Locke counters (Mid)

Common role: Mid / Jungle

The best counter to Locke in Mid is Akali: 53.9% win rate over 3,311 ranked games on patch 26.21.

An ashen exorcist whose on-hit magic executes and seals souls.

What makes Locke dangerous

Locke's attacks burn bonus magic damage scaling with your MISSING health, he marks with soul nails and consumes the marks for burst, ignites his own soul for attack/move speed (healing back after), teleport-dashes onto targets, and his ultimate can EXECUTE — growing stronger for each champion sealed.

How to counter Locke

• 1Don't fight him at low HP — his whole kit scales on your missing health.
• 2His W burns his own health — punish the self-damage window before the heal-back.
• 3Back off when marked by nails — the consume burst is the kill setup.
• 4His E teleport has a readable wind-up — CC the arrival point.

What are Locke's weaknesses?

• ✓Execute-oriented: healthy targets blunt his whole kit.
• ✓W self-damage is a real window if you interrupt the payoff.
• ✓Squishy assassin stats under focus.
• ✓Snowball-dependent seals — deny kills and the ult stays weak.

Abilities & how to counter them

What each of Locke's abilities does — and how to play around it.

• P
  Silver Stake

  Locke's attacks deal additional magic damage On-Hit, increased based on enemy missing Health.

  Strong: on-hit magic that grows with your MISSING health. Weak: healthy targets blunt it — sustain hard, fight full.

• Q
  Ritual Nails

  Locke readies a set of Soul Nails to throw, dealing damage to and marking enemies hit. Locke can consume the marks to deal bonus damage with his attacks.

  Strong: nail volleys mark you; consumed marks fuel burst attacks. Weak: back off while marked — the consume window expires.

• W
  Soul Ignition

  Locke ignites his soul, gaining Attack Speed and Move Speed, and dealing damage to himself. At the end of the duration, Locke will heal back a portion of the damage he takes during the effect.

  Strong: attack/move speed surge with delayed self-heal. Weak: it BURNS his own health first — punish the debt window.

• E
  Ashen Pursuit

  Locke teleports to a location before dashing to attack his next target, dealing damage to enemies passed through.

  Strong: teleport-then-dash onto a target — assassin reach. Weak: the arrival is readable — hold CC for the blink.

• R
  Purgatory

  Locke throws a binding artifact that deals damage and potentially executes enemies hit. Locke gains additional power for sealing away enemy champions.

  Strong: a binding execute that grows stronger per soul sealed. Weak: snowball-gated — deny early kills and the artifact stays dull.

Itemization

Stay healthy (sustain > resists), punish his self-burn window, and starve the seal snowball.

This guide covers Locke's core kit and playstyle — advice that holds up across patches.