Normal Skill Order

Start Q for the initial wave clear and early sustain. Take W second to secure a stun for the level 2 all-in or to disengage a trade. Grab E at level 3 for mobility.

Max order: R > Q > E > W.

Cull the Meek is your primary damage tool and sustain mechanic in the bloodbath that is Mayhem. Maxing it first lowers the cooldown and increases the heal, keeping you healthy enough to stay on the platform and threaten dives. You max E second because the cooldown reduction is critical for sticking to targets in a mode where everyone has access to extra mobility or crowd reduction. Slice and Dice also shreds armor on the second cast, which matters more as you start diving backlines.

Leave W for last. The skill gains damage per level, but the stun duration remains static at 0.75 seconds. In Mayhem, where attack speed and ability haste are abundant, the stun is valuable for the auto-attack reset and interrupt, not the rank-up damage.

Augment-Influenced Skill Order

If you roll an augment that specifically empowers your dash or grants massive ability haste on ability casts, you may consider prioritizing E earlier. For example, if an augment reduces cooldowns on takedowns or adds a massive shield to Slice and Dice, putting points into E after Q gives you more uptime on that specific power spike.

Adjusted max order: R > E > Q > W (only with specific E-empowering augments).

In most games, however, you still want Q max. The sustain from empowered Q is often the only thing keeping you from getting poked out of the fight. If you skip Q max for E, you gain mobility but lose the ability to recover health during the poke phase. Only deviate if your team has enough healing to cover your sustain needs or if the enemy composition is entirely immobile and you can freely dash through them.

Adjustment Triggers

  • Heavy poke lane: Stick to the standard Q max. You need the heal on cooldown to survive the constant bombardment. If you try to E max here, you will likely get chunked down before you can engage.
  • All-in melee brawl: If the enemy team is mostly melee and wants to fight face-to-face, E max becomes more attractive. The armor shred and lower dash cooldown let you weave in and out of the scrum, generating fury faster.
  • Empowered W augments: If you get an augment that adds a massive effect to Ruthless Predator—such as a knockup, execute damage, or healing—consider putting a second point into W early at level 4 or 8. Do not full max it, but the extra damage helps you one-shot squishies.
  • Level 6 power spike: Always prioritize R. Dominus gives fury generation, area damage, and health. In Mayhem, the ult cooldown is lower, so you should have it up for almost every major engagement.

Cost of Choosing the Wrong Order

Maxing W first is the most common mistake. Players see the high base damage on the stun and think it wins trades. It does not. The cooldown is long, the animation locks you in place, and the stun duration does not increase. If you max W, you become a sitting duck after the combo. You lose the wave clear of Q and the mobility of E, making you easy to kite.

Maxing E first without the right augments leaves you with no sustain. You can dash around, but you cannot recover health. In Mayhem, where damage is constant, a Renekton without sustain is a Renekton that has to recall or die. You lose your ability to act as a frontline anchor.

Ignoring Q entirely means you cannot generate fury effectively. Empowered abilities are the core of Renekton’s kit. Without fury generation from hitting Q on multiple targets, your trades become weak, and your all-ins lack the bonus damage or healing needed to close out kills.