Xerath vs Annie
Skill matchup
Build vs Annie
Build adapted to this matchup
Recommended items for Xerath: Luden's Echo, Shadowflame, Rabadon's Deathcap, Sorcerer's Shoes, Horizon Focus, Dark Seal, Stormsurge, Mejai's Soulstealer.
Starting items
Core build
Standard
Summoner spells
Anti CC
Other options
Power Spikes
Strength by game phase
Annie's abilities
Passive, spells and ultimate
After casting 4 spells, Annie's next offensive spell will stun the target.Annie begins the game and respawns with Pyromania available.
Cooldowns
Cooldowns by spell rank
| Level | Q | W | E | R |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 4s | 7s | 10s | – |
| 6 | 4s | 7s | 10s | 2m10 |
| 9 | 4s | 7s | 10s | 2m10 |
| 11 | 4s | 7s | 10s | 1m55 |
| 16 | 4s | 7s | 10s | 1m40 |
| 18 | 4s | 7s | 10s | 1m40 |
Playing as Xerath
Tips to maximize your impact
- Charge Arcanopulse to poke from range
Charge Arcanopulse (Q) to poke from long range: its range grows with the charge, but you slow down by up to 50% in the meantime.
- Slow before your Arcanopulse
Slow your target with Eye of Destruction (W) before Arcanopulse (Q): the center of the zone slows the most, and a slowed target dodges poorly.
- Stun, then center your Eye
Land Shocking Orb (E), then center Eye of Destruction (W) on the target: stunned, they can't dodge it, and the center slows the most.
- Finish from long range with your ult
Cast Rite of the Arcane (R) to finish a fleeing target or support a distant fight: your shots reach 5000 range, with bonus damage per champion hit.
Playing against Annie
How to counter and exploit weaknesses
- Back off when her stun is ready
Back off when Pyromania (passive) is ready: after 4 spells, her next offensive spell stuns you. She has it ready at the start and every time she respawns.
- Poke her from outside her range
If your range is longer than hers, poke her from outside it: her autos and Disintegrate (Q) reach 625, Incinerate (W) 600.
- Respect her level 6
Once she hits level 6, stay well outside her range when her stun is ready: with Flash, Summon: Tibbers (R) can land on you from much farther away.
- Play hard once Tibbers is gone
Take the teamfight once Tibbers has been cast and is gone, because Summon: Tibbers (R) has a 130 to 100 second cooldown and is her biggest source of damage.
Other Xerath matchups
Patch 16.21.1