Kennen

Kennen Counters

49.84%WR
Kennen C tier

The best Kennen counters in League of Legends patch 26.1 are Veigar, Chogath, Pantheon, Zaahen, Sion. The best Kennen counter is Veigar, with Kennen having only a 32% win rate in this matchup. Secondary patch 26.1 Kennen counter choices are Sylas, AurelionSol, Tryndamere, Irelia, Zed. Below are the top Kennen counters and matchups alongside their win rates.

  • Kennen passive ability - Mark of the Storm - League of Legends
    Mark of the Storm

    Mark of the Storm

    Kennen stuns enemies he hits 3 times with his abilities.

  • Kennen Q ability - Thundering Shuriken - League of Legends
    Thundering Shuriken

    Thundering Shuriken

    Kennen throws a fast moving shuriken towards a location, causing damage and adding a Mark of the Storm to any opponent that it hits.

    Cost:
    • 60/
    • 55/
    • 50/
    • 45/
    • 40
    Cooldown:
    • 7/
    • 6/
    • 6/
    • 5/
    • 4
    Range:
    • 950
  • Kennen W ability - Electrical Surge - League of Legends
    Electrical Surge

    Electrical Surge

    Kennen passively deals extra damage and adds a Mark of the Storm to his target every few attacks, and he can activate this ability to damage and add another Mark of the Storm to targets who are already marked.

    Cost:
    • 40
    Cooldown:
    • 13/
    • 11/
    • 10/
    • 8/
    • 6
    Range:
    • 725
  • Kennen E ability - Lightning Rush - League of Legends
    Lightning Rush

    Lightning Rush

    Kennen morphs into a lightning form, enabling him to pass through units and apply a Mark of the Storm. Kennen gains Move Speed when entering this form, and attack speed when leaving it.

    Cost:
    • 80
    Cooldown:
    • 10/
    • 9/
    • 8/
    • 7/
    • 6
    Range:
    • 170
  • Kennen R ultimate ability - Slicing Maelstrom - League of Legends
    Slicing Maelstrom

    Slicing Maelstrom

    Kennen summons a storm that strikes at nearby enemy champions for magical damage.

    Cost:
    • 0
    Cooldown:
    • 120/
    • 100/
    • 80
    Range:
    • 550
Classes:
  • Mage
Patch:26.1
Sample Size:687,817 ranked games
Lane:All Lanes
Tier:All Tiers
Last Updated:

These champions are Kennen's hardest counters in League of Legends patch 26.1. Veigar is Kennen's biggest counter with only a 32% win rate for Kennen. When facing these Kennen counter picks, focus on safe farming and waiting for jungle assistance. Avoid extended trades and play around your power spikes to survive difficult Kennen matchups.

When facing Kennen in League of Legends, understanding Kennen's primary damage profile is essential for building effective counter strategies. Kennen deals primarily magic damage, which means prioritizing magic resist in your defensive itemization will significantly reduce Kennen's threat in fights. Top defensive items against Kennen include Mercury's Treads, Spirit Visage, Force of Nature, and Banshee's Veil. These items provide substantial magic resist stats that directly mitigate Kennen's damage output throughout all stages of the game.

From a champion selection perspective, the strongest Kennen counters are Veigar, Chogath, Pantheon, and Zaahen. These champions either out-trade Kennen in lane, have abilities that negate Kennen's core mechanics, or scale better into team fights. Veigar in particular exploits Kennen's weaknesses by providing consistent pressure while being difficult to punish.

Beyond item builds and counter picks, successful counter play against Kennen involves understanding Kennen's power spikes and cooldown windows. Engage on Kennen when key abilities are on cooldown, and coordinate with your team to focus Kennen in team fights before Kennen can output maximum damage. Vision control is also crucial when playing against Kennen to avoid getting caught out of position. By combining proper defensive itemization with smart champion selection and strategic gameplay, you can effectively neutralize Kennen's impact and secure victory.

Understanding Kennen's power curve is essential for effective counter play. Here's when Kennen is most vulnerable throughout the game.

EARLYEarly Game (Levels 1-6)

Kennen 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)

Kennen's poke and zone control peaks mid game. Engage quickly to close the gap before Kennen can kite. Use flanks and hard engage to bypass poke damage.

LATELate Game (Levels 14-18)

Kennen provides strong team fight damage late. Prioritize diving Kennen or use assassins to reach the backline. Magic resist items become crucial.

Use these actionable tips to gain an advantage when facing Kennen in lane or team fights.

  • Pick Veigar or similar champions with kits that exploit Kennen's weaknesses
  • Build Mercury's Treads or Hexdrinker early to reduce Kennen's damage in lane
  • Track Kennen's cooldowns and engage when key abilities are unavailable
  • Ward Kennen's common roam paths and ping missing immediately
  • Coordinate with your jungler to gank Kennen during vulnerable windows
  • Dodge Kennen's skill shots by moving unpredictably
  • All-in Kennen when mana is low from spell rotations

Kennen performs exceptionally well against these champions in patch 26.1. Yorick is Kennen's best matchup with a 72% win rate. When playing Kennen into these favorable matchups, look for early aggression and lane dominance. Kennen can capitalize on these champions' weaknesses to snowball leads and carry games.

Kennen Counters - Frequently Asked Questions

Who counters Kennen?

The best Kennen counters are Veigar, Chogath, and Pantheon. These champions have favorable matchups against Kennen and can exploit Kennen's weaknesses effectively in League of Legends patch 26.1.

What is Kennen's hardest counter?

Veigar is Kennen's hardest counter with Kennen having only a 32% win rate in this matchup. Chogath (34.78% WR) and Pantheon (35% WR) are also strong Kennen counters.

Who does Kennen counter?

Kennen performs well against Yorick, Gwen, and Galio. These are Kennen's best matchups where Kennen has favorable win rates and can dominate lane in patch 26.1.

How do I beat Kennen in lane?

To beat Kennen in lane, pick a counter champion like Veigar or Chogath. Focus on trading when Kennen's key abilities are on cooldown, and build magic resist items to reduce Kennen's damage output. Ward defensively and call for jungle assistance if Kennen gains an advantage.

What items counter Kennen?

The best items to counter Kennen are Mercury's Treads, Spirit Visage, Force of Nature, and Banshee's Veil. These items provide magic resist which directly reduces Kennen's damage. Consider building these items early if you're struggling against Kennen in lane.

When is Kennen weakest?

Kennen is typically weakest during specific power troughs between item spikes. Exploit windows when Kennen's ultimate or key abilities are on cooldown. Coordinate with your team to engage on Kennen before Kennen can set up fights on Kennen's own terms.

How do I play Kennen into counter matchups?

When playing Kennen into counters like Veigar, 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 Kennen's counters?

If Veigar, Chogath, or Pantheon are banned or picked, look for champions with similar kits that can exploit Kennen's weaknesses. Champions with crowd control, burst damage, or sustained damage (depending on Kennen's vulnerabilities) can serve as alternative counters.