Locke

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

Gameplay tips on Summoner's Rift

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, download Baron Buff's AI Coach & Companion App.

Gameplay tips in Arena

• Land Q nails before using attacks to consume their marks, activate W only when you can survive its self-damage window, and use E to cross the target rather than arrive without an exit.
• Build Lich Bane, Nashor's Tooth, Shadowflame, and Moonflair Spellblade. AP, attack speed, and empowered attacks support mark consumption; stasis protects Soul Ignition's risky window.
• Prioritize Marksmage, Mystic Punch, Dashing, and Executioner. Empowered attacks and mobility should cash in every Ritual Nails mark before R executes.

Locke Build

This might not be your familiar build. We look at ranked games after each item was bought. If the player or team gained ground in gold, we rate that item higher.

Core

• Lich Bane
• Sorcerer's Shoes (Boots)
• Shadowflame

Situational

• Mejai's Soulstealer
• Zhonya's Hourglass
• Rabadon's Deathcap
• Terminus
• Void Staff
• Morellonomicon

Locke Runes

The most popular rune page and summoner spells for Locke in ranked games over the last 30 days.

Domination + Resolve · 46.8% WR · 22,511 games

• Electrocute
• Sudden Impact
• Sixth Sense
• Ultimate Hunter
• Revitalize
• Bone Plating
• Adaptive Force
• Adaptive Force
• Health Scaling

Summoner spells

Flash, Ignite

Locke Skill Order

The recommended skill order for Locke from ranked games over the last 90 days: the first three skill points, then the order to max abilities.

1. lvl 1: Q
2. lvl 2: E
3. lvl 3: W
4. max: Q
5. max: W
6. max: E

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 leave Locke without isolated targets or flanking angles. Safe, scaling compositions survive lane without falling behind and let Locke's early advantage fade. Defensive items and grouping deny Locke the solo kills they look for.

Best Synergies with Locke

Team synergies and draft context

Engage tanks draw attention away from Locke, and enemy cooldowns spent on the frontline leave their carries exposed. Aggressive junglers and roaming supports snowball leads with Locke's early power spike. Lane-stable allies hold waves while Locke roams across the map. Waveclear mids or ADCs 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