Xayah vs Varus Counter Pick

Varus shoots from 575 range, 50 more than Xayah, yet he still trails her: she posts 58.1% over 602 recorded games on patch 16.13.1. Both champions rely on physical damage, so every armor item helps each of them equally and neither gains a built-in itemization advantage.

Xayah’s kit fits that matchup well. Clean Cuts makes each attack after an ability a piercing hit that drops a Feather, and Bladecaller summons the feathers to deal damage and root, which is a strong counter to a champion without a dash. Featherstorm makes her untargetable for the duration of the ultimate. The catch is Blighted Quiver: his auto attacks deal bonus magic damage and apply Blight, which his other spells detonate depending on the target’s current health, so stacking armor alone won’t shut him down. Profile: Varus.

• In the late game Varus is the squishier of the two, with 92 armor at level 18 against Xayah’s 96.4 and 2,385 health against 2,449.
• Piercing Arrow grows in range and damage the longer he holds it, and the charge is visible before the shot goes off.
• Chain of Corruption roots the first champion it hits, then jumps to nearby champions.
• Living Vengeance gives him temporary attack damage and ability power after a kill or assist, with a bigger bonus when the victim was a champion.
• Both have a 330 base move speed and both use mana; with difficulty ratings of 2 for Varus and 5 for Xayah, Varus is the easier champion to play cleanly.