Tryndamere vs Locke Counter Pick

Locke has to pay for tempo with his own health. Soul Ignition trades self-damage for bonus attack speed and movement, and it only returns part of that cost once the duration ends. Tryndamere works the other way: Bloodlust adds attack damage the further his health drops, so he wants to be as hurt as possible. Whoever gains from a long, bloody trade is the one not paying any upkeep. Patch 16.13.1 puts Tryndamere at 57.6% across 420 games.

Their range and resistances are close: 175 against 125, 33 base armor against 32, 696 base health against 655, and 2,532 against 2,508 at level 18. Both deal physical damage, so both build toward armor, and neither has an easy itemisation edge. The real gap is the ultimate. Purgatory can execute a wounded target, but Undying Rage stops death entirely for its duration, so the usual assassin finisher lands at exactly the wrong moment. Ashen Pursuit teleports before it dashes, giving Locke a solid escape once the burst is spent, and Mocking Shout punishes anyone who turns their back by slowing them. Silver Stake is the hidden cost: on-hit magic damage that scales with missing health, hitting 32 base magic resistance just when Bloodlust has dropped Tryndamere low, so stacking armor alone leaves a gap. With both rated 5 for difficulty, holding Spinning Slash for the chase instead of the engage is what turns a survived all-in into a kill.