Top 5 Aphelios ADC Counters

Aphelios is a hyper-scaling, high-output ADC with a unique weapon system and some of the highest late-game damage in the bot lane. With the right gun setup, he can kite, burst, sustain, and CC, making him a monster in the hands of a skilled pilot. If left untouched, he takes over teamfights with Severum sustain, Crescendum shreds, and Infernum AoE.

But his early game is vulnerable. Aphelios has no mobility, no dashes, and no escape tools. He relies entirely on positioning and peel to survive. Champions that punish immobile ADCs, outrange or poke him, or blow him up before he scales can completely neutralize his impact.

The top 5 counters to Aphelios bot are: Draven, Ashe, Tristana, Caitlyn, and Swain. These picks punish his weak early phase, deny him tempo, and make it impossible for him to safely scale.

Top 5 Aphelios ADC Counters

1. Draven

• Playstyle: Early-game lane bully / snowball ADC
• Strengths:
  • Wins every early trade — Aphelios can’t match Draven’s axe burst.
  • Forces all-ins when Aphelios has weak gun setups (e.g., Calibrum).
  • Snowballs fast with passive gold and lane control.

Play Tips:

• Go all-in at level 2 — Draven + engage support can always kill Aphelios early.
• Keep wave pressure — zone him off CS or punish with poke and autos.
• Deny resets — Aphelios can’t fight back if he falls behind pre-first item.

2. Ashe

• Playstyle: Utility ADC / perma slow zone
• Strengths:
  • Out-ranges and slows him constantly — he can’t reposition.
  • R (Enchanted Crystal Arrow) punishes any misstep or poor gun cycle.
  • Can kite him even when he has Gravitum or Severum setups.

Play Tips:

• Auto-trade constantly — Q + slows deny him spacing for Q trades.
• Freeze the wave and zone him off safely — he can’t contest push lanes.
• Save R to cancel Chakram turret setups or zone him from follow-up burst.

3. Tristana

• Playstyle: All-in burst ADC / tower killer
• Strengths:
  • W (Rocket Jump) lets her dive him without fear of counterplay.
  • E (Explosive Charge) plus autos out-trades any Aphelios setup.
  • Snowballs lane leads into turret pressure and early dragons.

Play Tips:

• Look to all-in on level 2–3, especially when paired with engage support.
• Use W to reset after a kill or force Flash — Aphelios has no escape tool.
• Be aggressive early — he can’t stop your wave push or tower pressure.

4. Caitlyn

• Playstyle: Lane bully / poke control ADC
• Strengths:
  • Outranges Aphelios with ease — she can harass him freely in lane.
  • Traps and Q poke make it impossible for him to farm under tower.
  • Controls wave, tempo, and plates — Aphelios can’t match early pressure.

Play Tips:

• Abuse your range with auto + Q trades — Aphelios has no way to answer.
• Set Yordle Snap Traps around his turret to punish every CS attempt.
• Shove wave constantly — he can’t trade back until Mythic and tier 2 boots.

5. Swain

• Playstyle: Drain-tank support / anti-dive mage
• Strengths:
  • E (Nevermove) punishes immobile ADCs and pulls Aphelios into danger.
  • R (Demonic Ascension) makes Swain unkillable in extended fights.
  • Poke and zone pressure deny him access to wave and tempo.

Play Tips:

• Land E on cooldown — it forces disengage or burns Flash every time.
• Use W for vision control and slow setups pre-hook or gank.
• Don’t rush R — pop it mid-trade and stand in his face to drain tank.

🧠 Bonus Tips to Beat Aphelios:

• Track his guns — he spikes with Infernum + Crescendum and Severum + Gravitum. Play safer during those windows.
• Hard engage early — he has no dash or peel outside of CC support.
• Deny his first item — he doesn’t come online until First item + Boots.