Olaf vs Varus Counter Pick

Varus finishes at 92 armor on level 18 and starts the game with 24, a defensive curve well under what most top lane opponents bring. Olaf’s kit is entirely physical, opening at 68 base attack damage with attack speed layered on by Berserker Rage as his health falls. Across 177 games on patch 16.13.1 the result is 60.5% for Olaf and an Easy rating.

Range is the counterargument, and it is a serious one: 575 against 125 is a long walk, and Piercing Arrow gains extra range and damage the longer it is charged. Hail of Arrows slows and reduces self healing on the desecrated ground, which targets the life steal Berserker Rage provides. Blighted Quiver adds magic damage on his attacks and detonates through his other abilities, so Olaf’s 32 base magic resist is not irrelevant against an opponent otherwise classed as physical.

What Varus lacks is a dash. Chain of Corruption immobilises and spreads to nearby champions, but it is a commitment rather than an exit, and once Olaf is inside 125 range with Undertow’s slow applied there is no reset available. Olaf also holds 2,668 health at level 18 against 2,385 and 350 move speed against 330. Reckless Swing’s true damage makes armor only a partial answer on Varus‘s side, and Ragnarok covers the ultimate outright.