The best Udyr counters in League of Legends

Udyr is League of Legends’ most recently reworked champion, and just one patch into his new lifecycle, the Spirit Walker is causing havoc across Summoner’s Rift. 

Although Udyr plays slightly similar to his old self, with four stances to rotate through as the main defining factor of his kit, players should immediately realize that the champion has many more bells and whistles in his ability lineup. Compared to the original version of the champion, released in 2009, the reworked Udyr has a much more polished and robust kit.

With that in mind, the stark difference between traditional Udyr and reworked Udyr could leave players puzzled, especially in these early stages of the champion’s newly refreshed lifecycle. If you’re struggling in your games against Udyr, try one of these counterpicks.

Trundle

Trundle is one of the most versatile junglers in League, as the champion will almost always have a place in the meta thanks to his ability to his fast clearing speed and strong scaling capabilities. He stands out in the current meta as the strongest one-to-one counter to Udyr. Trundle’s stat-stealing ultimate, Subjugate, is an incredibly strong counter ability for Udyr, as it ensures that opposing Udyr players won’t have the opportunity to stack Armor and Magic Resistance in late-game teamfights without being punished for it. When a Trundle player targets the enemy Udyr with Subjugate, it opens up a wide window for their teammates to damage the otherwise tanky jungler.

Kindred

Kindred is a strong counter to Udyr in both the early and late-game from a jungling perspective. With a just-as-quick clearing speed and immunity-ensuring ultimate, Kindred can be a thorn in Udyr’s side throughout the entire game. Plus, the champion’s infinite scaling potential through Mark of the Kindred (P) can be a challenge for Udyr to keep up with in the late-game. Additionally, Kindred serves as a companion to Udyr in the top lane. If the opposing Udyr is drafted into the top lane position, you can flex your Kindred there to bully the Spirit Walker with ranged auto-attacks and constant trades.

Lillia

Lillia’s clear speed is just as strong as Udyr’s, so you shouldn’t worry about falling behind in the early-game. Where Lilia excels, though, is in her ability to quite literally outpace Udyr in terms of movement speed, running circles around him, and dealing continuous damage in teamfights. Lillia’s ultimate, Lilting Lullaby, can put an Udyr player to sleep on the front lines of teamfight, turning them into a defenseless target that your team’s damage dealers can easily eliminate off the map.

Kayn

Udyr is most vulnerable when he’s being chased down by a champion who can stick to him easily. Kayn can prove to be a nuisance to Udyr in both the jungle and top lane, as his Shadow Step (E) and Reaping Slash (Q) serve as effective gap closers, with the rest of his kit being effective in terms of damage dealing.

Ekko

Ekko, in a similar fashion to Kayn, is a slippery assassin who can continuously close the gap on the Spirit Walker while dealing quick bursts of damage. His clear might be a bit slower than Udyr’s, especially in the early-game, but when it comes to late-game teamfighting, fewer junglers in the game can burst teams down faster than Ekko. His ultimate, Chronobreak, is a versatile tool that you can use to either escape a difficult situation or deal an immense amount of damage to an unsuspecting group of enemies. If Udyr is chasing you down, you can use the ability to break your opponent’s ankles and reposition yourself quickly.