Ambessa Counters
The best Ambessa counters in League of Legends patch 26.1 are Nasus, MasterYi, Ornn, Singed, Yone. The best Ambessa counter is Nasus, with Ambessa having only a 28.57% win rate in this matchup. Secondary patch 26.1 Ambessa counter choices are Kayn, Fiora, Yorick, Mordekaiser, Volibear. Below are the top Ambessa counters and matchups alongside their win rates.
Drakehound's Step
Entering an attack or movement command while casting an ability will cause Ambessa to dash a short distance once the ability is cast, granting her next attack bonus range, damage, and attack speed, and refunding energy.
Cunning Sweep / Sundering Slam
Ambessa sweeps her twin drakehounds in a semicircle in front of her, dealing bonus damage to enemies hit by the blades. Striking an enemy will transform the next cast of this ability for a short period of time, causing her to slam her twin drakehounds down in a line in front of her, dealing bonus damage to the first enemy hit.
Cost:- 70
Cooldown:- 14/
- 13/
- 12/
- 11/
- 10
Range:- 650
Repudiation
Ambessa gains a shield, briefly braces herself, and then slams the ground to damage nearby enemies. If she blocked any non-minion damage while bracing herself, this ability will deal increased damage.
Cost:- 70
Cooldown:- 18/
- 17/
- 16/
- 15/
- 14
Range:- 325
Lacerate
Ambessa whips her twin drakehounds around herself, damaging and slowing nearby enemies. Initiating Drakehound's Step from this ability causes her to strike a second time at the end of its dash.
Cost:- 70
Cooldown:- 13/
- 12/
- 11/
- 10/
- 9
Range:- 325
Public Execution
Ambessa blinks to the farthest enemy champion in a line of her choosing and suppresses them upon her arrival. She then slams the enemy into the ground where they take damage and are stunned.
Cost:- 0
Cooldown:- 130/
- 115/
- 100
Range:- 1250
- Fighter,
- Assassin
These champions are Ambessa's hardest counters in League of Legends patch 26.1. Nasus is Ambessa's biggest counter with only a 28.57% win rate for Ambessa. When facing these Ambessa counter picks, focus on safe farming and waiting for jungle assistance. Avoid extended trades and play around your power spikes to survive difficult Ambessa matchups.
Nasus
Master Yi
Ornn
Singed
Yone
Kayn
Fiora
Yorick
Mordekaiser
Volibear
When facing Ambessa in League of Legends, understanding Ambessa's primary damage profile is essential for building effective counter strategies. Ambessa deals primarily physical damage, which means prioritizing armor in your defensive itemization will significantly reduce Ambessa's threat in fights. Top defensive items against Ambessa include Plated Steelcaps, Frozen Heart, Randuin's Omen, and Thornmail. These items provide substantial armor stats that directly mitigate Ambessa's damage output throughout all stages of the game.
From a champion selection perspective, the strongest Ambessa counters are Nasus, MasterYi, Ornn, and Singed. These champions either out-trade Ambessa in lane, have abilities that negate Ambessa's core mechanics, or scale better into team fights. Nasus in particular exploits Ambessa's weaknesses by providing consistent pressure while being difficult to punish.
Beyond item builds and counter picks, successful counter play against Ambessa involves understanding Ambessa's power spikes and cooldown windows. Engage on Ambessa when key abilities are on cooldown, and coordinate with your team to focus Ambessa in team fights before Ambessa can output maximum damage. Vision control is also crucial when playing against Ambessa to avoid getting caught out of position. By combining proper defensive itemization with smart champion selection and strategic gameplay, you can effectively neutralize Ambessa's impact and secure victory.
Understanding Ambessa's power curve is essential for effective counter play. Here's when Ambessa is most vulnerable throughout the game.
EARLYEarly Game (Levels 1-6)
Ambessa may look for extended trades. Avoid long fights and kite with slows. Short trades favor you against sustained damage.
MIDMid Game (Levels 7-13)
Ambessa becomes increasingly tanky mid game. Focus on kiting and percent health damage. Avoid fighting in choke points.
LATELate Game (Levels 14-18)
Ambessa is very durable late game. Use armor penetration or anti-tank items. Focus squishier targets first if Ambessa is too tanky.
Use these actionable tips to gain an advantage when facing Ambessa in lane or team fights.
- Pick Nasus or similar champions with kits that exploit Ambessa's weaknesses
- Build Plated Steelcaps or Seeker's Armguard early to reduce Ambessa's damage in lane
- Track Ambessa's cooldowns and engage when key abilities are unavailable
- Ward Ambessa's common roam paths and ping missing immediately
- Coordinate with your jungler to gank Ambessa during vulnerable windows
- Group with teammates to deny Ambessa solo picks
- Place control wards in flanking positions to spot Ambessa's engages
Ambessa performs exceptionally well against these champions in patch 26.1. Riven is Ambessa's best matchup with a 61.54% win rate. When playing Ambessa into these favorable matchups, look for early aggression and lane dominance. Ambessa can capitalize on these champions' weaknesses to snowball leads and carry games.
Riven
Dr. Mundo
Kayle
Viego
Warwick
Shen
Gwen
Diana
Gangplank
Cho'Gath
Ambessa Counters - Frequently Asked Questions
Who counters Ambessa?
The best Ambessa counters are Nasus, MasterYi, and Ornn. These champions have favorable matchups against Ambessa and can exploit Ambessa's weaknesses effectively in League of Legends patch 26.1.
What is Ambessa's hardest counter?
Nasus is Ambessa's hardest counter with Ambessa having only a 28.57% win rate in this matchup. MasterYi (29.63% WR) and Ornn (30.3% WR) are also strong Ambessa counters.
Who does Ambessa counter?
Ambessa performs well against Riven, Dr. Mundo, and Kayle. These are Ambessa's best matchups where Ambessa has favorable win rates and can dominate lane in patch 26.1.
How do I beat Ambessa in lane?
To beat Ambessa in lane, pick a counter champion like Nasus or MasterYi. Focus on trading when Ambessa's key abilities are on cooldown, and build armor items to reduce Ambessa's damage output. Ward defensively and call for jungle assistance if Ambessa gains an advantage.
What items counter Ambessa?
The best items to counter Ambessa are Plated Steelcaps, Frozen Heart, Randuin's Omen, and Thornmail. These items provide armor which directly reduces Ambessa's damage. Consider building these items early if you're struggling against Ambessa in lane.
When is Ambessa weakest?
Ambessa is typically weakest during specific power troughs between item spikes. Exploit windows when Ambessa's ultimate or key abilities are on cooldown. Coordinate with your team to engage on Ambessa before Ambessa can set up fights on Ambessa's own terms.
How do I play Ambessa into counter matchups?
When playing Ambessa into counters like Nasus, 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 Ambessa's counters?
If Nasus, MasterYi, or Ornn are banned or picked, look for champions with similar kits that can exploit Ambessa's weaknesses. Champions with crowd control, burst damage, or sustained damage (depending on Ambessa's vulnerabilities) can serve as alternative counters.