TOP 5 ALISTAR COUNTERS SUPPORT

Alistar is a classic tank engage support with explosive all-in potential and great teamfight presence. His W (Headbutt) + Q (Pulverize) combo knocks up entire teams, and R (Unbreakable Will) makes him deceptively tanky while diving your carries. He thrives in chaotic skirmishes and punishes lanes with poor positioning or weak early damage.

But Alistar is highly predictable, heavily cooldown-dependent, and completely useless when his combo fails or is interrupted. If you break his engage pattern or poke him out before level 6, he loses lane pressure and becomes an over-glorified CC bot. And since he’s melee, you have all the tools to control him before he controls you.

The top 5 supports that counter Alistar are: Janna, Morgana, Renata Glasc, Karma, and Zyra. These champions either disengage his combo, poke him out before he gets in, or completely shut down his ability to impact fights.

Top 5 Alistar Support Counters

1. Janna

• Playstyle: Disengage enchanter / anti-engage expert
• Why it works:
  • Q (Howling Gale) knocks him up mid-W or cancels his engage outright.
  • R (Monsoon) fully resets his dives and wastes his ult.
  • You can kite and harass from range with zero risk.

Play Tips:

• Hold Q for when he W’s in — time it mid-dash to cancel his follow-up.
• After 6, R as soon as he combos to disengage both bot laners.
• Pair with ADCs like Caitlyn, Jhin, or Varus to punish him for every step forward.

2. Morgana

• Playstyle: Anti-CC mage support / lane denial
• Why it works:
  • E (Black Shield) completely shuts down his combo if timed correctly.
  • Q (Dark Binding) punishes his low mobility and melee range.
  • Denies 2v2 pressure and scales better into fights.

Play Tips:

• Save E for his W or Flash engage — one good shield turns every trade.
• Root him when he walks up to ward or engage — he’s immobile once in.
• Max Q if he’s roaming — catch him every time he shows on vision.

3. Renata Glasc

• Playstyle: Anti-dive utility / fight re-framer
• Why it works:
  • W (Bailout) keeps your ADC alive through his full combo.
  • R (Hostile Takeover) turns him into a liability in grouped fights.
  • He can’t burst or peel as effectively once Renata is in the game.

Play Tips:

• Use W reactively when he dives your ADC — it wins every 2v2.
• Save R for grouped fights or tower dives — his team will turn on each other.
• Peel with Q auto-root as soon as he commits — make him regret the engage.

4. Karma

• Playstyle: Poke enchanter / tempo controller
• Why it works:
  • R + Q poke forces him to engage from low HP.
  • E (Inspire) shields your ADC from his Q burst and gives escape speed.
  • She can perma-shove and keep bush vision, denying fog angles.

Play Tips:

• Poke pre-6 with Q + auto harass — punish every step he takes.
• Use Mantra + E for disengage or fast lane rotations.
• Don’t let him roam — hard shove to turret and crash every wave.

5. Zyra

• Playstyle: Control mage / zone denial
• Why it works:
  • Plants punish his engage angles and chip away before he reaches anyone.
  • E (Grasping Roots) roots him mid-combo or when he commits.
  • R (Stranglethorns) interrupts his teamfight and knocks him up after W-Q.

Play Tips:

• Control lane brushes with plants — deny his fog engage angles.
• Use E immediately when he W’s — root + plant burst flips trades.
• Build Liandry’s + Stopwatch — melt him before he even thinks about engaging.

Bonus Tips to Beat Alistar:

• Track his Flash — Flash-W is his only unpredictable engage. If it’s down, play aggressive.
• Bait his combo: Walk forward, dodge, and punish the long cooldowns (W/Q both 14+ seconds early).
• Zone from bushes: Deny vision. Alistar without fog is easy to kite and poke down.