Support Matchup

Alistar vs Tahm Kench

Patch: 15.18 (25.18)
League: Platinum+
Alistar

Alistar

the Minotaur
Support
Alistar Support Overall Win Rate
49.98%

Matchup Win Rate

48.2%
Alistar vs Tahm Kench Wins
51.9%
Tahm Kench vs Alistar Wins
Tahm Kench

Tahm Kench

The River King
Support
Tahm Kench Support Overall Win Rate
48.50%

Alistar vs Tahm Kench - Support Matchup Guide Patch 15.18 (25.18)

Alistar Support vs Tahm Kench Support - Who is stronger?

Alistar Support has trouble against Tahm Kench (48.2% win rate) based on 715 games. This is a tough matchup for Alistar players.

View detailed statistics below: items, runes, and counter builds for Alistar Support vs Tahm Kench Support in patch 15.18 (25.18), including win rates and pick rates. With proper study, this can improve your chances of victory up to 77.1% in this matchup.

Statistical Matchup Analysis

Alistar dominates the meta (16th most popular, 5.3% pick rate) and regularly clashes with Tahm Kench (2.6% pick rate). Understanding this common matchup forms the foundation of consistent gameplay for one of support's current powerhouses. Surprising upset: Despite Alistar's higher tier rating, Tahm Kench wins 51.9% of encounters. This suggests Tahm Kench's kit specifically counters Alistar's playstyle, overriding general meta strength - approach this matchup with extra caution. Every edge matters: In this tough matchup, the proven Electrocute + Sudden Impact combination (64.0% win rate) plus optimal itemization Locket of the Iron Solari, Zeke's Convergence, Thornmail, and Boots of Swiftness boosts your chances from 48.2% to 77.1% - potentially game-changing.

Vision advantage: Despite losing the direct matchup, Alistar's superior warding (1.03 wards/min, 3rd among supports) can swing team fights and objectives in your favor. Outclassed across the board: Tahm Kench leads in both matchup win rate (51.9%) and damage (495 vs 293/min). Alistar must seek alternative win conditions through macro play and team coordination. Strong individual performance: Alistar maintains better KDA (2.50, 26th place vs 29th for Tahm Kench), but loses the matchup overall. High KDA without wins suggests difficulty translating individual advantages into victory conditions.

Alistar vs Tahm Kench - Support Stats Comparison

Alistar Support
Alistar Support
Versus
Tahm Kench Support
Tahm Kench Support
B+TierC
48.2%Matchup Winrate51.9%
49.98%Role Winrate48.50%
#28Winrate Rank#44
5.3%Pickrate2.6%
2.5Average KDA2.4
287Gold per Minute328
1.03Wards per Minute0.83
293Damage per Minute495

How to Beat Tahm Kench as Alistar (Support)

Despite the slight difference in effectiveness, in the Alistar versus Tahm Kench matchup as support, neither champion has an overwhelming advantage. The winner is determined by player skill and understanding the intricacies of the confrontation. Studying this guide will improve your chances of success.

The magic damage that Alistar deals remains relevant in the late game. Look for opportunities to initiate or counter-initiate. Tahm Kench has mixed damage, be careful as it may be harder to defend if the opponent gets ahead or plays aggressively.

An important advantage of Alistar is superior vision control (ranked 3rd among supports) (versus 35th for Tahm Kench), which provides better map control and safety for the team in important map areas. Meanwhile, their lower KDA (2.4 versus 2.5) suggests they are less effective in team fights.

Key aspects of the Alistar Support versus Tahm Kench Support matchup

In this difficult confrontation, it is critically important for the Alistar player to avoid attempts to force trades and all-ins with the Tahm Kench player, as the matchup requires a patient and calculated approach. Extended trades without clear tactical advantage often lead to unfavorable consequences, and ignoring opportunities to receive team support can be a fatal mistake for game progression.

Alistar vs Tahm Kench: Support Summoner Spells

Most Popular

Flash
Flash Teleports you a short distance toward your cursor.
Ignite
Ignite Deals true damage over time to target enemy champion and reduces healing effects on them for the duration.
50.2% Win Rate71.8% Pick Rate

Highest Win Rate

Flash
Flash Teleports you a short distance toward your cursor.
Heal
Heal Restores Health and grants Move Speed to you and target allied champion.
58.6% Win Rate11.8% Pick Rate

Alistar vs Tahm Kench: Support Runes

Most Frequent Runes

Primary Path
Resolve
Aftershock
Aftershock After immobilizing an enemy champion, increase your Armor and Magic Resist by 35 + 80% of your Bonus Resists for 2.5s. Then explode, dealing magic damage to nearby enemies.

Damage: 25 - 120 (+8% of your bonus health)
Cooldown: 20s

Resistance bonus from Aftershock capped at: 80-150 (based on level)

Aftershock

After immobilizing an enemy champion, increase your Armor and Magic Resist by 35 + 80% of…

Font of Life
Font of Life Impairing the movement of an enemy champion restores @BaseHeal@ Health to you and the lowest health nearby allied champion.

70% effect for Ranged Users.

Cooldown: 20s

Font of Life

Impairing the movement of an enemy champion restores @BaseHeal@ Health to you a…

Bone Plating
Bone Plating After taking damage from an enemy champion, the next 3 spells or attacks you receive from them deal 30-60 (based on level) less damage.

Duration: 1.5s
Cooldown: 55s

Bone Plating

After taking damage from an enemy champion, the next 3 spells or attacks you re…

Unflinching
Unflinching Gain 6 - 12 (level scaling) Armor and Magic Resist when crowd controlled and for 2 seconds after.

Unflinching

Gain 6 - 12 (level scaling) Armor and Magic Resist when crowd controlled and fo…

Secondary Path
Inspiration
Hextech Flashtraption
Hextech Flashtraption While Flash is on cooldown it is replaced by Hexflash.

Hexflash: Channel for 2s to blink to a new location.

Cooldown: 20s. Goes on a 10s cooldown when you enter champion combat.

Hextech Flashtraption

While Flash is on cooldown it is replaced by Hexflash.Hexflash: Channel for 2s …

Cosmic Insight
Cosmic Insight +18 Summoner Spell Haste
+10 Item Haste

Cosmic Insight

+18 Summoner Spell Haste+10 Item Haste

Adaptive
Scaling Cooldown Reduction
Scaling Cooldown Reduction +8 Ability Haste

Scaling Cooldown Reduction

+8 Ability Haste

Scaling Health
Scaling Health Increases health from 10 to 180 HP across levels 1-18

Scaling Health

Increases health from 10 to 180 HP across levels 1-18

Scaling Health
Scaling Health Increases health from 10 to 180 HP across levels 1-18

Scaling Health

Increases health from 10 to 180 HP across levels 1-18

49.9% Win Rate53.0% Pick Rate

Best Win Rate Runes

Primary Path
Domination
Electrocute
Electrocute Hitting a champion with 3 separate attacks or abilities within 3s deals bonus adaptive damage.

Damage: 70 - 240 (+0.1 bonus AD, +0.05 AP) damage.
Cooldown: 20s

'We called them the Thunderlords, for to speak of their lightning was to invite disaster.'

Electrocute

Hitting a champion with 3 separate attacks or abilities within 3s deals bonus adaptive da…

Sudden Impact
Sudden Impact Damaging basic attacks and abilities deal a bonus 20 - 80 True Damage based on level to enemy champions after using a dash, leap, blink, teleport, or when leaving stealth for 4s.

Cooldown: 10s

Sudden Impact

Damaging basic attacks and abilities deal a bonus 20 - 80 True Damage based on …

Deep Ward
Deep Ward Your wards in the enemy jungle are Deep. Deep wards gain +1 extra Health and +[30 - 45]s increased duration (+[45 - 150]s for Trinket stealth wards).

Level 9: Wards in the river are also Deep.

Deep Ward

Your wards in the enemy jungle are Deep. Deep wards gain +1 extra Health and +[…

Relentless Hunter
Relentless Hunter Gain 8 Move Speed out of combat per Bounty Hunter stack. Bounty Hunter stacks are earned the first time you get a takedown on each enemy champion.

Relentless Hunter

Gain 8 Move Speed out of combat per Bounty Hunter stack. Bounty Hunter stacks a…

Secondary Path
Inspiration
Hextech Flashtraption
Hextech Flashtraption While Flash is on cooldown it is replaced by Hexflash.

Hexflash: Channel for 2s to blink to a new location.

Cooldown: 20s. Goes on a 10s cooldown when you enter champion combat.

Hextech Flashtraption

While Flash is on cooldown it is replaced by Hexflash.Hexflash: Channel for 2s …

Cosmic Insight
Cosmic Insight +18 Summoner Spell Haste
+10 Item Haste

Cosmic Insight

+18 Summoner Spell Haste+10 Item Haste

Adaptive
Adaptive Force
Adaptive Force Grants 9 Attack Damage or 9 Ability Power

Adaptive Force

Grants 9 Attack Damage or 9 Ability Power

Adaptive Force
Adaptive Force Grants 9 Attack Damage or 9 Ability Power

Adaptive Force

Grants 9 Attack Damage or 9 Ability Power

Scaling Health
Scaling Health Increases health from 10 to 180 HP across levels 1-18

Scaling Health

Increases health from 10 to 180 HP across levels 1-18

64.0% Win Rate2.1% Pick Rate

Alistar vs Tahm Kench: Support Item Builds

Most Popular Build

Starting Items
Stealth Ward
Stealth Ward (0 gold) Active (210 - 120s, max 2 charges)
Places an Invisible Stealth Ward that grants vision for 90-120 seconds.
World Atlas
World Atlas (400 gold)
Health Potion
Health Potion (50 gold) Consume
Restores 120 Health over 15 seconds.
52.2% Win Rate85.3% Pick Rate
Popular Boots
Boots of Swiftness
Boots of Swiftness (1000 gold) 60 Move Speed
Fleetfooted
Reduce the effectiveness of Slows by 25%.
50.8% Win Rate46.9% Pick Rate
Plated Steelcaps
Plated Steelcaps (1200 gold) 25 Armor
45 Move Speed

Plating
Reduces incoming damage from Attacks by 10%.
47.2% Win Rate17.9% Pick Rate
Mercury's Treads
Mercury's Treads (1250 gold) 20 Magic Resist
45 Move Speed
30% Tenacity

53.8% Win Rate11.0% Pick Rate
Core Build
Kindlegem
Kindlegem (800 gold) 200 Health
10 Ability Haste

->
Locket of the Iron Solari
Locket of the Iron Solari (2200 gold) 200 Health
25 Armor
25 Magic Resist
10 Ability Haste

Devotion
Grant nearby allies a 200 - 360 Shield that decays over 2.5 seconds.
Zeke's Convergence
Zeke's Convergence (2200 gold) 300 Health
25 Armor
25 Magic Resist
10 Ability Haste

Frostfire Tempest
Casting your Ultimate summons a storm around you for 5 seconds. The storm deals 30 magic damage per second to enemy champions and Slows them by 30%.
Knight's Vow
Knight's Vow (2300 gold) 200 Health
40 Armor
10 Ability Haste
100% Base Health Regen

Sacrifice
While near your Worthy ally, take 12% of the damage they receive and heal for 10% of the damage they deal to champions.Pledge (0s)
Designate an ally as Worthy.
63.0% Win Rate10.0% Pick Rate
Final Build
Trailblazer
Trailblazer (2400 gold) 250 Health
40 Armor
4% Move Speed

Lead the Way
While moving, build up to 20 bonus Move Speed.
At max speed:
  • Create a trail that grants allied champions Move Speed equal to 15% of yours.
  • If you are Melee, your next Attack Slows the target by 50% for 1 second.
  • 0.0% Win Rate33.1% Pick Rate

    Best Win Rate Build

    Starting Items
    Stealth Ward
    Stealth Ward (0 gold) Active (210 - 120s, max 2 charges)
    Places an Invisible Stealth Ward that grants vision for 90-120 seconds.
    World Atlas
    World Atlas (400 gold)
    Health Potion
    Health Potion (50 gold) Consume
    Restores 120 Health over 15 seconds.
    52.2% Win Rate85.3% Pick Rate
    Highest Winrate Boots
    Symbiotic Soles
    Symbiotic Soles (900 gold) 40 Move Speed
    Voidborn
    Gain Empowered Recall.
    Symbiosis
    After traveling 150000 units of distance, transform into Synchronized Souls.
    65.9% Win Rate8.4% Pick Rate
    Mercury's Treads
    Mercury's Treads (1250 gold) 20 Magic Resist
    45 Move Speed
    30% Tenacity

    53.8% Win Rate11.0% Pick Rate
    Boots of Swiftness
    Boots of Swiftness (1000 gold) 60 Move Speed
    Fleetfooted
    Reduce the effectiveness of Slows by 25%.
    50.8% Win Rate46.9% Pick Rate
    Core Build
    Kindlegem
    Kindlegem (800 gold) 200 Health
    10 Ability Haste

    ->
    Locket of the Iron Solari
    Locket of the Iron Solari (2200 gold) 200 Health
    25 Armor
    25 Magic Resist
    10 Ability Haste

    Devotion
    Grant nearby allies a 200 - 360 Shield that decays over 2.5 seconds.
    Zeke's Convergence
    Zeke's Convergence (2200 gold) 300 Health
    25 Armor
    25 Magic Resist
    10 Ability Haste

    Frostfire Tempest
    Casting your Ultimate summons a storm around you for 5 seconds. The storm deals 30 magic damage per second to enemy champions and Slows them by 30%.
    Thornmail
    Thornmail (2450 gold) 150 Health
    75 Armor

    Thorns
    When struck by an Attack, deal magic damage to the attacker and apply 40% Wounds for 3 seconds if they are a champion.
    77.1% Win Rate8.1% Pick Rate
    Final Build
    Trailblazer
    Trailblazer (2400 gold) 250 Health
    40 Armor
    4% Move Speed

    Lead the Way
    While moving, build up to 20 bonus Move Speed.
    At max speed:
  • Create a trail that grants allied champions Move Speed equal to 15% of yours.
  • If you are Melee, your next Attack Slows the target by 50% for 1 second.
  • 0.0% Win Rate33.1% Pick Rate
    Other Items

    Alistar vs Tahm Kench: Support Skill (abilities) Orders

    Most Frequent Skill Order

    1
    2
    3
    4
    5
    6
    7
    8
    9
    10
    11
    12
    13
    14
    15
    16
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    18
    Q
    Q
    Pulverize Alistar smashes the ground, dealing damage to nearby enemies and tossing them into the air.
    Q
    Q
    Q
    Q
    Q
    W
    W
    Headbutt Alistar rams a target with his head, dealing damage and knocking the target back.
    W
    W
    W
    W
    W
    E
    E
    Trample Alistar tramples nearby enemy units, ignoring unit collision and gaining stacks if he damages an enemy champion. At full stacks Alistar's next basic attack against an enemy champion deals additional magic damage and stuns them.
    E
    E
    E
    E
    E
    R
    R
    Unbreakable Will Alistar lets out a wild roar, removing all crowd control effects on himself, and reducing incoming physical and magical damage for the duration.
    R
    R
    R
    Max Order: Q > W > E
    51.7% Win Rate49.6% Pick Rate

    Highest Win % Skill Order

    1
    2
    3
    4
    5
    6
    7
    8
    9
    10
    11
    12
    13
    14
    15
    16
    17
    18
    R
    Q
    Pulverize Alistar smashes the ground, dealing damage to nearby enemies and tossing them into the air.
    Q
    Q
    Q
    Q
    Q
    R
    W
    Headbutt Alistar rams a target with his head, dealing damage and knocking the target back.
    W
    W
    W
    W
    W
    R
    E
    Trample Alistar tramples nearby enemy units, ignoring unit collision and gaining stacks if he damages an enemy champion. At full stacks Alistar's next basic attack against an enemy champion deals additional magic damage and stuns them.
    E
    E
    E
    E
    E
    R
    R
    Unbreakable Will Alistar lets out a wild roar, removing all crowd control effects on himself, and reducing incoming physical and magical damage for the duration.
    R
    R
    R
    Max Order: Q > W > E
    86.5% Win Rate0.7% Pick Rate

    Alistar tips:

    • Using Pulverize can allow you to establish better positioning for Headbutt.
    • Move Speed is very important on Alistar. Consider which boots to buy carefully.
    • Using Flash can allow you catch your target off guard to knock them back into your allies with Pulverize and Headbutt.

    Playing Against Tahm Kench

    • When you see Tahm Kench use the shield from Thick Skin, remember that he just opted out of a good deal of healing. He will also not accumulate new gray health until Thick Skin comes off cooldown. Use this to your advantage!
    • Watch out for Kench's Abyssal Dive - you can cancel it's channel with immobilizing crowd control effects.