How to win lane as Vex against Locke · Matchup data reviewed on patch 26.15
He picked the one mage whose passive eats assassins — every dash he casts is a fear he donated; smile and collect.
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 Vex's seat: which stage windows this plan plays for against Locke.
| Stage | Favoured | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | Even / skill | Level 1 is a skill-decided last-hit lane with no innate advantage either way. |
| Level 2 | Even / skill | Level 2 stays even since neither champ gains a decisive two-point spike here. |
| Level 3 | Even / skill | Level 3 trades hinge on execution of your Gloom combo versus his answer. |
| Levels 4-5 | Even / skill | Levels 4-5 remain skill-based with no forced favour on the wave. |
| Level 6 | Even / skill | Level 6 is even because both ultimates offer pick threat used well or wasted. |
| First item | Even / skill | First item keeps the lane a coinflip decided by mechanics, not raw stats. |
| Two+ items | Even / skill | 2+ items stays skill-dependent since clean Fear-Gloom execution decides fights. |
Levels 1-2 are even and decided by execution: last-hit cleanly, place your Dark Star passive stacks with safe pokes, and don't overextend without knowing his engage timer. 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 Vex's side, sampled July 2026.
The full Vex 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 — Vex vs Locke 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 Vex vs Locke is a skill check.
Vex 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 Vex guide →
All Vex mid lane matchups →
More Vex mid lane matchups: vs Katarina · vs LeBlanc · vs Lissandra · vs Lux · vs Malzahar · vs Mel