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

Smoldervs Nilah

AMarksmanMage
Patch26.11
Matches776,441
LaneAll Lanes
TierAll Tiers
Last UpdatedJun 7, 2026
MethodologyData Methodology

Smolder vs Nilah is a decisive matchup in LoL patch 26.11. Smolder wins with a 56.1% win rate (+12.3%) over Nilah based on 57 games. Nilah 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 Nilah 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 - 56.1% win rate in this matchup
Smolder
56.1% WR
VS
Nilah vs Smolder matchup - 43.9% win rate
Nilah
43.9% WR

Who Wins the Smolder vs Nilah Matchup?

Smolder wins the Smolder vs Nilah matchup
Winner
Smolder
Matches: 57
56.1%
Win Rate
43.9%
7.3
CS / min
6.7
1,052
DMG / min
772
14,701
Gold / game
14,941
204
Heal / min
342
381
DMG Mitigated / min
759
0.4
CC / min
0.3
36.8%
Early Game WR
63.2%
65.8%
Late Game WR
34.2%

Smolder vs Nilah Matchup Summary

The Smolder vs Nilah matchup is a decisive matchup in League of Legends ranked play. Based on 57 recent matches analyzed, Smolder wins with a 56.1% win rate compared to Nilah's 43.9%, giving Smolder a 12.3 percentage point advantage. Game phase dynamics play a critical role here: Nilah controls the early laning stage, but Smolder outscales as the game goes longer. The matchup shifts dramatically depending on game length — Nilah 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 Nilah leads by 516 HP/min — a difference that heavily influences the outcome of trades and skirmishes. Smolder players can confidently pick into Nilah and play aggressively from level 1. Look to establish lane dominance early through favorable trades and zone Nilah away from CS whenever possible. Understanding these matchup dynamics is essential for champion select decisions and in-game strategy when facing this lane opponent.

Smolder vs Nilah Laning Phase Breakdown

Smolder wins the laning phase against Nilah in League of Legends

Smolder is favored during the laning phase against Nilah, winning 3 out of 5 key stat categories. Smolder holds advantages in farming, damage and crowd control, making them the stronger laner in this matchup.

Farming
7.3Smolder
6.7Nilah
Smolder edges out Nilah by 0.5 CS per minute — a moderate farming advantage that adds up to roughly 8 CS over a 15-minute laning phase. This translates to earlier component purchases and slightly faster power spikes for Smolder.
Damage
1,052Smolder
772Nilah
Smolder heavily out-damages Nilah by 279 DMG/min, dominating both short trades and all-in fights. Nilah should avoid extended combat and instead focus on burst trade patterns — short engages followed by immediate disengagement — to avoid letting Smolder's sustained damage advantage take over.
Economy
14,701Smolder
14,941Nilah
Smolder and Nilah generate nearly equal gold per game, with just a 240 gold difference. Neither champion has a clear economic advantage, so gold leads will depend on individual play quality, kill participation, and objective contributions.
Utility
0.4Smolder
0.3Nilah
Both Smolder and Nilah 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
585Smolder
1,101Nilah
Nilah vastly out-sustains Smolder, healing and mitigating 516 more damage per minute. This massive durability gap means Nilah 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
Nilah
63.2%
+26.3% advantage
Smolder early game win rateSmolder36.8%
Nilah early game win rateNilah63.2%
Late Game
Smolder
65.8%
+31.6% advantage
Smolder late game win rateSmolder65.8%
Nilah late game win rateNilah34.2%

Nilah dominates the early game (first 15 minutes) with a commanding 63.2% win rate — a 26.3 percentage point lead over Smolder. This lopsided early game means Nilah 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 65.8% win rate — 31.6 points above Nilah. 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: Nilah 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 Nilah

Sorcery rune tree - Smolder primary runes vs NilahSorcery
Deathfire Touch - best Smolder rune vs NilahNimbus Cloak - best Smolder rune vs NilahCelerity - best Smolder rune vs NilahGathering Storm - best Smolder rune vs Nilah
Inspiration rune tree - Smolder secondary runes vs NilahInspiration
Magical Footwear - best Smolder rune vs NilahJack Of All Trades - best Smolder rune vs Nilah
80.0% WR

Running Sorcery primary with Inspiration secondary allows Smolder to press their advantage against Nilah, amplifying the strengths that make this a favorable matchup.


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 Nilah - Frequently Asked Questions

How does Smolder do against Nilah in League of Legends?

Smolder wins the Smolder vs Nilah matchup with a 56.1% win rate compared to Nilah's 43.9%, a 12.3 percentage point difference. This data is based on 57 recent ranked games in patch 26.11.

How does Smolder do against Nilah in the early game?

In the early game, Nilah has the advantage against Smolder with a 63.2% win rate versus 36.8%. Nilah players should look to press their lane advantage through aggressive trades and wave control during the first 15 minutes.

How does Smolder do against Nilah in the late game?

In the late game, Smolder takes over the Smolder vs Nilah matchup with a 65.8% win rate compared to 34.2%. Smolder scales better into team fights and objective contests after 25 minutes.

Who wins the Smolder vs Nilah matchup?

Smolder wins the matchup against Nilah with a 56.1% win rate in League of Legends patch 26.11. The 12.3 percentage point advantage means Smolder is significantly favored in this lane matchup based on 57 games analyzed.

What is the best Smolder build against Nilah?

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

What are the best Smolder runes against Nilah?

The best Smolder runes against Nilah use the Sorcery primary tree with Inspiration secondary. This rune setup achieves a 80.0% win rate in the Smolder vs Nilah matchup. See the full rune breakdown in the matchup comparison above.

Does Smolder counter Nilah?

Yes, Smolder has a favorable matchup against Nilah with a 56.1% win rate. Smolder strongly counters Nilah in lane based on current patch 26.11 data.

How do I play Smolder against Nilah?

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