How can you counter tankwick?

Question

Tankwick (Warwick), could either start top or jungle. It seems like when he is built properly, he takes very little damage, while his Q does decent damage and heals him a bunch. Then he gets decent damage from his auto attacks as well.

Playing as a tank, he will out heal me.

Laning top, he will out harass me and heal up.

Playing an AD carry, he will have massive armor or usually ult me, and I do no damage.

Playing an AP mid, he will have massive magic resist and may ult me as well.

I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong or if he can't be countered unless your team focuses him to kill him.

Answer 1

The answer to your dilemma comes from looking at the entire game, not just laning phase. Building a Warwick as a tank will be a pain to deal with in lane. However, as a tank, he lacks the tools of many tier one tanks such as Nautilus, Malphite, Cho'gath, Galio or Alistar. Sure, he can be a pain in lane, but so will Soraka, Karma, and others. If you can survive your lane with similar farm, then most other champions should bring more to the team fights in lane game.

First, don't trade with him. Between his Q and his passive autoattacks, WW has one of the highest levels of sustain in the game. Recognize this and avoid getting baited into exchanges that provide him a lane advantage.

Second, play people who provide better team support but still have sustain. Cho'gath and Vladimir top lane both fit this bill. Cho'gath's passive heal from creep kills can easily keep him in lane. Plus Chogath's silence prevents WW from running up and Q'ing the WW. Vladimir brings more damage and can sustain in lane almost as well as WW. Even better, both of these champions clear waves quickly. Since WW can't, you can push him into his tower and force him to compete with the tower for last hits.

You also mentioned mid lane. While he doesn't have sustain, Galio naturally gravitates towards magic resistance items which significantly decreases WW damage. Plus Galio can wave clear as well, forcing WW to have to last hit against his tower. Otherwise, focus on AP's who clear waves quickly at range, negating WW's ability to run up Q, and run back. Cassiopeia, Anivia, Ahri, and Morgana all can deal with WW middle.

I haven't seen anyone play WW as a competitive AD. Take a Soraka, heal your AD, and let the AD farm away. As a ranged versus a melee, any of the standard bot AD's should be able to harass WW out of lane. Plus, a farmed AD is significantly more important late game than a farmed WW.

Answer 2

In addition to the previous answers, items and abilities that apply grievous wounds almost half his tanking ability, these items and abilities are: (some examples)

• The summoner spell Ignite
• Katarina's death lotus
• Executioner calling
• Morello's evil tome

Answer 3

Lane Warwick does not have the infinite amount of mana that Jungle Warwick has with blue buff so if you harass him, he can't heal up forever - he will actually run out of mana very quickly since his Q is quite expensive.

After that he's just a normal bruiser without ranged harass, meager DPS and a very long cooldown gap closer.

The simple solution is to just harass him from a distance early on so he loses the lane and falls behind, making him useless in the later stages.

Also, Ignite works wonders on him since it reduces the healing from his passive, his Q and any life steal items he might have, use it when you go for the kill and not just to finish him off when he runs away.

Answer 4

Warwick's core kit is a long suppress ultimate, a passive dealing magic damage and healing him (with a stacking mechanic that increases the damage/healing x3) and an active lifesteal damage deal ability.

Laning top, an early gank and a few dorans will allow you to commit on him in a fight and outright win. Trying to play back and harass him will not work - if you're going to fight, commit. Ignite before he can use his Hungering Strike.

When he's jungling he isn't a threat until 6. As top, don't extend past 3/5th the way and you shouldn't have to burn flash if he shows up. After first back a ward is more than enough to prevent him from touching you. As mid, without his ult he should never be able to gank you. Bot is a bit trickier, but if river is warded and you keep sight on side bushes he won't be able to gank there pre6 either.

Do note that he can solo dragon fairly early, so it's important to keep that warded.

Late game, as an ad carry, you should get a QSS if a WW is present (unless your team is spot on with CCing him off). When you go to kill him, put an ignite on fairly early to prevent his lifesteal from being a burden. In absence of ignite, Morello's Evil Tome or an Executioner's Calling can suffice.

If you're not getting focused by his ults, you should be saving any CC you have for his ult.

Don't focus him in fights unless he's out of position; your tank should be peeling him off of you and it's wasted DPS being pumped into him.