Counter Series #1: How to Beat Thresh?

How to Counter Thresh
Ever wonder how to counter the most popular champions in the game? This new series is meant to analyze the most popular counters for each champion and figure out how to consistently beat them.

Let's dive right into the first champion and currently the most popular pick in the game, Support Thresh!

How to Counter Thresh

Ever wonder how to counter the most popular champions in the game? This new series is meant to analyze the most popular counters for each champion and figure out how to consistently beat them.

Let's dive right into the first champion and currently the most popular pick in the game, Support Thresh!

Pick Rate for Thresh

The current pick rate for Thresh is 31.85% of all games. If you're a support main that doesn't play Thresh, expect to see him in about 15.93% of all games (a little less often than one in every six games).

Support Counters

Currently, the top three counters statistically according to op.gg are Fiddlesticks, Zyra and Sona.

• Fiddlesticks: 
• Laning Phase: Fiddlesticks takes advantage of Thresh's lack of sustain by poking him down. If Thresh tries to move offensively, he can fear him back. 
• Team Fighting: Fiddlesticks works well as a counter-engage support and can use Thresh's all-in to bait his team into engaging into Fiddlesticks ultimate.
• Zyra: 
• Laning Phase: Zyra operates similar to Fiddlesticks. The main difference is that her plants give her a higher margin of error since they block Thresh's hook and slows him to prevent him from getting in range. 
• Mid to Late Game: Similar to Fiddlesticks, Zyra works well as a counter-engage support and continues to use her plants to block Thresh from performing effectively. 
• Sona:
• Laning Phase: Sona's early laning phase against Thresh is highly susceptible to dying. She can abuse him with poke provided he doesn't hit a hook, but if he does it's a almost a guaranteed kill because of Sona's lack of crowd control.
• Mid to Late Game: Overall, Sona works well against poke comps as a result of her high sustain. This forces the enemy team to make plays or end up in a war of attrition against her massive healing power.

Thoughts On Counters

When people think of Thresh counters, most people think of playing someone tanky like Braum or Alistar in order to prevent your team from instantly dying to a hook. It's interesting to see that Thresh actually performs better against these champions when it comes to winning the game.

The only reasons I can see from this is either:

1. These all-in champions are forced to play a peel role whereas their strongest tactic is their all-in engage; or
2. Thresh's ability to peel as an all-rounder exceeds the all-in power of enemy melee supports.

With that in mind, I think that out of the three supports above, the only one that consistently wins laning phase against Thresh is Zyra. I'm not entirely convinced that either Sona or Fiddlesticks actually counters Thresh, and may be more of a meta advantage.

Who do you think counters Thresh most? Who do you want to see next? Comment below!