Normal Skill Order

R > Q > W > E

Start W at level 1. You need soldiers on the ground to threaten zone control the moment minions arrive. Without soldiers, you are a mage with no spells.

Take Q at level 2. Conquering Sands lets you reposition soldiers instantly, turning passive zoning into active harassment. A level 1 Azir is annoying; a level 2 Azir with Q is dangerous.

Take E at level 3. Arise! gives you the escape tool you need if the enemy team hard engages after you overextend for poke. Some players take a second point in W at level 3 for the extra soldier duration and attack speed, but this leaves you vulnerable to all-ins. In Mayhem, where damage is high and fights start early, having E available is usually safer.

Max Q first. This is your primary damage and wave control tool. Each rank increases damage, reduces the cooldown, and lowers the mana cost. In Mayhem, the reduced cooldown is critical because you are constantly repositioning soldiers to dodge incoming fire or chase targets. A maxed Q lets you keep soldiers where they need to be.

Max W second. This increases attack speed and soldier damage. It scales your sustained DPS once Q is maxed and you have items. The increased attack speed from W also helps you shred turrets or objectives faster.

Max E last. Shifting Sands is a utility spell. The shield scales with ability power, so it gets better as you buy items, not as you put points into it. Ranking it reduces the cooldown, but you rarely need E up every few seconds. You need it once per fight to reposition or escape.

Put points in R at levels 6, 11, and 16. The Emperor's Divide is your ultimate playmaking tool. The damage increase and wall duration are too valuable to skip.

Augment-Influenced Skill Order

Augments in Mayhem can shift your priority, but the core logic remains: you need soldiers to deal damage, and you need Q to move them.

  • Attack Speed or On-Hit Augments: If you get an augment that heavily boosts attack speed or adds on-hit effects (such as magic damage per hit or health shred), consider R > W > Q > E. Maxing W first increases your base attack speed and soldier attack damage, which double-dips with attack speed augments. This turns you into a machine-gun turret. You sacrifice Q range and cooldown for raw DPS. Only take this path if you have a frontline that can peel for you, because you will be standing still more often to auto-attack.
  • Ability Haste or Cooldown Reduction Augments: Stick to R > Q > W > E. If Q is already on a short cooldown, augment-based ability haste makes it near-spammable. You can constantly shuffle soldiers, making you incredibly slippery and hard to flank. The standard max benefits most from spamming spells.
  • Range or Projectile Augments: These almost always favor R > Q > W > E. Increased Q range lets you control soldiers from safer distances. You become a zone controller that the enemy cannot reach. Max Q to leverage that extended range for consistent poke.
  • Survivability or Shield Augments: If your augments are focused on keeping you alive—such as shields, healing, or damage reduction—you might put an extra early point in E at level 4 or 8. This lowers the cooldown for Shifting Sands, giving you more frequent escapes. Do not max E first. Just take an extra point early if you are getting dove repeatedly, then return to the normal Q max.

Adjustment Triggers

Watch the game state. Do not follow the skill order blindly.

Heavy Dive Composition: If the enemy team has multiple assassins or heavy engage (like Zed, Diana, or Malphite) that is focusing you, prioritize E slightly earlier. Take a second point in E by level 7 or 8. The reduced cooldown might save your life. You lose damage, but a dead Azir deals zero damage.

Poke vs. Sustain: Against a team that cannot sustain and cannot all-in, you can delay E entirely. Put extra points in W early to push them off the wave and take tower plates. If they cannot kill you, you do not need the escape.

Snowball Threat: In Mayhem, Snowball (Mark/Dash) is a constant threat. If the enemy team is landing Snowballs consistently, respect the engage. Do not skip E. The dash from E can sometimes dodge the follow-up damage after a Snowball connects.

Cost of Choosing the Wrong Order

Maxing E first is the most common mistake. You turn into a low-damage support with a slightly better shield. You cannot wave clear, you cannot poke, and you cannot threaten the enemy backline. Your team loses the damage check in fights.

Maxing W first without attack speed augments is a trap. You get higher attack speed, but your soldiers stay stuck in place. Without Q ranks, you cannot move them effectively. The enemy simply walks out of your soldier range. You become a stationary turret that misses its shots.

Delaying Q too long kills your lane pressure. Azir wins by controlling space. If your Q is on a long cooldown, you cannot contest the wave. The enemy pushes you under tower, and you are forced to use soldiers to farm instead of harass. You lose the tempo that makes Azir strong in Mayhem.

Skipping R when available is never correct. The wall from Emperor's Divide is a game-changer. It can trap enemies, save teammates, or zone the enemy off objectives. Missing a point in R for a weaker spell is a massive power spike missed.