Karthusvs Locke
Karthus vs Locke is a very close matchup in LoL patch 26.13. Karthus wins with a 50.0% win rate (+0.0%) over Locke based on 8 games. Karthus wins the early laning phase while Locke scales better into the late game. Below you'll find the best Karthus build, runes, laning stats, and strategies for the Karthus vs Locke matchup.
Karthus Matchup Breakdown
Use the dropdown to select an opponent and see a detailed breakdown of how Karthus performs against them. You'll get head-to-head win rates, laning stats, the best build and runes for the matchup, and early vs late game analysis — all based on real ranked data.
Who Wins the Karthus vs Locke Matchup?
Karthus vs Locke Matchup Summary
The Karthus vs Locke matchup is essentially a coin-flip matchup in League of Legends ranked play. Based on 8 recent matches analyzed, Karthus wins with a 50.0% win rate compared to Locke's 50.0%, giving Karthus a 0.0 percentage point advantage. Game phase dynamics play a critical role here: Karthus controls the early laning stage, but Locke outscales as the game goes longer. The matchup shifts dramatically depending on game length — Karthus needs to press advantages before Locke reaches their power spikes, while Locke should focus on safe farming and hitting key item breakpoints. The most significant statistical gap is in CS, where Karthus leads by 1.5 CS/min — a difference that heavily influences the outcome of trades and skirmishes. Karthus has a statistical edge, but the margin is close enough that respecting Locke's strengths is important. Trade when cooldowns are favorable, track the enemy jungler, and build toward your strongest item spikes to convert the slight advantage into a decisive lead. Understanding these matchup dynamics is essential for champion select decisions and in-game strategy when facing this lane opponent.
Karthus vs Locke Laning Phase Breakdown
Karthus is favored during the laning phase against Locke, winning 4 out of 5 key stat categories. Karthus holds advantages in farming, damage, gold income and crowd control, making them the stronger laner in this matchup.
Best Karthus Build Against Locke
Crimson Lucidity is the optimal boots choice against Locke, providing the mobility and stats Karthus needs most in this matchup. The top-performing core items for Karthus against Locke are Shadowflame, Malignance and Rylai's Crystal Scepter. This combination gives Karthus an effective balance of damage, survivability, and utility for the matchup. Adjustments may be needed based on team compositions and game state, but this build provides the strongest foundation for the Karthus vs Locke matchup.
Early Game vs Late Game
Karthus100.0%
Locke0.0%Karthus33.3%Locke66.7%Karthus dominates the early game (first 15 minutes) with a commanding 100.0% win rate — a 100.0 percentage point lead over Locke. This lopsided early game means Karthus can dictate the pace of the lane from level 1, controlling trades, wave state, and river priority.
Locke is far superior in the late game (25+ minutes), boasting a 66.7% win rate — 33.3 points above Karthus. Extended games heavily favor Locke, whose kit and scaling make them a dominant force in team fights and objective control.
This matchup features a dramatic power shift: Karthus must aggressively press their early advantage and close out the game before Locke reaches their scaling breakpoints. If Locke survives the laning phase without falling too far behind, the matchup flips in their favor. Dragon and Rift Herald control are pivotal — the team that secures early objectives can snowball or buy time to scale.
Best Karthus Runes Against Locke
Sorcery
Precision
The Sorcery primary with Precision secondary combination helps Karthus maximize their potential in this closely contested matchup, providing the right mix of offensive and defensive tools to edge out Locke.
Karthus matchup data for League of Legends patch 26.13. The table below shows Karthus's win rate, gold difference, and performance stats against every champion in the current meta. Click any champion name to see a detailed head-to-head breakdown including the best Karthus build, runes, laning stats, and early vs late game analysis for that specific matchup.
Opponent | Win Rate | Matches | CS/min | DMG/min | Gold/game | Early WR | Late WR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 42.86% | 14 | 0.9 | 1,286 | 13,911 | 50.0% | 40.0% | |
| 54.55% | 11 | 1.2 | 706 | 10,234 | 37.5% | 100.0% | |
| 30.00% | 10 | 1.8 | 1,195 | 14,400 | 40.0% | 20.0% | |
| 40.00% | 10 | 1.1 | 1,134 | 13,178 | 0.0% | 50.0% | |
| 55.56% | 9 | 1.7 | 1,044 | 13,097 | 60.0% | 50.0% | |
| 44.44% | 9 | 6.8 | 1,166 | 14,847 | 50.0% | 40.0% | |
| 22.22% | 9 | 2.2 | 1,494 | 15,912 | 0.0% | 28.6% | |
| 37.50% | 8 | 1.6 | 1,099 | 15,153 | 25.0% | 50.0% | |
| 50.00% | 8 | 3.5 | 1,375 | 15,627 | 100.0% | 33.3% | |
| 50.00% | 8 | 1.4 | 1,183 | 14,057 | 33.3% | 60.0% | |
| 37.50% | 8 | 6.1 | 1,070 | 8,608 | 60.0% | 0.0% | |
| 57.14% | 7 | 1.6 | 1,211 | 13,492 | 66.7% | 50.0% | |
| 33.33% | 6 | 6.2 | 1,297 | 15,647 | 50.0% | 25.0% | |
| 66.67% | 6 | 7.0 | 1,684 | 17,652 | 50.0% | 75.0% | |
| 80.00% | 5 | 6.1 | 1,744 | 19,367 | 0.0% | 80.0% | |
| 60.00% | 5 | 4.8 | 1,782 | 14,979 | 50.0% | 66.7% | |
| 20.00% | 5 | 1.9 | 1,261 | 15,724 | 0.0% | 33.3% | |
| 40.00% | 5 | 1.3 | 1,174 | 12,275 | 100.0% | 25.0% | |
| 0.00% | 5 | 6.7 | 1,245 | 13,531 | 0.0% | 0.0% | |
| 20.00% | 5 | 6.6 | 1,661 | 13,950 | 50.0% | 0.0% | |
| 40.00% | 5 | 6.3 | 1,554 | 16,231 | 50.0% | 33.3% | |
| 60.00% | 5 | 2.1 | 1,202 | 9,575 | 33.3% | 100.0% | |
| 80.00% | 5 | 5.8 | 1,353 | 14,285 | 100.0% | 66.7% | |
| 20.00% | 5 | 1.8 | 992 | 11,702 | 50.0% | 0.0% | |
| 60.00% | 5 | 1.2 | 1,337 | 14,833 | 66.7% | 50.0% | |
| 40.00% | 5 | 1.2 | 992 | 11,934 | 33.3% | 50.0% | |
| 60.00% | 5 | 2.5 | 994 | 12,629 | 75.0% | 0.0% | |
| 25.00% | 4 | 1.2 | 733 | 10,673 | 0.0% | 50.0% | |
| 66.67% | 3 | 1.1 | 965 | 13,333 | 0.0% | 66.7% | |
| 0.00% | 1 | 1.2 | 587 | 6,068 | 0.0% | 0.0% | |
| 0.00% | 1 | 8.8 | 1,136 | 12,253 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
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Karthus vs Locke - Frequently Asked Questions
How does Karthus do against Locke in League of Legends?
Karthus wins the Karthus vs Locke matchup with a 50.0% win rate compared to Locke's 50.0%, a 0.0 percentage point difference. This data is based on 8 recent ranked games in patch 26.13.
How does Karthus do against Locke in the early game?
In the early game, Karthus has the advantage against Locke with a 100.0% win rate versus 0.0%. Karthus players should look to press their lane advantage through aggressive trades and wave control during the first 15 minutes.
How does Karthus do against Locke in the late game?
In the late game, Locke takes over the Karthus vs Locke matchup with a 66.7% win rate compared to 33.3%. Locke scales better into team fights and objective contests after 25 minutes.
Who wins the Karthus vs Locke matchup?
Karthus wins the matchup against Locke with a 50.0% win rate in League of Legends patch 26.13. The 0.0 percentage point advantage means Karthus is slightly favored in this lane matchup based on 8 games analyzed.
What is the best Karthus build against Locke?
The best Karthus build against Locke includes Shadowflame, Malignance, Rylai's Crystal Scepter with Crimson Lucidity. Check the matchup breakdown above for the full item path and build order.
What are the best Karthus runes against Locke?
The best Karthus runes against Locke use the Sorcery primary tree with Precision secondary. This rune setup achieves a 100.0% win rate in the Karthus vs Locke matchup. See the full rune breakdown in the matchup comparison above.
Does Karthus counter Locke?
Yes, Karthus has a favorable matchup against Locke with a 50.0% win rate. Karthus slightly edges out Locke in lane based on current patch 26.13 data.
How do I play Karthus against Locke?
When playing Karthus against Locke, leverage your statistical advantages by trading aggressively during favorable windows. You have early game priority — look for kills and zone control before first recall. Build the recommended items and runes for this specific matchup for the best results.