Ryze vs Naafiri MID Matchup Guide | LaneStomp

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Ryze

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Mid

Naafiri

Ryze vs Naafiri

Updated May 31, 2026

Overview

Ryze is a scaling mage with medium lane pressure who must manage mana and wave control to safely farm against Naafiri's poke and all-in threat.
Avoid giving Naafiri passive lane states where she can freely poke with Naafiri Q and set up W engages by controlling wave and cooldowns.

Trading pattern

Use E and Q for short trades and hold W to root Naafiri when she commits with W for follow-up damage.
Punish Naafiri when her Naafiri W is on cooldown or after she misses Naafiri Q poke.
Avoid extended trades without mana or when Naafiri's R is active, as her chase and burst increase.

Danger windows

Naafiri is most dangerous when her Naafiri W is available and enemy mobility or crowd control is down.
Avoid committing to trades when Naafiri R is active, as her pack enhances burst and chase.
Be cautious stepping forward to apply E if low on mana or if W root is down, as Naafiri can punish with W engage.

Early game

Focus on farming safely while using E and Q to poke when Naafiri's W is down or she has used mobility.
Avoid stepping up to cast E without mana for follow-up to prevent Naafiri punishing with W all-in.
Use waveclear to prevent Naafiri from setting up predictable engages and to maintain lane control.

Power spikes

Ryze's first mana/AP item significantly boosts his sustained damage and trade potential.
Level 6 R enables map plays and coordinated pressure but does not increase direct lane burst.
Respect Naafiri's level 6 power spike when Naafiri R enhances her chase and all-in threat.

Win conditions

Scale safely through controlled farming and use W root to punish Naafiri's W engages.
Use waveclear to deny Naafiri easy poke angles and force her to choose between farm and roam pressure.
Leverage R for mid-game map plays to create numbers advantage and relieve lane pressure.