How to win lane as Cassiopeia against Karma · 55.17% win rate (261 Emerald+ games, lolalytics, sampled July 2026) · Matchup data reviewed on patch 26.15
She pokes in bursts, you poke forever — survive the early chip and the treadmill out-grinds her.
Track: Karma's W — Focused Resolve (12s cooldown). The root tether — break it with range or line of sight.
Read from Cassiopeia's seat: which stage windows this plan plays for against Karma.
| Stage | Favoured | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | Even / skill | You have one ability and no poison stacking at level 1, and her Q line outranges your safe trading distance — last-hit and dodge, don't trade. |
| Level 2 | Cassiopeia | With Q and E online you prime-and-Twin-Fang for a real trade her single Q poke cannot match. |
| Level 3 | Cassiopeia | Your full Q-to-E poison chain with passive move-speed kiting out-DPSes her chip, and her E shield only delays one tick. |
| Levels 4-5 | Cassiopeia | Ranks in Q and E chain Twin Fang through her no-resist enchanter body, and Miasma's slow cancels the Inspire speed she escapes on. |
| Level 6 | Cassiopeia | Petrifying Gaze stuns her as she steps up to W-tether or Mantra-snare, and chained E deletes a squishy enchanter. |
| First item | Cassiopeia | Your first-item spike plus passive move speed lets you ignore her Q line and keep her grounded under Miasma while you shred her. |
| Two+ items | Cassiopeia | She falls off as a duelist and never reclaims the 1v1 — even grouped, your poison melts her if you catch her, so end before her peel matters. |
Karma's Inner Flame is her only real early damage and it is a slow, telegraphed line at 950 range — sidestep it and you eat almost no poke while you last-hit. Level 1 is a true skill check: you have one ability and no poison stacking, so don't greed a trade. From level 2-3 you flip it — prime her with Q poison, then chain Twin Fang to out-DPS her single Q. Respect Inspire: the shield eats a chunk of your burst, so unload on its 10-second cooldown, not the instant she pops it.
Pooled Emerald+ win rates from Cassiopeia's side, sampled July 2026.
The full Cassiopeia 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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Cassiopeia — a 55.17% win rate vs Karma in top lane over 261 games is a real advantage.
Not really — Cassiopeia holds a real statistical advantage (55.17% win rate), so Karma is the one working uphill.
Statistically yes — Cassiopeia counters Karma in top lane, winning 55.17% of 261 Emerald+ games.
Cassiopeia takes Conqueror on the Precision tree with Presence of Mind, Legend: Haste and Last Stand, and Sorcery secondary (Manaflow Band and Transcendence) vs Karma.
Start Doran's Ring + 2 Health Potions and back for Tear of the Goddess + Dark Seal (≈800g). Build Seraph's Embrace / Liandry's Torment first, then Rylai's Crystal Scepter, with No boots — bank the gold into MR via Rookern later.
Playing the other side? Karma vs Cassiopeia guide →
All Cassiopeia top lane matchups →
More Cassiopeia top lane matchups: vs Jax · vs Jayce · vs K'Sante · vs Kassadin · vs Kayle · vs Kennen
Also played in: Mid Lane