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Draven Counters: Who Beats Draven

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

Draven counters are ADCs who out-range his axes, punish him for walking to catch them, or survive his early lane until he runs out of steam. He’s a 550-range marksman whose damage depends on catching Spinning Axe over and over, which means his movement is predictable.

For each pick, we put its patch 26.21 kit beside Draven’s and looked for the clash. Win-rate data was skipped.

Draven counters: Draven, the Glorious Executioner, splash art

What makes Draven dangerous in bot lane?

  • League of Draven (passive): catching Spinning Axes and killing minions, monsters or towers builds Adoration; champion kills cash it in for bonus gold.
  • Spinning Axe (Q): his next attack deals bonus physical damage and the axe bounces up; catching it readies another, up to two at once. Cooldown 12/11/10/9/8.
  • Blood Rush (W): Move Speed that fades fast plus Attack Speed; catching an axe refreshes the cooldown. Cooldown 12.
  • Stand Aside (E): thrown axes that damage, knock targets aside and slow them. Cooldown 16/15/14/13/12.
  • Whirling Death (R): two huge axes that cross the map, reverse after hitting a champion, and execute anyone below his Adoration stacks. Cooldown 100/90/80.

Thing is, Draven hits harder than almost any ADC in the first levels, because Spinning Axe adds bonus damage to his attacks and he keeps it going as long as he catches the bounce. Each catch also refreshes Blood Rush. The problem for him? Every axe lands somewhere, and he has to walk there. A Draven chasing axes is a Draven who can’t dodge freely (he’s committed to that spot), so counters either out-range the whole dance, punish the spot he’s walking to, or lock him in place so the axes drop on the floor.

Who are the best Draven counters in bot lane?

Caitlyn

Caitlyn has 650 range against his 550, and that gap decides the lane. She can attack him while he walks to catch an axe, and he can’t answer without stepping closer. Her traps hold whoever steps in them for 1.5 seconds. Put traps where axes land, and Draven has to pick between the axe and the trap. Headshot (passive) fires a bonus-damage shot every few attacks, with doubled range against trapped or netted targets. 90 Caliber Net (E) slows him and knocks her back, Piltover Peacemaker (Q) is a long penetrating shot, and Ace in the Hole (R) finishes him from a huge distance.

Ashe

Ashe slows everything she hits. Frost Shot (passive) chills the target with every attack and makes her deal more damage to slowed enemies, so a Draven walking toward an axe walks slower and might not reach it. Her W cone does the same to anyone in front of her. Enchanted Crystal Arrow (R) stuns the first champion hit, longer the farther it flew, and slows enemies around him; a stunned Draven drops both axes. Ranger’s Focus (Q) builds with attacks and turns her basic attack into a flurry with extra Attack Speed when full. Hawkshot (E) scouts anywhere on the map. She also has 600 range. Honestly, the slow is the matchup, because a Draven who arrives late to his own axe loses both the damage and the Blood Rush reset in one go.

Varus

Varus punishes the spot Draven is walking to. Hail of Arrows (E) desecrates the ground, slowing enemies there and cutting their self-healing and regeneration, so axes landing in it are axes Draven catches slowly. Chain of Corruption (R) immobilizes the first champion hit and spreads to nearby champions, including his support. Piercing Arrow (Q) charges for extra range and damage, and Blighted Quiver (W) stacks Blight on attacks that his other abilities detonate for damage based on max Health. Living Vengeance (passive) boosts his Attack Damage and Ability Power after takedowns. He has 575 range, a little more than Draven.

Ezreal

Ezreal skips the trade Draven wants. Mystic Shot (Q) is a long-range bolt that lowers all his cooldowns on a hit, and Essence Flux (W) sticks to a champion and detonates when Ezreal hits him again. Arcane Shift (E) teleports him a short distance and fires a homing bolt, so when Draven uses Blood Rush to close in, Ezreal is already gone. Rising Spell Force (passive) stacks Attack Speed with each spell hit, up to 5. Trueshot Barrage (R) fires a wide beam across the map after a short wind-up. Is that enough to win lane? Usually not to win it outright. It’s enough to not lose it, and Draven needs to win early.

Sivir

Sivir’s E soaks one incoming spell, and a successful block refunds some Health and sends her off faster. Stand Aside is a thrown ability, so a timed shield stops the knock-aside and the slow, and Whirling Death can be blocked the same way. Boomerang Blade (Q) damages on the way out and back, and Ricochet (W) makes her next few attacks faster and bounce to nearby targets, which clears waves well against a Draven who wants to push. Fleet of Foot (passive) gives a short burst of speed after attacking a champion. On The Hunt (R) speeds up her whole team and lowers her spell cooldowns as she attacks. To be fair, Sivir only blocks one ability at a time.

How should Draven counters play the lane?

  • Stand where his axes will land. He has to walk there to catch them, and that’s where he’s easiest to hit.
  • Trade when he drops an axe. A missed catch means no bonus damage on the next attack and no Blood Rush refresh.
  • Respect his early levels. Spinning Axe hits hard from level 1.
  • Dodge Stand Aside. It knocks you aside and slows, which is how he starts most all-ins.
  • Watch your Health against Whirling Death. It executes anyone below his Adoration stacks.

What should Draven counters build?

Armor where it fits. His damage is physical, so Plated Steelcaps reduce damage from attacks by 10% and suit any ADC’s support; a support can add Frozen Heart for its aura, which reduces the Attack Speed of nearby champions by 20%. Mages can use Zhonya’s Hourglass to sit out his all-in (a niche pick, but it works). Our League items guide has every number.

When is Draven weakest?

When he drops axes. Each missed catch loses Spinning Axe’s bonus damage and Blood Rush’s reset at once (for what it’s worth, a Draven juggling two axes misses more often than he lets on). Slows and immobilizes force those misses.

And when the lane goes long. League of Draven pays out bonus gold on champion kills, so a Draven who gets nothing early has nothing to cash in. Can he still come back? Sure, with one good fight, which is why the Adoration execute on Whirling Death deserves respect all game.

New to bot lane? Our rundown of League positions covers the ADC role. Other champion breakdowns sit in our guide catalog, and his skins are on the Draven skins page. In short, Draven counters punish the axe catch.

FAQ

Who counters Draven the most?

ADCs who out-range or slow him, or skip his trades: Caitlyn, Ashe, Varus, Ezreal and Sivir.

How do you punish Draven’s axes?

Stand near where Spinning Axes land and trade when he walks there. A dropped axe loses the bonus damage and the Blood Rush reset.

Can Sivir block Draven’s abilities?

Spell Shield blocks a single enemy ability cast on her, including Stand Aside or Whirling Death.

What is the cooldown of Whirling Death?

Whirling Death has a cooldown of 100/90/80 seconds.

How were these Draven counters chosen?

Each pick had to out-range him, slow or immobilize him on the axe catch, or avoid his trades, judged from patch 26.21 ability text. Win rates were not used.