Katarina vs Pantheon Counter Pick

Pantheon starts at 40 armor and finishes at 124.2, a heavy defensive curve for a champion who plays like an assassin, and Aegis Assault makes him invulnerable to damage from the front while he strikes repeatedly with the spear. Katarina deals magic damage, so his armor matters less than it appears — but invulnerability ignores damage type entirely. Over 625 games on patch 16.13.1 the result is 45.1% for her.

The deficit is built early. Mortal Will empowers his next spell every few casts or attacks, Comet Spear is thrown or thrust depending on distance, and Shield Vault is a dash that stuns on arrival. Pantheon works at 175 attack range against 125, moves at 345 against 335, and is rated 4 for difficulty against her 8. A forgiving kit with a reliable stun facing a champion who needs uninterrupted sequences is a poor exchange for Katarina.

Her answer is a different map rather than a better trade. Voracity resets her cooldowns whenever a recently damaged champion dies, so Shunpo onto a Preparation dagger is worth far more in a side fight than in a straight duel, and her 672 base health leads his 650 at level 1. Grand Starfall gives him global pressure of his own, so ceding ground is not free.