Nilah is a unique champion in League of Legends who combines melee combat with high mobility and healing. With her exceptional dueling power and strong sustain through her passive, she can be a formidable opponent in both the laning phase and team fights. However, like all champions, Nilah has some clear weaknesses and can be effectively countered by the right champions.
In this guide, we’ll explore the best Nilah counter picks and break down how each one can exploit her weaknesses in the lane, during the mid-game, and in team fights.
Jinx: Outranging and Scaling Threat
Jinx, with her incredible range and late-game scaling, can be a tough matchup for Nilah. In the laning phase, Jinx’s Switcheroo! allows her to poke Nilah from a distance with her long-ranged rockets. This makes it hard for Nilah to engage or trade without taking significant damage. Jinx's Zap! can also be used to slow and punish Nilah when she tries to close the gap.
As the game progresses, Jinx’s range advantage becomes even more apparent. In team fights, Nilah relies on getting into the thick of things with her Slipstream and ultimate, but Jinx can safely kite away using her Get Excited! passive whenever a kill or assist happens. This makes it difficult for Nilah to stick to Jinx, and her lack of range becomes a critical disadvantage against Jinx's consistent DPS and late-game power.
Xayah: Peel and Ultimate Counter
Xayah excels against Nilah due to her self-peeling tools and burst potential. In lane, Xayah can use Double Daggers to poke Nilah safely while building up feathers behind her. If Nilah attempts an all-in, Xayah can position her Bladecaller to root Nilah, disrupting her engage and punishing her aggressive playstyle.
Xayah’s real strength against Nilah comes in team fights. Nilah’s ultimate, Apotheosis, draws champions towards her in a dangerous AOE, but Xayah can completely negate this with her Featherstorm ultimate, becoming untargetable and avoiding the pull effect. Additionally, Featherstorm allows Xayah to reposition and set up her feathers for a devastating Bladecaller, making it hard for Nilah to follow through on her ultimate without getting rooted and focused down.
Also Read: Best Kassadin Counters: 7 Picks to Dominate Mid Lane
Jhin: Poke and Utility Master
Jhin brings both long-range poke and crowd control, which can severely hinder Nilah’s game plan. During the laning phase, Jhin’s Dancing Grenade and Deadly Flourish allow him to poke at a safe distance while zoning Nilah. The key for Jhin in this matchup is using his superior range and snare to punish Nilah whenever she tries to engage.
In team fights, Jhin’s utility becomes even more oppressive for Nilah. His Curtain Call ultimate can slow and zone her out, making it difficult for her to engage on key targets. Additionally, Jhin’s Deadly Flourish can chain crowd control with his team, locking Nilah down when she tries to dive into the backline. Nilah’s reliance on mobility and short-range engages plays directly into Jhin’s strengths as a methodical marksman who can keep his distance and disrupt her attempts to all-in.
Kalista: Kiting and Skirmishing Queen
Kalista is one of the best champions at punishing melee ADCs like Nilah. In lane, Kalista’s passive Martial Poise allows her to outmaneuver Nilah constantly. She can kite away from Nilah’s engages, using her empowered auto-attacks and Pierce to poke her down and disengage when needed. Nilah has a hard time sticking to Kalista because of her constant mobility, which means she struggles to find favorable trades.
In team fights, Kalista’s mobility shines even more. She can consistently kite Nilah, avoiding her engage and ultimate. Moreover, Kalista’s ultimate Fate’s Call provides her with an extra layer of safety, allowing her to save her support from dangerous situations and reposition for optimal damage. This makes it extremely difficult for Nilah to lock down and eliminate Kalista before Kalista can dish out sustained damage in extended skirmishes.
Also Read: Top 10 Best Supports to Play with Kai’sa
Draven: Early Game Pressure and Burst
Draven’s aggressive early-game playstyle makes him a nightmare for Nilah, who relies on scaling and sustain to survive the lane. Draven’s Spinning Axes provide massive burst damage, and his early lane dominance can force Nilah onto the defensive playstyle. Nilah’s sustain from her passive may help her in short bursts, but Draven’s relentless pressure with constant poke and high-damage autos makes it hard for her to trade effectively.
Draven also thrives in chaotic early fights, where Nilah struggles to deal with his snowball potential. If Draven gets an early lead, Nilah will have a hard time coming back, as she lacks the range and burst to out-duel him. In team fights, Draven’s ultimate Whirling Death can apply massive damage from a distance, allowing him to contribute even if Nilah tries to dive into the backline. Overall, Draven’s early game dominance and ability to punish any misstep from Nilah make him a dangerous counter pick.
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