How to win lane as Locke against Naafiri · Matchup data reviewed on patch 26.15
An assassin mirror-war where your passive votes last — whoever hits 40% first is playing YOUR game, not her.
Track: Naafiri's W — Hounds' Pursuit (26–18s cooldown). The lock-on pack dash starts her dive — stand near minions to body-block the hounds.
Read from Locke's seat: which stage windows this plan plays for against Naafiri.
| Stage | Favoured | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | Even / skill | Her packmates and Q bleed win the level 1 all-in, so it favours her. |
| Level 2 | Even / skill | Level 2 stays hers as her early dog damage out-trades you. |
| Level 3 | Even / skill | By level 3 you stabilize and the lane is even. |
| Levels 4-5 | Even / skill | Levels 4-5 are a skill trade as both spikes come online. |
| Level 6 | Even / skill | At 6 your power spike lets you turn her all-in, favouring you. |
| First item | Even / skill | First item lets you clear the pack and match her burst — yours. |
| Two+ items | Even / skill | Two items in, it's an even pick-and-roam skill matchup. |
Naafiri wins levels 1-2 outright — her dogs and Q bleed stack damage you can't match yet, so give ground, last-hit safe, and keep your dash for her W engage. Naafiri's early power is her packmates plus Q (Darkin Daggers) bleed — level 1-2 she out-trades you, so hold your dash defensively and only fight once you've evened out around 4-5. Q max ramps — the recast slows chain and every consumed mark refunds mana. Chip Naafiri toward half; that's where your passive starts doing the accounting.
The full Locke vs Naafiri 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 Naafiri has no Emerald+ win-rate data for this patch; treat it as a skill matchup and play the plan below.
Yes — every one of the 7 stage windows in Locke vs Naafiri is a skill check.
Locke runs Electrocute · Sudden Impact · Sixth Sense · Ultimate Hunter · Bone Plating · Revitalize vs Naafiri.
Start Doran's Ring + 2 Health Potions and back for Oblivion Orb (≈800g) — cut the sustain before the execute war. Build Lich Bane first, then Shadowflame / Mejai's (if sealing), with Plated Steelcaps / Sorcerer's Shoes.
Playing the other side? Naafiri vs Locke guide →
All Locke mid lane matchups →
More Locke mid lane matchups: vs Lux · vs Malzahar · vs Mel · vs Neeko · vs Orianna · vs Pantheon