Combos · Mid

Locke combos

the Ashen Exorcist

3 Locke combos explained key by key: in which order to cast the abilities, when to use them and what each step does. The main combo is Q › AA › W › AA. Further down: every ability's cooldown, cost and range, and the skill max order measured over ranked games.

Locke combos

Written guide · based on the official ability texts

The trade

Q AA AA

W AA AA

When: An enemy is within range of the nails.

Ritual Nails mark the target, your attacks consume the marks for bonus damage, Soul Ignition raises your attack and movement speed.

The chase engage

Q AA AA

When: An enemy is out of range.

Ashen Pursuit teleports you and then dashes you onto the next target, damaging the enemies you cross. Mark and attack as soon as you arrive.

The execution

When: An enemy is low.

Purgatory deals damage and can execute the enemies it hits; by sealing champions, Locke gains extra power.

Common mistakes

Activating Soul Ignition with no target to hit: it damages you for nothing in return.
Casting Purgatory on full-health enemies: it is mostly a finisher.
Forgetting to consume your marks with attacks.

Cooldowns, costs and ranges

A combo only comes back once its abilities are off cooldown: these values (rank 1 to max rank, in seconds) tell how long to wait between two combos. Source: Data Dragon 16.19.1.

Ability	Cooldown (s)	Cost	Range
Q · Ritual Nails	10/9/8/7/6	70 Mana	950
W · Soul Ignition	18/17/16/15/14	50/55/60/65/70 Mana	250
E · Ashen Pursuit	10	30/40/50/60/70 Mana	425
R · Purgatory	120/100/80	100 Mana	1000

Official ability descriptions

PassiveSilver Stake

Locke's attacks deal additional magic damage On-Hit, increased based on enemy missing Health.

QRitual Nails

Locke readies a set of Soul Nails to throw, dealing damage to and marking enemies hit. Locke can consume the marks to deal bonus damage with his attacks.

WSoul Ignition

Locke ignites his soul, gaining Attack Speed and Move Speed, and dealing damage to himself. At the end of the duration, Locke will heal back a portion of the damage he takes during the effect.

EAshen Pursuit

Locke teleports to a location before dashing to attack his next target, dealing damage to enemies passed through.

RPurgatory

Locke throws a binding artifact that deals damage and potentially executes enemies hit. Locke gains additional power for sealing away enemy champions.

Skill order

Max order: Q > E > W46.7% · 60 games

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15
Q	●			●	●		●		●
W			●											●	●
E		●						●		●		●	●
R						●					●

Max order: Q > W > E68.6% · 35 games

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15
Q	●			●	●		●		●
W			●					●		●		●	●
E		●												●	●
R						●					●

The order shows which abilities reach rank 5 first; the grid shows the most-played level-up sequence with that order (measured over 110 games).

Frequently asked questions

What is Locke's main combo?

The trade: Q › AA › W › AA. An enemy is within range of the nails. Ritual Nails mark the target, your attacks consume the marks for bonus damage, Soul Ignition raises your attack and movement speed.

Which ability should I max first on Locke?

The most-played max order is Q > E > W (60 games, 46.7% win rate).

What is the cooldown of Locke's ultimate?

Purgatory has a 120/100/80 second cooldown depending on its rank.

Build, runes and counters: full Locke guide · every champion's combos · tier list