Ornn vs Anivia Counter Pick

Anivia arrives in the top lane as a 600-range mid mage with fragile early numbers: 550 health at level 1, 19 armour, 325 move speed, and only 2,114 health by level 18. The record still runs against the tank, since Ornn takes 46.3% of 177 games on patch 16.13.1, a thin record that nonetheless points one way.

The 425 units between her 600 range and Ornn’s 175 explain most of it. Flash Frost followed by Frostbite costs mana and nothing else at a distance Volcanic Rupture cannot punish, and Rebirth means a perfectly executed all-in often kills an egg rather than a champion. Four points worth carrying into the game:

• Crystallize creates genuine terrain, and Searing Charge produces a shockwave on any terrain collision, so her wall can be turned into his engage.
• Magic resist outperforms health as a purchase. Glacial Storm is sustained damage inside a zone, and the extra resistances granted by Living Forge compound with every source.
• Ornn reaches 2,513 health and 121.4 armour at level 18, and none of that armour reduces a single point of her output.
• His damage is mixed, so neither her 19 base armour nor her 30 magic resist answers all of it, and 69 attack damage against 51 makes level-one contact worth seeking.

The difficulty ratings, 10 for Anivia against 5 for Ornn, mean execution errors decide more games than the kits do.