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 Fury Trance, Cursed Relic and Return Fire. Fury Trance helps enemies survive the first commit and keep fighting after Graves spends pressure. Cursed Relic can make a key target harder to burst down before Graves gets punished. Return Fire is a warning sign when Graves has to keep shooting into someone who can throw that pressure back. Most of the strongest results here are vitality 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 | 44.5% | 12,560 |
 Dynamo Mystic | 45.1% | 12,152 |
 Victor Brawler | 45.5% | 8,322 |
 Kelvin Brawler | 45.5% | 7,987 |
 McGinnis Mystic | 45.5% | 7,702 |
 Ivy Marksman | 47.5% | 9,418 |
Slightly difficult
| Hero | Graves win rate | Matches |
|---|---|---|
 Wraith Marksman | 48.0% | 11,480 |
 Warden Brawler | 48.1% | 9,863 |
 Vyper Assassin | 48.2% | 5,981 |
 Mo & Krill Brawler | 48.9% | 8,685 |
 Infernus Marksman | 49.0% | 12,543 |
 Haze Assassin | 49.1% | 12,901 |
Even matchups
| Hero | Graves win rate | Matches |
|---|---|---|
 Lady Geist Mystic | 50.1% | 7,758 |
 Drifter Assassin | 50.1% | 12,449 |
 Paige Mystic | 50.1% | 8,373 |
 Yamato Assassin | 49.8% | 8,583 |
 Calico Assassin | 50.3% | 6,198 |
 Pocket Assassin | 50.3% | 7,726 |
Favorable targets
| Hero | Graves win rate | Matches |
|---|---|---|
 Rem Operative | 54.9% | 8,297 |
 Venator Marksman | 54.2% | 11,763 |
 Shiv Brawler | 53.8% | 12,412 |
 Viscous Mystic | 53.7% | 5,447 |
 Sinclair Mystic | 53.7% | 5,405 |
 Bebop Brawler | 53.3% | 16,911 |
Graves has the hardest time into Seven, Dynamo 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 Rem, Venator and Shiv, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Fury Trance 102 total matches | 40.7% | 44.0% | 35.1% | 40.8% | 43.0% | 40.2% | 41.6% | 41.6% | 34.3% | 27.8% | 48.4% |
 Cursed Relic 415 total matches | 48.3% | 48.2% | 43.5% | 49.2% | 46.8% | 38.6% | 42.3% | 45.6% | 36.8% | 33.9% | 48.3% |
 Return Fire 279 total matches | 39.2% | 46.2% | 34.5% | 35.4% | 44.2% | 35.8% | 32.4% | 34.7% | 31.0% | 43.9% | 40.4% |
 Disarming Hex 1,293 total matches | 48.2% | 44.1% | 42.0% | 41.9% | 40.3% | 39.9% | 39.8% | 40.4% | 38.9% | 40.3% | 45.8% |
 Metal Skin 3,245 total matches | 42.9% | 41.6% | 39.2% | 40.6% | 40.0% | 38.9% | 41.0% | 39.5% | 41.2% | 41.0% | 42.2% |
 Bullet Resilience 1,130 total matches | 48.8% | 46.6% | 43.0% | 43.4% | 42.7% | 42.1% | 43.0% | 39.9% | 39.0% | 45.5% | 37.9% |
 Guardian Ward 160 total matches | 48.1% | 45.4% | 39.4% | 48.2% | 46.9% | 46.4% | 48.0% | 51.2% | 39.1% | 46.5% | 35.0% |
 Rusted Barrel 1,218 total matches | 47.5% | 46.4% | 43.6% | 45.9% | 42.7% | 44.1% | 40.2% | 45.0% | 39.2% | 43.5% | 50.0% |
 Alchemical Fire 155 total matches | 56.0% | 44.2% | 47.8% | 48.4% | 36.5% | 48.0% | 54.5% | 59.6% | 37.3% | 47.3% | 45.5% |
 Silence Wave 304 total matches | 41.1% | 40.3% | 36.6% | 41.3% | 36.1% | 36.2% | 43.4% | 44.9% | 47.3% | 35.7% | 55.0% |