Corki Counters: Who Beats Corki

Updated for patch 26.21. Ability details come from Riot’s official game data for this patch.

Corki counters are mid laners who block or reflect his missiles, or who burst him once Valkyrie is on cooldown. He’s a 550-range marksman-mage whose attacks deal part of their damage as true damage, with a flash bomb, a flying dash, a cone that shreds both resistances, and a stockpile of missiles for his ultimate.

The five picks were matched to Corki’s patch 26.21 ability text kit by kit. We didn’t use any win rates.

Why is Corki hard to counter?

• Hextech Munitions (passive): a percentage of his basic attack damage is dealt as bonus true damage.
• Phosphorus Bomb (Q): a flash bomb that deals magic damage in an area and reveals units there for a while. Cooldown 9/8.5/8/7.5/7.
• Valkyrie (W): he flies a short distance, dropping bombs that leave a trail of fire. Cooldown 20/18/16/14/12.
• Gatling Gun (E): rapid fire in a cone that deals damage and lowers enemy Armor and Magic Resist. Cooldown 12.
• Missile Barrage (R): a missile that explodes on impact for area damage; he stores missiles over time, and every third one is a Big One with extra damage. Cooldown 2.

Corki pokes from a distance and keeps poking. Missile Barrage has a 2 second cooldown and stores charges, so his ultimate is really a spammable long-range spell, and Gatling Gun strips your Armor and Magic Resist whenever you’re close enough to trade. His passive turns part of every attack into true damage, which resistances don’t touch at all. What’s the weakness? Missiles are projectiles, and some champions can block or bounce projectiles. And his only escape is Valkyrie, a 20 second cooldown at rank 1. Take it away, or catch him once it’s spent, and he’s a 550-range carry with no exit.

Which champions are the best Corki counters?

Yasuo

Wind Wall (W) blocks all enemy projectiles for 4 seconds, and Missile Barrage is a missile, by name. Put the wall between you and Corki during a trade and his strongest poke spell does nothing for those 4 seconds. Sweeping Blade (E) dashes through enemy units, minions included, which gets Yasuo in range of a Corki farming behind his wave, and Steel Tempest (Q) knocks up at 2 stacks to set up Last Breath (R). Way of the Wanderer (passive) shields him as he moves. Honestly, it’s the cleanest answer to missile spam in the mid lane.

Mel

Rebuttal (W) reflects enemy projectiles back at whoever fired them, and Mel takes no damage while it’s up. A Big One sent back at Corki is a strange way to lose a trade, but it happens. Solar Snare (E) roots at its center, Radiant Volley (Q) hits an area repeatedly, and every hit stacks Overwhelm from Searing Brilliance (passive) toward an execute. Golden Eclipse (R) then strikes every marked enemy at any distance. The thing is, Rebuttal has a long cooldown, so Mel should save it for the moment Corki commits to a barrage.

LeBlanc

Distortion (W) dashes LeBlanc to a spot and deals damage around where she lands, then lets her return to her starting point within 4 seconds. In, burst, out. Sigil of Malice (Q) marks and detonates for extra damage when another ability hits, Ethereal Chains (E) roots Corki if he stays shackled for 1.5 seconds, and Mimic (R) copies one of her basic spells. Valkyrie can carry Corki out of the chain, but only once every 20 seconds at rank 1. Mirror Image (passive) makes her invisible briefly and creates a decoy when she drops low.

Galio

Phosphorus Bomb deals magic damage, and Galio is built around it. Hero’s Entrance (R) gives every ally in the target area a magic shield before Galio smashes down and knocks up nearby enemies, which makes him a roaming answer to Corki’s side of a skirmish. Justice Punch (E) charges forward and knocks up the first enemy champion he meets, and Shield of Durand (W) taunts nearby enemies on release. Winds of War (Q) forms a tornado that deals damage over time, and Colossal Smash (passive) adds area magic damage to his attacks. Funny enough, Galio doesn’t need to win lane against Corki; he needs to win every fight around it.

Syndra

Matching Corki’s 550 range with her own 550, Syndra trades evenly at the edge of his reach. Scatter the Weak (E) knocks enemies back and stuns those hit by Dark Spheres, which is a stun Corki can only dodge with Valkyrie. Dark Sphere (Q) leaves spheres on the field for her other spells, Force of Will (W) throws a sphere or a minion to slow, and her ultimate (R) hurls every sphere she has at one champion. Transcendent (passive) upgrades her abilities as she collects Splinters of Wrath. To be fair, Corki’s missiles out-range her spells, so she wins by catching him, not by poking.

How do you play the lane against Corki?

• Bait Valkyrie, then commit. It’s his only escape, and at rank 1 it’s on a 20 second cooldown.
• Stay out of the Gatling Gun cone. It lowers your Armor and Magic Resist while it fires.
• Count his missiles. Every third Missile Barrage is a Big One that deals extra damage, so the third shot is the one to dodge.
• Walk out of the Valkyrie fire trail. It damages opponents who remain in it.
• Don’t stand in Phosphorus Bomb for vision fights. It reveals units in the area for a while after it lands.

Which items counter Corki?

Health and spell shields work best, because Hextech Munitions deals part of his attack damage as true damage, which no resistance reduces. Kaenic Rookern still has value, since Phosphorus Bomb is magic damage, and it brings 400 Health, 80 Magic Resist and a magic shield after a stretch without taking magic damage. Time a Spell Shield from Banshee’s Veil or Edge of Night against the third missile, and the Big One pops on the shield instead of you. Randuin’s Omen adds Health, Armor and an active slow for when you finally reach him. Zhonya’s Hourglass puts you in Stasis for 2.5 seconds when a barrage lines up on you. Our items database has the full numbers for every one.

When is Corki at his weakest?

Right after Valkyrie. It’s his only movement, a 20 second cooldown at rank 1 (12 at rank 5), and without it he’s a 550-range champion with poke and no way out. In practice, every counter above is built around that window, whether it’s a LeBlanc chain, a Syndra stun or a Galio knock-up.

He’s also weaker when his missiles can’t land. Can Yasuo and Mel make Missile Barrage useless for a while? Yes, for a few seconds at a time (Wind Wall lasts 4). Long story short, his lane leans on long-range poke, and a champion who blocks it or survives it until the first all-in usually comes out ahead.

Unsure what a mid laner is meant to do? Our guide to LoL roles lays it out position by position, with the mid lane’s mix of mages and assassins explained. For other champions, there’s the guide collection. His planes and outfits fill the Corki skins page, and ARAM players should head to the Corki ARAM guide instead (different map, different build). Put simply, Corki counters block the missiles or catch him after Valkyrie.

FAQ

Who counters Corki the most?

Mid laners who block his missiles or punish Valkyrie’s cooldown: Yasuo, Mel, LeBlanc, Galio and Syndra.

Can Yasuo’s Wind Wall block Missile Barrage?

Wind Wall blocks all enemy projectiles for 4 seconds, and Missile Barrage fires missiles, so the wall stops them while it lasts.

Does Magic Resist work against Corki?

Partly. Phosphorus Bomb deals magic damage, but Hextech Munitions turns a percentage of his attack damage into true damage, which ignores Armor and Magic Resist.

What is Valkyrie’s cooldown?

From 20 seconds at rank 1 down to 12 at rank 5 (20/18/16/14/12). It’s Corki’s only dash, so it’s the number to track.

How were these counters chosen?

Two questions decided it: does the champion beat the missiles, and can they punish Valkyrie, based on patch 26.21 ability text. Match statistics were not used.