Stats for mythic rank, last 7 days — third-party aggregation, not an official Moonton figure.
Written by EllieAnth — playing MLBB since 2017 (9+ years), peak rank Mythical Immortal, 1126 stars.
A breakdown of the 10 matchups that decide Franco games — why each one leans the way it does, what it costs you in lane, and how to play it.
Overview
What decides Franco's matchups
Franco's matchups hinge entirely on his ability to alter enemy positioning through Iron Hook and lock down priority targets using Bloody Hunt. The ultimate threat comes from isolating an opponent into his team, followed immediately by Fury Shock to prevent escape. Out of combat, Wasteland Force provides essential movement speed and health regeneration, charging up his next skill to deal massive burst damage upon impact. However, opponents exploit Franco whenever Iron Hook whiffs; missing this key skill removes his primary pressure, leaving him unable to peel effectively or initiate until his abilities reset.
Hard counters 1
These heroes have a structural edge over you: their kit directly shuts down the tools you rely on. Winning the lane outright is rarely the plan — the goal is to limit mistakes, give up as little tempo as possible, and look for value somewhere else on the map.
Fanny's rapid, multi-directional flight via Steel Cable creates an unpredictable movement path that renders Franco's skillshot-reliant Iron Hook almost impossible to land reliably in open space. Because Steel Cable allows Fanny to re-angle dynamically while triggering Tornado Strike and Air Superiority mid-flight, Franco cannot predict her trajectory to setup hooks. Spending Iron Hook blindly leaves Franco helpless without CC, allowing Fanny to dive past him with Cut Throat. However, Franco's Bloody Hunt provides non-cleansable suppression, giving him a guaranteed point-and-click response whenever Fanny flies into melee range.
Lane impact
During early rotations, Fanny's rapid map travel via Steel Cable completely outpaces Franco's Wasteland Force movement speed boost, enabling her to secure river vision, contest Creeps, and gank lanes before Franco can arrive. Franco cannot peel for his allies using Iron Hook while Fanny zips between wall terrain, forcing his team to play defensively around her energy bars. If Franco wastes Iron Hook trying to interrupt her aerial path, he loses his primary pressure tool, granting Fanny free reign to execute allies using Cut Throat and Tornado Strike while taking minimal return damage.
How to play it
To win trades against Fanny, Franco must abandon long-range skillshots and hold Iron Hook entirely. Hold position near high-priority allies and wait for Fanny to commit her Steel Cable into close quarters. The moment she flies within range, suppress her instantly with Bloody Hunt to lock her in place before she can cast Cut Throat. Once the suppression ends, apply Fury Shock to slow her escape path, and immediately follow up with a point-blank Iron Hook while she is stationary, ensuring your team can burst her down before her energy recovers.
Unfavorable 4
You are behind in this matchup but not helpless. These opponents punish specific mistakes rather than dominating every exchange, so precise cooldown tracking and patient trading keep you in the game.
Dragging Belerick into your allies using Iron Hook delivers the ultimate frontline initiator straight into your backline. Belerick actively wants to be surrounded so he can activate Wrath of Dryad and lock down your team with massive taunts. Furthermore, using Bloody Hunt on Belerick inflicts six rapid hits that repeatedly trigger his Deadly Thorns passive, causing Belerick to retaliate automatically with area magic damage while reducing the cooldown of Nature's Strike. Franco loses the resource trade instantly whenever he commits major ultimates against Belerick rather than squishy targets.
Lane impact
In the roaming phase, Belerick can carelessly position himself in front of his marksman, using Nature's Strike to gain massive movement speed and absorb any incoming Iron Hook. If Franco misses or hooks Belerick, Belerick responds with Ancient Seed to delay Franco's escape and force out HP. Franco loses his out-of-combat movement speed from Wasteland Force whenever Deadly Thorns or Ancient Seed clips him. This grants Belerick total freedom to push lane priority, secure vision near the Turtle, and delay Franco's roaming transitions to other lanes.
How to play it
Never cast Iron Hook directly on Belerick unless your team can eliminate him instantly without taking retaliatory crowd control. Instead, wait out Nature's Strike until Belerick wastes his movement speed boost and enhanced basic attack on minions or allies. Flank through unlit bush angles to bypass Belerick's bodyblocks, targeting fragile damage dealers behind him. If Belerick initiates with Wrath of Dryad, hold Bloody Hunt until his taunt duration finishes, then suppress the enemy's primary damage carry to negate their follow-up while Belerick's main crowd control is on cooldown.
Angela's Heartguard directly counters Franco's primary win condition by turning isolated picks into failed engagements. When Franco lands Iron Hook and follows with Bloody Hunt, Angela can immediately cast Heartguard from anywhere on the map, granting her ally a massive shield that absorbs the team's burst damage during the suppression window. Additionally, Smart Heart grants Angela dynamic Movement Speed bonuses whenever she casts Love Waves or Puppet-on-a-String, making her a frustratingly slippery target to hit with Iron Hook in the open.
Lane impact
During the roaming phase, Angela constantly forces Franco out of his passive regen from Wasteland Force using the long-range poke of Love Waves. Her ability to store multiple charges of Love Waves allows her to check bushes and maintain continuous slow stacks on Franco, making it difficult for him to secure bush control. If Franco attempts to engage with Fury Shock, Angela can attach Puppet-on-a-String to force him back or risk getting immobilized, effectively neutralizing his early roaming pressure and giving her team superior objective control.
How to play it
Franco must track Angela's Heartguard cooldown before committing to aggressive Iron Hook plays on high-value targets. Force Angela to cast Puppet-on-a-String or spend her Love Waves charges first so her Smart Heart movement speed boost expires before throwing Iron Hook. If Heartguard is available, consider using Bloody Hunt on Angela herself when she steps out of position, preventing her from channeling her ultimate to save her teammates. When lane pressure is lost, use Wasteland Force's movement speed to rotate swiftly and create numerical advantages elsewhere.
Gloo's kit directly neutralizes Franco's primary win condition. Landing an Iron Hook on Gloo merely assists him in closing the gap, letting him stack Stick, Stick and combine Slam, Slam with Pass, Pass for easy crowd control. During Split, Split, Gloo's numerous spawns act as a living shield against Iron Hook. Worse, if Gloo attaches to a teammate with Grab, Grab, casting Bloody Hunt on Gloo causes 80% of all incoming damage to reflect onto your host ally, completely turning Franco's ultimate into a liability.
Lane impact
Gloo dominates early trades by constantly resetting Slam, Slam CD and healing off his Goo, keeping pressure high in Roam. Franco loses the benefit of Wasteland Force because Gloo's persistent area damage continuously breaks Franco's out-of-combat movement speed and HP recovery. Attempting to hook Gloo out of the bush often backfires, as Gloo responds with Pass, Pass to drag Franco toward enemy minion waves. This forces Franco onto the defensive, denying early river vision and granting Gloo free priority to rotate toward major objectives like the Turtle.
How to play it
Treat Gloo as an unhookable target throughout the match. Save Iron Hook strictly for squishy backliners when Gloo's Split, Split is on cooldown or out of position. If Gloo uses Grab, Grab on a teammate, discipline yourself to withhold Bloody Hunt until Gloo detaches, preventing your allies from melting their own teammate through damage transfer. Use the movement speed from Wasteland Force to rotate around Gloo rather than fighting through him, utilizing Fury Shock to peel for allies when Gloo tries to drag them with Pass, Pass.
Dragging Tigreal with Iron Hook delivers a premier area-of-effect initiator straight into your team, allowing him to instantly follow up with Sacred Hammer and Implosion. While Franco's Bloody Hunt provides rare Suppression that can cancel Implosion mid-channel, the structural problem remains: Iron Hook solves Tigreal's mobility weakness for free. Franco is forced to withhold his primary engage tool, as hooking Tigreal creates a catastrophic teamfight opportunity for the opponent, effectively turning Franco's best skill into a major liability whenever Tigreal stands in front.
Lane impact
In roaming skirmishes, Tigreal suppresses Franco's map control simply by bodyblocking lanes and chokepoints. Should Franco attempt an Iron Hook, Tigreal can intentionally intercept it, instantly retaliating with Sacred Hammer to push Franco into danger and applying Attack Wave to lock him down. This dynamic denies Franco his usual early invasion threat, handing over river dominance and Turtle vision to Tigreal's team. Franco's rotation tempo stalls because he cannot safely fish for hooks near major objectives without risking a full counter-engage from Tigreal.
How to play it
Franco must discipline his target selection and treat Tigreal as an unhookable wall unless Bloody Hunt is ready. Keep constant track of Sacred Hammer's cooldown; when Tigreal burns his charge to clear waves or initiate elsewhere, quickly angle around him to hook squishy damage dealers. During active teamfights, save Bloody Hunt specifically to cancel Implosion during its channeling phase. If tight choke points prevent clean hooks, rely on Wasteland Force speed to flank from unseen bush angles where Tigreal cannot bodyblock your Iron Hook.
Favorable 4
Your kit has the edge here. These are the matchups where you should look to build a lead early and convert it, rather than playing for scaling.
Gord relies heavily on channeling Mystic Gush to unleash massive magic damage, but this skill completely locks his movement in place. Franco exploits this immobility directly through Iron Hook, which easily snags the stationary mage from distance. Furthermore, both Iron Hook and the suppression from Bloody Hunt instantly cancel Mystic Gush upon contact. Gord is forced to hold his primary damage source or risk getting dragged out of position and immediately eliminated, effectively stripping away his teamfight impact whenever Franco is unaccounted for on the map.
Lane impact
During early laning, Gord needs to lay down Mystic Injunction and throw Mystic Projectile to quickly clear mid waves. Franco leverages Wasteland Force movement speed to constantly shadow the mid lane, forcing Gord to play far behind his minion wave out of fear. Because Gord cannot safely step up to channel Mystic Gush without risking a fatal drag, his lane priority evaporates. This lets Franco secure vision, control river corridors near the Turtle, and set up deadly ambushes alongside his mid laner while Gord remains pinned under tower.
How to play it
Do not throw Iron Hook randomly into minion waves; instead, hold the skill until Gord commits to throwing Mystic Projectile or channels Mystic Gush. Sidestep the bouncing stun, then immediately line up Iron Hook while he is stationary. If Gord positions aggressively near brush, close the distance using the bonus speed from Wasteland Force and lead directly with Bloody Hunt to suppress him before he can react. Follow up with Fury Shock to slow any escaping allies, turning Gord's complete lack of mobility into guaranteed objective kills for your team.
Bloody Hunt provides Franco with the exact hard counter required to neutralize Akai's primary threat, Heavy Spin. While Heavy Spin grants Akai slow immunity and removes debuffs to continuously knock back enemies, its text explicitly allows Suppression to interrupt it. If Akai charges in with Headbutt and activates Heavy Spin, Franco can immediately shut down the entire duration with Bloody Hunt. This forces Akai to spend his ultimate cautiously, effectively removing his ability to freely disrupt teamfights or control objective zones.
Lane impact
Early on, Akai leverages Tai Chi shields and Body Slam slows to win trades, meaning landing Iron Hook on Akai directly can backfire if he uses Headbutt to counter-engage. However, the tempo flips sharply once level four is reached. Franco holding Bloody Hunt neuters Akai's ability to dive turrets or aggressively contest the Turtle with Heavy Spin. Franco's Wasteland Force movement speed allows him to out-rotate Akai across the map, forcing Akai into a reactive defensive posture inside the enemy jungle.
How to play it
Save Bloody Hunt specifically to cancel Heavy Spin whenever Akai attempts to engage on your allies. Avoid using Iron Hook on Akai himself during teamfights, as dragging him closer can give him easy positioning for a Headbutt knock-up. Instead, utilize Wasteland Force to flank and threaten Akai's backline with Iron Hook while hovering near your carry. As long as you maintain Bloody Hunt off cooldown, Akai cannot execute his main win condition without being instantly suppressed and killed.
Estes thrives when his team groups tightly to maximize Blessing of Moon Goddess, but Franco's kit directly destabilizes this deathball strategy. A single accurate Iron Hook breaks an enemy out of Moonlight Immersion tether range, isolating them from incoming heals. Furthermore, Bloody Hunt applies a 1.8-second suppression that prevents Estes from casting defensive spells if he is targeted, or prevents his hooked ally from receiving active support. Because Estes lacks mobility and hard crowd control to disrupt Bloody Hunt, he cannot save himself or allies from direct single-target burst.
Lane impact
During roaming phases, Estes relies on attrition, using Domain of Moon Goddess to zone and Moonlight Immersion to win trades over time. Franco neutralizes this playstyle by denying protracted skirmishes entirely. The constant threat of Iron Hook forces Estes and his allies to position cautiously behind minion waves, neutralizing their ability to dominate river vision. When setting up for the Turtle, Estes wants his team grouped tight, but Franco’s zoning potential forces the enemy to spread out, allowing Franco's team to control major objective choke points and dictate initiation.
How to play it
Track Domain of Moon Goddess closely; avoid stepping into its edge slow when stepping up to aim your hook. Do not waste Iron Hook on durable frontliners who are currently receiving the massive health regeneration from Blessing of Moon Goddess. Instead, prioritize Estes himself as your primary target for the Iron Hook and Bloody Hunt combo. Catching Estes off-guard shuts down his ultimate entirely via suppression, deleting the enemy sustain engine before a teamfight starts and securing 5v4 advantages across the map.
Franco holds a distinct structural advantage because Floryn lacks mobility skills to escape Iron Hook or defend herself once dragged out of position. While Floryn excels at long-range team sustain through Sow and Bloom, her frail durability makes her a primary target for Franco's pick-oriented playstyle. Floryn cannot cast Sprout or trigger Bloom while under the suppression of Bloody Hunt. Franco forces Floryn to play defensively, as any mispositioning results in an immediate isolate-and-burst combo before her team-wide healing can stabilize her health bar.
Lane impact
During the laning phase, Floryn relies on Sow to sustain her partner and Sprout to poke from safety, but Franco's presence neutralizes her freedom to harass. By standing near minion gaps with Wasteland Force active, Franco threatens Iron Hook whenever Floryn steps forward to project lane presence. This forces Floryn to grant wave control and stay behind allied creeps, restricting her ability to rotate efficiently. Consequently, Franco secures superior river control and objective tempo around the Turtle, leaving Floryn struggling to match his aggressive map pressure.
How to play it
Patience is crucial when fishing for hooks against Floryn. Watch for her to lock herself into the casting animation of Sprout or Sow, then land Iron Hook while she is stationary. Use the movement speed from Wasteland Force to secure unvisited bushes and ambush her when she attempts to gather vision. Once level four, prioritize isolating Floryn with Iron Hook into Bloody Hunt before team fights erupt, removing her global healing capacity from Bloom entirely. If she stays tucked away, apply Fury Shock on her carry instead.
Best allies 1
Heroes whose kit compounds with yours. Drafting alongside them turns your individual strengths into a coordinated threat.
Franco's single-target lock-down sets up the perfect stationary target for Odette's massive area-of-effect channel. When Franco lands Iron Hook and immediately chains it into Bloody Hunt, he holds an enemy completely immobile for 1.8 seconds. This long suppression window eliminates Odette's primary vulnerability during Swan Song, allowing her to cast her ultimate directly on top of the suppressed victim without risk of being interrupted or having the target walk away. In turn, Odette's Blue Nova immobilization makes landing Franco's hook effortless against nimble heroes.
Lane impact
Together, this duo transforms mid-lane rotations and objective contests around the Turtle and Lord into lethal death zones. Franco's Wasteland Force movement speed allows him to roam alongside Odette to side lanes or invade the enemy jungle with superior tempo. When contesting major neutral objectives, Franco threatens any enemy trying to contest by zoning with the fear of Iron Hook, while Odette provides continuous wave clear with Avian Authority and Lakeshore Ambience. Any face-check or objective contest by the enemy becomes an instant pick-off setup.
How to play it
Execution hinges on controlling the engagement chain without overlapping crowd control unnecessarily. Odette can initiate at medium range using Blue Nova to immobilize the priority target, giving Franco a guaranteed trajectory for Iron Hook. Once the target is dragged in, Franco must immediately cast Bloody Hunt to suppress them while Odette casts Swan Song and uses its dash to position right beside the trapped enemy. Franco should refrain from using Fury Shock before Bloody Hunt, as the extra casting animation can allow mobile targets to escape before suppression locks them down.
Matchup relationships for 3 of these pairings come from the game's own hero data; the rest are selected from the heroes you actually meet in this lane. All written analysis is AI-generated from both heroes' ability kits and reviewed automatically for accuracy — it describes kit interactions, not live win rates.
