About me

Hi everyone! I'm a Kayn main from Russia, playing him since 2020. Achieved Diamond 1 - Master in multiple seasons (S12, S13, S14). Play on RU and EUW servers.
Was Top 1 RU Kayn and Top 2 Global Kayn at the end of Season 13 (per League of Graphs).
I'm not yet fluent in English, but I'm learning and trying my best — I hope this guide will be clear and helpful for all of you! :)
I’ll update this guide every patch or two. All changes will be logged in Patch Notes alongside patch review insights.

A Few Words About Kayn

Kayn is a very versatile jungle pick, simply because of his two forms. The only difficulty is knowing when to take a certain build and a certain form.

Special Thanks, Tribute

I’d like to express my deepest gratitude to my dog. It’s thanks to her that I’m finishing this guide, even if later than planned. I wrote it during a time when she was gravely ill and growing old. One day, as I worked on the guide, she came to me (for the last time, as it turned out) to say goodbye.
She’s the reason I chose to complete this guide—even if it never gains popularity in the League community. For me, it will stand as a tribute to her memory. After her passing, I vowed to finish all abandoned projects in her honor, so her life wouldn’t be in vain.
Live and enjoy life while you can, and never let negativity prevail.
Rest in peace, Bonya.

Dark harvest		Dark Harvest is a strong keystone rune right now after its buff. Its huge burst damage, which procs when the target is below 50% HP, is perfect for Blue Kayn. You'll usually end the game with 20-30 stacks. You can proc multiple Dark Harvest stacks in a single teamfight because the rune's cooldown resets on kills. It's not as strong early as Electrocute or First Strike, but it scales incredibly well into the mid and late game. On average, I deal 3-5k damage with this rune by the end of the game.
Sudden impact		Sudden Impact performs perfectly on Kayn, giving you extra damage after using [Q] Reaping Slash: Shadow Assassin. No other rune in this row offers as much impact. Always take it.
Grisly mementos		Grisly Mementos, after the removal of Eyeball Collection, is its replacement, although much weaker. You can replace it with Sixth Sense, but the latter can proc at completely random, unnecessary moments, which makes this rune terrible. Overall, I advise taking Grisly Mementos.
Treasure hunter		Treasure Hunter gives great snowball potential through extra gold. You can get a gold lead over your lane opponent thanks to ganks and transition into the mid game much easier. Good snowball potential. On the other hand, you can take Ultimate Hunter or Relentless Hunter. It only depends on your playstyle and preferences.
Legend: Haste		Legend: Haste gives CDR, which is very necessary for Kayn. Attack Speed and lifesteal are definitely not needed. You can replace it with Triumph if you plan to constantly participate in teamfights and soak up some damage. Triumph suits bruiser builds, but personally, I prefer Legend: Haste.
Coup de Grace		Coup de Grace is an excellent choice for Blue Kayn since it synergizes perfectly with Dark Harvest. The other runes will give less dmg, so choose exactly this rune.

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Axiom Arcanist		Axiom Arcanist is an excellent rune that reduces Ability Haste and increases damage on [R] Umbral Trespass: Shadow Assassin. Synergizes well with Axiom Arc. If you're taking Sorcery runes as your secondary path, I recommend this one.
Absolute Focus		Absolute Focus is great for oneshot builds. Perfect with Opportunity and Youmuu's Ghostblade. Grants bonus AD if above 70% HP, so monitor your HP when using this rune. Optimal against squishy comps without mobility. Otherwise, Axiom Arcanist is better.
Celerity		Celerity grants extra Movement Speed. Works well with Youmuu's Ghostblade and Swiftmarch. An experimental rune – I only take it in MS oneshot builds. Other runes may be more useful.
Gathering Storm		Gathering Storm is the local magnum opus. If you choose the Sorcery path, this rune is mandatory. Provides exceptional scaling for mid and late game.

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Magical footwear		Magical Footwear saves 300 gold and gives bonus Movement Speed, but requires kills/assists to activate. Optimal boot timing: 8-9 minutes.
Cosmic insight		Cosmic Insight provides 15 CDR for Summoner Spells and 10 CDR for items. A solid rune granting carte blanche for aggression. Lets you use Smite and actives ( Youmuu's Ghostblade, Edge of Night, Guardian Angel, etc.) more frequently.

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Triumph		Triumph, as mentioned earlier, excels if you frequently teamfight and get focused – the extra healing aids escapes. Fits bruiser builds well.
Legend: Haste		Legend: Haste remains the ideal CDR rune. (Details covered previously). Optimal for Blue Kayn.
Legend: Alacrity		Legend: Alacrity (grants Attack Speed) is situational. Only consider it with Voltaic Cyclosword or if you whiff abilities often. Legend: Haste outperforms it otherwise.
Coup de Grace		Coup de Grace is the premier Precision rune. Always take it.

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Conqueror		Conqueror is an excellent keystone rune for Red Kayn. It makes you feel perfect in teamfights. Red Kayn has great sustain, and Conqueror complements this.
Triumph		Triumph fits Red Kayn perfectly for the same reason. Adds sustain in fights, lets you survive longer.
Legend: Haste		Legend: Haste is ideal since it reduces CD on [Q] Reaping Slash: Rhaast and [R] Umbral Trespass: Rhaast. Increases damage and sustain. I’d say it’s as important as the runes mentioned earlier.
Last stand		Last Stand completes this rune row. Excellent for those same teamfights. Increases your damage based on missing health. Take this rune if you’re not building assassin; otherwise, Coup de Grace is better.
Axiom Arcanist		Axiom Arcanist is an excellent rune on Red Kayn because it increases the already considerable damage on [R] Umbral Trespass: Rhaast and reduces its CD.
Transcendence		Transcendence gives additional CDR and besides that, after level 9, reduces the cooldown of basic abilities by 20% for a kill or assist.

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Axiom Arcanist		As I wrote earlier, Axiom Arcanist is an excellent rune on Red Kayn because it increases the already considerable damage on [R] Umbral Trespass: Rhaast and reduces its CD.
Transcendence		As I wrote earlier, Transcendence gives additional CDR and besides that, after level 9, reduces the cooldown of basic abilities by 20% for a kill or assist.
Gathering Storm		Gathering Storm is a decent option, a replacement for Transcendence. If you are going to play longer than 30 minutes, perhaps you should take exactly this rune.

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Magical footwear		Magical Footwear saves 300 gold and gives bonus Movement Speed, but requires kills/assists to activate. Optimal boot timing: 8-9 minutes.
Cosmic insight		Cosmic Insight provides 15 CDR for Summoner Spells and 10 CDR for items. A solid rune granting carte blanche for aggression. Lets you use Smite and actives ( Eclipse, Sterak's Gage, Guardian Angel, etc.) more frequently.

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Sudden impact		Sudden Impact performs perfectly on Kayn, giving you extra damage after using [Q] Reaping Slash: Rhaast.
Treasure hunter		Treasure Hunter gives additional gold and gives excellent snowball potential. Basically, you take Domination runes when you want to play aggressively and get an early lead.
Ultimate hunter		Ultimate Hunter gives additional CDR on [R] Umbral Trespass: Rhaast. If you want to fight often, then for survival or for chasing opponents, this rune is excellent.

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Conditioning		Conditioning is an excellent rune if you are stacking a lot of resistances. For example, when I plan to take Randuin's Omen and Spirit Visage as 2nd-3rd items. An excellent choice if you want to act as a frontliner and absorb almost all damage.
Revitalize		Revitalize is an excellent rune for Red Kayn thanks to additional healing. Also performs well if you additionally take Eclipse or if your team has a support with heals or shields.
Unflinching		Unflinching is a good rune if the opponents have too much crowd control and you want to act as a damage absorber. Grants extra tenacity, which also synergizes well with Conditioning. If enemies have little or no crowd control – it’s better to take Revitalize.

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Smite
		Smite is mandatory on both forms . It's obvious: you're a jungler – you have Smite. Plus, after the 15.09 patch, Smite auto-loads on your champion and you can't remove it anymore.
Flash
		Flash is for extra mobility. You take Flash when you know the enemy will be kiting you, has dashes, tp, or similar tools, and you can't run Ignite. You take Flash on Blue Kayn in 99% of games.
Ignite
		Ignite is a risky/bold summoner spell. You take it on Red Kayn when you can easily catch up to the enemy, and they won’t be able to escape after your Voltaic Cyclosword procs or the Scorchclaw Smite effect. In test builds with Voltaic Cyclosword, Spirit Visage, and Randuin's Omen, Ignite becomes almost mandatory, just like Smite.

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1. Form Acquisition Mechanics

   
   Your form depends on whom you damage:
   • Damage ranged champions → Gain blue orbs.
   • Damage melee champions → Gain red orbs.
   After filling the meter, your form is determined by the TOTAL ORBS COLLECTED:
   • More blue orbs → Blue form.
   • More red orbs → Red form.
     Orb value scales over time: Early-game orbs fill the meter slowly, but near 10 minutes, a single fight can nearly fill it.
     Key Timing: Aim to transform between 6–8 minutes.
   • [Q] Reaping Slash Animation Cancel
     Cancel [Q] Reaping Slash animations using walls. If Q1’s dash collides with terrain, the circular Q2 slash triggers immediately. Use this for faster jungle clears or when enemies are near walls.

2. Wall Jumps with [Q] Reaping Slash

   
   [Q] Reaping Slash can dash through thin walls. Execute carefully:
   During fights, position extremely close to the wall before dashing. Mispositioning causes collision instead of traversal.
   Image note: Red markers on the attached image indicate reliable wall-hop locations.
   

3. [E] Shadow Step Passive Vision

   
   While casting [E] Shadow Step near terrain, a circular indicator reveals nearby enemies (e.g., in bushes). Use this to scout hidden targets.
   
   

4. [E] Shadow Step Exit Control

   
   As [E] Shadow Step ends, cast [Q] Reaping Slash to dash toward your desired side of the wall before being ejected.
   
   

5. Red Kayn Ultimate Timing

   
   For Red Kayn: Cast [R] Umbral Trespass only when critically low HP to maximize healing.
   
   

6. Blue Kayn Ultimate Advantages

   
   For Blue Kayn [R] Umbral Trespass has increased cast range and extended ejection distance. Use to chase fleeing targets or escape.
   
   

7. Critical Macro Tips:

   • ADC must group post-20 minutes: If they split-push, PING THEM TO JOIN.
   • Be the shot-caller: Ping allies who misposition or ignore objectives. If a split-pushing top/mid would win you fights, PING THEM + CHAT "GROUP".
   • Never flame: Foster positivity. Motivate struggling teammates (e.g., 0/4 players)—"WE SCALE / PLAY FOR TEAMFIGHTS".
   • Mental reset: If tilted, remember: IT'S JUST A GAME. Wins/losses are learning experiences—detach from outcome dependency.
   
   

8. Improvement Resources

   
   Watch high-elo Kayn OTPs like Karasmai (YouTube/Twitch) for replays and live gameplay analysis.

Here I will attempt to describe all possible jungle start paths.
We can start with 5 different camps. You can perform a full clear (probably the most appealing option last season) or go for a level 3 gank.

Crucially, remember: At the start of the game, you must place your Stealth Ward on the opposite river quadrant from your chosen starting camp. Place this ward at 0:52, during the final second before recall. When recalling, you must purchase the Oracle Lens. It reveals the enemy jungler if they attempt to invade or steal your camps.
Conversely, you can immediately use the Oracle Lens to clear the enemy’s first Stealth Ward (which will likely be placed on your Raptors around 1:15 by their mid laner)
Ultimately, the choice is yours.

Legend for all images:

• Red arrows: Primary jungle path
• Yellow arrows: Possible deviations from the primary path
• Green checkmark: Starting camp
• Purple dot: Optimal ward placement spot ("sweet spot")
• All-in icon: Potential ganks or river fights

The first option is to start the clear with the Raptors. A standard clear for Kayn, allowing you to path towards mid lane and farm the Raptors again.

The second option is to start the clear with the Red Buff, enabling you to gank a lane after the full clear and then recall.

The third option is to start the clear with the Blue Buff, enabling you to gank a lane after the full clear and then recall.

The second and third options are similar and differ only in which lane you intend to gank first. You should gank the lane where you actually have an opportunity. Opponents with escapes will get away quickly if your allies lack crowd control.


The fourth option is the most interesting and aggressive. You need to invade the enemy jungle from their Blue Buff side, if they allow it. You must do this undetected, making this path especially dangerous if you're running Ignite instead of Flash. You perform a full clear of the enemy jungle starting from their Blue Buff and can then look for a level 3 gank. If the enemy jungler sees you on the map, they will likely go to clear your Blue Buff (cross-map clear). Conversely, if you are confident the enemy won't contest your Blue Buff and you remain unseen, proceed to your own Red Buff and then your Blue Buff. This way, you won't help your team with early ganks but will gain a significant lead over the enemy jungler. Keep in mind that the enemy jungler, lacking half their jungle, will likely attempt either ganks or counter-jungling, trying to catch you at low HP. What makes this option interesting is that while you're clearing the Wolves, the enemy jungler might be taking your Blue Buff. If executed correctly, you can take the Wolves, steal their buff, and escape using [E] Shadow Step back into your own jungle.

The fifth and final option is similar to the fourth but requires you to start at the enemy's Raptors camp. Similarly to the fourth option, you steal half of the enemy jungle and can then look for a level 3 gank or proceed to do a full clear. Also, be aware that the enemy might be farming their Red Buff while you are taking their Raptors.

Don't forget about map objectives (Dragon spawns first at 5 minutes, Voidgrubs at 7 minutes). You can prioritize the first Dragon by starting your clear on the Dragon side and then, after your first recall, return to your jungle, hit level 5, and take the Dragon. Remember, if you lack team support, do not run to the Dragon 1v3 or 1v4 against opponents. Stealing is good, but only using [E] Shadow Step. Do not attempt to fight – your sole target is the Dragon.

• Red: Very weak phase
• Yellow: Average phase
• Green: Peak power phase

1. Early Game

   
   Kayn is extremely weak before transforming—any jungler with decent mechanics can 1v1 you. Prioritize skirmishes with numerical advantages (e.g., 2v1, 3v2). Your goal is to secure your form ASAP, as pre-form Kayn lacks a meaningful passive. Once transformed, build a significant level/gold lead over the enemy jungler through successful ganks or winning fights. The ideal early-game outcome: fast form acquisition, an early lead, and at least one winning lane.
   

2. Mid Game

   
   Maximize your power spike here:
   • Without an early lead → Play evenly against the enemy jungler (never underestimate them).
   • With a lead → Invade the enemy jungle for picks to widen your advantage.
     Focus on objectives. Securing Triumphs (e.g., Dragons, Rift Herald) amplifies your team’s strength. Prioritize stacking 4 Dragons for Soul (statistically, teams with Soul win >80% of games).

3. Late Game

   
   Kayn’s power declines as enemies reach full build, putting you on even footing. Your success now hinges entirely on well-executed teamfights. Secure major objectives (Baron, Elder Dragon) and stick with your team.

Here I will document patch-specific notes and changes made to the guide, labeled by patch number or update date.