Build the forge without donating tempo

0:00–14:00, or until the first tower/plate pressure changes lane assignments

From the first wave through roughly 14:00, protect CS and XP while shaping a wave that gives you a clean recall. If you can push without losing health, crash before basing so Living Forge turns unspent gold into lane power without a long shop delay. Trade when Bellows Breath is available and the enemy is stepping for a last hit; if the wave is large against you, farm defensively rather than forcing a Brittle exchange inside enemy minions. The first Voidgrub camp is at 8:00, while Rift Herald is at 15:00, so stop treating top lane as isolated when either objective's actual setup approaches: crash, reset, and move only when the wave pays for the move. When ahead, hold a safe freeze or slow push only if you can deny access without needing a risky chase.

Lane

Trade around Brittle and wave position

If the wave is even and you can reach the enemy before their next level or trade cooldown, use Bellows Breath for a short trade and reserve Searing Charge for the exit or a terrain impact. If your wave is smaller or the enemy jungler is unseen while you are pushed, last-hit and let the wave return instead of forcing a long exchange.

With Ornn

• If Ornn has a wave crashed and is walking toward your side of the map, move with him rather than starting a separate fight. His value rises when allies are within one screen and can hit the target after Bellows Breath or the recast of Call of the Forge God; a solo engage turns his crowd control into an expensive death.
• If Ornn places Volcanic Rupture near an entrance, treat the pillar and the surrounding terrain as his setup, not decoration. Hold your damage until enemies are slowed, displaced, or made Brittle, then attack the target he has constrained. If the enemy refuses the choke, take the space and objective instead of chasing into open ground.
• If Ornn is preparing an objective reset, help him crash the nearest wave and arrive early rather than asking him to teleport into a fight already underway. Protect his approach from flank pressure, and when he engages, follow the same target path instead of splitting damage across the back line.
• If Ornn can create masterwork items for allies, make the team fight around the player who is actually converting gold into damage. Keep that carry alive after Ornn's first engage; Ornn is most useful when the opening control becomes sustained damage and a structure, not when he trades himself for a low-value target.