- Bottom
There are two ways to beat a lock: remove it after it lands with Cleanse or a Quicksilver item, or stop it landing with a spell shield, a Black Shield or a reflect. Each has a different timing, and knowing which crowd control each answers is most of the skill.
What it is
After it lands. Cleanse is a self-targeted summoner spell that removes most disables and the Ignite and Exhaust debuffs, and then grants tenacity for a few seconds. Quicksilver Sash and Mercurial Scimitar have a Quicksilver active that removes all crowd control except airborne. Mercurial Scimitar also grants bonus movement speed and ghosting for 2 seconds. Only one Quicksilver item can be owned at a time.
What they cannot fix matters. Neither Cleanse nor Quicksilver removes airborne: knock-ups, knock-backs and pulls still hit you. Cleanse does not remove suppression or nearsight, and cannot be activated while suppressed or in stasis. Quicksilver does remove suppression and nearsight, but not stasis, and it cannot be used while you are airborne. Neither removes persistent effects such as a tether or Exhaust's damage reduction. A support's Mikael's Blessing removes most crowd control from an ally within range, except airborne, blind, disarm, nearsight and suppression.
Before it lands. A spell shield, such as Sivir's Spell Shield or the item Banshee's Veil, blocks the next hostile ability. Morgana's Black Shield absorbs magic damage and makes the target immune to crowd control while it holds, negating it before any damage is absorbed. Mel's Rebuttal destroys enemy champion projectiles that touch its barrier and fires them back. All of these are time-limited, so you press them as the threat arrives, not as soon as they come off cooldown.
How to do it
- Know what each answer removes
Before the fight, list the crowd control the enemy team has and match it to your tools. A knock-up or pull needs a shield or spell shield, not Cleanse or Quicksilver. Suppression needs Quicksilver, because Cleanse cannot even be activated. Blind and slows are things Cleanse removes.
- React to the lock that would kill you
Removal works on what is on you at that moment. If you press at the first slow while a stun is still coming, they simply stun you again. In practice wait for the hard crowd control that would decide the fight, press the instant it lands, and then act on your freedom at once.
- Keep the Quicksilver active on an easy key
Quicksilver has no cast time and does not break stealth. Keep the item on a key you can hit while stunned, since Cleanse and Quicksilver can be used while under crowd control that stops other abilities. The exception is airborne, which stops Quicksilver.
- Time a shield to the projectile, not the cooldown
Sivir's Spell Shield lasts 1.5 seconds. Press it when the enemy casts, on the animation, and it blocks the next hostile ability. Banshee's Veil gives a spell shield with a cooldown that restarts when you take damage from champions, so avoid taking poke before a fight.
- Use Black Shield just before the lock
Morgana's Black Shield lasts 5 seconds and blocks crowd control before it absorbs damage, but only magic damage. Cast it as the enemy's key stun or root leaves their hand, not as soon as it comes back, and never on idle poke. A spell shield takes priority over it, and it does not block nearsight.
- Press Rebuttal when the missile arrives
Mel's barrier lasts 0.75 seconds and only works on projectiles from enemy champions. Watch the cast animation and press as the missile reaches you, so the shot is destroyed and sent back. Effects that are not projectiles are not touched by the barrier.
Watch it
What to watch for: The chapter list has Cleanse versus QSS from 0:07 and Mikael's Blessing from 4:58; it covers which crowd control each removes.
Video: Cleanse or QSS? You’re Probably Using the Wrong One — Zziton
Common mistakes
- You wait for the knock-up to end and then cleanse. Neither Cleanse nor Quicksilver touches airborne. Block it with a shield or dodge it, or accept it.
- You press at the first slow. They chain a stun afterwards and your cleanse is gone. Hold it for the lock that kills you.
- You press a shield the moment it is ready. A short window expires before the enemy casts. Press on their animation.
- You buy Quicksilver against one dash champion. It only fixes crowd control, so check that the enemy team actually has several locks.
- You are suppressed with only Cleanse. It cannot be activated. Quicksilver, or a teammate, is the answer.
Practice drill
- In the Practice Tool, use the option that grants status effects to yourself and press your Quicksilver item or Cleanse on each. Note which ones it removes and which it does not, especially airborne.
- Against a bot with a skillshot lock, play with a spell shield or reflect and press only on the cast animation. Success is blocking three locks in a row without spending it early.