Lissandra vs Aatrox Counter Pick

The resource line is the first thing worth reading. Lissandra pays Mana for every trade; Aatrox pays nothing and refills his Blood Well through damage dealt. Deathbringer Stance heals him off a max-health hit on a timer and Umbral Dash heals passively whenever he damages a champion, so exchanges he loses on paper still end with his bar restored. That is the main reason she sits at 44.9% across 178 games on patch 16.13.1 in the top matchup.

• Aatrox opens with 650 health and 38 armor and finishes at 2,588 and 119.6; Lissandra opens at 620 with 22 armor and ends at 2,490 and 93.4, so she is never the sturdier body.
• Her damage is entirely magic, which makes his armor growth irrelevant and leaves only 32 magic resist at level one doing defensive work.
• He walks at 345 to her 325 and threatens from 175 units with his greatsword against her 550 caster range.

Holding Ring of Frost and Frozen Tomb for the moment he commits the third swing of The Darkin Blade is worth more than poking with Ice Shard, and Glacial Path should be treated as the escape it is rather than an entry tool. Aatrox is rated 4 for difficulty, Lissandra 6, so the execution burden falls on the side already behind.