How to win lane as Neeko against Locke · Matchup data reviewed on patch 26.15
He dives a champion who might be a minion — the clone and root buy the seconds his combo can't afford to lose.
Track: Locke's Q — Ritual Nails (10–6s cooldown). The nail marks are his whole engine — without 2-3 stacks on you his blink-in barely dents; sidestep the recasts and punish the ten seconds of nothing.
Read from Neeko's seat: which stage windows this plan plays for against Locke.
| Stage | Favoured | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | Even / skill | Level 1 is even because both champions are farming point-blank with no reliable kill setup. |
| Level 2 | Even / skill | Level 2 is a skill trade — whoever lands their second ability first wins a marginal exchange. |
| Level 3 | Even / skill | Level 3 hinges on you landing Tangle-Barbs, so the phase reads as an even skill check. |
| Levels 4-5 | Even / skill | Levels 4-5 stay even as both of you trade roam and shove windows without a hard advantage. |
| Level 6 | Locke | Level 6 tips to Locke because his ultimate spike answers and punishes your Pop Blossom engage. |
| First item | Even / skill | At first item the lane resets to even as your Q clear and all-in threat come back online. |
| Two+ items | Even / skill | With two-plus items both of you are equal teamfight threats, so the phase stays a skill matchup. |
Levels 1-2 are dead even: both of you are farming, kill pressure is minimal, and whoever lands their point-blank ability first wins a small trade. Hold Tangle-Barbs and last-hit safely; there is no lane-dominant side here, so do not overstep for a first blood that isn't there. Track Locke Ritual Nails (Marks): matchup-defining — The nail marks are his whole engine — without 2-3 stacks on you his blink-in barely dents; sidestep the recasts and punish the ten seconds of nothing. Track it before every step-up.
Pooled Emerald+ win rates from Neeko's side, sampled July 2026.
The full Neeko vs Locke 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 — Neeko vs Locke has no Emerald+ win-rate data for this patch; 6 of the 7 windows are a coin flip and Locke edges the rest 1–0, so treat it as a skill matchup and play the plan below.
Mostly — 6 of the 7 windows are a coin flip and Locke edges the rest 1–0, so execution decides far more than the pick does.
Neeko takes Electrocute on the Domination tree with Cheap Shot, Grisly Mementos and Ultimate Hunter, and Sorcery secondary (Manaflow Band and Transcendence) vs Locke.
Start Doran's Ring + 2 Health Potions and back for Oblivion Orb (≈800g) — cuts his sustain. Build Luden's Companion first, then Shadowflame, with Sorcerer's Shoes / Mercury's Treads.
Playing the other side? Locke vs Neeko guide →
All Neeko mid lane matchups →
More Neeko mid lane matchups: vs Katarina · vs LeBlanc · vs Lissandra · vs Lux · vs Malzahar · vs Mel
Also played in: Top Lane