Cho'Gath vs Akali
Skill matchup
You are stronger late game. Farm safe and avoid early trades.
Build vs Akali
Build adapted to this matchup
Recommended items for Cho'Gath: Hextech Rocketbelt, Riftmaker, Dead Man's Plate, Mercury's Treads, Heartsteel, Hollow Radiance, Kaenic Rookern, Unending Despair.
Starting items
Core build
Standard
Summoner spells
Other options
Power Spikes
Strength by game phase
Akali's abilities
Passive, spells and ultimate
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 Cho'Gath
Tips to maximize your impact
- Aim Rupture where they're going
Aim Rupture (Q) where your opponent is going, not where they are: the area knocks them into the air and slows them.
- Silence after the knock-up
Follow a successful Rupture (Q) with Feral Scream (W): the silence stops them from casting spells, dashes included.
- Charge your spikes before a trade
Cast Vorpal Spikes (E) before a trade: your next 3 autos launch spikes that slow enemies in front of you and deal damage based on their max health.
- Eat as soon as Feast is up
Finish with Feast (R) as soon as it's up: each kill gives you permanent max health, but minions and non-epic monsters only give a limited amount.
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 Cho'Gath matchups
Patch 16.21.1