Nilah

Nilah Counters

52.32%WR
Nilah S tier

The best Nilah counters in League of Legends patch 26.1 are Sivir, Jinx, Lucian, Varus, Draven. The best Nilah counter is Sivir, with Nilah having only a 42.11% win rate in this matchup. Secondary patch 26.1 Nilah counter choices are Caitlyn, MissFortune, Smolder, Aphelios, Zeri. Below are the top Nilah counters and matchups alongside their win rates.

  • Nilah passive ability - Joy Unending - League of Legends
    Joy Unending

    Joy Unending

    Nilah gains increased experience from last-hitting minions along with the ability to enhance and share nearby healing and shielding from her allies.

  • Nilah Q ability - Formless Blade - League of Legends
    Formless Blade

    Formless Blade

    With a snap of her whip-blade, Nilah damages any enemies she hits in a straight line in her chosen direction. This action extends her attack range for a short duration.

    Cost:
    • 30
    Cooldown:
    • 4
    Range:
    • 600
  • Nilah W ability - Jubilant Veil - League of Legends
    Jubilant Veil

    Jubilant Veil

    Nilah envelops herself in mist, increasing her movement speed and allowing her to gracefully dodge all incoming attacks. Any allies she touches during the mist's duration will also gain this effect.

    Cost:
    • 60/
    • 45/
    • 30/
    • 15/
    • 0
    Cooldown:
    • 26/
    • 25/
    • 24/
    • 23/
    • 22
    Range:
    • 150
  • Nilah E ability - Slipstream - League of Legends
    Slipstream

    Slipstream

    Nilah enthusiastically dashes toward her target, dealing damage to any enemies she passes through on the way.

    Cost:
    • 40
    Cooldown:
    • 1
    Range:
    • 550
  • Nilah R ultimate ability - Apotheosis - League of Legends
    Apotheosis

    Apotheosis

    Twirling her whip-blade in joyful exuberance, Nilah deals damage to enemies around her before pulling them closer with her weapon.

    Cost:
    • 100
    Cooldown:
    • 110/
    • 95/
    • 80
    Range:
    • 400
Classes:
  • Fighter,
  • Assassin
Patch:26.1
Sample Size:687,817 ranked games
Lane:All Lanes
Tier:All Tiers
Last Updated:

These champions are Nilah's hardest counters in League of Legends patch 26.1. Sivir is Nilah's biggest counter with only a 42.11% win rate for Nilah. When facing these Nilah counter picks, focus on safe farming and waiting for jungle assistance. Avoid extended trades and play around your power spikes to survive difficult Nilah matchups.

When facing Nilah in League of Legends, understanding Nilah's primary damage profile is essential for building effective counter strategies. Nilah deals primarily physical damage, which means prioritizing armor in your defensive itemization will significantly reduce Nilah's threat in fights. Top defensive items against Nilah include Plated Steelcaps, Frozen Heart, Randuin's Omen, and Thornmail. These items provide substantial armor stats that directly mitigate Nilah's damage output throughout all stages of the game.

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

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

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

EARLYEarly Game (Levels 1-6)

Nilah may look for extended trades. Avoid long fights and kite with slows. Short trades favor you against sustained damage.

MIDMid Game (Levels 7-13)

Nilah becomes increasingly tanky mid game. Focus on kiting and percent health damage. Avoid fighting in choke points.

LATELate Game (Levels 14-18)

Nilah is very durable late game. Use armor penetration or anti-tank items. Focus squishier targets first if Nilah is too tanky.

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

  • Pick Sivir or similar champions with kits that exploit Nilah's weaknesses
  • Build Plated Steelcaps or Seeker's Armguard early to reduce Nilah's damage in lane
  • Track Nilah's cooldowns and engage when key abilities are unavailable
  • Ward Nilah's common roam paths and ping missing immediately
  • Coordinate with your jungler to gank Nilah during vulnerable windows
  • Group with teammates to deny Nilah solo picks
  • Place control wards in flanking positions to spot Nilah's engages

Nilah performs exceptionally well against these champions in patch 26.1. Ezreal is Nilah's best matchup with a 64.18% win rate. When playing Nilah into these favorable matchups, look for early aggression and lane dominance. Nilah can capitalize on these champions' weaknesses to snowball leads and carry games.

Nilah Counters - Frequently Asked Questions

Who counters Nilah?

The best Nilah counters are Sivir, Jinx, and Lucian. These champions have favorable matchups against Nilah and can exploit Nilah's weaknesses effectively in League of Legends patch 26.1.

What is Nilah's hardest counter?

Sivir is Nilah's hardest counter with Nilah having only a 42.11% win rate in this matchup. Jinx (45.61% WR) and Lucian (46.46% WR) are also strong Nilah counters.

Who does Nilah counter?

Nilah performs well against Ezreal, Twitch, and Kai'Sa. These are Nilah's best matchups where Nilah has favorable win rates and can dominate lane in patch 26.1.

How do I beat Nilah in lane?

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

What items counter Nilah?

The best items to counter Nilah are Plated Steelcaps, Frozen Heart, Randuin's Omen, and Thornmail. These items provide armor which directly reduces Nilah's damage. Consider building these items early if you're struggling against Nilah in lane.

When is Nilah weakest?

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

How do I play Nilah into counter matchups?

When playing Nilah into counters like Sivir, 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 Nilah's counters?

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