Smolder - League of Legends Champion
Win Rate
51.0%
Pick Rate
6.5%

Smoldervs Aphelios

AMarksmanMage
Patch26.11
Matches776,441
LaneAll Lanes
TierAll Tiers
Last UpdatedJun 6, 2026
MethodologyData Methodology

Smolder vs Aphelios is a very close matchup in LoL patch 26.11. Smolder wins with a 50.0% win rate (+0.0%) over Aphelios based on 172 games. Aphelios wins the early laning phase while Smolder scales better into the late game. Below you'll find the best Smolder build, runes, laning stats, and strategies for the Smolder vs Aphelios matchup.

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Smolder Matchup Breakdown

Use the dropdown to select an opponent and see a detailed breakdown of how Smolder performs against them. You'll get head-to-head win rates, laning stats, the best build and runes for the matchup, and early vs late game analysis — all based on real ranked data.

Compare against an opponent
Smolder - 50.0% win rate in this matchup
Smolder
50.0% WR
VS
Aphelios vs Smolder matchup - 50.0% win rate
Aphelios
50.0% WR

Who Wins the Smolder vs Aphelios Matchup?

Smolder wins the Smolder vs Aphelios matchup
Winner
Smolder
Matches: 172
50.0%
Win Rate
50.0%
6.9
CS / min
6.9
927
DMG / min
1,003
13,561
Gold / game
14,240
205
Heal / min
252
367
DMG Mitigated / min
497
0.4
CC / min
0.5
45.1%
Early Game WR
54.9%
53.5%
Late Game WR
46.5%

Smolder vs Aphelios Matchup Summary

The Smolder vs Aphelios matchup is essentially a coin-flip matchup in League of Legends ranked play. Based on 172 recent matches analyzed, Smolder wins with a 50.0% win rate compared to Aphelios's 50.0%, giving Smolder a 0.0 percentage point advantage. Game phase dynamics play a critical role here: Aphelios controls the early laning stage, but Smolder outscales as the game goes longer. The matchup shifts dramatically depending on game length — Aphelios needs to press advantages before Smolder reaches their power spikes, while Smolder should focus on safe farming and hitting key item breakpoints. The most significant statistical gap is in sustain, where Aphelios leads by 176 HP/min — a difference that heavily influences the outcome of trades and skirmishes. Smolder has a statistical edge, but the margin is close enough that respecting Aphelios's strengths is important. Trade when cooldowns are favorable, track the enemy jungler, and build toward your strongest item spikes to convert the slight advantage into a decisive lead. Understanding these matchup dynamics is essential for champion select decisions and in-game strategy when facing this lane opponent.

Smolder vs Aphelios Laning Phase Breakdown

Aphelios wins the laning phase against Smolder in League of Legends

Aphelios is favored during the laning phase against Smolder, winning 5 out of 5 key stat categories. Aphelios holds advantages in farming, damage, gold income, crowd control and sustain, making them the stronger laner in this matchup.

Farming
6.9Smolder
6.9Aphelios
Smolder and Aphelios farm at nearly identical rates in this matchup, with only a 0.0 CS/min difference. Neither champion holds a meaningful farming advantage, so lane dominance will come from trading and jungle interaction rather than CS leads.
Damage
927Smolder
1,003Aphelios
Aphelios deals 75 more champion damage per minute than Smolder. While noticeable in extended trades, this gap can be offset by Smolder choosing favorable fight windows, such as engaging when Aphelios's key abilities are on cooldown or trading immediately after dodging a skillshot.
Economy
13,561Smolder
14,240Aphelios
Aphelios earns 680 more gold per game than Smolder, equivalent to roughly one additional component item. This economic edge comes from a combination of better farming, kill participation, and objective control, giving Aphelios slightly faster item completions.
Utility
0.4Smolder
0.5Aphelios
Both Smolder and Aphelios provide similar amounts of crowd control (0.1s/min difference), meaning neither has a significant advantage in locking down opponents for ganks or team fights. Lane ganks are equally effective for both sides.
Sustain
573Smolder
749Aphelios
Aphelios vastly out-sustains Smolder, healing and mitigating 176 more damage per minute. This massive durability gap means Aphelios can absorb significant punishment and remain in lane while Smolder is forced to recall. Building grievous wounds early is essential for Smolder, and focusing on burst trade patterns rather than sustained fights is critical.

Early Game vs Late Game

Early Game
Aphelios
54.9%
+9.9% advantage
Smolder early game win rateSmolder45.1%
Aphelios early game win rateAphelios54.9%
Late Game
Smolder
53.5%
+6.9% advantage
Smolder late game win rateSmolder53.5%
Aphelios late game win rateAphelios46.5%

Aphelios dominates the early game (first 15 minutes) with a commanding 54.9% win rate — a 9.9 percentage point lead over Smolder. This lopsided early game means Aphelios can dictate the pace of the lane from level 1, controlling trades, wave state, and river priority.

Smolder is far superior in the late game (25+ minutes), boasting a 53.5% win rate — 6.9 points above Aphelios. Extended games heavily favor Smolder, whose kit and scaling make them a dominant force in team fights and objective control.

This matchup features a dramatic power shift: Aphelios must aggressively press their early advantage and close out the game before Smolder reaches their scaling breakpoints. If Smolder survives the laning phase without falling too far behind, the matchup flips in their favor. Dragon and Rift Herald control are pivotal — the team that secures early objectives can snowball or buy time to scale.

Best Smolder Runes Against Aphelios

Sorcery rune tree - Smolder primary runes vs ApheliosSorcery
Deathfire Touch - best Smolder rune vs ApheliosNimbus Cloak - best Smolder rune vs ApheliosCelerity - best Smolder rune vs ApheliosGathering Storm - best Smolder rune vs Aphelios
Inspiration rune tree - Smolder secondary runes vs ApheliosInspiration
Magical Footwear - best Smolder rune vs ApheliosJack Of All Trades - best Smolder rune vs Aphelios
58.8% WR

The Sorcery primary with Inspiration secondary combination helps Smolder maximize their potential in this closely contested matchup, providing the right mix of offensive and defensive tools to edge out Aphelios.


Smolder matchup data for League of Legends patch 26.11. The table below shows Smolder's win rate, gold difference, and performance stats against every champion in the current meta. Click any champion name to see a detailed head-to-head breakdown including the best Smolder build, runes, laning stats, and early vs late game analysis for that specific matchup.

Smolder matchup win rates and stats in League of Legends patch 26.11
Opponent
Win Rate
Matches
CS/min
DMG/min
Gold/game
Early WR
Late WR
50.14%1,0636.892013,33746.8%52.2%
52.72%8086.792613,30347.1%56.6%
51.63%8006.691913,14050.3%52.5%
51.07%7936.992813,09550.1%51.8%
53.04%7906.789613,04346.7%57.4%
58.46%4676.997113,27749.7%63.7%
54.19%4066.997513,55443.8%61.1%
52.15%3726.997613,23353.2%51.4%
44.22%3466.686113,19041.2%46.2%
49.54%3256.894213,24046.7%51.6%
43.28%3056.998813,29638.5%46.5%
52.51%2996.795713,38947.5%55.8%
54.01%2876.795213,59050.0%56.9%
58.95%2856.998813,72257.3%60.1%
50.41%2426.994913,27740.6%58.1%
48.28%2326.995213,31848.5%48.1%
55.45%2026.899113,88243.0%63.4%
50.00%1726.992713,56145.1%53.5%
52.41%1667.395213,48152.0%52.8%
53.55%1557.092513,44138.6%62.2%
52.38%1476.91,05414,27043.4%57.5%
51.72%1167.51,03313,70463.8%43.5%
48.18%1106.699413,96630.0%58.6%
53.85%1046.787613,11041.2%60.0%
44.00%1006.889713,55231.4%50.8%
48.35%916.680812,82131.4%58.9%
46.34%826.71,08613,57337.0%50.9%
54.55%776.593113,94440.0%61.5%
51.35%746.882412,87932.0%61.2%
52.94%687.192012,73147.1%58.8%
58.21%677.099413,22250.0%65.7%
45.76%596.796313,45657.9%40.0%
56.14%577.31,05214,70136.8%65.8%
44.19%437.092113,33737.5%48.1%
45.24%427.21,04413,93050.0%42.9%
50.00%426.994513,16733.3%66.7%
48.72%397.01,17613,73042.9%52.0%
51.52%337.389911,85553.3%50.0%
34.38%326.989112,03129.4%40.0%
30.00%307.081311,47727.8%33.3%
62.96%277.386213,67157.1%65.0%
50.00%246.71,00013,57950.0%50.0%
52.17%236.789712,98855.6%50.0%
52.17%237.41,15612,96154.5%50.0%
59.09%226.497913,88642.9%66.7%
47.62%217.587513,70125.0%61.5%
47.37%196.51,06813,14428.6%58.3%
47.06%176.595812,19042.9%50.0%
35.29%177.198713,7430.0%46.1%
41.18%177.392212,00937.5%44.4%
41.18%176.81,04512,86440.0%41.7%
52.94%176.178911,96142.9%60.0%
56.25%166.01,25312,59050.0%60.0%
56.25%167.076011,64544.4%71.4%
56.25%167.01,32415,51650.0%58.3%
75.00%167.11,01614,08583.3%70.0%
40.00%156.386010,18428.6%50.0%
64.29%147.01,11314,21940.0%77.8%
71.43%147.21,40713,64350.0%80.0%
35.71%146.81,02610,58444.4%20.0%
28.57%146.985512,4360.0%50.0%
38.46%136.598213,35416.7%57.1%
53.85%136.596013,44366.7%50.0%
53.85%136.785512,72280.0%37.5%
53.85%136.999512,50642.9%66.7%
38.46%136.71,10012,4620.0%45.5%
27.27%116.995412,10425.0%28.6%
54.55%117.176611,43637.5%100.0%
18.18%116.65969,20716.7%20.0%
45.45%116.674512,14442.9%50.0%
80.00%107.11,06112,83775.0%83.3%
40.00%107.21,04714,46325.0%50.0%
60.00%106.71,18314,65433.3%71.4%
60.00%106.788810,00657.1%66.7%
50.00%107.01,22516,291100.0%37.5%
60.00%106.999314,336100.0%50.0%
55.56%97.194112,26460.0%50.0%
44.44%96.61,00811,04840.0%50.0%
66.67%96.81,08510,49360.0%75.0%
87.50%86.579313,693100.0%83.3%
50.00%86.05767,79860.0%33.3%
12.50%87.463210,31120.0%0.0%
50.00%86.275812,02150.0%50.0%
62.50%88.01,07614,75775.0%50.0%
37.50%87.31,20214,1310.0%50.0%
42.86%77.078811,09033.3%50.0%
42.86%76.392511,98250.0%40.0%
57.14%76.59538,33350.0%66.7%
42.86%75.71,0988,97260.0%0.0%
66.67%66.593911,09433.3%100.0%
33.33%68.083412,04833.3%33.3%
50.00%66.175814,7840.0%60.0%
50.00%66.393711,42933.3%66.7%
50.00%67.073910,87350.0%50.0%
50.00%67.11,20312,44633.3%66.7%
60.00%57.01,0159,37833.3%100.0%
60.00%56.71,22013,04050.0%66.7%
40.00%57.374211,42450.0%0.0%
20.00%55.276511,06333.3%0.0%
40.00%56.377412,8620.0%50.0%
60.00%57.391114,8880.0%60.0%
40.00%56.41,01213,72550.0%33.3%
20.00%57.398014,209100.0%0.0%

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Smolder vs Aphelios - Frequently Asked Questions

How does Smolder do against Aphelios in League of Legends?

Smolder wins the Smolder vs Aphelios matchup with a 50.0% win rate compared to Aphelios's 50.0%, a 0.0 percentage point difference. This data is based on 172 recent ranked games in patch 26.11.

How does Smolder do against Aphelios in the early game?

In the early game, Aphelios has the advantage against Smolder with a 54.9% win rate versus 45.1%. Aphelios players should look to press their lane advantage through aggressive trades and wave control during the first 15 minutes.

How does Smolder do against Aphelios in the late game?

In the late game, Smolder takes over the Smolder vs Aphelios matchup with a 53.5% win rate compared to 46.5%. Smolder scales better into team fights and objective contests after 25 minutes.

Who wins the Smolder vs Aphelios matchup?

Smolder wins the matchup against Aphelios with a 50.0% win rate in League of Legends patch 26.11. The 0.0 percentage point advantage means Smolder is slightly favored in this lane matchup based on 172 games analyzed.

What is the best Smolder build against Aphelios?

The best Smolder build against Aphelios includes optimized core items. Check the matchup breakdown above for the full item path and build order.

What are the best Smolder runes against Aphelios?

The best Smolder runes against Aphelios use the Sorcery primary tree with Inspiration secondary. This rune setup achieves a 58.8% win rate in the Smolder vs Aphelios matchup. See the full rune breakdown in the matchup comparison above.

Does Smolder counter Aphelios?

Yes, Smolder has a favorable matchup against Aphelios with a 50.0% win rate. Smolder slightly edges out Aphelios in lane based on current patch 26.11 data.

How do I play Smolder against Aphelios?

When playing Smolder against Aphelios, leverage your statistical advantages by trading aggressively during favorable windows. Play safe early and scale into your power spikes where you outperform Aphelios. Build the recommended items and runes for this specific matchup for the best results.