How to counter Mordekaiser’s ultimate in League of Legends

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The newly-reworked Mordekaiser is already running rampant in League of Legends. A couple of days after his release, he’s skyrocketed to a 54-percent win rate, the fourth highest in the game.

One of Mordekaiser’s biggest strengths is his ultimate. He’s an all-around powerful AP carry with tanking capabilities, but his means to lock down a target in a one-vs-one environment and take them out pushes him over the tipping point.

Mordekaiser’s Realm of Death (R) locks a target into the Shadow Realm for seven seconds and forces them to fight. This allows him to deal damage freely and shut down an enemy champion of his choosing. It means he can quite easily ignore the tanky frontline and single out a squishy target. It can be hard to escape his grasp, but there are a few methods that will help you.

Mordekaiser is an extremely immobile champion. He has a little added extra movement speed from his passive, but that’s it. If you have a dash, fleeing from him will often be your best bet. There’s a chance you can take him out in a one-vs-one, but if you think the risk is too high, then run for the hills. Make sure to avoid his Death’s Grasp (E), and you should be safe from harm. And bear in mind he could have his flash up, so be alert and ready to react.

Running isn’t always viable, though. If you lack mobility, attempting to kite him for seven seconds can feel like an entirety. If he catches up, you’re done for. Luckily, there’s another way you can avoid your impending doom. While it will cost you 1,300 gold, Quicksilver Sash is always an option. It might feel like a waste of gold, but it’s a guaranteed way to nullify Mordekaider’s ultimate. If you’re the biggest threat on your team, it’s likely that he’ll target you in a teamfight. At this point in the game, buying a QSS will be your most sensible option. Besides, you can always upgrade it into a Mercurial Scimitar if you’re an AD champion.

Not everyone can waste their precious gold, though, and Mordekaiser is still very much of a threat in the mid-game. If you don’t have a QSS ready and waiting, and Mordekaiser is running right at you, you might not be in as much trouble as you previously thought. Multiple champions have abilities that negate his ultimate altogether. Alistar’s Unbreakable Will (R) will take you straight out of the Shadow Realm, as well as Gangplank’s Remove Scurvy (W), and Rengar’s empowered Battle Roar (W).

Realm of Death has a 0.5 second cast time. If you can get out of range, which isn’t too difficult to do, or you become untargetable, his ultimate will be canceled. Also, if you have a spell block or a CC immune, you can this short window to break it. Lastly, you can rely on your teammates to help you. Many abilities, such as LeBlanc’s Ethereal Chains, can penetrate the Shadow Realm and knock Mordekaiser right out of it. As long as he’s not being intentionally targeted, he can be thrown back to reality.