How to Play Against Annie? The Best Counter Tips to Beat Annie in Season 12

Annie, and her loyal bear Tibbers, is a medium-range mage with huge burst potential and AOE or single target CC. Considering these traits of her kit, she has a strong laning phase, easy to ensure successful gank while you are CCed, and ensures that she will be relevant in teamfights and skirmishes with her abilities. She has the ability to last hit with her Q, which also refunds mana if the enemy dies, adding to her laning potential strength.

Annie’s Abilities

• Passive – Pyromania: After casting four spells, Annie’s next offensive spell will stun the target. The stun applies to the first ability that lands when the stun is available. If Annie casts Q followed by W while the stun is available and W lands first, the stun will be applied through W.
• Q – Disintegrate: Annie hurls a fireball at the target enemy that deals them magic damage upon arrival. If Disintegrate kills its target, half of the cooldown is reduced, and the mana cost is refunded.
• W – Incinerate: Annie casts a blazing cone of fire, dealing damage to all enemies in the area. Incinerate can hit targets behind Annie, provided their radius intersects with the cone hitbox. Incinerate will fire from wherever Annie is at the end of the cast time.
• E – Molten Shield: Annie grants herself or the target allied champion and Tibbers a shield for 3 seconds and 20% − 50% (based on level) bonus movement speed that decays over 1.5 seconds. While Molten Shield is active, enemies who basic attack the target are dealt magic damage.
• R – Summon: Tibbers: Annie summons Tibbers to the target location in a burst of flame, dealing magic damage to enemies near him. Summon: Tibbers can be recast at any time while Tibbers is alive, and Annie directs Tibbers to the target location. Tibbers then remains on the field as a controllable pet for up to 45 seconds. A burst of flame deals area damage, and Tibbers’ basic attacks apply pet damage. Tibbers will blink back next to Annie if he gets too far away.

Tibbers’s Abilities: 

• Flame Aura: Tibbers deals 5 / 7.5 / 10 (+ 3% AP) magic damage to all enemies within a 350 unit radius every 0.25 seconds. 
• Recovery: While out of combat for at least 5 seconds, Tibbers heals himself for 6% maximum health per second and gains 250 bonus movement speed when moving towards Annie’s location from further than 600 units away, decreased to 100 bonus movement speed from further than 150 units.
• Enrage: Tibbers enrages for 3 seconds on summoning and when Pyromania (passive) stuns an enemy champion. During this time, Tibbers becomes ghosted and gains 100% bonus movement speed, which decays over the duration. His base attack speed is also increased to 1.736 for his next five attacks while enraged, but decreasing with each attack until returning at his normal attack speed.
• Revenge: If Annie dies while Tibbers is active, he instantly heals himself for 50% of his missing health, becomes enraged for 10 seconds, and will target Annie’s killer. His health will rapidly decay over time, and if Annie’s killer is too far away, he’ll target the nearest lowest-health enemy champion instead.

Also read: How to Play Against Akshan?

Countering Annie’s Spells

It might be harder to distinguish with some skins that Annie has her passive ready. If you see that she has her passive ready, stay away from her. Wait for her to use it to last hit a minion otherwise, she might trade with you with a fast Q W combo, and you will have no way to react while CCed. She can surprise you with stun when she hits three stacks by activating her E before her Q reaches its target. Remember that E is instant and can catch you off guard. If she has reached level 6, stay away from Tibbers when it’s summoned, as it deals AOE damage. Always be aware of her flash+combo attack, as it can be a teamfight winning combo. Long-range champions will have an easier time against her due to her short-ranged abilities.

Most Common Annie Combos

As we have written before, always be aware of her flash+combo attack. It might prove very useful even to track Annie’s CD of Flash. She trades with you with a fast Q W combo while her passive is ready. When she hits three stacks, she can surprise you with stun when she hits three stacks by activating her E before her Q reaches its target. Remember that E is instant and can catch you off guard. During teamfights, try not to stack with your other teammates as it will be ideal for Annie to flash R or W your entire team.

Annie’s Weaknesses

1. Mobility

Annie is countered by mobility. She has no dashes to close distance or to escape a gank. She is straightforward to kill and gank when her passive stun is not charged. 

2. Range

Annie is a medium-range mage. This allows you to counter her with champions that exceed her range.

3. Flash dependant

Annie has very low kill pressure when she does not have Flash. She has no easy way to close the gap unless you misposition and stand too close to her. Counter Annie by keeping your distance when she has Flash.

4. Wards

Annie relies on the surprise factor to get her combo off. Annie prefers jumping out of a bush to blow someone up as it is a much easier way to pick someone off than during the dance on the mid lane while sieging.

Also read: How to Counter Yasuo?

The Best Annie Lane Counters in Season 12

1. Fizz

Fizz is moderately hard to learn, has skill shots, and has excellent mobility. With the gold difference of +590 gold at the 15th-minute mark, Fizz is the champion that is an ideal pick against Annie. Fizz’s E allows him to dodge damage and escape from trades, and his R is easy to land on Annie because she lacks any mobility.

2. Syndra

Syndra might be harder to learn, has many skill shots, and might be squishier. With the gold difference of +450 gold at the 15th-minute mark, Syndra is the champion that is an ideal pick against Annie. Syndra has a more extended range, more burst, and her W can toss that pesky bear back to Annie. Syndra is everything that Annie is but a better version. 

3. Honorable mention: Galio

Galio is averagely hard to learn, has few skill shots, and might provide minor overall damage. With the gold difference of +100 gold at the 15th-minute mark, Galio is the champion that is relatively reasonable to pick against Annie. Galio has a natural shield in the form of his W, great initiation with his E, a decent amount of waveclear if needed, and overall tankiness.

Also read: How to Counter Vayne?

The Best Champions to Counter Annie in Season 12

1. Tahm Kench

Topside king of tanks, Tahm Kench, provides excellent utility to initiate team fights, and his beefiness gives him time to survive any combos that Annie has to use on him instead of on your squishy teammates. 

2. Nunu and Willump

Nunu and Willump is one of the best junglers this season. Great ganking potential due to his W, although Annie’s stun could stop this. His R can allow him to set up a deathly scenario for Anie as she lacks any mobility to get out of his R. Be aware that CC can also interrupt his R, so watch out for Annie’s passive stacks.

3. Sivir

Sivir’s E allows her to avoid any form of CC, which includes Annie’s passive. This makes her ideal pick against Annie as it is pretty safe when she is left alone. Her R allows her to speed up the entire team, providing an opportunity for her team to engage. As we know, Annie lacks any form of mobility, so Sivir’s R is handy to catch her off guard.

Best Items to Counter Annie in Season 12

1. Banshee’s Veil

Banshee’s Veil is a strong item against magic damage but is most valued for its ability to prevent crowd control or counter poke damage. As such, it is highly recommended to build Banshee’s Veil when you are being focused by crowd control effects. This item provides everything that you need to combat Annie efficiently. 

2. Quicksilver Sash

It removes all crowd control debuffs (except Airborne) from your champion. It gives magic resistance as well – another fantastic item to counter Annie’s magic damage and CC.

3. Mikael’s Blessing

Mikael’s Blessing removes all crowd control debuffs from yourself or an allied champion and heals the target for 100 − 200 (based on the target’s level). It gives magic resistance and other stats such as ability haste, base mana regeneration, and more potent heal and shield power. Supports with good reflexes will use this item to save your squishies from CC that Annie can unleash on them.

Conclusion

Annie is a robust CC machine that can surprise you from the fog of war with a high burst of damage. She last hits quickly with her Q, can push her lane reasonably well, and shines during team fights with her loyal bear Tibbers. On the other hand, her range is relatively short for a mage, and lack of mobility gives you a chance to outplay her. If she used Flash, she is even more vulnerable as it is vital for her initiation combo.

Pick a champion within our recommended counters that you are most familiar with and feel most comfortable playing with. If you did not find any of your favorite champions from our list, try to pick something that has reliable CC, has a higher range than Anie, or has good mobility.