Matchup

Heavy CCStrong engageVery tankyDive threat

You are stronger early — look to snowball before your opponent scales.

Build vs Skarner

Build adapted to this matchup

Starting items

Doran's Blade
Health Potion

Core build

Ravenous Hydra
1DPS
Experimental Hexplate
2Bruiser
Maw of Malmortius
3vs AP

Standard

Boots of Swiftness
4vs Slow
Death's Dance
5vs AD

Summoner spells

4683%
346%

Anti AD

Plated Steelcaps
4vs AD
Death's Dance
5vs AD
Randuin's Omen
vs AD
Dead Man's Plate
vs AD

Anti AP

Mercury's Treads
4vs CC
Spirit Visage
5vs AP

DPS

Stridebreaker
Bruiser
Fiendhunter Bolts
DPS
Sundered Sky
Bruiser
Infinity Edge
DPS
Phantom Dancer
DPS

Other options

Sterak's Gage
Survival
Executioner's Calling
Overlord's Bloodmail
HP
100.0% WR2 games
PrecisionPrecision
ConquerorConqueror
TriumphTriumph
Legend: AlacrityLegend: Alacrity
Last StandLast Stand
InspirationInspiration
Biscuit DeliveryBiscuit Delivery
Approach VelocityApproach Velocity
Attack SpeedAdaptive ForceHealth Scaling

Power Spikes

Strength by game phase

Early (0-15)
Mid (15-30)
Late (30+)
OlafOlaf
SkarnerSkarner
Aggressive
Careful
Careful

Skarner's abilities

Passive, spells and ultimate

Threads of Vibration (P)

Skarner's Attacks, Shattered Earth, Upheaval, and Impale, apply Quaking. At max stacks of Quaking, enemies take max Health magic damage over its duration.

Cooldowns

Cooldowns by spell rank

LevelQWER
38s10s22s
65.5s10s22s2m
93s9s22s2m
113s8s22s1m45
163s6s20s1m30
183s6s18s1m30

Playing against Skarner

How to counter and exploit weaknesses

1

QSS cancels his R suppression — mandatory for carries.

2

Don't separate from your team: Skarner isolates targets who wander off with R.

3

His E is his only gap-close: if he misses it, he can't reach the carries.

4

Kite him as a team: Skarner is slow without his E and needs to get close for R.

Source: op.gg + LTL Engine · Patch 16.9.1 · May 9, 2026