Nilah stands out as a strong ADC counter to Samira, exhibiting a statistically lower win rate for Samira when played against her. Corki also presents a challenging matchup for Samira, often played in the ADC role as an Ability Power Carry (APC) or a hybrid damage dealer.
Understanding Samira's Vulnerabilities
Samira, while a powerful all-in champion, has distinct weaknesses that can be exploited by certain ADCs. Her primary defensive tool, Blade Whirl (W), blocks incoming projectiles but has a cooldown and doesn't stop melee attacks or unblockable abilities. This makes champions with sustained damage, burst, or abilities that bypass her W effective counters. Her reliance on stacking passive for her ultimate also means champions who can disengage or out-range her during her combo can severely limit her effectiveness.
Key ADC Counters to Samira
Based on recent statistical data from champion matchups, specific ADCs show a favorable win rate against Samira, meaning Samira struggles to perform optimally when facing them.
Here's a breakdown of champions Samira struggles against, including those capable of fulfilling the ADC role:
| Champion | Samira's Win Rate Against | Matches Played |
|---|---|---|
| Nilah | 42.5% | 1,511 |
| Corki | 44.7% | 2,678 |
| Viktor | 41.3% | 702 |
| Ziggs | 46.3% | 787 |
Note: Viktor and Ziggs are typically mages played in the mid lane, but they are included here as they highlight champions Samira struggles against generally.
In-Depth Look at Nilah
Nilah is a unique melee ADC whose kit provides strong tools to engage and sustain against Samira.
- Melee All-In Potential: Nilah thrives in close-quarters combat, where Samira also excels. However, Nilah's Jubilant Veil (W) grants her bonus movement speed and causes her to dodge basic attacks and reduces incoming magic damage, which can mitigate Samira's primary damage output.
- Sustain and Shields: Nilah's passive allows her to convert excess healing and shielding into a shield, and her Formless Blade (Q) empowers her basic attacks to heal, giving her significant sustain in extended trades.
- Ultimate (Apotheosis): Nilah's ultimate pulls enemies in and deals continuous damage, providing an unblockable, high-impact ability that can disrupt or outright defeat Samira in a direct engagement, often bypassing Samira's Wind Wall.
Corki as a Niche ADC Counter
While often played as a mid-lane mage, Corki can be played as a ranged ADC due to his unique auto-attack scaling and mixed damage profile.
- Long-Range Poke: Corki's Phosphorus Bomb (Q) and Missile Barrage (R) provide excellent long-range poke and burst damage. This allows him to chip away at Samira's health from a safe distance before she can engage effectively.
- Mixed Damage: Corki deals a significant amount of magic damage through his abilities and passive (converting a portion of his auto-attack damage to magic), which can make it difficult for Samira to build appropriate defensive items.
- Escape Potential: His Valkyrie (W) provides a dash for escaping Samira's aggressive all-ins or repositioning during fights.
General Counterplay Strategies Against Samira
When facing Samira, ADCs should generally consider champions or strategies that focus on:
- Range and Poke: Champions with long-range abilities can harass Samira and prevent her from safely engaging. Keeping her low on health restricts her all-in potential.
- Hard Crowd Control: Abilities like stuns, roots, or suppressions that aren't projectiles (and thus not blocked by her W) are highly effective at locking her down during her aggressive phases.
- Burst Damage: While Samira can be tanky with her passive shields, burst damage that can quickly eliminate her before she completes her combo or activates her ultimate is invaluable.
- Disengage Tools: ADCs with dashes, blinks, or movement speed buffs can create distance when Samira attempts to engage, preventing her from stacking her passive for her ultimate.
By selecting champions like Nilah or Corki, or adopting these general strategies, players can significantly improve their chances of countering Samira in the bot lane.
