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Shyvana Counters: Who Beats Shyvana

Updated for patch 26.22. Ability details come from Riot’s official game data for this patch.

Shyvana counters are junglers who stop her Dragon’s Descent leap, punish her attack-based damage, or out-range her before she transforms. She’s a 150-range fighter who stacks defenses from takedowns and turns into a dragon, empowering her area strike, her burning shield and her fireball.

These five come from reading her patch 26.22 ability text against each counter’s kit. Statistics stayed out of it.

Shyvana counters: Shyvana, the Half-Dragon, splash art

Why is Shyvana hard to counter?

  • Scalemail (passive): takedowns on enemy champions, large minions and large monsters grant stacks that improve her defenses.
  • Emberstrike (Q): her next attack hits the target and the area around it, and can be recast; Dragon Form adds another recast that deals massive damage to one target. Cooldown 10/9/8/7/6.
  • Inferno Aegis (W): a shield and Move Speed, then the area around her detonates after a short delay; in Dragon Form the explosion heals her if it hits an enemy champion. Cooldown 13/12.25/11.5/10.75/10.
  • Molten Burst (E): a fireball that explodes on a large target and slows; in Dragon Form it passes through and leaves a trail of fire. Cooldown 12/11/10/9/8.
  • Dragon’s Descent (R): she becomes a dragon and leaps forward, making enemies along the path flee. As a dragon she’s larger and her basic abilities are empowered.

Shyvana gets tougher the more she kills, since Scalemail stacks from every takedown on a champion, large minion or large monster, and she becomes a different champion once the dragon comes out. That’s a slow, steady champion with a big spike. Her damage comes through attacks and short-range explosions, her only engage is the leap, and she has no hard crowd control besides the flee along that path. So which junglers bother her? The ones who stop the leap, fight her early before Scalemail adds up, or punish a champion who has to stand in melee range to do anything.

Which champions are the best Shyvana counters?

Poppy

Dragon’s Descent is a leap forward, and Poppy’s Steadfast Presence (W) stops dashes around her when it’s active, slowing and grounding the champion it catches. Riot’s text says dashes. Test it on the dragon leap first (a custom game takes two minutes). Heroic Charge (E) knocks Shyvana into a wall for a stun, Keeper’s Verdict (R) sends her far away from the fight she just started, and Hammer Shock (Q) slows the area. The passive Armor and Magic Resist on Steadfast Presence grow as Poppy gets low, which is when a dragon usually shows up.

Rammus

Emberstrike is an empowered attack, and Defensive Ball Curl (W) hits back at anyone who attacks Rammus while giving him a big jump in both resistances. Taunt her with Frenzying Taunt (E) and she has to keep swinging into the spikes. Powerball (Q) is a fast engage that slows on impact, Soaring Slam (R) knocks up enemies near the center when cast during Powerball, and Spiked Shell (passive) turns his resistances into damage. Honestly, a Shyvana who sees Rammus curl up should walk away and come back later.

Lee Sin

Lee Sin wants the early game, and Shyvana doesn’t. Sonic Wave (Q) hits the first enemy it touches, and Resonating Strike dashes to them for damage based on missing Health. Tempest (E) reveals and slows, Safeguard (W) dashes to an ally for a shield, and Flurry (passive) speeds up his next two attacks after each ability. The key is Dragon’s Rage (R): a kick that launches the target backward and knocks up anyone she collides with. A dragon who just leaped in can be sent right back out. Thing is, Scalemail keeps stacking through the game, so Lee has to pressure her before it does.

Nidalee

Javelin Toss (Q) in human form gains damage the farther it flies, from 525 attack range against Shyvana’s 150. Land a spear and Prowl starts a Hunt. Bushwhack (W) leaves traps around camps she’ll clear. As a cougar, Pounce (W) jumps in, Swipe (E) claws in front, and Takedown (Q) deals more the lower her Health is. Primal Surge (E) heals Nidalee between spears. It’s a lane, well, a jungle, where Shyvana spends her early clears getting poked.

Vi

Scalemail improves Shyvana’s defenses with every takedown. Denting Blows (W) breaks the target’s Armor with Vi’s punches, adding bonus damage and Attack Speed as it goes. That’s a direct answer to a champion who stacks resistance over time. Vault Breaker (Q) carries Vi forward and knocks enemies back, Relentless Force (E) blasts through the target to hit whoever stands behind, and Cease and Desist (R) runs down a chosen enemy, knocks her up and slams her back down. Blast Shield (passive) gives Vi a shield when her abilities hit. To be fair, Vi’s ultimate is long range enough to pick Shyvana before the dragon lands.

How do you play against Shyvana in the jungle?

  • Fight her early. Scalemail grows from every takedown on champions, large minions and large monsters, so she only gets tougher.
  • Step away from Inferno Aegis. The area around her detonates after a short delay, and in Dragon Form that explosion also heals her.
  • Spread out against the dragon’s fireball. In Dragon Form, Molten Burst passes through and leaves a trail of fire.
  • Watch for the leap. Dragon’s Descent makes enemies along its path flee, so the champions in front of her lose control first.
  • Count Emberstrike. Her area attack has a 10 second cooldown at rank 1, and most of her burst sits in it.

Which items counter Shyvana?

Armor and anti-healing. Thornmail adds 75 Armor and 150 Health, and Thorns applies 40% Wounds to any champion who attacks you, which cuts the Inferno Aegis heal she gets in Dragon Form. On a budget? The cheaper Bramble Vest, 800 gold, carries the same Thorns effect (it’s the component, after all). Frozen Heart reduces the Attack Speed of nearby champions, which slows down Emberstrike and every attack after it, and Plated Steelcaps trim damage from attacks. Randuin’s Omen brings 75 Armor and an active slow, useful for the moment she lands. If you’re the one doing the damage, Executioner’s Calling brings Wounds along with your own physical hits, and Mortal Reminder is its late-game form. Our items database has every number.

When is Shyvana at her weakest?

Early, before Scalemail has stacks and before she’s ready to use the dragon. In human form she’s a 150-range fighter with a shield, an area strike and a fireball, no hard crowd control and no dash. That’s the window for invading, for picking fights at her camps, and for ganking lanes while she clears.

She’s also weak right after the leap. Dragon’s Descent is her engage, and once she’s used it to jump in, she’s a big target with no second way out (the dragon is large, after all). Who wants her then? Lee Sin, Poppy and Vi all have the tools to send her back. In practice, stopping the leap matters more than out-damaging her.

Unsure what a jungler actually does? Read our guide to LoL roles, which explains each position, the jungle included, in plain terms. Other champions sit in the guides library. You’ll find her cosmetics on the Shyvana skins page, and the one-lane mode in the Shyvana ARAM guide. Put simply, Shyvana counters fight her early or stop the dragon from landing.

FAQ

Who counters Shyvana the most?

Junglers who stop her leap, punish her attacks or fight her early: Poppy, Rammus, Lee Sin, Nidalee and Vi.

What does Scalemail do?

Scalemail gives Shyvana stacks that improve her defenses whenever she gets a takedown on an enemy champion, a large minion or a large monster.

Does Grievous Wounds work against Shyvana?

Yes. In Dragon Form, Inferno Aegis heals her when the explosion hits an enemy champion, and Wounds reduce that healing.

What happens when Shyvana uses Dragon’s Descent?

She transforms into a dragon and leaps forward, making enemies along her path flee. In Dragon Form she is larger and her basic abilities are empowered.

How were these picks made?

Each counter had to deal with Scalemail, the dragon leap or her melee range, judged from the patch 26.22 ability text. Match statistics were not used.