League Classic matchup
Jax vs Olaf
The lane, from both sides
Jax’s side
- Weak against Olaffrom the Top On-Hit Bruiser build (Top)
Olaf's true damage cannot be dodged:
Reckless SwingReckless SwingEActive: Olaf strikes thunder onto the target enemy, dealing true damage. hits straight through 
Counter StrikeCounter StrikeEActive: Jax enters Evasion for 2 seconds: a defensive stance that causes him to dodge all incoming non-turret basic attacks and take 25% reduced damage from all area of effect abilities sourced from champions. Counter Strike can be recast after 1 second, and does so automatically after the duration. Recast: Jax deals physical damage to nearby enemies, with the total damage increased by 20% for each attack dodged, up to a 100% increase, and stuns them for 1 second., the one defence Jax's lane is built on.
Olaf’s side
- Strong against Jaxfrom the Jungle AD Bruiser build (Jungle)
RagnarokRagnarokRActive: Olaf becomes enraged for 6 seconds, cleansing himself of all crowd control and becoming immune to them, as well as gaining bonus armor, bonus magic resistance, and lethality. strips armor at the moment 
Grandmaster's MightGrandmaster's MightRPassive: Jax's basic attacks grant bonus attack speed, stacking up to 10 times. Jax's basic attacks generate a stack of Grandmaster-at-Arms on-hit for 2.5 seconds, refreshing on subsequent hits and stacking up to 2 times. At 2 stacks, his next basic attack on-hit consumes all stacks to deal additional magic damage. needs it most, and Reckless SwingReckless SwingEActive: Olaf strikes thunder onto the target enemy, dealing true damage.'s true damage is not something Counter StrikeCounter StrikeEActive: Jax enters Evasion for 2 seconds: a defensive stance that causes him to dodge all incoming non-turret basic attacks and take 25% reduced damage from all area of effect abilities sourced from champions. Counter Strike can be recast after 1 second, and does so automatically after the duration. Recast: Jax deals physical damage to nearby enemies, with the total damage increased by 20% for each attack dodged, up to a 100% increase, and stuns them for 1 second. can dodge.
The lane in detail
JaxOlafOlaf-favored past the opening levels
Health helps against Reckless Swing; armor and magic resistance do not reduce its true damage.
Counter StrikeCounter StrikeEActive: Jax enters Evasion for 2 seconds: a defensive stance that causes him to dodge all incoming non-turret basic attacks and take 25% reduced damage from all area of effect abilities sourced from champions. Counter Strike can be recast after 1 second, and does so automatically after the duration. Recast: Jax deals physical damage to nearby enemies, with the total damage increased by 20% for each attack dodged, up to a 100% increase, and stuns them for 1 second. dodges basic attacks and shaves 25% off area abilities. Reckless SwingReckless SwingEActive: Olaf strikes thunder onto the target enemy, dealing true damage. is neither: 325 range, single target, true damage, and no mana at any rank.
Who has the lane, level by level
4–56–89–18- 1–3Even: Mana caps Jax's second rotation
- 4–5Olaf: Reckless Swing threatens beyond basic attack reach
- 6–8Olaf: Ragnarok cleanses the only stun Jax has
- 9–18Olaf: Reckless Swing returns every 5 seconds
- 6Grandmaster's MightLevel 6: Rank 1 of a passive with no active, no cost and no cooldown
- 6RagnarokLevel 6: Cleanses crowd control on cast and blocks it for 6 seconds
- 9Counter StrikeLevel 9: Rank 5 in the top build: 10 seconds for 90 mana
- 9Reckless SwingLevel 9: Rank 5 at 5 seconds, and still no mana
The numbers, head to head
JaxOlafMaxed main, top lane
Reckless SwingReckless SwingEActive: Olaf strikes thunder onto the target enemy, dealing true damage. recovers twice as fast as maxed Counter StrikeCounter StrikeEActive: Jax enters Evasion for 2 seconds: a defensive stance that causes him to dodge all incoming non-turret basic attacks and take 25% reduced damage from all area of effect abilities sourced from champions. Counter Strike can be recast after 1 second, and does so automatically after the duration. Recast: Jax deals physical damage to nearby enemies, with the total damage increased by 20% for each attack dodged, up to a 100% increase, and stuns them for 1 second.; Evasion itself lasts only 2 seconds.
Q, W and E at level 4, mana only
95 manaJax has 370 base mana at level 4. Reckless SwingReckless SwingEActive: Olaf strikes thunder onto the target enemy, dealing true damage.'s health cost is separate from Olaf's mana total.
Reach in a trade, units
325Reckless SwingReckless SwingEActive: Olaf strikes thunder onto the target enemy, dealing true damage. is single target and true damage.
Reaching the fight, units
Leap StrikeLeap StrikeQActive: Jax dashes to the target unit's location. If the target is an enemy and they are in range upon arrival, Jax deals physical damage to them. Jax can cast any of his abilities during the dash. needs a target, the axe just flies; Ghost is the real gap closer on both sides.
Steroid at rank 1
Jax has to keep landing hits; Olaf's is flat for 6 seconds.
Casts per 100 seconds
The clock is the only lever Jax has; RagnarokRagnarokRActive: Olaf becomes enraged for 6 seconds, cleansing himself of all crowd control and becoming immune to them, as well as gaining bonus armor, bonus magic resistance, and lethality. costs 100 mana.
Reach, from above
Jax
Olaf
Rings are ranges in game units, both radars on one scale. Abilities wear their icon, the basic attack wears the champion’s own face; the dashed ring wearing the opponent’s face is their longest reach.
The item race
Jax
300gThis top-lane start helps against physical attacks and Undertow, while Reckless Swing bypasses armor.
1200gThe extra mana supports Counter Strike, and Spellblade rewards the next attack after a cast.
3628gHealth and Equipment Mastery help Jax survive flat true damage; Spellblade still requires a landed attack.
1000gThe attack block helps after Evasion ends. Reckless Swing is a targeted spell and bypasses it.
3200gUse the movement-speed steal to stay close enough for attacks after Olaf starts retreating.
Olaf
- 1000g
Jax must attack to build Grandmaster's Might. The attack block limits that part of his damage.
3300gCleave helps Olaf push between trades; life steal recovers health when he can safely hit the wave.
2750gHealth supports the duel and Lifeforce increases healing. Cooldown reduction brings maxed Reckless Swing to 4 seconds.
Play it as Jax
- 1Spend Counter StrikeCounter StrikeEActive: Jax enters Evasion for 2 seconds: a defensive stance that causes him to dodge all incoming non-turret basic attacks and take 25% reduced damage from all area of effect abilities sourced from champions. Counter Strike can be recast after 1 second, and does so automatically after the duration. Recast: Jax deals physical damage to nearby enemies, with the total damage increased by 20% for each attack dodged, up to a 100% increase, and stuns them for 1 second. on the attacks, not the swing: evasion shaves 25% off
UndertowUndertowQActive: Olaf throws an axe to the target location that deals physical damage to enemies it passes through and slows them decaying over 2.5 seconds. The axe remains in place for a duration equal to Undertow's cooldown, granting sight of its surroundings for 0.5 seconds. Olaf can pick up the axe to reduce Undertow's cooldown by 4.5 seconds. and nothing off Reckless SwingReckless SwingEActive: Olaf strikes thunder onto the target enemy, dealing true damage.. - 2Buy health over armor.
Equipment MasteryEquipment MasteryPassiveInnate: Jax gains 3 maximum health per 1 bonus attack damage and 2 maximum health per 1 ability power from items. pays 3 health per bonus attack damage and 2 per ability power, so Trinity Force's 30 and 30 is 150 on top of its 250. - 3Save Blade of the Ruined King's active for Ghost; it steals 30% of Olaf's movement speed for 3 seconds.
Play it as Olaf
- 1Pick the axe up every time. UndertowUndertowQActive: Olaf throws an axe to the target location that deals physical damage to enemies it passes through and slows them decaying over 2.5 seconds. The axe remains in place for a duration equal to Undertow's cooldown, granting sight of its surroundings for 0.5 seconds. Olaf can pick up the axe to reduce Undertow's cooldown by 4.5 seconds. is a flat 8 seconds at every rank and drops 4.5 on the pickup.
- 2Hold RagnarokRagnarokRActive: Olaf becomes enraged for 6 seconds, cleansing himself of all crowd control and becoming immune to them, as well as gaining bonus armor, bonus magic resistance, and lethality. until the stun is coming: cast too early, its 6 seconds are spent before Jax has recast Counter StrikeCounter StrikeEActive: Jax enters Evasion for 2 seconds: a defensive stance that causes him to dodge all incoming non-turret basic attacks and take 25% reduced damage from all area of effect abilities sourced from champions. Counter Strike can be recast after 1 second, and does so automatically after the duration. Recast: Jax deals physical damage to nearby enemies, with the total damage increased by 20% for each attack dodged, up to a 100% increase, and stuns them for 1 second..
- 3Trade at the edge of Reckless SwingReckless SwingEActive: Olaf strikes thunder onto the target enemy, dealing true damage.'s 325, where Jax's 125 attack range stacks Grandmaster's MightGrandmaster's MightRPassive: Jax's basic attacks grant bonus attack speed, stacking up to 10 times. Jax's basic attacks generate a stack of Grandmaster-at-Arms on-hit for 2.5 seconds, refreshing on subsequent hits and stacking up to 2 times. At 2 stacks, his next basic attack on-hit consumes all stacks to deal additional magic damage. with nothing.
The catch
Grandmaster's MightGrandmaster's MightRPassive: Jax's basic attacks grant bonus attack speed, stacking up to 10 times. Jax's basic attacks generate a stack of Grandmaster-at-Arms on-hit for 2.5 seconds, refreshing on subsequent hits and stacking up to 2 times. At 2 stacks, his next basic attack on-hit consumes all stacks to deal additional magic damage. rewards Jax for keeping attacks connected. Olaf can deal true damage with Reckless SwingReckless SwingEActive: Olaf strikes thunder onto the target enemy, dealing true damage. during Evasion, and RagnarokRagnarokRActive: Olaf becomes enraged for 6 seconds, cleansing himself of all crowd control and becoming immune to them, as well as gaining bonus armor, bonus magic resistance, and lethality. can clear the stun. Reckless SwingReckless SwingEActive: Olaf strikes thunder onto the target enemy, dealing true damage. has no mana cost, but calling it free would hide its health cost. Jax should use Evasion against attacks and preserve enough health for the spell damage.
The kits at a glance
- Equipment Mastery
- Leap Strike
- Empower
- Counter Strike
- Grandmaster's Might
Olaf
Full abilities- Berserker Rage
- Undertow
- Vicious Strikes
- Reckless Swing
- Ragnarok
Base stats, side by side
| Stat | Jax | Olaf |
|---|---|---|
| Health | 506 (+83) | 534 (+93) |
| HP regen | 1.6 (+0.11) | 1.58 (+0.18) |
| Mana | 265 (+35) | 270 (+45) |
| Attack damage | 59.675 (+3.375) | 57.6 (+3.5) |
| Armor | 25.5 (+3.2) | 24 (+3) |
| Magic resist | 31.25 (+1.25) | 31.25 (+1.25) |
| Attack speed | 0.638 (+3.4) | 0.694 (+2.7) |
| Move speed | 350 | 350 |
| Attack range | 125 | 125 |
Level-1 values with per-level growth in parentheses, read from the Classic client and re-checked against it on every update.
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