Vex vs Annie Counter Pick

Annie has 75 more range than Vex, 625 to 550, and between two stationary mages that gap decides most of the matchup. Across 330 games on patch 16.13.1, Vex wins only 46.1%, a poor result for a champion rated hard, because Disintegrate reaches past Mistral Bolt range and never requires Annie to move closer.

• Pyromania stuns once Annie has cast four spells, and she has it from the first seconds of the game, so she starts with a stun she can count on instead of a skillshot she still has to hit.
• Annie is the more fragile champion, with 560 health and 91 armor at level 18 compared with Vex’s 590 and 98.7. Even so, Summon: Tibbers gives her a lasting second source of damage, and the lone shield from Personal Space is too small to soak that up.
• Vex begins with 28 magic resist at level 1, and since every one of her abilities deals magic damage, a magic-resist item tends to come before the usual opening buy.
• Doom ‘n Gloom cancels dashes, but Annie has no dash, so the passive is only a fear and cannot be used to punish an engage.
• Molten Shield grants a shield, bonus movement speed and reflected damage on every hit taken, which softens the quick exchanges Vex depends on to get ahead at a difficulty rating of 6.
• Both champions move at 335 and both rely on mana, so once a trade begins neither one can simply disengage and walk away.