Skarner Counters
The best Skarner counters in League of Legends patch 26.1 are Rammus, Lillia, Gwen, Nasus, DrMundo. The best Skarner counter is Rammus, with Skarner having only a 9.09% win rate in this matchup. Secondary patch 26.1 Skarner counter choices are Shaco, Viego, Rengar, Jax, Teemo. Below are the top Skarner counters and matchups alongside their win rates.
Threads of Vibration
Skarner's Attacks, Shattered Earth, Upheaval, and Impale, apply Quaking. At max stacks of Quaking, enemies take max Health magic damage over its duration.
Shattered Earth / Upheaval
Skarner rips a boulder from the earth that empowers his attacks and can be thrown as a powerful projectile.
Cost:- 45
Cooldown:- 8/
- 7/
- 6/
- 4/
- 3
Range:- 400
Seismic Bastion
Skarner gains a shield and creates an earthquake whose shockwave damages and slows foes.
Cost:- 60/
- 65/
- 70/
- 75/
- 80
Cooldown:- 10/
- 9/
- 8/
- 7/
- 6
Range:- 700
Ixtal's Impact
Skarner charges forward and passes through terrain. If he collides with a champion or large monster, he'll slam them into the next wall he hits to damage and stun them.
Cost:- 50/
- 55/
- 60/
- 65/
- 70
Cooldown:- 22/
- 21/
- 20/
- 19/
- 18
Range:- 1700
Impale
Skarner's tails lash forward to suppress enemy champions. Once suppressed, the victims will be dragged along by Skarner as he moves around.
Cost:- 100
Cooldown:- 120/
- 105/
- 90
Range:- 625
- Tank,
- Fighter
These champions are Skarner's hardest counters in League of Legends patch 26.1. Rammus is Skarner's biggest counter with only a 9.09% win rate for Skarner. When facing these Skarner counter picks, focus on safe farming and waiting for jungle assistance. Avoid extended trades and play around your power spikes to survive difficult Skarner matchups.
Rammus
Lillia
Gwen
Nasus
Dr. Mundo
Shaco
Viego
Rengar
Jax
Teemo
When facing Skarner in League of Legends, understanding Skarner's primary damage profile is essential for building effective counter strategies. Skarner deals primarily physical damage, which means prioritizing armor in your defensive itemization will significantly reduce Skarner's threat in fights. Top defensive items against Skarner include Plated Steelcaps, Frozen Heart, Randuin's Omen, and Thornmail. These items provide substantial armor stats that directly mitigate Skarner's damage output throughout all stages of the game.
From a champion selection perspective, the strongest Skarner counters are Rammus, Lillia, Gwen, and Nasus. These champions either out-trade Skarner in lane, have abilities that negate Skarner's core mechanics, or scale better into team fights. Rammus in particular exploits Skarner's weaknesses by providing consistent pressure while being difficult to punish.
Beyond item builds and counter picks, successful counter play against Skarner involves understanding Skarner's power spikes and cooldown windows. Engage on Skarner when key abilities are on cooldown, and coordinate with your team to focus Skarner in team fights before Skarner can output maximum damage. Vision control is also crucial when playing against Skarner to avoid getting caught out of position. By combining proper defensive itemization with smart champion selection and strategic gameplay, you can effectively neutralize Skarner's impact and secure victory.
Understanding Skarner's power curve is essential for effective counter play. Here's when Skarner is most vulnerable throughout the game.
EARLYEarly Game (Levels 1-6)
Skarner may look for extended trades. Avoid long fights and kite with slows. Short trades favor you against sustained damage.
MIDMid Game (Levels 7-13)
Skarner becomes increasingly tanky mid game. Focus on kiting and percent health damage. Avoid fighting in choke points.
LATELate Game (Levels 14-18)
Skarner is very durable late game. Use armor penetration or anti-tank items. Focus squishier targets first if Skarner is too tanky.
Use these actionable tips to gain an advantage when facing Skarner in lane or team fights.
- Pick Rammus or similar champions with kits that exploit Skarner's weaknesses
- Build Plated Steelcaps or Seeker's Armguard early to reduce Skarner's damage in lane
- Track Skarner's cooldowns and engage when key abilities are unavailable
- Ward Skarner's common roam paths and ping missing immediately
- Coordinate with your jungler to gank Skarner during vulnerable windows
- Avoid extended trades where Skarner can stack sustained damage
- Kite Skarner with slows and crowd control
Skarner performs exceptionally well against these champions in patch 26.1. Elise is Skarner's best matchup with a 85.71% win rate. When playing Skarner into these favorable matchups, look for early aggression and lane dominance. Skarner can capitalize on these champions' weaknesses to snowball leads and carry games.
Elise
Wukong
Vi
Sylas
Hecarim
Malphite
Jayce
Shyvana
Jarvan IV
Warwick
Skarner Counters - Frequently Asked Questions
Who counters Skarner?
The best Skarner counters are Rammus, Lillia, and Gwen. These champions have favorable matchups against Skarner and can exploit Skarner's weaknesses effectively in League of Legends patch 26.1.
What is Skarner's hardest counter?
Rammus is Skarner's hardest counter with Skarner having only a 9.09% win rate in this matchup. Lillia (11.11% WR) and Gwen (21.43% WR) are also strong Skarner counters.
Who does Skarner counter?
Skarner performs well against Elise, Wukong, and Vi. These are Skarner's best matchups where Skarner has favorable win rates and can dominate lane in patch 26.1.
How do I beat Skarner in lane?
To beat Skarner in lane, pick a counter champion like Rammus or Lillia. Focus on trading when Skarner's key abilities are on cooldown, and build armor items to reduce Skarner's damage output. Ward defensively and call for jungle assistance if Skarner gains an advantage.
What items counter Skarner?
The best items to counter Skarner are Plated Steelcaps, Frozen Heart, Randuin's Omen, and Thornmail. These items provide armor which directly reduces Skarner's damage. Consider building these items early if you're struggling against Skarner in lane.
When is Skarner weakest?
Skarner is typically weakest during specific power troughs between item spikes. Exploit windows when Skarner's ultimate or key abilities are on cooldown. Coordinate with your team to engage on Skarner before Skarner can set up fights on Skarner's own terms.
How do I play Skarner into counter matchups?
When playing Skarner into counters like Rammus, 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 Skarner's counters?
If Rammus, Lillia, or Gwen are banned or picked, look for champions with similar kits that can exploit Skarner's weaknesses. Champions with crowd control, burst damage, or sustained damage (depending on Skarner's vulnerabilities) can serve as alternative counters.