Learn how to use Locke - new League Champion!

Locke torments the summoner's field for some days now, so its good time to compile quick guide, that can help you take over the games. Here’s a clean, practical, high‑value guide to mastering Locke, the newest League of Legends champion. We’ll give you actionable gameplay tips, combos, matchups, macro rules, and advanced tricks so you can pick him up fast and start styling on people. All compressed into checklist, that you can use every game, until you master it!

Locke is designed as a bruiser–skirmisher hybrid with:

• Short cooldown mobility
• Burst windows tied to ability timing
• High punish potential on mispositioning
• Strong dueling and chase-down

Think: a mix of Camille mobility, Sett trading patterns, and Qiyana-style burst windows.

He excels in:

• Extended trades
• Tight skirmishes
• Punishing mistakes
• Diving backline after cooldowns come up

He struggles against:

• Heavy poke
• Long-range disengage
• Champions who deny his engage window

Core Concepts You MUST Master

These are the fundamentals that separate a good Locke from a cracked one.

1. Your Passive = Your Win Condition

Locke’s passive gives him:

• Bonus damage after ability hits
• Short movement burst
• Empowered auto

Tip:
Never waste your passive auto. Your entire DPS curve is built around ability → empowered auto → ability → empowered auto.

2. You Are NOT a Frontline

Even though he looks bruiser-ish, Locke is a skirmisher. Your job is:

• Hit flanks
• Dive backline
• Clean up fights
• Punish isolated targets

If you walk in front like a tank, you die.

3. Cooldown Cycling = Damage

Locke’s kit rewards:

• Short trades
• Resetting cooldowns
• Re-engaging after abilities come back

Don’t commit to long fights unless you have:

• Passive ready
• Mobility up
• Ultimate available

Combos You Need to Know

Basic Trade (Lane)

E → Auto (Passive) → Q → Auto (Passive) → W (Exit)
Use W to disengage after winning the trade.

All-In Combo E → Q → Auto → R → Auto → W → Q (reset)
This is your bread-and-butter kill combo.

Tower Dive Combo R first → Q → Auto → E out → W to drop aggro
Your R gives enough burst to finish quickly.

Chase Combo W → E → Auto → Q → Auto
Use W first to close distance without committing.

Matchup Tips (General)

Vs Bruisers (Darius, Sett, Aatrox)

• Short trades only
• Never let them start the fight
• Use W to dodge their main damage ability
• Freeze near tower and punish oversteps

Vs Poke (Jayce, Kennen, Quinn)

• Start DShield
• Play for wave control
• Take early boots
• Ask for jungle help — Locke struggles here

Vs Tanks (Ornn, Sion, Malphite)

• Free farm lane
• Rush damage
• You outscale in side lane
• Don’t waste cooldowns on their shield abilities

Wave Management

Locke is strongest when:

• The wave is on your side
• You can threaten all-ins
• Enemy must walk up to farm

Best strategy:
Slow push → crash → take cheater recall → come back with item advantage → freeze.

Itemization Guide

Core Items:

• Trinity Force (best DPS spike)
• Sterak’s Gage (survivability in skirmishes)
• Death’s Dance (anti-burst)

Situational:

• Maw vs AP burst
• Black Cleaver vs tanks
• Ravenous Hydra for splitpush
• Sundered Sky for heavy bruiser fights

Boots

• Plated Steelcaps vs AD
• Mercs vs CC/AP
• Ionian if snowballing

Rune Setup

Standard Bruiser

Conqueror
Triumph Legend: Tenacity Last Stand

Secondary:

Resolve → Bone Plating + Unflinching

Snowball Assassin

Electrocute
Sudden Impact Eyeball Relentless Hunter

Secondary: Precision → Triumph + Coup de Grace

Macro Tips to Win More Games

1. Play for Side Lane Locke is a monster in 1v1 and 2v2. Avoid grouping early.

2. Don’t Start Fights — Clean Them Up You’re not Malphite.

Let someone else engage, then you:

• Dive backline
• Kill carries
• Reset cooldowns
• Re-engage

3. Abuse Fog of War Locke’s burst is highest when enemies don’t see you coming.

4. Your Ultimate Is a Pick Tool

Use R to:

• Catch isolated targets
• Force flashes
• Start snowballing

Advanced Tricks (High Elo Stuff)

• Animation Cancels - You can cancel Q’s ending animation with W
• You can buffer E during R cast
• You can auto-cancel with passive movement burst

Hitbox Abuse

Locke’s E has a slightly wider hitbox than the animation shows — angle it diagonally to hit unexpected targets.

Passive Stacking

You can pre-stack passive on jungle camps before a fight.

Tower Aggro Drop

W resets tower aggro if timed right after an ability hit.