Learn which items answer Rat King’s threats, how to play the lane, and when to commit or disengage.
Preliminary counterplay: treat these recommendations as starting points while the matchup develops.
Armor Piercer
Cursed Relic
Dispel Magic
Siphon Bullets
Scourge
Toxic Bullets
Tank Buster
Decay
Debuff Reducer
Disarming HexBuy for the threat you are facing. These are situational options, not a build to purchase in full. Tap an item for its breakdown.
These are preliminary matchup notes, so use them as situational starting points rather than a fixed build. Deal with attached rats and the grenade, then decide whether you need a debuff answer, barrier pressure, or sustain reduction. Against the banner commitment, interrupt the charge if possible or leave its aura instead of extending the same fight.
Armor Piercer can bypass Barriers, Cursed Relic can strip non-ultimate barriers/buffs and interrupt casts, Dispel Magic clears Rat Swarm, and percentage-health/anti-heal items punish his large health pool.
Identify what is losing the exchange, then use the answer and timing below.
Armor PiercerWhat to do: Use Armor Piercer on a weapon carry or Cursed Relic if your team can commit a Tier 4 active.
Why it helps: Armor Piercer can bypass Barriers, while Cursed Relic can strip non-ultimate barriers and buffs.
Dispel MagicWhat to do: Use Dispel Magic after rats attach.
Why it helps: Rat Swarm is a removable non-ultimate debuff, so cleansing it also stops the stacking bullet-resist reduction.
Siphon BulletsWhat to do: Use Siphon Bullets, Scourge, Toxic Bullets, Tank Buster, or Decay depending on your build.
Why it helps: Health-steal, percentage-health damage, and anti-heal all scale well into a high-HP Rat King.
Dispel MagicWhat to do: Melee the grenade away when safe, or Dispel the slow after it lands.
Why it helps: The grenade can be physically redirected and its non-ultimate slow is removable.
Cursed RelicWhat to do: Interrupt the charge with Cursed Relic before the banner lands; if it is already active, disengage from the aura.
Why it helps: The banner grants allies damage reduction and slow immunity, so continuing the fight inside its radius heavily favors Rat King's team.
Interrupt the charge or leave the area. Repositioning can be the answer when a safe interrupt is unavailable.
Percent-health pressure and anti-heal address the health-and-sustain problem. That purchase still needs a separate plan for debuffs and the banner area.
Reduces enemy healing and sustain during fights.
Useful answers: Toxic Bullets · Decay
Removes eligible negative effects; check each item’s exclusions and activation limits.
Useful answers: Dispel Magic
Helps survive bullet pressure through immunity, conditional defense, or a barrier.
Armor PiercerBullet procs bypass barriers and bullet resistance.
Use in this matchup:
Cursed RelicLocks enemy actions and strips non-ultimate buffs, but lowers your damage.
Use in this matchup:
Dispel MagicClears non-ultimate debuffs; unavailable while stunned or slept.
Use in this matchup:
Siphon BulletsRepeated hits temporarily steal a percentage of enemy maximum health.
Use in this matchup:
ScourgeAdds resistance and a close-range maximum-health damage aura.
Toxic BulletsRepeated weapon hits apply anti-heal and maximum-health bleed.
Tank BusterPercentage current-health damage that bypasses spirit resistance.
DecayTargeted healing reduction with current-health damage over time.
Debuff ReducerShortens status effects without needing an active button.
Disarming HexStops an enemy from firing during their weapon-damage window.