Tahm Kench vs Mel Counter Pick

Rebuttal defines this matchup, and it fares better against ranged foes than against a melee bruiser. Mel throws up a barrier that bounces enemy projectiles back, absorbs damage and boosts her movement speed, so champions whose damage arrives as missiles struggle against her. Little of what Tahm Kench does is a projectile: An Acquired Taste converts his health into bonus attack damage and piles stacks onto whoever he keeps attacking, Abyssal Dive lands as an area knock-up, and Devour is a targeted removal. Only Tongue Lash deserves caution. Across 234 games on patch 16.13.1 he posts 58.55%, an Easy grade.

Durability settles the rest. Mel begins at 630 health with 21 armor and climbs to 2,313 health and 109.4 by level 18; Tahm Kench begins at 640 with 39 armor and ends at 2,391 and 118.9. Solar Snare roots anything at its center while the surrounding zone slows, and that sets up Golden Eclipse to hit marked targets from any range, so staying out of the middle of the orb counts for more than dodging the damage over time. Searing Brilliance adds up to nine bonus projectiles to the attack that follows an ability, which keeps her poke consistent rather than spiky, and consistent damage is exactly what Thick Skin feeds on. Both are rated difficulty 5.