Syndra vs Draven Counter Pick

Equal attack range turns this into a trade of execution. Both champions fight from 550 units, both start at 330 move speed, and both carry a difficulty rating of 8, yet 233 games on patch 16.13.1 give Syndra 58.8% and an Easy grade. The difference is what each player is doing while trading. Draven has to catch Spinning Axe on a moving landing spot to keep both his damage and his League of Draven adoration flowing; Syndra only has to place Dark Sphere on a target that is standing still to auto-attack. Any movement forced by Force of Will or Scatter the Weak costs an axe, and a dropped axe costs him stacks and damage at once.

Durability does not rescue him at the moment it matters. His 675 base health and 2,443 at level 18 make him the sturdier body on paper, and 105.5 armor at level 18 is real, but Syndra deals magic damage, so armor is the wrong resistance. Her stun arrives from a sphere knocked through a target by Scatter the Weak, which lands far more easily on a champion committed to an attack animation. Blood Rush offers a decaying move speed burst and Stand Aside knocks enemies aside with a slow, so his outs are short-lived once Unleashed Power is available.