Locke vs Naafiri
Favorable matchup
Build vs Naafiri
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
Core build
Standard
Summoner spells
Anti CC
Other options
Power Spikes
Strength by game phase
Naafiri's abilities
Passive, spells and ultimate
Naafiri spawns packmates that attack the targets of her attacks and abilities.
Cooldowns
Cooldowns by spell rank
| Level | Q | W | E | R |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 9s | 26s | 11s | – |
| 6 | 8s | 26s | 11s | 1m50 |
| 9 | 7s | 24s | 11s | 1m50 |
| 11 | 7s | 22s | 11s | 1m35 |
| 16 | 7s | 18s | 9s | 1m20 |
| 18 | 7s | 18s | 7s | 1m20 |
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 Naafiri
How to counter and exploit weaknesses
- Dodge her daggers
Dodge Darkin Daggers (Q): her pack leaps onto the first champion hit, and the second dagger hits harder if you're already bleeding.
- Kill her pack with AoE spells
If you have AoE spells, hit her pack too: each packmate killed lowers her damage. Do it before Eviscerate (E) calls them back and heals them.
- Wait out The Call of the Pack
Save your targeted spells for after The Call of the Pack (W): for a brief moment, she and her pack are untargetable.
- Don't wander alone
Avoid crossing the map alone against her: Hounds' Pursuit (R) lets her dash onto a champion from range, and a takedown lets her recast it.
Other Locke matchups
Patch 16.21.1