- Win Rate
- 46.4%
- Pick Rate
- 2.5%
- Ban Rate
- 23.9%
Locke How to Play: Tips & Power Spikes
- Patch
- 26.22
- Games
- 4,818
- Lane
- Mid
- Tier
- All Tiers
- Last Updated
- Nov 14, 2026 UTC
- Author
- Dakota Chinnick
- Methodology
- Data Methodology
How to play Locke in Patch 26.22, built from ranked games: power spikes, the lane plan, how leads convert, and the habits that separate Locke wins from losses.
- Max order
- Q > E > W
- First item
- Lich Bane11.4 min
- Gold vs lane at 15
- +213
- Win rate 1k gold ahead
- 63.9%
- Win rate 1k gold behind
- 26.9%
How to Play Locke (Patch 26.22)
MidLocke is a lane bully: trade early and often, push the advantage, and turn the gold lead into the first item spike. Locke's spikes in a typical ranked game: All three basic abilities at level 3; Ultimate rank 1 at level 6; Ultimate rank 2 at level 11; Ultimate rank 3 at level 16; First item at 11.4 min.
Locke Power Spikes (Patch 26.22)
MidWhen Locke Mid gets stronger, in the order it happens in a typical ranked game: ability unlocks from the most common skill order, item spikes at the median minute players finish them, and the game length Locke wins most.
- Lv 3All three basic abilities at level 3Locke's full combo is online — the first point where trading all-in is realistic.
- Lv 6Ultimate rank 1 at level 6The biggest early spike: look for a kill or a roam as soon as Locke hits it.
- Lv 11Ultimate rank 2 at level 11Lower ultimate cooldown means more fights Locke can start or win.
- Lv 16Ultimate rank 3 at level 16Lower ultimate cooldown means more fights Locke can start or win.
- 11.4 minFirst item at 11.4 min
Lich Bane is done — Locke's first real damage or durability spike. - 19.1 minTwo items at 19.1 min
Lich Bane + Stormsurge: the window to group and take objectives. - 20 minStrongest in games of about 20 minutesLocke wins 53.2% of games that end around this point.
- 24.8 minThree-item core at 24.8 min
Lich Bane + Stormsurge + Rabadon's Deathcap completes Locke's core build.
Item timings are medians: half of players finish later. Fall behind in farm and every item spike moves back with it.
Locke Mid Laning Plan
On average Locke Mid is 213 gold ahead of the lane opponent at 15 minutes and ahead in 55% of games. A 1,000-gold lead at 15 turns into a 64% win rate; a 1,000-gold deficit leaves 27%. Locke averages 1.13 solo kills by 15 minutes.
Locke win rate by gold at 15
Lane matchups that decide the plan
Know every Locke lane matchup in champ select
The Matchup Assistant overlay opens in champ select with your win rate against the enemy laner, lane gold and CS leads, their counters and a build for the matchup, and imports your runes for you.
- Win rate vs your laner
- Lane gold and CS leads
- Matchup build and runes
Locke Mid and Late Game
What Locke does better or worse than other champions after laning, from this patch's ranked games — percentiles where 100 is the highest of every champion.
Mistakes to avoid
- Vision is a weak spot (23/100): buy Control Wards and sweep before you face-check.
These expert Locke tips are generated by MetaBot's advanced analysis of thousands of Locke games. Learn the best strategies, ability combos, and gameplay tactics to master Locke and climb the ranked ladder. Follow these tips to maximize your Locke performance.
- Locke has less crowd control than most champions. This can make locking down kills or ganking for other players more difficult.
- Locke has less damage per game than most other damage-based champions. Your value to the team may be better oriented towards crowd control or securing objectives.
- Locke has a high rate of healing compared to other champions. They may be good at exchanging hit trades in lane or before teamfights since they can recover through self-healing.
- Locke has more health regen than most champions, making their playstyle optimal for aggressive trades in lane.
Help us maintain accuracy! If you notice incorrect stats, missing data, or any issues, your feedback directly improves the quality of our data for the entire community.
How to Play Locke FAQ - Patch 26.22
When does Locke power spike?
Locke's spikes in a typical ranked game: All three basic abilities at level 3; Ultimate rank 1 at level 6; Ultimate rank 2 at level 11; Ultimate rank 3 at level 16; First item at 11.4 min.
Can Locke come back from behind?
Locke wins 33% of games when behind in gold at 15 minutes (over 2,063 games), against 57% when ahead — so a lost lane costs Locke games, but it is not decisive.
What is Locke's first item?
Most Locke players finish Lich Bane first, at a median of 11.4 minutes.
Which lanes are hardest for Locke?
By gold at 15 minutes, Locke falls furthest behind against Diana, Zed. Play those lanes safe and scale.