Locke How to Play: Tips & Power Spikes

When Locke Top 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.

1. Lv 3
   All three basic abilities at level 3

   Locke's full combo is online — the first point where trading all-in is realistic.
2. Lv 6
   Ultimate rank 1 at level 6

   The biggest early spike: look for a kill or a roam as soon as Locke hits it.
3. Lv 11
   Ultimate rank 2 at level 11

   Lower ultimate cooldown means more fights Locke can start or win.
4. Lv 16
   Ultimate rank 3 at level 16

   Lower ultimate cooldown means more fights Locke can start or win.
5. 11.5 min
   First item at 11.5 min

   Lich Bane is done — Locke's first real damage or durability spike.
6. 20.6 min
   Two items at 20.6 min

   ›Lich Bane + Shadowflame: the window to group and take objectives.
7. 35 min
   Strongest in games of about 35 minutes

   Locke wins 44.9% of games that end around this point.

Item timings are medians: half of players finish later. Fall behind in farm and every item spike moves back with it.

Locke plays an even lane: no extreme in gold, leads or scaling, so the matchup decides how hard to push. On average Locke Top is 58 gold ahead of the lane opponent at 15 minutes and ahead in 49% of games. A 1,000-gold lead at 15 turns into a 56% win rate; a 1,000-gold deficit leaves 28%. Locke averages 1.74 solo kills by 15 minutes.

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.