Layla is the Malefic Gunner of Mobile Legends: Bang Bang. Her parents were scientists of the famous Eruditio and everyone expected that she’ll follow in their steps. Instead of becoming a scientist stuck in a lab, she preferred to take a more adventurous path. She looks up to her grandfather who was a former Eruditio City guard. Layla trained for combat and honed her investigation skills with the help of her grandfather.
Out of his father’s love for her, he made Layla an energy gun. Since she is an indifferent daughter, his father decided to give the energy gun to her grandfather and make it appear that he was the one who gave it. This created a greater spark in Layla’s adventurous spirit so she went on a dangerous mission. She decided to hunt down the perpetrators of the kidnappings on the outskirts of Eruditio.
Layla managed to help free the victims but ended up getting abducted in return. She was actually dealing with the elite soldiers of the corrupt Laboratory 1718. To her surprise, she was eventually released but was shocked to know that her father decided to join the team of evil scientists in Laboratory 1718. Years later, on her grandfather’s deathbed, he revealed to Layla that her father was forced to make a deal to help Laboratory 1718 so they can set her free. Realizing her father’s abundant love for her, she set out on a journey to find Laboratory 1718.
Layla Overview
Layla is an epitome of a marksman because her range increases as she levels up. Most of her enemies would die first before they can even get near her. She has a horrifying passive where her damage increases the farther away she is from the enemy. On top of that, Layla’s skillset has a good combination of slow effects, area-of-effect, burst and crowd control.
This guide will be mostly based on the best practices of the Global Top 1 Layla player 90% L. We will be examining his best Layla build and then inspect his choice of spell, emblem and items to grasp what helped him reach the highest spot for Layla. Take a moment to review Layla’s skills below to give you a better idea of how you can optimize your gameplay and strategy when picking her.
Skills
Passive: Malefic Gun
Malefic Gun’s damage increases as her distance from the enemy increases.
The farther away from the target, the greater the damage. (100% – 130%)
First skill: Malefic Bomb
Layla fires a Malefic Energy Bomb forward, dealing 200 (+80% Total Physical ATK). Physical Damage to the first enemy it hits. (This damage can be critical).
When a target gets hit, Layla’s Basic Attack range will be increased for 3s, and her Movement Speed will be increased by 60% which decays within the next 1.2s. (Upon hitting an enemy hero, the duration of Movement Speed gain will be doubled.).
Second skill: Void Projectile
This weapon is shot in the form of a ball which can slow down the enemies by 30% within 1.2 seconds. It deals 170 + 65% Total Physical Attack Damage.
Magic Marks will be placed on the enemies upon hit. These marks could be triggered by Layla’s basic attack or skill which can deal 100(+35% Total Physical Damage) and then slow them down again by 30% for another 1.2 seconds.
Ultimate skill: Destruction Rush
Active: Layla fires an energy blast, dealing 500(+150% Total Physical ATK) Physical Damage to all enemies on the path.
Passive: Increases the range of Void Projectile and Basic Attack by 0.6 yard(s). Slightly increases Layla’s sight range upon each skill level-up.
Best Layla Build
Items
Windtalker. Considering its cheap price and capabilities, it’s recommended to get the Windtalker as the first item. The additional attack and movement speed will help you farm and escape faster while the extra Critical Chance will let you kill more.
Scarlet phantom. This is the second weapon on the list because of its average price but its fearsome features. This item doesn’t just increase your attack damage, speed and critical chance it also has a passive that gives you extra attack speed and critical chance when you deal a critical hit to your enemy.
Swift Boots. Despite being the cheapest item in the cheapest in the list, our Global Top 1 player decided to put it in the third position since you won’t need to roam or move fast early in the game. Its attack speed upgrade can help you optimize Layla’s Critical Chance and hits.
Berserker’s Fury. For monstrous damage and a higher critical chance, this weapon is a must. After getting Critical from your emblem, wind talker and scarlet phantom—getting the Berserker’s Fury will make almost all of your attacks a Crit. The +65 Physical attack and +40% for all of your Critical damage will make your enemies instantly fold. On top of that, dealing with critical hits will increase your physical attack by 2 seconds.
Late Game Items
Haas’ Claws. This late-game item will increase Layla’s survivability in the game because of its exceptional lifesteal. That lifesteal will increase more when Layla’s HP starts to go below half. On top of that, it also has a high default Physical Attack damage.
Rose Gold Meteor. This final item proves that our Top 1 Global Layla user puts emphasis on Layla’s survivability in the late part of the game. The Haas’ Claws is the perfect partner for this item because it provides a shield when Layla’s HP drops to one-third. By default, it provides high Physical Attack damage, decent Magic Defense and a little lifesteal.
Although this item build is what the top global Layla user is currently using, this doesn’t mean that you should limit yourself in this lineup. Try to keep experimenting with the combination of items and you may find a better set that works better on your playing style.
Layla Emblem Set
Our Global Top 1 Layla player selected the Custom Marksman Emblem since she’s purely a marksman hero, unlike Lesley or Yi Shun-shin. The native features of this emblem cover both damage and sustainability which would greatly benefit Layla. Let’s find out what configuration worked best for him when using this emblem.
For the first feature, he selected and maxed out Fatal to increase Layla’s Critical Chance. Aside from his item-build of Critical Chance items, he’s making sure that almost all of Layla’s attacks will result in a critical hit. For the second feature, he maxed out Doom which will add a certain percentage to all critical hits. This makes sense since he already set up Layla to have a very high chance of critical attacks.
For the final emblem feature, he picked Electroflash to boost Layla’s Movement Speed while restoring one-third of her HP. This complements his late-game item build which is focused on survivability.
Battle Spell
Flicker. This is the most ideal spell for Layla considering that she doesn’t have an escape ability. This spell just doesn’t let you escape death and danger, it also helps you chase your enemies when their life is very thin. This is commonly used on other Marksman heroes as well.
Sprint. This is another option to consider because of its longer duration of quick movement to escape or chase.
Inspire. The biggest asset of this spell is its low cooldown. This can be used to quickly farm, clear lanes and even destroy a tower. Maximizing this spell can help you quickly upgrade but won’t help improve your survivability.
Layla Gameplay
Skill Upgrade Priority
Void Projectile. Prioritize upgrading her second skill because it’s very effective in inflicting damage–especially on groups. On top of slowing down a group of enemies, it also applies a Malefic Mark that Layla can trigger with her basic attacks or other skills.
Destruction Rush. It’s rare to find heroes where you don’t need to upgrade the ultimate skill right away. In Layla’s case, the ultimate skill should be upgraded as soon as it’s available. Aside from having a great range, the Destruction Rush can also damage a group and has strong destructive power.
Malefic Bomb. Since Layla banks on distance fighting, this will let her attack her enemies from a much farther distance. Despite that, there’s no need to prioritize upgrading this skill.
Layla Combo
First Combo:
Second Skill + First Skill + Move Back + Basic Attacks
This is an early-game combo that you can use before your ultimate skill is unlocked. Start by slowing down your target while applying a Malefic Mark to it. Then, trigger the Malefic Mark with your First Skill. This will also boost your Movement Speed so the next step is to step back a bit. You need to move slightly back for safety purposes and so that you can maximize your damage to the target based on her passive skill.
Second Combo:
First Skill + Basic Attacks + Second Skill + Move Back + Basic Attacks
Use this combo if you’re trying to have a safer approach. The first part of the combo is for poking the target and then using the Second Skill if it blinks close to you. Since the Second Skill will slow down the target, it will have a hard time catching you. Hit it with your Basic Attacks once you’ve gained enough distance.
Third Combo:
Second Skill + Ultimate Skill + First Skill + Move Back + Basic Attacks
It’s ideal to use this combo if you’re responding to a clash. You can use the second skill to apply the Malefic Mark to multiple enemies and then trigger all of them at the same time with Destruction Rush. Use your first skill to boost your Movement Speed and be able to step back faster and then deal with Basic Attacks when you reach the right distance.
Fighting Strategy
Poke your enemies. Harass your enemies with your long-range advantage using your first skill. This is will make the enemies go back to the base a lot to heal and delay their upgrade.
Focus on upgrade. Since Layla has a shorter range and weak damage early in the game, focus on upgrading as fast as you can. Prioritize getting the crab and clearing up the minion waves to quickly earn a lot of gold and get your high-damage items. You’ll become one of the most feared heroes the moment you’re close to maximizing your skills and items.
Malefic Bomb Strategy. Note that this skill is can deal with critical hits. This can take a big chunk of your enemy’s HP if you’ve completed your Crit items. The speed boost and extra range that it provides can get triggered even if you attack a minion.
Ultimate Skill Technique. When you’re about to use this on enemies who are escaping but can’t see them on the screen, use the mini-map to align the marker to the enemies’ icons. If you’re facing Lolita, you should know that even if she can block all of your skills, the enemies behind her will still get hit by the destruction rush.
Survival
Don’t fight or explore alone. Layla’s squishiness and poor mobility skills make her very vulnerable when caught alone. Unless it’s clear to you that the enemies are far from your location based on the map, avoid being alone as much as possible.
Avoid checking the bushes for enemies and let the tank or fighter take care of that. Most of the assassins and stunners are hiding in the bushes. If you’re out of luck, one of them can instantly kill you. Stunners and Assassins are your worst enemies. Avoid facing them one-on-one.
Stay at the back. Newbies tend to attack in front despite being a marksman. Make sure to keep your hero safe behind a tank or a fighter. You should be the last one to appear in a clash since Layla is a squishy hero.
Distance is Layla’s best friend. This is the reason why her damage increases the farther away she is from the enemy. Remember the wise words that you see behind heavy trucks during traffic. Keep distance.
Did this guide miss some important tips about using Layla? Let us know in the comments section below.
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