How to beat Sylas

Common role: Mid

The best counter to Sylas in Mid is Heimerdinger: 63.5% win rate over 200 ranked games on patch 26.17.

A sustain skirmisher who steals and casts the enemy's ultimate against them.

What makes Sylas dangerous

Sylas heals off his abilities, chains and pulls with his E, and his signature ultimate hijacks an enemy champion's ultimate to use himself — often a game-changing steal like Malphite's or Karthus's ult. He's a durable, self-healing skirmisher who thrives in extended and grouped fights.

How to play against Sylas

• 1Mind which of your ultimates he can steal — a Sylas with your engage or teamfight ult is dangerous. Bait or hold high-value ults when he's in range.
• 2Cut his healing with Grievous Wounds — his whole sustain comes from his abilities. Anti-heal makes his all-ins losing trades.
• 3Dodge his E chain (the second-part pull). Without landing it he has no engage or escape, and his combo falls apart.
• 4He's a melee skirmisher — poke him in lane before he has items and don't extend fights he out-sustains.

Weaknesses to exploit

• ✓Healing is hard-countered by Grievous Wounds.
• ✓E chain is dodgeable — deny his engage.
• ✓Squishy early before items.
• ✓Weak to poke and disengage in lane.

Abilities & how to counter them

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

• P
  Petricite Burst

  After casting a spell, Sylas stores a charge of Petricite Burst. Sylas's basic attacks will expend a charge and whirl his energized chains around him dealing bonus magic damage to enemies hit. While Sylas has a charge of Petricite Burst, he gains attack speed.

• Q
  Chain Lash

  Sylas lashes his chains out, intersecting at his targeted location dealing damage to and slowing enemies. After a delay, magical energy explodes from the intersection point dealing damage.

• W
  Kingslayer

  Sylas lunges at an enemy with magical force dealing damage and healing himself against enemy champions.

• E
  Abscond / Abduct

  Sylas dashes to a location. Sylas can recast the ability to throw his chains out, pulling himself to an enemy he hits.

  Strong: a chain that pulls him in (or you to him) — his engage and escape. Weak: dodge the second-part pull and his combo falls apart.

• R
  Hijack

  Sylas steals the enemy's ultimate ability and can cast it freely.

  Strong: steals and casts an enemy champion's ultimate — often a game-changing engage. Weak: bait or hold high-value ults when he's in range so he can't steal them.

Itemization

Sylas is AP with heavy healing. Grievous Wounds is core, magic resist blunts his burst, and dodging his E chain denies his engage. Be aware of which ultimate he can steal from your team.

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