Gragas should control the lane with short trades and punish Akali's all-in windows to deny her snowball potential.
Manage medium early agency by using (E) to interrupt Akali's engages and (R) to disengage or isolate her in teamfights.
Trading pattern
Trade compactly by slowing Akali with (Q), empowering autos with (W), then stunning with (E) to burst and back off using passive sustain.
Punish Akali when her (W) shroud is down by stepping forward for short trades.
Avoid extended fights after your cooldowns and passive are spent, as Akali excels in longer duels and can re-engage.
Danger windows
Respect (W) shroud as her safest trading window; avoid committing when it is active.
Be cautious when (E) is on cooldown or missed, as you lose both engage and escape options.
Watch for Akali's level 3 and 6 power spikes where her burst and mobility increase, requiring tighter spacing and defensive play.
Early game
Use levels 1-3 to establish short burst trades with (Q), (W), and (E), avoiding extended fights where Akali's mobility and (W) shroud give her advantage.
Hold (E) for when Akali commits or dashes in to punish her aggression.
Avoid using (E) into a losing wave to prevent being vulnerable to Akali's follow-up.
Power spikes
At level 3, use your full kit to perform short trade rotations, but only engage when wave and passive sustain favor you.
At level 6, leverage (R) to disrupt Akali's all-ins or disengage from her ultimate's burst.
Respect Akali's level 3 unlock of (Q)-(W)-(E) combo and level 6 ultimate; avoid giving her clean spacing or cooldown windows to engage.
Win conditions
Win by controlling short trades around your passive sustain and (W), punishing (W) downtime with (E) stuns.
Use (R) to isolate Akali or disengage from her all-ins, denying her snowball and pick potential.
Pressure waves and trades confidently after your first AP or tank item to leverage your burst or durability advantage.
Tip: For Gragas vs Akali, read overview, trading pattern, and danger windows first for a fast Top lane check.
