Locke vs Graves

Locke
vs
50.6%

over 640 games

Graves

Skill matchup

Heavy AD damageHigh burstSplit pushSustained DPS

Build vs Graves

Build adapted to this matchup

Recommended items for Locke: Lich Bane, Shadowflame, Zhonya's Hourglass, Sorcerer's Shoes, Dark Seal, Rabadon's Deathcap, Stormsurge, Mejai's Soulstealer.

Starting items

Scorchclaw Pup
Health Potion

Core build

Lich Bane
1
Shadowflame
2
Zhonya's Hourglass
3

Standard

Sorcerer's Shoes
4Magic pen
Dark Seal
5

Summoner spells

FlashSmite99%
HasteSmite0%

Anti CC

Mercury's Treads
4vs CC

Other options

Dark Seal
Rabadon's Deathcap
Stormsurge
Mejai's Soulstealer
Void Staff
Banshee's Veil
Seeker's Armguard
Bloodletter's Curse
Hextech Rocketbelt
Dusk and Dawn
Nashor's Tooth
Cosmic Drive
Morellonomicon
Riftmaker
Oblivion Orb
Cryptbloom
Liandry's Torment
49.5% WR105 games
DominationDomination
Dark HarvestDark Harvest
Sudden ImpactSudden Impact
Sixth SenseSixth Sense
Treasure HunterTreasure Hunter
InspirationInspiration
Magical FootwearMagical Footwear
Cosmic InsightCosmic Insight
Adaptive ForceAdaptive ForceHealth Scaling

Power Spikes

Strength by game phase

Graves's abilities

Passive, spells and ultimate

New Destiny (P)

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

LevelQWER
313s26s16s–
69.5s26s16s1m40
96s24s16s1m40
116s22s16s1m20
166s18s14s1m
186s18s12s1m

Playing as Locke

Tips to maximize your impact

  1. 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.

  2. Finish them with autos

    Finish off wounded targets with autos: Silver Stake (passive) adds magic damage that grows with their missing health.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

  5. 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 Graves

How to counter and exploit weaknesses

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. Drag the game out

    If your team scales better over time, play for time: Graves is strongest in the early and mid game.

Patch 16.21.1