How to win lane as Karma against Olaf · 58.33% win rate over 24 Emerald+ games · Updated 2026-07-27
| Stage | Favoured | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | Karma | Mantra is up from level 1, so you open RQ Soulflare on a dashless Olaf who can't dodge the zone or trade back through it. |
| Level 2 | Karma | Inner Flame out-ranges his Undertow axe and Gathering Fire refunds your Mantra, so you out-poke him with almost no risk. |
| Level 3 | Karma | He still has no sustain or gap-closer, so layered Q into RQ chip shoves him off CS while Inspire covers his axe slow. |
| Levels 4-5 | Karma | Levels 4-5 are your peak — repeated Q/RQ rotations tax plates behind Inspire's speed and he can only walk at you with no answer. |
| Level 6 | Olaf | Olaf owns this stage: Ragnarok's CC-immunity blanks your W root and E slow, and Reckless Swing's true damage plus lifesteal out-trades your single shield. |
| First item | Karma | Your first AP/haste item sharpens RQ burst and shield value, so you reclaim the lane the moment Ragnarok drops. |
| Two+ items | Even / skill | He out-scales you on lifesteal and true damage with no late spike on your side, so the lane evens out unless you already snowballed. |
Olaf has no dash and no sustain past potions, so levels 1-3 are pure free poke for you — open RQ Soulflare the instant he steps up to a minion (he can't dodge the zone), then layer Inner Flame and let Gathering Fire refund your Mantra off every hit. The one thing to respect is his Undertow axe: if it slows you he gets a free walk-up, so sidestep the throw and don't stand still in his range. Hold your E shield and move speed for that slow-and-walk, not for the poke.
The full Karma vs Olaf 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? Olaf vs Karma guide →
All Karma top lane matchups →