Guide · Mid

Akali Guide

the Rogue Assassin

Assassin

Tier B Mid

Akali, the Rogue Assassin, is an assassin champion that is demanding to master. Across our 1161 analysed ranked games, Akali is mostly played in Mid (72% of its games), and more rarely in Top (28%), with a 49.0% win rate in that role: tier B among Mid champions (#24 of 42, ranked by win rate). Akali's damage is mostly magic (87%): magic resistance items are therefore effective against this champion. Win rate varies with game length: 54.3% in short games (under 25 min, 258 games) versus 37.5% in long games (over 35 min).

Averages measured over 836 Mid games played with Akali, from our ranked Solo/Duo data collection.

Combos and how to play

Akali is an energy assassin who plays with the energy ring created around the damaged target: leaving it empowers her next attack with range and damage. Twilight Shroud makes her invisible and untargetable, Shuriken Flip dashes her onto a marked target, and her ultimate can execute the enemies it hits on the recast.

The trade

Q › AA AA › E

When: An enemy is within kunai range.

Five Point Strike damages and slows, and creates the energy ring; leave the ring to empower your attack, then Shuriken Flip.

The full engage

E › E › R › R › Q

When: A carry is within engage range.

Shuriken Flip marks the first enemy or cloud hit; recast it to dash onto the marked target. Perfect Execution leaps you in, and on the recast executes every enemy you hit.

The escape

W › E

When: You need to get away.

Twilight Shroud gives you movement speed and makes you invisible; Shuriken Flip on a smoke cloud you hit lets you dash onto it.

Laning phase

Five Point Strike slows and hits at short range: chain it with your passive by leaving the ring to empower your attack. Twilight Shroud protects you briefly but you are revealed if you attack or use abilities.

Common mistakes

• Casting the ultimate with no target in range: it is your main execution tool.
• Attacking from the Shroud while forgetting it briefly reveals you.
• Spending too much energy on minions: every ability costs some.

Riot's official tips for playing Akali

• Akali excels at killing fragile champions. Let your team initiate and then strike at the people in the back.
• Twilight Shroud offers safety in even the most dangerous situations. Use that time to save up energy for a quick strike later.

Build, runes and summoner spells

The most-played core build is Hextech Gunblade, Zhonya's Hourglass, and Shadowflame (217 games, 47.0% win rate), usually with Spellslinger's Shoes (50.4% over 643 games).

Hextech Gunblade+Zhonya's Hourglass+Shadowflame

217 games · 47.0%

Rabadon's Deathcap+Hextech Gunblade+Shadowflame

104 games · 45.2%

Rabadon's Deathcap+Zhonya's Hourglass+Shadowflame

74 games · 39.2%

Boots

Spellslinger's Shoes50.4% · 643 games

Chainlaced Crushers43.7% · 135 games

Armored Advance60.0% · 20 games

Summoner spells

Flash + Ignite49.6% · 591 games

Flash + Teleport47.6% · 231 games

Most-played runes

Electrocute + Resolve

51.1% · 607 games

Primary tree · Domination

Sudden Impact99%

Grisly Mementos66%

Ultimate Hunter96%

Secondary tree · Resolve

Overgrowth85%

Second Wind77%

Shards

Adaptive force99%

Adaptive force88%

Health54%

Electrocute + Sorcery

45.4% · 130 games

Primary tree · Domination

Sudden Impact99%

Grisly Mementos83%

Ultimate Hunter95%

Secondary tree · Sorcery

Scorch94%

Nimbus Cloak89%

Shards

Adaptive force99%

Adaptive force92%

Health scaling68%

Conqueror + Resolve

34.4% · 32 games

Primary tree · Precision

Presence of Mind94%

Legend: Haste97%

Coup de Grace75%

Secondary tree · Resolve

Overgrowth88%

Second Wind75%

Shards

Adaptive force100%

Adaptive force94%

Health scaling56%

For each row, the most picked rune among the games played with this page (share of games in brackets).

Which items to build against the enemy team?

We sort every game by the enemy team's damage. These are Akali's completed items and their win rate in each situation; "▲" marks an item that does at least 3 points better than its usual win rate.

Mostly magic-damage enemy team48.9% · 235 games

At least 50% of their damage is magic

Hextech Gunblade 48.8%

Shadowflame 48.8%

Zhonya's Hourglass 56.0% ▲

Rabadon's Deathcap 58.0% ▲

Stormsurge 41.7% ▼

Hextech Rocketbelt 45.0%

The item that stands out most is Rabadon's Deathcap: 58.0% win rate, +13 points versus its usual win rate.

Mostly physical-damage enemy team49.6% · 230 games

Less than 35% of their damage is magic

Hextech Gunblade 48.5%

Shadowflame 46.5%

Zhonya's Hourglass 37.0% ▼

Rabadon's Deathcap 37.0% ▼

Stormsurge 57.5% ▲

Void Staff 37.5%

The item that stands out most is Stormsurge: 57.5% win rate, +8 points versus its usual win rate.

Balanced enemy team48.8% · 371 games

Mixed physical and magic damage

Hextech Gunblade 50.2%

Shadowflame 49.4%

Zhonya's Hourglass 50.4%

Stormsurge 48.5%

Rabadon's Deathcap 41.4% ▼

Hextech Rocketbelt 59.5% ▲

The item that stands out most is Hextech Rocketbelt: 59.5% win rate, +9 points versus its usual win rate.

Counters and matchups

Who counters Akali in Mid

Viktor Akali: 32.0%25 games

Viktor has the edge in 68% of the 25 Mid duels against Akali. See the Viktor guide.

Lissandra Akali: 33.3%18 games

Lissandra has the edge in 67% of the 18 Mid duels against Akali. See the Lissandra guide.

Locke Akali: 39.0%41 games

Locke has the edge in 61% of the 41 Mid duels against Akali. See the Locke guide.

Yone Akali: 50.0%24 games

Yone has the edge in 50% of the 24 Mid duels against Akali. See the Yone guide.

Ahri Akali: 50.0%24 games

Ahri has the edge in 50% of the 24 Mid duels against Akali. See the Ahri guide.

Who Akali is strong against

Zed68.4% · 19 games

Syndra63.2% · 19 games

LeBlanc58.8% · 17 games

Galio56.2% · 16 games

Katarina56.0% · 25 games

How to play against Akali

• Akali can still be hit by area effect spells while obscured inside Twilight Shroud. Doing so will briefly reveal her position.
• Akali's Five Point Strike is powerful when used at maximum range and energy. Engage on her when she has low energy to maximize your chance of winning trades.
• Return to base if your Health is low and Akali has her ultimate available.

Win rates measured over direct same-role duels; only matchups with more than 15 games are listed. See all of Akali's matchups.

Abilities

PassiveAssassin's Mark

Dealing spell damage to a champion creates a ring of energy around them. Exiting that ring empowers Akali's next Attack with bonus range and damage.

QFive Point Strike

Akali throws out five kunai, dealing damage based on her bonus Attack Damage and Ability Power and slowing.

WTwilight Shroud

Akali drops a cover of smoke and briefly gains Move Speed. While inside the shroud, Akali becomes invisible and unable to be selected by enemy spells and attacks. Attacking or using abilities will briefly reveal her.

EShuriken Flip

Flip backward and fire a shuriken forward, dealing magic damage. The first enemy or smoke cloud hit is marked. Re-cast to dash to the marked target, dealing additional damage.

RPerfect Execution

Akali leaps in a direction, damaging enemies she strikes. Re-cast: Akali dashes in a direction, executing all enemies she strikes.

Frequently asked questions

Full Akali page · League of Legends tier list · All champion guides