Control the lane with medium pressure, focusing on forcing extended trades where your passive and (W) shield sustain outvalue Aatrox's burst and sustain.
Prioritize isolating Aatrox with (R) to negate his mobility and healing, leveraging your mid-game dueling strength and teamfight impact.
Trading pattern
Initiate trades by threatening or landing (E) to pull Aatrox into your range, then hit isolated (Q) and extend trades while your passive and (W) shield are active.
Punish Aatrox after he misses (Q) or (W) by forcing longer trades where your sustained damage and healing outpace his.
Avoid short trades if your (E) is on cooldown or if Aatrox can disengage easily, as you lose your primary engage and damage setup.
Danger windows
When Aatrox has (R) active, respect his enhanced healing and reset potential by avoiding extended trades without your (W) shield and passive active.
Beware of his (Q) sweet spots chained with (E) repositioning, which can knock you up and disrupt your trade pattern.
Avoid engaging without (E) available, as missing your pull leaves you vulnerable to his burst and crowd control.
Early game
Use early wave control to keep the lane slow and near your side, enabling you to threaten (E) pulls and isolated (Q) damage safely.
Avoid engaging without (E) ready, as missed pulls reduce your threat and allow Aatrox to punish with (Q) sweet spots.
Focus on farming and short trades until level 6, then look for (R) all-ins when Aatrox cannot kite you effectively.
Power spikes
Level 6: Use (R) to isolate Aatrox and force duels he cannot kite; engage only when you can land or threaten (E) first.
First AP bruiser item: Force extended trades to keep your passive active longer, increasing your durability and damage output.
Respect (R) power spike that grants healing and resets; avoid prolonged fights during his ultimate or punish its cooldown windows.
Win conditions
Use wave control and (E) pull pressure to force Aatrox into extended trades where your passive and (W) shield give you the edge.
At level 6, isolate Aatrox with (R) when he cannot kite or receive jungle help to secure kills or force recalls.
Maintain lane control to deny Aatrox safe farming and scaling, then leverage your mid-game dueling strength and teamfight presence to snowball the lead.
Tip: For Mordekaiser vs Aatrox, read overview, trading pattern, and danger windows first for a fast Top lane check.
