Volibear vs Locke Counter Pick

Volibear’s 65.0% over 254 games on patch 16.13.1 is a decisive margin for a jungle pairing, and the cause is a direct conflict between the two kits. Silver Stake rewards Locke for fighting a target that is already hurt, scaling its on-hit magic damage with missing health, and Purgatory can execute outright. Volibear’s healing works in the opposite direction: Frenzied Maul restores health on the second cast into a marked target, refilling exactly the window Locke’s kit is built to exploit.

Soul Ignition compounds the problem. Locke pays health for attack speed and move speed and recovers only a portion when the duration ends, which means he enters the decisive part of a skirmish holding less of the resource he needs. The two start almost level at 650 health against 655, both on mana, but Locke’s 2,508 at level 18 comes with only 103.4 armor against Volibear’s 2,418 and 123.4, and Locke’s damage is physical. Ashen Pursuit is his engage, a teleport folded into a dash, and once it is used Thundering Smash is already charging in, with the stun landing on the first attack after contact. Sky Splitter adds a shield whenever Volibear stands inside his own lightning. Difficulty reads 3 against 5, so the simpler champion is also the favored one. The ability list for Locke explains the mark consumption on Ritual Nails.