Zaahen vs Heimerdinger Counter Pick

A sample of 147 games on patch 16.13.1 is small, yet it yields one of the grimmest figures tied to Zaahen: 40.1%.

Heimerdinger goes down easily. He has 558 health at level 1, 19 base armor, and 90.4 armor at level 18. His kit offers no way out: no dash, no blink, and his 340 move speed cannot outpace Zaahen’s 345. Judging by stats alone, a fighter with 63 attack damage and a self-heal should close these fights without much trouble.

The problem is H-28 G Evolution Turret. To strike from 175 range, Zaahen has to step into turret fire to use The Darkin Glaive or land Dreaded Return. Hextech Affinity also gives Heimerdinger bonus move speed around those turrets and nearby allied towers. CH-2 Electron Storm Grenade stuns on a clean hit, which is enough to interrupt Aureate Rush partway through, and UPGRADE!!! boosts the following cast of any of these spells considerably. All of Zaahen’s damage is physical, so a zone of magic damage shuts him out of the lane without either champion needing a counter-item first. The difficulty ratings, 2 for Zaahen and 8 for Heimerdinger, put most of the work on the mage’s side, and the fight turns once the turrets are cleared before committing. Reach makes waiting costly: 550 attack range against 175, with Hextech Micro-Rockets landing wherever the cursor is, lets him contest every wave from beyond Zaahen’s reach. Full kits are listed on the Zaahen and Heimerdinger pages.