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By GamGem ResearchLast updated 18 Oct 2026

Neeko Build, Runes and Counters — Support and Mid · Patch 26.20

the Curious Chameleon

Patch 26.20 · Stats from the 26.18 Master+ sample (2,295 games).

Neeko, the Curious Chameleon, can disguise herself as an ally champion or another unit on the map, and Pop Blossom knocks up and stuns everyone around where she lands. Master+ played her as a support far more than Mid, mostly on Arcane Comet, and Hextech Rocketbelt opens both her leading paths. Alistar, Karma and Thresh were her hardest lanes. Leona was near-even.

MageSupport

Patch 26.18 · Support · Ranked Solo/Duo · Master+ · EUW · KR · NA · 2,295 games · Preview sample

Role snapshot (Support)

BTier
Win Rate
49.1%
Pick Rate
3.5%
Ban Rate
0.9%

2,295

Games

High

Confidence

Win rate by lane

  • Support47.3% · 1,572 games
  • Mid53.4% · 414 games · small sample

Most common path

38 games

47.4%Win Rate

Start
FlashHeal

Highest win rate path

24 games

83.3%Win Rate

Start
FlashHeal

Other first item

12 games

58.3%Win Rate

Start
FlashIgnite

Runes

Patch 26.18

This exact page: taken in 14.3% of games·52.6% win rate over 329 games.

Primary

Sorcery

Arcane Comet

Damaging a champion with an ability hurls a damaging comet at their location.

Nimbus Cloak

After casting a Summoner Spell, gain a short Move Speed increase that allows you to pass through units.

Celerity

All Move Speed bonuses are 7% more effective on you and gain 1% Move Speed.

Scorch

Your first damaging ability hit every 10s burns champions.

Secondary

Inspiration

Magical Footwear

You get free boots at 12 min but you cannot buy boots before then. Each takedown you get makes your boots come 45s sooner.

Cosmic Insight

+18 Summoner Spell Haste+10 Item Haste

Shards

  • Adaptive Force
  • Adaptive Force
  • Health

Other keystones taken

  • Electrocute11.3% taken · 49.6% win260 games
  • Summon Aery5.1% taken · 48.7% win117 games
  • Press the Attack2.7% taken · 52.5% win61 games

Tree pairs

  • Sorcery + Inspiration49.0% taken · 49.8% win1,125 games
  • Sorcery + Domination27.8% taken · 46.6% win639 games
  • Domination + Sorcery10.4% taken · 50.0% win238 games

Skill Order

Which ability to max first, and the level each point goes in — Neeko's most common path.

Q

Blooming Burst

Neeko throws a seed dealing magic damage.

Cooldown 9/8.5/8/7.5/7s · 50/60/70/80/90 Mana
W

Shapesplitter

Neeko passively deals bonus magic damage every third attack, briefly increasing her move speed.

Cooldown 16/15/14/13/12s · No cost
E

Tangle-Barbs

Neeko slings a tangle that damages and roots everything it passes through.

Cooldown 12/11.5/11/10.5/10s · 60/65/70/75/80 Mana
R

Pop Blossom

After a short preparation, Neeko leaps into the air, knocking up all nearby enemies.

Cooldown 120/105/90s · 100 Mana

Max Order

QEW

Max Q first, then E, then W. Take R whenever available (6 / 11 / 16).

Level-up Order

  • Q
  • W
  • E
  • R
Ability123456789101112131415161718
QBlooming BurstQQQQQ
WShapesplitterWWWWW
ETangle-BarbsEEEEE
RPop BlossomRRR

Matchup map (Support)

How Neeko performs against enemy support laners

Levels 1 – 18 · Master+40%60%Neeko's win rate
≥ 60%Very favorable
55 – 60%Favorable
50 – 55%Even
45 – 50%Unfavorable
40 – 45%Hard
< 40%Very hard

Conditional build matrix

Recommended items by enemy team composition

Master+ · Patch 26.18
Mythic / CoreFirst major item
Core 2Second item
Core 3Third item
BootsBoot slot
SituationalPick as needed

Scaling — minute 10–30

NeekoSupport average

Gold

102030

Damage to champions

102030

CS

102030

Counter plan — how to beat Neeko

  • Dodge the primary — its rotation is one skillshot; sidestep it and the rest is chip

  • Track the roam — it is strongest where the enemy jungler already is

  • Punish the cooldown — Neeko is exposed while its rotation is down

  • Ward the flank — vision is what turns its best opening into a worse one

  • Respect the spike — Riot rates the kit 5/10, so a practised player gets more out of it than the average

Ability details

  • P

    Inherent Glamour

    Neeko can look like an ally champion or as other units on the map. Receiving immobilizing crowd control, casting damaging spells, damaging enemy towers as a non-champion, or your disguise taking damage equal to its healthbar breaks the disguise.

    Passive — never cast

  • Q

    Blooming Burst

    Neeko throws a seed dealing magic damage. The seed blooms again on hitting champions or killing units.

    Cost 50/60/70/80/90 ManaCooldown 9/8.5/8/7.5/7sRange 800

  • W

    Shapesplitter

    Neeko passively deals bonus magic damage every third attack, briefly increasing her move speed. Neeko can activate to send a clone in a direction and recast to change the direction of the clone.

    No costCooldown 16/15/14/13/12sRange 900

  • E

    Tangle-Barbs

    Neeko slings a tangle that damages and roots everything it passes through. If the tangle kills an enemy or passes through a champion, it becomes larger, faster, and roots for longer.

    Cost 60/65/70/75/80 ManaCooldown 12/11.5/11/10.5/10sRange 1000

  • R

    Pop Blossom

    After a short preparation, Neeko leaps into the air, knocking up all nearby enemies. Upon landing, nearby enemies are damaged and stunned. The preparation is hidden if Neeko is disguised.

    Cost 100 ManaCooldown 120/105/90sRange 600

Neeko balance history

Riot's notes from patch 25.S1.1 to 26.20 change Neeko in 3 patches. The latest is patch 26.20, published 2026-10-06.

  1. Patch 26.202026-10-06

    ETangle-Barbs

    • Base Damage70 / 105 / 140 / 175 / 210 (+65% AP)to80 / 115 / 150 / 185 / 220 (+65% AP)
    • Empowered Root Duration1.8 / 2.1 / 2.4 / 2.7 / 3sto2 / 2.25 / 2.5 / 2.75 / 3s
    Why, in Riot's words

    Rocketbelt's adjustment this patch will probably land as a small nerf for Neeko, so we're giving her some minor compensation

  2. Patch 26.52026-03-03

    WShapeshifter

    • Slightly-Less-Tricksy-Neekoses: Cooldown now starts on clone expiration, instead of on cast
    • Fun Eliminated: Neeko can no longer use Ctrl+5, which plays the joke expression for clone only. Neeko can still joke, dance, recall, to make their clone initiate said actions.
    Why, in Riot's words

    Neeko has a lot of things going for her right now: strong laning, teamfight utility, and vision control. We like her explosive and high-spectacle teamfights, with the occasional 7th minion engage or wolf flank, but want to tap down the utility her clone provides. This change should still let her engage in trickery, while introducing a tradeoff to when clones stare people down from a bush on repeat, as we explore the best solution that limits her vision control but retains satisfying mechanics.

  3. Patch 25.122025-06-10

    QBlooming Burst

    • Damage80 / 125 / 170 / 215 / 260 (+50% AP)to60 / 110 / 160 / 210 / 260 (+60% AP)

    WShapesplitter

    • Bonus Magic Damage40 / 75 / 110 / 145 / 180to30 / 65 / 100 / 135 / 170
    Why, in Riot's words

    Neeko has been the premier lane bully poke champion this season, so we’re looking to tune down how oppressive she can feel in the laning phase. We’re moving some of her damage from early ranks to later in the form of base damage and AP ratio, and her Shapesplitter on hit damage is slightly reduced, both of which should make her less of a threat in support where she has less gold to work with.

Neeko skins (10)

Riot's data lists 10 looks for Neeko with their own art, the base skin included and 40 chroma variants.

ARAM performance

EstimateS
Win Rate
52.8%
▼ 0.5%
Pick Rate
8.1%
▲ 4.9%
Ban Rate
7.3%
▼ 0.5%
Damage dealt
104.6%
Damage taken
93.3%
Healing
100.8%
Shielding
105.7%
Ability Haste
+15

Best ARAM build

Patch timeline

Riot’s notes

This champion’s win rate on each patch the preview sample spans, over its own games there. What actually changed each patch is in Riot’s own notes.

  1. 26.1948.0% over 590 games · small sample-0.5
  2. 26.1849.9% over 1,307 games+0.3
  3. 26.1748.3% over 391 games · small sample—

Neeko's base stats against all 173 champions

  • Neeko's base attack damage of 48 is the 5th-lowest of 173 champions on patch 26.20 (shared with 2 others).
StatNeekoRankMedian
Base health610=98th620
Health per level104=86th104
Base armor21=158th30
Armor per level5.2=3rd4.6
Base magic resist30=110th32
Magic resist per level1.3=93rd1.55
Base attack damage48=167th59
Base attack speed0.625=117th0.656
Attack speed per level3.5%=11th2.5%
Move speed340=37th335
Attack range550=9th175

Neeko at level 1 and level 18

  • Neeko reaches 2378 health at level 18 — 610 at level 1 plus 17 × 104, the 77th-lowest of 173 champions on patch 26.20.
  • Neeko reaches 960 mana at level 18 — 450 at level 1 plus 17 × 30, the 30th-lowest of 145 mana users on patch 26.20, shared with 1.
  • Neeko reaches 109.4 armor at level 18 — 21 at level 1 plus 17 × 5.2, the 71st-highest of 173 champions on patch 26.20, shared with 3.
  • Neeko reaches 52.1 magic resist at level 18 — 30 at level 1 plus 17 × 1.3, the 34th-lowest of 173 champions on patch 26.20, shared with 43.
StatLevel 1Per levelLevel 18Rank at 18
Health610+104237897th of 173
Mana450+30960=115th of 145
Armor21+5.2109.4=71st of 173
Magic resist30+1.352.1=97th of 173

Riot Data Dragon 16.20.1. Growth curve: League of Legends Wiki — Champion statistic.

Riot's tips for Neeko

Playing Neeko

  • You can set her passive to use hotkeys in the options menu. The default is Shift+F1~F5
  • Try to use Inherent Glamour sparingly, ineffective uses will put enemies on the alert.

Playing against Neeko

  • Standing behind minions against Neeko is very dangerous as Tangle-Barbs become stronger.
  • Pop Blossom's warning visuals are invisible if Neeko is disguised.

Quick answers about Neeko

How does Neeko do against Alistar?
Neeko won 37.1% of 97 counted Master+ games against Alistar. Alistar is one of the opponents that beat Neeko.
How does Neeko do against Karma?
Neeko won 39.0% of 77 counted Master+ games against Karma. Karma is one of the opponents that beat Neeko. A small sample — read it as a lean, not a rule.
How does Neeko do against Nautilus?
Neeko won 42.7% of 96 counted Master+ games against Nautilus. Nautilus is one of the opponents that beat Neeko.
How does Neeko do against Thresh?
Neeko won 45.2% of 104 counted Master+ games against Thresh. Thresh is one of the opponents that beat Neeko.
How does Neeko do against Leona?
Neeko won 48.3% of 58 counted Master+ games against Leona. It is close to even. A small sample — read it as a lean, not a rule.
How does Neeko do against Braum?
Neeko won 44.1% of 34 counted Master+ games against Braum. Braum is one of the opponents that beat Neeko. A small sample — read it as a lean, not a rule.
What class is Neeko?
Riot classes Neeko as Mage and Support. This site files the champion under Support.
How hard is Neeko to play?
Riot rates Neeko's difficulty 5 out of 10.
What resource does Neeko use?
Neeko's abilities spend Mana.
What is Neeko's attack range?
550 units — the 9th-highest of 173 champions on patch 26.20 (shared with 36 others).
What are Neeko's abilities?
Passive — Inherent Glamour, Q — Blooming Burst, W — Shapesplitter, E — Tangle-Barbs and R — Pop Blossom.
How many skins does Neeko have?
Riot's data lists 10 skins with their own art, the base look included, plus 40 chroma variants.
How much health does Neeko have at level 18?
2378 — 610 at level 1 plus 17 × 104 per level, Riot's own values, before items and runes.
What is Neeko's ultimate cooldown?
Pop Blossom (R): 120/105/90 seconds by rank, before ability haste, in Riot's Data Dragon 16.20.1.
When did Riot last change Neeko?
Patch 26.20, published 6 October 2026 — the latest of 3 patches that change Neeko in Riot's notes from 25.S1.1 to 26.20.

Neeko at a glance

Neeko, the Curious Chameleon, is a Mage and Support champion in League of Legends. Riot rates the kit 5/10 for difficulty, 1/10 for attack, 1/10 for defense and 9/10 for magic. Neeko spends Mana and has 10 skins with their own art. Neeko's base attack damage of 48 is the 5th-lowest of 173 champions on patch 26.20 (shared with 2 others).

Attack1/10
Defense1/10
Magic9/10
Difficulty5/10

Neeko's story

Hailing from a long lost tribe of vastaya, Neeko can blend into any crowd by borrowing the appearances of others, even absorbing something of their emotional state to tell friend from foe in an instant. No one is ever sure where—or who—Neeko might be, but those who intend to do her harm will soon witness her true colors revealed, and feel the full power of her primordial spirit magic unleashed upon them.
— Riot Games, Data Dragon 16.20.1. League of Legends Universe

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Methodology

Data window
Preview sample — a one-time snapshot of 65,406 ranked games (Master+, EUW/KR/NA, patch 26.18), counted by GamGem while our Riot production key is under review. Figures will update daily once it is approved. Counted 26–27 Sept 2026; patches 26.18 (35,477) · 26.19 (18,580) · 26.17 (11,048) · 26.16 (293) · 26.15 (8); by server EUW 22,382 · KR 21,922 · NA 21,065 · EUNE 20 · TR 17. 642 games without a result — remakes ended by vote in their first minutes, and games recorded with no winner — were not counted.
Rank aggregation
Master, Grandmaster and Challenger, pooled — the three ladders the count read its players from. Splitting further leaves samples too small to separate a real effect from noise.
Role assignment
A champion is filed under every lane that holds at least a tenth of its counted games — the position the match itself reports, not the champion’s class. Its headline win rate is across all of them; each lane’s own win rate and games are counted too, and a lane’s tier list ranks by them.
Counters
The two champions in the same position on opposite teams, over that pairing’s own counted games — ranked on the edge pulled toward zero by its sample size, printed raw.
Minimum sample
None — no figure is hidden for being thin. Every rate prints its games, and the confidence band is its 95% margin: Very High within ±1.5 points, High ±2.5, Moderate ±3.1 (1,000 games), Low wider.
Why a build is not a cause
An item is counted when the match ENDS with it, so late items show long games and an item bought when already ahead shows games that were being won. Correlation is what a rate can show; it is not evidence that buying the item caused the win.
Where the numbers come from
Names, classes, abilities, items and runes are Riot Data Dragon. Win, pick and ban rates, builds, keystones, spells and matchups are counted by GamGem from Riot's ranked match records. An estimate, not a count: this panel is not in the preview sample, and is labelled so.

Neeko on video