Locke Pro Builds - How to Play Locke in Season 16
Locke – the Ashen Exorcist – is a great Assassin that is usually played on position Mid. Locke can also be played in other roles, but we focus on position Mid in this LoL Locke guide as it fits the current meta in S16 very well.
Locke has a win rate of 51% and pick rate of 1.6%. There is a ban rate of 63%. Although a great champion, winning with Locke is not a given. You need to have the right Locke build in order to unleash the full potential on patch 16.17. There are many Locke probuilds out there. We help you to find the right probuild, Locke players need to win.
Latest Locke probuilds
Here a quick view on the latest Locke probuilds on position Mid.
How to play Locke
We will show you what you need to do, to increase your chances of winning your lane. Locke is strong, but if you ran into 
Katarina or 
Akali you might get in trouble. In order to win your lane and against your counter, you need the right spells, items and runes. The following Locke Mid pro build will help you with that.
Follow our build, pentakills will follow and you will learn how to play Locke. Since Riot Games regularly releases a new patch, Locke builds may change from time to time. It is important to keep up to date.
Items for Locke
Items obviously play a big role in League of Legends. Buying the right item can make the difference between winning and losing as Locke. The order of items is also very important. Especially in early game, it is imperative to make the right decision on what to buy. You need to know the right starter item and starter trinket. But you also need to know what your final items will be. Your opponent like 
Orianna or 
Ryze can also influence your buying decisions.
Since Locke is a powerful Assassin you should start with 
Doran's Ring, 
Health Potion, and Health Potion. Your starter trinket should be 
Stealth Ward. You will find those in the shop under: Tools > Vision & Trinkets. Your optimal final boots are 
Sorcerer's Shoes. So make sure to buy accordingly. A good buy order for your items is:
Lich Bane
Shadowflame
Zhonya's Hourglass
Locke abilities and summoner spells
Pro Gamers in LoL also gain advantage by their choice of spells and the order they use their abilities on Locke. You also shouldn’t leave this to chance.
During champion select you have the possibility to choose two spells for Locke. The choice of summoner spells can’t be underestimated. They can play a big role in team-fights. Countless team-fights have been decided by a well-used flash. Statistics have proven that the best choice is 
Flash and 
Ignite.
You can also gain an advantage in early game by using Locke abilities in a certain order. Each phase of the game differs. Some abilities might be good in late game, but less in early game. Start the game with 
Ritual Nails. Then you should continue with 
Soul Ignition, followed by 
Ashen Pursuit. An order for abilities of Locke up to level 10:
| Level | Key | Champion Spell |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | R | Ritual Nails |
| 2 | R | Ashen Pursuit |
| 3 | R | Soul Ignition |
| 4 | R | Ritual Nails |
| 5 | R | Ritual Nails |
| 6 | R |  Purgatory |
| 7 | R | Ritual Nails |
| 8 | R | Soul Ignition |
| 9 | R | Ritual Nails |
| 10 | R | Soul Ignition |
Most effective Locke runes selection
For an effective Locke build, you also need to select the appropriate runes. Ideally, you make an extra rune page for Locke. You have to choose a primary and a secondary path from five rune paths for the Ashen Exorcist: Precision, Domination, Sorcery, Resolve and Inspiration.
In the primary path you can choose a keystone rune and three lesser runes. The secondary path only consists of two lesser runes. There are also the three so-called shard slots. The best rune paths for Locke are for primary 
Domination and for secondary 
Resolve. As the keystone rune on Locke most pros pick 
Electrocute.
For your primary path – Domination – choose these runes on Locke:
- Electrocute
Sudden Impact
Sixth Sense
Ultimate Hunter
For your secondary path – Resolve – choose these runes on Locke:
Bone Plating
Revitalize
Champions that counter Locke
As mentioned before, it is always necessary to react to opponents of Locke. There are champions that counter Locke. These champions have advantages that can be dangerous for you. Katarina for instance is strong against Locke and has a win rate of 53%. Another dangerous counter is Akali.
When your opponent counter picks Locke in champion select, you need to be aware. In this case, adjust your items and game to the situation.
High Noon Locke (Obsidian) is one of the 10 available skins for Locke.
Conclusion
Many people are looking for Locke pro builds, that players often used to win. By following our probuilds, you can turn Locke into a beast. Especially if you also follow our Locke guide. When you have your runes placed like we told you, Locke will reach its full potential. Buying the items we listed will also increase your chances. Start with the abilities in the correct order to gain an advantage in early game.
When you build Locke in League of Legends correctly, you will have a very capable champion. But as always you need to practice, especially when and how to use Purgatory. League of Legends is a dynamic game that changes with every patch. Keep following the patch notes and keep adjusting your LoL Locke build.
Also, keep reacting to the game itself. Do you play mid, top or bot? Who is support or jungle? Overall, a good game is the sum of the right decisions. Over time, you your skills with Locke will grow. Once you mastered Locke – the Ashen Exorcist – you will rule the rift.
