How to win lane as Xerath against Naafiri · 50.9% win rate over 4,090 Emerald+ games · Updated 2026-07-27
| Stage | Favoured | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | Xerath | Naafiri has no gap-closer at level 1 while your Q pokes her for free. |
| Level 2 | Xerath | Level 2 keeps you ahead as her melee range can't answer your poke. |
| Level 3 | Xerath | At level 3 your Q-W chain zones her off farm before she has mobility. |
| Levels 4-5 | Xerath | Levels 4-5 stay yours as she still can't reach you without a dash. |
| Level 6 | Xerath | Level 6 favours you if you save W-R-Flash to kite her committed all-in. |
| First item | Xerath | At first item your poke keeps her behind her lethality power curve. |
| Two+ items | Xerath | With two items your backline range out-zones her dive as long as you have peel. |
Levels 1-2 are clean for you: Naafiri has no mobility yet and your Q out-ranges her Darkin Daggers, so chip her whenever she steps up to farm. Aim at her champion body rather than the packmates, and don't shove so hard that her jungler can dive your pushed-in wave.
The full Xerath 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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Playing the other side? Naafiri vs Xerath guide →
All Xerath mid lane matchups →