Leona vs Mel Counter Pick

A 61.9% win rate over 666 games on patch 16.13.1 is a wide margin, and the Easy grade for Leona against Mel comes from a straightforward mismatch between a melee engage tank and a projectile mage.

• Defensive numbers: Mel carries 21 base armor and 630 health against 43 and 646, and her 550 attack range is the only thing keeping that gap from mattering immediately.
• Reflection has a blind spot: Rebuttal reflects enemy projectiles and prevents damage, but Shield of Daybreak arrives as an empowered basic attack and Solar Flare falls from above, so the barrier answers only part of the kit.
• Overwhelm needs time: Golden Eclipse pays out per stack, and stacks come from repeated ability hits, which a landed Zenith Blade interrupts.

The threat is genuine while spacing holds. Radiant Volley deals repeated damage across an area, Solar Snare roots at its centre and slows around it, and Searing Brilliance adds up to nine bonus projectiles to the next attack after any ability. Closing that distance at 335 movement speed against 330 and absorbing the opening volley with Eclipse is the shape of the answer. Mel finishes on 2,313 health at level 18 against 2,363, so she stays catchable late, and her 54 base attack damage means a wasted rotation costs her the trade outright. Difficulty ratings of 4 and 5 keep both kits accessible.