Xin Zhao is a excellent teamplayer, he's strong, durable and not very squishy if played right.
This guide is to help begginners / players new to AD champion / (New to Xin Zhao) get some easy kills along your first game / further games. Please note that this guide is not for tanking purposes, if you plan on using Xin Zhao as a semi-tank. Don't use this guide.

This if my first guide, hopefully it will end up well.
I've only seen Tanky xin's out there, and this is good for getting fed early game! Then using those kills to own people lategame.
I've tossed this build around to some friends and random players, they've liked it and gotten plenty of kills with it.
Don't start of with this game in a Ranked Game.. Try it out for the first time against players (IF you've experienced with Melee's before. Otherwise play vs Bots)
Don't vote before you've tried it.. Please, do come back to vote afterwards and vote + or -!

Helpful Terms

Standard Terms

"ArPen"=armor penetration
"MR"=magic resist
"AA"=auto attack
"AP"=ability power
"AD"=attack damage
"AS"=attack speed
"CC"=crowd control
"CDR"=cooldown reduction

Team Strategies


"jungle" = The group of trees and
paths that exist between the lanes
"over-extending" = where you, or an ally,
is past a certain point where
the enemy team can easily kill you
"baiting" = the act where one of your
team mates is purposely
over-extends while the rest
of your team sits and waits
to provoke a team fight in
your favor.
"gank" = used in the sense of
ambushing an enemy champion
(or champion's) that is pushing
to far in the lane
"zoning" = where you are prohibiting
the enemy champion (or champion's)
from getting any exp/gold by standing
between them and the creep wave

Team Calls


"b" = back, fall back, get out of there
"oom" = out of mana
"GTFO" = the act of getting out of the
area as fast as possible
"care" = be careful, they might be
coming for you
"miss, mia" = missing in action, used to
describe when a champion is missing
from a lane and to be careful of
incoming ganks
"backdoor" = sneaking into the enemies
base in order to bring down
towers/inhibitors or the nexus
Guide Specific


TTS = Three Talon Strike
BC = Battle Cry
AC = Audacious Charge
CS = Crescent Sweep

Pro's
Great early-game killer / ganker.
Very nice lane-mate to almost every champ.
Nice durability!
Very easy to play.
Not too Squishy!

Cons
Needs a minor early-game kills, but it might not be a problem depending on who you're playing versus. There is always a possibility to catch up mid/-lategame with Xin.
CC, because of the lack of tenacity.
Needs awareness towards other champions Skills / abilities
People tend to get ahead of themselves playing Xin Zhao.

So this is gonna be fun.
For mark's I focus a variety of runes for maximal potential.
The marks I use is for AD, ArPen and AS.
Code:
3x
Code:
Greater Mark of Desolation 3x
Code:
3x.

Moving on to your Seals I use Code:
Greater Seal of Resillience[/color]. 9x, this allows you to have some great armor boost early-game, and causing more durability protecting your lane and getting some easy kills.

For your Glyphs I go all-out Attack Damage, giving me 0.23 AD / rune.
The seals I'm then using are Code:
9x

For Quintessences I like to use Alacrity and Strength, which gives me a major boost in AD and AS early-game.
For the AS I want I use Code:
, 1x. As for the AD. Code:
2x

The masteries I pick for Xin Zhao are a simple 21/0/9 mastery tree. It's pretty standard no mather which type you as a player would prefer to play Xin Zhao. (Tank, DPS, .. Not AP that would be.. dumb..)

Code:
Simple 15% Magic Pen. It helps your charge for some, due to the fact that it's based on AP aswell. It gives the enemy no chance of defending themselves unless they play tank.

People are going to complain in why I didn't pick Utility Master for increased buff duration, that's because Xin Zhao doesn't really NEED increased buff duratoin. I mean, come on.. Really?

Extra gold is always nice, I'm just saying that's why I picked Code:
.

Onwards to the--

.. Yes, Summoner spells.
Now, if you don't have access to Code:
you can always go with Code:
. However, Ghost or Flash is needed to make a good, spliffy~! Xin Zhao. As for your second summoner spell, the choice would be Code:
Because.. Obviously... xD However, if you for some reason don't wish to use exhaust, or your team is full of them.. Use Code:
because it's just.. Second-hand bursting. Not that you would need it.

I don't use Code:
because I don't have to. Same goes with Code:
or Code:
, Code:
, Code:
Fortitude.. You know, leave it to the Support / Tanks.

Xin has a set of skills that allows him to Jungle.. Gank.. Lane, you name it. The thing is how to use your abilities.
I mainly prefer Laning Xin, hence the reason I go for maxing out E and W infront of your Q skill.
Starting with his passive, Code:

Now I hate to be the guy who AA's minions, but if you got both of your lane opponents, you just want to push for two reasons. 1. Who can stop you from taking the tower if Mid does his job right. And 2. This little bad-boy gives you health equal to 30 + 5 each 2nd lvl you take, every third hit you deal!
(Argument is invalid if they have a jungler)

Xin's first ability is Q, Code:
"Xin Zhao prepares to unleash a fearsome combo, causing his next 3 standard attacks to deal 15/30/45/60/75 plus physical damage, with the final attack knocking his opponent into the air."
What it does is what it says, basicly a three-strike attack which on it's last impact throws em' up in the air, making them unable to do anything for a amount of time. Thats why I chose to level it up atleast once in lvl 3. It's good for a burst.
Cooldown: 10 Seconds
Cost: 30 mana
Range: 375

Moving on to the W ability, Code:
Basicly.. It increases your attack speed, now who wouldn't want that. Maxed, the attack speed gain is 40%, then when you activate it, it basicly doubles the attack speed gained from your passive for a certain amount of time.
I max this one out second for a nice attack speed burst, without having to buy items like Code: However, having a Phantom Dancer up your sleeve at lategame doesn't really hurt you ;)

Moving on to the E ability, my darling. Code:

What it does is that it charges the enemy unit from semi-far range, to deal an amazing 70/110/150/190/230 attack damage, plus an amount equal to 40% of your AP. (Suddenly maxing out
Code: doesn't sound so bad, now does it?
It's great for initating battle, taking out that guy who is escaping and gaining your beloved Pentakill! I max it out first because it's obvious, really.

For your ultimate is Code:

What it does is it's a Swipe-Spin attack, it attacks all units around you dealing tons of damage. The damage done would be 125/225/325 + 20% of THEIR Current health, so use it right after you Charge in, would you? ;) Anyhow. It also gives you a armor / magic resistance boost for 6 seconds, each level of the ultimate it gains 10, so 30/40/50 Magic resistance and Armor.

We're almost done! For the Items I go for

Code:


Code:


Code:


Code:


Code:


Code:


Code:

You would want to go Phantom Dancer early, but since you max out your W ability quite fast, you wouldn't have to use it untill now.

Sell Doran's blade and get your 2nd

Code:


NOTE:
Alternate go

Code:
If your Cleaver doesn't do the trick

To sum it up, this is a begginer's guide to Xin Zhao. I hope you rank it up due to the fact that it's not a bad build, really.

To pull this off you wouldn't need months of experience, you would just need the basic knowledge of using Q W E R and Summoner Spells, or if you have different keybindings. Just, aslong as you know the game so-so, you can pull this off.
This was my first guide/build, hope you enjoyed it and I will keep evolving new guides / builds to improve my own and your gameplay / experience. Enjoy~!