Locke vs Azir
You are stronger early. Look to snowball before your opponent scales.
Build vs Azir
The champion's reference build, for lack of enough games in this matchup
Recommended items for Locke: Lich Bane, Shadowflame, Zhonya's Hourglass, Sorcerer's Shoes, Rabadon's Deathcap, Void Staff, Banshee's Veil, Stormsurge.
Starting items
Core build
Standard
Anti CC
Other options
Power Spikes
Strength by game phase
Azir's abilities
Passive, spells and ultimate
Azir can summon the Disc of the Sun from the ruins of allied or enemy turrets.
Cooldowns
Cooldowns by spell rank
| Level | Q | W | E | R |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 14s | 1.5s | 22s | – |
| 6 | 10s | 1.5s | 22s | 2m |
| 9 | 6s | 1.5s | 22s | 2m |
| 11 | 6s | 1.5s | 22s | 1m45 |
| 16 | 6s | 1.5s | 19s | 1m30 |
| 18 | 6s | 1.5s | 16s | 1m30 |
Playing as Locke
Tips to maximize your impact
- Nails first, then Pursuit
Cast Ritual Nails (Q) before Ashen Pursuit (E): your hits consume the nails stuck in the target, and each extra nail adds damage.
- Finish them with autos
Finish off wounded targets with autos: Silver Stake (passive) adds magic damage that grows with their missing health.
- Activate W as the trade starts
Activate Soul Ignition (W) at the start of a trade: it costs you health, but at the end, you heal back part of the last damage taken, plus more based on your missing health.
- Save E for a kill or a gank
Save Ashen Pursuit (E) for a sure kill or to escape a gank: it's your only instant movement, it has a 10-second cooldown, and only a takedown resets it.
- Save Purgatory to finish
Save Purgatory (R) to finish: it seals marked enemies below a health threshold, and when you pick up the artifact, each sealed champion raises that threshold for good.
Playing against Azir
How to counter and exploit weaknesses
- Stay away from his soldiers
Stay out of range of his soldiers, not just of him: each Arise! (W) soldier attacks nearby enemies in his place.
- Play hard before he hits 6
Play hard before he hits level 6: without Emperor's Divide (R), he can't knock you back, and Shifting Sands (E), his only dash, has a 22 to 16 second cooldown.
- Spread out from your allies
When he has Emperor's Divide (R), spread out from your allies: the soldier wall knocks back every enemy across its width, then blocks the way.
Other Locke matchups
Patch 16.21.1