Katarina Counters
The best Katarina counters in League of Legends patch 26.1 are Yasuo, Naafiri, Sylas, Ryze, Lissandra. The best Katarina counter is Yasuo, with Katarina having only a 40.44% win rate in this matchup. Secondary patch 26.1 Katarina counter choices are Yone, Kassadin, Talon, TwistedFate, Galio. Below are the top Katarina counters and matchups alongside their win rates.
Voracity
Whenever an enemy champion dies that Katarina has damaged recently, her remaining ability cooldowns are dramatically reduced.
If Katarina picks up a Dagger, she uses it to slash through all nearby enemies, dealing magic damage.
Bouncing Blade
Katarina throws a Dagger at the target that then bounces to nearby enemies before ricocheting onto the ground.
Cost:- 0
Cooldown:- 11/
- 10/
- 9/
- 8/
- 7
Range:- 625
Preparation
Katarina gains a burst of Move Speed, tossing a Dagger into the air directly above herself.
Cost:- 0
Cooldown:- 15/
- 14/
- 13/
- 12/
- 11
Range:- 25000
Shunpo
Katarina blinks to the target, striking it if its an enemy, or striking the nearest enemy otherwise.
Cost:- 0
Cooldown:- 12/
- 11/
- 10/
- 9/
- 8
Range:- 725
Death Lotus
Katarina becomes a flurry of blades, dealing massive magic damage while she channels to the 3 nearest enemy champions.
Cost:- 0
Cooldown:- 75/
- 60/
- 45
Range:- 550
- Assassin,
- Mage
These champions are Katarina's hardest counters in League of Legends patch 26.1. Yasuo is Katarina's biggest counter with only a 40.44% win rate for Katarina. When facing these Katarina counter picks, focus on safe farming and waiting for jungle assistance. Avoid extended trades and play around your power spikes to survive difficult Katarina matchups.
Yasuo
Naafiri
Sylas
Ryze
Lissandra
Yone
Kassadin
Talon
Twisted Fate
Galio
When facing Katarina in League of Legends, understanding Katarina's primary damage profile is essential for building effective counter strategies. Katarina deals primarily magic damage, which means prioritizing magic resist in your defensive itemization will significantly reduce Katarina's threat in fights. Top defensive items against Katarina include Mercury's Treads, Spirit Visage, Force of Nature, and Banshee's Veil. These items provide substantial magic resist stats that directly mitigate Katarina's damage output throughout all stages of the game.
From a champion selection perspective, the strongest Katarina counters are Yasuo, Naafiri, Sylas, and Ryze. These champions either out-trade Katarina in lane, have abilities that negate Katarina's core mechanics, or scale better into team fights. Yasuo in particular exploits Katarina's weaknesses by providing consistent pressure while being difficult to punish.
Beyond item builds and counter picks, successful counter play against Katarina involves understanding Katarina's power spikes and cooldown windows. Engage on Katarina when key abilities are on cooldown, and coordinate with your team to focus Katarina in team fights before Katarina can output maximum damage. Vision control is also crucial when playing against Katarina to avoid getting caught out of position. By combining proper defensive itemization with smart champion selection and strategic gameplay, you can effectively neutralize Katarina's impact and secure victory.
Understanding Katarina's power curve is essential for effective counter play. Here's when Katarina is most vulnerable throughout the game.
EARLYEarly Game (Levels 1-6)
Katarina may be mana-dependent early. Punish after spell rotations when abilities are on cooldown. All-in when mana is depleted for advantageous trades.
MIDMid Game (Levels 7-13)
Katarina's poke and zone control peaks mid game. Engage quickly to close the gap before Katarina can kite. Use flanks and hard engage to bypass poke damage.
LATELate Game (Levels 14-18)
Katarina provides strong team fight damage late. Prioritize diving Katarina or use assassins to reach the backline. Magic resist items become crucial.
Use these actionable tips to gain an advantage when facing Katarina in lane or team fights.
- Pick Yasuo or similar champions with kits that exploit Katarina's weaknesses
- Build Mercury's Treads or Hexdrinker early to reduce Katarina's damage in lane
- Track Katarina's cooldowns and engage when key abilities are unavailable
- Ward Katarina's common roam paths and ping missing immediately
- Coordinate with your jungler to gank Katarina during vulnerable windows
- Group with teammates to deny Katarina solo picks
- Place control wards in flanking positions to spot Katarina's engages
Katarina performs exceptionally well against these champions in patch 26.1. Hwei is Katarina's best matchup with a 60% win rate. When playing Katarina into these favorable matchups, look for early aggression and lane dominance. Katarina can capitalize on these champions' weaknesses to snowball leads and carry games.
Hwei
LeBlanc
Orianna
Swain
Aurelion Sol
Vladimir
Zoe
Syndra
Zed
Ahri
Katarina Counters - Frequently Asked Questions
Who counters Katarina?
The best Katarina counters are Yasuo, Naafiri, and Sylas. These champions have favorable matchups against Katarina and can exploit Katarina's weaknesses effectively in League of Legends patch 26.1.
What is Katarina's hardest counter?
Yasuo is Katarina's hardest counter with Katarina having only a 40.44% win rate in this matchup. Naafiri (40.91% WR) and Sylas (42.86% WR) are also strong Katarina counters.
Who does Katarina counter?
Katarina performs well against Hwei, LeBlanc, and Orianna. These are Katarina's best matchups where Katarina has favorable win rates and can dominate lane in patch 26.1.
How do I beat Katarina in lane?
To beat Katarina in lane, pick a counter champion like Yasuo or Naafiri. Focus on trading when Katarina's key abilities are on cooldown, and build magic resist items to reduce Katarina's damage output. Ward defensively and call for jungle assistance if Katarina gains an advantage.
What items counter Katarina?
The best items to counter Katarina are Mercury's Treads, Spirit Visage, Force of Nature, and Banshee's Veil. These items provide magic resist which directly reduces Katarina's damage. Consider building these items early if you're struggling against Katarina in lane.
When is Katarina weakest?
Katarina is typically weakest during specific power troughs between item spikes. Exploit windows when Katarina's ultimate or key abilities are on cooldown. Coordinate with your team to engage on Katarina before Katarina can set up fights on Katarina's own terms.
How do I play Katarina into counter matchups?
When playing Katarina into counters like Yasuo, 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 Katarina's counters?
If Yasuo, Naafiri, or Sylas are banned or picked, look for champions with similar kits that can exploit Katarina's weaknesses. Champions with crowd control, burst damage, or sustained damage (depending on Katarina's vulnerabilities) can serve as alternative counters.