Welcome to my Guide for Kai'Sa. I'm Santoryo and I main of Botlane role, I especially like to play Kai'Sa, who is my main, There is a link to ChampionMastery.GG where you can check how much Mastery I have right now on her (11/16/2022 UPDATE: 1,1kk). I play mostly on EUW server. I created this guide to make a huge guide for Kai'Sa hardcore and new players. I hope you will learn something about her and learn how important is itemization for our Daughter of Void. Please read the Notes in runes, items and champions threatens / synergies, because I explain there why you should sometimes pick those things over other.

If you are interested how do I play her or wanna watch my stream, check out my Twitch.

Play Video

Also there are my OP.GG of my accounts.
Main EUW - https://euw.op.gg/summoner/userName=SantoryoLoL
Side-account EUW - https://euw.op.gg/summoner/userName=ina+plush

I decided to main Kai'Sa, because she is interesting and strong champion, she also have a lot of build options, you can go AD One-Hit, AD Crit, AD Off-Tank, Hybrid, AP On-Hit, Full AP, AP + AS, basically if you know how to connect some items and runes you can do whatever you want with this champion, because you have both AD and AP ratios on Q Icathian Rain, W Void Seeker and R Killer Instinct. The essence of Kai'Sa is making the skills evolutions as fast as possible for lowest cost.

Kai'Sa has a specific learning curve, she's easy to play, but if you won't practise her combos you will be just and average player of this champion and you won't use 100% of her power. I recommend watching some of best Kai'Sa players like Kdrama, SnipyOCE or even watch me to catch up some cool combos.


Firstly we need to start with some tips you need to remember when playing Kai'Sa.

Q - Icathian Rain

• You need to learn how to isolate Q damage, go on Practise Tool and set two mannequins next to each other. Try to keep max range of Q to hit only one of them with your skill.
• Q deals 200% more damage for minions that are below 35% of Health. Sometimes wait until your support will use his Relic Shield or Steel Shoulderguards, also use this knowledge to hit faster lvl 2 or clear the minions that enemy laner is sitting behind to catch him.

W - Void Seeker

• It's always casted from Kai'Sa position to the cursor. Use this for W + Flash.
• When you fight vs champs that can dash out, use it after 2 AA to proc Kai'Sa passive faster.

E - Supercharge

• You can't use Q and W during this
• Use E right before the Killer Instinct to dash with massive Attack Speed self-buff
• After E evolution, you are invisible, you can cancel for example Nautilus R, Mordekaiser R etc
• Use it for reposition

R - Killer Instinct

• About R, remember one thing. It's a dash. You are not Unstoppable. A lot of people forget about it and their ultimates are usually canceled by Jinx E.

Basic Burst-Trading Combo:

Supercharge + AA + Icathian Rain + AA + AA + Void Seeker
This combo is the most basic one combo to trade and burst enemy ADC / Support. Use it when for example your Thresh will hook enemy for you or enemy jungler is close to you and you know you can fight them. Hail of Blades and Supercharge will help you a lot with extra Attack Speed.

Support engage
Plasma from any hard CC + Supercharge + Void Seeker (in the same time use Killer Instinct behind enemy) + AA + Icathian Rain + AA
This "combo" is good when your support did hard CC on someone and you're on further range. Use W first and immediately use your R to suprise your enemy. Your W will come from the front, but you will be already behind him. It's good and can make a lot of damage in short time.

W + Flash
Void Seeker + Flash
This one you should practise first on Practise Tool. It's so useful when you won the trade and the enemy is really low. You can start casting W and in half of animation flash on side to dodge enemy minions. If you will do it perfectly you can even do Shadow Void Seeker, so the W trail will go through the minions, but as I said before, W always go from you (besides when you cast your R)

In this Chapter I'm gonna explain build options for Kai'Sa. Please know that most of useful informations you will find in Notes next to each Item Set.

Tips with Evolutions

• Doran's Blade + Serrated Dirk + Noonquiver + Pickaxe gives you Q evolution (meta Q rush right now)
  
• Doran's Blade + Kraken Slayer + Pickaxe gives you Q evolution on lvl 7-8
• Doran's Blade + Serrated Dirk + Caulfield's Warhammer + Serrated Dirk gives you Q evolution on level 6
• Serrated Dirk + B. F. Sword + Caulfield's Warhammer gives you Q evolution on level 5-6 (You can start with Long Sword as your first item)
• Doran's Blade + Noonquiver + Pickaxe + Pickaxe gives you Q evolution on level 9
• Kraken Slayer + Berserker's Greaves + Zeal + Dagger gives you E evolution on level 8
• Kraken Slayer + Berserker's Greaves + Dagger + Dagger + Dagger gives you E evolution on level 8 (if you want later go Runaan's Hurricane or Guinsoo's Rageblade)
• Kraken Slayer + Berserker's Greaves + Recurve Bow gives you E evolution on level 11
• Kraken Slayer + Berserker's Greaves + Dagger + Dagger gives you E evolution on level 12
• Nashor's Tooth + Berserker's Greaves gives you W evolution on any level and E evolution on level 11

AD Carry

Full Crit Build



This is my favorite build I go most matchups. In this build path you always go for Kraken Slayer, next Berserker's Greaves, The Collector and Phantom Dancer and with those items you have Q and E evolution. We don't build W evolution, because want 100% crit and W doesn't give a lot in this build path. And there we are, you are about to build your 4th item, but which one? That's hard question, because every game is unique in League and every time you will need something else. Bloodthirster is good item when you took Legend: Alacrity in runes instead of Legend: Bloodline or you don't have Heal support and you need some lifesteal, Infinity Edge is for good spike on your crit damage, because you get 35% Critical Strike Damage after 60%+ Critical Strike Chance) and Navori Flickerblade is very good item for cooldown reduction (you can even have E every 1-2 seconds when you crit in teamfights so that gives you a lot of repositioning and you can easily spam your Q). Pick item that you need at the moment.


Tank Shredder Build (On-Hit)



This one is good vs 2 heavy tanks or 3+ tanks / offtanks. Last item can be Mortal Reminder if they heal a lot or Guardian Angel, Mercurial Scimitar vs tanks like Poppy, Nashor's Tooth if they don't build MRs so you will deal additional Magical On-Hit damage or even Ravenous Hydra to survive a little bit longer and deal AoE. Always build Lord Dominik's Regards if they have 3+ tanks.


Lethality Snowball Build



The guide how to play this particular Kai'Sa build can be found here: Play Video





Against 3+ AP in enemy team



This build is very good against heavy AP teams, especially recommended if you're laning duo AP botlane or they have 3+ heavy AP champions in enemy team


Galeforce Snowballing Build



Galeforce build isn't as popular as it used to be, but it still can be played as viable build. It is recommended to play it against squishies compositions where you can snowball with oneshot enemies with Q + Galeforce combo and execute them with The Colector

Hybrid

This is the only viable Hybrid build currently for Kai'Sa for season 12. It gives you lots of mixed damage, something similar to prerework items Hybrid Kai'Sa

Hybrid build

Midlane

Kai'Sa Mage Midlane is very good as well, and it's pretty fun if you are tired of playing ADC. Here are two builds that are cool to try, first - Luden's Echo build, very good and useful, but if safety option is required, try out Shattered Queen path

Luden's Echo + Manamune Build



This build will guarantee oneshot you enemies in late game with your W, you will act like a mix of Lux and Xerath, but you will do it way better. Play safe during laning phase!!


Shattered Queen + Manamune Build



This is for safety options, but a little bit less damage

I almost every game play with Hail of Blades, in my opinion it's just an awesome keystone that allows you to burst enemies in early game and still in late game it's pretty useful.

I go usually for:


For additional attack speed in early I choose Legend: Alacrity, but if you like additional Lifesteal choose Legend: Bloodline. You can swap Eyeball Collection for Zombie Ward / Ghost Poro if you want. Also if they have AP team, pick MR over Armor. Also if you don't like Presence of Mind, because you don't like to spam your abilities, pick Coup de Grace or even Overheal.

Cut Down is super good rune vs tanks and other champs that have more HP than you.



If you don't like Hail of Blades, Press the Attack is also pretty fun rune (you can use it if you have a support that gives you Attack Speed or you have a heavy CC support and you will have time to stack PTA and your passive). As in HoB page you can customize all of your keystones to the needs you need right now.

Heal and Flash are usually used in 99% of your matchups, it's universal and very effective to save you and your support with Heal.




Pick Cleanse vs heavy CC in enemy team, always pick it vs Leona and Rell, because if they will catch you once, you probably won't get out without your support or without using Flash




This one you will pick not so often, you will pick it with heavy heal as your support like Yuumi or Soraka. Yuumi usually goes with Heal and Exhaust / Ignite so it can be cool summoner for you.




Exhaust is very good option, it's good when your support has shields and heals like Janna or Seraphine and you want to play more aggresive. Your support then should pick Ignite or Heal if you want to make sure you will be safe.