Kennen is once again immensely popular in the top lane in League of Legends, both in the professional play and in solo queue.
It’s hard to be surprised by this. The Heart of the Tempest has a lot of useful tools at his disposal. His wave clear is fast and clean, his poke and burst damage make him a tremendous early threat, and his ultimate makes him one of the best champions in late-game teamfights.
This doesn’t mean that Kennen is unbeatable, however. There are some champions that counter him, either by bullying him out of the lane early or by outscaling him as the match goes on.
Here are some of the best Kennen counters in League of Legends, according to stats site u.gg.
Renekton
When it comes to lane bullies, it’s hard to come up with a better champion than Renekton. His short cooldowns, high damage, and admirable sustainability early on make him one of the best picks when you aim to defeat the enemy top laner in a one-vs-one duel. With Slice and Dice (E), Renekton rarely has a problem with closing the gaps and has an additional escape tool. As Renekton, players should aim to snowball on Kennen early, and transition their advantages in the middle game to other lanes. The crocodile currently has a 65.22 percent win rate versus Kennen.
Sylas
If you can’t counter the enemy’s ultimate, just steal it. With Sylas kit, players won’t have many issues against Kennen in lane. The first 15 minutes of the game oftentimes will be built on farming, though watch out for the enemy junglers. You don’t want to allow Kennen to get ahead, but if you’ve got an aggressive jungler on your side, you can try to do so yourself with proper vision control and coordination. In late-game teamfights, Sylas counters Kennen just fine, especially when he steals his ultimate. Just like the opponent, go for the enemy carries, which should be your goal. Right now, Sylas boasts a 65 percent win rate against Kennen.
Akshan
Akshan is possibly one of the safest picks against Kennen. Your range and escape tools make you practically unkillable in solo skirmishes, however, you might want to set a good vision around your lane. Stay behind your minions, so that you won’t get harassed by Kennen’s Q, which oftentimes can be turned into an all-in from him. Right now, Akshan sits at a 60.71 percent win rate against Kennen.
Jayce
Jayce is yet another champion with a huge burst potential. If you don’t get hit by Kennen’s Q shurikens early, you should be just fine, and with proper wave control, Jayce players shouldn’t have many problems winning solo fights. Be careful post level six, since that’s the moment when Kennen might go all-in. In the later stages of the game, you should be aiming to poke out the enemy team, especially Kennen, before he gains the chance to get involved in a fight. Currently, Jayce has a 60.34 percent win rate versus the Yordle.
Ornn
Ornn is an extremely useful champ in League, and the case is no different when playing against Kennen. High survivability, one-v s-one potential, and the influence he can make in the late game mean that Ornn should keep up with Kennen for most of the game. Nevertheless, you don’t want to fall behind early, as it will be tough for you to come back to the game. Ornn has a 59.46 percent win rate against Kennen.
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