Akali vs Cassiopeia MID Matchup Guide | LaneStomp

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Akali

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Mid

Cassiopeia

Akali vs Cassiopeia

Updated Jun 4, 2026

Overview

Akali is a high-agency melee assassin who must deny Cassiopeia safe scaling trades by forcing short, controlled fights.
Prioritize lane pressure to prevent Cassiopeia from establishing her sustained DPS and extended trade patterns.

Trading pattern

Start trades with (Q) poke into passive autos, then enter (W) to create safe windows for burst with (E).
Avoid trading when (W) is up as it grounds your mobility and punishes dashes.
Punish missed (Q) or down (W) by committing aggressively with (W) and (E) to burst her before she can sustain.

Danger windows

(R) stun is deadly if you face her directly during all-ins; avoid facing her when it is up.
Her (W) grounds your dashes and can trap you in bad trades; respect its cooldown before committing.
When your (W) is down, you lose your safest trading window and become vulnerable to her poke and sustained damage.

Early game

Rush level 3 to unlock (Q)-(W)-(E) combo and use (W) to safely engage for trades.
Use (Q) poke and passive autos to chip Cassiopeia before committing with (W) and (E) when she is exposed.
Avoid overextending when (W) is down to prevent getting punished by Cassiopeia's ranged poke and waveclear.

Power spikes

Level 3 unlocks your full (Q)-(W)-(E) combo; use it when minions and cooldowns align for clean trades.
Level 6 (R) enables all-ins and roams; track availability to force picks or reset safely.
First completed AP assassin item boosts your damage and wave control; pressure more confidently afterward.

Win conditions

Use (W) to create safe windows for extended trades and all-ins, punishing Cassiopeia when her key abilities are on cooldown.
Deny Cassiopeia free farm by forcing short trades and avoiding prolonged fights where her sustained (E) damage excels.
Reach level 6 and item spikes to burst her quickly before she can apply sustained pressure with repeated (E) casts.