How to beat Mordekaiser

Common role: Top

The best counter to Mordekaiser in Top is Zoe: 67.2% win rate over 48 ranked games on patch 26.17.

A magic-damage juggernaut who drags you to a 1v1 death realm with his ultimate.

What makes Mordekaiser dangerous

Mordekaiser deals sustained magic damage, shields himself and speeds up, and his ultimate (Realm of Death) banishes a single target to an isolated duel where he steals their stats. He wins extended melee fights and uses his ult to delete a key carry away from their team.

How to play against Mordekaiser

• 1Respect his ultimate — he'll use it on your carry to 1v1 them away from help. Position so he can't reach your backline, and buy QSS/Cleanse-type answers where possible.
• 2Kite him — he's slow with only his E pull and passive speed. Ranged poke and slows beat his short-range melee damage.
• 3Deny his passive: he empowers his damage after hitting you a few times. Trade in short bursts and back off before his passive procs.
• 4Don't fight him in a 1v1 side lane if he's ahead — his ult guarantees the isolated duel he wants. Answer with team collapses instead.

Weaknesses to exploit

• ✓Low mobility — kiteable by ranged and slows.
• ✓Ultimate targets one champion; the rest of your team is free.
• ✓Weak if you avoid extended melee trades.
• ✓Magic resist directly cuts his entire damage.

Abilities & how to counter them

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

• P
  Darkness Rise

  Mordekaiser gains a powerful damage aura and Move Speed after landing 3 attacks or spells against champions or monsters.

• Q
  Obliterate

  Mordekaiser smashes the ground with his mace dealing damage to each enemy struck. Damage is increased when hitting a single enemy.

• W
  Indestructible

  Mordekaiser stores damage he deals and takes to create a shield. He may consume the shield to heal.

• E
  Death's Grasp

  Mordekaiser pulls all enemies in an area.

  Strong: a pull that drags you into his damage. Weak: a slow skillshot — sidestep it and he has no other engage.

• R
  Realm of Death

  Mordekaiser drags his victim to a different dimension with him and steals a portion of their stats. If he kills them, he keeps the stats until the victim respawns.

  Strong: banishes a target to a 1v1 realm where he steals their stats. Weak: it takes ONE champion — the rest of your team is free; QSS-type effects can break out.

Itemization

Mordekaiser is pure magic damage, so magic resist is the hard counter: Mercury's Treads, Spirit Visage, Kaenic Rookern. A QSS or Quicksilver-type effect can break out of his ultimate isolation in some cases — otherwise stack MR and don't get caught alone.

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