Hecarim vs Graves
Skill matchup
You are stronger early. Look to snowball before your opponent scales.
Build vs Graves
Build adapted to this matchup
Recommended items for Hecarim: Spear of Shojin, Death's Dance, Endless Hunger, Ionian Boots of Lucidity, Black Cleaver, Hubris, Axiom Arc, Maw of Malmortius.
Starting items
Core build
Standard
Summoner spells
Anti CC
Other options
Power Spikes
Strength by game phase
Graves's abilities
Passive, spells and ultimate
Graves' shotgun has some unique properties. He must reload when he runs out of ammo. Attacks fire 4 bullets, which cannot pass through units. Non-champions struck by multiple bullets are knocked back.
Cooldowns
Cooldowns by spell rank
| Level | Q | W | E | R |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 13s | 26s | 16s | – |
| 6 | 9.5s | 26s | 16s | 1m40 |
| 9 | 6s | 24s | 16s | 1m40 |
| 11 | 6s | 22s | 16s | 1m20 |
| 16 | 6s | 18s | 14s | 1m |
| 18 | 6s | 18s | 12s | 1m |
Playing as Hecarim
Tips to maximize your impact
- Charge from far away
Cast Devastating Charge (E) far from your target: the longer the run, the farther the knockback and the harder the hit, and Warpath (passive) turns your bonus move speed into AD.
- Engage from range with your R
Cast Onslaught of Shadows (R) from range: the fear from the shockwave, at the end of the dash, lasts longer after a long run.
- Recast Rampage without waiting
In teamfights, recast Rampage (Q) as soon as it's back: each cast that hits adds a stack, which lowers its cooldown and raises its damage.
- Activate your W in the thick of it
Activate Spirit of Dread (W) in the middle of the enemies: you gain armor and magic resist, and heal for part of the damage you and your team deal to them.
Playing against Graves
How to counter and exploit weaknesses
- Keep units between you and him
Stay behind your minions or your frontline: the 4 bullets of each New Destiny (passive) auto can't pass through units.
- Hit him from outside his range
If you're ranged, hit him from a distance: his autos only reach 425, and New Destiny (passive) forces him to reload when his shotgun is empty.
- Get out of his smoke
Leave Smoke Screen (W) quickly rather than fighting inside it: the smoke slows you and cuts off all vision outside it.
- Drag the game out
If your team scales better over time, play for time: Graves is strongest in the early and mid game.
Other Hecarim matchups
Patch 16.21.1