How to beat Aatrox as Volibear in top?

This page provides a detailed guide on how to beat Aatrox as Volibear in the top lane, including builds, runes, and in-depth analysis.

What is the best build for Volibear vs Aatrox?

Find the most effective build, runes, and skill order for the Volibear vs Aatrox matchup on this page.

Volibear vs Aatrox top guide

Our guide for Volibear vs Aatrox in the top lane covers everything you need to know to win the matchup.

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Matchup of the Day

Volibear vs. Aatrox (top Lane)

A detailed breakdown of the lane, from early game to late.

Winrate: 51.1%Patch 15.19133 Matches

Matchup Win Rate

51.1%

Gold Diff @ 15

-59g

Gold Diff @ End

+14g

Average KDA

5/7/5

Volibear Win Condition

Your primary objective in this lane is to completely negate Aatrox’s range advantage and force him into extended close-quarters combat. Volibear fundamentally wins every single auto-attack battle against Aatrox, provided you are even in gold. Therefore, your ultimate win condition centers on closing the gap and remaining physically on top of him. By keeping close, you deny Aatrox the ability to reliably land the sweet spots on hisQ, which severely cuts his damage output—essentially halving it.

Another critical element of your win condition is exploiting Aatrox's critical cooldowns. Aatrox is an ability-oriented champion whose kit often relies on long cooldowns in the early game. Specifically, you must pay attention to his dash (E); the moment his dash is on cooldown, you have a massive advantage and can run at him, securing a kill or winning a substantial trade. Furthermore, if you manage to secure his Flash, your win condition simplifies immensely, as you can look for a flash combo below or at half HP, which often results in a free kill with almost no opportunity for counterplay.

Aatrox Win Condition

Aatrox's core strength is tied directly to his ability to maintain distance and capitalize on his superior range. His main win condition is spacing you correctly so that he can consistently connect with the sweet spots of hisQ. These sweet spots are where the bulk of his damage resides. In addition to reliable Q hits, Aatrox wins when he can efficiently use his enhanced auto-attack granted by his passive.

This passive auto not only deals a significant amount of damage but also heals him considerably, aiding his ability to survive trades. If Aatrox manages to hit multiple Q sweet spots in a trade, perhaps two, and resets his passive twice, he can quickly stack enough damage and healing to overwhelm you. Finally, if Aatrox is forced into an all-in fight, his ultimate provides a massive boost to his survivability, granting him an ungodly amount of omni-vamp and a burst of movement speed, allowing him to survive fights he otherwise shouldn't and re-establish the space he needs.

General Strategy

The overarching strategy in this matchup relies on respecting Aatrox'sQ sweet spots while simultaneously looking for the exact moment to engage. It is crucial to understand that Volibear possesses the early game advantage and always wins the all-in auto attack fight, especially when running Press the Attack (PTA). A key maneuver early in the lane is to successfully bait out Aatrox's first Q by walking up to attack a minion and then immediately backing away. With his Q on a long cooldown (at least 14 seconds), you can then proceed to gain wave priority.

Movement speed is paramount in this matchup; you should prioritize getting boots on your first back. This movement speed is necessary for two critical reasons: first, it assists in closing the gap to reach Aatrox, and second, it makes dodging his Qs significantly easier once you are already on top of him. During the lane, you should be constantly aware of his dash (E) cooldown. Once it is down, you have the green light to go in.

Conversely, if Aatrox activates his ultimate, the best course of action is almost always to disengage entirely. The sheer amount of healing and movement speed he gains means he can sustain much longer than you anticipate, so you should back off and re-engage once his ultimate ability has expired. If you find yourself falling behind, adjusting your build towards tank items, such as picking up a Bramble Vest, is recommended to mitigate his healing and general damage.

Trading Patterns

Effective trading against Aatrox relies on patience, baiting, and executing precise movements. The first key trading pattern involves baiting out hisQ at Level 1. Once his primary harassment tool is on cooldown, you can use the advantage to push the wave and secure Level Two. The most optimal time to initiate a major trade or all-in is immediately after Aatrox uses his dash (E), as every Aatrox player will use hisE as part of his harassment sequence (either Dash Q or Q then Dash Q). Right after he uses this move for harassment, it is the prime time to go in and win the fight. For instance, if you know you win the all-in and he Dash Qs toward you, you can immediately use your ultimate because you know the subsequent fight is yours.

Once you are on top of Aatrox, your movement becomes crucial. To mitigate the damage he can still deal, even without sweet spots, you must learn to space in between your autos. This means constantly bobbing and weaving—moving in unpredictable directions (up, down, left, and right). This tactic makes it very difficult for him to land any of his abilities on you. You can even consider delaying an auto momentarily just to dodge an incoming Q, which often throws Aatrox players off their rhythm.

Successfully executing this bobbing and weaving technique will almost always result in a winning trade or a free kill. While engaging when hisE is up is highly risky, it is sometimes possible. It requires you to predict where he will dash and land yourE on that spot. If you miscalculate and he spaces you correctly, you will be severely punished. However, if Aatrox does manage to space you correctly with an EQ and resets yourQ, players often forget about Volibear's Q reset, and this moment can be used to catch them off guard by immediately running at them with your Q or ultimate again.

Wave Management

In the Volibear vs. Aatrox matchup, gaining wave priority is the established goal. Early in the laning phase, immediately after successfully baiting out Aatrox's first Q, you should start to aggressively shove the wave.

Shoving the wave rapidly allows you to secure Level Two before Aatrox does. Attaining this Level Two advantage first gives you an incredible opportunity for an immediate, powerful engage, which can set the tone for the rest of the lane. Since Volibear wins the early game and the auto-attack fight, maintaining wave priority and leveraging Level Two will often lead to a favorable lane state.