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Locke vs Gwen
Mid Lane MatchupLocke vs Gwen MID matchup tips: who wins, how to trade, wave control and common mistakes.
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VS
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Who Wins
- Pre-6, you have a meaningful advantage at level 3 when Q stacks plus E-W combo becomes available, letting you burst Gwen before she can sustain back through her passive healing — however, if she activates W to dodge your Q nails or your E entry, the all-in collapses entirely and she wins the extended trade.
- Post-6, your R adds execution pressure and AoE slow that Gwen cannot ignore, but she can still W through the chained nails, so you must bait her W before committing R into a full combo or she simply survives below the execution threshold.
How to Trade
- Your optimal trade is to land two to three Q stacks at range first, then E in and immediately activate W to absorb her Q damage while dealing true damage, then recast W at the right moment to heal and cash out the nail stacks with your empowered attack — rushing the combo without pre-stacking Q means you deal far less burst and Gwen's passive sustain will out-heal your damage over a prolonged exchange.
- Never initiate E-W if Gwen still has W available, as she will simply become untargetable mid-combo and your window closes completely.
Wave Control
- Push the wave efficiently with Q to poke and stack nails on Gwen simultaneously, then look for all-in windows when the wave is crashing into her tower so she is forced to choose between last-hitting and dodging your setup.
- Avoid letting the wave slow-push toward you, as Gwen is stronger in extended skirmishes near her own tower where she has more room to recast W and disengage safely.
Mistakes to Avoid
- Do not activate W reactively as a panic button after Gwen has already landed her full Q and E combo on you — by that point you are already losing the trade and the heal may not compensate for the burst you absorbed.
- Committing your E blink without Q stacks pre-applied is the single biggest mechanical mistake in this lane, as it turns your assassination attempt into a melee skirmish where Gwen's sustained damage and healing will simply outlast you.
Created on 08/31/2026
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