How to win lane as Locke against Mel · Matchup data reviewed on patch 26.15
Two burst kits, but yours has a rewind — grey health refunds her best combo and the execute floor punishes her 'almost'.
Track: Mel's W — Rebuttal (38–26s cooldown). Reflects your projectiles back — never poke while it glows.
Read from Locke's seat: which stage windows this plan plays for against Mel.
| Stage | Favoured | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | Locke | An immobile Mel can't punish you at level 1, so it favours you. |
| Level 2 | Even / skill | Her reflect and root can't stop your level 2 tempo. |
| Level 3 | Locke | At level 3 your dash beats her total lack of escape. |
| Levels 4-5 | Even / skill | Levels 4-5 stay yours as she can only farm and reflect. |
| Level 6 | Locke | At 6 her global ult doesn't peel your point-blank all-in. |
| First item | Locke | First item lets you burst her between W windows. |
| Two+ items | Even / skill | Two items in, one reflect and one root aren't enough to survive — yours. |
Mel has zero mobility, so once you're level 2-3 you dictate the trade — just don't feed Rebuttal your projectile and she can't stop you stepping on her. Mel is an immobile artillery mage — her W (Rebuttal) reflects your projectiles, so bait it out or engage during its cooldown and she has no way to escape your dash. Q max ramps — the recast slows chain and every consumed mark refunds mana. Chip Mel toward half; that's where your passive starts doing the accounting.
The full Locke vs Mel 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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No sample yet — Locke vs Mel has no Emerald+ win-rate data for this patch; Locke's plan below claims 4 of the 7 stage windows, so Locke sets the tempo.
Not exactly — Locke's plan claims 4 of the 7 stage windows, so Locke sets the lane's tempo.
Locke runs Electrocute · Sudden Impact · Sixth Sense · Ultimate Hunter · Bone Plating · Revitalize vs Mel.
Start Doran's Ring + 2 Health Potions and back for Sheen (≈900g) — the Spellblade pattern starts here. Build Lich Bane first, then Shadowflame / Mejai's (if sealing), with Mercury's Treads / Sorcerer's Shoes.
Playing the other side? Mel vs Locke guide →
All Locke mid lane matchups →
More Locke mid lane matchups: vs Lissandra · vs Lux · vs Malzahar · vs Naafiri · vs Neeko · vs Orianna
Also played in: Top Lane