Akali Counters
The best Akali counters in League of Legends patch 26.1 are Swain, Galio, Veigar, Akshan, Anivia. The best Akali counter is Swain, with Akali having only a 41.9% win rate in this matchup. Secondary patch 26.1 Akali counter choices are Malzahar, Ekko, TwistedFate, Lux, Kayle. Below are the top Akali counters and matchups alongside their win rates.
Assassin's Mark
Dealing spell damage to a champion creates a ring of energy around them. Exiting that ring empowers Akali's next Attack with bonus range and damage.
Five Point Strike
Akali throws out five kunai, dealing damage based on her bonus Attack Damage and Ability Power and slowing.
Cost:- 110/
- 100/
- 90/
- 80/
- 70
Cooldown:- 2
Range:- 550
Twilight Shroud
Akali drops a cover of smoke and briefly gains Move Speed. While inside the shroud, Akali becomes invisible and unable to be selected by enemy spells and attacks. Attacking or using abilities will briefly reveal her.
Cost:- 0
Cooldown:- 20/
- 19/
- 18/
- 17/
- 16
Range:- 350
Shuriken Flip
Flip backward and fire a shuriken forward, dealing magic damage. The first enemy or smoke cloud hit is marked. Re-cast to dash to the marked target, dealing additional damage.
Cost:- 30
Cooldown:- 16/
- 15/
- 13/
- 12/
- 10
Range:- 825
Perfect Execution
Akali leaps in a direction, damaging enemies she strikes. Re-cast: Akali dashes in a direction, executing all enemies she strikes.
Cost:- 0
Cooldown:- 120/
- 90/
- 60
Range:- 675
- Assassin
These champions are Akali's hardest counters in League of Legends patch 26.1. Swain is Akali's biggest counter with only a 41.9% win rate for Akali. When facing these Akali counter picks, focus on safe farming and waiting for jungle assistance. Avoid extended trades and play around your power spikes to survive difficult Akali matchups.
Swain
Galio
Veigar
Akshan
Anivia
Malzahar
Ekko
Twisted Fate
Lux
Kayle
When facing Akali in League of Legends, understanding Akali's primary damage profile is essential for building effective counter strategies. Akali deals primarily magic damage, which means prioritizing magic resist in your defensive itemization will significantly reduce Akali's threat in fights. Top defensive items against Akali include Mercury's Treads, Spirit Visage, Force of Nature, and Banshee's Veil. These items provide substantial magic resist stats that directly mitigate Akali's damage output throughout all stages of the game.
From a champion selection perspective, the strongest Akali counters are Swain, Galio, Veigar, and Akshan. These champions either out-trade Akali in lane, have abilities that negate Akali's core mechanics, or scale better into team fights. Swain in particular exploits Akali's weaknesses by providing consistent pressure while being difficult to punish.
Beyond item builds and counter picks, successful counter play against Akali involves understanding Akali's power spikes and cooldown windows. Engage on Akali when key abilities are on cooldown, and coordinate with your team to focus Akali in team fights before Akali can output maximum damage. Vision control is also crucial when playing against Akali to avoid getting caught out of position. By combining proper defensive itemization with smart champion selection and strategic gameplay, you can effectively neutralize Akali's impact and secure victory.
Understanding Akali's power curve is essential for effective counter play. Here's when Akali is most vulnerable throughout the game.
EARLYEarly Game (Levels 1-6)
Akali may look for early roams and picks. Ward aggressively and ping missing immediately. Trade when Akali's gap closers are on cooldown and avoid pushing without vision.
MIDMid Game (Levels 7-13)
Akali excels at picking off isolated targets mid game. Group with your team and avoid face-checking bushes. Maintain vision in flanking positions and protect your carries.
LATELate Game (Levels 14-18)
Late game, Akali's one-shot potential peaks. Keep your carries protected with peel champions. Consider stopwatch or Guardian Angel to survive burst attempts.
Use these actionable tips to gain an advantage when facing Akali in lane or team fights.
- Pick Swain or similar champions with kits that exploit Akali's weaknesses
- Build Mercury's Treads or Hexdrinker early to reduce Akali's damage in lane
- Track Akali's cooldowns and engage when key abilities are unavailable
- Ward Akali's common roam paths and ping missing immediately
- Coordinate with your jungler to gank Akali during vulnerable windows
- Group with teammates to deny Akali solo picks
- Place control wards in flanking positions to spot Akali's engages
Akali performs exceptionally well against these champions in patch 26.1. Yone is Akali's best matchup with a 57.54% win rate. When playing Akali into these favorable matchups, look for early aggression and lane dominance. Akali can capitalize on these champions' weaknesses to snowball leads and carry games.
Akali Counters - Frequently Asked Questions
Who counters Akali?
The best Akali counters are Swain, Galio, and Veigar. These champions have favorable matchups against Akali and can exploit Akali's weaknesses effectively in League of Legends patch 26.1.
What is Akali's hardest counter?
Swain is Akali's hardest counter with Akali having only a 41.9% win rate in this matchup. Galio (42.68% WR) and Veigar (43.41% WR) are also strong Akali counters.
Who does Akali counter?
Akali performs well against Yone, Hwei, and Mel. These are Akali's best matchups where Akali has favorable win rates and can dominate lane in patch 26.1.
How do I beat Akali in lane?
To beat Akali in lane, pick a counter champion like Swain or Galio. Focus on trading when Akali's key abilities are on cooldown, and build magic resist items to reduce Akali's damage output. Ward defensively and call for jungle assistance if Akali gains an advantage.
What items counter Akali?
The best items to counter Akali are Mercury's Treads, Spirit Visage, Force of Nature, and Banshee's Veil. These items provide magic resist which directly reduces Akali's damage. Consider building these items early if you're struggling against Akali in lane.
When is Akali weakest?
Akali is typically weakest during specific power troughs between item spikes. Exploit windows when Akali's ultimate or key abilities are on cooldown. Coordinate with your team to engage on Akali before Akali can set up fights on Akali's own terms.
How do I play Akali into counter matchups?
When playing Akali into counters like Swain, focus on safe farming, waiting for jungle assistance, and playing around power spikes. Avoid extended trades in unfavorable matchups and look for opportunities to scale into mid and late game.
What champions are similar to Akali's counters?
If Swain, Galio, or Veigar are banned or picked, look for champions with similar kits that can exploit Akali's weaknesses. Champions with crowd control, burst damage, or sustained damage (depending on Akali's vulnerabilities) can serve as alternative counters.