Locke - League of Legends Champion
Win Rate
43.8%
Pick Rate
18.0%

Lockevs Karthus

FAssassinMage
Patch26.13
Matches177,854
LaneAll Lanes
TierAll Tiers
Last UpdatedJun 27, 2026
MethodologyData Methodology

Locke vs Karthus is a very close matchup in LoL patch 26.13. Locke wins with a 50.0% win rate (+0.0%) over Karthus based on 8 games. Karthus wins the early laning phase while Locke scales better into the late game. Below you'll find the best Locke build, runes, laning stats, and strategies for the Locke vs Karthus matchup.

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Locke Matchup Breakdown

Use the dropdown to select an opponent and see a detailed breakdown of how Locke 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.

Compare against an opponent
Locke - 50.0% win rate in this matchup
Locke
50.0% WR
VS
Karthus vs Locke matchup - 50.0% win rate
Karthus
50.0% WR

Who Wins the Locke vs Karthus Matchup?

Locke wins the Locke vs Karthus matchup
Winner
Locke
Matches: 8
50.0%
Win Rate
50.0%
2.0
CS / min
3.5
797
DMG / min
1,375
13,912
Gold / game
15,627
570
Heal / min
304
746
DMG Mitigated / min
505
0.5
CC / min
0.7
0.0%
Early Game WR
100.0%
66.7%
Late Game WR
33.3%

Locke vs Karthus Matchup Summary

The Locke vs Karthus matchup is essentially a coin-flip matchup in League of Legends ranked play. Based on 8 recent matches analyzed, Locke wins with a 50.0% win rate compared to Karthus's 50.0%, giving Locke 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. Locke has a statistical edge, but the margin is close enough that respecting Karthus'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.

Locke vs Karthus Laning Phase Breakdown

Karthus wins the laning phase against Locke in League of Legends

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.

Farming
2.0Locke
3.5Karthus
Karthus significantly out-farms Locke by 1.5 CS per minute, accumulating an estimated 22 CS lead by mid game. This substantial farming gap gives Karthus a major gold advantage and earlier item completions. Locke players should prioritize wave management techniques like freezing near tower and using abilities efficiently to minimize the deficit.
Damage
797Locke
1,375Karthus
Karthus heavily out-damages Locke by 578 DMG/min, dominating both short trades and all-in fights. Locke should avoid extended combat and instead focus on burst trade patterns — short engages followed by immediate disengagement — to avoid letting Karthus's sustained damage advantage take over.
Economy
13,912Locke
15,627Karthus
Karthus generates a commanding 1,715 more gold per game than Locke. This substantial economic advantage means Karthus consistently reaches key item breakpoints earlier, creating a compounding lead that grows throughout the game. Locke should focus on cost-effective item choices and avoid unnecessary deaths to prevent falling further behind.
Utility
0.5Locke
0.7Karthus
Both Locke and Karthus provide similar amounts of crowd control (0.2s/min difference), meaning neither has a significant advantage in locking down opponents for ganks or team fights. Lane ganks are equally effective for both sides.
Sustain
1,316Locke
809Karthus
Locke vastly out-sustains Karthus, healing and mitigating 508 more damage per minute. This massive durability gap means Locke can absorb significant punishment and remain in lane while Karthus is forced to recall. Building grievous wounds early is essential for Karthus, and focusing on burst trade patterns rather than sustained fights is critical.

Best Locke Build Against Karthus

Spellslinger's Shoes is the optimal boots choice against Karthus, providing the mobility and stats Locke needs most in this matchup. The top-performing core items for Locke against Karthus are Shadowflame, Zhonya's Hourglass and Nashor's Tooth. This combination gives Locke 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 Locke vs Karthus matchup.

Early Game vs Late Game

Early Game
Karthus
100.0%
+100.0% advantage
Locke early game win rateLocke0.0%
Karthus early game win rateKarthus100.0%
Late Game
Locke
66.7%
+33.3% advantage
Locke late game win rateLocke66.7%
Karthus late game win rateKarthus33.3%

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 Locke Runes Against Karthus

Precision rune tree - Locke primary runes vs KarthusPrecision
Conqueror - best Locke rune vs KarthusTriumph - best Locke rune vs KarthusLegend: Haste - best Locke rune vs KarthusCoup de Grace - best Locke rune vs Karthus
Inspiration rune tree - Locke secondary runes vs KarthusInspiration
Cash Back - best Locke rune vs KarthusCosmic Insight - best Locke rune vs Karthus
100.0% WR

The Precision primary with Inspiration secondary combination helps Locke maximize their potential in this closely contested matchup, providing the right mix of offensive and defensive tools to edge out Karthus.


Locke matchup data for League of Legends patch 26.13. The table below shows Locke'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 Locke build, runes, laning stats, and early vs late game analysis for that specific matchup.

Locke matchup win rates and stats in League of Legends patch 26.13
Opponent
Win Rate
Matches
CS/min
DMG/min
Gold/game
Early WR
Late WR
41.24%1944.687211,48334.6%48.4%
45.79%1905.382111,51347.1%44.8%
41.90%1795.684511,97648.3%35.6%
50.28%1775.384811,45253.9%47.5%
51.46%1715.496011,71356.6%47.4%
41.10%1464.083112,39531.8%48.2%
45.32%1395.583912,60743.4%46.5%
36.57%1344.876911,90738.5%35.4%
51.13%1335.387012,09357.9%46.0%
45.97%1245.493212,57547.1%45.2%
36.89%1224.982412,18846.1%32.5%
38.66%1195.378711,98046.9%32.9%
44.44%1085.785312,08139.5%47.7%
43.69%1034.679611,62144.2%43.1%
46.53%1015.284911,84060.5%36.2%
41.24%974.686311,93044.4%38.5%
43.30%971.273112,85547.4%40.7%
39.36%945.676611,91235.9%41.8%
47.25%915.481311,66342.5%51.0%
36.05%865.585111,20142.3%26.5%
51.76%854.988112,69342.9%58.0%
34.12%851.265712,61534.3%34.0%
51.25%805.682112,06954.0%48.8%
48.05%775.688212,84345.2%50.0%
44.29%705.497411,74347.1%41.7%
50.00%665.686812,45472.0%36.6%
50.77%655.282111,79648.5%53.1%
34.38%641.267411,75633.3%35.1%
32.81%645.593312,20531.3%34.4%
51.67%603.690013,90847.4%53.7%
41.67%600.963712,83442.3%41.2%
51.72%585.582611,78466.7%41.2%
51.79%565.585212,26365.6%33.3%
38.18%551.268413,31435.7%39.0%
26.42%531.162713,00328.6%25.6%
37.74%531.262511,07335.7%40.0%
41.51%535.482112,04640.9%41.9%
44.23%524.487412,44963.2%33.3%
38.46%525.889012,58533.3%41.9%
56.86%513.979812,07854.5%58.6%
35.29%512.669111,98724.1%50.0%
40.82%491.468812,78540.0%41.7%
37.50%481.167912,95627.8%43.3%
45.65%465.689611,96470.8%18.2%
42.22%451.974312,99355.6%33.3%
46.67%451.168511,60756.5%36.4%
38.10%425.47969,85840.9%35.0%
34.15%412.179413,39533.3%34.6%
53.66%415.089212,27652.4%55.0%
40.00%405.072411,80444.4%36.4%
33.33%391.457110,71743.5%18.8%
60.53%384.283611,87066.7%55.0%
42.11%384.684712,09833.3%52.9%
56.76%374.893712,34160.0%54.5%
47.22%365.383210,32647.6%46.7%
51.43%354.382211,17633.3%65.0%
41.18%345.891312,68775.0%30.8%
50.00%345.988911,39950.0%50.0%
34.38%321.062310,28526.1%55.6%
31.25%325.886712,80750.0%22.7%
43.75%325.268110,85852.9%33.3%
31.03%295.086613,14725.0%33.3%
48.28%295.295512,16261.5%37.5%
42.86%284.877711,20354.5%35.3%
37.04%273.683312,44350.0%29.4%
40.74%271.173612,46940.0%41.7%
44.44%271.166612,58944.4%44.4%
48.15%274.175010,94653.9%42.9%
48.00%251.670612,72025.0%58.8%
48.00%255.293112,20572.7%28.6%
64.00%255.190914,41071.4%61.1%
50.00%245.680812,33840.0%57.1%
41.67%244.384212,92777.8%20.0%
29.17%240.962911,71740.0%21.4%
39.13%234.972911,46755.6%28.6%
43.48%232.769612,73212.5%60.0%
43.48%235.279712,37125.0%63.6%
26.09%234.71,07812,58650.0%17.6%
47.83%235.895712,77150.0%45.5%
43.48%236.095412,67875.0%26.7%
21.74%231.266413,7960.0%35.7%
36.36%220.872213,60112.5%50.0%
33.33%215.11,06412,79737.5%30.8%
38.10%211.468810,86430.8%50.0%
57.14%214.990212,48457.1%57.1%
47.62%214.082214,04425.0%52.9%
42.86%211.686512,37057.1%35.7%
60.00%205.079911,75644.4%72.7%
15.00%201.460411,69014.3%15.4%
45.00%204.688912,92644.4%45.5%
57.89%191.573412,61775.0%45.5%
38.89%181.066312,01733.3%44.4%
61.11%186.293512,52263.6%57.1%
50.00%181.071312,55540.0%62.5%
41.18%172.870510,70337.5%44.4%
47.06%175.077111,22240.0%57.1%
37.50%164.874412,00728.6%44.4%
37.50%165.089711,02562.5%12.5%
31.25%163.976712,13020.0%36.4%
46.67%151.782712,64042.9%50.0%
60.00%153.175011,51150.0%80.0%
46.67%154.683210,47244.4%50.0%
57.14%146.074611,27260.0%55.6%
21.43%144.359310,22616.7%25.0%
78.57%145.692613,77966.7%87.5%
42.86%145.575313,81033.3%50.0%
35.71%143.068912,23025.0%40.0%
50.00%144.278711,62842.9%57.1%
50.00%145.370610,00755.6%40.0%
53.85%133.876610,66550.0%57.1%
38.46%131.966612,87633.3%40.0%
38.46%132.76348,58050.0%0.0%
46.15%132.083710,76544.4%50.0%
50.00%122.457012,10540.0%57.1%
16.67%124.990112,86220.0%14.3%
25.00%122.35708,65228.6%20.0%
41.67%125.41,03414,56825.0%50.0%
27.27%115.973310,55840.0%16.7%
45.45%112.871811,86720.0%66.7%
27.27%115.38879,78637.5%0.0%
27.27%115.05539,36120.0%33.3%
18.18%111.476012,79533.3%12.5%
27.27%110.659910,11337.5%0.0%
60.00%105.597315,04580.0%40.0%
10.00%105.477912,0390.0%25.0%
20.00%105.470510,02616.7%25.0%
70.00%105.675512,01180.0%60.0%
11.11%95.38429,61516.7%0.0%
55.56%95.294812,91340.0%75.0%
66.67%94.478612,01466.7%66.7%
50.00%85.669911,03325.0%75.0%
50.00%84.071413,097100.0%42.9%
25.00%85.069110,25425.0%25.0%
50.00%82.079713,9120.0%66.7%
42.86%75.96838,51350.0%0.0%
14.29%75.184411,5600.0%20.0%
28.57%74.784510,78420.0%50.0%
57.14%74.874212,19650.0%66.7%
33.33%61.874612,6120.0%50.0%
66.67%62.478512,86466.7%66.7%
16.67%65.068810,63450.0%0.0%
20.00%55.17289,5760.0%50.0%
40.00%51.697716,2800.0%40.0%
0.00%53.083213,3360.0%0.0%
40.00%55.899510,76150.0%33.3%
40.00%55.292812,9500.0%50.0%
60.00%51.151311,816100.0%33.3%
20.00%56.11,05714,5310.0%33.3%
60.00%51.059410,06466.7%50.0%
20.00%54.676610,67650.0%0.0%

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Locke vs Karthus - Frequently Asked Questions

How does Locke do against Karthus in League of Legends?

Locke wins the Locke vs Karthus matchup with a 50.0% win rate compared to Karthus's 50.0%, a 0.0 percentage point difference. This data is based on 8 recent ranked games in patch 26.13.

How does Locke do against Karthus 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 Locke do against Karthus in the late game?

In the late game, Locke takes over the Locke vs Karthus 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 Locke vs Karthus matchup?

Locke wins the matchup against Karthus with a 50.0% win rate in League of Legends patch 26.13. The 0.0 percentage point advantage means Locke is slightly favored in this lane matchup based on 8 games analyzed.

What is the best Locke build against Karthus?

The best Locke build against Karthus includes Shadowflame, Zhonya's Hourglass, Nashor's Tooth with Spellslinger's Shoes. Check the matchup breakdown above for the full item path and build order.

What are the best Locke runes against Karthus?

The best Locke runes against Karthus use the Precision primary tree with Inspiration secondary. This rune setup achieves a 100.0% win rate in the Locke vs Karthus matchup. See the full rune breakdown in the matchup comparison above.

Does Locke counter Karthus?

Yes, Locke has a favorable matchup against Karthus with a 50.0% win rate. Locke slightly edges out Karthus in lane based on current patch 26.13 data.

How do I play Locke against Karthus?

When playing Locke against Karthus, leverage your statistical advantages by trading aggressively during favorable windows. Play safe early and scale into your power spikes where you outperform Karthus. Build the recommended items and runes for this specific matchup for the best results.