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Overview

Role Plan

Danger Windows

Early Game

Power Spikes

Win Conditions

Sylas vs Xerath MID Matchup Guide | LaneStomp

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Champion

Opponent

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Sylas

VS

Mid

Xerath

Sylas vs Xerath

Updated May 31, 2026

Overview

Sylas is a high-agency melee skirmisher who must close distance to punish Xerath's immobility and poke.
Pressure the lane early to deny Xerath a safe, passive scaling window and force him to play defensively.

Trading pattern

Use E to dash in and engage, then trade with Q and W for sustain and damage before disengaging if cooldowns expire.
Punish missed Xerath E by aggressively engaging before he can reposition or poke again.
Avoid trading while Xerath is charging Q or has W slow ready to land poke more easily.

Danger windows

Be cautious when Xerath's E is up as it can stun and prevent your engage.
Avoid engaging if W or E are down to reduce risk of being poked or locked down.
Xerath's R and poke pressure post-level 6 can force you to play around cooldowns and positioning.

Early game

Use E to engage or threaten trades once level 3 unlocks your full Q-W-E combo for skirmishes.
Respect Xerath E stun and avoid engaging when it's up to prevent being locked down.
Avoid extended trades if W or E are on cooldown to minimize poke punishment.

Power spikes

Major spikes at level 3 for full Q-W-E combo and level 6 for valuable stolen ultimates.
Respect Xerath's level 6 R for long-range poke follow-up and his first completed mana/AP item spike.
First completed AP skirmish item boosts your damage and sustain for winning trades.

Win conditions

Use E to force close trades and deny Xerath's poke by punishing his cooldowns, especially missed E.
Steal impactful ultimates at level 6 to turn fights and increase kill pressure.
Maintain lane pressure to prevent Xerath from safely scaling and leveraging his poke advantage.

Tip: For Sylas vs Xerath, read overview, trading pattern, and danger windows first for a fast Mid lane check.

Updated May 31, 2026New matchup