Lee Sin vs Aatrox
Skill matchup
Build vs Aatrox
Build adapted to this matchup
Recommended items for Lee Sin: Eclipse, Black Cleaver, Death's Dance, Plated Steelcaps, Sundered Sky, Voltaic Cyclosword, Profane Hydra, Guardian Angel.
Starting items
Core build
Standard
Summoner spells
Anti CC
Other options
Power Spikes
Strength by game phase
Aatrox's abilities
Passive, spells and ultimate
Periodically, Aatrox's next basic attack deals bonus magic damage and heals him, based on the target's max health.
Cooldowns
Cooldowns by spell rank
| Level | Q | W | E | R |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 14s | 18s | 9s | – |
| 6 | 10s | 18s | 9s | 2m |
| 9 | 6s | 16.5s | 9s | 2m |
| 11 | 6s | 15s | 9s | 1m40 |
| 16 | 6s | 12s | 7s | 1m20 |
| 18 | 6s | 12s | 5s | 1m20 |
Playing as Lee Sin
Tips to maximize your impact
- Kick your target into your team
For the Insec, land Sonic Wave (Q), reach the target, ward behind them and jump to it with Safeguard (W): Dragon's Rage (R) kicks them toward your team.
- Recast Q on a low-health target
Wait until your target has lost health before casting Resonating Strike (Q): its damage scales with missing health, and you have 3 seconds to cast it.
- Ward hop to escape
Cast Safeguard (W) on an ally, minions included, or on a ward to dodge or escape: it has a 7-second cooldown and also shields the targeted allied champion.
- Get ahead early
Look for invades, ganks and objectives early on: Lee Sin is strongest early, and his impact drops once the others have their items.
Playing against Aatrox
How to counter and exploit weaknesses
- Avoid the edge of his blade
Stick to him or step out of range when he casts The Darkin Blade (Q): only the edge, at the end of each swing, knocks you into the air and deals full damage.
- Get out of his chains fast
Leave the Infernal Chains (W) zone before it closes, with a dash if you have one: otherwise you get pulled back to the impact point and take the damage again.
- Trade after his blade
Take a trade right after the three swings of The Darkin Blade (Q): it's his only knock-up, with a 14 to 6 second cooldown depending on rank.
- Short trades
Take short trades: Umbral Dash (E) heals him for part of all the damage he deals to champions, so a long trade favors him.
- Respect his level 6
Once he hits level 6, back off when he casts World Ender (R): he gains AD and increased healing, and every takedown extends its duration.
Other Lee Sin matchups
Patch 16.21.1