Locke

Assassin · Burst Assassin · Mid

Prepare for battle with Locke — master their strengths and exploit their weaknesses before the game starts.

Playstyle Profile

Locke is a flanker — eliminates priority targets by bypassing the frontline

Teamfight Role
Assassin Flanker
Power Spike
Early game
Split Threat
None
Backline Access
Low

Locke's Strengths

  • Deletes priority targets instantly — Locke removes the enemy carry before teamfights even begin
  • Dominates early fights — Locke's base stats and kit spike early, punishing passive opponents
  • Cross-map pressure through roams — Locke turns lane priority into kills and objectives across the map

How to Play Locke

Champion-specific pre-match tips

Lane Phase

Concede early minions at level 1 to preserve your health pool, waiting until you unlock your full basic ability rotation at level 3 to force a trade.

Lane Phase

Cast Q to mark your target before activating W, ensuring you have the movement speed to close the gap and the attack speed to quickly consume the marks.

Lane Phase

Target your E to a location slightly behind the enemy to teleport in and immediately dash through them, guaranteeing you land your Q at point-blank range.

Mid Game

Push side lane waves past the river, then immediately use your W movement speed to rotate into the jungle and flank out-of-position enemies.

Mid Game

Roam to skirmishes as soon as you hit level 6 to secure executions with your R, accumulating your permanent power buff as early as possible.

Mid Game

Hold E when moving through unwarded jungle quadrants, keeping it available to instantly teleport over a wall if you get caught by a collapse.

Late Game

Wait in the fog of war until enemy crowd control abilities are on cooldown before using E to teleport over terrain and assassinate the backline.

Late Game

Focus your basic attacks on targets whose health is already dropping to maximize your passive damage and bring them into execution range for your R.

Late Game

Delay activating W until you are in melee range of a priority target during major objective fights, preventing the self-damage from whittling you down while you position.

For matchup-tailored tips, use Baron Buff's AI Coach & Companion App during champion select.

Core Build

Ranked from real ranked-match itemization

We look at ranked games after each item was bought. If the player or team gained ground in gold, we rate that item higher.

  1. Rabadon's Deathcap — 3,500
  2. Sorcerer's Shoes (Boots) — 1,100
  3. Shadowflame — 3,200
  4. Lich Bane — 2,900
  5. Stormsurge — 2,800
  6. Zhonya's Hourglass — 3,250

total: 16,750

How to Counter Locke

Counter strategies and draft context

group tightly, build defensively, and provide reliable peel for carries

  • Shut down by grouped teams — Locke needs isolated targets and falls apart when enemies stick together
  • Falls off significantly after 25 minutes — Locke's early dominance doesn't translate to late game
  • Roaming is denied by aggressive warding — vision control shuts down Locke's cross-map pressure
  • Tanks and bruisers that survive burst windows

Locke's Weaknesses

  • Grouped compositions with strong vision — Locke can't find isolated targets or flanking angles
  • Safe, scaling enemy compositions — Locke's early advantage fades when opponents survive lane without falling behind
  • Defensive itemization and grouping — Locke can't find solo kills when targets build durability and stay grouped

Best Synergies with Locke

Team synergies and draft context

  • Engage tanks that draw attention away from Locke — enemy cooldowns spent on the frontline leave carries exposed
  • Aggressive junglers and roaming supports that snowball leads alongside Locke's early power spike
  • Lane-stable allies that hold waves while Locke roams — cross-map plays need a foundation
  • Waveclear mids or ADCs that hold lanes while you roam for picks

Draft Context

  • Stacks burst with no frontline — nobody absorbs damage while Locke waits for a flank window
  • Pairs Locke's early power with other early-game picks that all fall off together after 25 minutes
  • Stacks AP or AD with Locke — one-dimensional damage lets the enemy itemize a single resistance