Graves vs Locke Counter Pick

3,138 games on patch 16.13.1 is a deep record, and it puts Graves at 56.2% — a margin that reflects the structure of the matchup rather than a small-sample artefact. The reason is uncomplicated. Locke attacks from 125 range and every part of his kit asks him to close; Graves works from 425 and every part of his asks him to keep distance.

Locke’s approach is Ashen Pursuit, a teleport followed by a dash onto his next target that damages everything passed through. It is fast, but it commits him, and Quickdraw grants Graves armor and magic resist on use plus True Grit stacks when it carries him toward a champion, so the defensive spike lands exactly when Locke arrives. Locke’s listed damage is physical, so those stacks and the 111.2 armor Graves reaches by level 18 point in the right direction.

Where Locke can still take it: Silver Stake adds on-hit magic damage that scales with the target’s missing health, and Purgatory can execute outright, so a Graves who lingers at low health gives the matchup away regardless of statline. Soul Ignition costs Locke health while it runs, which keeps his aggression windows short and readable. Level 18 health favours Locke slightly at 2,508 to 2,427; everything about reach favours Graves. Detail on Graves and Locke.