How to win lane as Annie against Xerath · 49.2% win rate over 1,256 Emerald+ games · Updated 2026-07-27
| Stage | Favoured | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | Xerath | Xerath's long-range poke dominates levels 1-2 since Annie has no way to close the gap or punish from range |
| Level 2 | Xerath | Xerath's poke advantage continues at level 2 for the same reason — range mismatch is severe |
| Level 3 | Xerath | Xerath still outranges and outpokes Annie at level 3 with no engage tool yet available to her |
| Levels 4-5 | Xerath | Xerath's mana-fueled poke spam keeps winning levels 4-5 as Annie still lacks a reliable gap closer |
| Level 6 | Annie | Tibbers at level 6 finally gives Annie a real engage threat, flipping the matchup in her favor |
| First item | Annie | Annie's burst combo can one-shot Xerath at first item power if she successfully closes the distance |
| Two+ items | Annie | Annie's late-game all-in potential, aided by jungle help or Flash, outweighs Xerath's poke advantage |
Xerath's long-range poke completely outclasses your short stun range in levels 1-2 — he can hit you with Arcanopulse before you're anywhere near auto-attack distance, forcing you to farm passively behind minions and eat significant poke damage.
The full Annie vs Xerath report continues with the mid-game plan, the late-game and teamfight plan, every power spike to play around, and the win conditions for both sides — plus cooldown tracking and the live enemy-jungle tracker inside the app.
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Playing the other side? Xerath vs Annie guide →
All Annie mid lane matchups →