Nocturne Counters
The best Nocturne counters in League of Legends patch 26.1 are Nunu, Zac, Rammus, XinZhao, MasterYi. The best Nocturne counter is Nunu, with Nocturne having only a 39.13% win rate in this matchup. Secondary patch 26.1 Nocturne counter choices are Ekko, Amumu, Jax, Khazix, Viego. Below are the top Nocturne counters and matchups alongside their win rates.
Umbra Blades
Every few seconds, Nocturne's next attack strikes surrounding enemies for bonus physical damage and heals himself.
Nocturne's basic attacks reduce this cooldown.
Duskbringer
Nocturne throws a shadow blade that deals damage, leaves a Dusk Trail, and causes champions to leave a Dusk Trail. While on the trail, Nocturne can move through units and has increased Move Speed and Attack Damage.
Cost:- 60/
- 65/
- 70/
- 75/
- 80
Cooldown:- 8
Range:- 1125
Shroud of Darkness
Nocturne empowers his blades, passively gaining Attack Speed. Activating Shroud of Darkness allows Nocturne to fade into the shadows, creating a magical barrier which blocks a single enemy ability and doubles his passive Attack Speed if successful.
Cost:- 50
Cooldown:- 20/
- 18/
- 16/
- 14/
- 12
Range:- 20
Unspeakable Horror
Nocturne plants a nightmare into his target's mind, dealing damage each second and applying fear to the target if they do not get out of range by the end of the duration.
Cost:- 60/
- 65/
- 70/
- 75/
- 80
Cooldown:- 15/
- 14/
- 13/
- 12/
- 11
Range:- 425
Paranoia
Nocturne reduces the sight radius of all enemy champions and removes their ally vision in the process. He can then launch himself at a nearby enemy champion.
Cost:- 100
Cooldown:- 140/
- 115/
- 90
Range:- 2500/
- 3250/
- 4000
- Fighter,
- Assassin
These champions are Nocturne's hardest counters in League of Legends patch 26.1. Nunu is Nocturne's biggest counter with only a 39.13% win rate for Nocturne. When facing these Nocturne counter picks, focus on safe farming and waiting for jungle assistance. Avoid extended trades and play around your power spikes to survive difficult Nocturne matchups.
Nunu & Willump
Zac
Rammus
Xin Zhao
Master Yi
Ekko
Amumu
Jax
Kha'Zix
Viego
When facing Nocturne in League of Legends, understanding Nocturne's primary damage profile is essential for building effective counter strategies. Nocturne deals primarily physical damage, which means prioritizing armor in your defensive itemization will significantly reduce Nocturne's threat in fights. Top defensive items against Nocturne include Plated Steelcaps, Frozen Heart, Randuin's Omen, and Thornmail. These items provide substantial armor stats that directly mitigate Nocturne's damage output throughout all stages of the game.
From a champion selection perspective, the strongest Nocturne counters are Nunu, Zac, Rammus, and XinZhao. These champions either out-trade Nocturne in lane, have abilities that negate Nocturne's core mechanics, or scale better into team fights. Nunu in particular exploits Nocturne's weaknesses by providing consistent pressure while being difficult to punish.
Beyond item builds and counter picks, successful counter play against Nocturne involves understanding Nocturne's power spikes and cooldown windows. Engage on Nocturne when key abilities are on cooldown, and coordinate with your team to focus Nocturne in team fights before Nocturne can output maximum damage. Vision control is also crucial when playing against Nocturne to avoid getting caught out of position. By combining proper defensive itemization with smart champion selection and strategic gameplay, you can effectively neutralize Nocturne's impact and secure victory.
Understanding Nocturne's power curve is essential for effective counter play. Here's when Nocturne is most vulnerable throughout the game.
EARLYEarly Game (Levels 1-6)
Nocturne may look for extended trades. Avoid long fights and kite with slows. Short trades favor you against sustained damage.
MIDMid Game (Levels 7-13)
Nocturne becomes increasingly tanky mid game. Focus on kiting and percent health damage. Avoid fighting in choke points.
LATELate Game (Levels 14-18)
Nocturne is very durable late game. Use armor penetration or anti-tank items. Focus squishier targets first if Nocturne is too tanky.
Use these actionable tips to gain an advantage when facing Nocturne in lane or team fights.
- Pick Nunu or similar champions with kits that exploit Nocturne's weaknesses
- Build Plated Steelcaps or Seeker's Armguard early to reduce Nocturne's damage in lane
- Track Nocturne's cooldowns and engage when key abilities are unavailable
- Ward Nocturne's common roam paths and ping missing immediately
- Coordinate with your jungler to gank Nocturne during vulnerable windows
- Group with teammates to deny Nocturne solo picks
- Place control wards in flanking positions to spot Nocturne's engages
Nocturne performs exceptionally well against these champions in patch 26.1. Kindred is Nocturne's best matchup with a 67.35% win rate. When playing Nocturne into these favorable matchups, look for early aggression and lane dominance. Nocturne can capitalize on these champions' weaknesses to snowball leads and carry games.
Kindred
Udyr
Shaco
Graves
Volibear
Sejuani
Jarvan IV
Shyvana
Lee Sin
Zed
Nocturne Counters - Frequently Asked Questions
Who counters Nocturne?
The best Nocturne counters are Nunu, Zac, and Rammus. These champions have favorable matchups against Nocturne and can exploit Nocturne's weaknesses effectively in League of Legends patch 26.1.
What is Nocturne's hardest counter?
Nunu is Nocturne's hardest counter with Nocturne having only a 39.13% win rate in this matchup. Zac (40.43% WR) and Rammus (42.86% WR) are also strong Nocturne counters.
Who does Nocturne counter?
Nocturne performs well against Kindred, Udyr, and Shaco. These are Nocturne's best matchups where Nocturne has favorable win rates and can dominate lane in patch 26.1.
How do I beat Nocturne in lane?
To beat Nocturne in lane, pick a counter champion like Nunu or Zac. Focus on trading when Nocturne's key abilities are on cooldown, and build armor items to reduce Nocturne's damage output. Ward defensively and call for jungle assistance if Nocturne gains an advantage.
What items counter Nocturne?
The best items to counter Nocturne are Plated Steelcaps, Frozen Heart, Randuin's Omen, and Thornmail. These items provide armor which directly reduces Nocturne's damage. Consider building these items early if you're struggling against Nocturne in lane.
When is Nocturne weakest?
Nocturne is typically weakest during specific power troughs between item spikes. Exploit windows when Nocturne's ultimate or key abilities are on cooldown. Coordinate with your team to engage on Nocturne before Nocturne can set up fights on Nocturne's own terms.
How do I play Nocturne into counter matchups?
When playing Nocturne into counters like Nunu, 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 Nocturne's counters?
If Nunu, Zac, or Rammus are banned or picked, look for champions with similar kits that can exploit Nocturne's weaknesses. Champions with crowd control, burst damage, or sustained damage (depending on Nocturne's vulnerabilities) can serve as alternative counters.