Pyke vs Xerath
Favorable matchup
Build vs Xerath
Build adapted to this matchup
Recommended items for Pyke: Umbral Glaive, Youmuu's Ghostblade, Edge of Night, Boots of Swiftness, Celestial Opposition, Bloodsong, Serrated Dirk, Voltaic Cyclosword.
Starting items
Core build
Standard
Summoner spells
Anti CC
Other options
Power Spikes
Strength by game phase
Xerath's abilities
Passive, spells and ultimate
Xerath's basic attacks periodically restore Mana. Whenever Xerath kills a unit, this cooldown is reduced.
Cooldowns
Cooldowns by spell rank
| Level | Q | W | E | R |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 9s | 14s | 13s | – |
| 6 | 7s | 14s | 13s | 2m10 |
| 9 | 5s | 13s | 13s | 2m10 |
| 11 | 5s | 12s | 13s | 1m55 |
| 16 | 5s | 10s | 12s | 1m40 |
| 18 | 5s | 10s | 11s | 1m40 |
Playing as Pyke
Tips to maximize your impact
- Hook from the fog of war
Charge Bone Skewer (Q) from a brush or the fog of war: when held, it pulls the first enemy hit, and refunds mana if it hits a champion.
- Dash through your target
Dash through your target with Phantom Undertow (E): the phantom left behind returns to you and stuns champions in its path.
- Leave their vision to recover
After a trade, get out of their vision: Gift of the Drowned Ones (passive) regenerates the damage champions just dealt you.
- Chain your executions
Cast Death From Below (R) on a target below the threshold: each champion who dies in the X lets you recast it, and your last assisting ally also gets the kill gold.
- Roam camouflaged
Roam or flank with Ghostwater Dive (W): you're camouflaged and gain a lot of move speed, which decays over time.
Playing against Xerath
How to counter and exploit weaknesses
- Stay behind your minions
Keep minions between you and Xerath: Shocking Orb (E) stuns the first enemy hit, for longer the farther it has traveled.
- Change direction
Don't stand still, and change direction often: Arcanopulse (Q) hits a target moving forward or backward in a straight line much more easily.
- Engage while he charges
If you can engage, go in while he charges Arcanopulse (Q): he slows down by up to 50%, and he has no dash to escape.
- Interrupt his Rite of the Arcane
If you have CC and can reach him during Rite of the Arcane (R), use it: he channels the ult, and interrupting it stops his shots.
Other Pyke matchups
Patch 16.21.1