Important Generalizations

This matchup guide contains the most important information for the most popular midlane
matchups. The matchups are only specific to laning, not teamfights.

Uncertainty is marked with 3 asterisks (***). The matchup favorabilities don’t indicate how difficult
the matchups are nor how champions scale, just who is favored in lane when both sides play
optimally. Updates are indicated with strikethroughs ( ) or underlines (_). Cassiopeia always
scales very well, but how well she scales compared to her lane opponent depends on team comps
and player skills.

The exact cooldowns (CDs) don’t need to be memorized, just estimated. The item
recommendations only cover important item choices, especially if they differ from standard. The
summoner spell choices only cover the best choices and don’t include Cleanse when it may be
good against the enemy team unless it’s specifically good against the matchup.

The Community Guide covers a lot more specifics (laning, powerspikes, ability order, builds,
teamfighting, etc) but not the matchups themselves.

Melee Matchups: Most of the time you should freeze lane. You can crash waves when you have
enough mana. You can slowpush when the enemy can’t fight and you can escape ganks. Use
autos when it’s safe enough. Against champs with dashes, fish for max ranged Q’s instead of
getting too close; you may want to kite into your W to prevent their dashes.

Ranged Matchups: Try to push early. Usually stand away from your minions so that the enemy
can’t hit both you and the wave, but stand near them (still try to dodge enemy abilities) if you want
them to push toward your tower. Trade when the enemy uses abilities on your wave or they miss
you, auto minions, or if they walk up past their own minion wave. Against mages with mana, if they
don't buy early boots, you'll be able to reach them more easily, but if they do buy early boots,
they'll lack mana sustain. Against boots, you can rush mana items and keep crashing waves
safely; against mana, you can build combat items to fight them.

Summoner Spells: Barrier is effective for combat against enemies that have high threat early
game to deal with Ignite and burst early game and to be able to fight/escape multiple champs.
Always take Cleanse if the enemy has a lot of Cleansable CC, especially from your lane opponent
and their jungler; this only doesn't apply in very high elo where you might want to use TP and build
QSS. Exhaust is a situational scaling option against low ranged champs with burst, especially if
they’re mobile. Ghost is a strong carry option, especially with Conqueror and for roaming and
teamfighting, mainly in lower elos. Ignite is an option for kill pressure early, but it’s only optimal
against low ranged champs with healing, mainly if you can snowball early. Teleport is useful,
especially in higher elos, for being able to deal with an early camp, to get items ASAP, to
potentially gank/countergank/flank, and to potentially deal with sidelanes in the future. Heal is
usually not optimal, but it’s a viable combat option for skirmishing with teammates and avoiding
abilities against champions without grievous wounds.
Table of Contents

Ahri
Akali
Anivia
Annie
Aurelion Sol
Azir
Cho’Gath
Corki
Diana
Ekko
Fizz
Galio
Heimerdinger
Irelia
Jayce
Kassadin
Katarina
LeBlanc
Lissandra
Lucian
Lux
Malzahar
Neeko
Orianna
Pantheon
Qiyana
Rumble
Ryze
Sylas
Syndra
Taliyah
Talon
Tristana
Twisted Fate
Veigar
Vel’Koz
Viktor
Vladimir
Xerath
Yasuo
Yone
Zed
Ziggs
Zoe
Ahri:
● Favorability: Even matchup. Cassiopeia has a slight advantage 1 v 1, but a slight
disadvantage toward ganks. Ahri has a strong level 2 combo and kill pressure at level 6.
● Her 7 sec CD Q is her main source of waveclear. It does true damage on its return and
makes her heal a small amount of health when she gets charges off several enemies.
● Her 9 sec CD W doesn’t do much damage, but it gives her a burst of MS, and all the
flames will concentrate on you if you’re the closest enemy or hit by her E.
● Her main threat is from 12 sec CD E that charms and makes you take 20% extra
damage from the rest of her abilities. If you proc Phase Rush, you’ll run very fast
toward her when you get charmed, which is good if you want to chase and bad if
you’re trying to escape.
● Her ult has 3 charges, but she has to wait 1 sec before she can recast, and it’s
available for 10 secs.
● W -> R is effective when Ahri ults toward you and you don’t need to dodge her charm
because if she charms you, she gets stunned, and if she turns, she gets stuck in your W.
● Items: MR and health are both effective for surviving Ahri’s combos. QSS is very effective
against Ahri if you don't have Cleanse or Legend: Tenacity.
● Summoner Spells: Cleanse, TP

Akali:
● Favorability: ***Slightly Akali favored. She is threatening starting from level 1 but gets
most of her kill pressure at level 6.
● Watch out for her high MS. She gets MS from hitting you with an ability and staying
within 500 range, as well as while she's inside her W. While fighting, be patient with
Q's; E and auto or just walk until you can land your Q or you're safe if you miss.
Use W for the slow if Akali can't dash over it; otherwise save W.
● Her main damage source pre 6 is from her 1.5 sec CD Q, but she is restricted by
energy costs.
● Her main threat is from her W. It has a 20 sec CD and lasts for 5 secs, and while it's
down, you have a lot more safety to play aggro.
● Her 2nd E cast makes her face you, and she lands in front of you, but while she's midair,
she can R through you, Flash, Stopwatch/Zhonya's, and W. Therefore, you can ult for a
guaranteed stun when her abilities are all on CD (her W will just make her invis so that
you can't DPS her afterward, but it can still be good for you depending on the situation).
Cast W on yourself if not. If you don't have W, then use Q. If you don't have Q, then E
auto E while she's midair to proc Phase Rush or Conqueror, and save Q for when she
ults/Flashes if she has it (otherwise she'll dodge your Q).
● Her 1st R (targets champs) is outranged (675) by your Q and W. She has to wait 2.5
secs before she can use 2nd R, and it's available for 7.5 secs.
● Post 6, unless her abilities are on CD, when you have enough mana and aren't
overextended, fish for max ranged Q's, then follow with a few E's and autos (don't chase
too far). If you're near your tower and not vulnerable to a gank, you can use W/more E's. If
you're forcing a fight on her and she can't just run away (grounded or CDs), try to ult
before she's able to dash through you (while she's grounded or near your max ult range;
its burst damage and CC is valuable early game).
● Items: I recommend Tear -> Verdant Barrier if you have trouble with this matchup. Both of
you don’t have that much kill pressure pre 6 unless either of you make significant
mistakes, and she doesn't push that fast. If you're mostly farming, you can rush your
mythic, but buy defensive components in between (Ruby Crystal or Null Mantle),
especially if you are behind in lvls/don't have Barrier or Cleanse against Ignite. Consider
Oblivion Orb for grievous wounds against Riftmaker, especially if her team has healing.
● Summoner Spells: Barrier, Ignite, TP

Anivia:
● Favorability: ***Even matchup. Cassiopeia is slightly stronger pre 6, but she lacks mana to
kill both Anivia and her egg. Post 6, both sides have equal opportunities to win trades, but
Cassiopeia has less opportunities to initiate them.
● Don’t waste all your mana to kill her while 4 min CD passive is up because after 6
secs, she’ll be reborn with her egg’s health. During lane, her egg has less resistances,
so it’s easier to kill.
● Her main threat is her 10 sec CD Q that travels slowly, so prioritize dodging it.
● Her 17 sec CD W can be used to block your path or even push you into her Q or R. If
she can followup with these abilities, don’t walk up to her unless you’ve landed Q.
● Her 4 sec CD E doesn’t do that much damage unless you’re hit by her Q or her
full-sized R, and it’s outranged (650) by all your abilities.
● Her 6-1 sec CD ult expands and gets stronger over 1.5 secs, but it drains a lot of
mana. She needs it to deal most of her damage and also has to stand nearby it to
channel, so if you can land your poison and especially your ult stun (cancels her ult),
you can still fight back.
● Summoner Spells: Cleanse, Ghost, TP

Annie:
● Favorability: Even matchup. Cassiopeia is slightly stronger 1 v 1 all levels, but Annie has
strong gank setup and followup.
● After she casts 4 spells, she’ll have a white swirl around her, and her next damage
ability stuns. The stun is very reliable if she gets in range because her Q is targeted,
and her W and R travel very fast.
● Her 4 sec (half if it kills minion) CD Q and 8 sec CD W are both outranged (625 and
600, respectively) by all your abilities. However, she can gapclose with her 14 sec CD
E’s MS boost.
● Her main threat is her ult because it does burst damage and continues to attack,
getting even stronger if Annie dies. Until you’re tanky enough to survive, you should
only fight when her ult is on CD, she just used her stun, or her other abilities are on
CD. You can still Q outside her range for some poke and to try to bait out her abilities.
● Items: MR and health are both effective for surviving against her burst. Banshee’s Veil can
block her stun or at least part of her burst. QSS is very effective if you don't have Cleanse or
Legend: Tenacity.
● Summoner Spells: Barrier, Cleanse, TP

Aurelion Sol:
● Favorability: Even matchup. Aurelion Sol is stronger pre 6, but for wave priority and
roaming, not bullying. As Cassiopeia gets items, she gets stronger 1 v 1.
● His stars provide him with superior waveclear and trading pre 6. Try to kite inside or
outside the orbit, but also in the same direction that the stars travel in.
● His 11 sec CD Q increases in size and stun duration the longer it travels. He is
affected by CC, but can still move to dodge abilities (he has a big hitbox though).
While it’s on CD, he’s a lot weaker, but he can still fight if you don’t land poison.
● His 8-2 sec CD W increase his star damage and gives them and himself decaying
speed, but it’s still dodgeable and less DPS than your abilities during extended
trades, especially as you get items.
● You can cancel his E by damaging him.
● His ult provides him with additional burst and CC to make it easier to land his Q and
W. He can R -> Flash to extend the range or reposition but not reangle.
● Bonus: You can R -> Flash to the side while he’s ulting for a guaranteed stun.
● Items: ***I recommend Tear start because it has better short term mana sustain for when he
likely pushes and recalls or roams. Rylai’s is extra effective because he has MS boosts, and
slowing him makes it harder for him to land his Q and W.
● Summoner Spells: Cleanse, Ghost, TP

Azir:
● Favorability: ***Even matchup. Azir has a slight advantage pre 6, then both sides have
equal opportunities to win trades. Azir wins short trades and Cassiopeia wins extended
trades.
● His 15-7 sec CD Q slightly outranges you and can allow him to fit in soldier auto
attacks. He’s much weaker when it’s on CD.
● His soldiers are his source of DPS, but they only have 500 range and are weaker than
Cassiopeia’s DPS. They have an 8 sec recharge rate, he can store up to 2 soldiers at a
time, and the soldiers last 10 secs unless near your tower (5 secs) or out of his range
(0 secs). If he uses 2 soldiers at once, he can only reposition them with his Q, which
means he’ll lack DPS once you kite out of his soldiers’ range.
● His 19 sec CD E only allows him to dash to his soldiers, but he can move his soldiers
during it with his Q. He can use it, along with possibly Flash, to reach you from far
 away (full distance is literally half the lane) for his 250 range ult. If he has no soldiers
stored, he lacks an escape.
● If he E’s toward you and doesn’t have his Q, you can ult for a guaranteed stun. If he does
have Q, ulting will force him to Q or Flash away if he wants to avoid your stun, which can
keep you safer.
● Bonus: If he E -> Q’s toward you when he has ult, you can W yourself -> Flash backward to
keep him grounded (can’t Flash after you with his ult still available) and avoid his Q,
soldier(s), E, and possibly even R.
● Summoner Spells: Barrier, Heal, TP

Cho’Gath:
● Favorability: Slightly Cassiopeia favored. Cho’Gath struggles to CS and trade back at the
same time, but he can win trades and eventually kill you post 6 if he lands his abilities.
● His passive restores health and mana for killing units, so don’t make trades that cost
your health/mana unless you win significantly, and it’s even more important to deny
CS when possible.
● His main threat is his 7 sec CD Q. It’s his only ability that isn’t outranged by all your
abilities, and it sets him up to use his other abilities or disengage.
● His 13-9 sec CD W is outranged (650) by all your abilities, but it has minimal travel
time, so he can usually hit you if you use your E. It silences for 1.6-2 secs, so you
should just auto or move during that time unless you have Cleanse and are willing to
use it.
● His 8 sec CD E empowers his next 3 basic attacks and goes through minions, so
avoid standing in line between him and your minions.
● His ult does a lot of true damage, but only has 175 range. He loses a lot of kill
pressure while it’s on CD, which might happen if he uses it on minions to gain bonus
health and size.
● Items: MR and health are both effective defensive options against his burst. Banshee’s Veil
can block a large portion of his CC and damage from his Q or W. Rylai’s is extra effective for
spacing outside of his range, especially from his E that helps him hit his other abilities and
from his ult that does a lot of true damage. If Cho’Gath builds tanky, Liandry’s is extra
effective against his high health pool.
● Summoner Spells: Barrier, Cleanse, Ghost, TP

Corki:
● Favorability: Slightly Cassiopeia favored. Cassiopeia has slightly better DPS and a CC
advantage, but Corki has good roaming potential with his packages from his fountain
● You can win both short and extended trades depending on items and how many
abilities you both hit.
● His package last for 1 min and provides a 90% slow + a lot of damage, so avoid
fighting him while he has it unless you’re much stronger.
● His 8 sec CD Q doesn’t do that much damage until he has levels, but you should still
avoid it unless you can get a good trade off.
● His 20 sec CD is a 600 ranged dash that does a bit of damage in its trail. While it’s on
CD, he lacks an escape.
● His 16 sec CD E does a bit of damage and shreds flat resistances, but it’s outranged
(600) by all your abilities.
● His ult does damage in an area, so don’t stand too close to minions. Every 3rd missile
has double damage and explosion radius.
● Items: MR is a more effective defensive option than armor because he mostly deals magic
damage.
● Summoner Spells: Barrier, Heal, Ignite, TP

Diana:
● Favorability: Slightly Cassiopeia favored. Cassiopeia can lane bully from level 2
onwards. Diana gets her all-in combos at levels 3 and 6.
● Watch out for her autos. She does quite a bit for an AP champ because of her attack
speed and 3rd hit passives.
● Unless she's very fed or you're low, her all-in potential comes from landing Q to get
the reset on her E. As long as her 8-6 sec CD Q is down, there isn't nearly as much
threat against you. Your max ranged Q slightly outranges Diana's E, so you can fish
for it for some poke and to bait out Diana's Q (walk in and out of her range/use the
MS to dodge her Q).
● Weave autos without drawing too much minion aggro. She has a 15 sec CD shield
that lasts for 5 secs and refreshes and stacks if all 3 orbs damage something, but
the shield isn't that big, so it's only not worth damaging if you don't have enough
mana.
● There's a brief delay before she can recast E, so you can aim abilities where she is
going to land.
● You can't reactively stun her while she E's. She can immediately turn upon landing,
similar to Zed being able to turn upon landing from his R except in that case you
technically could exactly time your R like landing an ability before some Flashes out of
stasis. She can also avoid your R completely by being within 400 range (she dashes
through you), Flashing over you immediately after landing, or Flashing over you during her
R (but her R won't damage in this case).
● When Diana’s 22 sec CD E is on CD, she has very little threat against you. If you’re
low HP, watch out for her 425 range ult that she can extend with R -> Flash. Her R
damage has a 1 sec delay that damages in a circle around her, so you can Flash out
of it.
● If you want to kill her post 6 while she has kill threat on you, you should W -> R. This
makes it so that if she Q's/E's toward you, she gets stunned, and if she doesn't, she is
slowed and grounded. The counterplay for her is to Flash over your W, turn your R, then E
through you, but this is mechanically difficult and quite a risk for her to do because she
 would essentially be using Flash just for your W without knowing that your R would be
going off immediately after (if you don't R immediately after W, then you have a chance of
R'ing her during her E after she Flashes)
● Exhaust can help kite and mitigate a lot of Diana’s damage, especially because her
R damage is so telegraphed.
● Summoner Spells: Barrier, Exhaust, TP

Ekko:
● Favorability: Slightly Cassiopeia favored. Cassiopeia takes a little while to be able to
reliably kill Ekko unless she takes Ignite or builds Oblivion Orb, and Ekko has a lot of low
counterplay burst if he gets fed.
● His passive gives him a large MS boost when he hits a champion with 3 damage
abilties/autos.
● His 9-7 sec CD Q slows down after reaching 700 units, so it’s easier to dodge if you
position around that range or further away.
● His 22 sec CD W is a huge part of his combo because it gives him a shield and stuns
you if you’re inside it. It shows where it’ll land 1 sec beforehand, so focus on staying
out of it. You can also use your W or possibly R to prevent him from getting inside of
it, but make sure you aim your W in front of him if he hasn’t used his 1st E yet.
● His 9 sec CD E is outranged (750) by all your Q and W. His 2nd dash is targeted, so he
can’t use it if there’s nothing in 425 range; if he can use it, then save your poison for
afterward. When it’s on CD, he’s very vulnerable.
● You can fish for max ranged Q’s, and he won’t be able to reach you unless he has a lot
higher MS or Rocketbelt. If you have enough mana and W, you can let him E you and win
the trade. If any of his basic abilities are on CD, you can auto him and save poison for after
he uses both E’s.
● When he has ult, pay attention to his afterimage that is always where he was 4 secs
ago. If it’s near his current location, you can W or R to prevent him from ulting or stick
on him even if does ult. If it’s far away, you should hold W and R, unless they’re
needed, until you’re ready to target where he ults to.
● Items: MR and health are both effective for surviving his burst. Consider Oblivion Orb for
grievous wounds, especially if he has Corrupting Pots/his team has healing. Rylai’s is extra
effective for kiting outside his range and minimizing his MS boosts. Everfrost can help burst
and lock him down when he E’s in, and prevents him from ulting.
● Summoner Spells: Barrier, Exhaust, Ignite, TP

Fizz:
● Favorability: Even matchup. Fizz gets his all-in combos at levels 3 and 6. Cassiopeia can
bully Fizz and control the lane levels 1 and 2, and is still stronger until level 6. Post 6, she
can beat him 1 v 1, but his ult combos with ganks are too much unless Cassiopeia is under
tower or receives help.
● His passive makes him take 4 reduced pre-mitigation damage for each tick of
damage, which is strong against Cassiopeia because she is DPS oriented.
● His 8 sec CD targeted Q is outranged (550) by all of your abilities and a fixed distance
(you can aim where he will land). It isn’t high threat on its own (you can even Flash its
damage), but provides him with additional mobility that synergizes with his kit.
● His W helps him CS by extending his range by 50 and adding a bit of damage. It normally
has a 7-5 sec CD, but it’s lowered to 1 sec and most of the mana is refunded when enemies
are killed by the first auto.
● His 16-10 sec CD E is the most important ability for you to play around. It only has a
total 600 range, but Flash can be used to extend the distance. It also provides
untargetability, which he can use to avoid getting Exhausted or ulted.
● His ult is where most of his kill pressure comes from. The further it’s casted from, the
more slow and damage it does. If Fizz ults from far away, use your max ranged W to
prevent him from reaching you or force him to use E early; you can ult while he’s in
your W if you want to turn on him. He can get a more reliable ult by Q’ing through a
minion and ulting from closer, in which case you should save abilities for after he
uses E unless you’re using them on his teammate followup.
● Fish for max ranged Q’s because his only way of CS’ing from afar or reaching you is by
using his dashes, his E likely to help push the wave toward you. You can use the MS to help
you dodge his ult or get CS that would otherwise be dangerous.
● If he doesn’t use 2nd E cast early, you can time ult as soon as he lands for a guaranteed
stun if he E’s toward you. You can also poison where he will land, but remember he can
Flash during his E.
● Bonus: You can W -> Flash or R -> Flash backward when Fizz Q’s or E’s toward you.
● Items: Tear -> Verdant Barrier is effective if you’re struggling against him post 6. MR and
health are both effective for surviving his burst. Banshee’s Veil can block his ult; it’s effective
if his team has a lot of magic damage. Stopwatch/Zhonya’s allows you to avoid his ult Q, E,
or ult damage, so it’s a very good item if the enemy has a lot of physical damage.
● Summoner Spells: Barrier, TP

Galio:
● Favorability: ***Slightly Cassiopeia favored. Cassiopeia is stronger 1 v 1, but Galio has
strong pushing power as well as roaming power post 6.
● You can harass Galio during levels 1-2 without much retaliation.
● His 12-10 sec CD Q is his main damage ability.
● Try to damage him within 12 secs to prevent him from getting his magic damage
shield. While he’s charging his 16 sec CD W, your priority should be to stay out of its
range if possible.
● He needs his 12 sec CD E to initiate trades or ganks. It’s outranged (650) by all your
abilities, and he is vulnerable while it’s on CD.
● His ult channels for 1.25 secs, so if you’re nearby, you can cancel it with your W or R
stun.
● Summoner Spells: Cleanse, TP

Heimerdinger:
● Favorability: Even matchup. Cassiopeia is slightly stronger in a 1 v 1 fight, but she usually
has to deal Heimerdinger’s turrets and pushing.
● His passive gives 20% MS while near his turrets, so keep this in mind when aiming for
Q’s.
● His turrets have the same range as your autos and attack the nearest target, but
they’ll focus you if he damages you or you auto or E him. Their regular cannons don’t
do that much damage, but when the white bar fills up (gets charges from landing W or
E), it shoots a dodgeable beam.
● His 11-7 sec CD W can be blocked by minions. It does quite a bit of damage, so it’s
not worth tanking unless you can get extended trade.
● His main threat is his 12 sec CD E. If it hits you, his turret beams will fully charge and
be easier to land because of the CC. If you can dodge the very center of his E, it’ll
only be a slow instead of a stun.
● His ult empowers his next basic ability. His W and E basically just have a longer range
and width. His Q is a lot stronger; it lasts for 8 secs, is immune to CC, and does a lot
more damage than usual.
● Summoner Spells: Cleanse, Heal, Ghost, TP

Irelia:
● Favorability: ***Even matchup. Irelia is strong from level 2 onwards and can also win a
trade at level 1 if she stacks her passive. Her level 6 is stronger 1 v 1 until Cassiopeia gets
items.
● Level 1 you should usually literally not damage Irelia or minions unless she's started
pushing toward you, so that you can freeze the wave in front of your tower. You can
push if Irelia doesn’t have a combat summoner spell advantage and you’re confident in
landing Q’s, but you have to make sure that she doesn’t freely stack her passive on minions.
● Her 12-8 sec CD Q is outranged (600) by all your abilities, but its CD is reset if she Q’s
to a minion that dies or is marked by her E or R. She travels through units, so if she
Q’s you, use your abilities slightly behind yourself. If she happens to Q anything
without a reset, she is very vulnerable until it’s off CD.
● When your minions, especially the casters, get low, get ready to Q or W directly on top of
them (while staying out of her range, including from her Q resets on minions) and Irelia will
either give up the CS or get hit regardless of whether she Q's or autos. You can follow up
with E’s and autos if she’s close to your tower.
● You can stand to the side of the wave if it's safe from ganks. It allows you to W your entire
minion wave that she'll want to dash through. Even if you're not to the side of your wave,
you'll usually want to W on your minions if possible to minimize Irelia's mobility.
● Her 20 sec CD W allows her to kill minions and get a passive stack quicker than
expected. It also allows her to tank more minion or tower damage, which is only a
concern for defensive play.
● Her 18 sec CD E is her main threat unless her Q is on CD. If they’re both available,
you can’t approach Irelia or any minions that she can Q to unless you W her or you’re
near your tower or much stronger. Her R adds even more threat, especially because
it’s easier to land and the slow from it also makes it easier to then land her E. Her Q
reset from E or R on Cassiopeia is extremely strong because it goes through units,
such that Cassiopeia’s Q and ult will miss (even if they’re casted beforehand) unless
Irelia’s slowed and close for Cassiopeia Q (aim right on yourself) or far for Cassiopeia
ult.
● Keep your distance away from her R -> Flash range if it's a threat toward you.
● Items: I recommend Doran’s Ring because she pushes very well, and it helps survive an
all-in. Rylai's is extra effective because her Q is based on her MS. You can even rush Rylai's
after Tear and Lost Chapter if you're not behind. Armor isn't as effective against Irelia’s
magic damage, but Zhonya's is better if you're concerned about getting tower dove.
Consider Oblivion Orb if she has Conqueror and builds BotRk, especially if her team has
healing.
● Summoner Spells: Barrier, Cleanse, Exhaust, Ignite, TP

Jayce:
● Favorability: ***Even matchup. Jayce is slightly stronger pre 6, but Cassiopeia has the tools
to survive and counter his aggression. Cassiopeia gets stronger than Jayce as the game
progresses.
● He can swap between melee and ranged form every 6 secs. It gives him an MS boost
for 1.25 secs. His next basic attack after switching to melee does bonus magic
damage, and after switching to ranged reduces resistances for 5 secs. This doesn’t
win him trades, but it’s safer to trade after waiting for him to use his auto.
● His 16-6 sec CD melee form Q and his 8 sec CD ranged form Q both hit enemies in the
area, so don’t stand too close to minions. You outrange (600) his melee form Q and
can Flash to avoid it.
● He can ranged form Q -> Flash so watch out for quick repositions by him, and don’t rely too
much on minions to block for you.
● His 13 sec CD ranged form W makes his next 3 autos attack very fast. You won’t out
trade this unless you take an extended trade.
● He can deal significant poke damage with his 16 sec CD ranged form E if his Q is also
off CD. Stand behind minions if you want to avoid the damage.
● Look for trades outside of his range or for extended trades, especially when his
ranged form E is on CD. You can fish for Q’s outside his auto range, or open with W, when
he’s in his ranged form. If he’s in melee form and has his Q, you should fish for maxed range
Q’s, or you can R for a guaranteed stun when he Q’s onto you.
● Items: Rushing armor is very effective against Jayce, so you can build Cloth Armor ->
Seeker's Armguard if his jungler is AD or if you need extra defense.
● Summoner Spells: Barrier, Exhaust, TP

Kassadin:
● Favorability: Slightly Cassiopeia favored. Cassiopeia can bully Kassadin from levels 1-5.
Once Kassadin hits level 6 and recalls, it’s a lot more difficult for Cassiopeia to bully, but
she’s still stronger.
● His passive allows him to walk through units and take 15% reduced magic damage.
You have to use a lot of autos, without drawing too much minion aggro, to abuse him
early game and will need a lot of mana to pressure him later.
● Pre 6, his only way of CS’ing from afar is by using 11-9 sec CD Q or his 5 sec CD E
(requires 6 abilities to be used nearby him), both of which are also outranged (650
and 500, respectively) by all your abilities. You should force trades on him while
they’re on CD. You can also trade while they’re off CD to deny him from CS or to
push, but try to stay out of his E range if you’ll be taking minion aggro because the
slow will make it more difficult to disengage unless you proc Phase Rush.
● His ult is outranged (500) by all your abilities. If you have plenty of mana and both
your poisons, you can open with 1 of them (usually Q), then use the other after he
ults. If you don’t have enough mana, it’s better to focus on the wave or wait for him to
use his ult aggressively.
● Keep your distance away from his R -> Flash range if it’s a threat to you.
● Items: MR and health are both effective for surviving his burst. Everfrost can help lock him
down when he ults in, but it won’t scale well against him if he gets tenacity.
● Summoner Spells: Barrier, Ignite, TP

Katarina:
● Favorability: Slightly Cassiopeia favored. Cassiopeia shuts down Katarina at all stages of
the game, but Katarina can become too bursty if she gets fed. Katarina’s level 2 with
autos is very strong, but you beat it if you land Q and E + auto weave, especially with
minion aggro.
● Her only form of ranged waveclear is her 11-7 sec CD 625 range Q. This means you
can zone her from CS while it’s on CD, and if you need to freeze, she’ll
automatically push back to you with it.
● Stand away from her daggers (unless you’ll win the fight) and be prepared to
poison when she E’s to them.
● Her 14 sec E CD is heavily refunded when she picks up her daggers, but she’ll still
have about a 3-2 sec CD early game.
● Where she’s facing during R is based on where she was facing prior to casting. If
she’s turned, you can usually kite out of her R, but if you want to kill her or get the
guaranteed stun you R away from her -> Flash over her.
● Her R applies grievous wounds.
● Summoner Spells: Barrier, Exhaust, Ignite, TP

LeBlanc:
● Favorability: Slightly LeBlanc favored. Cassiopeia can win 1 v 1, but LeBlanc has excellent
gank setup and followup starting from level 2, more so at level 3, and especially at level 6.
● Level 1, if you’re not concerned about a level 2 gank, you can crash the wave to LeBlanc’s
tower if you stand to the side of your wave. If she W’s you, you can trade evenly with E +
auto + E, and she will lose afterward.
● It’s very important to freeze lane after the first wave unless you’re not in danger of a
gank. You can prevent LeBlanc from freezing with Q and W if your wave is big
enough, or walk onto your minions so that LeBlanc has to damage them with her W
(and may have trouble landing E) if she wants to fight (don’t do this if you can be
ganked).
● Her passive makes her invisible and creates a clone of herself (doesn’t do damage)
when she gets below 40% health, so be careful about overcommitting. You can tell
which one is the real one if you applied DoT on her before her passive went off or if
she simply damages you.
● Try to stand out of range (860) of her 18-10 sec CD W, but you’ll still win 1 v 1 if you
land poison + kite out of her 14 sec CD E or take an extended trade. She can teleport
back after .2 secs, so don’t waste W or R; you can still use W early and R if she’s still
inside W. When her W is on CD, she struggles to waveclear and trade.
● She can make her E undodgeable or gain extra distance with it by using E -> Flash.
● Her 60 sec CD ult mimics her most recently used ability, so she can W twice to avoid
your abilities/cover more distance, or keep you snared with 2 E’s.
● I recommend Phase Rush if LeBlanc is good because it helps escape her E, and
LeBlanc can avoid extended trades.
● Items: I recommend Corrupting Pot start because it helps sustain and trade back, and
LeBlanc doesn’t have strong waveclear; you can even tell which LeBlanc is real during her
passive if you apply the burn damage beforehand. MR and health are both effective for
surviving her burst.
● Summoner Spells: Barrier, Cleanse

Lissandra:
● Favorability: Cassiopeia favored. Cassiopeia is stronger starting from level 1 and can bully
from level 2 onward, especially as she gets more items.
● Her 8-4 sec CD Q is her main damage threat and still doesn’t do that much damage.
Avoid standing in line between her and your minions because it’ll have extended
range from it, but it’s still outranged (825) by your Q.
● Her 14 sec CD W isn’t much of a threat other than for gank setup. It’s outranged (450)
by even your autos.
● Her 24 sec CD E allows her to teleport to wherever the ice claw is unless she’s hard
CC’d (your W prevents it). It allows her to gapclose for ganks, but it has a moderate
speed, so you can walk away if you’re not that close. She is very vulnerable while it’s
on CD because she can only escape or reach you by Flashing.
● Her 550 range ult is point-and-click and can be used on you for a 1.5 sec stun. Be
careful about overcommitting because she can instead use it on herself for a heal and
2.5 secs of stasis (same as Stopwatch/Zhonya’s). You may want to stay outside of the
circle of ice because it does damage.
● Summoner Spells: Cleanse, Ignite, TP

Lucian:
● Favorability: ***Even matchup. Lucian is stronger at level 1, then both have equal
opportunities to win trades.
● His 9-6 sec CD Q goes through minions, so avoid lining up with them.
● His 22 sec CD E’s CD is reduced by 1 (2 against champs) sec whenever his passive’s
2nd auto lands. It’s purely a dash, so if he doesn’t use it to dodge poison, you win the fight
if you’re not behind. If he has it available, only fish for max ranged Q’s unless you have
you’re stronger and have W.
● His ult does a lot of damage if he you can’t avoid the bullets, which you can’t without
Flashing if he lands his 14 sec CD W that gives him MS for hitting you. You can ult for
a guaranteed unless he cancels his ult.
● Summoner Spells: Barrier, Exhaust, Ignite, TP

Lux:
● Favorability: ***Slightly Cassiopeia favored. Lux struggles to waveclear and trade at the
same time, but she can win trades and eventually kill you post 6 if she lands her abilities.
● Avoid her passive autos early. Later on you'll win trades if she walks into auto
range.
● When her 13 sec CD Q is down, she has little threat against you. If she lands Q, she
can guarantee landing her R unless you Cleanse or QSS.
● Don't try to damage her while her shields up unless you have the mana to break it.
● Her 10-8 sec CD E is low threat but you should still avoid the slow so you can stick
on her. She runs out of mana quickly if she uses it often.
● Her ult has a very long range (3400) and provides a lot of her damage (it consumes
and reapplies her passive), but it has a moderate channel time such that you can
dodge it unless you’re CC’d.
● Bonus: You can R -> Flash to the side while she's ulting for a guaranteed stun.
● Summoner Spells: Barrier, Cleanse, Ghost, Heal, TP
Malzahar:
● Favorability: ***Even matchup. He’s weaker 1 v 1 all game unless he gets too fed, but
has good waveclear and setup for his team with his ult.
● Pop his ~30-20 sec CD passive with anything before committing to trading early
game
● You can 1 shot voidlings with autos or kill them with Q + W or Q + E. You’ll kill them
slowly with just Q or just W.
● With Phase Rush, you win short trades since most of his damage is from voidlings that
you can kite away with Phase Rush. With Conqueror, you win extended trades as long as
you don’t die to his ult.
● Stand away from minions that spread his E unless you’re willing to tank the
damage to minimize his waveclear.
● His ult is a strong CC (suppression) that sets up for teammates or his Q + W
damage if he already casted them, but it doesn’t do that much damage by itself.
● You can ult to cancel his ult if you keep distance. His ult range is only 700, so if he walks
up into that range, you can ult and cancel his ult, or he takes a ton of that damage that
you can possibly finish him off with or just walk out of his range if he turns.
● Items: QSS is good after Tear if there's other magic damage on his team/your team can't
cancel his ult (including by killing him).
● Summoner Spells: Barrier, TP

Neeko:
● Favorability: Even matchup. Neeko has a strong level 2 combo and kill pressure at level 6.
● Her passive lets her disguise as her teammates, but the disguise will break if you
damage her or she casts her Q or E.
● Her 7 sec CD Q will do additional damage in the area after a short delay if it kills a
minion or hits you.
● Her 20 sec CD W gives her invisibility for 0.5 secs, a clone that walks in a straight line,
and MS. You can tell which one which one is real if you Q’d her beforehand or she
doesn’t walk in a straight line, and Q’ing the clone will still give you MS.
● Her 12 sec CD E isn’t blocked by minions and even gets stronger if it goes through at
least 1. She’s weak while it’s on CD, but her W still provides her with some safety.
● Her R is outranged (600) by all your abilities. She can use Flash until she jumps up,
which gives you time to Flash too if needed.
● Summoner Spells: Barrier, Cleanse, Ghost, TP

Orianna:
● Favorability: Slightly Orianna favored. Orianna has a slight range advantage over
Cassiopeia, but in order for her to bully she has to get closer, which puts her in range for
retaliation.
● Her 6-3 sec CD Q deals less damage the more of your minions it passes through, so
try to position with minions in between you and her ball if you’re okay with her
damaging them. If you don’t want her to damage your minions, then prioritize
distance between yourself and her ball.
● Her 7 sec CD W has a bit more range than her Q, but it costs quite a bit of mana, so if
she doesn’t have that much mana sustain, standing near her ball while her Q is on CD
can be okay or even good.
● Her 9 sec CD E gives a shield and resistances, so avoid trading when she uses it
unless you have plenty of mana. While it’s on CD, she lacks defense, especially if her
Q is on CD or far away from you.
● Her ult is her main threat that also minimizes your ability to reach her. It fires from
where her ball is, so this is just more reason to stay away from her ball. You can Flash
out of her ult, but then you’ll be more vulnerable when her next ult is available.
● Stay out of range of her R -> Flash when her ball is on her if it’s a threat to you. If she casts
R on herself when you’re not in range, ult for a guaranteed stun if she does Flash toward
you, or Flash away if needed.
● Bonus: If she ults you toward her, you can cast ult to fire from and toward where her ball is.
● Items: Corrupting Pots are effective against her if you’re struggling to trade. MR and health
are both effective for surviving her burst. Rylai’s and Luden’s are helpful for sticking on her
(Luden’s is more for waveclear).
● Summoner Spells: Barrier, Ghost, Heal, TP

Pantheon:
● Favorability: Slightly Cassiopeia favored. Cassiopeia has a slight advantage 1 v 1,
especially as she gets items. However, Pantheon has a strong all-in and some roaming
power, especially with an AP jungler.
● His 8-6 sec CD Q does moderate damage that is increased if you’re below 20% max
health. If you won’t die to his Q, consider ulting when he’s channeling it because it’s more
difficult for him to turn, and he’ll get stunned if he throws it.
● His main threat is his 13 sec CD W, mainly if he has full passive stacks, but it’s
outranged (600) by all your abilities. With full passive stacks, it does increased
damage and counts as 3 autos, which procs his keystone. While he’s midair, you can
cast Q or W on yourself for guaranteed poison, or if it’s from max range, R for a
guaranteed stun. Consider Flashing away while he’s midair to avoid his followup damage
because he’ll land where you previously were.
● His 22 sec CD E gives him invulnerability to non tower damage that comes from
where his shield faces for 1.5 secs or until he cancels it. You can ult him for a
guranteed stun, but it won’t cancel his E. You should kite toward the side or diagonally to
avoid its damage and possibly damage him.
● His ult channels for 2 secs, so if you’re nearby, you can cancel it with your W or R
stun. Your W won’t stop him from casting W or Flash immediately after he lands if he
buffers it.
● Summoner Spells: Barrier, Exhaust, TP

Qiyana:
● Favorability: Slightly Qiyana favored. Cassiopeia has a slight advantage 1 v 1, but Qiyana
has extremely strong roaming potential with her ult that Cassiopeia can’t contest by herself
without a large lead. Qiyana is strong from level 3 onward.
● Her 7 sec CD (reset by W) Q does reduced damage after passing through your
minions. Without an element, it’s outranged (650) by all your abilities. With an
element, it only outranges (710) your E.
● Her 7 sec CD W has to be aimed at and in range of a wall, brush, or river, so you can
have an expectation of where she’ll be dashing toward, and she can’t even use it if
she’s in the center of lane. She changes color based on what element she picks up: green
for invisibility and MS, blue for short snare and slow, and brown for bonus damage when
you’re below 50% health.
● Her 12 sec CD E is a fixed distance, so you can aim where she’ll land. She’s
significantly weaker while it’s on CD.
● You can fish for max ranged Q’s when you have enough mana and aren't overextended or if
Qiyana can’t use both her dashes (her W can’t be used in center of lane and E is targeted).
If Qiyana dashes forward to dodge your Q, you should hold your W until your Q is about to
be available if you want to force a fight, or you can wait until your Q is off CD and use it
while one of her dashes is on CD.
● Her ult is very easy to land if she can get close to you (whenever she has dashes,
including Flash), but it has a very short cast time in which you can Flash or use
Stopwatch/Zhonya’s. Whenever she has can gapclose and has ult, try to stay near
your tower or away from walls.
● Items: Rushing armor is very effective against Qiyana, so you should build Cloth Armor ->
Seeker's Armguard if you want to fight her. You shouldn’t rush a full Zhonya’s early unless
you’re worried about dives or her teammates. Rylai’s is extra effective for kiting outside her
ability ranges and minimizing her ability to use terrain.
● Summoner Spells: Barrier, Cleanse, Exhaust, TP

Rumble:
● Favorability: Even matchup. Rumble has superior waveclear early game, but Cassiopeia
gradually gets stronger as she gets items.
● His red bar fills up when he casts his basic abilities. When it’s at least half filled, his
basic abilities are stronger. When it’s full, he can’t cast abilities for 6 secs, but his
autos do extra damage.
● His main threat is his 10-6 sec CD Q that lasts for 3 secs. It’s outranged (600) by all
your abilities, but his other abilities help him stay in range of you.
● His 6 sec CD W gives him a shield for 1.5 secs and MS until the shield is gone. Don’t
take short trades while his shield is up unless you’re breaking it to reduce his MS.
● His E stores up to 2 harpoons with a recharge rate of 6 secs. They’re blocked by
minions and don’t do that much damage, but they do slow, which can help him Q or
damage with a potential Comet or Liandry’s.
● His ult is his only long ranged ability (1700). Exit it as quickly as possible because it
does damage in the area for 5 secs.
● Items: Rylai’s helps space outside of his Q range and match his slows.
● Summoner Spells: Barrier, Ghost, TP

Ryze:
● Favorability: Slightly Cassiopeia favored. Cassiopeia is stronger 1 v 1, but Ryze has better
waveclear after early game and can farm pretty safely against her.
● His 6 sec CD Q (reset by W or E) is his main damage source. While it’s on CD (or if he
doesn’t have it at level 2) you can win trades by staying out of range (615) of his W
and E.
● His 13 sec CD W is his only CC and also a significant part of his combo.
● His 3 sec CD E amplifies his W and E. Don’t stand too close to minions, so you avoid
it being spread to you. During the short time that it’s on CD, he’s weakest.
● You win trades and fights if you land your poison. Before backing, you lack mana, so
you should only take trades where you can auto or if you can dodge Q’s unless you’re
denying CS. Later, you should try to abuse when his abilities are on CD or out of
range, but you’ll at worst trade evenly and win extended fights if you land poison.
● You can cancel his ult from channeling by W’ing or stunning him with R.
● Items: Rylai’s is effective for sticking on Ryze and kiting outside of his range because he
has an MS boost from his passive (and usually Phase Rush) as well as CC from his W.
● Summoner Spells: Barrier, Cleanse, Ghost, TP

Sylas:
● Favorability: Slightly Cassiopeia favored. Cassiopeia is stronger from level 2 onward,
especially as she gets items.
● Watch out for his autos. He does quite a bit for an AP champ because of his attack speed
and bonus damage from passive.
● His 10-6 sec CD Q does damage again after a 0.6 sec delay, and he has much less
damage while it’s on CD.
● His 14 sec CD W heals him, more based on missing health. It’s outranged (400) by all
your abilities.
● His 14 sec CD E is his main gapcloser other than a potential ult from your teammate.
He can recast it within 3.5 secs to pull himself toward his target, in which you can ult
for a guaranteed stun.
● You can fish Q’s or W’s or even auto when further than 500 range, and save poison for after
he uses both E casts unless you can dodge his E or want him to go in.
● His ult lets him use a copy of your ult or a teammate’s. If he takes yours, you’ll both
be stunned if 1 of you uses yours first and the other ults during the animation. It’s
 easier for you to turn away because his animation is more obvious (he turns into
Cassiopeia).
● Items: MR and health are both effective for surviving against his burst. Rylai’s helps a lot for
spacing outside of his range, so it’s very good for snowballing.
● Summoner Spells: Barrier, Exhaust, Ghost, Ignite, TP

Syndra:
● Favorability: ***Slightly Syndra favored (even matchup if Syndra doesn’t play well).
Syndra can bully starting from level 1 and gets especially powerful as she hits level 2, 3,
and 6.
● Her 4 sec CD Q is the same range as yours but she can move while casting, which
effectively makes her range higher if she plays optimally. Don't trade Q's post level
8 (unless you can dodge hers or need to hit her in order to CS) because hers costs
less mana and does more damage.
● Avoid lining up with her and her Dark Spheres because she can chunk you with her
18 sec CD E. She can also set up her E with her very hard to dodge W slow. When E
is on CD or if you're willing to use summoner spells to avoid it, you have a window
to play aggressive.
● Don't get in range of her 675 range ult if you aren't tanky enough to survive it. It
does more damage the more Dark Spheres there are, and she can easily get an E
stun off the several Dark Spheres that surround you.
● Items: Corrupting Pots are effective against her if you’re struggling to trade. Tear ->
Verdant barrier is effective if you are struggling against her post 6. MR and health are both
effective for surviving her burst damage.
● Summoner Spells: Barrier, Cleanse, Exhaust (if Syndra isn’t good), Ghost, TP

Taliyah:
● Favorability: Even matchup. Both sides have equal opportunities to win trades pre 6, and
Cassiopeia is slightly stronger 1 v 1 post 6. Taliyah has a strong level 3 combo and good
roaming potential post 6.
● Her passive gives her MS when she’s out combat near walls, so keep this in mind
when aiming for Q’s.
● Her 7-3 sec CD Q slightly outranges (1000) all your abilities, so you should space
outside of its range unless she overextends or she can’t use it. When she’s on
worked ground, her Q only fires 1 stone shard. Even though she visually faces the
direction she Q’s, she actually faces whatever direction she faces or is displaced
toward, so don’t force an ult on her; her Q will also continue firing even if she gets
CC’d.
● Her main threat is her 16 sec W combo’d with her 16 sec CD E. As you get items, you
will win trades if you land poison and dodge this combo.
● You can cancel her R by damaging her.
● Items: Rylai’s makes it harder for her to kite/hit you with her Q or exit worked ground, so it’s
very good for snowballing.
● Summoner Spells: Barrier, Ghost, Heal, TP

Talon:
● Favorability: Even matchup. Cassiopeia has an advantage 1 v 1, but Talon’s strength is
roaming. Talon has strong level 2 and 6 all-ins.
● His 8 sec CD (reduced by half if it kills a unit) Q is outranged (575) by all your abilities,
so stay out of its range until you can kill him before he kills you. It will do more
damage if he’s within 170 range, so be careful about getting too close or even his
Flash Q.
● His 9 sec CD W is his only way of trading against you if you stay outside his Q range.
Avoid getting hit by both the release and the return because it allows him to proc his
passive that does DoT.
● His E allows him to jump any wall, so try to track him for your team and don’t overchase (you
may want to Flash on him before he reaches a wall though). He can’t jump over the same
wall for a long time.
● His ult gives him invisibility and MS for up to 2.5 secs, but if he uses it from afar, he
won’t do as much damage, so he’ll usually use it when he’s near you unless he’s
trying to escape. You can Flash its return damage unless he autos you.
● You can Exhaust him as soon as he Q’s you, and even if he ults, he’ll be slowed and the
damage will be reduced, so you have much more opportunities to chase him.
● Bonus: You can R -> Flash backward, when Talon Q’s you from max range, to guarantee a
stun and bring him toward where you Flashed, such as tower.
● Items: Armor and health are both effective for surviving his all-in. Rylai’s can help snowball
by helping kite just outside his range and preventing him from reaching walls to jump over.
You shouldn’t rush a full Zhonya’s isn’t optimal early unless you’re worried about dives or his
teammates.
● Summoner Spells: Barrier, Exhaust, TP

Tristana:
● Favorability: Slightly Cassiopeia favored. Tristana is stronger pre 6, but Cassiopeia has the
tools to survive and counter her aggression. As Cassiopeia gets items and levels, she gets
stronger than Tristana and can reliably bully with any lead.
● Level 1 you can E outside of her range to proc Manaflow or pop her Boneplating if
she has it. Post level 2, disengage her W -> E, so that she can’t get her W reset (4
autos with her E on you). Don’t use poison to push unless you’re stronger than her
(including if her abilities are on CD); she’ll eventually push back to you due to her E
passive.
● Her passive gives her range per level. Her range is low during laning phase.
● Her 20 sec CD Q gives her bonus attack speed for 7 secs. It’s not particularly strong,
until she gets items, other than for bursty trades with her E and potentially Press the
Attack.
● Her 22 sec (reset by takedowns or 4 autos with her E on you) CD W has 900 range, so
she can gapclose from far away. The further she jumps, the longer it takes for her to
land, so you can damage her midair. If she W’s from far away, you can ult her for a
guaranteed stun. While it’s on CD, you can abuse her lower range.
● Her E passive does damage around minions that she kills, so don’t stand too close to
minions that are she can kill. Its 16 sec CD active is her main source of damage other
than DPS from autos, so avoid letting her stack it unless you’re a lot stronger, and
look to fight her when it’s on CD. It explodes after 4 secs or after autoing 4 times, so
time your Barrier or Exhaust accordingly if you have them.
● Her ult is knockback, so don’t cast ult right before it hits you unless you want your ult
to fire backward to hit someone else.
● You can fish for Q’s outside her auto range, once you have enough mana sustain, and if she
W’s forward, you should W where she lands.
● Items: Leeching Leer -> Riftmaker allows you to dominate 1 v 1 trades and all-ins. Seeker’s
Armguard can help for 1 v 1’ing because most of her damage is physical and undodgeable.
● Summoner Spells: Barrier, Exhaust

Twisted Fate:
● Favorability: Slightly Cassiopeia favored. Cassiopeia is stronger 1 v 1, but post level 6,
Twisted Fate can roam very well.
● His 6 sec CD Q is the only long ranged ability that you need to dodge.
● His main threat is his 8 sec CD W. It has the same range (525) as his autos, so it’s
outranged by all your abilities.
● His ult channels for 1.5 secs, so if you’re nearby, you can cancel it with your W or R
stun.
● You win extended trades if you land poison, so try to space outside of his auto range
or wait for his to W to be on CD. When he has ult, try to push the wave to his tower or
get him low to prevent him from getting good roams off.
● I recommend Cleanse unless you use the tenacity rune and the enemy can’t gank well
because he has a very low CD stun that he can use pretty reliably.
● Items: Rylai’s helps space outside of his range and kite/chase him even he does CC you, so
it’s very good for snowballing.
● Summoner Spells: Cleanse, Ghost, TP

Veigar:
● Favorability: Slightly Cassiopeia favored. Cassiopeia is stronger 1 v 1, but if Veigar’s
jungler has gank pressure, there’s little she can do to bully on her own because of his E.
● He gets AP for killing units with Q or hitting champs with any of his abilities. Try to
pressure him, so he can’t freely last hit minions with his Q, but also avoid getting hit
by his abilities unless you can take an extended trade/deny CS.
● His W has 100% AP ratio, so it does a lot of damage as the game progresses, but it
takes a long time to land, so it’s worth trying to dodge.
● His 18 sec CD E is his only defense against you. Avoid walking into the stun (stay
inside the cage if you’re already inside) unless you’re dodging a crucial ability or
willing to use Cleanse or QSS.
● His R is a 650 range point-and-click that does a lot of increased damage based on
missing health. Be careful getting too close when you’re low health, and use
Barrier/Seraph’s earlier in a fight to avoid getting low.
● Items: MR is more effective defensive option than health because his ult does increased
damage based on missing health. QSS is very effective if you don't have Cleanse or
Legend: Tenacity.
● Summoner Spells: Barrier, Cleanse, Ghost, TP

Vel'Koz:

● Favorability: Slightly Vel’Koz favored. He has stronger waveclear and poke and has
decent defensive tools. He is strong at level 3 and has kill pressure at level 6.
● His Q has a 7 sec CD. It’s much easier trade when it’s down, but you still have to
watch out for getting damaged by 3 abilities.
● If you proc Phase Rush, the main thing you have to avoid is his 16 sec CD E. Watch out
for his E in general because he can 100-0 combo you if he lands it and has ult.
● He has low kill threat without his ult, but he can still chunk you out.
● R or R -> Flash him when he's channeling his own ult for a guaranteed stun and to
stop his ult.
● Items: His passive deals true damage, so MR is mainly effective for his Q and W harass,
but not as effective otherwise. Rylai’s and Luden’s are helpful for sticking on him (Luden’s
is more for waveclear).
● Summoner Spells: Barrier, Ghost, Heal, TP

Viktor:
● Favorability: Even matchup. Viktor has a slight advantage 1 v 1, but he’s slightly more
susceptible to ganks and weaker in skirmishes.
● His 9 sec CD Q gives him a small shield and empowers his next auto. You won’t win a
trade against it unless you land poison, so avoid it at level 1.
● His 17 sec CD W is his only CC during lane. Prioritize getting out of it, so you don’t
get stunned, and if you land poison, you’ll win extended trades while his W’s on CD.
● His 12-8 sec CD E is his main source of waveclear, poke, and damage. It outranges
you, so don’t look to land poison unless its to get wave control or if he walks in range
+ you can take an extended trade. He’s much weaker while it’s on CD, but if he lands
 it, it does quite a bit of damage as the game progresses, such that he may be able to
kill you while you’re low health. When it’s augmented, it does damage in the area 1
sec after.
● His ult is his main source of DPS. It travels slowly early, so try to kite out of it.
● Items: Corruptings Pots are effective against him if you’re struggling to trade. Rylai’s and
Luden’s are helpful for sticking on him (Luden’s is more for waveclear).
● Summoner Spells: Barrier, Ghost, TP

Vladimir:
● Favorability: Slightly Cassiopeia favored. It takes a little while for Cassiopeia to have
enough mana to reliably kill Vlad unless she takes Ignite or builds Oblivion Orb, and Vlad
has significant kill pressure post 6 if he takes Ignite.
● His 9-5 sec CD is his main trading tool pre 6. It’s weaker than Cassiopeia’s abilities,
but he can heal off minions with it as well. It’s very important that you stay out of
range (600) of his empowered Q’s (until he uses them on something else or they time
out), unless you can commit to an extended fight, because they deal a lot more
damage and heal a lot more but will heal less off minions.
● His 28 sec CD W grants him 2 secs of untargetability (DoT still damage) and decaying
MS. It also slows and does a bit of damage + healing, so avoid standing on it unless
you’re chasing him down. He has much less outplay potential while it’s on CD. If you
W him before he casts it, he will still be grounded and slowed while inside it. If he has a
Protobelt, he can use it during his W.
● His 13 sec CD E only has 600 range, slows him by 20%, and can be blocked by
minions/teammates, so you can use all your abilities outside of its range. However, he
can use all abilities (including summoner spells) while charging his E.
● His 700 range ult increases damage by 10% for 4 secs and afterwards does a good
amount of damage and healing. He needs it in order to win an all-in unless he gets
very fed or you’re low.
● Items: MR and health are both effective for surviving against his all-in combo. Rylai’s helps
a lot for spacing outside of his range, so it’s very good for snowballing. Consider Oblivion
Orb for grievous wounds, especially if his team has healing.
● Summoner Spells: Barrier, Ignite, TP
Xerath:
● Favorability: Slightly Xerath favored. His strength is ability to poke you to death from out
of your range, but he can only reliably do this once he has mana sustain and if he lands
his abilities and can avoid ganks.
● He can get a bit of mana from autoing minions with his passive, doubled if he autos
a champs. If he autos you, you win trades. If he autos minions, you can reach him.
If he doesn't auto minions, you have complete pushing advantage, and he'll run out
of mana until he has mana items/blue buff.
● While he's charging his Q, he's slowed, so you have an opportunity to reach him if
he takes too long to aim. You can R -> flash while he's charging Q, or W -> flash
whenever he's overextended, but the tradeoff is obviously that you're using Flash.
● His 14 sec CD W is very big, but slows more in the center.
● His main CC is his 13 sec CD E, which stuns for a shorter duration the closer you
are to him. Either stand within your own range on him ready to dodge it, or get very
close.
● Watch out for his ult when you get low. It has an extremely long range (5000).
● Items: MR is more effective than health against him because he will be poking you out.
Rylai’s and Luden’s are helpful for sticking on him (Luden’s is more for waveclear).
● Summoner Spells: Barrier, Cleanse, Ghost, Heal, TP

Yasuo:
● Favorability: Even matchup. He is strong from level 2 onward, but he can also be
threatening at level 1 if he starts E and you walk too far up. He has a slight advantage early
in lane (you don't even have enough mana to kill him unless he really messes up), but Cass
can farm safely, while Yasuo doesn't roam well unless he has teammate knockups.
● Level 1 you should usually literally not damage Yasuo or minions unless he's
started pushing toward you, so that you can freeze the wave in front of your tower.
You can push if Yasuo doesn’t have a combat summoner spell advantage and you’re
confident in landing Q’s.
● His regular 4-1 sec CD Q is pretty thin, so it's best to dodge to the side if you can't get out
of range.
● Generally keep your distance as he's about to get and when he has his Q tornado
(he Q'd any targets 2 times).
● If he has targets to dash to, you usually have to hold Q and W unless you aim at the
destination of his E (fixed distance) or you want him to dash in the direction. You
can fish for max ranged Q's as he's last hitting if you're near your tower or not close
enough to your minions for him to reach you. He can always dodge it by either walking
back out of range or E'ing through your minion, but there's a chance that he doesn't, and
you can auto/E him if he dashes too close to you. Opening with W is much more reliable,
 but he can use his own W to disengage, and there's not many opportunities where it's
safe to open with W in lane.
● You can stand far behind your caster minions, and he won't be able to reach you
without E'ing onto you, in which case you land Q afterwards. If he comes toward
you, but doesn't E you, you can E and auto without retaliation.
● You can stand to the side of the wave if it's safe from ganks. It allows you to W your entire
minion wave that he'll want to dash through. Even if you're not to the side of your wave,
you'll usually want to W on your minions if possible to minimize Yasuo's mobility.
● His W lasts 4 secs and has a 26 sec CD, but it only blocks your W (just whatever
part of your W hits the windwall) and E, and you can potentially quickly kite to the
side of it with your MS boosts.
● Keep your distance away from his E -> Q -> Flash range if it's a threat toward you
● Points in W after E is maxed are extra effective because his E is based on his MS.
● You can ult Yasuo while he's in his E animation toward you for a guaranteed stun, but it's
too slow if he's E'ing through you (or something right nearby), and you still have to watch
out for him Flashing.
● If he has ult, don't cast anything as you're about to get knocked up other than W on
yourself or E because his ult is a blink.
● His ult damage applies when he lands, so right before that is when you should use Barrier
or Exhaust if you have them.
● Bonus: You can W -> Flash or R -> Flash backward when Yasuo E -> Q's onto you.
● Items: Rylai's is extra effective because his E is based on his MS. Armor isn't as effective
against Yasuo's ult armor pen, but Zhonya's is better if you're concerned about getting
tower dove. Liandry’s helps damage Yasuo if he’s behind windwall or you miss poison,
Riftmaker helps outduel Yasuo and his teammates if you’re confident in landing poison
and kiting, or Everfrost can root Yasuo while he’s behind windwall or at least slow him to
counter his E or kite him.
● Summoner Spells: Barrier, Exhaust, Ignite, TP

Yone:
● Favorability: ***Even matchup. Cassiopeia can bully him at levels 1 and 2. After that, the
matchup is heavily gank influenced. If Cassiopeia doesn’t have to worry about ganks, she
can harass Yone with limited retaliation. If she’s vulnerable to ganks, Yone can heavily win
trades and has high kill pressure.
● His regular 4-1 sec CD Q is pretty thin, so it's best to dodge to the side if you can't get out
of range.
● Keep your distance as he's about to get and when he has his Q tornado (he Q'd any
targets 2 times). He can Q something -> Flash to extend the Q distance.
● His 16 sec CD W does damage, and it gives him a large shield based on how many
champs he hits with it.
● His main threat is from his 22 sec CD (starting from when he returns) E that helps
him gapclose and deal more damage for up to 5 secs. Unless you have a large
 advantage, you should focus on disengaging with Q MS. If you have a lot of mana
or no Q, you can use W because it has about the same CD as his E, and he’s
weaker while both are CD. He can’t return while grounded or stunned, but he can
return before the CC lands.
● If you’re trying to escape, don’t use W right before he’s about to return from his E (his ult
can be used to to extend the duration) because it’ll prevent him from doing so and allow
him to continue damaging you.
● If you’re stronger: Kite to the side after he E’s, so that you can reach his return location,
and be ready to poison it. Try to W before ulting so that he can’t dodge your ult with his
return E. If you need to use Flash, use it toward his return location.
● Be careful about where you recall because he can use E to stop/kill you even if you’re
under tower, and it’s only punished if he’s ganked.
● His ult provides him with a lot of additional threat, especially if he has Q tornado
(guarantees his ult lands), E, or Flash and your defensive abilities are on CD. If it’s
about to hit you, Q or W slightly behind you for guaranteed poison.
● His ult can be used as an escape, so you may want to block it with your body.
● Bonus: You can W -> Flash or R -> Flash backward when Yone ults toward you. You can
ult him for a guaranteed stun if you do it as soon as he casts his and he’s in your range.
● Items: Rylai’s is extra effective for kiting away from his E and chasing him after his abilities
are on CD. Armor isn’t that effective unless his jungler is AD because he does magic
damage as well. Riftmaker helps outduel him and sustain after he trades.
● Summoner Spells: Barrier, Exhaust, Ignite, TP

Zed:
● Favorability: ***Even matchup. He's strong at level 2 and especially at level 3 and
onward, but you just have to avoid his W and the abilities he can use from it. You need to
be in a safe position or have recalled when he's about to hit level 6.
● His 6 sec CD Q does less damage the more of your minions it passes through.
● His W has a 20 sec CD but lasts 5 secs. He loses a lot of all-in potential when it’s on
CD.
● Pay attention to his shadows. He can only teleport to them once, but he can create
1 from his W and another 1 from his R (last 6 secs).
● If he ults you drop W right behind you, or if you want to bring him somewhere you
can W and Flash into it.
● Don't use abilities that you need when Zed's in range to R because he'll be
untargetable with his R.
● You can time R immediately to hit Zed immediately after he lands from his R, but he
can turn away or teleport to his W if he casted it prior to ulting (he has to wait 0.5
secs before he can return to his R shadow). You may want to R toward where he R'd
from and Flash backward to get the stun on him if he does turn.
● You'll often want to use Stopwatch/Zhonya's immediately when Zed ults you, so that you
don't receive any damage, but if you can survive his initial burst and get some useful
 damage/CC in, you should Stopwatch/Zhonya's within 3 secs after he ults so that you
don't receive his ult damage.
● If you have Exhaust, you should usually use it immediately when Zed lands from his ult.
● Items: Rushing armor is very effective against Zed, so you should build Tear -> Cloth
Armor -> Seeker's Armguard (if Zed is good). Stopwatch is good if the enemy Zed opens
with ult, but if the Zed is good they will usually instead look to chunk you with basic
abilities. You can rush the full Zhonya’s if you need to, but you will lose waveclear power
by doing this. You should usually buy Stopwatch/Zhonya’s later unless Zed is too
weak/you have very good peel. Riftmaker helps sustain his poke and outduel him, and
Everfrost can help burst and lock him down after he ults.
● Summoner Spells: Barrier, Exhaust, TP

Ziggs:
● Favorability: ***Slightly Cassiopeia favored. Cassiopeia can get in range to reach Ziggs
and is a stronger duelist.
● His 6-4 sec CD Q does damage in a small area around enemies it hits, so don’t stand
too close to minions. It’s his main damage source, so look to trade while it’s on CD or
if you can dodge it.
● His 20 sec CD W is his main defensive tool against you. He can potentially knock you
into his nearby Q or E. If he stands on it, it knocks him away unless he’s
snared/grounded.
● His 16 sec CD E is mostly a zoning tool. Try to walk around, but it’s worth taking
damage from a few of the mines to avoid his other abilities/damage him yourself.
● His ult does more damage in its center. It has an extremely long range (5000), but
takes longer to travel the further away he casts it.
● Summoner Spells: Barrier, Ghost, Heal, TP

Zoe:
● Favorability: Slightly Zoe favored. It’s mostly even pre 6, but Zoe can pick up powerful
spells with her W to give her a slight advantage. Post 6, Zoe has more trading power 1 v 1,
but Cassiopeia has the tools to survive.
● Her 8.5-6.5 sec CD Q does damage in a small area around enemies it hits, so don’t
stand too close to minions. It does more damage the further it travels and is her main
damage source.
● Her W allows her to pick up summoner spells and item actives that you or your team
uses, and also from minions that she kills that have balloons; a single one is available
for 1 min. Using these spells or her own summoner spells gives her MS and some
damage. Avoid fighting early when she has a spell available unless you have a
massive advantage, such as all her other abilities being on CD.
● Her 20 sec CD E is her biggest threat unless her Q just went on CD (it won't be
available while you’re CC’d). It’s worth Cleansing unless Zoe can’t use a long ranged
Q for followup.
● Her 11 sec CD ult is a blink that makes her return to her original location 1 sec later,
so you should save your skillshots for where she’s going to land unless you can hit
her as soon as she ults. She can use it to extend the range (and therefore increase
the damage) of her Q and to get closer for her E, so you should stand behind minions,
but be prepared to walk away from them when Zoe uses Q.
● You can R when she R’s forward, but she can also turn, so it’s only worth doing if you will
get punished if she lands E, or if you’re able to chase her after she returns to her original
location.
● Items: MR and health are both effective for surviving her burst. Rylai’s helps stick on her,
especially because of her extra MS and potentially Flashes from W. Banshee’s Veil can
block her Q damage or E CC, so it’s effective if her team has a lot of magic damage.
● Summoner Spells: Cleanse