How to beat Elise

Common role: Jungle

A shapeshifting assassin who stuns in human form and rappels in as a spider.

What makes Elise dangerous

Elise stuns you with a cocoon (human E) then transforms into a spider to leap in (spider E) and burst with % health damage, spawning spiderlings. She's a strong early ganker who snowballs off picks, using her stun-into-spider-leap combo to delete a target quickly.

How to play against Elise

• 1Dodge her human E cocoon — it's a stun skillshot and the setup for her whole combo. Stand behind minions and sidestep it.
• 2Without landing her stun she can't combo — deny the cocoon and her gank/pick fails.
• 3She's squishy — after she rappels in (spider E), hard CC or burst punishes her before she can rappel out.
• 4Track her early ganks — Elise wants to snowball. Ward and she loses her pick pressure into the mid-game.

Weaknesses to exploit

• ✓Cocoon stun is a dodgeable skillshot.
• ✓Squishy — punish her after she rappels in.
• ✓Snowball-reliant; falls off if denied early.
• ✓No combo without landing her stun.

Abilities & how to counter them

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

• P
  Spider Queen

  Human Form: When Elise's abilities hit an enemy, she gains a dormant Spiderling.Spider Form: Basic attacks deal bonus magic damage and restore health to Elise.

• Q
  Neurotoxin / Venomous Bite

  Human Form: Deals damage based upon how high the target's Health is.Spider Form: Lunges at an enemy and deals damage based upon how low their Health is.

• W
  Volatile Spiderling / Skittering Frenzy

  Human Form: Releases a venom-gorged Spiderling that explodes when it nears a target.Spider Form: Elise and her Spiderlings gain Attack Speed.

• E
  Cocoon / Rappel

  Human Form: Stuns the first enemy unit hit and reveals them if they are not stealthed.Spider Form: Elise and her Spiderlings ascend into the air and then descend upon target enemy. After descending on an enemy target, Elise's bonus damage and healing from Spider Queen is increased.

  Strong: (human) a cocoon stun that sets up her whole combo. Weak: a dodgeable skillshot — no stun, no combo, so sidestep it.

• R
  Spider Form

  Transforms into a menacing spider, reducing her attack range in exchange for Move Speed, new abilities, and a Spiderling swarm that will attack her foes.

  Strong: transforms to spider to rappel in for % health burst. Weak: she's squishy — hard CC or burst punishes her after she rappels down.

Itemization

Elise is a % health-damage assassin. Dodge her cocoon stun (no stun, no combo), punish her squishy spider form with CC/burst, and ward her early ganks. Armor blunts her spider-form attacks.

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