Alistar Counters
The best Alistar counters in League of Legends patch 26.1 are Janna, Morgana, Seraphine, Brand, Rakan. The best Alistar counter is Janna, with Alistar having only a 39.62% win rate in this matchup. Secondary patch 26.1 Alistar counter choices are Braum, Velkoz, Nami, Milio, Maokai. Below are the top Alistar counters and matchups alongside their win rates.
Triumphant Roar
Alistar charges his roar by stunning or displacing enemy champions or when nearby enemies die. When fully charged he heals himself all nearby allied champions.
Pulverize
Alistar smashes the ground, dealing damage to nearby enemies and tossing them into the air.
Cost:- 50/
- 55/
- 60/
- 65/
- 70
Cooldown:- 14/
- 13/
- 12/
- 11/
- 10
Range:- 365
Headbutt
Alistar rams a target with his head, dealing damage and knocking the target back.
Cost:- 50/
- 55/
- 60/
- 65/
- 70
Cooldown:- 14/
- 13/
- 12/
- 11/
- 10
Range:- 650
Trample
Alistar tramples nearby enemy units, ignoring unit collision and gaining stacks if he damages an enemy champion. At full stacks Alistar's next basic attack against an enemy champion deals additional magic damage and stuns them.
Cost:- 50/
- 55/
- 60/
- 65/
- 70
Cooldown:- 12/
- 12/
- 11/
- 11/
- 10
Range:- 350
Unbreakable Will
Alistar lets out a wild roar, removing all crowd control effects on himself, and reducing incoming physical and magical damage for the duration.
Cost:- 100
Cooldown:- 120/
- 100/
- 80
Range:- 1
- Tank,
- Support
These champions are Alistar's hardest counters in League of Legends patch 26.1. Janna is Alistar's biggest counter with only a 39.62% win rate for Alistar. When facing these Alistar counter picks, focus on safe farming and waiting for jungle assistance. Avoid extended trades and play around your power spikes to survive difficult Alistar matchups.
Janna
Morgana
Seraphine
Brand
Rakan
Braum
Vel'Koz
Nami
Milio
Maokai
When facing Alistar in League of Legends, understanding Alistar's primary damage profile is essential for building effective counter strategies. Alistar deals primarily magic damage, which means prioritizing magic resist in your defensive itemization will significantly reduce Alistar's threat in fights. Top defensive items against Alistar include Mercury's Treads, Spirit Visage, Force of Nature, and Banshee's Veil. These items provide substantial magic resist stats that directly mitigate Alistar's damage output throughout all stages of the game.
From a champion selection perspective, the strongest Alistar counters are Janna, Morgana, Seraphine, and Brand. These champions either out-trade Alistar in lane, have abilities that negate Alistar's core mechanics, or scale better into team fights. Janna in particular exploits Alistar's weaknesses by providing consistent pressure while being difficult to punish.
Beyond item builds and counter picks, successful counter play against Alistar involves understanding Alistar's power spikes and cooldown windows. Engage on Alistar when key abilities are on cooldown, and coordinate with your team to focus Alistar in team fights before Alistar can output maximum damage. Vision control is also crucial when playing against Alistar to avoid getting caught out of position. By combining proper defensive itemization with smart champion selection and strategic gameplay, you can effectively neutralize Alistar's impact and secure victory.
Understanding Alistar's power curve is essential for effective counter play. Here's when Alistar is most vulnerable throughout the game.
EARLYEarly Game (Levels 1-6)
Alistar may look for extended trades. Avoid long fights and kite with slows. Short trades favor you against sustained damage.
MIDMid Game (Levels 7-13)
Alistar becomes increasingly tanky mid game. Focus on kiting and percent health damage. Avoid fighting in choke points.
LATELate Game (Levels 14-18)
Alistar is very durable late game. Use armor penetration or anti-tank items. Focus squishier targets first if Alistar is too tanky.
Use these actionable tips to gain an advantage when facing Alistar in lane or team fights.
- Pick Janna or similar champions with kits that exploit Alistar's weaknesses
- Build Mercury's Treads or Hexdrinker early to reduce Alistar's damage in lane
- Track Alistar's cooldowns and engage when key abilities are unavailable
- Ward Alistar's common roam paths and ping missing immediately
- Coordinate with your jungler to gank Alistar during vulnerable windows
- Avoid extended trades where Alistar can stack sustained damage
- Kite Alistar with slows and crowd control
Alistar performs exceptionally well against these champions in patch 26.1. Mel is Alistar's best matchup with a 67.65% win rate. When playing Alistar into these favorable matchups, look for early aggression and lane dominance. Alistar can capitalize on these champions' weaknesses to snowball leads and carry games.
Mel
Lulu
Taric
Yuumi
Nautilus
Rell
Pyke
Lux
Poppy
Pantheon
Alistar Counters - Frequently Asked Questions
Who counters Alistar?
The best Alistar counters are Janna, Morgana, and Seraphine. These champions have favorable matchups against Alistar and can exploit Alistar's weaknesses effectively in League of Legends patch 26.1.
What is Alistar's hardest counter?
Janna is Alistar's hardest counter with Alistar having only a 39.62% win rate in this matchup. Morgana (40% WR) and Seraphine (41.18% WR) are also strong Alistar counters.
Who does Alistar counter?
Alistar performs well against Mel, Lulu, and Taric. These are Alistar's best matchups where Alistar has favorable win rates and can dominate lane in patch 26.1.
How do I beat Alistar in lane?
To beat Alistar in lane, pick a counter champion like Janna or Morgana. Focus on trading when Alistar's key abilities are on cooldown, and build magic resist items to reduce Alistar's damage output. Ward defensively and call for jungle assistance if Alistar gains an advantage.
What items counter Alistar?
The best items to counter Alistar are Mercury's Treads, Spirit Visage, Force of Nature, and Banshee's Veil. These items provide magic resist which directly reduces Alistar's damage. Consider building these items early if you're struggling against Alistar in lane.
When is Alistar weakest?
Alistar is typically weakest during specific power troughs between item spikes. Exploit windows when Alistar's ultimate or key abilities are on cooldown. Coordinate with your team to engage on Alistar before Alistar can set up fights on Alistar's own terms.
How do I play Alistar into counter matchups?
When playing Alistar into counters like Janna, 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 Alistar's counters?
If Janna, Morgana, or Seraphine are banned or picked, look for champions with similar kits that can exploit Alistar's weaknesses. Champions with crowd control, burst damage, or sustained damage (depending on Alistar's vulnerabilities) can serve as alternative counters.