Jun 12, 2015

What Janna Can Blow Up: Every Ability Howling Gale Interrupts

55 comments
Janna splash art

Howling Gale [Q] is a knock-up, and a knock-up interrupts an enormous amount of the game. Here's the running list of what Janna can take away from people, with every ability name checked against the live game.


League of Legends Guide

What Janna Can Blow Up

Updated August 2026
Janna splash art

People say you can't carry from support. Janna is the counterexample, and the reason is one ability. Howling Gale [Q] is a knock-up, and a knock-up doesn't just move someone, it cancels what they were doing. Both the movement and the damage.

Once you internalise that, Janna stops being a shield bot and becomes a champion who deletes other people's entire plans.

The Principle

A dash is a commitment. From the moment it starts, the enemy has spent the cooldown and is locked into a path. Knock them out of it and they've paid the whole price for none of the benefit, often landing somewhere worse than they started.

The same applies to a channel, and it applies most brutally to engage ultimates, where interrupting one person can cancel a fight their whole team was committing to.

The best ones aren't the flashiest. Blocking a long-travel dash feels great, but the highest value interrupt is usually a support engage. Take away the initiation and there is no fight, which means you win it without anyone on your team taking damage.

Dashes, Leaps and Charges

  • Akali · Perfect Execution [R]
  • Alistar · Headbutt [W]
  • Azir · Shifting Sands [E]
  • Camille · Hookshot [E]
  • Corki · Valkyrie [W]
  • Diana · Lunar Rush [E]
  • Fiora · Lunge [Q]
  • Fizz · Urchin Strike [Q]
  • Gnar · Hop [E]
  • Gragas · Body Slam [E]
  • Graves · Quickdraw [E]
  • Irelia · Bladesurge [Q]
  • Jax · Leap Strike [Q]
  • Jayce · To the Skies! [Q]
  • Kha'Zix · Leap [E]
  • Kled · Jousting [E]
  • LeBlanc · Distortion [W]
  • Lee Sin · Resonating Strike [Q]
  • Leona · Zenith Blade [E]
  • Lucian · Relentless Pursuit [E]
  • Nautilus · Dredge Line [Q]
  • Nidalee · Pounce [W]
  • Pantheon · Shield Vault [W]
  • Rakan · Grand Entrance [W]
  • Rakan · Battle Dance [E]
  • Renekton · Slice and Dice [E]
  • Riven · Broken Wings [Q]
  • Sejuani · Arctic Assault [Q]
  • Shen · Shadow Dash [E]
  • Tristana · Rocket Jump [W]
  • Tryndamere · Spinning Slash [E]
  • Urgot · Disdain [E]
  • Vi · Vault Breaker [Q]
  • Wukong · Nimbus Strike [E]
  • Xin Zhao · Audacious Charge [E]
  • Yasuo · Sweeping Blade [E]
  • Ziggs · Satchel Charge [W]

What You Cannot Stop

This is the half of the list that has quietly stopped being true, and it matters more than the half that still works. Over the years Riot has made most engage ultimates unstoppable, meaning no knock-up, displacement or interrupt will take them away. Several are named for it.

Every one of these appeared on this page's original list as blockable. None of them should be relied on now:

  • Malphite · Unstoppable Force [R]
  • Sion · Unstoppable Onslaught [R]
  • Vi · Cease and Desist [R]
  • Kled · Chaaaaaaaarge!!! [R]
  • Hecarim · Onslaught of Shadows [R]
  • Shyvana · Dragon's Descent [R]
  • Jarvan IV · Cataclysm [R]
  • Camille · The Hextech Ultimatum [R]
  • Nocturne · Paranoia [R]
  • Kalista · Fate's Call [R]
  • Azir · Emperor's Divide [R]
  • Maokai · Twisted Advance [W]

Plan around this rather than hoping. If a Malphite is walking at your team with his ultimate up, the tornado is not the answer and never will be. What Janna still has is the aftermath: Monsoon [R] to push people off your carry once the engage has already landed, and her shield on whoever it hit. Trying to interrupt an unstoppable ultimate wastes the one cooldown that could have saved someone.


How current this list is, honestly. Every ability name and key above was re-checked against the live game in August 2026, and several needed fixing: Akali's Shadow Dance is now Perfect Execution, Pantheon's Aegis of Zeonia is now Shield Vault, Diana's Lunar Rush moved from R to E, and Vi's ultimate was renamed. Aatrox was dropped entirely, because the dash this list originally named no longer exists on him.

The dash list above is the part that holds up, because interrupting a dash with a knock-up is a core interaction rather than a per-champion quirk. Even so, individual abilities do change. If a specific interaction matters to how you play, two minutes against a target dummy in the Practice Tool settles it permanently and beats trusting any guide, this one included.

Getting Value From It

Aim where they'll be

Howling Gale [Q] travels slowly and charges up. Against a dash you're not reacting, you're predicting, so start it before they commit.

Cast it from the target

Against a champion dashing toward your carry, starting the tornado at the carry and letting it travel outward meets them head on.

Some things are too fast

Short, instant dashes will beat the tornado's travel time. Learn which by trying, not by assuming the list guarantees it.

Monsoon [R] does it too

Her ultimate knocks back and can break up the same commitments, with the advantage that it does not need to be aimed.

For the vocabulary used here, see the League of Legends Terms Glossary.


Nerfplz on X Nerfplz Facebook Page

First time to Nerfplz.Lol or not sure where to find everything? Try the Site Map





55 comments:

  1. Rekky RektorinoJune 12, 2015

    Do these apply for Azir wall as well?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Alfred DunnerJune 12, 2015

    Nice article, might start maining Janna once I get my Morg to diamond.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Josh ThurlowJune 12, 2015

    forgot to mention Velkoz Ult

    ReplyDelete
  4. Yeppie. Also, guys. There are the spells that she can INTERRUPT =)!!!!!!!!!


    Shen ultimate probably?? should be? Katarina ultimate? the potential is real

    ReplyDelete
  5. Steven NadlerJune 12, 2015

    It's too bad that when Hecarim ganks and uses his Devastating Charge (E), even if Janna tornados him as he is about to collide, meaning Hecarim is in the middle of his knock back animation, the damage still goes through, even though Janna prevented Hecarim from charging into someone.

    ReplyDelete
  6. you forget about garen's q... it could be blocked by knocked or stunned... in his air... like dunk...

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hey man,could you help me choosing a champion that I should play in mid lane(i want to main mid lane and i dont like talon and kata) and who can carry solo queue games?I want that champion to be my main also.Pls help me.I am lvl 26

    ReplyDelete
  8. If ur lookin for high burst ranged mages, then maybe Ahri (banned a lot), annie (banned a good bit) , lux, xerath, syndra, vel, leblanc (banned always!!) if ur willin to learn her after nerfs, Melee would be Master yi, zed, fizz, akali, p much all of those melee are banned. Honestly man just keep playing champs during free week and find one you really like, Carrying ranked shouldnt be ur goal tbh

    ReplyDelete
  9. Jordan LewisJune 12, 2015

    who cares fag

    ReplyDelete
  10. BoltOfSpadesJune 12, 2015

    People that want to be good with Janna?

    ReplyDelete
  11. Tom AlbersJune 12, 2015

    isn't hecarim's ult a unstoppable spell?

    ReplyDelete
  12. Makoai's W is also unstoppable if im not mistaken

    ReplyDelete
  13. every hard cc interrupts speel channel

    ReplyDelete
  14. But it is.
    In real life I always ''carry'' my friends to have good grades xD
    I want to do the same in lol carry my teammates !

    ReplyDelete
  15. I Hate EzrealJune 12, 2015

    yep it makes him untargetable so is unstoppable but he didn't mentioned it because it isn't as devastating as a malaphite or vi ult,that's what i think

    ReplyDelete
  16. I Hate EzrealJune 12, 2015

    idk but maybe isn't so devastating to worth mentioning him

    ReplyDelete
  17. I Hate EzrealJune 12, 2015

    a lot of people

    ReplyDelete
  18. I Hate EzrealJune 12, 2015

    annie is god in low elo as far i know

    ReplyDelete
  19. I Hate EzrealJune 12, 2015

    i think because is E works as an auto so when the animation starts it means he always marked to target to being hit

    ReplyDelete
  20. I Hate EzrealJune 12, 2015

    every hard cc block channels as asf said but dew can stop gapcloses,dashes and whatever

    ReplyDelete
  21. I Hate EzrealJune 12, 2015

    every hard cc stops it

    ReplyDelete
  22. I Hate EzrealJune 12, 2015

    i think yes but you will have to waste an ult for do this

    ReplyDelete
  23. Annie free elo.

    ReplyDelete
  24. My advice is not to start playing ranked games right after to reach lvl 30. Wait a bit, get some wins, runes and good masteries and then try.

    ReplyDelete
  25. SSJSuntasticJune 12, 2015

    Added it on for completeness

    ReplyDelete
  26. SSJSuntasticJune 12, 2015

    Yes, Hecarim's ultimate is unstoppable after it ramps up, I think there's a frame or two where you can stop it though

    ReplyDelete
  27. ConfusedTeemoJune 12, 2015

    I think a good addition to any mid laner's lineup is ziggs. Sure he isn't a sexy pick, but he is simple, safe, and strong. Even if you are playing against a counter you can just abuse your range and CS easily with your Q. Lastly, late game he has good sustained damage, can peel for himself, he has AMAZING wave clear and his ult synergizes very well with any form of cc.

    ReplyDelete
  28. B4ckslashJune 12, 2015

    Yes, it's classified as an AA, but even so, with any autoattack, the damage won't be dealt until the animation visibly intersects with the target's hitbox. Easy example: canceling autos against minions as a melee champ: even though the animation has started, the damage won't be applied until the minion is visibly hit. It's sorta comparable to hitframes in fighting games^^

    ReplyDelete
  29. The TowerJune 12, 2015

    As a Gnar player I was fairly certain she could stop my bounce..


    Maybe I was mistaken.

    ReplyDelete
  30. TerrowinMagikenJune 12, 2015

    Poor poppy is forgotten again...

    ReplyDelete
  31. TerrowinMagikenJune 12, 2015

    He can also dash to an opponent if he's rooted (unlike the second part of ekko's E)

    ReplyDelete
  32. Lionel AlmaidaJune 12, 2015

    K6 leap is E, not W. Need a little fix there.

    ReplyDelete
  33. SSJSuntasticJune 12, 2015

    Fixed~

    ReplyDelete
  34. Bob JonesJune 12, 2015

    Isn't it also impossible to CC Jarvan while he is casting his ulti?

    ReplyDelete
  35. can janna block leblanc w? i know azir can

    ReplyDelete
  36. Daniel KasmanJune 12, 2015

    Nope its possible. iirc it also puts in on cooldown and makes it a complete wasted

    ReplyDelete
  37. TerrowinMagikenJune 12, 2015

    No he's immune to cc during the cast.

    ReplyDelete
  38. well if you wanna carry -that- bad then one of the high burst mages would be best for mid lane! good luck

    ReplyDelete
  39. TerrowinMagikenJune 13, 2015

    Could you please fix Diana's description? As of patch 4.21, if Diana targets a unit with moonlight (the Q debuff) with her ult, and the dash is interrupted, the cooldown is still reset.

    ReplyDelete
  40. TerrowinMagikenJune 13, 2015

    Yeah if she tornadoes at the right time leblanc will be knocked up and the dash ceases.

    ReplyDelete
  41. Fr4ntic95June 13, 2015

    In the eye of the tornado

    You'll feel my cold breath

    It's the kiss of death ...

    ReplyDelete
  42. Can it block kalista ult?

    ReplyDelete
  43. Does Yasuo 3rd Q act simularly to Janna's tornado? That would be pretty awesome to stop lee sin from his ganks instead of windwalling his Q

    ReplyDelete
  44. i don't think so. KAlistas mate doesn't materialize until the spell hits (aka the mate traveled to it's targeted location)

    ReplyDelete
  45. Jarvan IV's ultimate is unblockable as well, correct?

    ReplyDelete
  46. As far as I know, it does, I could be wrong though.

    ReplyDelete
  47. True, true guys. but it's worth noting anyway that also can do that. advantage for Jannah

    ReplyDelete
  48. Tom HrabchakJune 16, 2015

    LeBlanc's dash can also be interrupted

    ReplyDelete
  49. Gnar's jump as well

    ReplyDelete
  50. alex gardnerJune 18, 2015

    No, if it's interrupted the cd isn't reset

    ReplyDelete
  51. Carl GoldbergJuly 08, 2015

    maybe that's why it's on the list, i dunno.

    ReplyDelete
  52. SSJSuntasticJuly 08, 2015

    I added it on later

    ReplyDelete
  53. SSJSuntasticJuly 08, 2015

    Added

    ReplyDelete
  54. i got to gold 2 from silver 3 from just playing ziggs. I can reccomend this champion for anyone wanting an easier climb

    ReplyDelete
  55. Some spells you cant stop with jannas tornado but for example you can stop malphites ult with your ult

    ReplyDelete

Feel free to comment or leave a message :)