Akali · Mid
Akali Matchups and Counters
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This guide is assembled by the site from match data and the game's own information — nobody wrote it by hand. Official and community guides appear alongside it when they exist.
Overview
This guide covers Akali's matchups and how to adapt to them. Riot publishes no matchup statistics, so the matchups below come from the champions' own stats and kits: attack range, starting durability, crowd control and mobility. They describe an advantage on paper, not a measured result.
Strengths
- Perfect Execution hits several enemies: a strong team fight tool.
- High magic damage: Riot rates it 8/10 in magic.
- Mobility: Shuriken Flip lets you reposition, engage or escape.
Weaknesses
- Fragile: Riot rates it 3/10 in defense.
- Melee range: ranged opponents can poke it in lane.
Build cheat sheet
Pick the build that fits what you want to do this game.
- Against physical damageDefensiveRecommendedFor a lane or a team that hits with attacks: armor boots and an armor item in the core.
- Against magic damageDefensiveSituationalFor a team that kills with abilities: magic resist boots and a magic resist item in the core.
- Against healingDefensiveSituationalFor games against healers, life steal or regeneration: the anti-heal item goes into the core instead of waiting.
Builds
Against physical damage
When to use it
For a lane or a team that hits with attacks: armor boots and an armor item in the core.
Where it's played
Picked before the game: the main lane first, then the alternatives.
219%181%- MidMain81% of matches
- TopPriority 219% of matches
Starting items
Core items
- 1Cryptbloom
- 2Dusk and Dawn
- 3Zhonya's Hourglass
Boots
Situational
Runes
Primary· Sorcery
Secondary· Resolve
Shards
Summoner spells
Flash
Ignite
Against magic damage
When to use it
For a team that kills with abilities: magic resist boots and a magic resist item in the core.
Where it's played
Picked before the game: the main lane first, then the alternatives.
219%181%- MidMain81% of matches
- TopPriority 219% of matches
Starting items
Core items
- 1Cryptbloom
- 2Dusk and Dawn
- 3Banshee's Veil
Boots
Situational
Runes
Primary· Sorcery
Secondary· Resolve
Shards
Summoner spells
- Flash
- Ignite
Against healing
When to use it
For games against healers, life steal or regeneration: the anti-heal item goes into the core instead of waiting.
Where it's played
Picked before the game: the main lane first, then the alternatives.
219%181%- MidMain81% of matches
- TopPriority 219% of matches
Starting items
Core items
- 1Cryptbloom
- 2Dusk and Dawn
- 3Morellonomicon
Boots
Situational
Runes
Primary· Sorcery
Secondary· Resolve
Shards
Summoner spells
- Flash
- Ignite
Abilities
Assassin's MarkPassiveDealing spell damage to a champion creates a ring of energy around them. Exiting that ring empowers Akali's next Attack with bonus range and damage.
QFive Point Strike1.5s110/100/90/80/70 mpAkali throws out five kunai, dealing damage based on her bonus Attack Damage and Ability Power and slowing.- Cooldown
- 1.5
- Cost
- 110·100·90·80·70
- Range
- 550
WTwilight Shroud20/19/18/17/16sAkali drops a cover of smoke and briefly gains Move Speed. While inside the shroud, Akali becomes invisible and unable to be selected by enemy spells and attacks. Attacking or using abilities will briefly reveal her.- Cooldown
- 20·19·18·17·16
- Range
- 350
EShuriken Flip16/14.5/13/11.5/10s30 mpFlip backward and fire a shuriken forward, dealing magic damage. The first enemy or smoke cloud hit is marked. Re-cast to dash to the marked target, dealing additional damage.- Cooldown
- 16·14.5·13·11.5·10
- Cost
- 30
- Range
- 825
RPerfect ExecutionUltimate120/90/60sAkali leaps in a direction, damaging enemies she strikes. Re-cast: Akali dashes in a direction, executing all enemies she strikes.- Cooldown
- 120·90·60
- Range
- 675
Strategy
1Good matchups
Akali does well against these:
2Tough matchups
Akali struggles against these:
3Synergies
Akali works well alongside these, because their kits fit together:
- Fiddlesticks: Terrify from Fiddlesticks holds enemies in place for Perfect Execution from Akali.
- Vayne: Condemn from Vayne holds enemies in place for Perfect Execution from Akali.
- Jax: Counter Strike from Jax holds enemies in place for Perfect Execution from Akali.
4Adapting the build
The situational builds in this guide answer specific threats: Against physical damage, Against magic damage and Against healing.
5Playing against Akali
If you're on the other side, this is what to exploit:
- Akali can still be hit by area effect spells while obscured inside Twilight Shroud. Doing so will briefly reveal her position.
- Akali's Five Point Strike is powerful when used at maximum range and energy. Engage on her when she has low energy to maximize your chance of winning trades.
- Return to base if your Health is low and Akali has her ultimate available.
Tips
Matchups
Strong against
Shuriken Flip lets Akali reach Malzahar, who has no escape in the kit.
Shuriken Flip lets Akali reach Orianna, who has no escape in the kit.
Shuriken Flip lets Akali reach Xerath, who has no escape in the kit.
Weak against
Unraveled Earth (stun) lets Taliyah pin Akali down before Shuriken Flip gets them out.
Steel Tempest (knock-up) lets Yasuo pin Akali down before Shuriken Flip gets them out.
Flash Frost (stun) lets Anivia pin Akali down before Shuriken Flip gets them out.
Works well with
Terrify from Fiddlesticks holds enemies in place for Perfect Execution from Akali.
Condemn from Vayne holds enemies in place for Perfect Execution from Akali.
Counter Strike from Jax holds enemies in place for Perfect Execution from Akali.
Changelog
- Guide created for patch 16.19.1.
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