Lucian Counters
The best Lucian counters in League of Legends patch 26.1 are Varus, Sivir, Vayne, Smolder, MissFortune. The best Lucian counter is Varus, with Lucian having only a 42.11% win rate in this matchup. Secondary patch 26.1 Lucian counter choices are Tristana, Caitlyn, Draven, Xayah, Twitch. Below are the top Lucian counters and matchups alongside their win rates.
Lightslinger
Whenever Lucian uses an ability, his next attack becomes a double-shot. When Lucian is healed or shielded by an ally, or when a nearby enemy Champion is immobilized, his next 2 basic attacks will deal bonus magic damage.
Piercing Light
Lucian shoots a bolt of piercing light through a target.
Cost:- 48/
- 56/
- 64/
- 72/
- 80
Cooldown:- 9/
- 8/
- 7/
- 6/
- 5
Range:- 500
Ardent Blaze
Lucian shoots a missile that explodes in a star shape, marking and briefly revealing enemies. Lucian gains Move Speed for attacking marked enemies.
Cost:- 60
Cooldown:- 14/
- 13/
- 12/
- 11/
- 10
Range:- 900
Relentless Pursuit
Lucian quickly dashes a short distance. Lightslinger attacks reduce Relentless Pursuit's cooldown.
Cost:- 40/
- 30/
- 20/
- 10/
- 0
Cooldown:- 18/
- 17/
- 16/
- 15/
- 14
Range:- 445
The Culling
Lucian unleashes a torrent of shots from his weapons.
Cost:- 100
Cooldown:- 110/
- 100/
- 90
Range:- 1400
- Marksman,
- Assassin
These champions are Lucian's hardest counters in League of Legends patch 26.1. Varus is Lucian's biggest counter with only a 42.11% win rate for Lucian. When facing these Lucian counter picks, focus on safe farming and waiting for jungle assistance. Avoid extended trades and play around your power spikes to survive difficult Lucian matchups.
Varus
Sivir
Vayne
Smolder
Miss Fortune
Tristana
Caitlyn
Draven
Xayah
Twitch
When facing Lucian in League of Legends, understanding Lucian's primary damage profile is essential for building effective counter strategies. Lucian deals primarily physical damage, which means prioritizing armor in your defensive itemization will significantly reduce Lucian's threat in fights. Top defensive items against Lucian include Plated Steelcaps, Frozen Heart, Randuin's Omen, and Thornmail. These items provide substantial armor stats that directly mitigate Lucian's damage output throughout all stages of the game.
From a champion selection perspective, the strongest Lucian counters are Varus, Sivir, Vayne, and Smolder. These champions either out-trade Lucian in lane, have abilities that negate Lucian's core mechanics, or scale better into team fights. Varus in particular exploits Lucian's weaknesses by providing consistent pressure while being difficult to punish.
Beyond item builds and counter picks, successful counter play against Lucian involves understanding Lucian's power spikes and cooldown windows. Engage on Lucian when key abilities are on cooldown, and coordinate with your team to focus Lucian in team fights before Lucian can output maximum damage. Vision control is also crucial when playing against Lucian to avoid getting caught out of position. By combining proper defensive itemization with smart champion selection and strategic gameplay, you can effectively neutralize Lucian's impact and secure victory.
Understanding Lucian's power curve is essential for effective counter play. Here's when Lucian is most vulnerable throughout the game.
EARLYEarly Game (Levels 1-6)
Lucian is weak to all-ins before completing attack speed items. Zone from farm and punish aggressive positioning. Supports with hard engage excel against Lucian.
MIDMid Game (Levels 7-13)
Lucian spikes hard with 2-3 items. Dive and burst before Lucian can kite. Assassins and engage supports are effective.
LATELate Game (Levels 14-18)
Lucian reaches maximum DPS potential late. Focus Lucian immediately in fights or use zone control to deny positioning.
Use these actionable tips to gain an advantage when facing Lucian in lane or team fights.
- Pick Varus or similar champions with kits that exploit Lucian's weaknesses
- Build Plated Steelcaps or Seeker's Armguard early to reduce Lucian's damage in lane
- Track Lucian's cooldowns and engage when key abilities are unavailable
- Ward Lucian's common roam paths and ping missing immediately
- Coordinate with your jungler to gank Lucian during vulnerable windows
- Group with teammates to deny Lucian solo picks
- Place control wards in flanking positions to spot Lucian's engages
Lucian performs exceptionally well against these champions in patch 26.1. Yunara is Lucian's best matchup with a 59.51% win rate. When playing Lucian into these favorable matchups, look for early aggression and lane dominance. Lucian can capitalize on these champions' weaknesses to snowball leads and carry games.
Yunara
Zeri
Nilah
Ezreal
Aphelios
Corki
Kai'Sa
Samira
Ashe
Jinx
Lucian Counters - Frequently Asked Questions
Who counters Lucian?
The best Lucian counters are Varus, Sivir, and Vayne. These champions have favorable matchups against Lucian and can exploit Lucian's weaknesses effectively in League of Legends patch 26.1.
What is Lucian's hardest counter?
Varus is Lucian's hardest counter with Lucian having only a 42.11% win rate in this matchup. Sivir (43.96% WR) and Vayne (44.41% WR) are also strong Lucian counters.
Who does Lucian counter?
Lucian performs well against Yunara, Zeri, and Nilah. These are Lucian's best matchups where Lucian has favorable win rates and can dominate lane in patch 26.1.
How do I beat Lucian in lane?
To beat Lucian in lane, pick a counter champion like Varus or Sivir. Focus on trading when Lucian's key abilities are on cooldown, and build armor items to reduce Lucian's damage output. Ward defensively and call for jungle assistance if Lucian gains an advantage.
What items counter Lucian?
The best items to counter Lucian are Plated Steelcaps, Frozen Heart, Randuin's Omen, and Thornmail. These items provide armor which directly reduces Lucian's damage. Consider building these items early if you're struggling against Lucian in lane.
When is Lucian weakest?
Lucian is typically weakest during specific power troughs between item spikes. Exploit windows when Lucian's ultimate or key abilities are on cooldown. Coordinate with your team to engage on Lucian before Lucian can set up fights on Lucian's own terms.
How do I play Lucian into counter matchups?
When playing Lucian into counters like Varus, 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 Lucian's counters?
If Varus, Sivir, or Vayne are banned or picked, look for champions with similar kits that can exploit Lucian's weaknesses. Champions with crowd control, burst damage, or sustained damage (depending on Lucian's vulnerabilities) can serve as alternative counters.