Game patch 26.20Data Dragon 16.20.1

Reference patch 16.20.1

Lissandra

the Ice Witch

Lissandra is a spell-focused champion who plays around range, cooldowns and controlled areas. This overview keeps the explanation practical and leaves patch-sensitive numbers to Riot's structured data and the current in-game tooltip.

MidMostly magic damageRanged attacks

Open matchup guide Find counters Status effects

Usual roleMid

ClassMage

DifficultyMedium · 6/10

Basic attacksRangedRanged basic attacks · 550 range.

Damage profileMostly magic damageMost normal kit pressure is magic. Magic resistance may help, but control, penetration and true damage still matter.

Reference patch16.20.1

Strengths and limits

What Lissandra does well, and what can go wrong

These are kit-level patterns, not a promise that every lane or matchup plays the same way.

Good patterns

Uses spells to shape space, punish predictable movement or control an approach.
Ranged basic attacks can contribute without entering melee distance when spacing is preserved.

Limits to respect

Important pressure falls while key spells are unavailable or miss their intended area.
Needs the player to respect cooldowns, resources and the opponent's route into the fight.

Riot ally tips

Use these while learning the champion

You can instantly use your ultimate on yourself by pressing the self cast key and the ultimate key at once (alt+R by default).

Casting Glacial Path and then running in the opposite direction will leave your enemies uncertain which way you will actually go.

Lissandra's abilities are shorter range than those of many mages. As a result, buying items that offer both ability power and defense, like Zhonya's Hourglass and Banshee's Veil, can be a great choice to help her both survive and deal damage.

Riot opponent tips

What an opponent is told to watch for

The best way to stop Lissandra from moving using her Glacial Path is to immobilize her before she reactivates it.

Lissandra's Ring of Frost has a long cooldown at early ranks; engage her while it's on cooldown.

Lissandra's Ice Shard only slows the first unit it hits. Approach Lissandra from behind your team's minions to avoid being slowed.

Practical champion reading

How to read Lissandra in a real fight

Use these patterns to ask better questions before choosing an item, target or commitment. They describe the kit, not a guaranteed result.

Damage delivery

Primarily magic pressure

Magic resistance can reduce the broad spell profile, but positioning and cooldown tracking still decide whether the important abilities connect.

Fight rhythm

Track the complete ability cycle

Do not judge the champion from one button. Watch which setup, payoff and escape tools are available before choosing a trade or commitment.

Range and access

Spacing protects repeated output

Ranged attacks are useful only while a safe line to the target remains. Flanks, hard control and blocked escape routes can remove that advantage quickly.

Typical team job

Shape the fight with spell timing

Use range, controlled space and cooldown order to make the next action easier for the team rather than spending every spell at once.

Control check

Identify the exact movement restriction

Tenacity can shorten only eligible control. Displacements, airborne effects and repeated slows need their own positioning, blocking or movement answer.

Protection and sustain

Check whether recovery changes the fight

Anti-heal or anti-shielding is situational. Buy it only when the effect is materially protecting targets and your champion can apply the answer reliably.

Resource pattern

Mana and cooldowns both matter

A spell being available does not mean the complete sequence is sustainable. Watch the resource bar as well as the setup and escape cooldowns.

Defensive item reference

What can help against Lissandra?

Start with the threat that is actually affecting the match. These are conditional comparisons, not an automatic counter build.

Pre-game choices

DEFENSIVE BOOTS

Mercury's Treads usually fit better

Magic resistance addresses the broad damage profile, while Tenacity can shorten reducible control.

Choose Plated Steelcaps instead only when physical basic attacks from this champion or the rest of the team are the larger repeated threat.

Reducible controlSlowsHealing or sustain

MAGIC DEFENCE

Magic defence

Kaenic Rookern · Force of Nature

Magic resistance can reduce the broad spell profile.

Choose a role-appropriate option only when repeated or burst magic damage is the problem.

CONTROL AND ONE KEY SPELL

Control and one key spell

Mercury's Treads · Quicksilver Sash · Banshee's Veil · Edge of Night

Tenacity and a removable-control active can help against the relevant disabling effects.

Check the current tooltip and whether the exact effect can be shortened, removed or blocked.

REPEATED SLOWS

Repeated slows

Boots of Swiftness

Slow resistance can be more useful than Tenacity when repeated slowing strength is the main problem.

It gives no armour or magic resistance, so compare the rest of the opposing team.

MEANINGFUL HEALING

Meaningful healing

Bramble Vest or Thornmail · Morellonomicon · Mortal Reminder

A role-appropriate Grievous Wounds item can reduce healing.

Buy it only when healing is materially changing fights and your champion can apply it reliably.

Normal Draft and Ranked role map

Where Lissandra fits on Summoner's Rift

Each lane is assessed separately. Open a role to reach its queue-specific build and matchup preparation.

TopUnestablished route

Historical reference. Recommendation review pending. Lissandra is normally played Mid and does not currently have a reviewed Top route. Top usually needs independent laning, durable trading or reliable side-lane pressure. Treat this as a deliberate experiment, not a standard recommendation.

Review this role

JungleUnestablished route

Historical reference. Recommendation review pending. Lissandra is normally played Mid and does not currently have a reviewed Jungle route. Jungle usually needs repeatable monster clear, safe pathing and objective control without lane income. Treat this as a deliberate experiment, not a standard recommendation.

Review this role

MidPrimary role

Historical reference. Recommendation review pending. Lissandra has an established central-lane plan with access to waves, both sides of the river and meaningful pressure between objectives.

Review this role Open matchup

BotUnestablished route

Historical reference. Recommendation review pending. Lissandra is normally played Mid and does not currently have a reviewed Bot route. Bot usually needs dependable duo-lane scaling and sustained damage with shared early pressure. Treat this as a deliberate experiment, not a standard recommendation.

Review this role

SupportUnestablished route

Historical reference. Recommendation review pending. Lissandra is normally played Mid and does not currently have a reviewed Support route. Support usually needs useful engage, peel or utility while operating on low gold income. Treat this as a deliberate experiment, not a standard recommendation.

Review this role

Situational AP purchase

When should you buy anti-heal?

Buy healing reduction when enemy healing or regeneration is deciding fights and you can keep damaging the relevant target. Grievous Wounds reduces healing; it does not reduce shields, magic damage or crowd control.

Start with the component

Oblivion Orb can provide healing reduction without immediately paying for a completed Morellonomicon. Fit the component around your core damage, mana and survival needs; check the current queue's item tooltip.

Finish when it fits the fight

Complete Morellonomicon when its stats and slot efficiency suit your build. Do not treat it as a mandatory first item just because your champion deals magic damage.

Coordinate coverage

Multiple Grievous Wounds sources do not add their percentages together. Another reliable applier may cover the same target, but you may still need your own source for a separate fight or target.

Repeated spell damage and damage over time can maintain coverage more reliably than a single hit. Match the purchase to your actual spell access, enemy sustain and the teammates who can apply the debuff.

Will the fight last long enough?

If you die before dealing damage, you apply no healing reduction. If your target dies before healing, there is little healing to prevent. The debuff applies on qualifying damage immediately; it does not need to build up. It remains briefly after your last hit, so teammates can benefit even after you disengage.

Only healing during the active debuff counts. For example, 40% reduction prevents 80 of a 200-point heal, or 400 of a 1,000-point heal, before other modifiers. Compare that with the damage, penetration or survival you delayed; neither example guarantees a kill. Healing after the debuff expires is unaffected.

See the Oblivion Orb and Morellonomicon references for current effects and queue availability. These are situational decisions, not a measured best-build claim.

Kit reference

Lissandra abilities

Ability names, descriptions and numeric fields come from Riot Data Dragon. Practical reads are independently written; the current in-game tooltip remains authoritative.

Abilities Data Dragon 16.20.1Cooldown / Cost / Range Data Dragon 16.20.1

Passive

Iceborn Subjugation

What it doesWhen an enemy champion dies near Lissandra they become a Frozen Thrall. Frozen Thralls slow nearby enemies and then, after a delay, shatter from the intense cold, dealing magic damage to nearby targets.

Practical readIceborn Subjugation is an automatic part of the kit involving a slowing effect and damage. Track when its condition is active instead of treating every fight the same way.

Q ability

Ice Shard

What it doesThrows a spear of ice that shatters when it hits an enemy, dealing magic damage and slowing Move Speed. Shards pass through the target, dealing the same damage to other enemies hit.

Practical readIce Shard is a ranged cast involving a slowing effect and damage. Respect its line or target area, and avoid spending it when the opponent can simply step away before the important exchange.

Cooldown7/6/5/4/3 secCost55/60/65/70/75Listed range725 units

W ability

Ring of Frost

What it doesFreezes nearby enemies in ice, dealing magic damage and rooting them.

Practical readRing of Frost contributes damage. Its value changes with cooldown, range and target access; recognise the setup before moving into its effective area.

Cooldown10/9.5/9/8.5/8 secCost40Listed range450 units

E ability

Glacial Path

What it doesLissandra creates an ice claw that deals magic damage. Reactivating this ability transports Lissandra to the claw's current location.

Practical readGlacial Path contributes damage. Its value changes with cooldown, range and target access; recognise the setup before moving into its effective area.

Cooldown24/21/18/15/12 secCost80/85/90/95/100Listed range1050 units

Ultimate

Frozen Tomb

What it doesIf cast on an enemy champion, the target is frozen solid, stunning it. If cast on Lissandra, she encases herself in dark ice, healing herself while becoming untargetable and invulnerable. Dark ice then emanates from the target dealing magic damage to enemies and slowing Move Speed.

Practical readFrozen Tomb contributes a slowing effect and protection or sustain. Its value changes with cooldown, range and target access; recognise the setup before moving into its effective area.

Cooldown120/100/80 secCost100Listed range550 units

Protection

The protection or sustain is part of the cast's value. Compare its timing with incoming damage rather than reading only the offensive effect.

Levels 1–18

Lissandra · Health / Mana · Abilities

Base values exclude items, runes, temporary buffs and mode-specific modifiers. Cooldowns are the listed base cooldown before ability haste.

Level 1620 Health475 Mana

Level 3782 Health519 Mana

Level 61,055 Health594 Mana

Level 111,585 Health738 Mana

Level 162,212 Health909 Mana

Level 182,490 Health985 Mana

Cooldown Data Dragon 16.20.1

Basic abilityIce Shard

Can receive its first point from level 1. Later ranks normally become available at levels 3, 5, 7 and 9.

Rank 17 secRank 26 secRank 35 secRank 44 secRank 53 sec

Basic abilityRing of Frost

Can receive its first point from level 1. Later ranks normally become available at levels 3, 5, 7 and 9.

Rank 110 secRank 29.5 secRank 39 secRank 48.5 secRank 58 sec

Basic abilityGlacial Path

Can receive its first point from level 1. Later ranks normally become available at levels 3, 5, 7 and 9.

Rank 124 secRank 221 secRank 318 secRank 415 secRank 512 sec

UltimateFrozen Tomb

First rank becomes available at level 6; later ranks normally become available at levels 11 and 16.

Rank 1120 secRank 2100 secRank 380 sec

Open every levelHealth and mana from level 1 to 18

Level	Health	Mana	Ability milestone
1	620	475 Mana	Choose the first basic ability
2	699	497 Mana	Add another basic ability or rank
3	782	519 Mana	Add another basic ability or rank
4	869	543 Mana	Spend one ability point
5	960	568 Mana	Spend one ability point
6	1,055	594 Mana	First ultimate rank normally available
7	1,153	620 Mana	Spend one ability point
8	1,255	648 Mana	Spend one ability point
9	1,361	677 Mana	Spend one ability point
10	1,471	707 Mana	Spend one ability point
11	1,585	738 Mana	Second ultimate rank normally available
12	1,703	770 Mana	Spend one ability point
13	1,825	804 Mana	Spend one ability point
14	1,950	838 Mana	Spend one ability point
15	2,079	873 Mana	Spend one ability point
16	2,212	909 Mana	Final ultimate rank normally available
17	2,349	947 Mana	Spend one ability point
18	2,490	985 Mana	Spend one ability point

Choose the next question

Turn the profile into a pre-game plan

Choose a queue-aware build, compare a lane opponent, or return to the full champion library.

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