Brand vs Akali

Brand

48.8%

over 301 games

Akali

Analyze a draft with Brand

Skill matchup

Heavy AP damageHigh burstDive threatStrong engage

Build vs Akali

Build adapted to this matchup

Starting items

—

x2—

Core build

1—

2—

3—

Standard

4Magic pen

5—

Summoner spells

44%

31%

Anti CC

4vs CC

Other options

—

71.0% WR38 games

Sorcery

Deathfire Touch

Manaflow Band

Transcendence

Scorch

Precision

Presence of Mind

Coup de Grace

Power Spikes

Strength by game phase

Akali's abilities

Passive, spells and ultimate

Assassin's Mark (P)

Dealing spell damage to a champion creates a ring of energy around them. Exiting that ring empowers Akali's next Attack with bonus range and damage.

Cooldowns

Cooldowns by spell rank

Level	Q	W	E	R
3	1.5s	20s	16s	–
6	1.5s	20s	16s	2m
9	1.5s	19s	16s	2m
11	1.5s	18s	16s	1m30
16	1.5s	16s	13s	1m
18	1.5s	16s	10s	1m

Playing as Brand

Tips to maximize your impact

Three spells for the explosion
Hit the same target with three spells: at 3 stacks, Blaze (passive) becomes unstable and detonates 2 seconds later, dealing heavy damage around it.
Set them ablaze before the stun
Start with Conflagration (E), then Sear (Q) to stun the target while they're ablaze, and finish with Pillar of Flame (W), which deals 25% more damage to them.
Spread the fire from minions
Cast Conflagration (E) on a minion that's ablaze near your opponent: when the target is ablaze, the spread range doubles and reaches them.
Save your R for a group
Cast Pyroclasm (R) when several enemies are close: the torrent bounces up to 5 times, first to champions that are ablaze but not yet at 3 stacks.

Playing against Akali

How to counter and exploit weaknesses

Trade after her smoke
Take a trade once Twilight Shroud (W) is used: she can't vanish again until its 20 to 16 second cooldown is over.
Play hard before she hits 6
Play hard before she hits level 6: without Perfect Execution (R), her only spell to get back on you is Shuriken Flip (E), on a 16 to 10 second cooldown.
Fire into her smoke
If you have AoE spells or skillshots, throw them into the Twilight Shroud (W) smoke: they hit her even while she's invisible, whereas targeted spells can't be cast on her.
Punish her when she's low on energy
Take a trade when she has just cast Five Point Strike (Q) several times: each cast costs 110 to 70 energy depending on rank, from a base pool of 200.
Hit her between her two dashes
Hit her right after the first dash of Perfect Execution (R): she has to wait a moment before she can cast the second.

Other Brand matchups

Patch 16.21.1