Sylas Counters
The best Sylas counters in League of Legends patch 26.1 are Yasuo, Lux, Volibear, Malzahar, Ekko. The best Sylas counter is Yasuo, with Sylas having only a 39.16% win rate in this matchup. Secondary patch 26.1 Sylas counter choices are Akali, Amumu, Vex, Mel, Syndra. Below are the top Sylas counters and matchups alongside their win rates.
Petricite Burst
After casting a spell, Sylas stores a charge of Petricite Burst. Sylas's basic attacks will expend a charge and whirl his energized chains around him dealing bonus magic damage to enemies hit. While Sylas has a charge of Petricite Burst, he gains attack speed.
Chain Lash
Sylas lashes his chains out, intersecting at his targeted location dealing damage to and slowing enemies.
After a delay, magical energy explodes from the intersection point dealing damage.Cost:- 55
Cooldown:- 10/
- 9/
- 8/
- 7/
- 6
Range:- 775
Kingslayer
Sylas lunges at an enemy with magical force dealing damage and healing himself against enemy champions.
Cost:- 50/
- 60/
- 70/
- 80/
- 90
Cooldown:- 12/
- 11/
- 9/
- 8/
- 6
Range:- 400
Abscond / Abduct
Sylas dashes to a location. Sylas can recast the ability to throw his chains out, pulling himself to an enemy he hits.
Cost:- 65
Cooldown:- 13/
- 12/
- 11/
- 10/
- 9
Range:- 400
Hijack
Sylas steals the enemy's ultimate ability and can cast it freely.
Cost:- 75
Cooldown:- 80/
- 55/
- 30
Range:- 950
- Mage,
- Assassin
These champions are Sylas's hardest counters in League of Legends patch 26.1. Yasuo is Sylas's biggest counter with only a 39.16% win rate for Sylas. When facing these Sylas counter picks, focus on safe farming and waiting for jungle assistance. Avoid extended trades and play around your power spikes to survive difficult Sylas matchups.
Yasuo
Lux
Volibear
Malzahar
Ekko
Akali
Amumu
Vex
Mel
Syndra
When facing Sylas in League of Legends, understanding Sylas's primary damage profile is essential for building effective counter strategies. Sylas deals primarily magic damage, which means prioritizing magic resist in your defensive itemization will significantly reduce Sylas's threat in fights. Top defensive items against Sylas include Mercury's Treads, Spirit Visage, Force of Nature, and Banshee's Veil. These items provide substantial magic resist stats that directly mitigate Sylas's damage output throughout all stages of the game.
From a champion selection perspective, the strongest Sylas counters are Yasuo, Lux, Volibear, and Malzahar. These champions either out-trade Sylas in lane, have abilities that negate Sylas's core mechanics, or scale better into team fights. Yasuo in particular exploits Sylas's weaknesses by providing consistent pressure while being difficult to punish.
Beyond item builds and counter picks, successful counter play against Sylas involves understanding Sylas's power spikes and cooldown windows. Engage on Sylas when key abilities are on cooldown, and coordinate with your team to focus Sylas in team fights before Sylas can output maximum damage. Vision control is also crucial when playing against Sylas to avoid getting caught out of position. By combining proper defensive itemization with smart champion selection and strategic gameplay, you can effectively neutralize Sylas's impact and secure victory.
Understanding Sylas's power curve is essential for effective counter play. Here's when Sylas is most vulnerable throughout the game.
EARLYEarly Game (Levels 1-6)
Sylas may be mana-dependent early. Punish after spell rotations when abilities are on cooldown. All-in when mana is depleted for advantageous trades.
MIDMid Game (Levels 7-13)
Sylas's poke and zone control peaks mid game. Engage quickly to close the gap before Sylas can kite. Use flanks and hard engage to bypass poke damage.
LATELate Game (Levels 14-18)
Sylas provides strong team fight damage late. Prioritize diving Sylas or use assassins to reach the backline. Magic resist items become crucial.
Use these actionable tips to gain an advantage when facing Sylas in lane or team fights.
- Pick Yasuo or similar champions with kits that exploit Sylas's weaknesses
- Build Mercury's Treads or Hexdrinker early to reduce Sylas's damage in lane
- Track Sylas's cooldowns and engage when key abilities are unavailable
- Ward Sylas's common roam paths and ping missing immediately
- Coordinate with your jungler to gank Sylas during vulnerable windows
- Group with teammates to deny Sylas solo picks
- Place control wards in flanking positions to spot Sylas's engages
Sylas performs exceptionally well against these champions in patch 26.1. Nunu & Willump is Sylas's best matchup with a 60.26% win rate. When playing Sylas into these favorable matchups, look for early aggression and lane dominance. Sylas can capitalize on these champions' weaknesses to snowball leads and carry games.
Nunu & Willump
Swain
Malphite
Katarina
Kayn
Veigar
Hecarim
Viktor
Galio
Zed
Sylas Counters - Frequently Asked Questions
Who counters Sylas?
The best Sylas counters are Yasuo, Lux, and Volibear. These champions have favorable matchups against Sylas and can exploit Sylas's weaknesses effectively in League of Legends patch 26.1.
What is Sylas's hardest counter?
Yasuo is Sylas's hardest counter with Sylas having only a 39.16% win rate in this matchup. Lux (40.95% WR) and Volibear (41.94% WR) are also strong Sylas counters.
Who does Sylas counter?
Sylas performs well against Nunu & Willump, Swain, and Malphite. These are Sylas's best matchups where Sylas has favorable win rates and can dominate lane in patch 26.1.
How do I beat Sylas in lane?
To beat Sylas in lane, pick a counter champion like Yasuo or Lux. Focus on trading when Sylas's key abilities are on cooldown, and build magic resist items to reduce Sylas's damage output. Ward defensively and call for jungle assistance if Sylas gains an advantage.
What items counter Sylas?
The best items to counter Sylas are Mercury's Treads, Spirit Visage, Force of Nature, and Banshee's Veil. These items provide magic resist which directly reduces Sylas's damage. Consider building these items early if you're struggling against Sylas in lane.
When is Sylas weakest?
Sylas is typically weakest during specific power troughs between item spikes. Exploit windows when Sylas's ultimate or key abilities are on cooldown. Coordinate with your team to engage on Sylas before Sylas can set up fights on Sylas's own terms.
How do I play Sylas into counter matchups?
When playing Sylas into counters like Yasuo, 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 Sylas's counters?
If Yasuo, Lux, or Volibear are banned or picked, look for champions with similar kits that can exploit Sylas's weaknesses. Champions with crowd control, burst damage, or sustained damage (depending on Sylas's vulnerabilities) can serve as alternative counters.