If you’ve ever run into a Julian player that deleted your entire backline in less than two seconds during a ranked match, you know just how overpowered this hero is when played correctly. He’s one of the most flexible EXP laners in the current meta, with enough burst to delete squishy targets and enough sustain to outlast most tanky opponents in 1v1 fights. I’ve mained Julian for three straight seasons and hit Mythic three times using him exclusively, so I’ve picked up all the little niche tricks most casual players never learn. If you want to learn how to use Julian in Mobile Legends to pull off those same game-winning plays, this guide breaks down everything you need to know, no fluff included.
How to Use Julian Mobile Legends: Core Skill Mechanics You’re Probably Ignoring
Most new Julian players only read the basic skill descriptions and miss the hidden interactions that make him so strong. Let’s start with his passive, which grants enhanced basic attacks after you cast any skill. You can stack the passive three times off lane minions before a team fight to get an immediate burst of damage the second you engage, instead of wasting time building stacks mid-fight. A lot of players forget this trick and end up dealing 30% less damage in their first few seconds of combat.
His first skill deals AoE damage and slows targets, but most players don’t know the slow effect is 50% stronger if you hit enemies with the outer edge of the skill circle. That means you don’t want to cast it directly on top of opponents if you’re trying to lock them down — aim slightly away so the edge hits them for maximum slow. His second skill is a short dash, but it’s not just for movement. You can cancel the end lag of your first skill or ultimate by using your second skill immediately after casting, which cuts your combo time in half and makes it much harder for enemies to react.
His ultimate deals damage and stuns all targets in a circle after a short delay, and the stun duration increases by 0.2 seconds for every enemy hit. Always aim for clustered groups of enemies instead of isolated targets whenever possible, because a 1.2 second stun on three or four opponents can win a team fight on its own. You can also use the ultimate to clear minion waves fast if you need to rotate to help a teammate quickly.
Best Julian Combos for Every In-Game Scenario
Julian’s combos are simple once you get the timing down, but you need to adjust them based on what situation you’re in. You don’t want to use the same all-in combo when you’re just poking an enemy laner, for example, because you’ll waste your escape skill for no real gain. I’ve broken down the four most useful combos and when to use them below:
- Lane poke: Use 1 > auto > 2 > auto when the enemy laner steps up to last hit minions, then retreat to avoid taking return damage. This combo deals around 40% of a squishy laner’s health without putting you at risk of being ganked.
- 1v1 gank assist: Wait for your jungler to arrive, then use 2 to cut off the enemy’s escape path before casting your ultimate for a guaranteed stun. This works even if the enemy has a dash, because the slow from your first skill will make it impossible for them to get out of the ultimate’s range in time.
- Backline dive: Only use this combo if your tank has already engaged: stacked passive > 2 > ult > 1 > auto spam to delete enemy mages or marksmen in under 2 seconds. Don’t try this if your team isn’t nearby to back you up, because you’ll get focused immediately after you use your dash.
- Retreat: If you’re caught out of position, use 2 to dash through terrain, then cast 1 behind you to slow pursuing enemies so you can escape safely. You can also use your ultimate to stun a group of chasers if you have no other way out, even if it doesn’t get you any kills.
Never use your second skill first in a team fight unless you’re 100% sure there are no enemy assassins hiding in the bush nearby. Your dash is your only escape tool, so if you waste it to engage and the enemy jungler jumps you, you’ll have no way to get out alive. I learned this the hard way after dying to dozens of Hayabusa ganks early on when I first started playing Julian.
Optimal Julian Build and Emblem Set for Ranked Play
There’s a lot of bad Julian build advice floating around online, so let’s cut through the noise and stick to the setup that’s been tested across thousands of ranked matches. Always start with Warrior Boots if you’re facing a physical EXP laner, or Tough Boots if the enemy has more magic damage or crowd control. Don’t waste gold on magic boots, they don’t give you any useful stats for Julian’s playstyle.
Your core three items should be Bloodlust Axe first, followed by Blade of Despair, then Brute Force Breastplate. Bloodlust Axe gives you 20% spell vamp, which lets you heal off all your skill damage and stay in lane for much longer without going back to base. Blade of Despair boosts your damage against low-health targets, which makes your combos even deadlier against squishy marksmen and mages. Brute Force Breastplate gives you extra armor and movement speed every time you hit an enemy, which makes it much harder for opponents to run away from you or burst you down.
Your last two item slots are situational, so adjust them based on the enemy team comp every game. If the enemy has two or more tanky heroes, pick up Malefic Roar to get extra armor penetration. If the enemy has a fed assassin like Ling or Hayabusa, swap out your last damage item for Twilight Armor to reduce their burst damage. For emblems, use the Custom Assassin emblem with points allocated to movement speed, physical penetration, and the Killing Spree talent. Killing Spree gives you extra HP regen and movement speed every time you get a kill or assist, which lets you chain team fight wins without going back to base.
Common Julian Mistakes to Avoid for Higher Win Rates
Even if you know all his combos and the right build, small mistakes can tank your win rate when playing Julian. The most common mistake I see new players make is wasting their passive stacks on random minions right before a team fight. If you burn all three stacks to clear a minion wave 10 seconds before a team fight starts, you’ll have no enhanced basic attacks ready when you engage, and your damage will be drastically lower. Always save at least two passive stacks if you see a team fight brewing nearby.
Another common mistake is using your ultimate too early. If you cast your ultimate before you hit enemies with your first skill, they won’t be slowed, so they can easily dash out of the ultimate’s range before the stun activates. Always cast your first skill first to slow targets before you use your ultimate to lock them down, even if you think they’re trapped. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen new Julians waste their entire ultimate because a marksman dashed out at the last second.
Overextending without vision is another mistake that costs a lot of Julian players games. Julian is surprisingly squishy if he’s caught without his second skill up, so never walk into unwarded bushes alone, especially when you’re pushing the second or third turret. Always ask your support to drop a ward in the river bush before you push past the first turret, so you don’t get jumped by three enemy players at once. Finally, don’t pick Julian if your team has no tank. Julian relies on a frontline to soak damage so he can dive the backline, and if you have no one to take the initial burst, you’ll get focused and deleted before you can cast any of your skills.
Julian is one of the most rewarding heroes to master in Mobile Legends, and he’s strong enough to carry games even when your team is underperforming. Learning how to use Julian in Mobile Legends will give you a reliable carry pick you can use to climb ranked no matter what the current meta looks like. Don’t get frustrated if you mess up combos your first few games — even the best Julian players took dozens of matches to get the timing of his skill cancels and combos down perfectly. Test out the tips we’ve shared in an unranked match first to get comfortable, and you’ll be deleting enemy backlines and climbing the ranked ladder in no time.