Hero counter guide
* Stats are based on Phantom and higher ranked matches.
Items That Punish Graves
Weapon
No weapon counter items in this tier.
Vitality
No vitality counter items in this tier.
Spirit
No spirit counter items in this tier.
Graves has a rough time when enemies buy Shadow Weave, Metal Skin and Silence Wave. Shadow Weave changes the weapon trade, making simple duels harder for Graves. Metal Skin helps enemies live through bullet pressure, which can waste Graves's best damage window. Silence Wave adds control or fight utility that makes clean engages harder for Graves. Most of the strongest results here are spirit items, so the pattern is less about one random purchase and more about enemies making fights harder to start, finish, or escape. If you are playing Graves, check for these items before taking a full fight. If you are playing against Graves, these are strong tools for making each engage harder and forcing Graves to work for every kill.
Hero Matchups
Hard counters
| Hero | Graves win rate | Matches |
|---|---|---|
 Seven Mystic | 47.0% | 17,039 |
 McGinnis Mystic | 47.1% | 9,605 |
 Victor Brawler | 47.2% | 11,859 |
 Kelvin Brawler | 49.6% | 9,154 |
 Dynamo Mystic | 49.8% | 11,935 |
 The Doorman Mystic | 51.1% | 9,495 |
Slightly difficult
| Hero | Graves win rate | Matches |
|---|---|---|
 Warden Brawler | 51.4% | 11,740 |
 Ivy Marksman | 51.4% | 10,963 |
 Mo & Krill Brawler | 51.9% | 11,032 |
 Haze Assassin | 52.0% | 17,726 |
 Wraith Marksman | 52.8% | 14,045 |
 Lady Geist Mystic | 53.0% | 8,494 |
Even matchups
| Hero | Graves win rate | Matches |
|---|---|---|
 Lash Assassin | 53.2% | 20,038 |
 Mina Marksman | 53.3% | 16,418 |
 Paige Mystic | 53.5% | 9,010 |
 Drifter Assassin | 53.5% | 15,412 |
 Yamato Assassin | 53.6% | 15,790 |
 Calico Assassin | 53.7% | 8,327 |
Favorable targets
| Hero | Graves win rate | Matches |
|---|---|---|
 Venator Marksman | 59.2% | 13,975 |
 Shiv Brawler | 57.3% | 15,082 |
 Viscous Mystic | 57.0% | 7,268 |
 Sinclair Mystic | 57.0% | 6,798 |
 Rem Operative | 56.9% | 11,519 |
 Paradox Marksman | 56.7% | 13,216 |
Graves has the hardest time into Seven, McGinnis and Victor because those matchups can make it difficult to take clean fights. These heroes can slow the game down, punish bad engages, or force Graves to spend too much before getting real value. On the other side, Graves looks more comfortable into heroes like Venator, Shiv and Viscous, where there is more room to move, trade, and choose when the fight starts. The middle matchups are still playable either way, so do not treat the list as a hard rule. Team setup, item timing, and how safely Graves enters the fight will matter a lot.
Graves By Rank
Graves is not going to feel the same in every rank. In some brackets, players may give cleaner openings and let Graves stay active in fights. In tougher games, enemies are more likely to respect Graves's timing, group better, and shut the play down before Graves gets full value. The strongest read is not just where Graves has the highest win rate, but where the results stay consistent across enough matches.
Detailed item stats against Graves
| Counter item |  Initiate |  Seeker |  Alchemist |  Arcanist |  Ritualist |  Emissary |  Archon |  Oracle |  Phantom |  Ascendant |  Eternus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Shadow Weave 100 total matches | 46.4% | 50.9% | 52.6% | 50.0% | 52.9% | 45.3% | 48.8% | 50.5% | 29.4% | 45.0% | 50.0% |
 Metal Skin 3,938 total matches | 45.0% | 42.5% | 42.6% | 43.5% | 42.2% | 43.9% | 43.2% | 43.2% | 44.8% | 43.9% | 45.4% |
 Silence Wave 249 total matches | 47.7% | 42.0% | 44.1% | 41.1% | 35.6% | 42.2% | 42.1% | 48.5% | 45.6% | 41.3% | 55.0% |
 Return Fire 326 total matches | 41.5% | 47.1% | 34.5% | 38.9% | 45.7% | 35.1% | 38.3% | 38.4% | 41.5% | 47.4% | 43.8% |
 Cursed Relic 520 total matches | 50.3% | 45.6% | 48.2% | 44.8% | 45.4% | 41.0% | 46.1% | 45.3% | 47.3% | 41.9% | 48.8% |
 Bullet Resilience 1,128 total matches | 49.9% | 48.6% | 47.5% | 43.4% | 45.3% | 44.3% | 47.2% | 45.8% | 43.9% | 46.2% | 47.5% |
 Knockdown 1,721 total matches | 51.1% | 48.0% | 45.0% | 45.1% | 43.9% | 45.1% | 46.0% | 43.8% | 48.5% | 45.8% | 40.6% |
 Disarming Hex 2,067 total matches | 52.4% | 48.5% | 47.9% | 45.7% | 46.0% | 46.0% | 45.0% | 46.0% | 45.7% | 47.7% | 46.9% |
 Stalker 321 total matches | 55.4% | 53.1% | 46.5% | 50.7% | 47.4% | 50.8% | 46.4% | 49.7% | 52.2% | 44.9% | 42.6% |
 Slowing Hex 2,729 total matches | 50.6% | 52.1% | 52.6% | 50.7% | 50.6% | 49.9% | 49.2% | 49.2% | 46.5% | 48.7% | 49.8% |