Counters for Hwei
Champion guide
Reviewed for patch 7.3b
Champions against Hwei
Favorable matchup
Yasuo vs Hwei
Reviewed for patch 7.3b
Wind Wall blocks enemy projectiles for four seconds, and Riot describes two of Hwei's spells as a projectile or missile: Devastating Fire and the Gaze of the Abyss eye. Blocking them takes away his ranged damage and his root.
Why Yasuo works against Hwei
01
What to save the wall for
Riot describes Devastating Fire as a projectile and Gaze of the Abyss as an eye that sends a homing missile. Grim Visage, Severing Bolt, Molten Fissure and Crushing Maw aren't described that way: don't count on the wall, walk out of them instead.
02
Sweeping Blade against a mage with no dashes
Hwei's mobility is Fleeting Current, a strip of speed, not a dash. Sweeping Blade through minions brings you closer without walking a straight line through his zones, and 7.3b cuts Crushing Maw's range from 7.5 to 7, shrinking the distance from which he can drag you.
03
A shield against his signature burst
Signature of the Visionary explodes when a second, different spell hits the same target. 7.3b lowers that damage and raises the Way of the Wanderer shield: arrive with full Flow and the shield absorbs part of the combo.
When to attack
Go in once Hwei has spent his Torment spell or you've blocked it with Wind Wall. If he still has Torment and your wall is on cooldown, farm from range and let the trade go.
How to play Yasuo
- 1On the wave, hit minions with Steel Tempest to charge the tornado and don't walk straight at Hwei: his Disaster zones punish predictable paths.
- 2Keep Wind Wall for Gaze of the Abyss; spend it on a poke Devastating Fire and the root arrives with nothing to stop it.
- 3When his crowd control misses or hits the wall, chain Sweeping Blade through minions to close in and look for the tornado.
- 4With the tornado landed, Last Breath takes you to him; better when Pool of Reflection isn't down, because even with less protection in 7.3b it still soaks damage.
Mistakes to avoid
- Raising Wind Wall at the first spell you see and then going in with no protection against the Gaze of the Abyss root.
- Counting on the wall against Severing Bolt or Crushing Maw: the answer is to leave the zone.
Playing Hwei against Yasuo
As Hwei, the rule is to wait out the wall: open with Severing Bolt or Molten Fissure and save Gaze of the Abyss for when Wind Wall is on cooldown. Place Crushing Maw between Yasuo and the minions he uses to approach, keeping its shorter 7.3b range in mind.
Favorable matchup
Fizz vs Hwei
Reviewed for patch 7.3b
Hwei needs his target to stay in his zones long enough. Fizz goes in with Urchin Strike and, when Hwei lines up his crowd control, hops with Playful / Trickster to land outside the zone.
Why Fizz works against Hwei
01
Hop out of his control
While Fizz is on the trident he can't be targeted, and the hop moves him somewhere else. Use it when Hwei picks Torment to land off Grim Visage's path or outside Crushing Maw's zone; recasting drops you early in a direction, with a smaller splash and no slow.
02
Urchin Strike goes through him
Hwei has no dashes: his escape is Fleeting Current's speed. Urchin Strike carries you through him and applies on-hit effects, so you close the gap when he has spent the current or painted it in a direction that doesn't help him.
03
Chum the Waters when he can't run
The Chum the Waters fish attaches to the champion and reveals them; after a short delay, the shark knocks them up. On a Hwei who has already used Fleeting Current, it leaves little room to escape and sets up your engage.
When to attack
Look for Hwei once he has spent his Torment spell or Fleeting Current. If he still has both, wait with Playful / Trickster available and farm with Rending Wave.
How to play Fizz
- 1Early on, last-hit with Rending Wave and don't walk into Molten Fissure for a minion; your strength comes from the jumps, not from poke.
- 2Go in with Urchin Strike right after Hwei casts a spell and keep Playful / Trickster for the crowd control he answers with.
- 3Once you have your ultimate, throw Chum the Waters from range and engage just before the shark lands.
- 4Watch for his jungler after each trade: with your jumps spent, Fizz has no way out of a second threat.
Mistakes to avoid
- Using Playful / Trickster to engage and not having it when Grim Visage arrives.
- Landing inside Spiraling Despair because you dodged the first crowd control: the zone grows and explodes when it reaches full size.
Playing Hwei against Fizz
If you're Hwei against Fizz, don't spend Torment before he jumps: poke with Disaster and keep Grim Visage or Gaze of the Abyss for when he comes down from the trident. Pool of Reflection absorbs part of his burst, though it protects less in 7.3b. Paint Fleeting Current toward your tower before your health runs out.
Execution matters
Kassadin vs Hwei
Reviewed for patch 7.3b
Kassadin has tools against a zone mage: Void Stone shields him from magic damage when he casts nearby, Null Sphere silences, and Riftwalk takes him out of Crushing Maw or Spiraling Despair. Before his ultimate, Hwei punishes him.
Why Kassadin works against Hwei
01
Silence to cut the combo
Hwei picks a Disaster, Serenity or Torment spell before casting it, and the Signature of the Visionary burst needs a second, different spell. Null Sphere silences the first enemy hit: landing it mid-sequence delays that second spell.
02
A magic shield in every trade
Void Stone grants a shield against magic damage when you cast a spell near a visible enemy champion. Hwei's damaging abilities deal magic damage, so the shield soaks part of his answer every time you trade up close.
03
Riftwalk against zones that trap you
Riftwalk is a blink. Crushing Maw drags toward its center and Spiraling Despair grows before it explodes: the blink gets you out of both without relying on speed.
When to attack
Before you have Riftwalk, farm with Nether Blade and avoid trades. With your ultimate, go in once Hwei spends his Torment spell.
How to play Kassadin
- 1Early on, last-hit with Nether Blade, which also restores mana, and don't chase Hwei across his Molten Fissure line.
- 2Use Null Sphere to cut the trade when Hwei steps up to poke, then back off: you have nothing to follow up with yet.
- 3With Riftwalk, blink next to him after his crowd control and chain Null Sphere and Force Pulse to slow down his next spell.
- 4Keep mana for an exit Riftwalk in case he drops Spiraling Despair on you; each chained cast costs more mana.
Mistakes to avoid
- Riftwalking in before Hwei spends Torment and eating the fear or root as soon as you land.
- Chaining Riftwalk for damage until there is no mana left for Null Sphere when he answers.
Playing Hwei against Kassadin
Before Riftwalk, Kassadin has no way to close in: use those levels to punish him with Devastating Fire and Severing Bolt. Later, keep Gaze of the Abyss, whose missile seeks the nearest champion, for when he appears on top of you. His shield absorbs magic damage: don't empty your palette while it's up.