Rammus vs Aatrox Counter Pick

Armor is Rammus’s whole identity and Aatrox is a physical damage champion, yet the record runs the other way. From 121 games on patch 16.13.1 Rammus holds 46.3%, and a sample that size deserves the caveat up front.

The explanation is sustain. Deathbringer Stance periodically turns Aatrox’s next attack into bonus magic damage that heals him based on the target’s maximum health, so a high-health, high-armor body is the best thing he could possibly be hitting. Umbral Dash heals him passively whenever he damages champions, and World Ender raises that healing further alongside attack damage and move speed. Defensive Ball Curl increases Rammus’s resistances and returns damage to attackers, but returned damage does not stop an opponent refilling his health bar off the exchange.

Positioning is awkward too. The Darkin Blade swings three times with different areas of effect, and Infernal Chains drags back anyone who fails to leave the impact zone quickly, which is a real issue for a champion whose approach is Powerball along a straight line. Aatrox runs on Blood Well rather than mana, attacks from 175 units to 125, moves at 345 against 335, and reaches 119.6 armor and 2588 health at level 18 to 111.5 and 2345. Difficulty is 4 for Aatrox and 5 for Rammus. See the Aatrox page.