Vex vs Annie Counter Pick

Annie out-reaches Vex by 75 units, 625 against 550, and between two stationary mages that is most of the argument. 330 games on patch 16.13.1 put Vex at 46.1%, a losing record graded hard, because Disintegrate lands from outside the range of Mistral Bolt without asking Annie to step forward at all.

• Pyromania stuns after four spells and is available from the opening seconds of the game, so Annie holds a guaranteed opener rather than a skillshot she has to land first.
• Annie is the frailer body, 560 health and 91 armor at level 18 against 590 and 98.7, but Summon: Tibbers adds a persistent second damage source that the single shield on Personal Space is not sized to absorb.
• Vex carries 28 magic resist at level 1 against a kit that is entirely magic damage, which moves a magic-resist component ahead of the usual first purchase.
• Doom ‘n Gloom interrupts dashes, and Annie has none, so the passive works only as a fear and never as a punish on an engage.
• Molten Shield gives her a shield, movement speed and reflected damage on any strike, which blunts the short trades Vex needs to build an advantage at a difficulty rating of 6.
• Movement speed is identical at 335 and both champions spend mana, so neither side can simply walk out of a trade once it has started.