How to win lane as Poppy against Karma · 53.26% win rate over 1,532 Emerald+ games · Updated 2026-07-27
| Stage | Favoured | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | Karma | Level 1 Karma's Q Inner Flame outranges your Hammer Shock and chips you freely. |
| Level 2 | Karma | At 2 her Q plus W root deny your E-charge distance and win the poke trade. |
| Level 3 | Karma | Level 3 mantra-Q burst and root pressure keep you pinned behind minions. |
| Levels 4-5 | Karma | Through 4-5 Karma still out-pokes and kites your dashless walk-up. |
| Level 6 | Karma | At 6 her long-owned ult and shield-speed still outclass your fresh level-6. |
| First item | Poppy | First-item you out-tank her poke and walk through Q to land E into a wall. |
| Two+ items | Poppy | Two-plus items your flank and dive punish an immobile Karma her shields can't fully save. |
Karma bullies you levels 1-5: her Q Inner Flame outranges your Hammer Shock, RQ (mantra-empowered Q) adds a detonating burst zone, and W Focused Resolve roots you before you can reach E Heroic Charge range. You have no answer but the P Iron Ambassador shield and minion cover, so soak poke, deny walk-ups, and don't force an E that her root or shield-speed will simply peel. This is a scaling lane for you, not a level-2 bully spot.
The full Poppy vs Karma 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? Karma vs Poppy guide →
All Poppy support matchups →
Also played in: Top Lane