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Kai'Sa
Patch 16.2.1
BotDifficulty
Hard
Strength
Early
Mid
Late
Win Condition
Survive the early game and reach your and evolutions. Look for picks using or ally CC to dive the backline with and clean up fights with your high mobility.
Playstyle
A high-mobility assassin-marksman hybrid that relies on isolation and follow-up CC to execute targets. You excel at diving the backline or shredding tanks with your passive, provided you position correctly.
Strengths & Weaknesses
Strengths
- +Unmatched burst damage against isolated targets with
- +Extreme flexibility in itemization allowing for AD, AP, or hybrid damage
- +Long-range follow-up engage with from teammate CC
- +Late-game safety and outplay potential with invisibility
Weaknesses
- -Short basic attack range (525) makes you susceptible to poke
- - damage is heavily diluted when enemies are inside minion waves
- -Extremely reliant on item breakpoints to unlock spell evolutions
- -Weak early-game waveclear without spending significant mana on
Abilities
Your primary damage source. Auto-attacks and ally immobilizations stack Plasma. The 5th stack deals massive missing HP damage. Item stats eventually upgrade your basic spells once you hit specific thresholds (100 AD, 100 AP, or 100% Attack Speed from items/levels).
Releases missiles to nearby enemies. If only one enemy is in range, all missiles hit them, dealing huge isolated damage. The evolution (Living Weapon) increases missile count. Use this when the enemy is away from their minions to guarantee isolation.
A long-range snipe that grants vision and applies 2 stacks of . The evolution increases stacks to 3 and refunds 75% of the cooldown if you hit a champion. Essential for finishing off targets or proccing your passive from distance.
A brief movement speed boost followed by an attack speed buff. You cannot attack while charging it. The evolution grants 0.5s of invisibility during the charge. Use the invisibility to reposition or dodge key skillshots mid-fight.
A long-range dash that lands you anywhere in a circle around an enemy marked with Plasma. Grants a shield on arrival. This is not just for engage; use it to dodge abilities or reposition to the opposite side of a target during a duel.
Teamfight Role
Follow-up Assassin / Front-to-Back Shredder
Initially, play like a standard ADC by hitting the closest target to stack . Use to kite. Once an enemy carry is marked and vulnerable, use to dive in and execute them, then use your evolved to reset and escape.
If the enemy team has heavy point-and-click CC (like Malzahar or Lissandra), do NOT use to dive. Stay behind your frontline and act as a traditional tank-shredder.
Combos
Quick Trade
Auto -> -> Auto
Standard lane trade. Walk up when the enemy is away from minions to ensure missiles don't split. Use the auto-reset feel to proc early stacks of .
Full Burst Proc
Auto -> -> -> Auto
Fastest way to proc by yourself. The provides two stacks, and two autos plus the passive's own scaling usually finishes the burst.
Assassination Dash
-> -> -> Auto
Snipe a target from long range with , then immediately to them. Cast while mid-dash to land with the damage already flying.
The Disappear
(Evolved) -> ->
Use invisibility to approach or reposition, then to a marked target to confuse the enemy. Follow up with for the execute.
Power Spikes
| Spike | Why |
|---|---|
| Level 6 | Unlocks , giving you the ability to follow up on your Support's engage from a screen away. |
| Level 9 | is typically maxed here, and with your first major item, you likely unlock the Icathian Rain evolution for a massive damage bump. |
| Level 11 | Second rank of increases range significantly, and you usually have your second evolution (likely ) for invisibility. |
| Level 16 | Max rank and triple evolution (Q, W, E) makes you the most versatile threat on the map. |
Tips & Tricks
- •You can cast during the dash animation of to burst the target the moment you arrive.
- • grants vision; use it to check bushes or keep track of junglers over walls.
- •The dash of can be used to cross walls if the Plasma circle overlaps with the terrain.
- •Wait for your support to land CC before using . Their CC provides stacks, making it easier to proc the execute.
- • movement speed is great for getting back to lane faster, but save the mana if a fight is brewing.
- •The shield from is massive. Sometimes it's better to use it just for the health buffer in a close 1v1 rather than the gap close.
Common Mistakes
- ✕Using inside a large minion wave during a trade.→The damage is split between all targets, and you will lose the trade because your primary damage source is diluted.
- ✕Casting while actively being auto-attacked in a duel.→You cannot attack during the charge time, effectively silencing yourself for up to 1 second while taking free damage.
- ✕Blindly using to the center of the enemy team.→You are still a squishy ADC. Diving into 5 people usually results in instant death, even with the shield.
- ✕Missing on an evolved build.→You lose the 75% cooldown refund, leaving you without your poke and stack-builder for a long duration.
- ✕Forgetting that ally CC adds stacks.→Missing opportunities to use or failing to realize an enemy is much closer to being executed than they look.
AI-generated guide • Patch 16.2.1 • Cached