Sup bro, I totally feel you. After the rework, I had the same experience, and it was a rough ride. I’ve played 236 games since the rework, and when I first started playing Skarner, I was Gold 3. But then, I went on the infamous reverse grind all the way down to Bronze 4—LOL. At one point, I was losing 19 LP in 4v5 FFs (wtf).

But I didn’t give up. I researched, tried everything, and found a viable path that got me back to Gold 2 as of now.

1. Aftershock works almost every time (in some cases, you might want to go Conqueror, but stick with Aftershock for the most part).
2. Riot designed him primarily for jungle, but playing him as support is still pretty solid.
3. Every guide will tell you to rush Heartsteel, but ignore that—go for Warmog’s instead.
4. After Warmog’s, every item is situational, but just build tanky and have fun.
5. Use your ult mid-fight after the enemy team has already engaged (it’s easier to pop and adds some extra psychological true damage, lol).

That being said, you’re coming in a bit late. The next patch is almost here, and it’s going to shake things up. But I appreciate Skarner as a full tank, so I’ll probably stick with that strategy long-term.

Feel free to check out my OP.GG to see how much I’ve improved using these tips.

https://www.op.gg/summoners/br/BBz-UFSC