Ares Build ideas

Thanks I'll definitely be using Shoes of the Magi now. Also I'll try the skill leveling you've provided as well as using the Pros skill leveling as suggested by Kreiga

As the others have said, Ares really benefits from aura items due to his passive. I would be looking at items like these:

• Shoes of Focus/ Reinforced Shoes, Shoes of the Magi depending upon the situation.
• Sovereignty.
• Heartward Amulet (if there are more magical threats than physical, though this is still a niche choice).
• Void Stone
• Gauntlet of Thebes (get after your base protections).
• Pythagorem's Piece.
• Mystical Mail (kind of a niche pick as well).
• Emperor's Armor (late game shoe replacement if your team is having problems destroying enemy objectives or you need that extra damage to fend off an enemy siege).
• Witchblade.
• Pestilence (2 of these won't stack, so only get it if your solo laner hasn't and you need the anti-heal for a strong duo lane healer like Hel or Aphrodite Basically you would get this 2nd or 3rd after boots instead of void stone, though you can pick up stone later).
• Shogun's Kusari (niche pick based on team comp like Kriega pointed out).

All of the above will increase his power while also giving him health and/or protections. That doesn't mean you should limit yourself to just aura items, though. Other items that were mentioned include Oni Hunter's Garb and Spirit Robe. Other niche, non-aura items, would be Hide of the Nemean Lion, Winged Blade, Mantle of Discord, and Midgardian Mail depending upon what you need. If you're ahead you can pick up Spear of the Magus in support, but only if you're using it to further press your team's advantage. If you're even or behind, get something else; it does work great with shackles and searing flesh though.

Relic wise you're looking at Blink Rune (core) and situational relics like Heavenly Wings, Magic Shell, and Shield of Thorns depending upon need. You can also get Horrific Emblem if you're having problems landing your shackles, but I'd get one of the other relics first. Speaking of which, you can get blink first or second, but you shouldn't get thorns first because it's better when you have defenses already bought because it won't keep you alive in and of itself.

For leveling order I would go 1, 1, 3, 2, 4. Max Shackles first, then max either Bolster Defenses or Searing Flesh depending upon whether or not you need the extra defenses and CC reduction. I generally level No Escape whenever it's available, but it can be held for a level or two if needed.

I'm just going to say lvling Shackles vs Searing Flesh can be a fun thing. If you need to help waveclear a lot more than normal Searing Flesh is gonna be better. It won't really lower your usual threat only your focus will change more to killing the support.

In my build writeup for Ares, I mention that Searing has more minion wave clear potential (and the knockback can bunch up the minions for specific ADC clear abilities like Suppress The Insolent (or say Chronos' Time Rift), but as a channeled ability, you can get stunned and lose the clear potential, so only level it when you're unlikely to be stunned out of it.