Best Pantheon counters in LoL

If you are losing too often against Pantheon in LoL, here are a few counters you can consider playing to turn the trend in your favor.

Pantheon counters in LoL – the three best choices

Pantheon is known for his lane-dominant playstyle and ability to win most of the early-game trades. His combos are predictable but fast so if you’re not able to react quickly, he will always get the upper hand. Luckily for you, he has a few counters in League of Legends: here are the best three.

If you’re fairly new to the game, check out our guide on how counter picks work in League of Legends. It will help you understand why counter picks are important, and how you need to take advantage of them to increase your win rate. Try to also understand how classes counter one another in LoL to improve your game knowledge so you always know which champions are stronger in each situtation.

Gragas – BOMBA

I love playing Gragas against Pantheon and it’s for two particular reasons. The first one is that the champion has a built-in sustain that allows him to easily survive the early game without many issues. The second one is that he’s fantastic at disengage Pantheon’s attempts to engage: whether it’s by using the bodyslam (E), slowing him with the barrel (Q), or knocking him away with the ultimate, Gragas has plenty of tools to get away from Pantheon.

But that is not the end, as Gragas can actually kill Pantheon with this burst damage. All you need is basic understanding of trading patterns, and you’ll have success with this champion.

Irelia – the dancing queen

Another champion that demolishes Pantheon when piloted well is Irelia. Just like Gragas, she has sustain to heal up during the laning phase when last hitting minions, but on top of that, she can negate most of Pantheon’s damage with her W, and stick to his phase by dashing in. The only tricky point is the first levels since Pantheon can find lethal. But after the first item completion, a decent Irelia should always prevail on the enemy.

Illaoi – you want to all-in me? Are you sure?

Illaoi is known to counter champions who want to fight her head-to-head, so it’s not surprising to see her win against Pantheon. For the Unbreakable Spear, this is one of the nastiest LoL counters to play against. He will never be able to beat Illaoi in an extended trade, and the only way for him to win is by roaming and helping teammates on the rest of the map.

As Illaoi, your goal is to punish his roams by constantly split pushing and exerting side lane pressure. Do that consistently and you will come out victorious.

Worst Pantheon counters

Teemo – the devil will suffer

Teemo is one of the best counters in League of Legends when it comes to melee champions. Pantheon, however, is an exception: the Targon champion’s shield from his E will negate most of Teemo’s damage and as long as the champion doesn’t get harassed during the early game, he can always all-in the Yordle and take him down with one combo rotation.

Akali – it’s time to pin her down

Akali is usually an annoying champion to play against given the number of dashes and ways to move around skirmishes and teamfights. But what happens when she fights a champion with a point-and-click stun? Well, the result is clear: Pantheon will demolish her.

Akali will rarely win the trades given that Pantheon will stun her as soon as she gets into range and throw spears to pierce through her health bar. And given that Pantheon is stronger in the mid-game, he will always win the skirmishes. It will be a bit worse later on, but all Pantheon has to do is lock her down once and she will likely see the grey screen.

How do you counter Pantheon items?

Counters in League of Legends do not just refer to the champions but also to the itemization. When going up against Pantheon, it’s recommended to stack armor and health to survive his burst damage. Below is a list of items to build based on the class of champions you’re playing:

Bruisers: Death Dance, Plated Steelcaps, Sterak’s Gage
AD assassins: Guardian’s Angel, Edge of Night
ADC champions: Guardian’s Angel
AP champions: Zhonya’s Hourglass
Tanks: Dead Man’s Plate, Iceborn Gauntlet, Randuin’s Omen

What Champion counters Pantheon?

The three best champions are Gragas, Irelia, and Illaoi. There are others you can consider such as Olaf, Trundle, and Ornn but they are more situational picks.

Does Pantheon counter Riven?

Pantheon can win early on against Riven given his damage, but it’s mostly a skill matchup and Riven will eventually outscale. If you don’t have strong lane fundamentals and you are unable to find opportunities to punish her, it’s recommended to not pick him into Riven.