League Classic matchup
Katarina vs Veigar
The lane, from both sides
Katarina’s side
- Strong against Veigarfrom the AP Assassin build (Mid)
Katarina's takedown resets snowball through immobile casters like Veigar, who cannot disengage from her
Death LotusDeath LotusRKatarina throws daggers at up to three nearby enemy Champions, dealing magic damage and applying Grievous Wounds. pick.
Veigar’s side
- Weak against Katarinafrom the AP Burst Mage build (Mid)
ShunpoShunpoEActive: Katarina blinks to the target unit and gains 15% damage reduction for 1.5 seconds. If the target is an enemy, she deals them magic damage. jumps clean over 
Event HorizonEvent HorizonEActive: Veigar forms a cage at the target location that erects after a 0.5 second delay, remaining there for 3 seconds. Enemies that collide with the edges of the cage are stunned for a duration. Event Horizon can affect enemies only once per cast.'s edge and Death LotusDeath LotusRKatarina throws daggers at up to three nearby enemy Champions, dealing magic damage and applying Grievous Wounds. deletes the stacking mage; Veigar's burst returns far slower than hers.
The lane in detail
KatarinaVeigarKatarina-favored: Shunpo crosses the cage
Shunpo and Event Horizon both reach 725. Only one of them moves the caster.
Event HorizonEvent HorizonEActive: Veigar forms a cage at the target location that erects after a 0.5 second delay, remaining there for 3 seconds. Enemies that collide with the edges of the cage are stunned for a duration. Event Horizon can affect enemies only once per cast. stuns only what touches an edge, it stands for 3 seconds, and it holds a 20 second cooldown until level 14. Any takedown or assist inside that window hands Katarina 15 seconds back on everything.
Who has the lane, level by level
3–56–1314–18- 1–2Even: Free daggers against a 50 mana bolt
- 3–5Veigar: A stun that a melee has to respect
- 6–13Katarina: Two Death Lotus per Primordial Burst
- 14–18Katarina: A 6 second blink against a 19 second ring
- 2ShunpoLevel 2: 725 units, no cost, and 12 seconds between jumps at rank 1
- 3Event HorizonLevel 3: 1.5 seconds of stun, every 20, and no second point until 14
- 6Death LotusLevel 6: 60 seconds at rank 1, and a takedown cuts 15 off that
- 6Primordial BurstLevel 6: 250 at rank 1, and 80% of whatever ability power she is carrying
- 9Bouncing BladesLevel 9: Rank 5 every 8 seconds: 160, then 75 when the mark is eaten
- 13ShunpoLevel 13: Rank 5 at 6 seconds, while the ring still takes 20
- 14Event HorizonLevel 14: The stun moves from 1.5 seconds to 1.75
The numbers, head to head
KatarinaVeigarReach on the key button
The same number twice, and the cage stays where it was cast.
Crowd control per cast, rank 1
1.5s stunHer answer to the ring is a blink that never touches its edge.
Three basic abilities, rank 1
200 manaVeigar pays 200 before the ultimate is even on the bar.
Maxed main at rank 5
Hers arrives in two pieces for free; his arrives once and stops.
Ultimate cooldown at rank 1
Two full channels fit between one burst and the next.
Reach, from above
Katarina
Veigar
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
Katarina
1600g80 ability power for a champion whose four buttons are all free to press.
3100g15% of his maximum health first, then 20% amplification while the channel runs.
1100g45 movement speed and 15 magic penetration, into a base magic resist of 30.
3300gExtra ability power strengthens the channel, but also increases the target scaling on Veigar's ultimate.
3260gStasis can avoid the burst if used before it hits; waiting until damage lands is too late.
Veigar
- 1600g
The bought 80, on top of every point Baleful Strike has already taken off the wave.
- 3300g
30% of a number that grows each time a minion dies to the bolt.
- 1100g
15 magic penetration into her 31.25, and the speed to keep the fight at 525.
- 3100g
15% of her maximum health before the cage, and 10% cooldown reduction on a 130 second ultimate.
Play it as Katarina
- 1Choose a ShunpoShunpoEActive: Katarina blinks to the target unit and gains 15% damage reduction for 1.5 seconds. If the target is an enemy, she deals them magic damage. target beyond the cage edge. Walking across that edge triggers the stun.
- 2Start Death LotusDeath LotusRKatarina throws daggers at up to three nearby enemy Champions, dealing magic damage and applying Grievous Wounds. after the ring is spent, because 20 seconds at rank 1 is long enough to wait out.
- 3Take the assist when the kill is gone.
VoracityVoracityPassiveInnate: Champion takedowns and assists reduce Katarina's cooldowns by 15 seconds. pays the same 15 seconds either way.
Play it as Veigar
- 1Aim
Dark MatterDark MatterWActive: Veigar casts down a mass of dark matter that strikes the target location after a 1.2 delay, granting sight of the area during the delay and afterwards dealing magic damage to enemies hit. at her landing point after ShunpoShunpoEActive: Katarina blinks to the target unit and gains 15% damage reduction for 1.5 seconds. If the target is an enemy, she deals them magic damage.. Its 1.2 second delay gives her time to move if you cast first. - 2Keep distance while Event HorizonEvent HorizonEActive: Veigar forms a cage at the target location that erects after a 0.5 second delay, remaining there for 3 seconds. Enemies that collide with the edges of the cage are stunned for a duration. Event Horizon can affect enemies only once per cast. recovers.
Primordial BurstPrimordial BurstRActive: Veigar sends a primordial burst at the target enemy champion that deals magic damage. reaches 650, inside her 725 unit ShunpoShunpoEActive: Katarina blinks to the target unit and gains 15% damage reduction for 1.5 seconds. If the target is an enemy, she deals them magic damage.. - 3Last-hit with
Baleful StrikeBaleful StrikeQUnleashes dark energy at target enemy, dealing magic damage. If a unit is killed, Veigar gains some Ability Power permanently. from its 650 range when walking into attack range would let her jump on you.
The catch
Katarina has no hard crowd control to stop Veigar casting. Her opportunity comes after Event HorizonEvent HorizonEActive: Veigar forms a cage at the target location that erects after a 0.5 second delay, remaining there for 3 seconds. Enemies that collide with the edges of the cage are stunned for a duration. Event Horizon can affect enemies only once per cast. is spent, while ShunpoShunpoEActive: Katarina blinks to the target unit and gains 15% damage reduction for 1.5 seconds. If the target is an enemy, she deals them magic damage. is available. If she jumps into a ready cage and stays there to channel, the cooldown advantage alone will not protect her.
The kits at a glance
Katarina
Full abilities- Voracity
- Bouncing Blades
- Sinister Steel
- Shunpo
- Death Lotus
Veigar
Full abilities- Equilibrium
- Baleful Strike
- Dark Matter
- Event Horizon
- Primordial Burst
Base stats, side by side
| Stat | Katarina | Veigar |
|---|---|---|
| Health | 505 (+80) | 437 (+82) |
| HP regen | 1.5 (+0.11) | 1.03 (+0.1) |
| Mana | – | 305 (+55) |
| Attack damage | 56.2 (+3.2) | 50.65 (+2.65) |
| Armor | 24.5 (+3.5) | 19.75 (+3.75) |
| Magic resist | 31.25 (+1.25) | 30 |
| Attack speed | 0.658 (+2.74) | 0.625 (+2) |
| Move speed | 345 | 340 |
| Attack range | 125 | 525 |
Level-1 values with per-level growth in parentheses, read from the Classic client and re-checked against it on every update.
More matchups
Amumu
Anivia
Brand
Cho'Gath
Dr. Mundo
Garen
Gragas
Heimerdinger
Jarvan IV
Karthus
Ahri
Annie
Evelynn
Fiddlesticks
Kassadin
LuxThe full kits, builds and every other matchup: Katarina · Veigar