Karma vs Rakan Counter Pick

Rakan attacks from 300 range and never intends to trade at it. Karma loses at 44.7% over 1,701 games on patch 16.13.1, a Hard rating, and the mechanism is mobility rather than damage.

• Two dashes, no cost to entry. Grand Entrance knocks up on arrival and Battle Dance flies to an allied champion with a free recast, so Rakan decides when a fight begins and where it ends.
• Range does not protect Karma. 525 attack range means little against an opponent who covers that distance in one cast and lands with 62 base attack damage, the higher figure of the two by a wide margin.
• Shields cancel out. Fey Feathers refreshes periodically and Battle Dance shields an ally, so Inspire no longer creates the health advantage it does against burst opponents.

Defensively the numbers are close, 610 health and 30 armor for Rakan against 630 and 28, converging on 2,293 and 113.3 against 2,483 and 113 by level 18, but raw durability is not what decides an engage matchup. The line that works is Focused Resolve used reactively, since rooting Rakan after Grand Entrance and before The Quickness removes the charm follow-up entirely. Holding Mantra for Inspire instead of spending it on damage is the safer default. His recast windows are covered on the Rakan champion page.