
| Attack Damage | +55 AD | +50 AD |
| Ability Haste | +10 | +15 |
| Lethality | +18 | +18 (unchanged) |
| CLEAVE melee | 40% AD | 40% AD (unchanged) |
| HERETICAL CLEAVE | 80% AD | 80% AD (unchanged) |
Arena makes a minor stat swap: AD decreases from 55 to 50, and Ability Haste increases from 10 to 15. Lethality and all active/passive values remain identical. The AH increase is slightly more valuable in Arena’s shorter rounds where ability frequency impacts burst windows, partially offsetting the 5 AD reduction.
🎯 Best Champions for Profane Hydra
Profane Hydra is designed for lethality-building AD assassins and fighters who want simultaneous single-target burst amplification and AoE wave clear. The 18 lethality stacks additively with other lethality sources — Youmuu’s Ghostblade, Serrated Dirk items, Edge of Night, The Collector — creating a lethality stack that reduces effective armor targets have when receiving both CLEAVE and HERETICAL CLEAVE physical damage.
✅ Ideal Picks
- Zed — His Living Shadow (W) enables multi-target burst setups, and Profane Hydra’s HERETICAL CLEAVE burst adds to the simultaneous hit damage window during his R (Death Mark) ultimate. The wave clear from CLEAVE passive lets him safely push and roam. Lethality stacks directly increase Death Mark’s AD scaling damage on low-armor targets.
- Talon — Rake (W) and Assassin’s Path (E) deal physical damage scaling with AD and lethality. Profane Hydra’s CLEAVE splash hits in line-of-sight positions created by his poke pattern. HERETICAL CLEAVE adds a burst window during his R (Shadow Assault) blade throw initiation.
- Nocturne — His Duskbringer (Q) deals physical damage amplified by lethality. CLEAVE’s AoE spread during his E (Unspeakable Horror) fear engage means multiple feared targets near the primary target receive simultaneous splash damage. HERETICAL CLEAVE during his R (Paranoia) dive window amplifies burst on the grouped fight.
- Rengar — His Battle Roar (W) and Savagery (Q) deal physical damage buffed by lethality. CLEAVE wave clear enables faster jungle clears. HERETICAL CLEAVE during his R (Thrill of the Hunt) reveal burst window adds on-activation AoE burst on top of his ability combo.
- Kha’Zix — His Taste Their Fear (Q) deals massive damage to isolated targets — lethality amplifies this directly. CLEAVE splash and HERETICAL CLEAVE are most impactful when non-isolated targets are nearby, turning grouped fights into two-dimensional burst (isolated Q + CLEAVE AoE + HERETICAL CLEAVE).
- Naafiri — Her Darkin Daggers (Q) and packmates deal physical damage buffed by lethality. Profane Hydra’s CLEAVE matches her swarming attack pattern — packmates and her attacks simultaneously trigger CLEAVE across nearby enemies. HERETICAL CLEAVE during her R (The Call of the Pack) dive adds grouped AoE burst.
- Qiyana — Her physical damage abilities and Supreme Display of Talent (R) benefit from lethality burst. HERETICAL CLEAVE during her R initiation window adds grouped AoE physical damage on top of her already AoE-heavy ultimate.
❌ Suboptimal Picks
- Ravenous Hydra users who need life steal: If the build requires life steal sustain for extended fights (Tryndamere, Fiora), Ravenous Hydra’s 12% life steal is the correct HYDRA choice. Profane Hydra provides zero life steal — lethality without life steal means the champion burns HP through extended fights with no recovery.
- Titanic Hydra HP-scaling fighters: Cho’Gath, Nasus, Sion, Garen — their HYDRA value comes from HP scaling on Titanic Hydra’s SMASH passive and CRESCENT active. Profane Hydra’s lethality and flat AD don’t compound with their kit identities the way Titanic’s HP scaling does.
- AP champions: Lethality and AD provide zero offensive value for ability-scaling AP champions. Any other slot usage is correct.
⚙️ Recommended Build Paths
Full Lethality Assassin (Zed / Talon / Nocturne)
- Youmuu’s Ghostblade — First item — lethality + MS active; fastest lethality spike
- Profane Hydra — Second item — CLEAVE wave clear + HERETICAL CLEAVE burst + 18 lethality stacks additively with Youmuu’s
- Edge of Night — Third item — spell shield + lethality; NIGHT EDGE passive protects single assassination window from CC interrupt
- Serylda’s Grudge — Fourth item — armor pen + ability haste + BITTER COLD slow on hit; transitions lethality into armor % pen for tankier targets
- Serpent’s Fang — Fifth item vs shields; or The Collector for execute threshold burst
Hybrid AD Fighter (Rengar / Naafiri)
- Profane Hydra — First item — CLEAVE wave clear immediately on Tiamat purchase; Brutalizer lethality fuels early lethality damage
- Youmuu’s Ghostblade — Second item — lethality compound; MS active for chasing
- Opportunity — Third item — ability haste + lethality + PREPARATION bonus on first ability use for R burst window
- The Collector — Fourth item — DEATH TAX execute: below 5% HP enemies killed instantly + gold; lethality on top
- Axiom Arc — Fifth item — ability haste + lethality + FLUX passive: ultimate CD refund on kill enables double-R scenarios
| 💡 Lethality Stacking Math — Profane Hydra + Other Lethality ItemsLethality converts to flat armor penetration based on champion level.18 (Profane) + 18 (Youmuu’s) + 10 (Edge of Night) + 15 (Opportunity) = 61 lethality.At level 18, 61 lethality = approximately 55 flat armor penetration.Against a 60-armor squishy enemy: 60 – 55 = 5 effective armor — nearly zero resistance.Against a 60-armor target, the full lethality stack means abilities deal damage as though the target has 5 armor.Every CLEAVE splash, HERETICAL CLEAVE hit, and basic attack at this lethality stack hits near-unresisted. |
🔄 Similar Items — HYDRA Family & Alternatives
| Item | CLEAVE | Active | Unique Stat | vs. Profane Hydra |
| Ravenous Hydra | 40%/20% AD | 80% AD CRESCENT | 12% life steal | Sustain vs armor pen; different fight type |
| Titanic Hydra | 40%/20% AD | HP-scaling burst CRESCENT | HP → AD scaling | HP-stack scaling vs flat lethality |
| Youmuu’s Ghostblade | None | Ghost MS active | Lethality + MS | No CLEAVE; mobility vs AoE burst |
| The Collector | None | None | Lethality + execute | No CLEAVE; execute vs AoE splash |
| Edge of Night | None | None | Lethality + spell shield | No CLEAVE; defensive lethality vs offensive AoE |
| Opportunity | None | None | Lethality + AH + PREPARATION bonus | No CLEAVE; R window setup vs sustained AoE |
| Axiom Arc | None | None | Lethality + AH + FLUX R refund | No CLEAVE; R spamming vs sustained CLEAVE |
❌ Common Mistakes & How to Avoid Them
- Attacking invulnerable targets expecting CLEAVE to trigger: Profane Hydra’s CLEAVE will NOT fire on invulnerable primary targets — unlike every other HYDRA item. This bug is unique to Profane Hydra. Against Tryndamere R, Zac passive, Kayle R targets: CLEAVE does not splash nearby enemies. Switch primary attack targets to an available non-invulnerable target to keep CLEAVE active during those windows.
- Pairing Runaan’s Hurricane expecting multiple CLEAVE hits per bolt: Profane Hydra’s ‚once per cast instance‘ bug means a secondary target only receives one CLEAVE hit regardless of how many Runaan’s bolts trigger CLEAVE. With Ravenous or Titanic Hydra, each bolt independently can retrigger CLEAVE on the same secondary target. Profane Hydra + Runaan’s loses this interaction — Runaan’s is a weaker pairing with Profane than with other HYDRA variants.
- Facing away from targets before HERETICAL CLEAVE: The center of HERETICAL CLEAVE is offset 100 units in the direction the champion is facing. Activating while facing away from the target cluster means the AoE fires slightly off-center and may miss grouped enemies at the edge of the 450 radius. Always face the primary cluster before activating.
- Using HERETICAL CLEAVE while item slot is being repositioned: If the Profane Hydra item slot is moved or rearranged during the HERETICAL CLEAVE cast time (equal to attack windup), the AoE will not fire — another documented bug. Avoid touching the item inventory during the activation cast window.
- Building it on champions who benefit more from Ravenous Hydra’s life steal: The 12% life steal on Ravenous Hydra is a fundamental sustain mechanic for extended fighters. On Tryndamere, Fiora, or any champion whose gameplan involves sustained melee fighting with life steal recovery, Ravenous provides more total fight value than lethality. Profane Hydra is for burst windows, not sustained fighting.
✅ Best Practices
- Face your target cluster before HERETICAL CLEAVE: the 100-unit forward offset means the AoE fires slightly ahead — always point toward grouped enemies before activating
- Don’t attack invulnerable targets — Profane Hydra’s CLEAVE won’t fire: switch to available targets when the primary target goes invulnerable; CLEAVE splash only triggers on non-invulnerable primary targets with this item
- Avoid Runaan’s Hurricane with Profane Hydra: the once-per-cast-instance bug eliminates Runaan’s multi-trigger CLEAVE advantage; Ravenous or Titanic Hydra gains more value from Runaan’s pairing
- Stack lethality additively — Profane’s 18 + Youmuu’s 18 + Edge of Night 10 + Opportunity 15 = 61 lethality; squishies at level 18 have near-zero effective armor against this stack
- Buy Tiamat first: CLEAVE wave clear activates immediately at 1,200g; The Brutalizer provides lethality mid-item; the 313g combine is the smallest spike in the entire HYDRA family
FAQ
Q: Why doesn’t Profane Hydra’s CLEAVE trigger on invulnerable targets?
A: A: This is a documented bug specific to Profane Hydra. Tiamat, Ravenous Hydra, Stridebreaker, and Titanic Hydra all trigger CLEAVE even when the primary attack target is invulnerable — their CLEAVE splash continues to hit nearby enemies regardless. Profane Hydra’s CLEAVE does not trigger at all when the primary target is invulnerable. The bug has been documented on the wiki. Practically: during Tryndamere R, Kayle R ally protection, or Zac passive, switch attack targets to keep CLEAVE active.
Q: How does the ‚once per cast instance‘ CLEAVE bug affect Runaan’s Hurricane?
A: A: With other HYDRA items (Ravenous, Titanic), Runaan’s Hurricane bolts independently trigger CLEAVE multiple times on the same cast instance — a secondary target adjacent to the Runaan’s primary bolt target can receive CLEAVE hits from each bolt independently. With Profane Hydra, CLEAVE can only damage a unit ONCE per cast instance — each secondary target receives at most one CLEAVE hit regardless of how many Runaan’s bolts trigger. This makes Runaan’s Hurricane a weaker pairing with Profane Hydra than with other HYDRA variants.
Q: Does lethality from Profane Hydra apply to CLEAVE splash damage?
A: A: Yes. Lethality reduces the target’s effective armor against physical damage, and CLEAVE splash deals physical damage. Every CLEAVE splash hit on nearby enemies benefits from the full 18 lethality — same as direct basic attacks. HERETICAL CLEAVE’s 80% AD physical damage also benefits from lethality on all targets hit by the AoE.
Q: Why is HERETICAL CLEAVE’s center offset 100 units forward?
A: A: The forward offset means the AoE fires slightly ahead of the champion’s position in the direction they’re facing. This is a targeting design that rewards positioning — if you face your target cluster before activating, the center of the 450 radius AoE aligns better with the grouped enemies. Activating while facing away means the AoE fires in the wrong direction and misses grouped enemies at the far edge.
Q: What is the cooldown timing for HERETICAL CLEAVE?
A: A: HERETICAL CLEAVE goes on cooldown at the start of its cast, not on completion. The cast time equals the user’s attack windup. This means the 10-second cooldown begins the moment activation starts — including if the AoE fails to fire (due to the item slot bug). On champions with faster attack animations (shorter windup), the cast is nearly instant. Champions with slow attack animations experience a brief delay between activation and AoE landing.
Q: When should I choose Profane Hydra over Ravenous Hydra?
A: A: Profane Hydra when: the build is fully lethality-focused (assassin), fights are burst windows rather than sustained combat, enemies have low armor (squishies), and life steal is not needed. Ravenous Hydra when: the build relies on life steal for extended fights, CLEAVE’s life steal healing is part of survival, and the champion fights in sustained melee combat rather than burst-and-escape patterns.
