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Pyke Build Guide by

Pyken's [Grandmaster] S15 Pyke Guide

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Pyke Build Guide By Updated on

Guide Discussion More Pyke Guides

Pykings's Featured Video

Runes: Standard Rune Page

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Domination

Hail of Blades

Sudden Impact

Sixth Sense

Treasure Hunter

Inspiration

Biscuit Delivery

Magical Footwear

Bonus:

+9 Adaptive (5.4 AD or 9 AP)
+9 Adaptive (5.4 AD or 9 AP)
+10-180 Bonus Health

Spells:

1 2 3 4 5

Standard

Flash

Ignite

Items

Full Build Examples

S15 Standard Pyke

S15 Pyke JOAT PYKE

1v9 Pyke

Condom Pyke

Roaming Pyke

One Shot Build Examples

Money Printer Pyke

Edge Rush Pyke

Hit & Run Pyke

Voltaic Rush Pyke

Hubris & Tiamat Build Paths

Preserve Early Lead & Farm

Choose 1 Wave Clear Item

Common Boots

You can also skip Tiamat/Tiamat Upgrade for A Situational Item | Hubris can also be a 2nd Item

Core Item Components

1. Starting Items

Decide Ward/Oracles

2. Necessities

Optional

Choose 1

3. Tier 2 Boots

All Lethality Options

Optional Dirk Upgrades & Situational Lethality Items

Non-Lethality Items

Situational Armor Items

Uncommon but viable Armor Items

Situational MR Items

Situational Armor & MR Items

Atk Spd/Crit/Pen/On-Hit Items

Elixirs

Secret Pyke Mid Build (Pair w. Rune -- take TP)

Starting

First Items (Upgrade boots whenever) rest is situational

Ability Order Standard Ability Order

Pyke Passive Ability

Threats & Synergies

Threats

Synergies

Extreme Major Even Minor Tiny

Show All

None Low Ok Strong Ideal

Extreme Threats

Ideal Synergies

Ashe

Extreme

Ashe though immobile, she's oppressive early and can easily be untouchable if she has a good support.

Ashe has amazing sticking power and will run you down if she gets an early lead.

To counter Ashe I recommend going Exh+Ghost with Nimbus Cloak+Celerity.

Ashe

Ideal

Synergies

Ideal Strong Ok Low None

Ashe

Ideal

More Pyke Counters

Champion Build Guide

Pyken's Pyke Montage

Who is Pyken?

GM OP.GG

Hi, my name is Pyken & I'm a GM Pyke main with over 8 mil mastery points. My personal achievements would be hitting rank 1 Pyke on the NA server 3 separate times, and peaking rank 2 Pyke in the World. I like to innovate new builds & playstyles, allowing me to create off-meta builds and strats which has proven to later become meta.
I also have a Youtube & Twitch where you can find Pyke related contents :)

rank 2 pyke world

Table of Content

Pyke Noob?

pyke (champion spotlight)

If you're already experienced with , you can skip this chapter.

If you are new, allow me to give you some beginner advice which can help save you hundreds of games. I'll also give you an idea of what to expect when playing Pyke Support.

1. Goto practice tool and spam your Rs on target dummies. Don't just R the dummies with your cursor directly on top of them. Try R'ing them from max range, using the tip of the 'X' to touch the target on all sides.

Now move the dummies around and try again. Notice that the 'X' is stationary and will always be just an 'X' on the screen that doesn't rotate. This means aiming to reach an enemy champion with the tip of your 'X' will involve moving your cursor based on where your target is. This becomes increasingly more difficult on moving targets as Pyke's R has a .5 sec cast time which is sufficient time for enemies to simply walk out it's range. Tldr: Pyke's R is no normal ability as it's stationary and shouldn't be treated as though it has a circular hitbox.

visuals

Note that regardless of which part of your R touches an enemy champion, Pyke will always blink to the center of the 'X'. You will only blink to the X if it touches an enemy champion before they're dead (whilst the animation is still in effect).

After familiarizing yourself with the basics of Pyke R, spam your E across walls all around the map to see where you can and can't use your Es. To fully understand how Pyke's E works, normal cast Pyke E from a terrain or structure and if the full range is over half the length from one side to the other, Pyke will be able to dash across. This interaction works the same way Flash works but much longer. Essentially it's deciding where you'll land in the middle of a terrain or structure, and it'll push you out on whichever side is closest to where your max E range is from the closest terrain/structure.

visuals

2. Understand that Pyke is extremely team-reliant and his R is designed to be centered around teammates setting up executes for him. Pyke is a feast or famine champion so he either wins hard or loses hard. This means that Pyke is a terrible champion to 1v9 games in low elo with, BUT he does becomes progressively more impactful as you climb the ranked ladder.

pyke plat+ v14.21 (Stats)

pyke diamond 2+ v14.21 (Stats)

Not only is Pyke reliant on his teammates, he's also reliant on team compositions and can easily be countered by all sorts of champions if certain items are meta or certain champions are buffed.

3. Pyke is weak, will continue to be weak, and will always be nerfed to keep him from being self-reliant. Riot has failed Pyke players as he's been continuously net nerfed since release with 0 remorse.

4. With all that said, Pyke is still extremely rewarding and oppressive if you play him to his full potential. A good Pyke with human teammates, and a good composition will make Pyke feel unbeatable.

5. Pyke has great mobility, sustain, and snowball potential. He thrives off getting early leads to close out a game ASAP. However, 1 single int and all of your hardwork is gone. The game continues and you'll have to constantly fight against time as you fall off by the second.

Skill Order

You can start Q or E first depending on the situation. For exp, if you can stun mutliple targets E start can be good but you might have to burn to connect your stun -- which will result in chunking enemies or even killing them if you have enough follow up damage. Or you can simply start Q to hook a target for a quick & easy trade/kill. Q start lvl 1 can also help zone enemies with the threat of your Q being up. Regardless, it's best to never level up your first, second, and even third ability until you need to use the ability.

Ability Sequence
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18

Always prioritize maxing R > Q.

E max after Q for more damage & lower CD, and W max after Q to match CD with E when you're playing passively and not fighting as much.

Put points in R whenever you can.

You can also put 2 points in Q/E at lvl 3 if you're looking to maximize dmg. However, if the extra dmg isn't lethal, it's always better to have all 3 abilities at lvl 3.

Pyke Abilities TLDR

Passive: Any bonus HP (aside from level) is automatically converted to bonus AD. Any damage you take from enemy champions is partially stored as gray health, when out of enemy vision, you'll rapidly consume your gray health and heal for the same amount. Your gray health is increased by 40% if there are 2 or more enemy champions nearby.

PASSIVE details

Q [Tap]: A quick stab that deals dmg & slows the first enemy target hit.
Q [Hold]: Your Q begins to channel, quickly gaining max range as it transforms into a hook. During this channel, you're slowed but still able to move. Release Q to hook towards where your pointer is at the first Champion/non-epic monster. If your hook lands on a Champion/non-epic monster, they'll be pulled towards you (by half the distance of your max range Q).

Q details

W: Gain bonus decaying movement speed and Camouflage for 5 seconds, warning any nearby enemy if he's nearby with sharks apearing around them and an audio cue. It'll also warn them if they're executeable with a more threatening audio cue. During camouflage, you'll proc your passive as long as the enemy team does not have true vision on you (exp. Control Ward, Cait R).

W details

E: Dash a set distance, leaving behind a Phantom. After 1 second, the Phantom will return to Pyke, dealing dmg to all enemy targets & stunning them if they're not an Epic Monster.

E details

R: Mark an area where you'll automatically begin casting your R in the hitbox of an 'X'. If you're not in range, your champion will walk towards the marked area and automatically cast R whenever you get in range. Casting any movement commands or actions will cancel your R's auto-cast. If your R hits a champion .5 secs after the initial cast, Pyke will blink to the target dealing dmg and executing champions if they're within a certain HP threshold.

R details

Enemies executed will grant '' to the last assisting ally, instead of the natural assist gold. If enemies die during the cast time, Pyke will recieve '' instead.

Upon each successful execution, Pyke will be granted a recast of R with no mana cost for 20 seconds (20 sec timer resets on enemy execution).

Note: You'll only blink to the middle of the 'X' whenever it touches an enemy champion, or executes an enemy champion.

Thoughts on Pyke In Each Role

IMO

Top: not ideal as you're locked in an island. Sure, you can TP to fights and occassionally roam a bit but you'll definitely have a hard time verusing certain champions who's sole purpose is to take down turrents like & .

There's 2 realistic ways to play Pyke Top.
A. You play standard where you farm and look to punish enemies. Push sides and rotate/tp to fights. Maybe solo kill the enemy top laner if you can hook them under tower. Don't get too attached to defending T1 tower if it means being able to impact the map elsewhere.
B. You cheese Bot Lane lvl 1 making it a 3v2 lane & roaming mid after or tp'ing back Top. This playstyle is much more fun but it relies on punishing enemies and isn't consistent.

Jungle: Entirely revolves around spam ganking early to obtain some form of lead since your jungle clear is non existent until . Pyke is quite mobile and has great gank potential but if he can't get an early lead he'll be quite useless.

Mid: Extremely viable into certain matchups. However, there are just as many hard matchups as easy ones and Pyke Mid is entirely reliant on your Jungler & Support to gank your lane. You'll have to have in-depth matchup knowledge if you want to find success in the middle lane as Pyke.

ADC: Extremely OP as you'll be funneled gold and have even more kill setups from your support, jungle, and mid. You can skill check your counterparts with matchup knowledge that only you'd know. You'll have less experience than if you were in a solo lane but in return you have more sustain and can even start longsword refillables in most matchups for an early powerspike. The only downside to ADC Pyke is the occassional freak Supports you get, making your experience miserable.

Support: The most ideal role for Pyke as all adjustments are focused on this specified role for Pyke. Riot designed Pyke to be a Support, and will balance him around this particular role. Pyke Support is extremely reliant on an ADC who can match his aggression. If they can't, the lane is as good as over and you'll have to just abandom them because they're just not good enough. Unfortunately, this will create a toxic environment which can spiral into an early FF if everyone has a weak mental and low IQ (which is quite common). With that being said, pray that your ADC walks up when you do, grows a pair, and drops their ego.

Although I do have a good amount of games played on Pyke in every role, I won't be discussing off-meta roles for Pyke from this point onward, as my main focus will be fully directed on Pyke Support.

Some Quick Tips

Here's just the tip of the iceberg on the information I'll be sharing with you in this guide.

1. In patch 14.10 Riot buffed Sudden Impact for Pyke as it now does more damage everygame when compared with Cheap Shot. Sudden Impact procs off of your W/E/R and does 20 − 80 (based on level) bonus true damage. Whereas Cheap Shot only deals 10 − 45 (based on level) bonus true damage to enemy Champion icon champions affected by certain crowd control effects.

patch 14.10

2. You can cancel your Q/W with any other abilities. This is useful if you want to immediately halt your Q channel to stop it's animations while simutatenously casting a different ability. W's effect can also be canceled with Recall, enabling you to prevent warning incoming enemies from getting the audio cue when Pyke's nearby in camouflage. Here are 2 examples of useful scenarios you can apply this trick on:

A. You begin channeling your hook on a low target champion who isn't quite in execute range. However, your teammate suddenly damages them, bringing them into execute range. At this exact moment, you can take your time to reposition your cursor and cast R to immediately break your Q channel while catching your target off guard.

B. You're in fog of war and you press W to quickly get into a brush. However, your W has yet to expire and you know the enemy is soon arriving. You can start channeling your recall and immediately break the animation, preventing nearby enemies from getting the usual visual and audio cues that Pyke's in camouflage nearby.

3. In Patch 14.1 & 14.2 Jungle Pets were buffed to deal more damage to non-epic monsters + Jungle Pets were buffed to heal more. This resulted in a new meta shift where players prioritized getting in lane earlier and playing for lane prio over leashing Junglers as they could solo leash just fine.

This means leashing as Pyke is extremely grief as you're willingly forfeiting all control of lvl 1 prio in which Pyke thrives, just so your Jungler clears their first camp a few seconds faster. Not only that, you're also revealing where your Jungler started giving not only your enemy Bot laner an advantage but everyone else on their team as well.

patch 14.1 & 14.2

There are many scenarios that can play out if you leash as Pyke:

A. The enemy also leashes resulting in a neutral outcome where both Bot laners don't obtain a free early lane prio. (This is the best case scenario if you leash)

B. The enemy didn't leash, resulting in lane prio, forcing you to play safe and sit under tower, unable to look for hooks or any all-in attempts at lvl 1 or 2. You'll have to wait for them to crash the wave for a bounce back where you'll fight for lvl 3. However, the wave is in an ideal situation for your Jungler to come lvl 3 gank.

C. The enemy didn't leash, and they cheese lane brush, either resulting in a HP advantage which they can use to score an early kill, instantly making Pyke useless in the bottom lane.

D. The enemy didn't leash, and they pull the wave, denying you guys xp and zoning your from the wave.

All of these scenarios can be avoided if you simply don't leash and get lane prio, abusing Pyke's early game to it's full potential and punishing the enemy if they leash by doing what I listed above from the other perspective. In the case both bot laners don't leash, lane prio will be neutral and it'll be determined by abilities wasted/bot comp/sums/etc.

Low elo players are so used to leash culture that they are barely catching on to present meta and are months behind. Players fail to adapt and they're left behind in the dust, confused on why they aren't climbing. League is an ever-changing game which requires adapability and rewards those who can abuse what's meta rather it's in the form of champions, items, or playstyle.

why i dont leash as pyke

4. Do you default to + every game? Yet you wonder why you have so little impact and fail to close out games despite getting an early lead. You lack experimentation and you'll never grow if you don't try new things. Yes, Umbral Glaive is an OP item on Pyke and it'll always give you value BUT it won't always give you maximum value for your gold. Yes, it's cost efficient but if you're sitting on 3k gold why settle for an Umbral Glaive? Why not Hubris? Why not first item Edge? Why not Collector? What about Eclipse? Have you tried skipping Umbral maybe for later or perhaps entirely for a stronger item? Have you even thought of all the possibilities you can unlock from this simple shift in item diversity? And now that you're not chained to Umbral Glaive, you can abuse Eyeball Collection for guaranteed stacks without being shackled to Umbral Glaive.

Like I said, this is just the tip of the iceberg of what I have to offer for you. Buckle up and try not to get too overwhelmed by what you're about to learn in this guide.

Runes

Gone are the days where it was vs Support. Now, it's unanimous that reigns supreme. Don't bother trying any other keystone unless a major rework is done. HOB enables to weave in autos between spells and put out the most dps early to mid game.

Does more damage that and procs off all of Pyke's abilities except .

Perfect for an assassin as it'll help track unseen wards. It'll be consistently useful every game and will even reveal the ward for 10 seconds at lvl 11.

Having lower ult CD = more opportunities to kill = more winning team fights = more gold = more objectives = more wins

If you plan on building more expensive items in even/losing matchups (exp rushing first item into //.

Hard losing matchups where you plan to roam. Good when combined with so you can skip t2 boots upgrade for a faster item spike.

Anti-burst, but can be overkill if you have . In which case, you can either go or .

Into poke-heavy matchups. However, already has good sustain from so I very rarely go .

Heals you and nearby ally whenever you slow or immobilize an enemy champion. This will make short trades more rewarding and can help give some much-needed utility to your ADC.

If you plan on building , combined with can boost your resistance by a ton while also providing some utility in the form of an AOE shield active with guaranteed value every game. doesn't kick in until after 12 minutes so you will be missing a lesser rune until then.

Gain resistance when slowed/immobilized that lingers for 2 seconds. This has no CD so it's great into comps with alot of CC & if your goal is to be tanky. Combine with , , and shard for the best result.

Great for healing after a takedown + extra gold on takedowns. However, it's just that and offers nothing else. is only good when smurfing or when versing extremely squishy & immboile champs. It's either amazing or useless, no in between.

Combine with & for max gold & insane dmg on squishies.

If enemy team comp is tanky you will benefit much more from than . Combine with to shred HP and enable to do short trades verses bruisers & tanks.

Combine with , , , and (if possible) to become a speed demon.

lvl 2 max distance pyke solo engage v14.22

Boost your movement speed from , , and . Combine with to get even more movespeed.

If you plan on playing safe can save you more than just 300 gold when combined with / into as a replacement for t2 boots.

Great if you're running but not planning on skipping t2 boots. Instead, you'll focus your build around getting 10 stacks ASAP. Refer to the 'JOAT Pyke' Build at the very top of the guide if you need an example build. JOAT offers a creative twist in Pyke's build, allowing him to build defensively with a boost in damage once he reaches 5 and 10 stacks respectively. The bonus ability haste is a nice cherry on top. JOAT unlocks even more freedom in Pyke's build but can also hinder some items if you're looking to get max stacks ASAP.

Great for lowering CDS, especially when running /. Pair with into for even lower Summoner Spell CD. Focus on building items with actives such as (meaning should be considered), , , etc; as also lower item active CDs.

Allows you to maintain dps to some extent after 3rd AA. After multiple durability patches, you'll find yourself needing 1 more AA to execute a squishy target more often than ever. It also makes sense to focus more on DPS when early game all-ins are nerfed. Last but not least, having ATK speed shard will allow you to shove in waves faster & do more dmg to objectives in a shorter time frame than if you were to go double adaptive force.

Always have at least 1 shard or else you'll find yourself doing noticeable less damage. When going 1 , always go to squeeze in a little bit more dmg (hp converts to ad) so you won't have scenarios where enemies live with a few hp because you greeded too much on your shards. You can also go double adaptive in cases where you want to all-in lvl 1.

More dmg than until lvl 7.

I usually avoid going shard if I can as +10% tenacity/slow resistance isn't meaningful by itself. Even when stacked with there isn't a noticeable difference. If I need tenacity I will always go and if isn't sufficient, I'll also go . Riot's nerfed tenacity stacking so this is the most optimal way to about tenacity for Pyke.

I usually combine with double adaptive b/c it offers more dmg than after lvl 7. Going double adaptive +
is diminishing returns with no real noticeable difference pre lvl 7.

Items

Ideally, you want to start with 2 s everygame due to the unpredictable nature of solo queue. However, if you're looking to invade, or you have a hard winning matchup, you could go for 1 instead. Usually you want to avoid purchasing aside from your starting items. However, if you can't afford a and you think a can be a difference maker, don't hesitate to buy it. Only use your when you're in lethal threshold and plan on fighting. You don't want to waste it but you don't want to die from being too low hp either.

Infinite hack. Just recall for more free potions! Buy Refillables if you you find yourself low on HP often with 150 gold to spare. You can even sell your singular in your inventory to reach 150 gold if needed. However, if you don't need the extra health regen from potions, you can skip this item and save yourself 150 gold. Don't by shy from selling for 60 gold to get yourself a recipe component as it'll be extremely worth it! As the game goes on, the bonus hp regen from potions will be less meaningfull due to higher max hp.

For 21 AD (HP converted to AD), Tenacity, and a trail that increases allies movespeed. This is great if you need tenacity, otherwise for max AD go .

30 bonus AD and physical vamp on champs.

25 bonus true dmg when in combat. Does max turrent dmg. Uncommon but could be useful to take down towers.

Your core support item that offers 3 stacks. Hitting towers will give you max gold (22) from your supp charges, last hitting creeps will give the same amt of gold (15) regardless of which type they are (and will give full gold value to nearest ally within range). Damaging a minion below (Melee role 50% / Ranged role 30%) of its maximum health executes it. Earn 400 gold with this item and it'll upgrade to , and 400 more gold for .

Anti-burst & delayed aoe slow. You can wait for 's slow to get a better shot at landing your skill shots. If you don't need it consider going or instead.

Damage Amp for max dmg output. May need to replace late game for .

Movespeed & healing for yourself and a nearby ally. Can be useful if you don't require anti-burst/dmg amp.

Early vision which can help gain early intel on enemy jgler's whereabouts. Can also be used lvl 1 to prevent invades/facechecking brushes. After placing your @lvl 1, you can recall and swap to . However, you'll have to walk back to lane & risk missing some opportunities to punish enemy mistakes. Change to once your upgrades to . s can be placed during . You'll have 3 charges when you obtain , and 4 charges when you obtain . Note that you can only have 3 s on the map max unless you have . When placing a over your maximum threshold, your earliest ward will be replaced with your new ward.

Everyone knows is used to clear wards but not everyone uses it's vision denial to it's full potential. You can use to first deny enemy vision in a brush, and then instead of immediately hitting the ward (as it'll give them vision), you can either use that time to get closer and maybe sneak in a hook (assuming your teammates don't hit the ward) -- this is mainly for early laning phase. This works especially well because once you pop on a warded area, people instinctively play more aggressively in an attempt to punish you while you clear the ward. By denying vision, you also proc your passive which can heal you when you're trying to min-max your hp during a skirmish. You can simply walk through a warded area without clearing the ward to get to a fight faster while keeping your location hidden. can also be used to detect traps & reveal enemies whreabouts when they're invisible/out of sight. When using to clear multiple wards, it's ideal to activate it when you're near the ward so you can weave in 6 AAs before it expires. Pop so it scans a brush at max range so you don't have to facecheck it (combine this with W if you're afraid of getting CC'd).

Great when splitting or when behind and need to check baron vision from afar. can also be useful when you have max wards, pinks, and want complete vision instead of denying vision (useful for covering backdoors, deep wards, etc.)

Core item as you'll find yourself behind in tempo, missing skill shots, and getting out manuevered by enemies without it. You can rush before purchasing for max dmg but only when extremely ahead.

Great if there's alot of CC/Slow and isn't sufficient. The added MR is a nice addition. Definitely go if you're verse 4 or more AP champions.

For anti-slow + constant movespeed. Combine with (E + AA into slow combo) to get on top of enemies with ease. Great into skill shot champions and highly mobile champs when you don't benefit as much from .

Great counter if enemies are rushing lethality (esp if they're behind). truly thrives into comps with no CC but plenty of on-hit/AD threats. It can be extremely helpful when you're behind and need armor into a fed ADC. It's also viable when versing 3 or more AD champions with no need of tenacity. I usually avoid going if I can get away with a non defensive pair of boots.

You recall with 900-1000 gold and your first thought that pops into your mind is to run straight mid/top. If that's the case, will allow you to put those calories to work as this is the ideal time to start stacking your units of distance. will give you an empowered recall, making your roams less punishing for your ADC as you'll be able to run back to their lane much quicker. After reaching 150k units of distance, with automatically upgrade into , giving you an additional 10 movespeed + 45 more movespeed when out of combat to live your fantasy dream of perma roaming. combined with Pyke's insane mobility will allow to pressure all lanes as long as he's out of vision. The empowered recall can also allow you to recall in areas you normally wouldn't to save maximum tempo.

Lower summoner cd for maximum snowball potential. Only go if you don't need any defensive boots/combat movespeed/out of combat movespeed.

You'll rarely find yourself needing extra atk speed but in cases where you want higher dps for backdooring/splitting, can be a good replacement.

An amazing item that synergizes perfectly with . You can detect wards with 's passive -- even during your W. This essentially makes a human which can be extremely OP in combination with . is also extremely cost efficient, enabling a quick 1 & 2 item spike. As amazing as is, it should'nt be bought every game as their are stronger options if you have the gold.

For bonus lethality and extra all-in power.

An great item for as it amolifies his roaming and engage power. will remain strong throughout the entire game as long as you're able to use it's out of combat movespeed and active to your advantage.

Great rush item if you're ahead and verses immobile & squishy champions. It's build path isn't the best so you won't get any strong power spikes until you complete the item. Combine with for a nasty combo.

There will always be spells you can block with , enabling you to build a msx dmg lethality item while simutaneously skipping tenacity items like mercs for a more cost-efficient build path. The spell shield CD is the main reason you buy so make sure it doesn't get wasted before a crucial fight.

Great item if you want to play slow and safe while you chill and close out a game with minimum risks due to a huge early lead that you can safely snowball with. Combine with to keep the gold gap via farming without setting your teammates behind. It's ideal to build as your forst or second item to start your stacks ASAP.

Only good when ahead to generate gold from your jg camps while your jgler is dead/invading. You can also farm creeps but avoid doing so whenever you get reduced gold from overfarming minions.

Situational item to counter shields. Make sure you can reach the targets with shields before buying . It doesn't matter if they have alot of shields if you can't reach them without dying. Also, your execute ignored shields so if you're extremely ahead and your execute is enough dmg to one shot a target, then going is a waste of gold.

Only go into squishy & immobile bot laners *when ahead. At max energized stacks, your next AA will be empowered, dealing bonus damage and slowing the target by 99% for 0.75 seconds. Using 's on-hit slow passive + , you can use directly on top of a champion, AA them with HOB with the on-hit slow from to reposition yourself for an easy stun (assuming they have no form of bonus movespeed/blink/dash/stasis/spell shield/cc). Combine with yp counter any interuptions when dashing.

Lowers your R cd whenever scoring a takedown (Scales off lethality). should be bought after 1-3 lethality items for maximum gold efficiency. Since 's sole purpose is to lower yohr R CD, it's only good when extremely ahead to spam kill opponents which can potentially allow you to have your R CD completely cycle in a single fight (when combined with 4-5 stacks of ).

0 R CD Pyke

Ideal armor pen item for if he doesnt value crit/grevious wound. 's slow passive works with 's active, allowing you to have a on-active slow when using . Note that the passive slow does not stack with

Counter to on-hit atk speed heavy champions. Only good when behind as tyere are many other items with better gold efficiency.

Counter to crit threats. Can be built at any point of the game. Active is an AOE slow.

Gold efficient armor+movespeed+ad (from hp conversion) item with some utility from it's passive bonus movespeed trail it leaves behind for your teammates. Not ideal as a rush item. I only recommend if you benefit from the bonus movespeed+armor+trail passive to keep up with high movespeed champs regardless if they're on your team or the enemies'. 's second passive is a on-hit slow (50% for 1 sec) at max stacks (which generates as you move). An alternative item thats less team-oriented will be .

Bad late game stats but the second life passive can be game-winning late game. Replace with another item whenever passive is down if you have enough gold (and then buy GA again when it's passive cd if back up). Avoid going GA early unless you can benefit from it's armor and passive to avoid giving a large bounty. can also be used to force a fight, allowing you to bait crucial abilities from enemies for you teammates to capitalize while you're reviving.

Bonus Armor + AD (from HP conversion), 10 ability haste & hp regen. can be a early item if you benefit from the armor and it's passive damage redirction to keep your ADC alive. essentially redirects dmg from a selected ally to you, while healing you whenever they deal dmg while in tether range. I only recommend going if you acknowledge a certain teammate's ability to carry and want them to play to close out a game without throwing their lead.

Upgrade from after you used it's passive. Make sure you don't waste your one-time active from as it's quite expensive and it's second recipe item is 1200 gold with no beneficial stats (). Consider going into if your main threat can be countered by stasis active + armor stats. Some examples include a fed or to deny their potentially lethal ultimates.

A more expensive version of offering better stats in terms of armor, dmg, movespeed, and a flat 25% slow resistance. Unlike , 's on-hit passive deals bonus dmg based on how much momentum stacks you have with no slowing effects. Go if you value armor, dmg, slow resist, and movement speed with no intent of providing any form of utility for your teammates (usually when you're extremely fed and want to spit push/backdoor/replace boots).

In the rare case you want armor, dmg & grevious wound over lethality.

Offers some anti-burst, dmg, and armor but isn't recommended on support unless you're extremely ahead and don't need MR. Combine with and more resistance for best results. (make sure you have 1-2 lethality items or you won't be dealing any dmg).

Good hybrid AD/MR item. Not a good MR item unless you're getting bursted by AP champions. Avoid playing too aggresively when the passive shield is down. Combine with & for best results.

Best item for consistent MR in the form of a non-lifeline shield (when out of combat for 15 secs). Also provides ad (from hp conversion) and hp regen. Can be combined with more MR items & to be extremely hard to kill even through magic pen items.

MR, dmg, haste and passive enemy MR reduction. This is great into heavy AP with no burst threat whom are stacking MR.

Get when against lethal cc and/or supression when , , and isn't sufficient enough. It can also be useful in the case of you being a target of a combination of CC and Supressions (like R, R, and/or lethal CC's like / Q's. Upgrade to for bonus MR, AD, lifesteal, and a burst of bonus movement speed on item activation (which can be used purely for movemebt speed boost). You can upgrade your QSS last if you need to build other items.

Extremely gold efficient hybrid defense item with ad, ability haste, and a decaying shield active which scales with targets' lvl. Great if you want to play for team anti-burst into equal ad and ap dmg threats. Should be purchased after or other lethality item for best results.

For a new maximum threshold of 4 total s & 2 total s on the map. Great for late game vision control with, or without .

Armor/MR & Dmg from Hp conversion. amplifies your resistance so make sure build MR and Armor items while balancing lethality as well (you can sit on recipe items if needed).

For Atk Speed, AD + more Ad from HP conversion, Atk Speed & on-active AOE Slow & Movement speed.

Should be your very last item upgrade for when you have + full build.

In the rare case you want Atk Speed, crit, and movement speed with passive on-hit ability cd (15%). Ideally combined with another crit item & no meed for extra dmg/resistance.

60% Atk apeed, 25% crit, 8% movespeed, and become permanently ghosted, allowing you to ignore unit collision (aka creep block). This can be a better alternaitve to if your main goal is to be fast and have more % atk speed. In the extremely rare case you do find appealing, it's best when paired with another item that can help you benefit from the percent atk speed such as ///etc.

On-hit healing & crit. Generally a bad item as it's not cost-efficient but it can be good when combined with defensive items, , and/or .

Max Armor Pen, AD & Crit. Can combine / for higher %crit.

Armor Pen, AD & Grevious wound. Can be great into heavy bruisers/tanks/healing when no1 is buying grevious wound & you need both armor pen & healing reduction. Otherwise, consider buying to shred hp or for armor & healing reduction instead.

As forementioned, is the perfect item to build against heavy hp stacking enemy comps. It'll also enable you to duel non-squishies as it provides you with a shield that can easily be proc'd with a HOB AA + Q or any 2 separate attacks or abilities within 1.5 seconds.

why go eclipse on pyke?

In the rare case you need life steal, atk speed, and ad; ideally combined with another atk speed/wave clearing item.

In-Depth Item Analysis

Click here to skip to 'Items' Chapter, where you'll get in-depth, individual itemization breakdowns.

only when you're ready to try new builds

1. Edge for Zyra, Ashe & Swain. Can also block CC abilities from Rene & Skarner. Youmuu's for early roaming & speed active to prevent getting ran down by Ashe. Bloodsong bc I didn't need anti-burst and I benefit from more dmg due to 3 bruisers. Swifities for slow resis from Ashe & ability to dodge abilities & move freely in fights. QSS bc I didn't go Mercs & Edge isn't enough against their cc heavy team. Lastly, I built grudge bc we were 4 AD and they were stacking armor. I always recommend going Exh vs Ashe. I didn't go Ghost this game bc I benefit more with Flash to dodge lethal skill shots.

2. Umbrail, Mercs, DD, Celestial. I lack lethality but I'm extremely fed and my main goal is to not throw. My main threats are Kayn & Gwen. DD + Celestial will prevent Kayn from bursting me & Mercs is enough MR on top of the anti-burst from Celestial & DD to prevent Gwen from killing me. Swain has no burst so he's a non factor, and Sivir & Ali are both AD (armor from DD & Celestial). This setup offers a little bit of everything but DD on Pyke Support is usually not ideal due it costing 3.3k.

3. Youmuu's, Edge, Mercs, Locket, Celestial. I have an Ez vs a Syndra ADC, TF Support. We won lane, meaning Syndra & TF will never be able to kill Ezreal. This prompts me to build Youmuu's and perma roam & pressure the map. Edge is great into TF's gold card, Syndra's Stun, and Ivern's Stun - pretty much rendering them all useless against me. They can't kill me, and I can engage without fear. However, they do have a Fiora & Yi - both deals true damage and isn't really affected by Edge. This makes me go Locket as it's a cheap item that provides both armor & mr with an active shield to not only prevent me from dying to Fiora & Yi (whilst giving me MR for the other enemies), but also provide an AOE shield for my teammates to prevent Yi from popping off. It makes sense to go Celestial here as I want as much defensive stats I can get. Mercs for tenacity & MR since stacking anymore armor is useless. I also took cleanse this game bc of double stun bot lane + ivern root. As long as I'm not cc'd, they can't kill me.

More item/spell breakdowns

1. Exhaust + Ghost to get on top of Jhin & Senna as they both are immobile but build movement speed items/runes. This setup also allows me to dodge crucial skill shots and look for a heavy lvl 1 trade. Swifities for combat speed to connect my E's with E + Exh stun combo (+Nimbus & Celerity) & Volatic Rush for E + AA oneshot combo with Bloodsong. Was building Opportunity next for more combat movespeed (this is before they removed movespeed from Opp). Jhin & Senna are essentially 2 squishy ADCs that are nimble. As long as I can get on top of them and snowball my lead, they have no chance.

1. Exhaust to counter Samira's all-in. Edge to counter TF, Ali, Zac & Sej. Randiun's b/c Samira is fed & I get oneshot wo (Steelcaps + Celestial for more defense). Topped w. Jak'Sho for even more armor & some MR for TF & Zac. Jak'Sho's Hp gets converted to AD so I get some needed AD in my build as well. In this game I was required to build these defensive items to not get one shot by Samira. With this build setup I could engage for my team without worry about dying.

2. Cait, Pyke vs Ez, Brand. We got an early kill so I decided to roam to shut down Akali before she hit 6. Ez and Brand can't outrange Cait so she can farm freely without me. Brand can't outroam Pyke so it's a win-win scenario. This explains why I went Symbiotic. After laning phase, Ez, Akali, Skarner, and Sett aren't exactly easy to assassinate so I went Umbrail to focus on clearing vision and setting up for vision. Edge is a great passive aggressive item as it allows to deny Brand's stun & other lethal abilities whenever I look to hook someone. Just don't let Ezreal proc your spell shield for free and it's fine. Edge can also block Akali's E, Skarner's Engage, and Sett's lethal abilities. I then go Eclipse because Akali isn't a threat so the shield will suffice. Eclipse also allows me to make short winning trades, withering the opponents down while countering the enemies' core HP items. Lastly, I went Bloodsong for more dmg amp & Serpent's Fang bc Sett was the only threat.

1-2. Here, I showcase 2 games where I went Tiamat as support Pyke. There are 2 cases where Tiamat Pyke Support is good.

A. You're ahead, enemy is playing safe, and you can farm jg camps/side lanes without setting your teammates behind.

B. You need some for of waveclear because of your team comp or b/c your Top Laner/Mid Laner aren't handling side lanes so you take it upon yourself to deal with the fed Trundle perma splitting uncontested.

You can upgrade your Tiamat if you want to fully comit to farming or you can hold onto Tiamat if you have another item you want to purchase that'll benefit your teamfighting power.

1. Steelplate for Irelia/Shaco since I already have Edge + Cleanse for Lux/Blitz/Fiddle. Umbrail + Vigilant Wardstone + Oracles to counter Shaco & Fiddle.

2. ADC Pyke

3. I was our only form of engage and I clearly wasn't having the best time this game. Not much to learn from this game except going full glass cannon when behind and hope for the best.

4. ADC Pyke

5. Hubris > Profane w. Celestial Build. Got an early lead, enemy played safe, I wanted late game insurance. Hubris gives me late game insurance while Profane allowed me to continue to snowball my lead as I farm our jg and our jgler farms the enemies' jg. Mercs for tenacity + MR. And I was building Voltaic to get on top of the squishies and even the bruisers. Note that I almost always pair Voltaic with Edge as it enables me to E + AA (Voltaic Slow) into stun without being cc'd mid-combo.

6. Edge rush into Naut.

1. Edge into Naut, Knight's Vow for Armor to counter Aphelios Lethality (esp when he's already behind) while providing some protection to my Jinx. Mercs for tenacity + MR & Negatron Cloak + Celestial to counter Syndra's burst. Cloth armor as a recipe item for Jak'Sho as I already have armor & MR items, allowing Jak'Sho to give me defense amp & bonus AD from HP conversion.

Solstice Sleigh bc I didn't need anti-burst or dmg amp & would benefit from extra move speed + healing.

Umbrail + Vigilant + Oracles to counter Fiddle & Teemo. Edge to counter everyone but Lucian. Mercs to counter everyone but Lucian. Bloodsong for dmg amp against Rene Mid & TK Supp. Cloth Armor for some resis against Lucian/Rene as I don't have Celestial.

now you analyze the item choices (so i don't have to)

Summoner Spells

Deals true dmg (scaling w. lvl), over time & applies 40% grevious wound for 5 secs. This counters healing while also providing extra dmg which can be the difference between scoring a kill or not. You want to default to as your primary aggressive summoner spell as it'll have value no matter what.

Blinks to a a cursor within it's range. Can be used in combination with your abilities/item actives/etc. for so much more outplay potential. is mainly used to get over terrains, dodge abilities, or just to gap close in a single moment. Similar to , you want to default to as your primary mobility spell.

has been more viable since the popularity of ADCs running . Since directly counters , running in anticipation of 's counter to is a viable strategy. However, it's not good to assume one would run a certain summoner spell just because it's meta, just like you shouldn't assume their runes or items. Despite this, is the perfect passive-aggressive item and thrives when picked into atk-speed based marksmen (exp. , , , etc.). Combine with , , and to unlock a new way of playing .

Viable replacement for as your situational "mobility spell". is extremely op when combined with as you can weave in multiple autos and out-space ADCs with a moment of superior movement speed & stats. You can pop for a quick gap-close (esp when combined w. & ), (E) towards or on top of an enemy champion, to slow them while simutaenously getting another boost of movespeed from + (while you're still ed) for a near guaranteed stun-engage combo. You can hook them afterwards or one-shot them with , AAs & .

Removes all disables (except Suppression and Airborne) and summoner spell debuffs affecting your champion and lowers the duration of incoming disables by 75% for 3 seconds (does not remove the healing reduction from Ignite). Taking will not provide any combat stat advatage aside from removing summoner spells & cc's. This means to only take when you can win lane without combat sums & you know you'll get meaningful value from throughout the entire course of the game. is only recommend into many lethal CC abilities. I personally find myself taking versuses as I tank his hooks often when channeling my hook (which can easily be avoided by casting to cancel your channel + dodge). However, in the case of , I'm usually advantageous if we trade Q's and I cleanse his as my champion can still play aggressively without Q. You can also purposely tank lethal crowd-control skill shots if you want to sacrifice your .

disco pyke

Gives you an extra layer of security and an element of surprise. However, in Patch 14.22, was nerfed so it might not be viable anylonger. Regardless, it can still be good into neutral/losing matchups where you just want to survive the laning phase. I personally don't like going simply b/c it doesn't instantly cast when I press it due to my ping gap.

Pyke Skins Tier List IMO

Click Here To Goto Next Chapter

Honestly, I can't really complain too much on Pyke skins aside from the fact that they always nerf Pyke before dropping a skin. & has to be some of the best skins in the game. Keep in mind that this is just my own personal skin tier list as everyone has different tastes & preferences!

my pyke skin tier list

Empyrean Pyke: Makes you feel like a 1v9 God. I like the Emerald Chroma as it stands out the most. Empyrean Pyke's AA animation is vivid and smooth with an immersive SFX, somehow encapsalating the depth of the sea with the deep unknown void. Whenever using this skin canceling your AAs seem impossible as they're dramatic and vivid. His W isn't cluttered with anything unnecessary and is seemingly enlarged, showcasing Pyke's true W range. His E isn't flashy but fits perfectly with everything else, giving it a perfect balance in extreme yet classy. Last but not least, his R is bold and unique with a special visual effect, altering the ground into an ever-expanding universe for all to see when scoring a pentakill.

Empyrean Pyke skin & chromas

Empyrean Pyke Skin (Video)

empyrean pyke pentakills

Ashen Knight Pyke: You're an Elden Ring Boss. The theme is perfect, the audio effects are engraved into your soul as each continuous kill fills your emptiness into something... complete. His recall is iconic as it makes the skin feel alive and full of deep emotion. Everything is literally perfect. However, the one crucial thing it lacks is some sort of kick. Something that makes it stand out above the rest, completly unique and different. Something like Empyrean Pyke...

This ultimately results in Ashen Knight being too perfect in the sense of a complete skin, but it becomes stale after using it for a while. To keeps things interesting, I enjoy switching to it's chroma whenever I'm losing, and back to no Chroma whenever I'm less tilted.

ashen knight skin & chromas

Click Here To Goto Next Chapter

Ashen Knight Pyke Skin (Video)

Sand Wraith: The forgotten King reclaiming his throne. Extremely smooth skin with a crisp AA animation, second to Empyrean. I feel like it could have been more aesthetically pleasing without the hood, embracing the mummified theme to it's fullest. However, it's recall is easily the most badass, screaming "You are beneath me". And since my favorite color is black, the Obsidian Chroma takes the crown.

sand wraith pyke skin & chromas

Sand Wraith Pyke Skin (Video)

Classic Pyke (Base Skin): Broke IRL but swimming in LP. Pyke's basic skin is truly a work of art. As someone who plays on many accounts, I can't afford to purchase skins on all of them. This means I've been playing Pyke without a skin for most of my games and I've yet to get bored of it. Pyke's basic skin had set the bar very high for all of his other skins to come.

Prestiege Soul Fighter Pyke: An unstoppable force, you're in your prime but it's all a dream of the distance past. Less emphasis on the cape, making it feel lighter & a touch of bling to make it a lil' something extra. I think the white hair is a good complementary color with it's extravagant gold, black, and purple colo palette.

Prestige Soul Fighter Pyke Skin (Video)

Soul Fighter: Medium-heavy with smooth, artsy animations. Soul Fighter Pyke makes you feel like a badass pirate captain from One Piece. I love the cape and the Obisidian Chroma is my favorite.

prestige soul fighter pyke skin & chromas

Soul Fighter Pyke Skin (Video)

Click Here To Goto Next Chapter

Soul Fighter Penta Kill (Video)

PsyOps: Heaviest skin but not to the point where the animations becomes clunky. It has one of the darkest color palettes for it's base skins and both the Obsidian & Hunter Chromas are great options!

psyops pyke skin & chromas

PsyOps Pyke Skin (Video)

Project: Pyke: A failed skin that didn't focus on the bigger picture. I think Project: Pyke has excellent /dance, /laugh, recall, etc; but the model and it's animations could have been way better. Is it worth 1820 RP? Definitely not. Should it be revamped? 100%. Regardless, Project: Pyke was of Pyke's earlier skins and I believe they used this skin as a stepping stone to achieve some of Pyke's best skins to date.

project:pyke skin & chromas

Project:Pyke Skin (Video)

Blood Moon Pyke: Plain, a disappointment due to low effort. Blood Moon Pyke has a great model & good SFX. But that's it. Nothing but a different character model with a decent recall, and some new SFX. For the perfect themed Pyke Skin, this was a huge letdown. Had they put any effort into this skin, it could have been one of the best go-to Pyke Skins.

skin & chromas

Blood Moon Pyke Skin (Video)

Fright Night Pyke: The first Pyke Skin aside from Sentinal Pyke that I never bothered to try. I simply dislike how ugly and A.I. generated the Splash Art looked. The VFX wasn't any better.

fright night pyke skin & chromas

Fright Night Pyke Skin (Video)

Sentinal Pyke: Shoulda been Ruined Pyke, not Underpants Pyke.

sentinal pyke skin & chromas

Sentinel Pyke Skin (Video)

Settings

Pyke is a Champion who's quito sensitive to lag so make sure you close any useless tabs or apps running in the background as they can cause unwanted ping/fps drops. If any lag presists, try uninstalling apps you don't use to free up space. Lastly, lower your in-game graphics to help reduce any clutters.

Make sure you play with quickcast and line missle display enabled. I highly recommend checking "Show Spell Cost" so you can quickly calculate your total mana cost for a particular combo whenever you're low on mana.

visuals

Your mouse sensativity should be adjusted to where it's as fast as possible without hindering your ability to aim. Go to Practice Tool to test your hooks on dummies and increase your mouse sensativity until you have trouble aiming 99% accuracy.

visuals

Everyone's DPI may vary in speed regardless of your League Mouse Settgs as your computer also has it's own mouse-pointer sensativity -- making League's mouse sensativity just an add-on. If you want even more precise control over your pointer speed, adjust your computer's mouse sensativity as well by going to your computer's settings > bluetooth & devices > additional mouse speed (For Windows).

mouse properties

Afterwards, you can adjust your Camera Move Speed to your new pointer speed. There are many other settings to go over but they're not directly correlated to Pyke. However, you should watch this video regardless, if your goal is to maximize control over your ability to gather intel and perform to your maximum potential.

Don't be afraid to intergret new settings. It may seem intimidating at first, but you can start off with a few changes & slowly add more as you get used to it.

Pros & Cons

Pro:Strong early game, esp. when paired w. agro ADC/JG

Pro:Insane mobility (W & E)

Pro:Low Q Cooldown (Lowest base cd for hook)

Pro:No mana problems (As long as you don't waste/overstay)

Pro:Extremely versatile

Pro:High skill ceiling (Skill shots, Combos, Adaptability)

Pro:Great skins (Empyrean & Ashen)

Pro:Great High Elo (But also high ban rate)

1. Pyke is extremely strong early game due to his high base AD (in combination with . His kill pressure is immense if he can get an early lvl lead (esp. when paired with a strong, early-game ADC).

2. Pyke's W () & E () paired with his Passive () makes him extremely slippery and hard to kill. However, often times you'll bait your ADC into walking too far up so always be mindful of what the enemy team can do to your ADC if you're both overextended.

3. Pyke's Q () only has a 10 second base cooldown compared to 's 19, 's 20, and ' 14, which can often times be used off cooldown to catch your opponents off guard.

4. Pyke's Q ( refunds 75% of it's mana if it's interrupted/canceled, and it also refunds 100% mana whenever it hits an enemy champion. Combine this with ' mana regen and Pyke's already low-mana cost abilities, you'll rarely find any mana issues unless you're wasting abilities on minions/overstaying.

5. Pyke is extremely versatile because he has many choices & combinations from his wide pool of items, runes, and summoner spells.

6. Pyke has a high skill ceiling (aside from fundamentals, combos, and champion mastery), as you'll have to constantly adjust to the meta, and to your enemies and allies playstyle and understanding of what your champion is capable of.

7. Pyke has some of the best skins in the game: and .

8. Pyke is statistically a better champion the higher elo you are (if played in the correct team composition). This is because Pyke thrives in an environment where teammates plays around him and sets him up for success.

Con:Falls off by the second (Close out game ASAP)

Con:Self-slow (Q)

Con:75% skill shots

Con:Telegraphed abilities (Q, W, E, R - all have warnings)

Con:Team comp reliant (Cannot solo carry)

Con:Extremely squishy (Cannot build bonus HP)

Con:Hard to master

Con:Constantly nerfed (Riot does'nt like it when Pyke becomes independent)

Con:Terrible Low Elo (Reliant on teammates + falls off)

Con:Meta reliant (Hard to play when counter matchups are meta)

1. Pyke is easily one of the weakest assassins come late game. He falls off extremely hard after 25-35 minutes (whenever enemies start completing their core items). It's not as bad as previous seasons due to providing free anti-burst, however, you will still find yourself extremely vulnerable and useless if you don't know how to properlly macro & itemize during the later parts of the game.

2. Pyke's Q () is a self-slowing ability that can easily leave you vulnerable to hard CC/etc.

3. All of Pyke's abilities that deals damage is a form of skill shot (Q, E, R).

4. Pyke's Q (Hook), W (Warning), E (Phantom return; delayed stun skill shot), and R (Delayed execute skill-shot; reveals to enemy if you have a reset) are all telegraphed and gives your opponents some form of advantage in terms of reaction time & information gathering. No other assassins have this much telegraphed abilities, making Pyke more diff

5. Pyke needs a well-rounded team composition. This usually consists of 1-2 AP, a strong early game ADC/Jungler, and 1 tank/bruiser. Not only that, it's ideal to not pick Pyke into enemy comps with superior laning/hard to gank lanes.

6. Since Pyke cannot gain bonus HP (aside from lvling), he's extremely vulnerable without some form of anti-burst/spell shield. This is why , , and are popular on Pyke.

7. Hard to master (Need 100+ games to gain full confidence)

8. Pyke has been over-nerfed since his release and they will continue to do so as they don't want Pyke to gain too much independent power. People hate playing against Pyke despite his mid to low win-rate due to his ability to hard stomp games as a support when matched against squishy & immobile champions.

9. Pyke is extremely dependent on his teammates' ability to play around him and close out a winning game. The lower your teammate's overall IQ, the higher odds of you losing. In lower elos, champions who fall off as hard as does is not ideal for solo climbing due to players' inability to close out winning games.

10. Pyke thrives when Assassins are strong & counter matchups are weak. On the otherhand, Pyke struggles when there's low damage in the game, and tank/cc supports are meta.

Click Here To Goto Runes

Is it a Good Idea to OTP Pyke?

No. Since Pyke is extremely team comp oriented, it's in your best interest to increase your champion pool to 2-3 champions minimum. I've never done this myself, but perhaps learning other hook/engage champs such as Blitz, Thresh, Naut, Leona, and Rell alongside a few enchanters like Lulu, and Renata will help you become a more well-rounded player.

Pyke is also banned quite often, making him a nightmare to OTP.

If you still want to OTP Pyke, I recommend playing on 2-5 accs so you can dodge & swap accs whenever he's banned or whenever the team comp doesn't favor you.

What Team Comps Favors Pyke?

Ideally, you want an early game Jungler that can camp your lane. As for your ADCs, it's best for them to play comfort and for you to adjust your playstyle around their pick.

You do not want 4 AP champs as Pyke isn't a champion that can carry as the sole AD champion. Remember; your team does no dmg, you'll also do no dmg.

Similarly, you don't want to be all AD. 1 AP minimum.

Patch 14.21 Pyke's ADC Tier List

Meta ADC is Good With Pyke (14.21)

As of writing this guide it's patch 14.21. Pyke's Adc Tier list will most likely change from the time you're reading this guide as it usually does whenever there's a new patch. However, you can simply go to u.gg and search what ADC has a high w/r to get a general idea of what's good with Pyke in the current meta as pyke usually thrives with meta ADCs.

What Enemy Comps Fks Pyke?

Early game Junglers with strong ganking potentials & lockdowns like Bel'veth & Jarvan.

ADCs that are strong early, mid, and late (Jhin/Kai'sa/Ashe/aka. meta ADCs), especially if they have high mobility.

Tanky Supports with CC, esp. other hook champs like Blitz, Thresh, and Naut.

Mid/Top laners that are hard to gank.

Can You Blind Pick Pyke?

In lower elos, yes. After Diamond if you want to win, no.

The reason being is low elo players don't know how to counter pick and even if they do counter pick they're not skilled & coordinated enough for it to matter. Whereas more skilled players are more likely to counter pick you, rendering you completely useless. And if Pyke is useless, the game is as good as over.

You should always trade your ADC and make them first pick. This is because your ADC should be picking a champ that synergizes well with Pyke. Having your Jg/Mid FP is also a reasonable request.

However, if you are forced to FP, you shouldn't let it affect your mental. Afterall, it's still solo queue and you'll always be able to capitalize on enemy mistakes regardless if you're counterpicked.

At the end of the day, no one wants to FP and the only person to blame is yourself if you don't have a good blind pick champion.

Past Pyke Guides / Combos & Interactions

a pyke combo you've never seen before

pyke e interaction you've never seen before

invisible pyke e after delayed e r flash combo

MOST INSANE PYKE R FLASH COMBO

Wave Control Guide

wave control guides (Video)

In League of Legends, wave control (also known as minion wave management) is one of the most important yet underappreciated skills in the game. Mastering wave control allows you to manipulate your lane, apply pressure, and create advantages for your team. Whether you’re looking to freeze, slow-push, or fast-push, wave control gives you the flexibility to control when and how you engage, reset, or rotate to other lanes.

This guide will break down wave control strategies, how to execute them, and why they are important for every role in League of Legends.

details

Mindset Of Ranked Solo Queue

Regardless of what champion you play, if you're playing with a bad mentality you're already hurting your chances of winning by more than you'd think.

League of Legends is more team oriented than ever. You have to play alongside your teammates working together to secure the victory. Gone are the days where you can 1v9 as Pyke regardless of your teammates afking. Nowadays communication & teamwork is key to winning a game. Everything starts before you even queue up. If you're tilted from a previous game you'll most likely play worse and just continue to tilt queue, building up anger until you finally give up and go to bed. Sometimes it's important to know when to stop and just do something else to clear your mind.

Of course, having a monk mentality is easier said than done. You're forced to play alongside 4 strangers with limited coms and you just feel like the game's outcome is determined by who gets the worse teammates. Despite all of this, you're not alone and everyone is having to play around this obstacle. Instead of focusing on what you can't control, focus on what you can. This means focus on your mistakes, not your teammates. Perhaps you could have prevented your teammate from inting had you pinged them to be careful. Or maybe if you didn't follow your teammates into a bad fight, you could have got resources elsewhere instead of wasting tempo and risk dying for nothing.

League is all about playing around your teammates mistakes & directing them towards victory with smart pings. Think of your teammates as pawns that can grow it's own limbs at any moment and ignore your commands if you don't treat them nicely. The worst thing you can do is tilt all your teammates and be completely shut off from any team coordinations. League players will develop an ego overtime and once you bruise their ego, your odds of winning are already looking grim.

Tip: Turn party chat only on to prevent typing to your teammates if you have a tendency to flame. Accept the fact that you're the consistent factor in all of your games so if you play well every game, you will eventually climb. And lastly, don't think too much of Defeats. Defeats are ineviatble, it's what you learn along the way that matters most.

Champ Select & Loading Screen

Make sure you have your runes & spells adjusted according to your lane opponents and the enemy team comp.

Anaylze your Bot Lane Matchup. Who's stronger lvl 1? Anaylze your team comp vs the enemies'. Can they invade us? Who has more cc? Who has more dps? How does our team's lvl 1 stack against theirs? Begin to formulate a lvl 1 plan based on all the intel you've gathered and now adjust it on the fly according to how your teammates react. Do you want to get lane prio? Ping your teammates to be careful of getting invaded. Tell your adc to follow you and not get caught early. Do you want to invade? Maybe you have a weak early jgler and adc and you want to get an early lead through a stronger lvl 1 comp via an invade. Or perhaps you want to stack in anticipation of their invade?

All of this can be overwhelming at first but through experience you'll formulate a plan instantly and you're already playing the game before it's even started.

Invading

You should only invade if it benefits your lane. This means you're in a losing bot matchup and you can potentially get an early lead with an invade.

However, this doesn't mean you should blindly invade everygame you have a losing lane. If your lvl 1 team comp is weaker than theirs, then invading should not even be an option. Sure, you may get lucky and still score a kill but the risk vs reward simply isn't worth it. Instead, look to see if you have other options.

Stacking

Do you think the enemy will invade due to their superior lvl 1? Do you think if all 5 members stack and you get the first move, you'll win? Picture the fight in your head and assume all your teammates will lvl their cc ability. Who wins? If you guys do win then you can stack to counter their invade. Don't upgrade your ability as you can either start E or Q. Wait until you're about to use an ability before leveling it (this applies for lvl 1-3). Use your ward to setup vision in fog where you're stacking if there's any possible blind threats (exp Blitz hook).

Similar to invading, stacking shouldn't always be your go-to option if enemies could potentially invade. If you're in a hard winning lane, you should be setting lane prio and looking to punish the enemy bot lane if they didn't ward lane brush lvl 1 instead.
You can always tell your teammates to ward your bot buff in anticipation of their invade and react accordingly.

Cheesing aka. Setting Up Lane Prio

What used to be called a "Cheese" has slowly become the norm. Before, hard winning bot matchups could easily 100-0 enemy bot laners as soon as they entered lane, but after many nerfs and durability patches, this has now become a 2/3 step process. Essentially, you're running straight to bot lane and setting up complete control of the lane brushes, ready to pounce on the enemy bot laners as soon as they're in your Q/E range.

If you can hook them, it's ideal to target the ADC. However, if the support is squishy and/or alone, you can also target them instead. You'll chunk them while maintaining lane prio for faster lvl 2. You can also start E if they hide behind minions but missing your stun can be very punishing. If you don't see an angle or they're stronger but get to lane late, you can pull the wave to deny them a cs worth of gold and exp while simutaneously forcing them to walk further up in danger range to farm. This will give them a slow push so they could potentially reach lvl 2/3 faster if they outrange you and play aggressively push the wave.

A counter to cheesing is sending 5 members bot lane. However, a counter to that is warding the middle brush as soon as you enter lane so you don't have to face check the brush. At the highest of tiers, you can even counter their counter by sending 5 bot as well if you guys have a stronger lvl 1.

visual

TLDR: Setting Up Lane Prio will enable you to have the first move over your lane opponents, allowing you to dictate how the lane plays out for the first 3 lvls (assuming they don't contest for lane prio).

Early Game

Pyke's early game performance will determine how the game plays out for the rest of the game. Losing lane is not an option if you want to consistently win games on Pyke. Always look to win lane or go even. The second you're 0/1 you forfeit all control of the early game. (This, of course, isn't always the case, but that's my mindset when playing .)

Observe how the enemies play, observe how your ADC responds to your plays and determine how you want to play the laning phase from what you observed. Perhaps the enemy is play overly aggressing in a losing matchup? In which case you should be wary that maybe you're getting ganked - if not you've just skill checked them and you can punish them for overstepping in a losing matchup.

Is your ADC walking up whenever you are? Are they managing the wave correctly? Are they playing overly passive or overly aggressive when they're not supposed to? Are they respecting enemy Mid/Jg MIA? Are they recalling when they're supposed to? What are they building? All of these will determine how you preceive your ADC and you need to have a rough estimate of how dogsht your ADC is this time around.

TLDR; skill check the enemy and your adc to determine how bad they are. Adjust your playstyle accordingly. It's best to not have any expectations so you won't be disappointed.

If you're getting camped you can choose to play safe or play with the enemy jgler's time. It all depends on how much you can get away with. It's not a bad thing if you're getting camped and your JGler is double their farm while impacting the other side of the map. Play to the absolute limit and juggle the enemies back and forth, wasting as much of their time as possible.

If you're stronger bot/mid you shouldn't concede Drakes for free. Force a winning fight even if you are outnumbered. If you don't think you can force a fight despite being stronger, look to trade objectives or get an edge on tempo.

Once you obtain a lead, you want to maintain it and snowball it as hard & as fast as you can. Spam engage if their Flash is down (while respecting their jg/mid). Once their Flash is up look to burn it and repeat the proccess. If they play too safe, look to roam but make sure to not leave your ADC vulnerable when you're gone.

When roaming, you should have an idea of which lanes are gankable and return Bot ASAP if there's no angle. It's best to roam when you know where the enemy jgler/supp is. You can also synergize with your Jgler to gank a lane together/invade the enemy jg/take grubs. Clear any pinks along the way and drop some wards if you can on your way back to Bot. If Bot is chilling and their wave state is fine, you can look to gank/invade again or recall for items. If you don't have gold, you can return to Bot for xp.

Also when roaming you can fix your allies wave for them (exp if they're low and need a wave to be crashed to reset you can help push). But generally, if their wave is fine you don't want to be in xp range (unless you're close to lvling). Sharing too much xp with solo laners can single handedly ruin their entire laning phase.

If you can dive the enemy or get them low but they're under tower, you can push the wave with your solo laners and harass the enemy under their tower. Don't be afraid to manipulate the wave as long as you know what you're doing. However, if your teammate disagrees with you, it's best to just leave them alone to avoid tilting them.

Mid Game

Mid game is all about grouping for objectives, setting up vision & an attempt to gain control of an area rather through vision, or lane prio BEFORE the objective spawns. You can still roam and look for ganks, invades, dives, catches, etc. but you want to do so only when it's free. Whenever you leave your ADC, make sure they have enough vision to safely farm. Otherwise, you don't want to leave them if you don't know where the enemies are.

If you're ahead, you want to constantly look for fights and prevent the enemy from catching up. If you're behind, you want to focus on vision and punish the enemy when they overforce.

Look to cross map objectives when you can't contest, and recall and spend your gold 1-3 mins before objective spawns.

Try to close out the game via Rift Herald, Soul, or Baron. Always try to get on Pyke as you can E away safely after driving it. Herald can also be used as an engage/escape tool as it's essentially a more flexible Sion Ult.

rift herald info

Always have 1 control ward placed on the map and buy another if you think they can easily clear it. Get if you don't need or you can't facecheck or you're split pushing.

You should always be thinking what to buy next and plan your recalls around your item spikes. Get used to opening shop before basing to plan out your build path to save precious time. You never want to be in a scenario where you're sitting in fountain pondering what items to buy. Tempo is very important. Whoever is on the map faster will be in control and stay in control until they die/ruin their tempo.

Late Game

Everyone is almost full build and your ability to assassinate squishies is noticeably weaker. Simply put, whoever gets soul/baron/elder will have their shot at closing out the game.

Adjust your builds for survivability and then worry about offensive items after. Sell for , get / if you're having trouble with vision. Consider buying if you feel like an extra life can make a difference, and if enemies are stacking armor consider buying .

Don't facecheck when your is down. Recall for more wards & pinks. Stay with your team and avoid splitting if possible. Look for number advantageous fights and force baron fights if you're ahead.

Be patient and wait for your moment to strike. Also don't forget to buy Elixirs if you're just sitting on 500 gold.

is very OP late game & if you have a backdoor angle consider replacing your boots with (which you can later upgrade to last).

Vision Control Guide

video

Vision control is a key aspect of gameplay in League of Legends. It provides information on the enemy's movements, objectives, and ambush opportunities, enabling your team to make informed decisions. Proper vision can be the difference between a well-executed play and a devastating loss.

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Tempo Guide

video

In League of Legends, tempo refers to the pace at which the game progresses. The concept is rooted in the idea of controlling the flow of the game, dictating when to push objectives, take fights, or play more cautiously. Having good tempo control means your team is always in a favorable position—dictating the rhythm of the match, whether you're ahead or catching up.

Understanding and mastering tempo is crucial for competitive play because it influences how you set up objectives, manage lanes, and time your power spikes.

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Roam Timers Guide

video

Roaming is one of the most impactful ways to influence the map and help your team in League of Legends. As a mid-laner or even a support, roaming to other lanes at the right time can give your team a huge advantage by securing kills, applying pressure, or helping to secure objectives. A crucial aspect of successful roaming is knowing the timing—when is the best moment to roam, and how to make sure your roam is effective.

This guide will break down the concept of roam timers, helping you understand the best times to leave your lane and how to do it effectively.

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Think Like An Assassin

Stay out of vision whenever possible.
Use your W to dodge potential areas that could be warded when roaming.
Constantly look to catch players who are alone.
As an assassin, dmg is your best defense. However, sometimes having a bit of defensive stats to prevent enemies from getting your bounty is necessary. Find balance and adjust your build based on what you need the most.

Misdirection

After clearing a ward, the enemy will have 3 seconds of lingering vision in that area. You can use this to your advantage by fainting your route. For example: after clearing a ward, walk one way and then return after 3 seconds to catch your opponents off guard. This concept can be applied with your W as well.

Alongside misdirection, you shouldn't announce your whereabouts for free. Some examples include: sitting in plain vision instead abusing fog of war, hitting the Scryer's Bloom when ganking a lane, clearing a ward in baron/dragon pit when it isn't applying vision -- announcing that you guys are sneaking it, or not getting the habit of canceling your W's animation with Recall whenever you're idle.

Now flip everything I just said with the opposite intentions and you have misdirection at your disposal. For example you can fake a gank by hitting Scryer's Bloom, or use your W to force enemies to back off when they're not even in danger.

Misdirection is all about getting in their heads and playing mindgames with your opponents. Only you'll know your true intentions and you'll keep them guessing.

Things You Should Know

Whenever your R is up, you can see execute thresholds on enemies' hp bars. When they're executeable, their HP Bar turns bold, bright red.

Enemies can regen/heal out of execute during your R's channel duration.

You can R + Ignite to get a target to execute threshold mid animation.

In some cases, you should predict ally's damage to get preemptively R before they're even executebale.

You can determine how tanky the enemy is based on their execute threshold.

Pyke requires at least 1 lethality item every game to function as his abilities are centered around lethality.

Enemies and allies will see your an R icon next to your HP bar whenever you have an R reset available.

Allies & enemies alike won't be able to see your Execute threshold. However, enemies will get a audio cue whenever they're in execute threshold if they're within Pyke's W signal range.

As of Patch 14.21, you can buffer Pyke's Q whenever it's on CD for it to insta-cast when it's off CD.

Pyke's R CD is often bugged from . If you see their execute threshold bar, then your R is up and ready.

You can use R to blink to another side of a wall when both you and your target are on the same side.

pyke wall hop

You can flip targets over terrains & structures.

You can E inside a brush (and perhaps flash) to hide your E animation when looking to ambush a target.

You can cancel your recall last second with W to fake a recall.

Opening with Flash/W into R will give opponents less time to react to your R than opening with E.

If your gray health isn't regening it means enemies have vision of you. This can mean an invisible target is near you, or you're standing near/on a ward/trap.

Whenever you're in and an explaination mark appears above your champion, it means someone that's not visible to you is in your W range. This can be helpful for scan brushes without facechecking. The same concept can be used to detect invisible champions like , , , , etc.

Using Smart Pings

Danger Ping The Wave: to stop your ADC from fast pushing. Perhaps you want a slow push or freeze instead.

Danger Ping on top of ally, followed by a missing ping on where they could get flanked. This will usually make them play less agressively and make them more wary about missing enemies.

Assist Ping on top of someone, then Assist ping where you need ***itance: This will first get their attention to look for where you need assistance. Just spam pinging assistance on top of yourself usually won't get someone to move.

1 Question Mark Ping for BM only: anymore risks you getting insta muted.

Area is Warded: to notify that a bush is warded. You can use this ping to let your teammates know to path around a certain area.

Need Vision Ping: to make someone use their ward. Combine this with typing "[teammate] can u ward here pls" will usually get them to ward at lvl 1.

Don't spam ping all-in or on-my way until the moment you want them to walk up. If you spam ping engage early, most players won't bother to look where you're at and just blindly start a fight when you're not even close.

Flash Timers

Flash has a base 5 min CD. If they have it's -1 min, if they have -30 secs. I know these aren't the precise timers but it'll get the job done.

Ping enemies' Flash whenever they use it. If you ping late, then subtract then guesstimate when they used flash based off your ping. Add 5 min from when you think they Flashed, then subtract 1 min if they have and an additional 30 seconds if they have .

You won't know who has whenever you're in a game so do your research during loading screen. Have op.gg opened and goto live match to make a note of who has on the enemy team.

Once you've calculated when their Flash is back up, you can type it in chat like this:

1455jg 1210supp 1030top
1455jg 1210supp 1030top
1455jg 1210supp 1030top

Make sure to select all by holding CTRL + A with chat box opened and copy by holding CTRL + C. To paste, hold CTRL + V and hit enter to put it in chat. Paste it a couple more times so it'll be more visible in all of the chat's clutter.

To update the timers paste and delete expired timers. Make sure you put newer timers on the left (using the left arrow key) to have an easier time deleting old timers.

You want to find windows to type these timers usually when you're walking to a lane/objective or when you're dead/recalling. Knowing when to update timers is vital as you don't want to waste any valuable tempo.

Now that you have a good idea of who has Flash and who doesn't, you (and hopefully your team) can make plays with confidence.

Be like water, learn to adapt

League is a game where you have to adjust your playstyle, items, runes, and mentality to focus on what you can control and not what you can't. Adapt to your environment, and adapt to changes. Have 0 expectations and you'll be less tilted by your teammates actions/inactions.

Keep yourself updated on the meta, and always read patch notes. Knowledge is power and hopefully you learned a bit from this guide.

All Matchups (AI)

aatrox

ahri

akali

akshan

Alistar

ambessa

amumu

anivia

annie

aphelios

ashe

aurelion sol

aurora

azir

bard

bel'veth

blitzcrank

brand

braum

briar

caitlyn

camille

cassiopeia

cho'gath

corki

darius

diana

dr. mundo

draven

ekko

elise

evelynn

ezreal

fiddlesticks

fiora

fizz

galio

gangplank

garen

gnar

gragas

graves

gwen

hecarim

heimerdinger

hwei

illaoi

irelia

ivern

janna

jarvan iv

jax

jayce

jhin

jinx

k'sante

kai'sa

kalista

karma

karthus

kassadin

katarina

kayle

kayn

kennen

kha'zix

kindred

kled

kog'maw

leblanc

lee sin

leona

lillia

lissandra

lucian

lulu

Lux

Malphite

Malzahar

Maokai

Master Yi

Milio

Miss Fortune

Mordekaiser

Morgana

Naafiri

Nami

Nasus

Nautilus

Neeko

Nidalee

Nilah

Nocturne

Nunu

Olaf

Orianna

Ornn

Pantheon

Poppy

Qiyana

Quinn

Rakan

Rammus

Rek'Sai

Rell

Renata Glasc

Renekton

Rengar

Riven

Rumble

Ryze

Samira

Sejuani

Senna

Seraphine

Sett

Shaco

Shen

Shyvana

Singed

Sion

Sivir

Skarner

Smolder

Sona

Soraka

Swain

Sylas

Syndra

Tahm Kench

Taliyah

Talon

Taric

Teemo

Thresh

Tristana

Trundle

Tryndamere

Twisted Fate

Twitch

Udyr

Urgot

Varus

Vayne

Pyke vs. Vayne Matchup Analysis
Role Context: This analysis assumes a bot lane matchup, with Pyke as a support and Vayne as the ADC. Vayne is a hypercarry marksman with strong scaling, while Pyke is a high-mobility, pick-oriented support.

General Matchup Overview
Pyke: A melee assassin-support hybrid who excels in setting up kills and snowballing through aggressive play. Pyke's kit revolves around crowd control, burst damage, and mobility.
Vayne: A late-game hypercarry marksman who thrives in extended fights, leveraging her mobility and % health true damage to shred tanks and squishy targets alike.
This matchup heavily revolves around whether Pyke can dominate the lane phase through aggressive engages or whether Vayne can survive to reach her late-game power spikes.

Early Game (Levels 1-6)
Pyke:
Strengths:
Strong early-game kill pressure due to Bone Skewer (Q) and Phantom Undertow (E).
Stealth from Ghostwater Dive (W) allows for creative positioning and surprise engages.
Sustain from his passive, Gift of the Drowned Ones, lets him recover after trades.
Weaknesses:
Relies heavily on hitting skill shots to be effective.
Struggles against ADCs with strong kiting potential, like Vayne.
Vayne:
Strengths:
High mobility with Tumble (Q) for dodging Pyke’s hook and repositioning.
Respectable early-game damage in extended trades thanks to Silver Bolts (W).
Can punish over-aggression with proper positioning and peeling from her support.
Weaknesses:
Short attack range makes her susceptible to Pyke’s all-ins.
Weak wave clear in the early game, leaving her vulnerable to being zoned or dived.
Key Interactions:
Pyke can dominate early if he lands hooks consistently, as Vayne has no reliable tools to peel for herself beyond dodging with Q (Tumble).
Vayne must focus on staying near her turret, farming safely, and relying on her support to peel Pyke’s engage.
Pyke should coordinate with his ADC to follow up on his crowd control. If Pyke’s ADC lacks burst damage, Vayne can kite and turn trades in her favor.
Mid Game (Levels 6-11)
Pyke:
Gains immense kill potential with Death from Below (R), allowing for executes and snowballing gold advantages.
Thrives in roaming scenarios, leaving Vayne vulnerable if her support is forced to follow Pyke’s roams.
Struggles to kill Vayne outright if she positions well or has peel from her team.
Vayne:
Becomes more self-sufficient with Final Hour (R), gaining invisibility from Tumble (Q) and increased dueling power.
Can begin to punish Pyke’s dives if she survives the initial engage, as her damage in extended trades outpaces Pyke’s burst.
Still vulnerable to Pyke’s mobility and stealth if she’s caught out of position.
Key Interactions:
Pyke must focus on catching Vayne off-guard before she activates Final Hour (R) or forces her to burn Flash.
Vayne’s invisibility during R makes it harder for Pyke to chain his abilities effectively, particularly in chaotic fights.
Pyke should prioritize roaming and securing kills on Vayne’s teammates rather than forcing all-ins directly on her if she’s playing defensively.
Late Game (Levels 12-18)
Pyke:
Struggles to assassinate Vayne due to her scaling and potential defensive itemization (e.g., Guardian Angel or Immortal Shieldbow).
Must focus on finding picks on squishy targets other than Vayne, as she can kite him easily and punish failed engages.
Relies heavily on coordinated engages and vision control to remain relevant.
Vayne:
Becomes a hypercarry capable of melting even tanky champions with her Silver Bolts (W).
Can single-handedly carry team fights with proper positioning and kiting.
Must respect Pyke’s ability to disrupt fights with his crowd control and execute.
Key Interactions:
Pyke’s late-game impact diminishes against Vayne’s superior DPS and mobility, especially if she has peel.
Vayne’s short range still makes her vulnerable to Pyke’s engages if she’s out of position, but she can turn fights if she survives the burst.
Pyke must look for flanks and use vision denial to ambush Vayne, as direct engages in the late game are risky.

summary

Conclusion
The Pyke vs. Vayne matchup is a tale of two halves. Pyke has the upper hand in the early game due to his kill pressure and crowd control, but Vayne scales into a late-game monster who can out-duel and kite Pyke with ease. Pyke must capitalize on the early game to create a lead, while Vayne’s goal is to survive and farm safely until she can dominate team fights.

veigar

Pyke vs. Veigar Matchup Analysis
Role Context: This analysis assumes Pyke (support or mid) facing Veigar (mid lane or bot as APC). Pyke’s playstyle centers on high mobility, burst, and assassination, while Veigar excels in scaling damage, area control, and punishing mistakes with his cage and burst.

General Matchup Overview
Pyke: A melee assassin-support hybrid who relies on quick engages, crowd control, and burst damage. Pyke thrives in chaotic fights and against squishy champions.
Veigar: A scaling mage who becomes a late-game powerhouse, leveraging his stacking ability Phenomenal Evil Power (Passive), area denial from Event Horizon (E), and devastating burst from Primordial Burst (R).
The matchup centers on whether Pyke can exploit Veigar's early-game weaknesses before he scales into a late-game threat. Veigar’s cage and burst potential can counter Pyke’s dives if played well.

Early Game (Levels 1-6)
Pyke:
Strengths:
Strong early-game kill pressure with Bone Skewer (Q) and Phantom Undertow (E) for engages and crowd control.
High mobility with Ghostwater Dive (W) for quick roams or escapes.
Can punish Veigar’s short range and immobility with aggressive trades.
Weaknesses:
Relatively squishy and vulnerable to Veigar’s burst if caught by Event Horizon (E).
Needs to hit skill shots to have an impact, making him predictable if abilities are dodged or interrupted.
Veigar:
Strengths:
Passive stacks give Veigar guaranteed scaling regardless of early-game performance.
Zone control from Event Horizon (E) can deter Pyke’s engages or set up kills with jungle help.
Decent wave clear with Baleful Strike (Q) and Dark Matter (W) to maintain lane control.
Weaknesses:
Extremely squishy and immobile, making him an easy target for Pyke’s all-ins.
Vulnerable to Pyke’s roams, as Veigar lacks reliable mobility to escape.
Key Interactions:
Pyke can dominate the lane if he dodges Veigar’s Event Horizon (E) and lands hooks consistently. A single missed cage can leave Veigar exposed to Pyke’s full combo.
Veigar must play safely, avoiding Pyke’s engages and farming from range. Positioning near his turret can help mitigate Pyke’s kill pressure.
Pyke can roam effectively after pushing the wave, punishing Veigar’s lack of mobility in other lanes.
Mid Game (Levels 6-11)
Pyke:
Gains significant kill pressure with Death from Below (R), allowing him to snowball from skirmishes and team fights.
Thrives in roaming scenarios, targeting Veigar’s teammates or catching him during rotations.
Struggles to engage directly if Veigar positions well and uses Event Horizon (E) effectively.
Veigar:
Gains immense burst potential with Primordial Burst (R) and better area control through Event Horizon (E).
Starts scaling heavily due to his passive, making him a growing threat in team fights.
Vulnerable to Pyke’s engages if caught without his cage or teammates for protection.
Key Interactions:
Pyke’s ability to burst Veigar diminishes slightly as Veigar builds health or defensive items. However, Pyke’s R execution remains a threat if Veigar’s HP drops low.
Veigar must use Event Horizon (E) preemptively to zone Pyke or catch him mid-dive. A well-timed cage can completely shut down Pyke’s engage.
Pyke should look to roam and influence other lanes, as staying mid against a scaling Veigar is less efficient.
Late Game (Levels 12-18)
Pyke:
Relies on vision control and flanks to remain effective. His all-in potential is risky against a well-positioned Veigar or grouped team.
Struggles in direct team fights, as Veigar’s scaling and burst make it harder for Pyke to find viable assassination targets.
Can still secure kills with Death from Below (R), but must avoid Veigar’s cage and play around cooldowns.
Veigar:
Becomes a monstrous scaling threat, capable of one-shotting Pyke with Primordial Burst (R).
Event Horizon (E) provides massive zone control in team fights, making it difficult for Pyke to engage effectively.
Requires proper positioning to avoid Pyke’s flanks or hooks, as Veigar’s squishiness remains a liability.
Key Interactions:
Pyke must focus on flanking or isolating Veigar in fights, avoiding direct engages where Event Horizon (E) can deny him access.
Veigar’s damage output makes it increasingly difficult for Pyke to survive failed engages. If Pyke is caught by E, Veigar can easily burst him down.
Veigar’s team must peel for him, as Pyke can still execute him if his HP drops below threshold.

summary

Skill and Strategy Tips
Pyke:
Early Game: Look for aggressive trades and hooks while dodging Veigar’s cage. Roam frequently to create pressure on other lanes.
Mid Game: Use stealth and mobility to catch Veigar or his teammates off-guard during rotations. Avoid committing to extended fights.
Late Game: Focus on flanking and vision control. Target squishy backline champions and use R for executes in chaotic fights.
Veigar:
Early Game: Play safely and focus on farming stacks. Use Event Horizon (E) to deter Pyke’s engages and position near your turret.
Mid Game: Leverage your burst damage to punish Pyke’s dives. Stay grouped with teammates to reduce his pick potential.
Late Game: Use your cage to control zones in team fights, making it harder for Pyke to engage. Position carefully to avoid getting flanked or hooked.
Conclusion
The Pyke vs. Veigar matchup is highly skill-dependent. Pyke has the edge early with his mobility and kill pressure, but Veigar’s scaling and burst potential make him a formidable late-game threat. Pyke must dominate the early game and roam effectively to offset Veigar’s scaling. Veigar’s win condition lies in surviving the early pressure and leveraging his cage and burst in team fights.

Vel'koz

Pyke vs. Vel'Koz Matchup Analysis
Role Context: This analysis assumes a support matchup, where Pyke faces Vel'Koz. Pyke is a melee assassin-support hybrid who thrives on mobility, crowd control, and picks, while Vel'Koz is a ranged mage-support with powerful poke and scaling damage, excelling in fights with his consistent area damage and true damage passive.

General Matchup Overview
Pyke: Pyke’s strength lies in his ability to create picks and engage fights with crowd control. His mobility allows him to threaten Vel’Koz despite Vel’Koz’s range advantage.
Vel’Koz: Vel’Koz relies on long-range poke and zone control to dominate laning and fights. His scaling makes him a late-game threat, but his immobility and lack of escape tools make him vulnerable to Pyke’s all-ins.
This matchup revolves around Pyke’s ability to dodge Vel’Koz’s poke and engage effectively, while Vel’Koz seeks to zone Pyke and punish failed engages with his high damage output.

Early Game (Levels 1-6)
Pyke:
Strengths:
High kill pressure in the lane due to Bone Skewer (Q) and Phantom Undertow (E).
Stealth from Ghostwater Dive (W) allows for surprise engages and disengages.
Decent sustain from his passive, Gift of the Drowned Ones, allowing him to recover after trades.
Weaknesses:
Struggles to land engages if Vel’Koz maintains proper distance and positioning.
Vulnerable to sustained poke from Vel’Koz’s Plasma Fission (Q) and Void Rift (W).
Vel’Koz:
Strengths:
Excellent poke and wave clear with Plasma Fission (Q) and Void Rift (W).
Zone control with Tectonic Disruption (E) to deter Pyke’s dives or set up kills.
Strong early-game trading potential if Pyke mispositions or fails to land his abilities.
Weaknesses:
Immobility makes him susceptible to Pyke’s hooks and gap-closing engages.
Squishy and reliant on positioning, making him an easy target if caught.
Key Interactions:
Pyke must use stealth or minion cover to close the gap and avoid Vel’Koz’s poke. A landed Bone Skewer (Q) can force summoner spells or secure kills early.
Vel’Koz should maintain maximum distance and use Tectonic Disruption (E) defensively to interrupt Pyke’s dives or disengage.
Pyke’s high mobility makes it hard for Vel’Koz to land his full combo unless Pyke is locked down.
Mid Game (Levels 6-11)
Pyke:
Gains significant kill pressure with Death from Below (R), enabling him to secure kills in fights and snowball through bonus gold.
Excels in roaming to impact other lanes or punish overextended Vel’Koz teammates.
Struggles in extended team fights if Vel’Koz positions well and Pyke’s initial engage is thwarted.
Vel’Koz:
Gains massive team fight potential with Life Form Disintegration Ray (R), providing high burst and consistent damage.
Can punish Pyke’s dives if he lands his combo and positions near his team for peel.
Vulnerable to Pyke’s flanks or surprise engages, especially without vision control.
Key Interactions:
Pyke’s R execution can bypass Vel’Koz’s zoning tools if he catches him low enough. Vel’Koz must avoid overextending or being isolated.
Vel’Koz’s R can annihilate Pyke if the latter overcommits and gets caught in the beam’s full duration.
Pyke should prioritize roaming and creating picks to avoid prolonged fights against Vel’Koz’s superior area damage.
Late Game (Levels 12-18)
Pyke:
Relies on vision control and flanking to remain effective. His burst damage and execute are still potent, but Vel’Koz’s scaling and zoning can make direct engages difficult.
Struggles in full team fights where Vel’Koz’s damage output and peel make it hard to secure assassinations.
Vel’Koz:
Becomes a major damage dealer with scaling true damage from his Organic Deconstruction (Passive).
Thrives in grouped fights, where his poke and zone control create immense pressure.
Remains squishy, making him vulnerable to Pyke’s engage if caught out of position.
Key Interactions:
Pyke’s goal is to isolate Vel’Koz or his squishy teammates. He must avoid direct engages where Vel’Koz can zone or burst him.
Vel’Koz’s zoning tools and damage output make him a nightmare for Pyke in properly executed team fights. Pyke’s only hope is to disrupt the backline or pick Vel’Koz off before the fight begins.
Vel’Koz’s team must provide peel to ensure he can maximize his damage output and survive Pyke’s attempts to dive him.

summary

Skill and Strategy Tips
Pyke:
Early Game: Focus on closing the gap and punishing Vel’Koz’s immobility. Use W to approach undetected and land hooks.
Mid Game: Roam frequently and use your ultimate to snowball. Avoid prolonged trades with Vel’Koz’s consistent damage.
Late Game: Prioritize vision control and flanking to find Vel’Koz isolated. Avoid direct engages in grouped team fights.
Vel’Koz:
Early Game: Poke Pyke relentlessly with Q and W. Position near your turret to deter all-ins and play around your support’s peel.
Mid Game: Stay grouped and use E defensively to counter Pyke’s engages. Leverage your poke to chip him down before fights.
Late Game: Maintain good positioning in team fights, relying on your range and area damage to zone Pyke and his team.
Conclusion
The Pyke vs. Vel’Koz matchup is a classic melee assassin versus immobile mage dynamic. Pyke has a significant advantage in the early and mid game due to Vel’Koz’s lack of mobility and squishiness, but Vel’Koz becomes increasingly difficult to deal with as the game progresses. Pyke must dominate the early game and create a lead to remain effective, while Vel’Koz’s win condition is to scale into a high-damage, zone-controlling team fight presence.

Vex

Pyke vs. Vex Matchup Analysis
Role Context: This analysis assumes Pyke (support or mid) facing Vex (mid or support). Pyke is a melee assassin-support hybrid with high mobility, burst, and pick potential, while Vex is a burst mage specializing in anti-mobility mechanics and fear-based crowd control.

This matchup revolves around Pyke’s ability to engage on Vex while avoiding her anti-mobility tools, particularly Personal Space (W) and Mistral Bolt (Q).

General Matchup Overview
Pyke: Thrives on picking off squishy targets with mobility and burst damage. Pyke struggles against champions with strong crowd control or area denial.
Vex: Excels at punishing dashes and hyper-mobile champions with her passive, Doom 'n Gloom, and her ability to poke and burst with long-range abilities.
The matchup favors Pyke in the early game if he can land his skill shots and avoid Vex’s poke, while Vex becomes a bigger threat in mid-to-late game team fights with her consistent damage and zone control.

Early Game (Levels 1-6)
Pyke:
Strengths:
High kill pressure with Bone Skewer (Q) and Phantom Undertow (E).
Sustain from Gift of the Drowned Ones allows him to recover from poke trades.
Stealth from Ghostwater Dive (W) provides opportunities for sneaky engages or disengages.
Weaknesses:
Vulnerable to Vex’s poke and crowd control.
Relies on skill shots to be effective, which Vex can punish if missed.
Vex:
Strengths:
Strong poke with Mistral Bolt (Q) and zoning with Personal Space (W).
Anti-mobility passive Doom 'n Gloom directly counters Pyke’s reliance on dashes.
Relatively safe laning phase with her range and ability to disengage.
Weaknesses:
Squishy and immobile, making her vulnerable to Pyke’s all-ins if her cooldowns are down.
Struggles to deal with Pyke’s stealth if he engages properly.
Key Interactions:
Pyke must be wary of Doom 'n Gloom, as it punishes his dashes and stealth-based engages. Vex can fear him mid-dive, disrupting his combo.
Vex needs to use her crowd control preemptively to zone Pyke or disengage if he commits to an all-in.
Pyke’s hooks are critical to winning trades. If he lands Q, Vex is forced to retreat or burn summoner spells early.
Mid Game (Levels 6-11)
Pyke:
Gains kill pressure with Death from Below (R), allowing him to snowball skirmishes and team fights.
Roaming becomes a priority; Pyke’s ability to influence other lanes can shift the game’s momentum.
Struggles in direct fights with Vex if she lands her combo, as her burst can easily eliminate Pyke.
Vex:
Gains significant power with Shadow Surge (R), which provides long-range engage and resets for multi-kill potential.
Starts becoming a bigger team fight threat, leveraging her poke and AoE damage.
Still vulnerable to Pyke’s executes if caught out of position or after using her cooldowns.
Key Interactions:
Pyke must time his engages carefully to avoid Shadow Surge (R) and Personal Space (W). A failed engage often results in him being burst down.
Vex can punish Pyke’s roams by using Shadow Surge (R) to chase him or turn fights in other lanes.
Pyke’s focus should be on catching Vex isolated or forcing her to burn her defensive abilities before committing fully.
Late Game (Levels 12-18)
Pyke:
Relies on vision control and flanking to pick off squishy targets like Vex. His effectiveness diminishes slightly in extended team fights where Vex can position well.
Can still swing fights with a well-timed R, but must avoid directly engaging into Vex’s zone control.
Struggles against Vex’s scaling damage if she plays safely and uses her abilities to peel.
Vex:
Becomes a team fight powerhouse with her AoE damage and crowd control.
Punishes Pyke’s predictable engages with Personal Space (W) and fears, creating opportunities for her team to kill Pyke.
Still squishy, making her vulnerable to Pyke’s flanks or executes if she is caught without peel.
Key Interactions:
Pyke’s best chance is to flank Vex and catch her off-guard before a fight starts. If she has vision or support, engaging becomes much riskier.
Vex’s Doom 'n Gloom remains a major counter to Pyke’s kit, punishing his mobility and stealth-based engages.
Pyke’s Death from Below (R) execution can still turn fights, especially if Vex is caught low during a team fight.

summary

Skill and Strategy Tips
Pyke:
Early Game: Look for hooks and quick trades, but be cautious of Vex’s poke and passive. Use W to reposition and engage from unexpected angles.
Mid Game: Focus on roaming to other lanes to create advantages. Avoid directly engaging Vex unless her crowd control is on cooldown.
Late Game: Use vision control to flank Vex and target her before fights begin. Avoid overcommitting into her AoE damage and crowd control.
Vex:
Early Game: Poke Pyke down with Q and zone him with W. Play near your turret to deter all-ins and minimize Pyke’s kill pressure.
Mid Game: Stay grouped and use R to engage or follow up on fights. Punish Pyke’s engages with fear and burst.
Late Game: Position carefully in team fights, leveraging your AoE damage and crowd control to deny Pyke access to your backline.
Conclusion
The Pyke vs. Vex matchup is balanced, with Pyke having the upper hand early due to his engage and pick potential, while Vex becomes stronger as the game progresses, countering Pyke’s mobility and burst. Pyke must dominate the early game and roam effectively to maintain relevance, while Vex’s win condition is to scale and leverage her crowd control and consistent damage in team fights.

Pyke vs. Vi Matchup Analysis
Role Context: This analysis assumes Pyke (support or mid) facing Vi (jungle or occasionally mid/top). Pyke thrives on mobility, picks, and burst damage, while Vi is a bruiser/engager focused on diving into fights, locking down targets, and dishing out single-target damage with sustained DPS capabilities.

The Pyke vs. Vi matchup revolves around Vi's ability to lock Pyke down with her crowd control tools versus Pyke's ability to evade and punish her with mobility and burst damage.

General Matchup Overview
Pyke: A squishy melee assassin who capitalizes on burst damage and resetting executes to clean up fights. Struggles when locked down or caught in extended trades.
Vi: A tanky bruiser with strong initiation, crowd control, and burst potential. Excels in locking down single targets but relies on her team to follow up against multiple enemies.
The matchup tilts toward Vi in team fights where her crowd control and tankiness shine, while Pyke has the edge in skirmishes and situations where he can isolate Vi or avoid being locked down.

Early Game (Levels 1-6)
Pyke:
Strengths:
High kill pressure with Bone Skewer (Q) and Phantom Undertow (E).
Sustain from Gift of the Drowned Ones allows him to recover after trades.
Roaming potential to other lanes after pushing his wave.
Weaknesses:
Squishy and susceptible to Vi’s burst if caught by Vault Breaker (Q).
Relies on landing skill shots to make trades worthwhile.
Vi:
Strengths:
Strong dueling potential with Denting Blows (W) providing armor shred and attack speed.
Vault Breaker (Q) allows for long-range engages or escapes.
Naturally tankier than Pyke and less reliant on landing every ability.
Weaknesses:
Linear engage path makes her predictable; Pyke can potentially dodge her Q with Ghostwater Dive (W) or E.
Has a harder time punishing Pyke’s roaming unless she has good jungle presence.
Key Interactions:
Pyke must avoid Vi’s Vault Breaker (Q), as getting hit sets up a devastating trade for Vi.
Vi needs to play patiently and wait for Pyke to use Ghostwater Dive (W) or miss his Bone Skewer (Q) before engaging.
Mid Game (Levels 6-11)
Pyke:
Gains immense kill pressure with Death from Below (R), allowing him to clean up fights and snowball.
Roaming becomes a major focus, as Pyke thrives on creating picks in other lanes or catching enemies out of position.
Struggles in extended team fights, especially if Vi lands Assault and Battery (R) on him.
Vi:
Gains significant power with Assault and Battery (R), which guarantees a lockdown on Pyke or his allies.
Tanky builds make her hard for Pyke to burst down, reducing Pyke’s effectiveness in skirmishes.
Can punish Pyke’s over-aggression by counter-ganking or following him during roams.
Key Interactions:
Vi’s R is a direct counter to Pyke’s mobility. Once locked down, Pyke is vulnerable to follow-up damage from Vi and her team.
Pyke must play around his W and vision to avoid direct confrontations with Vi unless he can isolate her or evade her engage.
Late Game (Levels 12-18)
Pyke:
Relies on flanking and vision control to remain relevant. Direct engages into Vi’s team are risky due to her durability and crowd control.
Can still influence fights by executing low-health targets with R, but must avoid being locked down by Vi.
Falls off slightly in extended team fights, where Vi’s tankiness and damage scaling outshine Pyke’s burst.
Vi:
Becomes a reliable frontline engager with excellent single-target lockdown.
Thrives in team fights, as her ability to zone or eliminate key targets allows her team to capitalize.
Vulnerable to being executed by Pyke’s R if caught low without cooldowns or peel.
Key Interactions:
Vi’s durability and crowd control make it difficult for Pyke to assassinate her directly. Pyke should prioritize other squishier targets.
If Vi overcommits with her engage and Pyke survives, Pyke can retaliate by turning the fight with his execution.

summary

Skill and Strategy Tips
Pyke:
Early Game: Focus on avoiding Vi’s Q and play around her cooldowns. Use your roaming potential to create leads in other lanes.
Mid Game: Use vision control and flanking to pick off squishier targets. Avoid initiating fights directly against Vi unless you can isolate her.
Late Game: Prioritize squishy backline champions and play around vision to execute effectively. Avoid team fights where Vi can zone or lock you down.
Vi:
Early Game: Use your natural tankiness and dueling power to bully Pyke if he mispositions. Look to counter his roams with vision and map awareness.
Mid Game: Use R to lock down Pyke or his high-priority teammates. Build tanky enough to survive Pyke’s burst.
Late Game: Be the frontliner for your team, focusing on disrupting Pyke and his teammates in fights. Save your CC for Pyke’s engages or squishier threats.
Conclusion
The Pyke vs. Vi matchup is skill- and strategy-dependent. Pyke has the advantage in the early game with his roaming and pick potential, but Vi becomes increasingly dominant as the game progresses due to her crowd control, tankiness, and ability to lock him down. Pyke’s win condition is to snowball early and create picks before Vi can become a major threat in team fights. Conversely, Vi’s win condition is to play patiently, survive Pyke’s early aggression, and leverage her lockdown and scaling to control fights.

Viego

Pyke vs. Viego Matchup Analysis
Role Context: This analysis assumes Pyke (support or mid) facing Viego (primarily jungle, though occasionally mid or top). Pyke thrives on mobility, pick potential, and resets, while Viego is a scaling bruiser-assassin hybrid who excels at dueling, resets, and turning fights with his passive and ultimate.

The Pyke vs. Viego matchup revolves around Pyke's ability to catch and burst Viego during skirmishes versus Viego's potential to out-sustain Pyke in prolonged fights and snowball with resets if he survives initial bursts.

General Matchup Overview
Pyke: A squishy melee assassin focused on burst damage, crowd control, and team fight clean-up with Death from Below (R) resets.
Viego: A versatile melee bruiser-assassin who thrives in extended fights thanks to his passive healing and ability resets from Sovereign’s Domination (Passive).
This matchup heavily favors Viego in prolonged trades, as his healing and sustain outlast Pyke's damage, while Pyke excels at making picks or bursting Viego before he can fight back effectively.

Early Game (Levels 1-6)
Pyke:
Strengths:
High kill pressure in lane or small skirmishes due to Bone Skewer (Q) and Phantom Undertow (E).
Ghostwater Dive (W) allows for surprise engages or disengages, especially in jungle fights.
Decent sustain with his passive Gift of the Drowned Ones, mitigating some poke damage.
Weaknesses:
Squishy and vulnerable to Viego’s sustained damage and early dueling potential.
Relies heavily on landing abilities to win trades or contribute to skirmishes.
Viego:
Strengths:
Strong dueling power with Blade of the Ruined King (Q) healing and Spectral Maw (W) stun.
Passive healing allows him to sustain through early fights better than Pyke.
Can capitalize on Pyke’s lack of sustained damage in prolonged trades.
Weaknesses:
Struggles in tight spaces where Pyke’s CC and mobility can outmaneuver him.
Vulnerable to Pyke’s burst if caught out of position or low on cooldowns.
Key Interactions:
Pyke must capitalize on surprise engages and burst combos to outplay Viego, avoiding prolonged trades where Viego’s healing and DPS shine.
Viego needs to look for extended fights and punish Pyke if his cooldowns are down or if he misses his Q hook.
Mid Game (Levels 6-11)
Pyke:
Gains immense kill pressure with Death from Below (R), which allows him to clean up fights and snowball.
Thrives in small skirmishes, particularly in jungle fights where he can use walls and terrain to land skill shots and escape with W.
Struggles in direct fights against Viego if he fails to burst him or if Viego secures resets with his passive.
Viego:
Becomes significantly stronger with Heartbreaker (R), giving him mobility, damage, and the ability to reset fights by taking Pyke’s form.
Can snowball fights by securing kills or assists, resetting his abilities, and healing through damage.
Relatively durable due to bruiser builds, making it hard for Pyke to execute him outright without help.
Key Interactions:
Pyke must focus on isolating Viego or bursting him before he can transform into another champion using his passive.
Viego’s Heartbreaker (R) can nullify Pyke’s attempts to finish him off, as the execute range is often similar to Pyke’s R threshold.
If Viego kills Pyke, transforming into him gives him Pyke’s mobility and CC tools, which can turn the tide of fights.
Late Game (Levels 12-18)
Pyke:
Relies on vision control and flanking to catch targets out of position, as direct engages against Viego are risky.
Remains effective in team fights with Death from Below (R) resets but becomes less impactful if Viego’s durability scales too high to execute easily.
Struggles against Viego’s sustain and ability resets in extended fights.
Viego:
Scales into a durable carry with high DPS and sustain, making him a significant threat in late-game team fights.
Thrives in chaotic fights where he can secure resets and turn into enemy champions.
Becomes difficult for Pyke to burst down, especially if Viego builds defensive items or lifesteal.
Key Interactions:
Pyke’s effectiveness depends on his ability to pick off squishy targets and avoid directly fighting Viego.
Viego’s sustain and resets make him a late-game monster if he’s allowed to survive Pyke’s initial burst.

summary

Skill and Strategy Tips
Pyke:
Early Game: Look for skirmishes in the jungle or bot lane where you can use terrain and vision to isolate Viego. Avoid long fights and focus on quick trades.
Mid Game: Roam frequently to snowball and create picks. Use vision control to catch Viego when he’s isolated.
Late Game: Prioritize squishy targets in fights and avoid directly engaging Viego unless he’s low. Use W to reposition and flank effectively.
Viego:
Early Game: Play for extended trades where your sustain and DPS outlast Pyke’s burst. Punish him if he misses Q or E.
Mid Game: Look for opportunities to counter-gank Pyke’s roams. Use your ultimate to avoid Pyke’s execute threshold.
Late Game: Be the frontline or follow-up engager for your team. Focus on securing resets to clean up fights, and use Pyke’s kit against his team if you take his form.
Conclusion
The Pyke vs. Viego matchup is dynamic, with Pyke excelling in short trades, skirmishes, and early-game pressure, while Viego becomes a scaling menace in prolonged fights and team engagements. Pyke’s win condition is to snowball the early game and avoid giving Viego resets, while Viego’s goal is to survive the early game and leverage his sustain and resetting mechanics to dominate mid-to-late game fights.

Viktor

Pyke vs. Viktor Matchup Analysis
Role Context: This analysis assumes Pyke (support or mid) facing Viktor (mid or occasionally bot as a mage carry). Pyke excels at mobility, burst damage, and pick potential, while Viktor is a control mage specializing in zone control, scaling DPS, and poke.

The Pyke vs. Viktor matchup revolves around Pyke's ability to engage and assassinate Viktor versus Viktor's ability to control the battlefield, kite, and outscale with consistent damage.

General Matchup Overview
Pyke: A melee assassin reliant on picking off squishy targets. Pyke struggles in extended fights, especially against champions with strong zone control or poke.
Viktor: A scaling control mage who excels at poking enemies, zoning them with Gravity Field (W), and dealing sustained AoE damage in team fights.
The matchup slightly favors Viktor in extended fights and later stages of the game, while Pyke can dominate early with well-timed roams, engages, and executions.

Early Game (Levels 1-6)
Pyke:
Strengths:
Strong kill pressure with Bone Skewer (Q) and Phantom Undertow (E), especially against Viktor’s low mobility.
Sustain from Gift of the Drowned Ones helps mitigate poke damage during laning phase.
Ghostwater Dive (W) enables sneaky engages or roams to other lanes.
Weaknesses:
Vulnerable to Viktor’s poke, especially Death Ray (E).
Relies heavily on landing skill shots to secure kills or pressure Viktor.
Viktor:
Strengths:
Superior poke and wave clear with Death Ray (E).
Can kite effectively with Gravity Field (W) if Pyke over-commits.
Safe laning phase if he positions well and avoids Pyke’s hook.
Weaknesses:
Immobile and reliant on managing mana for sustained pressure.
Struggles if Pyke lands a hook or flanks him with W.
Key Interactions:
Pyke’s ability to land Bone Skewer (Q) is critical. Missing it allows Viktor to poke Pyke out and control the lane.
Viktor must position carefully to avoid getting caught by Pyke’s Q or being flanked by his W.
Mid Game (Levels 6-11)
Pyke:
Gains massive kill pressure with Death from Below (R), making him a significant threat in skirmishes and team fights.
Becomes a roaming menace, looking to create picks in other lanes or punish mispositioned enemies.
Struggles in straight-up fights with Viktor if Viktor controls the space with W and E.
Viktor:
Gains access to Chaos Storm (R), which provides burst damage and consistent AoE damage in skirmishes and fights.
Starts scaling with upgraded hex core abilities, giving him more poke and wave clear.
Still vulnerable to Pyke’s engages but can punish Pyke’s all-ins if he survives the initial burst.
Key Interactions:
Pyke must look for opportunities to isolate Viktor or catch him without Gravity Field (W) and Flash. Flanking and vision control are key.
Viktor’s Gravity Field (W) is a strong counter to Pyke’s Phantom Undertow (E) dash. Placing it preemptively in choke points can deny Pyke’s engages.
Viktor can bait Pyke into over-committing by kiting and using Chaos Storm (R) to punish him in extended trades.
Late Game (Levels 12-18)
Pyke:
Relies heavily on vision control and flanking to catch out squishy targets like Viktor.
Death from Below (R) remains powerful, but Viktor’s durability and damage scaling make it harder to execute him without setup.
Struggles in team fights where Viktor’s zone control and AoE damage dominate.
Viktor:
Becomes a late-game powerhouse with fully upgraded abilities and massive AoE damage in team fights.
Can shred Pyke or deny his engages with proper positioning and Gravity Field (W) usage.
Still vulnerable to Pyke’s flanks but can kite and survive with peel or defensive items.
Key Interactions:
Pyke must prioritize picking Viktor off before fights begin. In straight-up team fights, Viktor’s scaling damage and AoE make it hard for Pyke to operate.
Viktor needs to maintain safe positioning and use Gravity Field (W) defensively to deter Pyke’s dives.

summary

Skill and Strategy Tips
Pyke:
Early Game: Play aggressively in lane and look for hooks or engages when Viktor is mispositioned. Roam as soon as you push Viktor in or after landing kills.
Mid Game: Use vision control to find isolated targets like Viktor. Avoid head-on engages where his team can peel for him.
Late Game: Focus on flanking and catching Viktor out of position. Avoid diving directly into team fights without clear pick opportunities.
Viktor:
Early Game: Farm safely and poke Pyke with Death Ray (E). Use Gravity Field (W) defensively to zone him out.
Mid Game: Position with your team and control objectives with your poke and AoE. Punish Pyke’s engages with Chaos Storm (R) and Gravity Field (W).
Late Game: Maintain strong positioning in team fights, leveraging your AoE damage to deter Pyke’s flanks. Build defensive items like Zhonya’s Hourglass or Banshee’s Veil to mitigate Pyke’s burst.
Conclusion
The Pyke vs. Viktor matchup is dynamic, with Pyke having the edge early due to his kill pressure and mobility, while Viktor outscales with superior wave clear, damage, and team fight presence. Pyke’s win condition is to snowball the early game with picks and roams, while Viktor’s goal is to survive the early game, scale into a team fight monster, and use his zone control to shut Pyke down.

Vladimir

Pyke vs. Vladimir Matchup Analysis
Role Context: This analysis assumes Pyke (support or mid) facing Vladimir (mid or top). Pyke thrives on burst damage, pick potential, and resets, while Vladimir is a scaling mage with strong sustain, AoE team fight presence, and the ability to negate damage using Sanguine Pool (W).

The Pyke vs. Vladimir matchup revolves around Pyke’s early-game aggression and ability to execute versus Vladimir’s sustain, scaling, and survivability.

General Matchup Overview
Pyke: A melee assassin focusing on burst damage, crowd control, and cleanup potential with his reset-based ultimate. Pyke struggles in extended fights and against champions with sustain or disengage.
Vladimir: A scaling mage who excels in sustained fights due to his healing and AoE damage. He has weak early-game pressure but becomes a late-game powerhouse.
This matchup tilts toward Pyke early due to Vladimir’s weak early game, but Vladimir outscales Pyke significantly as the game progresses.

Early Game (Levels 1-6)
Pyke:
Strengths:
High kill pressure with Bone Skewer (Q) and Phantom Undertow (E).
Gift of the Drowned Ones (Passive) allows for recovery after short trades, complementing his hit-and-run playstyle.
Excellent roaming potential if he pushes Vladimir in early.
Weaknesses:
Struggles to punish Vladimir’s sustain unless he secures all-ins.
Needs to land skill shots to maintain pressure.
Vladimir:
Strengths:
Sustain from Transfusion (Q) keeps him healthy in lane.
Sanguine Pool (W) allows him to evade Pyke’s Q, E, or R.
Can safely farm under turret due to ranged abilities.
Weaknesses:
Weak early-game damage and mobility.
Vulnerable to Pyke’s early aggression and roaming potential.
Key Interactions:
Pyke should focus on short trades and landing Q to pull Vladimir into disadvantageous positions.
Vladimir needs to avoid all-ins early and rely on his sustain to survive lane.
Mid Game (Levels 6-11)
Pyke:
Gains massive kill pressure with Death from Below (R), allowing him to snowball skirmishes and team fights.
Excels at roaming to other lanes to secure kills and apply map pressure.
Struggles to execute Vladimir if Sanguine Pool (W) is used effectively to dodge Pyke’s R.
Vladimir:
Gains significant power with Hemoplague (R), which amplifies his AoE damage and healing.
Begins scaling into a late-game monster, with sustained damage and team fight presence.
Becomes more challenging for Pyke to kill outright due to healing and W.
Key Interactions:
Pyke must bait Vladimir’s W before committing to his R execute. Without this, Vladimir can easily escape death.
Vladimir can turn fights with a well-placed R, especially if Pyke overcommits without burst support from his team.
Late Game (Levels 12-18)
Pyke:
Relies on vision control and flanking to remain relevant, as direct fights against Vladimir become difficult.
Death from Below (R) remains impactful but is harder to land consistently on Vladimir due to his sustain and W.
Falls off in team fights where Vladimir’s AoE and sustain dominate.
Vladimir:
Fully scaled and capable of carrying team fights with his AoE damage and healing.
Becomes extremely tanky with Zhonya’s Hourglass or Spirit Visage, making it hard for Pyke to burst him down.
W cooldown decreases significantly, making it even harder for Pyke to lock him down.
Key Interactions:
Pyke’s best chance to deal with Vladimir in the late game is to catch him out of position or after he has used his W.
Vladimir should focus on staying grouped and leveraging his AoE to dominate team fights.

summary

Skill and Strategy Tips
Pyke:
Early Game:
Play aggressively and trade frequently to punish Vladimir’s weak early game.
Roam to other lanes to snowball an advantage if Vladimir is playing defensively.
Mid Game:
Bait Vladimir’s W before engaging fully. Use vision control to set up flanks and avoid fighting him directly in extended trades.
Late Game:
Prioritize squishier targets in team fights. Avoid focusing Vladimir unless he’s already low or isolated.
Vladimir:
Early Game:
Focus on farming and surviving until you gain power spikes from items like Hextech Rocketbelt.
Use W sparingly to avoid Pyke’s hooks but not recklessly, as it costs significant health.
Mid Game:
Group with your team and leverage Hemoplague (R) to dominate fights. Sustain through Pyke’s damage.
Late Game:
Be the centerpiece of team fights, using your healing, AoE damage, and itemization to survive Pyke’s engages.
Conclusion
The Pyke vs. Vladimir matchup is time-dependent. Pyke dominates early with kill pressure and roaming, but Vladimir scales into an unkillable team fight monster. Pyke’s win condition is to snowball early through kills and map pressure, while Vladimir’s goal is to survive the early game, scale into his power spikes, and dominate team fights with his sustain and AoE damage.

Volibear

Pyke vs. Volibear Matchup Analysis
Role Context: This analysis assumes Pyke (support or mid) facing Volibear (jungle or top lane). Pyke thrives on mobility, burst damage, and pick potential, while Volibear is a durable bruiser who excels at extended trades, tankiness, and initiating fights.

The Pyke vs. Volibear matchup hinges on Pyke’s ability to kite and burst Volibear versus Volibear’s sustain and ability to stick to targets with his mobility and crowd control.

General Matchup Overview
Pyke: A squishy melee assassin relying on burst and resets. Pyke struggles in extended fights, especially against tanky champions with sustain or crowd control.
Volibear: A durable bruiser who excels at diving and sustaining in fights with his healing, crowd control, and bonus damage.
This matchup slightly favors Volibear in extended trades or team fights, as his durability and sustain can outlast Pyke’s burst damage. However, Pyke has better early roaming and pick potential.

Early Game (Levels 1-6)
Pyke:
Strengths:
Strong pick potential with Bone Skewer (Q) and Phantom Undertow (E).
Mobility from Ghostwater Dive (W) enables flanking or escaping from skirmishes.
Can roam to punish Volibear in the jungle or create advantages in other lanes.
Weaknesses:
Struggles against Volibear’s sustain and crowd control if engaged directly.
Relies heavily on landing skill shots to win trades or pressure Volibear.
Volibear:
Strengths:
High dueling power with Frenzied Maul (W) and its healing on marked targets.
Can stick to Pyke with Thundering Smash (Q), forcing fights on his terms.
Durable with early tank stats and shields from Sky Splitter (E).
Weaknesses:
Vulnerable to Pyke’s early roams if he’s in the jungle or playing defensively.
Struggles to chase Pyke if Pyke uses E and W effectively.
Key Interactions:
Pyke must avoid extended trades and focus on quick engages, using E and W to escape Volibear’s follow-up.
Volibear should capitalize on Pyke’s squishiness by forcing trades with Q and punishing him when he misses abilities.
Mid Game (Levels 6-11)
Pyke:
Gains immense kill pressure with Death from Below (R), enabling him to clean up fights and snowball.
Thrives in small skirmishes, where his mobility and ability to reset can turn fights.
Struggles in direct fights against Volibear’s durability and healing, especially if Volibear builds defensive items.
Volibear:
Becomes a strong diver with Stormbringer (R), giving him the ability to bypass turrets and engage on Pyke or his teammates.
Sustains well in fights due to his healing and shields, making it hard for Pyke to burst him down.
Threatens Pyke in skirmishes if Pyke cannot disengage quickly.
Key Interactions:
Pyke must capitalize on flanking and catching Volibear before he can engage. Vision control is crucial to avoid Volibear’s R-based dives.
Volibear should use his tankiness to front-line and bait Pyke into overcommitting, then punish him with CC and burst.
Late Game (Levels 12-18)
Pyke:
Relies heavily on picks and vision control, as his direct impact in team fights diminishes against durable champions like Volibear.
Death from Below (R) is still impactful but harder to execute on Volibear due to his tankiness and healing.
Must avoid direct confrontations and focus on softer targets in the backline.
Volibear:
Scales into a durable front-liner who can soak damage and create space for his team.
Becomes difficult to kill due to tank builds, healing, and shields, making him a significant threat in prolonged team fights.
Can single-handedly threaten Pyke in skirmishes or team fights if Pyke mispositions.
Key Interactions:
Pyke’s ability to impact late-game team fights depends on flanking and isolating Volibear’s squishier allies.
Volibear’s role as a durable engager makes him a natural counter to Pyke’s burst-oriented kit in 5v5 scenarios.

summary

Skill and Strategy Tips
Pyke:
Early Game:
Use your mobility to roam and punish Volibear if he’s overextended or on the wrong side of the map.
Play around terrain and vision to land surprise hooks with Q.
Mid Game:
Focus on creating picks and snowballing with R. Avoid direct fights with Volibear unless you have team backup.
Use W and E to disengage after engaging to minimize damage from Volibear’s combo.
Late Game:
Focus on squishy backline targets. Use vision control and flanking to bypass Volibear’s frontline presence.
Volibear:
Early Game:
Trade aggressively when Pyke misses abilities or overcommits. Use your healing and shields to outlast Pyke’s burst.
Farm efficiently and look for opportunities to counter Pyke’s roams by pressuring his teammates.
Mid Game:
Use Stormbringer (R) to create dives and punish Pyke’s squishy teammates. Force skirmishes where your durability shines.
Late Game:
Be the team’s front-liner and focus on disrupting Pyke’s engages. Build tanky items to mitigate his burst.
Conclusion
The Pyke vs. Volibear matchup is one of timing and role execution. Pyke has an early advantage in creating map pressure and picking off targets, but Volibear’s durability, sustain, and scaling eventually outmatch Pyke’s burst-oriented kit. Pyke’s win condition is to snowball the game through roams and picks, while Volibear’s is to survive the early aggression, scale into a durable team fight initiator, and punish Pyke in extended engagements.

Warwick

Pyke vs Warwick - In-Depth Matchup Analysis
Overview
Pyke and Warwick have vastly different playstyles, but both excel in skirmishing and catching enemies off guard. Pyke is a high-mobility assassin support/jungler with strong burst damage and crowd control, while Warwick is a sustain-heavy, tanky fighter with strong dueling potential.

summary (Click img. To Enlarge)

Laning Phase (If Pyke is Support)
Pyke typically plays in the bot lane as a support, while Warwick is primarily a jungle champion.
If Warwick invades early, Pyke struggles in direct fights due to Warwick’s lifesteal and sustain.
However, Pyke’s roaming potential allows him to impact the map and shut down Warwick’s lanes if Warwick doesn’t track him well.
Jungle Matchup (If Pyke is Jungle)
Pyke has a faster mobility-based clear, but Warwick has strong sustain, making him harder to kill in duels.
Warwick's passive healing and fear make it dangerous for Pyke to engage without proper setup.
If Pyke falls behind, Warwick can easily outduel and control objectives.
Mid-to-Late Game
If Pyke gets ahead: He can one-shot squishy targets, roam efficiently, and make Warwick’s life miserable by catching him before fights.
If Warwick gets ahead: He becomes extremely tanky and can dive into the backline, making Pyke ineffective as an assassin.
In teamfights: Warwick’s suppression can lock down Pyke, preventing him from executing targets safely.
Win Conditions
Pyke’s Win Conditions
Avoid prolonged fights – Warwick out-sustains him.
Roam heavily – Influence lanes and force Warwick to react.
Pick off isolated targets – Avoid direct 1v1 fights.
Wait for Warwick’s cooldowns – Engage when his fear (Primal Howl) or ult (Infinite Duress) is down.
Warwick’s Win Conditions
Force 1v1 fights – Pyke has low sustain and can’t handle Warwick’s healing.
Play around objectives – Pyke struggles in straight-up fights.
Use suppression wisely – If Warwick locks down Pyke, his team can quickly burst him.
Overall Matchup Verdict
Early Game: Slight advantage to Warwick (better sustain and dueling).
Mid Game: Pyke favored if he can roam and get picks.
Late Game: Warwick favored due to his tankiness and scaling sustain.
Matchup Rating (1-10)
1v1 Duels: 7/10 (Warwick favored)
Teamfights: 6/10 (Warwick slightly favored, but Pyke is a threat)
Map Control & Roaming: 8/10 (Pyke favored)

Support Playstyle: Pyke vs Warwick
Pyke’s job as a support is to roam, secure vision, and set up kills. Warwick’s primary impact is through jungle ganks, so Pyke must play with awareness of Warwick’s presence to avoid being countered.

Early Game
Roaming Priority: Pyke has one of the strongest roaming capabilities of any support. He should frequently move mid to pressure and deny Warwick’s ability to gank.
Lane Control: Against a passive ADC, Pyke can aggressively look for all-ins with Q (Bone Skewer) and E (Phantom Undertow), but if Warwick ganks early, his sustain and crowd control can quickly turn the fight.
Ward Deep: Warwick’s jungle pathing is predictable due to his passive Blood Hunt (W), so placing deep vision helps avoid his engages.
Mid Game
Avoid Prolonged Fights: Warwick thrives in sustained skirmishes, while Pyke excels in quick, decisive picks. If Warwick engages and Pyke cannot disengage fast enough, he will be locked down and eliminated.
Objective Control: Pyke needs to pressure Warwick’s jungle alongside his team. Since Warwick is an objective-focused jungler, denying vision around Dragon and Rift Herald can limit his control.
Playing Against Warwick’s Ult: Warwick’s Infinite Duress (R) can completely shut down Pyke’s engage attempts. Baiting it out or waiting for Warwick to use it elsewhere before fighting is key.
Late Game & Teamfights
Split from Warwick’s Targets: Warwick wants to dive into the enemy backline, meaning Pyke should position in the flanks to execute low-health targets instead of directly fighting him.
Peel for Carries: While Pyke is not a tank, his CC (Bone Skewer & Phantom Undertow) can briefly stop Warwick from reaching priority targets.
Capitalize on Isolated Targets: If Warwick is alone, Pyke and his team should focus him before he can heal up from his passive and Q (Jaws of the Beast).
Counterplay Tips Against Warwick as Pyke
Avoid Getting Locked Down
Warwick’s Primal Howl (E) and Ultimate (R) Infinite Duress can completely neutralize Pyke’s mobility.
If Warwick ults Pyke, he’s likely dead unless his team peels. The best strategy is to bait Warwick into ulting another target, then re-engage.
Force Skirmishes with Numbers Advantage
Pyke thrives in chaotic skirmishes, while Warwick prefers extended duels.
Roaming with a teammate and catching Warwick before he reaches low-health targets prevents him from sustaining.
Play Around Cooldowns
Warwick’s W (Blood Hunt) is a huge part of his mobility and threat level.
If Blood Hunt is on cooldown, Warwick loses much of his map pressure, allowing Pyke to move freely.
Ward the Jungle Entrances
Warwick can gank from unexpected angles using his speed boost.
Placing wards in river bushes, jungle entrances, and deep near Raptors/Wolves helps track him.
Final Matchup Verdict (Support Perspective)
Early Game: Pyke favored (if roaming well).
Mid Game: Even (Pyke thrives on picks; Warwick on skirmishes).
Late Game: Warwick favored (if fights are prolonged).
Matchup Rating (Support vs Jungle)
Map Control & Roaming: 8/10 Pyke
1v1 Duels: 7/10 Warwick
Teamfight Impact: 6/10 Warwick (depends on execution)
Scaling: 7/10 Warwick

Wukong

Pyke vs Wukong – In-Depth Matchup Analysis
Overview
Pyke and Wukong play vastly different roles but can meet in various interactions—support vs jungle, mid lane, or even top lane in rare cases. Pyke is a roaming assassin support with burst damage and pick potential, while Wukong is a durable fighter/assassin with strong teamfighting, sustain, and disruption.

summary (Click img. to Enlarge)

Matchup Scenarios
1. Support Pyke vs Jungle Wukong
Early Game: Pyke should roam aggressively to deny Wukong an easy early-game.
Warding Priority: Wukong’s ganks are dangerous post-level 6, so vision control around river & jungle entrances is key.
Objective Control: Pyke must pressure the map before Wukong’s teamfight power becomes overwhelming.
2. Jungle Pyke vs Jungle Wukong
1v1 Duels: Wukong generally wins extended fights due to sustain and durability.
Jungle Pathing: Pyke should avoid direct fights and focus on counter-ganking & invading when Wukong is on cooldown.
3. Mid/Top Pyke vs Wukong (Rare Case)
Laning: Wukong has better wave clear and sustain, making it difficult for Pyke to contest CS.
All-ins: If Pyke lands a Q+E combo early, he can chunk Wukong, but Wukong can out-trade Pyke with his passive and clone jukes.
Teamfight Dynamics
Pyke’s Role: Look for isolated targets and execute priority carries.
Wukong’s Role: Disrupt the backline with Cyclone (R) and soak damage.
Who Wins Late Game? Wukong has better teamfight presence, while Pyke thrives in chaotic skirmishes.
Counterplay Tips
For Pyke Against Wukong
Avoid Extended Fights – Wukong sustains and outlasts Pyke.
Bait Clone (W) Before Engaging – If Wukong keeps his clone, he can dodge Pyke’s key abilities.
Track Wukong in the Jungle – Deep wards can prevent surprise engages.
For Wukong Against Pyke
Save Clone for Pyke’s Hook – This negates Pyke’s pick potential.
Engage in Grouped Fights – Pyke is weaker in full teamfights compared to skirmishes.
Build Tanky if Behind – Pyke struggles against bruisers with sustain.
Final Matchup Verdict
Early Game: Pyke favored (better roams & pick potential).
Mid Game: Even (depends on team coordination).
Late Game: Wukong favored (better teamfighting & scaling).
Matchup Rating (1-10)
Skirmishing: 6/10 Wukong
Burst Damage: 8/10 Pyke
Teamfight Impact: 9/10 Wukong
Roaming & Pick Potential: 9/10 Pyke

Xayah

Pyke vs Xayah – In-Depth Matchup Analysis
Overview
Pyke and Xayah have fundamentally different playstyles in bot lane:

Pyke is an assassin support that thrives on roaming, setting up kills, and executing enemies.
Xayah is a late-game ADC with self-peel, strong DPS, and AoE root potential.
This matchup is about timing and spacing—Pyke wants to engage, while Xayah wants to keep her distance and use Feathers (E) to punish over-extensions.

summary (Click img. To Enlarge)

Laning Phase (Support Pyke vs ADC Xayah)
Pyke’s Goal: Land Q (Bone Skewer) and E (Phantom Undertow) combos, forcing Xayah into bad trades or an all-in.

Xayah’s Goal: Play safe, keep distance, and use E (Bladecaller) to root Pyke when he engages.

Early Game
Xayah is weakest before level 3. This is Pyke’s best time to look for early trades.
If Xayah has a hard-engage support (Nautilus, Rakan, Leona), Pyke must respect level 2 all-ins.
If Xayah plays with an enchanter (Lulu, Janna, Yuumi), Pyke has more kill potential.
Mid Game
Pyke must roam effectively—Xayah scales better in a farm-heavy lane.
If Pyke misses a hook, he loses lane pressure.
Xayah can counter Pyke’s all-in if she has R (Featherstorm) available.
Late Game & Teamfights
Pyke needs to flank, as engaging front-to-back against Xayah is dangerous.
Xayah’s R is a massive counter to Pyke—she can avoid his execute and retaliate.
If Xayah lands a three-feather root, Pyke is usually dead.
Counterplay Tips
For Pyke Against Xayah
✅ Force trades before level 6 – Xayah’s R negates Pyke’s burst.
✅ Roam constantly – Xayah prefers farm-heavy lanes, so punish her ADC weaknesses by impacting mid/jungle.
✅ Engage when her Feathers are down – If Xayah just used E (Bladecaller), she has no self-peel.
✅ Don’t all-in if her R is up – Bait Featherstorm first before fully committing.

For Xayah Against Pyke
✅ Stay behind minions – Pyke’s Q (Bone Skewer) is harder to land.
✅ Save E (Bladecaller) for Pyke’s engage – Don’t waste it on poke.
✅ Time R properly – Featherstorm dodges Pyke’s R and negates his burst.
✅ Ping missing when Pyke roams – His biggest strength is leaving lane.

Final Matchup Verdict
Early Game: Pyke favored (kill threat if played aggressively).
Mid Game: Even (Pyke roams, but Xayah starts scaling).
Late Game: Xayah favored (harder to kill, better teamfight impact).
Matchup Rating (1-10)
Laning: 6/10 Pyke (if aggressive early).
Roaming: 9/10 Pyke (Xayah prefers staying in lane).
Teamfight Impact: 8/10 Xayah (Pyke is worse in full 5v5 fights).
Scaling: 9/10 Xayah (Pyke falls off late).

Xerath

Pyke vs Xerath – In-Depth Matchup Analysis
Overview
This matchup is a high-range poke mage (Xerath) vs. an all-in assassin support (Pyke).

Pyke wants to dodge skill shots, close the gap, and secure picks with his burst damage.
Xerath wants to poke Pyke out of lane and zone him from engaging using his long-range abilities.
This is a volatile matchup where Pyke wins if he gets in close, while Xerath dominates if he lands consistent poke.

summary (Click img. To Enlarge)

Laning Phase (Support Pyke vs Support Xerath)
Pyke’s Goal: Dodge skill shots and find an all-in opportunity with Q + E to kill Xerath.

Xerath’s Goal: Poke Pyke out of lane and prevent him from engaging.

Early Game
Xerath has priority if he lands poke, as Pyke is squishy and lacks sustain.
Pyke must dodge Q (Arcanopulse) and W (Eye of Destruction) to avoid getting chunked.
Level 2 Power Spike: Pyke can all-in at level 2 with Q + E if Xerath overextends.
Mid Game
Pyke should roam aggressively—Xerath is immobile and cannot follow roams.
If Pyke falls behind, he struggles to engage.
Xerath must ward deep and keep distance, preventing Pyke from flanking.
Late Game & Teamfights
Pyke must flank—he cannot engage front-to-back against Xerath’s long range.
If Xerath is left unchecked, he will destroy Pyke’s team from range.
If Pyke lands a pick on Xerath, the fight swings in his favor.
Counterplay Tips
For Pyke Against Xerath
✅ Stay behind minions – This blocks his Q (Arcanopulse).
✅ Roam often – If Xerath stays bot, Pyke can impact mid/jungle.
✅ Wait for Xerath to waste abilities before engaging – If his E (Stun) is down, he has no defense.
✅ Flank from fog of war – A direct engage is predictable, so attack from unexpected angles.

For Xerath Against Pyke
✅ Ward deep to spot Pyke’s roams.
✅ Save E (Shocking Orb) for Pyke’s engage – This stuns him mid-dash.
✅ Punish Pyke’s passive play with poke – Pyke lacks sustain, so poking him forces him out of lane.
✅ Position safely in fights – If Pyke gets a reset, he will snowball the teamfight.

Final Matchup Verdict
Early Game: Xerath favored (strong poke, hard for Pyke to engage).
Mid Game: Pyke favored (strong roams, can pick off Xerath).
Late Game: Xerath favored (better teamfight presence if alive).
Matchup Rating (1-10)
Laning: 7/10 Xerath (if he lands poke).
Roaming: 9/10 Pyke (Xerath is immobile).
Teamfight Impact: 8/10 Xerath (strong AoE poke).
Pick Potential: 8/10 Pyke (if he finds an engage).
Would you like specific strategies for flanking Xerath in teamfights?

How to Flank & Engage on Xerath as Pyke
Since Xerath excels in long-range poke and zoning, Pyke must rely on stealth, unexpected angles, and creative flanks to land an engage. Here are specific strategies to catch Xerath off guard:

1. Use Fog of War & Vision Denial
🔹 Why? Xerath is vulnerable when he doesn’t see Pyke coming.
🔹 How?

Sweep vision with a Control Ward before engaging.
Move through brush or fog of war before using W (Ghostwater Dive).
Approach from side lanes, jungle, or behind objectives (Dragon/Baron).
Example Setup:

Hide in bot lane river bush → Activate W → Walk behind Xerath while he is poking → Land Q+E for a guaranteed kill.
2. Bait Out Xerath’s E (Shocking Orb) Before Engaging
🔹 Why? His E is his only form of self-peel.
🔹 How?

Fake an engage by walking forward and immediately backing off to bait his stun.
Let another teammate soak the E, then engage.
Use W invisibility to dodge it—Xerath often predicts movement, so changing direction last second can make him miss.
Example Setup:

Walk up and pretend to Q (but cancel it) → Xerath panics and throws E → Now engage freely.
3. Flank From Unexpected Angles in Teamfights
🔹 Why? Pyke struggles in front-to-back fights but thrives when attacking from the side.
🔹 How?

Wrap around teamfights from the side or behind rather than engaging head-on.
If Xerath is positioning far back, loop through the jungle and catch him off guard.
Use W (Ghostwater Dive) to approach unseen before casting Q.
Example Setup:

While Dragon is being contested, Pyke sneaks around the back of the pit, hooks Xerath from behind, and one-shots him before the fight begins.
4. Punish Xerath’s Ultimate (Rite of the Arcane) Usage
🔹 Why? Xerath is stationary when casting his ult.
🔹 How?

If you see him channeling R, it’s a free engage.
Use W (Ghostwater Dive) + E (Phantom Undertow) to quickly close the gap.
Even if you can’t kill him, forcing him to cancel his ult removes his main teamfight damage source.
Example Setup:

Xerath starts ulting from a safe position → Pyke stealth engages, forcing him to cancel the cast or die.
5. Engage When Xerath is Low on Mana
🔹 Why? Xerath has high mana costs, and a low-mana Xerath cannot fight back.
🔹 How?

Keep an eye on his mana bar. If he is low, he can’t poke or stun properly.
Engage immediately before he can recall or regenerate mana.
Example Setup:

Xerath spammed abilities to push the wave → He has less than 100 mana → Pyke all-ins and secures an easy kill.
Summary of Key Tactics
✅ Use fog of war and vision control to approach unseen.
✅ Bait his E (Shocking Orb) before going all-in.
✅ Flank in teamfights rather than engaging front-to-back.
✅ Attack when Xerath is channeling his ultimate (R).
✅ Force all-ins when he is low on mana.

Xin Zhao

Pyke vs Xin Zhao – In-Depth Matchup Analysis
Overview
This matchup is a battle between an assassin support (Pyke) and a skirmishing bruiser (Xin Zhao).

Pyke relies on burst damage, mobility, and execution resets.
Xin Zhao is a durable early-game fighter who thrives in extended fights with strong sustain.
Since Xin Zhao has built-in healing, knock-ups, and a tanky ultimate, Pyke needs to play hit-and-run, avoiding all-ins that drag out too long.

summary (Click img. To Enlarge)

Laning Phase (Support Pyke vs Jungle Xin Zhao)
Pyke’s Goal: Dodge Xin Zhao’s early ganks & set up picks in mid/jungle.

Xin Zhao’s Goal: Force early fights & snowball with jungle pressure.

Early Game
Xin Zhao’s Level 2 & 3 ganks are extremely strong. Pyke needs to ward river & play safe if Xin is near.
Xin Zhao wins extended fights. If Pyke tries to trade without bursting him, he loses.
If Pyke roams mid, he must respect Xin Zhao’s counterganks.
Mid Game
Pyke’s roaming power is crucial. If Pyke gets ahead, he can help shut down Xin.
Xin Zhao thrives in 2v2 & 3v3 skirmishes—Pyke must avoid full-on fights and focus on quick picks.
Pyke should not engage directly if Xin has R (Crescent Guard)—the damage block negates Pyke’s burst.
Late Game & Teamfights
Xin Zhao will act as a frontline disruptor. Pyke should not focus him unless he’s isolated.
Pyke must flank and kill squishy targets first. Xin is hard to execute due to his sustain.
If Xin uses R early, Pyke can re-engage after it expires.
Counterplay Tips
For Pyke Against Xin Zhao
✅ Avoid fighting in the jungle – Xin Zhao thrives in close-range fights.
✅ Roam before Xin gets a lead – If he snowballs, he’s hard to stop.
✅ Wait for Xin to use R before going all-in – His Crescent Guard can deny Pyke’s burst.
✅ Use vision denial – If Xin can’t see Pyke’s engages, he can’t react with W or R.

For Xin Zhao Against Pyke
✅ Punish Pyke in extended fights – His sustain outlasts Pyke’s burst.
✅ Ward against Pyke’s roams – Pyke’s biggest advantage is his ability to leave lane.
✅ Engage when Pyke’s abilities are down – If Pyke misses Q, he’s vulnerable.
✅ Use R (Crescent Guard) reactively – Block Pyke’s burst and turn the fight.

Final Matchup Verdict
Early Game: Xin Zhao favored (strong dueling, early jungle impact).
Mid Game: Even (Pyke has roams, Xin has skirmish power).
Late Game: Xin Zhao favored (becomes a durable teamfight bruiser).
Matchup Rating (1-10)
Early Fights: 8/10 Xin Zhao (Pyke loses if he can’t burst).
Roaming Impact: 9/10 Pyke (better at moving around the map).
Teamfight Presence: 8/10 Xin Zhao (frontline disruptor).
Pick Potential: 8/10 Pyke (if he avoids Xin’s defenses).

Yasuo

Pyke vs Yasuo – In-Depth Matchup Analysis
Overview
This matchup is a duel between a mobile assassin support (Pyke) and a high-damage melee skirmisher (Yasuo).

Pyke relies on burst damage, mobility, and stealth to assassinate targets.
Yasuo excels in extended fights, using his shield, dashes, and Wind Wall to outplay opponents.
This matchup is skill-dependent, where Pyke must land key abilities and play around Yasuo’s Wind Wall (W), while Yasuo needs to outmaneuver Pyke’s engages.

summary (Click img. To Enlarge)

Laning Phase (Support Pyke vs Mid Yasuo / Bot Yasuo)
Pyke’s Goal: Land hooks (Q) and burst Yasuo before he can fight back.

Yasuo’s Goal: Use minions to dodge Pyke’s abilities & outtrade in extended fights.

Early Game
Yasuo’s passive (Shield) absorbs poke, so Pyke needs to wait for it to go down before trading.
If Yasuo lands his tornado (Q) knock-up, Pyke can be easily killed in early fights.
Pyke must dodge tornadoes and wait for Yasuo to burn Wind Wall before engaging.
Mid Game
Pyke thrives in roams, while Yasuo is a strong 1v1 fighter. Pyke should focus on making plays elsewhere rather than fighting Yasuo directly.
Yasuo will start stacking crit, making him deadlier if fights go long. Pyke must burst him quickly or disengage.
If Yasuo builds Lifesteal, he becomes harder to kill unless Pyke lands a clean pick.
Late Game & Teamfights
Pyke must avoid Yasuo’s knock-up combos (especially with champions like Malphite or Alistar).
Yasuo’s Wind Wall denies Pyke’s engage, so Pyke should flank from the side to avoid it.
If Pyke catches Yasuo alone, he can win the fight with a fast combo, but if Yasuo gets into melee range, Pyke is at a disadvantage.
Counterplay Tips
For Pyke Against Yasuo
✅ Wait for Yasuo’s passive shield to drop before trading.
✅ Bait out Wind Wall (W) before engaging—it blocks Pyke’s Q & R.
✅ Flank Yasuo in teamfights rather than engaging from the front.
✅ Avoid extended fights—burst him down quickly or disengage.
✅ Use E (Phantom Undertow) to escape if Yasuo dashes too close.

For Yasuo Against Pyke
✅ Use Wind Wall (W) wisely—it blocks Pyke’s Q and R.
✅ Dash through minions (E) to avoid Pyke’s Q pulls.
✅ Punish Pyke if he misses Q—he is vulnerable without it.
✅ If Pyke wastes his stealth (W), go all-in—he has no escape.
✅ Stack Lifesteal to survive Pyke’s burst.

Final Matchup Verdict
Early Game: Pyke slightly favored (if he lands hooks).
Mid Game: Even (Pyke roams better, Yasuo duels better).
Late Game: Yasuo favored (higher DPS, Wind Wall shuts down Pyke).
Matchup Rating (1-10)
Laning: 6/10 Pyke (if he lands hooks, otherwise Yasuo outtrades).
Roaming Impact: 9/10 Pyke (Yasuo struggles to follow roams).
Teamfight Presence: 8/10 Yasuo (if he lands knock-ups).
Pick Potential: 8/10 Pyke (if he gets the jump on Yasuo).

1. Play Around Yasuo’s Wind Wall (W)
Why? Wind Wall can completely negate Pyke’s Q (Bone Skewer) and R (Death from Below), removing his ability to secure kills.
How?
Wait for Yasuo to use W before engaging—bait it out by pretending to Q or forcing another teammate to use a ranged ability first.
Flank from the sides or behind Yasuo so he can’t block your abilities with Wind Wall.
If Yasuo Wind Walls your Q, immediately switch to E (Phantom Undertow) for CC instead.
Example Setup:

Pyke stays hidden → Yasuo engages and throws out Wind Wall → Pyke flanks from the side and executes carries.
2. Interrupt Yasuo’s Knock-Up Combo
Why? Yasuo relies on a knock-up (Q tornado, allies’ CC, or R) to start his teamfight combos. If he doesn’t land it, his engage is much weaker.
How?
Use Pyke’s E (Phantom Undertow) to stun Yasuo as soon as he dashes forward.
Interrupt his knock-up follow-up—if Yasuo is about to ult a knocked-up teammate, use Q or E to CC him before he can react.
Abuse Yasuo’s cooldowns—if he just used his tornado (Q) or E dashes on minions, he’s more vulnerable.
Example Setup:

Yasuo dashes in with E → Lands Q tornado on your ADC → Pyke stuns him with E before he ults, saving the carry.
3. Target Yasuo’s Backline First
Why? Yasuo is weakest when his team is dead—his shield and sustain help him in 1v1s, but not when he’s isolated.
How?
Instead of focusing Yasuo immediately, Pyke should execute squishy carries (ADC/Mid) first so Yasuo is left alone.
Yasuo relies on teammates’ CC (e.g., Malphite, Alistar, Wukong) to set up his ultimate. If you pick them off first, he becomes much weaker.
Example Setup:

Pyke hides in fog of war → Hooks and executes the enemy ADC → Yasuo has no backline support and loses the fight.
4. Avoid Fighting Yasuo in Choke Points
Why? Yasuo excels in tight spaces (jungle, Baron/Dragon pit) where his Wind Wall blocks damage and his tornado can hit multiple enemies.
How?
Force fights in open areas where Yasuo can’t land multi-target knock-ups.
Engage when Yasuo is out of position, rather than letting him dash around minions or jungle monsters.
If Yasuo is fighting in the Baron/Dragon pit, flank from behind so his Wind Wall doesn’t block your team’s damage.
Example Setup:

Enemy team starts Dragon → Instead of fighting in the river choke, Pyke flanks from the jungle, ensuring a cleaner fight.
5. Clean Up Kills After Yasuo Ults
Why? Yasuo’s ultimate (R: Last Breath) locks him in animation for a short time, making him vulnerable afterward.
How?
Wait for Yasuo to ult before diving in—once he commits, he can’t easily reposition.
If Yasuo fails to kill his target after ulting, Pyke can quickly execute him with R.
If Yasuo ults multiple teammates, Pyke should clean up weakened enemies instead of diving Yasuo immediately.
Example Setup:

Yasuo ults two teammates → Pyke waits for the CC to end, then executes Yasuo while he’s recovering.
Final Teamfight Plan
Bait Wind Wall before engaging.
Interrupt Yasuo’s knock-ups before he can ult.
Assassinate his backline first, making him fight alone.
Avoid choke points where Yasuo thrives.
Engage after Yasuo ults and clean up weakened enemies.

Yone

Facing Yone as Pyke presents a unique set of challenges and opportunities. Both champions are melee and thrive on mobility and burst damage, making this matchup highly skill-dependent. Here's an in-depth analysis to help you navigate this encounter effectively.

summary (Click img. To Enlarge)

Laning Phase
Yone's Strengths:

Sustained Damage: Yone's abilities allow for consistent damage output, especially with his Q and E abilities.

Mobility: His E (Soul Unbound) grants him the ability to engage and disengage effectively.

Pyke's Strengths:

Burst Damage: Pyke can deliver significant burst damage, especially when Yone is isolated.

Crowd Control: With his Q (Bone Skewer) and E (Phantom Undertow), Pyke can disrupt Yone's combos.

Strategies:

Avoid Extended Trades: Yone excels in prolonged fights. Aim for short, decisive trades, utilizing your burst damage.

Dodge Key Abilities: Sidestep Yone's Q (Mortal Steel) to prevent knock-ups and mitigate his damage potential.

Punish Cooldowns: After Yone uses his E (Soul Unbound), there's a window to engage before he can reposition.

Mid to Late Game
Teamfighting:

Target Selection: Yone often dives into the backline. Use this opportunity to lock him down with your CC and burst him before he can retreat.

Vision Control: Establish vision to catch Yone during his split-pushing attempts, allowing for effective picks.

Itemization:

Defensive Options: Consider items that provide survivability to withstand Yone's burst potential.

Anti-Heal: If Yone builds lifesteal, applying Grievous Wounds can reduce his sustain in fights.

Counterplay Tips
For Pyke Against Yone:

Maintain Mobility: Keep moving to avoid Yone's skill shots and position yourself for optimal engages.

Vision Awareness: Use your W (Ghostwater Dive) to scout and avoid face-checking, reducing the risk of ambushes.

For Yone Against Pyke:

Respect Pyke's Burst: Avoid engaging when Pyke's abilities are off cooldown, as his burst can be lethal.

Utilize E Wisely: Use Soul Unbound to bait out Pyke's key abilities, then re-engage when they're on cooldown.

Remember, the Pyke vs. Yone matchup hinges on skill and decision-making. By understanding each champion's strengths and weaknesses, you can capitalize on opportunities and mitigate threats effectively.

Yorick

General Overview:
Yorick in the top lane is a powerful split-pusher with sustain and decent dueling power, especially when he can leverage his ghouls and Maiden of the Mist (his ultimate). As a support, Pyke thrives on creating picks and roaming to set up plays, often looking for a way to burst down isolated targets. Yorick, while not traditionally a support, can be challenging for Pyke due to his ability to create pressure with his ghouls and Maiden, particularly in extended fights.

summary (Click img. To Enlarge)

Laning Phase:
Pyke's Approach:

Burst Potential: Pyke excels at bursting down targets with Q (Bone Skewer) into E (Phantom Undertow) and R (Death from Below). However, Yorick’s ghouls and passive healing make it tough to finish him off quickly. Pyke will need to look for quick all-ins and avoid prolonged fights, as Yorick’s sustain through ghouls and passive will make him tanky in trades.
Disrupt Ghouls: Pyke can disrupt Yorick’s ghouls by using his Q (Bone Skewer) or E (Phantom Undertow) to poke and prevent Yorick from stacking them up effectively. This reduces his healing and damage output.
Avoid Extended Fights: In extended skirmishes, Yorick has a clear advantage due to his sustain and ghoul damage. Pyke should poke and disengage, engaging only when Yorick’s abilities are on cooldown, especially Q (Last Rites) and E (Mourning Mist).
Yorick's Approach:

Sustain & Pressure: Yorick can heal up with his passive, especially when his ghouls are active. As a support, Yorick’s poke can be annoying, but it’s important for him to focus on pushing the wave and using his ghouls to control the lane. Yorick can also try to poke with Q (Last Rites) and slow Pyke with E (Mourning Mist).
Maiden of the Mist: Yorick’s ultimate (Maiden of the Mist) becomes a major threat for Pyke if the fight extends. The Maiden can heal, tank, and deal damage, so Pyke must ensure the Maiden is dealt with quickly in any skirmish or fight.
Watch for Pyke's Roams: Yorick should be wary of Pyke’s roams, as Pyke will often leave lane to assist the ADC or set up kills in other parts of the map. If Yorick overextends without sufficient vision, he could be vulnerable to a roaming Pyke.
Mid Game:
In the mid-game, Pyke will be roaming and looking for picks, whereas Yorick will begin to scale more into his split-push potential. This is when Pyke should be very aware of Yorick’s presence in side lanes and work to shut him down before he can apply significant pressure.

Pyke's Approach:

Pick & Roam: Pyke should focus on roaming to other lanes and looking for picks on squishy targets, especially after level 6. He can use his mobility to avoid Yorick’s poke and pressure isolated targets in the jungle or other lanes.
Disrupting Yorick's Push: While Yorick might be pushing in side lanes, Pyke can rotate to these lanes to help catch him off-guard or force a fight on his terms. Pyke’s mobility can help him catch Yorick when he’s without his ghouls or Maiden.
Yorick's Approach:

Split-Push Pressure: By now, Yorick should be becoming a split-push threat in the side lanes with ghouls and Maiden of the Mist. He can also apply pressure in the bot lane with his E (Mourning Mist) to keep Pyke or the ADC under control.
Farm & Push: Yorick will focus on pushing waves, using ghouls to zone, and applying pressure on bot towers. It’s important for him to deny Pyke roams by keeping the lane pushed out, but also manage vision to avoid getting caught.
Late Game:
In the late game, Yorick can be a split-push nightmare with his Maiden and ghouls, while Pyke becomes a stronger teamfighter due to his ability to execute low-health targets and disrupt the backline.

Pyke's Approach:

Pick Off Targets: Pyke should still focus on picking off isolated targets or setting up kills with his R (Death from Below) in skirmishes. His ability to execute low-health targets is crucial in teamfights where Yorick is hard to kill without focus.
Disrupt Teamfights: Pyke excels in disrupting teamfights with his mobility and crowd control. When Yorick has his Maiden up, Pyke should look to engage with his Q and E to disrupt or take out the Maiden, which will significantly reduce Yorick’s teamfight pressure.
Yorick's Approach:

Split-Push Threat: In the late game, Yorick’s split-push becomes a major concern. He can apply pressure on side lanes, and Pyke needs to ensure that he isn’t left alone with Yorick while the rest of the team is focused on objectives.
Teamfight Presence: Yorick can be a tanky frontliner when his Maiden of the Mist is present. Yorick will focus on zoning or tanking for carries, but he is still vulnerable if Pyke can dive into the backline or disrupt the Maiden early in fights.
Counterplay Tips:
For Pyke Support:

Target Maiden: Maiden of the Mist is Yorick’s biggest threat. Pyke should immediately focus on taking out the Maiden as quickly as possible. His mobility and crowd control can help him accomplish this in teamfights.
Avoid Extended Trades: Yorick’s healing from his passive and ghouls make him hard to deal with in sustained trades. Pyke should look for quick burst combos instead of prolonged fights.
Use Roams to Set Up Kills: Pyke should roam to other lanes to create pressure and allow his team to engage while Yorick is busy split-pushing. Pyke’s mobility can help him set up picks in other lanes or the jungle.
Avoid Ghouls & Passive: Stay cautious when Yorick has his ghouls out, as they will significantly increase his damage and sustain. Always kite to avoid being overwhelmed.
For Yorick:

Control Ghouls: Yorick should stack ghouls and use them to poke and apply pressure in the lane. Keeping Pyke under control with E (Mourning Mist) can make it harder for him to engage.
Manage Maiden: Yorick should focus on keeping his Maiden alive, using it to tank damage and apply pressure in fights. If the Maiden is killed quickly, Yorick loses much of his teamfight value.
Split-Push & Pressure: Yorick should look to apply pressure in side lanes with Maiden while the rest of the team is engaged elsewhere. Pyke can’t always match him in a 1v1, and this allows Yorick to split-push efficiently.
Summary:
Pyke needs to use his mobility and pick potential to disrupt Yorick’s farming and prevent him from scaling into a split-push powerhouse. Pyke should avoid extended fights, disrupt Maiden, and roam to create pressure elsewhere.
Yorick will look to control the wave, poke Pyke out, and split-push with Maiden. Yorick needs to manage his ghouls and Maiden effectively to apply pressure without getting caught out by Pyke’s roaming.
This matchup is about Pyke’s mobility and burst versus Yorick’s sustained presence with ghouls and Maiden. Keep the fight fast-paced and isolated, and Pyke can outplay Yorick.

Yuumi

General Overview:
Yuumi is a unique support champion who attaches herself to an ally, providing healing, poke, and utility. She excels in the mid-to-late game as a sustaining support who can empower her ADC and provide strong healing with her W (You and Me!) and R (Final Chapter). Pyke, on the other hand, is a high-damage, roaming assassin who excels at creating picks and engaging in quick skirmishes, looking to burst down low-health targets with his R (Death from Below).

In this matchup, Pyke will aim to disrupt Yuumi’s healing and poke, while Yuumi will look to keep her ADC safe, poke from a distance, and provide sustain in fights.

summary (Click img. To Enlarge)

Laning Phase:
Pyke's Approach:

Poke & Burst: Pyke will look to engage quickly with his Q (Bone Skewer) into E (Phantom Undertow). Yuumi will be attached to her ADC, making her vulnerable to Pyke’s burst if she gets hit by his abilities.
Disrupt Yuumi's Healing: If Yuumi isn’t able to detach in time, Pyke can burst both her and her ADC. Pyke needs to take advantage of Yuumi’s immobility when she’s attached to someone and try to force her to either detach or be eliminated.
Avoid Prolonged Trades: Yuumi provides a lot of sustain through her heals, making extended trades difficult for Pyke. He should burst quickly and back off before Yuumi can heal up her ADC.
Yuumi's Approach:

Poke & Heal: Yuumi excels at poking with her Q (Prowling Projectile) and E (Zoomies), while also keeping the ADC sustained with her heals. She’ll want to stay attached to her ADC and poke Pyke while providing healing to prevent any burst attempts.
Play Safe & Position Well: Yuumi should avoid being hit by Pyke’s Q or E. Yuumi’s goal is to maintain distance while safely attaching to her ADC and keeping them topped off with heals.
Mid Game:
In the mid game, Pyke becomes an even more dangerous roaming assassin, while Yuumi will likely stay attached to her carry and focus on providing sustain and poke during skirmishes. Pyke will need to find opportunities to pick off isolated targets while avoiding prolonged fights where Yuumi’s healing will outlast him.

Pyke's Approach:

Roam & Set Up Kills: Pyke can roam to other lanes, looking for picks with his Q and R. In teamfights or skirmishes, he’ll focus on eliminating any squishy champions, especially Yuumi’s ADC, who can be vulnerable after Yuumi's healing is used up.
Engage When Yuumi Is Vulnerable: Yuumi is highly vulnerable when she’s not attached to an ally, as she has no real escape mechanism. Pyke can engage aggressively when Yuumi is detached or when her abilities are on cooldown.
Yuumi's Approach:

Attach & Stay Safe: Yuumi will continue to attach to her ADC or another ally who can take damage. She will focus on poking with Q and providing heals while keeping her ADC safe.
Disengage and Peel: If Pyke goes in to engage, Yuumi will use her E (Zoomies) to speed up her ADC and help disengage. She can also use her R (Final Chapter) to provide crowd control and keep Pyke at bay.
Late Game:
In the late game, Pyke will look to execute low-health targets in teamfights, while Yuumi’s ability to heal and protect her team will become more potent.

Pyke's Approach:

Focus on Squishies: In teamfights, Pyke will try to execute squishy targets with his R (Death from Below). He will be looking to catch Yuumi’s ADC or another low-health target that is detached from Yuumi.
Disrupt Yuumi’s Healing: Pyke should try to disrupt Yuumi’s positioning by catching her with his Q and eliminating her before she can heal her team. Her sustain can be a key issue for the team if she stays safe.
Yuumi's Approach:

Heal & Peel: Yuumi will focus on providing healing through W (You and Me!) and her ultimate in teamfights, trying to keep her allies healthy while they take damage. Yuumi also provides crowd control with her R (Final Chapter), which can help zone or catch Pyke out of position.
Stay Attached & Position Well: Yuumi should ensure that she stays attached to her ADC or tanks during fights to maximize healing and damage output. She needs to avoid being isolated or picked off by Pyke.
Counterplay Tips:
For Pyke Support:

Catch Yuumi Detached: Yuumi is most vulnerable when she’s not attached to a champion. Pyke should look for an opportunity to engage when she’s detached or when her abilities are on cooldown.
Disrupt Heals: Pyke can burst down targets, but he should quickly eliminate Yuumi’s ADC before her heals become a problem. If Yuumi is attached to an ally, Pyke should disrupt her positioning and aim to catch her out of position.
Avoid Extended Fights: Yuumi’s healing can outlast Pyke’s burst in extended trades. Pyke should focus on quick bursts and disengage rather than trying to sustain through a prolonged fight.
For Yuumi:

Position Carefully: Yuumi should always stay attached to her ADC or a tank during fights. She must position well to avoid Pyke’s Q and engage attempts.
Peel for ADC: Yuumi can use her R (Final Chapter) and E (Zoomies) to peel for her ADC if Pyke tries to engage. She should aim to stun Pyke or speed up her ADC to escape.
Avoid Isolation: If Yuumi detaches or gets caught out of position, she’s extremely vulnerable. She needs to always remain attached and never wander too far from her allies.
Summary:
Pyke needs to disrupt Yuumi’s healing and burst down targets quickly. His mobility and pick potential allow him to force engagements when Yuumi is vulnerable or detached.
Yuumi will aim to keep her ADC sustained and disrupt Pyke’s attempts to engage with heals and crowd control. Positioning and attachment are key for Yuumi to avoid getting picked off by Pyke.
This matchup is about Pyke’s ability to burst and roam, while Yuumi’s healing and poke sustain will be the backbone of her ADC’s survival. If Pyke can force Yuumi to disengage or catch her off-guard, he can outplay her in skirmishes and teamfights.

Zac

General Overview:
Zac is a tank support with strong engage and disruption potential. His abilities allow him to initiate fights with his Elastic Slingshot (E) and repositioning via his W (Let's Bounce!). Zac also has strong sustain through his passive (Cell Division), which makes him a difficult target to eliminate quickly. Pyke, on the other hand, is a high-damage assassin focused on roaming and picking off squishy enemies with his burst damage and mobility. This matchup is a battle between Zac's tankiness and crowd control vs Pyke’s pick potential and mobility.

summary (Click img. To Enlarge)

Laning Phase:
Pyke's Approach:

Engage with Mobility: Pyke can look for early engages using his Q (Bone Skewer) into E (Phantom Undertow). Zac has limited mobility and can be caught out if he’s positioned poorly.
Avoid Zac's CC: Pyke should be wary of Zac’s crowd control (especially E and W). Avoiding Zac’s Elastic Slingshot (E) is crucial to prevent being pulled into a disastrous engage.
Focus on Poke: While Zac can sustain with his passive, Pyke can poke with Q and auto-attacks to trade effectively.
Zac's Approach:

Use Engage Tools: Zac will look to initiate fights using his E (Elastic Slingshot) to disrupt Pyke’s positioning and set up engages with W (Let's Bounce!). He can quickly turn around a fight by diving into Pyke’s team.
Sustain in Lane: Zac will use his passive to stay healthy in lane and soak up some damage. He can tank Pyke’s trades and stay in lane longer.
Mid Game:
Pyke's Approach:

Roam & Pressure Other Lanes: Pyke thrives in the mid-game when he can roam to other lanes, looking for picks with his Q and R. He needs to set up picks on isolated targets, as Zac will be more difficult to burst down due to his tankiness.
Avoid Prolonged Fights: Zac’s tankiness and crowd control can turn extended trades against Pyke. Pyke should focus on quick burst damage rather than extended fights.
Zac's Approach:

Look for Engages: Zac will try to disrupt fights by jumping into the enemy team with his E and W. He’ll want to initiate skirmishes and soak up damage for his team while controlling the enemy’s positioning.
Provide Frontline Tanking: In the mid-game, Zac serves as a frontline tank, absorbing damage while keeping enemies locked down with his CC.
Late Game:
In the late game, Pyke continues to roam and focus on picking off squishy champions, while Zac becomes a tankier threat with his crowd control and tankiness.

Pyke's Approach:

Execute Squishies: Pyke should aim to eliminate squishy champions quickly using his R (Death from Below), especially after Zac engages. His mobility allows him to stay elusive while looking for execution opportunities.
Focus on Isolation: Pyke will try to catch enemies out of position and burst them down with his abilities. His roams and quick engages will be crucial in setting up plays for his team.
Zac's Approach:

Engage & Disrupt: Zac will act as a disruptor, looking for an opportunity to jump into enemy backlines with E and W. He’ll focus on slowing down Pyke’s momentum with crowd control and tanking for his team.
Tanking for the Team: As a frontline tank, Zac will aim to absorb damage and use his passive to come back into the fight after being taken low.
Counterplay Tips:
For Pyke Support:

Avoid Zac's Engage: Zac’s E (Elastic Slingshot) can easily disrupt Pyke’s positioning. Pyke needs to avoid Zac’s engages and wait for him to miss his E before trying to engage.
Catch Zac when Disengaged: If Zac is isolated or caught out of position, Pyke should look to burst him down quickly. Once Zac uses his E and W, he’s less of a threat to Pyke’s mobility.
Disrupt Zac’s Teamfights: In teamfights, Pyke should focus on disrupting Zac’s frontline presence by picking off squishy targets or trying to eliminate him before he can dive into the enemy team.
For Zac:

Look for Engages in Skirmishes: Zac should use his E to initiate skirmishes and teamfights. Getting Pyke into a fight with his team will reduce his chances of escaping or picking off targets.
Peel for Allies: Zac can act as a disruptor by using his crowd control to keep Pyke from executing his targets. Zac’s W can also be used to push enemies back and stop Pyke from picking off his team.
Tank for ADC: In the laning phase, Zac can soak up Pyke’s poke and prevent him from getting kills on the ADC. He can absorb Pyke’s burst and keep his ADC alive.
Summary:
Pyke should focus on quick bursts and roaming to create picks, while avoiding prolonged trades with Zac. His mobility allows him to dodge Zac's engages and look for isolated targets to execute.
Zac excels as a disruptive tank, using his crowd control to initiate teamfights and tank damage for his team. He should look to absorb Pyke’s burst and peel for his carries in fights.
This matchup comes down to Pyke's ability to pick off targets and Zac’s crowd control and tankiness in teamfights. Pyke needs to avoid extended fights and disrupt Zac's engages, while Zac should focus on setting up teamfights and controlling Pyke’s mobility.

Zed

General Overview:
Zed is a high-mobility assassin that excels at picking off squishy targets with his burst damage. His ultimate (Death Mark) allows him to execute enemies quickly, while his shuriken-based abilities give him long-range poke and strong burst potential. Pyke, as another assassin, shares similar goals with Zed, but with a focus on roaming, quick engages, and burst damage through his Q (Bone Skewer) and R (Death from Below).

summary (Click img. To Enlarge)

In this matchup, the fight revolves around who can outplay the other’s abilities and escape danger. Zed thrives in isolating and bursting enemies, while Pyke looks for opportunities to pick off vulnerable enemies and execute them with his R.

Laning Phase:
Pyke's Approach:

Engage Early: Pyke should look to engage early and poke with his Q (Bone Skewer) and auto-attacks. He can trade effectively with Zed as long as Zed's cooldowns are down.
Avoid Zed’s Poke: Zed will try to poke with his Q (Razor Shuriken) and follow up with E (Shadow Slash), so Pyke needs to dodge those skill shots and play carefully.
Watch for Zed’s All-ins: Zed’s all-in potential is high when he hits level 6, so Pyke should play defensively or look for trades when Zed has used his abilities.
Zed's Approach:

Look for Poke and Burst: Zed will use his Q and E to poke Pyke and apply pressure in lane. Zed’s goal is to wear down Pyke’s health and threaten all-ins after he hits level 6.
Play Safe Until Level 6: Early on, Zed is fairly weak in terms of sustain, so he needs to avoid getting caught by Pyke's engages. He should focus on farming and poking safely until he gains access to his ultimate.
Mid Game:
Pyke's Approach:

Roam for Picks: Pyke is most effective in the mid-game when he can roam to other lanes and look for picks using his mobility. His Q allows him to disengage quickly or engage on vulnerable targets.
Keep Zed in Check: Zed’s all-ins become deadly in this phase, especially when he has his R (Death Mark) available. Pyke should try to catch Zed out before he can land a full combo and execute him with his R.
Zed's Approach:

All-in Potential: Zed will look for 1v1s, especially if he has jungler assistance. He will use his R (Death Mark) to burst down squishy targets like Pyke and try to escape using his shadows.
Pressure and Roam: Zed can also look for roams and try to pressure other lanes with his mobility and burst damage. If Zed gets ahead, he will be a threat in all phases of the game.
Late Game:
Pyke's Approach:

Pick Off Squishies: In the late game, Pyke should look for isolated squishy targets to burst down with his R (Death from Below). Zed’s ultimate can be devastating, so Pyke will want to stay mobile and avoid getting hit by Zed’s R.
Stay Mobile & Avoid Zed’s Combo: If Zed uses his R on Pyke, it can be very dangerous if he’s not at full health. Pyke needs to keep his distance from Zed while looking for opportunities to execute squishier targets.
Zed's Approach:

Focus on High-Value Targets: Zed will focus on using his R on squishy backline targets, especially Pyke if he’s vulnerable. Zed can be very dangerous if allowed to freely roam and look for 1v1s.
Execute in Teamfights: Zed’s effectiveness in teamfights comes from his ability to burst down a single target. He will isolate Pyke or another squishy champion, using his shadows and R to execute them.
Counterplay Tips:
For Pyke Support:

Avoid Zed’s Shadow Combo: Zed relies on his E (Shadow Slash) followed by Q for poke and all-ins. Pyke needs to avoid the E-Q combo and wait for Zed’s cooldowns to use his mobility to engage.
Dodge Zed’s R (Death Mark): When Zed hits level 6, Pyke should be careful of the Death Mark. Try to disengage or hide if he’s targeted by Zed’s ultimate.
Punish Zed’s Mistakes: If Zed misses his R, Q, or E, Pyke can capitalize on that mistake with a quick engage and burst. Zed’s mobility is limited after he uses his abilities.
For Zed:

Look for the All-in at Level 6: Zed should focus on all-inning Pyke once he gets his ultimate. Use Zed's R (Death Mark) to burst Pyke and use Zed’s mobility to escape or reposition afterward.
Keep Pyke at Bay: Zed should try to poke Pyke with his Q and E while avoiding his engages. Playing safe early is important until he can start bursting down Pyke with R.
Watch Out for Pyke’s Roams: Zed may be able to roam to other lanes, but he should still keep an eye on Pyke’s roaming and attempt to pick him off if he’s vulnerable.
Summary:
Pyke should focus on mobility and quick burst trades in the early to mid-game. He’ll want to roam and create picks while avoiding Zed’s all-ins with his R.
Zed has the upper hand in 1v1 all-ins, especially after level 6. He will look for opportunities to execute squishy targets and burst down Pyke using his R.

Zeri

General Overview:
Zeri is a high-mobility AD carry that thrives on kite and positioning. With her Q (Burst Fire), she can dish out rapid damage while constantly moving thanks to her passive (Living Battery). Her ultimate (Lightning Crash) grants her a huge speed boost and damage increase, making her a dangerous champion when she’s allowed to freely attack from a distance. Pyke, as an assassin support, excels at picking off squishy targets and bursting them with his Q and R.

In this matchup, Pyke will need to close the gap quickly and catch Zeri before she can kite him, while Zeri will look to maintain her distance and poke Pyke down with her mobility and sustained damage.

summary (Click img. To Enlarge)

Laning Phase:
Pyke's Approach:

Engage Early: Pyke wants to engage early in lane using his Q (Bone Skewer) to pull Zeri in for a quick burst of damage. Since Zeri doesn’t have strong engage tools, she’s relatively weak early on and can be caught out by Pyke’s all-ins.
Pressure Zeri with Mobility: Zeri’s kite potential is strong, so Pyke must make sure to close the gap quickly. Pyke can also zone her off with his Q or auto-attacks to force her into bad positioning.
Be Careful of Zeri's Harass: Zeri can be a strong poke champion, so Pyke has to be cautious of her Q (Burst Fire) from a distance. If Pyke is hit by multiple shots, he’ll be forced to back off or sustain through his health potions.
Zeri's Approach:

Poke and Kite: Zeri’s main strength in lane is her ability to poke and kite. She can use her Q to poke Pyke from a distance, and her passive allows her to move rapidly while attacking. Zeri should look to harass Pyke and trade with him while maintaining her distance.
Be Careful of Pyke's Engage: Zeri needs to be aware of Pyke’s all-in potential. If she positions too aggressively, she can easily be caught by Pyke’s Q and E combo. Staying at the right range will be critical for Zeri’s safety.
Mid Game:
Pyke's Approach:

Roam and Look for Picks: Pyke shines in the mid-game when he can roam to other lanes, looking for picks with his Q (Bone Skewer) and R (Death from Below). Zeri is a high priority target for Pyke, especially if she’s caught out of position without her mobility tools.
Look for Set-Ups: Pyke can look to zone Zeri and disrupt her attack patterns by using his E (Phantom Undertow) to displace her or applying burst damage after a successful engage.
Zeri's Approach:

Keep Distance in Teamfights: Zeri's mobility is key in teamfights, and she should focus on using her speed and Q (Burst Fire) to poke from a safe distance. If Zeri gets too close, she risks getting engaged on by Pyke, who will try to pick her off with his R (Death from Below).
Use Ultimate for Teamfights: Zeri's R (Lightning Crash) gives her a huge power spike, so she should look to activate it at the right moment in teamfights to disrupt the enemy’s positioning and deal high damage.
Late Game:
Pyke's Approach:

Execute Squishies: Pyke is extremely dangerous in the late game, especially if he can catch out Zeri. His R (Death from Below) allows him to execute squishy targets, and Zeri, as an AD carry, is often very vulnerable if caught out.
Keep Zeri in Check: Zeri's mobility and sustained damage make her a potent threat in the late game. Pyke needs to use his mobility and roams to find picks on her or other squishy targets, but he should avoid being caught by Zeri’s ultimate or poke.
Zeri's Approach:

Kite and Poke: Zeri continues to be a high-damage carry in the late game, with the ability to kite and poke from afar. Her R (Lightning Crash) gives her great damage potential, especially if she can deal sustained damage in the mid-to-late teamfights.
Position Carefully: Zeri’s positioning will be crucial in the late game. If she can avoid being caught by Pyke, she can continue to deal damage and be a threat in the late game.
Counterplay Tips:
For Pyke Support:

Close the Gap Quickly: Pyke must make sure to close the gap on Zeri quickly to prevent her from using her mobility and kiting to disengage. Using Q (Bone Skewer) effectively will be key in catching her and setting up engages.
Avoid Zeri’s Poke: Zeri has strong poke with her Q, so Pyke should try to dodge her attacks by staying mobile and not committing to trades where he takes too much poke damage.
Watch for Zeri’s Ultimate: Zeri’s ultimate can empower her mobility and damage, making her dangerous in teamfights. Pyke should be cautious of Zeri’s speed boost and focus on isolating her when she’s vulnerable.
For Zeri:

Keep Your Distance: Zeri’s main strength is her mobility and poke. Zeri should focus on kiting and poke from a distance with Q while using her speed to avoid getting caught by Pyke’s Q.
Be Careful of Pyke’s All-in: Zeri must respect Pyke’s all-in potential, especially with his Q (Bone Skewer) and R (Death from Below). Stay near your support and keep watching for Pyke’s engages.
Use Ultimate Wisely: Zeri’s ultimate can be a game-changer in teamfights, so use it to dodge and move through enemies or to increase damage during critical moments. Don’t waste it when you're about to be engaged on by Pyke.
Summary:
Pyke wants to engage early, close the gap quickly, and pick off Zeri when she’s out of position. His burst damage can eliminate her before she can kite him away.
Zeri will focus on kiting and poke from a distance, using her mobility to avoid Pyke's engages and deal sustained damage. She’s especially dangerous when she’s allowed to scale and use her ultimate in teamfights.

Ziggs

General Overview:
Ziggs is a poke-heavy mage that excels at bombarding the enemy with long-range poke using his Q (Bouncing Bomb) and W (Satchel Charge). His E (Hexplosive Minefield) is a great zoning tool, and his R (Mega Inferno Bomb) provides a massive global nuke that can chunk enemies in fights. Pyke, as an assassin support, thrives on picking off squishy targets and bursting them with his Q and R. The key in this matchup is Pyke needing to get past Ziggs’ poke and range advantage to close the gap and make an impact.

summary (Click img. To Enlarge)

Laning Phase:
Pyke's Approach:

Close the Gap Quickly: Pyke wants to use his mobility to get in range of Ziggs, who is relatively vulnerable to close-range burst. Avoiding Ziggs’ poke is key, and Pyke can use his Q (Bone Skewer) to catch Ziggs off-guard when he overextends or is positioned too far forward.
Watch Out for Zoning: Ziggs has strong zoning tools with his E (Hexplosive Minefield), which can interrupt Pyke’s approach. Pyke will need to avoid mines and dodge Ziggs’ skillshots in order to get in range for an all-in engage.
Avoid Poke: Ziggs will try to poke Pyke with his Q (Bouncing Bomb) and use his W (Satchel Charge) to escape or disrupt Pyke’s engage attempts. Pyke needs to be patient and dodge the poke, and only engage when Ziggs’ cooldowns are used up.
Ziggs' Approach:

Poke and Zone: Ziggs’ main strength in the early game is his long-range poke. He should focus on using his Q to poke Pyke from a distance and try to keep him from engaging. Ziggs’ E can also be used to zone Pyke and make it hard for him to get in range.
Utilize W for Escape: If Pyke manages to get in range for a hook, Ziggs can use his W to escape and reposition. Ziggs will look to kite and poke with his abilities, especially after a successful disengage with W.
Use Mines to Block Pathways: Ziggs’ E (Hexplosive Minefield) is a strong zoning tool to keep Pyke from engaging. Ziggs should use the mines strategically to block Pyke’s movements and prevent him from getting close enough to engage.
Mid Game:
Pyke's Approach:

Roam and Look for Picks: In the mid-game, Pyke should look to roam and create picks in other lanes, especially with his R (Death from Below). If Ziggs is left isolated, Pyke can quickly take advantage of his low mobility and burst him down.
Look for Gank Opportunities: Pyke should look for gank opportunities in the bot lane while making sure to avoid Ziggs’ poke. He’ll need to coordinate with his jungler to engage from multiple angles while keeping Ziggs from escaping or poking from range.
Disrupt Ziggs’ Positioning: Pyke can disrupt Ziggs’ positioning by using his E (Phantom Undertow) and R (Death from Below) to make him vulnerable to a full burst.
Ziggs' Approach:

Safe Poke and Positioning: Ziggs needs to keep his distance from Pyke and poke with his Q and E while dodging Pyke’s engages. Ziggs should play safely and not overextend, using his W (Satchel Charge) to escape if needed.
Use Ultimate in Teamfights: In the mid-game, Ziggs’s R (Mega Inferno Bomb) becomes a significant tool in teamfights. He should look for opportunities to land a global nuke on low-health enemies, but should be mindful of Pyke’s potential to engage.
Late Game:
Pyke's Approach:

Engage on Squishies: In the late game, Pyke wants to catch out squishies like Ziggs, who is vulnerable to Pyke’s burst. If Ziggs is isolated, Pyke can look to quickly burst him down with Q and R.
Use Mobility for Picks: Pyke should focus on using his mobility to engage Ziggs when his cooldowns are down. Ziggs will try to poke and keep distance, so Pyke needs to use roams or disruptive plays to catch him off-guard.
Ziggs' Approach:

Kite and Poke: In the late game, Ziggs continues to use his poke and area control to deal sustained damage. Ziggs’ goal is to kite and poke while avoiding Pyke’s all-ins.
Use Ultimate Wisely: Ziggs’ R (Mega Inferno Bomb) becomes a critical tool in teamfights for chunking the enemy team. He should look for opportunities to land a well-placed ultimate while Pyke is either dead or on cooldown.
Counterplay Tips:
For Pyke Support:

Close the Gap Quickly: Pyke must use his mobility to close the distance and catch Ziggs before he can poke from range. Avoid standing in areas where Ziggs’ mines can trap you and disrupt your engages.
Be Patient with Engage: Wait for Ziggs’ abilities to go on cooldown before engaging. If Ziggs uses his W (Satchel Charge) to escape, don’t commit to an engage right away; wait for the next opportunity.
Avoid Mines: Ziggs can use his E (Hexplosive Minefield) to block paths and slow you down. Pyke should be cautious of where he steps, as Ziggs’ mines can be used to prevent engages.
For Ziggs:

Maintain Distance: Ziggs should maintain distance and use his poke to keep Pyke from engaging. Be mindful of Pyke’s engage range and don’t overextend.
Watch for Pyke's All-ins: Ziggs should use his W (Satchel Charge) to escape if Pyke tries to engage, and keep his distance when Pyke’s cooldowns are ready.
Avoid Isolation: Ziggs is vulnerable to Pyke’s picks, so avoid overextending and getting caught alone in the lane.
Summary:
Pyke wants to close the gap quickly and burst Ziggs before he can poke him down from a distance. He needs to avoid Ziggs’ mines and poke while waiting for an opportunity to engage.
Ziggs needs to poke, kite, and disengage when Pyke tries to engage. He should use his mobility to outmaneuver Pyke and position himself safely in teamfights to land his damage.

Zilean

General Overview:
Zilean is a utility mage support known for his ability to revive allies with his R (Chronoshift) and provide crowd control through his Q (Time Bomb) and E (Rewind). Pyke, as an assassin support, thrives on bursting squishy targets and executing them with his R (Death from Below). The matchup can be tricky for Pyke, as Zilean’s ability to revive allies can nullify his execute potential, and Zilean’s bombs can interrupt Pyke's engages. The key to this matchup is for Pyke to engage quickly and decisively, while Zilean tries to control the pace of the fight and revive allies when needed.

summary (Click img. To Enlarge)

Laning Phase:
Pyke's Approach:

Engage Quickly: Pyke wants to take advantage of Zilean’s low mobility and burst him down before he can react with his E or R. Pyke should focus on engaging early and bursting the squishy Zilean before he can use his revive or slowing abilities.
Avoid Zilean’s Bombs: Zilean’s Q has a large area of effect and long cooldown, so Pyke needs to avoid being hit by the bombs. Zilean’s E (Rewind) can reduce cooldowns, so be mindful of Zilean’s potential to spam Q and slow you down when you engage.
Beware of Time Bombs: If Pyke tries to engage while a bomb is active, Zilean can interrupt with a stun, leaving Pyke vulnerable. Pyke should wait until Zilean’s bomb is out of position before committing to an engage.
Zilean's Approach:

Poke and Zone: Zilean should focus on poking Pyke with his Q and keeping his distance with E to slow him down. He will want to zone Pyke from engaging and harass him during trades.
Keep Allies Safe: Zilean will aim to keep his ADC safe with his E (Rewind) for slowing down any engage attempts and R (Chronoshift) to revive allies if Pyke tries to execute them.
Use R (Chronoshift) Wisely: Zilean should keep his R in reserve, only using it when he anticipates an all-in attempt from Pyke or when he has hit a key target with Pyke’s burst. Timing the revive properly is crucial for denying Pyke’s kills.
Mid Game:
Pyke's Approach:

Roam and Look for Picks: In the mid-game, Pyke should be roaming and looking for picks in other lanes. Zilean is not as effective at preventing roams, and Pyke can create opportunities for his team by catching out isolated enemies.
Focus on Isolated Targets: If Zilean and his ADC are in lane together, Pyke will want to focus on other targets who are more vulnerable or overextended, as Zilean’s R can make Zilean or his ADC harder to kill.
Zilean's Approach:

Maximize Poke and Utility: Zilean should continue to poke with Q and zone with E. In mid-game fights, Zilean should look to use his ult to prevent executions and protect teammates from Pyke’s burst.
Protect Allies in Teamfights: Zilean’s R will be critical in keeping high-priority targets alive and denying Pyke’s kills. Zilean should time his R carefully to prevent Pyke from executing someone during the fight.
Late Game:
Pyke's Approach:

Look for Squishy Targets: In the late game, Pyke will need to look for squishy targets to engage on. Zilean’s R can deny Pyke’s R, so Pyke must try to bait out Zilean’s ultimate before going for a kill attempt.
Engage with Precision: Pyke should look for a key opportunity to engage once Zilean’s ultimate is on cooldown. Pyke should wait for Zilean’s cooldowns before committing, as Pyke can get punished if he fails to execute or gets revived by Zilean’s ult.
Zilean's Approach:

Global Impact: Zilean’s ultimate is a game-changing tool, especially in teamfights. He will want to revive his team’s carries during crucial moments and prevent Pyke’s execution attempts. His E will also help slow down enemies trying to escape or chasing.
Control Teamfights: Zilean needs to control the pace of the fight with his Q and E, using his R to protect teammates from Pyke’s execution or burst damage.
Counterplay Tips:
For Pyke Support:

Dodge Zilean's Poke: Avoid Zilean’s Q (Time Bomb), as it’s easy to poke from range and sets up Zilean’s E for a slow. If you’re hit by a bomb, it can make it hard to engage or escape.
Watch for Chronoshift: Pyke’s R can be nullified by Zilean’s R. Be mindful of Zilean’s cooldowns and try to bait his ultimate out before committing to an engage or kill attempt.
Engage with Timing: Time your engages carefully after Zilean has already used his Q or E. Don’t rush the engagement if Zilean still has his R up.
For Zilean:

Avoid Overextending: Zilean is vulnerable to Pyke’s burst if he overextends. Make sure to position well behind your ADC, especially if you’re not at full health.
Use E (Rewind) Smartly: Zilean’s E can be used to slow Pyke or disrupt his engages. Use it when Pyke tries to approach to prevent him from engaging or dodging.
Time R Carefully: Zilean’s R needs to be used intelligently. Use it when Pyke tries to execute your ADC or when a key target is in danger of being burst down.
Summary:
Pyke wants to close the gap quickly and burst down Zilean, but must be wary of Zilean’s crowd control and revive potential.
Zilean focuses on controlling the pace of the fight, zoning Pyke with Q and E, and using his R (Chronoshift) to revive key targets and deny Pyke’s executes.

Zoe

Zoe is a poke mage who excels at long-range burst and disruption. She can create sleep bubbles with her Paddle Star (Q) and portal with her W (Spell Thief), which allows her to pick up summoner spells and items to use as her own. Pyke, on the other hand, is a roaming assassin support who specializes in high burst damage, flanking, and executing low-health enemies with his R (Death from Below). This matchup is tricky for Pyke because Zoe's range and poke can keep Pyke at bay, and her sleep bubble can disable Pyke’s engage if he’s caught by it.

summary (Click img. To Enlarge)

Laning Phase:
Pyke's Approach:

Avoid Zoe’s Poke: Zoe’s Paddle Star (Q) can hit hard from a distance, and her Sleepy Trouble Bubble (E) can disable Pyke if he’s hit. Pyke needs to stay mobile and avoid her abilities, especially her E, which can set up an easy follow-up Q.
Look for All-in Opportunities: Pyke thrives when he can catch opponents off guard and burst them down. If Zoe is too aggressive or mispositions, Pyke can dodge her abilities and engage with his Q (Bone Skewer) to stun and burst her down quickly.
Avoid Extended Trades: Zoe excels at long-range poke. Pyke should avoid extended trades where she can hit him with multiple Qs and use her E to sleep him. If Pyke can land a hook and follow up with his combo, he might be able to get an early kill or force Zoe out of lane.
Zoe's Approach:

Poke and Zone: Zoe will look to poke Pyke with her Q from a safe distance. Zoe can also use her E (Sleepy Trouble Bubble) to zone Pyke or catch him out of position. The main goal for Zoe is to keep Pyke at range and make it difficult for him to engage or roam.
Use W to Escape or Disrupt: Zoe’s W allows her to reposition quickly, making it difficult for Pyke to catch her after using his Q or E. If Pyke tries to engage, Zoe can use her W to escape or reset her position.
Secure Extra Damage with Pickups: Zoe can pick up summoner spells and items from minions or enemy champions. Pyke needs to be careful about Zoe picking up a Flash or Exhaust, which could help her disengage or survive if engaged upon.
Mid Game:
Pyke's Approach:

Roam and Look for Picks: Pyke is strongest when he roams and looks for kills in other lanes. Zoe’s low mobility means Pyke can take advantage of this by roaming to other lanes to find picks.
Use Aggressive Engage When Zoe Misses Skills: Pyke should be looking for an opportunity to engage when Zoe misses her E or Q. If Zoe has no cooldowns left, Pyke can look for a kill opportunity with his Q and R.
Avoid Getting Sniped: Zoe’s Q can deal significant damage from afar, so Pyke needs to time his roams carefully and avoid being caught in the open. Zoe can snipe him from a distance if she has a clear shot.
Zoe's Approach:

Use E to Set Up Picks: Zoe can continue to poke and zone with her Q and E, aiming to land her sleep bubble on Pyke to disable his mobility and set up for a follow-up Q. She will want to zone Pyke from engaging on her team.
Poke with R (Portal Jump): Zoe’s R allows her to teleport to a new location, enabling her to snipe low-health champions or reposition to avoid being caught by Pyke’s engage.
Catch Isolated Targets: Zoe can use her W to reposition and catch any isolated champions who have been caught out by Pyke’s roams.
Late Game:
Pyke's Approach:

Look for Picks: In the late game, Pyke needs to focus on catching squishy targets or isolated champions. Zoe will be vulnerable if she overextends or is separated from her team.
Avoid Sleeping: Pyke has to be cautious of getting caught by Zoe’s E (Sleepy Trouble Bubble), which can make him an easy target for her follow-up damage. Timing his engages when Zoe’s cooldowns are down is essential.
Leverage Mobility and Death From Below: Pyke’s R can be game-changing in the late game. If Zoe is low, Pyke can go for a quick engage and try to execute her before she can react with her R or other tools.
Zoe's Approach:

Keep Pokey and Safe: Zoe will continue to poke from a distance, looking to snipe enemies and sleep targets to create opportunities for her team. Her R (Portal Jump) is especially useful in late-game teamfights to get in and out of position quickly.
Use R to Snipe or Escape: Zoe’s R will be crucial for both surviving and contributing to fights. Zoe can use her R to reposition, avoid Pyke’s engage, or snipe low-health champions from afar.
Counterplay Tips:
For Pyke Support:

Dodge Zoe’s Sleepy Trouble Bubble (E): Zoe’s E can disable Pyke long enough for her to burst him down with her Q. If you can dodge Zoe’s E, she becomes far less dangerous.
Close the Gap Quickly: If Zoe mispositions or doesn’t have her E or W up, look to close the gap quickly and burst her down with your Q (Bone Skewer), E (Phantom Undertow), and R (Death from Below).
Watch Out for Zoe’s Passive (More Sparkles): Zoe can deal significant damage from auto-attacks and spells. Be careful when engaging, as she might have her Passive procced for extra damage.
For Zoe:

Don’t Overextend: Zoe is vulnerable when she overextends and doesn’t have her W or E up for disengage. Pyke can easily punish these mistakes.
Use Sleepy Trouble Bubble to Zone: Use E to disrupt Pyke’s engage and prevent him from getting onto you. Time it carefully to avoid Pyke catching you with his hook.
Play Safe When Pyke Is Roaming: If Pyke roams to another lane, Zoe should position herself carefully and avoid being caught by his engage.
Summary:
Pyke aims to quickly engage on Zoe to burst her down before she can use her sleep bubble or escape tools.
Zoe looks to poke from a distance, zone with sleep bubbles, and use her ultimate to escape or snipe low-health champions.
Timing and positioning are key for both champions in this matchup, with Pyke needing to dodge Zoe’s poke and Zoe needing to avoid being caught by Pyke’s all-ins.

Zyra

General Overview:
Zyra is a poke mage support who excels at zoning, sustained damage, and crowd control through her plant-based abilities. She can place seeds that grow into thorns when enemies are nearby, deal heavy poke damage with Q (Grasping Roots), and snare with her E (Rampant Growth). Pyke, on the other hand, is a roaming assassin support who thrives on catching squishy targets with his Q (Bone Skewer), stunning and executing them with R (Death from Below). This matchup is tricky for Pyke because Zyra's plants can zone him out, and her crowd control can significantly disrupt his engages.

summary (Click img. To Enlarge)

Laning Phase:
Pyke's Approach:

Dodge Zyra's Skillshots: Zyra's Q (Grasping Roots) is a long-range snare that can easily catch Pyke if he mispositions. Pyke needs to dodge her Q with his E (Phantom Undertow) and look to close the gap quickly before she can use her E (Rampant Growth) to root him.
Look for All-ins After Zyra Misses Abilities: If Zyra misses her Q and E, Pyke can look for a quick engage with his Q to stun her and follow up with E and R to burst her down.
Avoid Her Plants: Zyra's plants can deal significant damage and zone Pyke during trades or when trying to engage. Pyke should keep moving to avoid getting caught in the zone created by her plants.
Roam Carefully: While Zyra is weak to roams due to her lack of mobility, she can still poke Pyke heavily if he’s trying to walk through lane. If Pyke is looking to roam, he should avoid stepping into Zyra’s lane where her plants could zone him.
Zyra's Approach:

Poke and Zone with Plants: Zyra should look to poke Pyke with her Q and plants. Her plants deal a lot of damage over time, especially when placed near Pyke. She can zone him from approaching too closely and force him to play defensively.
Rooting and Snaring Pyke: Zyra’s E (Rampant Growth) can easily root Pyke if he gets caught while trying to engage. This root prevents Pyke from using his mobility and sets him up for follow-up damage.
Punish Roams with Plants: If Pyke roams, Zyra can use her plants and Q to poke him from afar or even set up a kill potential if he overextends.
Mid Game:
Pyke's Approach:

Pick Off Isolated Champions: In the mid-game, Pyke thrives when he can roam and pick off squishy champions in side lanes. He should continue to avoid Zyra’s poke and plants while looking for opportunities to dive onto backline squishies or catch Zyra out of position.
Wait for Zyra’s Cooldowns: Zyra relies heavily on her Q and E to control space and punish Pyke. Pyke should wait for these abilities to be used before engaging, as Zyra can easily turn the tide of a fight with her crowd control if they’re available.
Leverage Pyke’s Mobility: Pyke’s mobility and roaming ability can help him get past Zyra’s zone and catch isolated targets, especially if she has no summoner spells available for escape.
Zyra's Approach:

Control Zones and Keep Pyke at Bay: Zyra should continue to poke Pyke with her Q and plants while using her E to root him if he tries to engage. She can also use her R (Stranglethorns) in teamfights to disrupt Pyke’s engage and make it harder for him to execute his targets.
Use Plants to Scout Pyke's Movements: Zyra’s plants can help track Pyke’s movement, especially if he’s trying to roam or catch someone out of position. The plants can poke or slow him down when trying to move around the map.
Late Game:
Pyke's Approach:

Execute Low Health Targets: In the late game, Pyke should look for opportunities to execute low-health champions with his R. Zyra can be very vulnerable if she’s isolated and **doesn't have her abilities ready to disengage.
Engage Carefully in Teamfights: In teamfights, Pyke should focus on engaging when Zyra’s abilities are on cooldown and when she’s out of position. Zyra’s R (Stranglethorns) can knock up and disrupt any engagement attempt, so Pyke should use his mobility to avoid it.
Zyra's Approach:

Keep Pyke at a Distance with Poke and Plants: In the late game, Zyra’s poke becomes even more dangerous, and Pyke has to be extremely careful about being caught by her Q and E, as it could result in a root and follow-up damage.
Disrupt Pyke's Engage: Zyra can use her R (Stranglethorns) to knock up and disrupt Pyke’s engage, especially when he’s trying to catch key targets. Zyra should also focus on using her plant zones to control space and keep Pyke from diving her backline.
Counterplay Tips:
For Pyke Support:

Dodge Zyra’s Poke: Zyra’s Q and plants can deal significant poke damage. Pyke should dodge these abilities using his mobility and E (Phantom Undertow).
Avoid Overcommitting in the Early Game: Zyra can be very punishing in the early laning phase with her poke and roots. Pyke should be careful and wait for her to miss her abilities before going for an all-in.
Wait for Zyra’s Cooldowns: In mid-game, Pyke can capitalize on Zyra missing her Q or E to go in for an engage. Zyra has a high skill floor, so if her crowd control is down, she’s more vulnerable.
For Zyra:

Zone Pyke with Plants: Zyra should focus on creating zones with her plants to prevent Pyke from getting close. Pyke struggles when he has to engage through Zyra's plant damage.
Punish Pyke's Engages with Roots: Zyra should be quick to use her E (Rampant Growth) to root Pyke if he tries to engage. This is especially dangerous since Pyke relies on his mobility and burst damage to survive.
Play Safe If Pyke Roams: Zyra can still poke from a distance while Pyke roams, but she should be cautious of his roams and position herself near her ADC to avoid being caught by Pyke’s engage.
Summary:
Pyke has to be careful of Zyra's poke and crowd control, but can burst her down when she misses her abilities. Pyke thrives when he can dodge Zyra’s Q and E, engage quickly, and execute with his R.
Zyra will try to poke Pyke from afar using her Q and plants, zone him out of lane, and root him if he tries to engage. Zyra needs to be careful not to overextend or let Pyke roam freely to catch her off guard.

Conclusion

This guide contains everything you need to know about Pyke Support to start dominating the Rift. I've poured all my knowledge into this guide for free and if you want to support me and what I do, please consider upvoting this guide, sharing it, and subscribing to my Youtube Channel. Everything in this guide can be applied to all of your Pyke games, regardless of elo. All runes, items, spells, tips, and instructions are backed by many games played in all elo ranges from piss to apex. Some general game macro and champion matchups were generated with AI to save me alot of time. However, they're extremely accurate and I will eventually go over them all and add more of my inputs into thise specific AI generated chapters.

I'll be taking a break from grinding League, so everything in this guide won't be completely up to date. However, Pyke's fundamentals and game macro will most likely stay the same and will unlikely be affected due to minor game changes. I'm open to any feedbacks/suggestiond and hopefully you learned a thing or two from my guide!

Table of Content

Author & Pyke Introduction
Introduction | Thoughts on Pyke In Each Role | Pyke Noob?

Useful Pyke Links

Pyke The Blood Hardbor Ripper | Pyke's Biography | Pyke's Story | Pyke's Wiki

League of Legends Terms & Vocabulary

League of Legends (LoL) is a game with its own set of terminology that can sometimes be overwhelming, especially for new players. To help you get a better understanding of the game’s vocabulary, this guide will break down the most commonly used terms in League of Legends. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to brush up on your knowledge, these terms will help you communicate more effectively with your teammates and understand the game better.

1. Basic Gameplay Terminology

1.1 Champion
Definition: The character you control in the game, each with unique abilities, strengths, and weaknesses. Examples include Ahri, Yasuo, or Garen.

1.2 Lane
Definition: A designated path where minions spawn and where champions generally farm and fight. There are three main lanes:
Top Lane: The lane located in the top half of the map.
Mid Lane: The central lane, typically where the mid-laners (mages, assassins) play.
Bot Lane: The bottom lane, usually where the ADC (Attack Damage Carry) and Support are played.

1.3 Minions
Definition: AI-controlled units that automatically spawn and march down the lanes. They provide gold and experience when killed.

1.4 Nexus
Definition: The primary objective of the game—destroying the enemy’s Nexus is how you win. It’s located in each team’s base.

1.5 Turret (Tower)
Definition: Defensive structures in each lane that attack enemy minions and champions. They protect your base and objective locations. There are Outer, Inner, and Inhibitor turrets.

2. Objectives & Map Features

2.1 Dragon
Definition: A powerful neutral monster located in the bottom half of the map. Killing it gives your team buffs that last for a period of time. There are different types of Dragons: Infernal, Mountain, Ocean, Cloud, and Chemtech.

2.2 Baron Nashor
Definition: A large, powerful neutral monster located in the top half of the map. Killing Baron gives your team a Baron buff that enhances minions and provides additional combat power for champions.

2.3 Rift Herald
Definition: A neutral monster found in the top side of the map, it grants your team the Rift Herald buff, which can be used to charge at turrets for a significant push.

2.4 Inhibitor
Definition: A structure located inside the enemy’s base. Destroying an inhibitor causes super minions to spawn in that lane.

2.5 Jungle Camps
Definition: Groups of neutral monsters scattered around the jungle that provide gold, experience, and buffs when killed. Examples include:
Red Buff: Grants extra damage and burn effect.
Blue Buff: Grants cooldown reduction and mana regeneration.
Wolves, Raptors, Krugs, etc.

3. Roles & Positions

3.1 Jungler
Definition: The player who roams between the lanes, farming neutral camps in the jungle, and helping other lanes through ganks. The jungler is responsible for securing objectives like Dragon and Baron.

3.2 ADC (Attack Damage Carry)
Definition: A champion usually played in the Bot Lane whose primary job is to deal high amounts of sustained physical damage (auto-attacks) as the game progresses. ADCs typically rely on items to scale up.

3.3 Support
Definition: A player who works alongside the ADC in the Bot Lane, providing utility, crowd control, healing, shielding, or setting up kills. Supports are generally not focused on dealing damage but instead helping their team.

3.4 Top Laner
Definition: The player who plays in the Top Lane. Top laners typically play tanky, bruiser, or split-push champions, and their role is to manage their lane and occasionally join team fights or objectives.

3.5 Mid Laner
Definition: The player who plays in the Mid Lane. Mid-laners often play high-damage champions like mages or assassins and are responsible for controlling the map and securing objectives.

4. Key Terms Related to Strategy & Tactics

4.1 Farming
Definition: The act of last-hitting minions to gain gold and experience. Farming is crucial for gaining an advantage over your opponent.

4.2 CS (Creep Score)
Definition: A term used to refer to the number of minions a player has killed (farmed). It is a way to measure a player’s gold income and lane performance.

4.3 Gank
Definition: A surprise attack on an enemy champion by a teammate, usually from the jungler, to secure a kill or force the enemy to recall.

4.4 Rotation
Definition: Moving between lanes to help your teammates, especially after pushing your wave or during objectives. Rotations can be crucial for securing kills or objectives.

4.5 Snowballing
Definition: Gaining a lead and using that advantage to extend it further, usually through kills, objectives, or pressure. When a player or team "snowballs," they get progressively stronger.

4.6 Split-Pushing
Definition: A strategy where a champion (usually with high mobility or wave-clear) pushes a side lane while the rest of the team creates pressure elsewhere, usually to draw enemy attention or create opportunities to take objectives.

5. Combat & Abilities

5.1 Ult (Ultimate Ability)
Definition: A champion’s most powerful ability, usually unlocked at level 6, though it can sometimes be unlocked at higher levels. Ultimates can have a game-changing impact, like securing kills, healing the team, or altering the battlefield.

5.2 CD (Cooldown)
Definition: The amount of time a champion must wait before using an ability again. Managing cooldowns is key to effective combat and skill usage.

5.3 Auto-Attack
Definition: Basic attacks performed by your champion without using abilities. This is the primary source of damage for ADCs and auto-attack-based champions.

5.4 CC (Crowd Control)
Definition: Abilities that disable or hinder enemy champions. Common types of CC include:
Stun: Temporarily disables a champion, preventing all actions.
Slow: Reduces movement speed.
Knock-Up: Launches the enemy into the air, rendering them immobile.
Root: Prevents the enemy from moving but they can still attack and use abilities.

5.5 Zoning
Definition: Using your abilities or positioning to deny the enemy space, making it harder for them to engage, farm, or move freely.

6. Items & Builds

6.2 Build
Definition: The selection of items a champion builds during the game. Builds can vary depending on the champion, the game state, and the opponent.

6.2 Boots
Definition: Items that grant additional movement speed. Each champion typically buys one pair of boots at some point in the game.

7. Map Awareness & Vision

7.1 Ward
Definition: An item that provides vision in a specific area. Wards are used to help teams see enemy movements, objectives, and jungle paths. The most common wards are:
Stealth Ward: Invisible ward placed on the map.
Control Ward: A visible ward that provides vision and disables enemy wards around it.

7.2 Sweeper (Oracle Lens)
Definition: A trinket that allows the user to detect enemy wards and traps, helping to clear vision or prepare for a fight.

7.3 Fog of War
Definition: The areas of the map not in your team's vision. You cannot see anything in these areas unless you place a ward, use a spell with vision, or reveal it with another method.

8. Team Play and Communication

8.1 Ping
Definition: A communication tool used to alert your team to important events or requests. Common pings include:
MIA (Missing In Action): When an enemy laner is missing from lane.
SS (Summoner Spells): Indicates the status of an enemy’s summoner spells.
Ping for Help: Requesting assistance from teammates.

8.2 Tilt
Definition: A state of emotional frustration that negatively affects gameplay. Being tilted can lead to poor decision-making and plays.

8.3 GG (Good Game)
Definition: A common term used at the end of a match to congratulate everyone, win or lose.

8.4 AFK (Away From Keyboard)
Definition: A player who is not present or inactive during the game.

Conclusion

Understanding the terms and vocabulary used in League of Legends is essential to improving your gameplay and communicating effectively with your team. Whether you’re discussing objectives, strategies, or item builds.

(I used A.I. to help create this Chapter.)