How to Be Great at Defeating Skarner Counters in 2025

Who would’ve thought that one of the worst League of Legends champions, Skarner, would become an annoying champion in the future? Gaming Tech Series can bet that Skarner’s E or Ultimate helped you turn the tables around. That’s why you are here looking for how to be great at defeating Skarner counters in 2025, so not even Skarner counters recover from the damage you deal.

Before we dive further into the topic, have you taken a look at Skarner’s rework lore? If not, you can take a look at it here.

So one of the best Skarner builds, Gaming Tech Series has recommended makes Skarner 100 times more powerful.

Gaming Tech Series has prepared a well-structured blog for fellow League of Legends players who love Skarner, so they can be great when fighting against Skarner counters in 2025. In this blog, we will discuss the list of widely picked Skarner counters, what makes them better than Skarner in terms of fighting, and tips and tricks to be great at defeating them.

Overview: Strong Picks vs Weak Picks – Skarner Counters in Jan 2025

It’s better to highlight the weak picks against Skarner as you already have an advantage over the weak pick, as compared to the strong one.

Weak Picks

Strong Picks

Best Lane Skarner Counters in Jan 2025

Weaknesses that Skarner Counters Target

Predictable Engage

Skarner’s primary engage tools, such as his charge, are highly telegraphed and offer a clear indicator to opponents. This makes it easier for enemies to react with crowd control or mobility abilities. Champions with dashes, blinks, or disengage spells can outmaneuver him, rendering his engage ineffective. Proper vision placement also helps to predict his approach and avoid being caught.

Vulnerability Outside Ultimate

Skarner’s ultimate is his most threatening ability, capable of turning fights in his team’s favor. However, he relies heavily on landing it to make an impact in team fights. Once his ultimate is on cooldown, his ability to disrupt or secure key targets diminishes significantly. Engaging Skarner during this window is often the best time to strike.

Reliance on Close Combat

As a melee champion, Skarner must get close to his targets to deal damage and apply crowd control. This makes him susceptible to ranged champions who can kite him or disengage. Heavy crowd control abilities can further lock him down, preventing him from reaching his targets and neutralizing his threat during fights.

Limited Scaling

Skarner’s strongest phase is in the mid-game when he can effectively secure objectives and pick off enemies with his ultimate. However, as the game progresses, his impact diminishes compared to late-game carries or scaling champions. Teams can focus on stalling out the game to exploit this weakness and gain an advantage in the late game.

High Cooldown Dependency

Skarner’s kit relies on his abilities for mobility, crowd control, and damage. When these abilities are on cooldown, he has limited options to contribute to fights or escape sticky situations. Tracking his ability usage and engaging during these cooldown periods is a strong counter-strategy against him.

Strategy Plan of Playing Skarner

1. Early Game

• Objective: Secure jungle dominance and prepare for future map control.
• Actions:
  • Focus on efficient jungle clears to hit level 6 quickly.
  • Use your spires to maximize clear speed and maintain mana sustainability.
  • Gank vulnerable lanes when possible, leveraging your crowd control to secure early kills or summoner spells.

2. Jungle Control

• Objective: Establish map presence by securing key jungle camps and spires.
• Actions:
  • Contest neutral objectives like Scuttle Crab to maintain vision and control.
  • Ward around high-priority areas like Dragon and Rift Herald.
  • Deny the enemy jungler access to your spire zones by fighting them within those areas.

3. Mid Game

• Objective: Transition into map-wide pressure and objective control.
• Actions:
  • Prioritize taking objectives like Dragons and Rift Herald with your team.
  • Look for opportunities to pick off squishy enemies using your ultimate, Impale.
  • Coordinate with your team to control vision and set traps in enemy jungle areas.

4. Objective Focus

• Objective: Secure major objectives to maintain team momentum.
• Actions:
  • Leverage your strong mid-game power to force fights around Baron or Dragon.
  • Use your crowd control and tankiness to zone enemies away from objectives.
  • Ensure your team capitalizes on secured objectives with split-pushing or grouping.

5. Engage Strategy

• Objective: Initiate fights effectively to capitalize on your crowd control.
• Actions:
  • Use your mobility tools to catch out key enemy targets.
  • Engage from unexpected angles to surprise the enemy team.
  • Coordinate your ultimate with your team to neutralize priority carries.

6. Late Game

• Objective: Serve as a durable frontliner and peel for your team.
• Actions:
  • Protect your carries by using your abilities to disrupt divers or assassins.
  • Focus on peeling or picking off enemies rather than overcommitting to fights.
  • In late-game team fights, prioritize proper positioning and timing of your ultimate.

7. Teamfight Positioning

• Objective: Maximize your impact in large-scale fights.
• Actions:
  • Position yourself between the enemy front line and your backline.
  • Use your abilities to control zones and deny enemies access to your carries.
  • Save your ultimate for high-priority targets, ensuring your team secures kills or objectives. ​

Advanced Tips & Skarner Combos to Win Against Skarner Counters

Proper execution of combos is the primary advanced method of defeating Skarner counters.

When facing ranged or mobility-heavy champions that excel at kiting, Skarner’s Ixtal’s Impact (E) becomes a vital tool. Use it to traverse terrain and close gaps quickly, minimizing the enemy’s time to react. Once in range, follow up with Shattered Earth (Q) and immediately lock down your target with Impale (R) for guaranteed damage and crowd control.

Note: Flash or Ghost can also be valuable in such matchups, giving you extra mobility to chase elusive opponents.

Poke champions can be troublesome for Skarner, as they can chip away at his health from a distance. To counter this, engage from unexpected angles through jungle paths or use terrain to hide your movements.

Burst damage champions and assassins require careful management of your ultimate. Holding Impale (R) for these threats can neutralize them before they take out your ADCs/carries. Building tanky items like Dead Man’s Plate or Thornmail helps you survive their initial burst, allowing you to stay in the fight and protect your team. Positioning as a zoning threat can also deter assassins from diving onto your backline.

Mobile champions present a unique challenge due to their ability to dodge skill shots and disengage quickly. Predict their movements to land Ixtal’s Impact (E) or use it in conjunction with terrain for an unavoidable engage. Coordinate with teammates to chain crowd control and limit their escape options.

Use your ultimate during key objective contests to remove the enemy jungler, ensuring your team secures critical objectives like Dragon or Baron. Create map pressure by splitting your team’s focus, forcing the enemy to make difficult decisions.

This might seem obvious, but it is tough for even pro players. Keep practicing and these tips will help you win against Skarner counters easily.

Are You Winning against Skarner Counters, Son?

At the end of the day, beating Skarner counters in 2025 is all about understanding how to play to his strengths while covering his weaknesses. With the right champion picks, smart positioning, and solid teamwork, you can turn the tide in your favor. Keep experimenting, learn from every match, and stay flexible with your strategies. When you focus on the bigger picture and play with confidence, you’ll find yourself not only surviving Skarner counters but dominating with him. So, are you ready to step up your game and win?