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Xerath vs Locke

Mid Lane Matchup

Xerath vs Locke MID matchup tips: who wins, how to trade, wave control and common mistakes.

You

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Who Wins

You win pre-6 convincingly because your Q poke range far exceeds anything Locke can retaliate with, and your E root punishes any level-3 E blink attempt he makes — the matchup is heavily in your favor as long as you respect that level 3 is when Locke first has a real engage tool.
Post-6 the matchup becomes more dangerous because Locke's R creates a 99% slow execution zone that can one-shot you if you're below his threshold, so you must use your own R's global range to maintain distance and never let him set up a full Q-stacked combo on you.

Your optimal trading pattern is sustained Q poke at maximum range to chip Locke's health below 60%, then use your E root the moment he attempts to close distance with his E blink — once rooted, follow up with W and Q to punish his immobility and force him to use his W defensively for healing rather than offensively for burst.
Avoid standing still to charge Q at close range, as Locke's passive deals escalating on-hit damage based on missing health and his burst at low HP is lethal.

Push the wave consistently with your Q to deny Locke the ability to roam freely, because if he gets ahead through roams your poke-centric kit struggles to deal with his increased burst threshold — your wave clear is superior and you should use it to create a permanent shove that forces him to farm under tower.
When Locke is low and near his tower, do not overextend to poke him; his R can be placed between you and your escape route to slow you 99% and set up a lethal all-in even from a disadvantaged position.

Do not use your E root reactively after Locke has already landed inside your hitbox with his E blink — at that point he is already auto-attacking to consume Q stacks and your root will not save you from the burst.
You must use E preemptively when you see him walking up with Q stacks visible on him, creating distance and interrupting his setup phase before the combo is fully loaded.

Created on 08/17/2026

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