Tahm Kench vs Neeko Counter Pick

Neeko relies on confusion. Inherent Glamour lets her pass as an allied champion or some other unit, and Shapesplitter releases a decoy while she quietly moves out of sight, so the first few seconds of a fight go to figuring out which figure is the real one. Her opponent in this matchup doesn’t need to know until she makes a move.

Pop Blossom is that move. She has to wind up first, then leap, knocking up and stunning enemies nearby, so Neeko must already be close to her targets when it lands. Devour is her direct answer: a swallowed ally leaves the field for a few seconds and gains a shield, while a swallowed enemy takes magic damage and does nothing for the team. That one reactive ability goes a long way toward explaining the 56.91% win rate over 246 games on patch 16.13.1, which earns an Easy grade.

On raw stats, the gap is clearest where it matters. Neeko starts with 21 base armor and 610 health, while Tahm Kench begins at 39 and 640. By level 18 she reaches 109.4 armor and 2,378 health, but he gets to 118.9 and 2,391. Her 48 base attack damage also sits well below his 56, so trading blows inside his 175-unit reach in the early game usually goes against her. Tangle-Barbs is the ability to watch for: it roots a champion it passes through and grows stronger afterward, which makes it the one thing worth respecting before Abyssal Dive.