Alistar is a A tier Support champion in League of Legends Patch 16.5 with a 49.3% win rate in Emerald+ ranked games, according to OP.GG data. The optimal Alistar build starts with Relic Shield and Health Potion, with core items being Locket of the Iron Solari, Knight's Vow, Zeke's Convergence and Plated Steelcaps. For runes, run Guardian from Resolve with Inspiration as the secondary tree. Skill priority is Q > W > E. Alistar is best played with Flash and Ignite as summoner spells. The most challenging matchup in Support is Nami (S+ tier, 51.8% win rate).
Source: OP.GG Emerald+ ranked data, Patch 16.5 · Last updated: March 2026 · Meridian Zero Analytics
Best Build — Patch 16.5
Start
Relic ShieldHealth Potion
Core
Locket of the Iron SolariKnight's VowZeke's Convergence
Boots
Plated Steelcaps
Spells
FlashIgnite
Priority
Q > W > E
Expert Tips
- WQ combo — start W (headbutt) first, then instantly Q (pulverise) to launch enemies back into your team.
- Save your ult for when you are focused under the enemy tower during a dive, not proactively.
- Your engage is strongest at level 6 when your ult covers lethal damage from tower dives.
Support Matchups — Difficulty by Opponent
| Opponent | Tier | Difficulty | |
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S+ | Hard | Analyze → |
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S+ | Hard | Analyze → |
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S+ | Hard | Analyze → |
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S+ | Hard | Analyze → |
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S+ | Hard | Analyze → |
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S | Hard | Analyze → |
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S | Hard | Analyze → |
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S | Hard | Analyze → |
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S | Hard | Analyze → |
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S | Hard | Analyze → |
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S | Hard | Analyze → |
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S | Hard | Analyze → |
Runes — Patch 16.5
KeystoneGuardian
Primary TreeResolve
Slot 1Font of Life
Slot 2Conditioning
Slot 3Revitalize
Secondary TreeInspiration
Secondary 1Biscuit Delivery
Secondary 2Cosmic Insight