In lane, Poppy usually wins by repeating Q -> passive/Grasp -> shield pickup -> leave and only turning E into a real commit when the enemy has drifted close enough to a wall that the lane stops being open ground .
A lot of Poppy hands-diff is making dash champions press the movement spell they actually need before you W, then using tap R much more often than the full send because the fast knockup keeps them in second Q, extends E CC, and peels dives without ejecting the target from the fight .
If lane goes wrong, stop trying to salvage it with more fair duels and start aiming W or R at the one enemy whose movement makes their engage work, because recent data says Poppy's bad starts recover much better in longer games than in short ones .
Tap R when you need the target to stay part of the fight. In lane, that usually means keeping them inside second Q, extending an E wall stun, or stopping a diver without throwing away the kill window you already created. In skirmishes, it is often the cleaner choice when your team can immediately follow the knockup and body-block the exit. Full charge is stronger when the real value is removing someone from the map for a few seconds, especially on a crashing wave or before an objective setup. If your team wants contact right now, tap cast is usually the better button.
Poppy throws her buckler that bounces off the target. Poppy can pick it up to gain a temporary shield.
Poppy swings her hammer, dealing damage and creating a zone that will slow enemies and explode after a delay.
Poppy passively gains Armor and Magic Resist. This bonus increases when she is low on Health. Poppy can activate Steadfast Presence to gain Move Speed and stop enemy dashes around her. If a dash is stopped, the enemy is slowed and grounded.
Poppy dashes to the target and pushes it back. If the target is pushed into a wall, it is stunned.
Poppy channels a hammer strike that knocks enemies very far away.