Counter of Ekko: A Comprehensive 2023 Guide for Domination

Introduction

Ekko, the Boy Who Shattered Time, is a highly versatile and formidable champion in League of Legends. Mastering the art of countering him requires a deep understanding of his abilities, strengths, and weaknesses. This comprehensive guide will provide you with the essential strategies and tips to effectively neutralize Ekko's presence on the battlefield.

Ekko's Abilities

Passive: Z-Drive Resonance:
Ekko's basic attacks gain bonus damage based on his missing health. This passive grants him sustain in extended fights.

Q: Timewinder:
Ekko throws a temporal grenade that slows and damages enemies. Upon explosion, it leaves behind a time portal.

W: Parallel Convergence:
Ekko blinks to a target location, dealing damage and stunning nearby enemies. He can then cast Q again within a short time frame to return to his original position.

E: Phase Dive:
Ekko dashes forward twice, dealing damage and granting him a brief period of invulnerability. He can reactivate this ability to stun and damage enemies.

R: Chronobreak:
Ekko rewinds time, returning to a previous point in the last four seconds. All damage he took, actions he performed, and cooldowns he used during this period are reset.

Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths:

• High burst damage and assassination potential
• Exceptional mobility and escape tools with Q and E
• Time Rewind (R) allows him to recover from mistakes or outplay opponents

Weaknesses:

• Squishy and vulnerable to burst damage
• Limited crowd control compared to other champions
• Dependent on time windows for optimal damage output

Counter Strategies

Champion Select:

• Champions with Crowd Control: Champions with hard crowd control abilities (e.g., Morgana, Leona) can disrupt Ekko's mobility and interrupt his combos.
• Champions with Sustain: Champions with healing or shielding abilities (e.g., Soraka, Janna) can mitigate Ekko's burst damage and sustain themselves in fights.
• Champions with Disengage: Champions with disengage tools (e.g., Vayne, Ezreal) can easily escape Ekko's dives and avoid his assassination attempts.

Itemization:

• Zhonya's Hourglass: Provides stasis that can negate Ekko's burst damage and Time Rewind (R).
• Banshee's Veil: Grants a spell shield that blocks Ekko's Q and prevents him from applying slows.
• Frozen Heart: Reduces Ekko's attack speed, making it harder for him to proc his passive and deal damage.

Gameplay:

• Avoid Playing Aggressively Early: Ekko is at his weakest in the early game. Avoid pushing the lane or engaging in risky trades.
• Control Vision: Ekko relies on mobility to gank and assassinate. Maintain good ward coverage to track his movements and prevent unexpected attacks.
• Coordinate with Teammates: Ekko's Time Rewind (R) can be countered by having teammates focus fire and burst him down before he can use it.
• Capitalize on his Cooldowns: Ekko's abilities have long cooldowns. Punish him by engaging or taking objectives when these abilities are down.

Tips and Tricks

• Time your Zhonya's Hourglass: Use Zhonya's Hourglass as soon as Ekko engages on you to negate his burst damage.
• Bait out his Time Rewind (R): Fake or delay your engages to force Ekko to use his Time Rewind (R) prematurely.
• Use Redemption to Heal: Support champions with Redemption can use it to heal their teammates and mitigate Ekko's burst damage.
• Position yourself to Avoid E: Pay attention to Ekko's position and avoid standing in areas where he can easily reach you with his E.

Conclusion

Countering Ekko effectively requires a combination of strategic champion selection, itemization, and gameplay decisions. By understanding his strengths and weaknesses, exploiting his vulnerabilities, and coordinating with teammates, you can neutralize his threat and secure victory on the battlefield.