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Challenger Kassadin gold funneling guide (9.24)
Build Guide By Peacetoletov
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36
5
52,168
Views
0
Comments
Kassadin Build Guide By Peacetoletov
52,168
Views
0
Comments
Kassadin Build Guide By Peacetoletov
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Choose Champion Build:
-
Kassadin
![LoL Champion: Kassadin]()
-
![LoL Champion: Taric]()
Recommended Items
Runes:
Domination
Precision
+9 Adaptive (5.4 AD or 9 AP)
+9 Adaptive (5.4 AD or 9 AP)
+6 Armor
Spells:
Flash
Smite
Items
Early game
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Mid game
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Ability Order
Void Stone (PASSIVE)
Kassadin Passive Ability
Threats & Synergies
Threats
Synergies
Extreme
Major
Even
Minor
Tiny
Show All
None
Low
Ok
Strong
Ideal
Extreme Threats
Ideal Synergies
Qiyana
Qiyana can easily push mid and has very strong all in potential. If she ambushes you in the later stages, there is very little you can do. We ban her every game.
Shen
Shen is a safe laner who can save teammates from tower dives.
Synergies
Ideal
Strong
Ok
Low
None
Shen
Shen is a safe laner who can save teammates from tower dives.
Champion Build Guide
Introduction
Hello!
My name is Peacetoletov and I have recently reached challenger playing almost exclusively gold funneled Kassadin. About a year ago, I wrote a guide about Kassadin funneling but a lot has changed since then, mainly my rank (from gold to challenger). I tried other supports, changed my jungle pathing and also updated runes.
I have over 300 ranked games with funneled Kassadin this season and currently sit at 72% win rate.
My name is Peacetoletov and I have recently reached challenger playing almost exclusively gold funneled Kassadin. About a year ago, I wrote a guide about Kassadin funneling but a lot has changed since then, mainly my rank (from gold to challenger). I tried other supports, changed my jungle pathing and also updated runes.
I have over 300 ranked games with funneled Kassadin this season and currently sit at 72% win rate.
Choosing a support
Support in gold funneling strategies has two functions:
- Help clear jungle and mid.
- Provide utility (crowd control, protection, engage).
Taric is my current support of choice despite his weak early game. With Kassadin's Riftwalk, he can stun enemies from miles away. Taric also provides great teamfight utility through his ultimate, and healing is always nice.
Despite him being my favorite support, I highly suggest against playing with Taric if you don't have much experience with Kassadin funneling, as he is by far the most difficult support to play as / play with.
Jarvan IV is beginner friendly and he is my support of choice when Taric is banned. His jungle clear is very solid, he can bring a lot of damage into early game skirmishes and he can follow Kassadin over walls. Cataclysm can catch and lock down an enemy before Kassadin comes and kills them.
Warwick is a solid support who brings strong jungle clear and sustain. His mid lane fight potential is weak before level 6 but very strong when he unlocks his Infinite Duress.
Nunu & Willump was my first support I experimented with. His jungle clear and sustain is very good but he lacks in utility. I would generally advise against playing him.
- Help clear jungle and mid.
- Provide utility (crowd control, protection, engage).
Taric is my current support of choice despite his weak early game. With Kassadin's Riftwalk, he can stun enemies from miles away. Taric also provides great teamfight utility through his ultimate, and healing is always nice.Despite him being my favorite support, I highly suggest against playing with Taric if you don't have much experience with Kassadin funneling, as he is by far the most difficult support to play as / play with.
Jarvan IV is beginner friendly and he is my support of choice when Taric is banned. His jungle clear is very solid, he can bring a lot of damage into early game skirmishes and he can follow Kassadin over walls. Cataclysm can catch and lock down an enemy before Kassadin comes and kills them. Warwick is a solid support who brings strong jungle clear and sustain. His mid lane fight potential is weak before level 6 but very strong when he unlocks his Infinite Duress. Nunu & Willump was my first support I experimented with. His jungle clear and sustain is very good but he lacks in utility. I would generally advise against playing him.
General funneling strategy
There are two ways to funnel:
- Support stays mid and carefully farms while the carry takes jungle camps and occasionally comes collect minions on mid. This is common for Master Yi and Taric funnel or Twitch and Lulu funnel.
- Support and carry stay together all the time and rotate between mid and jungle. Mid lane is often empty. This type of funneling is necessary for Kassadin because he cannot farm jungle alone.
Make sure to properly micromanage tanking jungle monster damage. It's primarily a job for the support, but Kassadin should always step up and take a hit whenever he is full hp to utilize his passive health regen.
Needless to say, Kassadin is taking all gold from jungle monsters and minions, with the occasional exception of sharing minion gold through Relic Shield.
There are many things you can do as the duo - farm jungle, farm mid, counterjungle, try to kill the mid laner, gank lanes, contest dragons... It's impossible to generalize what to do and you will need a lot of experience before you start making the correct calls. Golden rule - don't die. Whatever you're doing, as long as you stay alive, you're doing fine. Don't take unnecessary risks, don't die one for one.
Keep in mind that funneling is hard. Funneling with Kassadin is VERY HARD. If played well, you can achieve win rates of over 80%. If played badly, however... you won't win a single game.
- Support stays mid and carefully farms while the carry takes jungle camps and occasionally comes collect minions on mid. This is common for
Master Yi and Taric funnel or Twitch and Lulu funnel.- Support and carry stay together all the time and rotate between mid and jungle. Mid lane is often empty. This type of funneling is necessary for Kassadin because he cannot farm jungle alone.
Make sure to properly micromanage tanking jungle monster damage. It's primarily a job for the support, but Kassadin should always step up and take a hit whenever he is full hp to utilize his passive health regen.
Needless to say, Kassadin is taking all gold from jungle monsters and minions, with the occasional exception of sharing minion gold through
Relic Shield.There are many things you can do as the duo - farm jungle, farm mid, counterjungle, try to kill the mid laner, gank lanes, contest dragons... It's impossible to generalize what to do and you will need a lot of experience before you start making the correct calls. Golden rule - don't die. Whatever you're doing, as long as you stay alive, you're doing fine. Don't take unnecessary risks, don't die one for one.
Keep in mind that funneling is hard. Funneling with Kassadin is VERY HARD. If played well, you can achieve win rates of over 80%. If played badly, however... you won't win a single game.
Jungle Routes, early game tips
1. Blue -> Gromp (support smites) -> Wolves -> Red (Kassadin smites) -> Raptors -> Mid
OR
1. Blue -> Gromp (support smites) -> Wolves -> Raptors -> Red (Kassadin smites -> Mid
The order here depends on how many minions are dying on mid - you want to catch as much xp from the other side of the wall as possible.
Afterwards:
2. Scuttle crab closer to Krugs -> gank the lane you're close to (optional) -> Krugs -> Mid
OR
2. Scuttle crab closer to Krugs -> walk through mid, maybe kill 2 minions, don't waste time clearing the whole wave -> other Scuttle crab -> Gromp -> Wolves -> Mid
This route is what I follow in the vast majority of my games. Exceptions occur during invades or if you start fighting for the Scuttle crab with the enemy jungler.
Note: when you're taking Raptors, position yourself as close to the wall as possible, that way you're collecting experience from minions dying under your tower.
After this point, everything depends on the state of the game and you have to decide where to go first. Make sure to gather enough gold to purchase the full jungle item before you recall for the first time so you get rid of the Monster Hunter* debuff as soon as possible.
*Monster Hunter reduces your minion gold income if you own an unupgraded jungle item and your gold from minions is higher than half your gold from monsters.
It's often useful to know if you're ahead of behind. I use a very easy method in the early game by looking at the time when I bought the full jungle item. If it's before blue buff spawns again, we're ahead. If I kill the blue buff and that gives me the last bit of gold for the item, we're doing alright. If not even gold from blue buff is enough for the item, we're behind.
OR
1. Blue -> Gromp (support smites) -> Wolves -> Raptors -> Red (Kassadin smites -> Mid
The order here depends on how many minions are dying on mid - you want to catch as much xp from the other side of the wall as possible.
Afterwards:
2. Scuttle crab closer to Krugs -> gank the lane you're close to (optional) -> Krugs -> Mid
OR
2. Scuttle crab closer to Krugs -> walk through mid, maybe kill 2 minions, don't waste time clearing the whole wave -> other Scuttle crab -> Gromp -> Wolves -> Mid
This route is what I follow in the vast majority of my games. Exceptions occur during invades or if you start fighting for the Scuttle crab with the enemy jungler.
Note: when you're taking Raptors, position yourself as close to the wall as possible, that way you're collecting experience from minions dying under your tower.
After this point, everything depends on the state of the game and you have to decide where to go first. Make sure to gather enough gold to purchase the full jungle item before you recall for the first time so you get rid of the Monster Hunter* debuff as soon as possible.
*Monster Hunter reduces your minion gold income if you own an unupgraded jungle item and your gold from minions is higher than half your gold from monsters.
It's often useful to know if you're ahead of behind. I use a very easy method in the early game by looking at the time when I bought the full jungle item. If it's before blue buff spawns again, we're ahead. If I kill the blue buff and that gives me the last bit of gold for the item, we're doing alright. If not even gold from blue buff is enough for the item, we're behind.
Summoner spells
Kassadin: Smite is self explanatory. Flash is superior to any other summoner spell. Use flash aggressively, don't be afraid to trade flash for flash if that forces your enemy to leave lane and recall.
General Kassadin trick: you can start casting Riftwalk and flash while the animation is playing out, resulting in undodgable burst of damage.
Support: Smite is necessary for the extra jungle clear and sustain, in addition to securing drakes. Depending on the enemy team, I recommend Exhaust or Heal as the secondary spell. Take exhaust against bruisers and certain assassins (such as Talon or Katarina). Take heal against mages, marksmen and certain assassins ( Evelynn). Flash has too long of a cooldown and doesn't usually help Kassadin in any way so I don't recommend taking it. Whenever you're in doubt, take Exhaust, it's the better summoner 90% of the time.
Smite is self explanatory. Flash is superior to any other summoner spell. Use flash aggressively, don't be afraid to trade flash for flash if that forces your enemy to leave lane and recall.General Kassadin trick: you can start casting
Riftwalk and flash while the animation is playing out, resulting in undodgable burst of damage.Support:
Smite is necessary for the extra jungle clear and sustain, in addition to securing drakes. Depending on the enemy team, I recommend Exhaust or Heal as the secondary spell. Take exhaust against bruisers and certain assassins (such as Talon or Katarina). Take heal against mages, marksmen and certain assassins ( Evelynn). Flash has too long of a cooldown and doesn't usually help Kassadin in any way so I don't recommend taking it. Whenever you're in doubt, take Exhaust, it's the better summoner 90% of the time.
Comments to items
Kassadin: Buy Mejai's Soulstealer only if you have at least 6 stacks on Dark Seal already.
Your core build consists of 5 items. The 6th item is usually either Dark Seal or Mejai's Soulstealer. Even if you have 25 stacks on Mejai's Soulstealer, I recommend selling it for Void Staff if you don't need to counter specific champions.
Sometimes you need to get a defensive item in your 6th slot. Zhonya's Hourglass is good against some assassins (Zed). When playing against Malphite (especially full AP), buy Banshee's Veil even before buying Lich Bane.
Support: Kassadin's mobility is too high for you to be consistantly around him. That's why you should get Redemption, as you can use it to help him even from far away.
Kassadin doesn't synergise well with traditional offensive support items such as Zeke's Convergence or Ardent Censer. The only non-situational item that benefits Kassadin is Knight's Vow so that's why we build it second.
I don't recommend buying boots in the early game. Slightly magical boots already give you extra movement speed so you can invest your gold in more impactful items.
Kassadin & Taric: Always buy 2 pink wards if possible! Vision is especially important when you're funneling, because you can expect to get counter jungled.
Mejai's Soulstealer only if you have at least 6 stacks on Dark Seal already.Your core build consists of 5 items. The 6th item is usually either
Dark Seal or Mejai's Soulstealer. Even if you have 25 stacks on Mejai's Soulstealer, I recommend selling it for Void Staff if you don't need to counter specific champions.Sometimes you need to get a defensive item in your 6th slot.
Zhonya's Hourglass is good against some assassins (Zed). When playing against Malphite (especially full AP), buy Banshee's Veil even before buying Lich Bane.Support: Kassadin's mobility is too high for you to be consistantly around him. That's why you should get
Redemption, as you can use it to help him even from far away.Kassadin doesn't synergise well with traditional offensive support items such as
Zeke's Convergence or Ardent Censer. The only non-situational item that benefits Kassadin is Knight's Vow so that's why we build it second.I don't recommend buying boots in the early game. Slightly magical boots already give you extra movement speed so you can invest your gold in more impactful items.
Kassadin & Taric: Always buy 2 pink wards if possible! Vision is especially important when you're funneling, because you can expect to get counter jungled.
Ideal team composition
You might be wondering what other champs go well with Kassadin funnel.
Short answer - whatever is good in the early game.
Long answer - Kassadin has extremely strong late game. You shouldn't try to make the late game even stronger by picking late game champions. Why win more, when you can win just a bit (but still win). It's much wiser to take early game champions that make sure you actually get to the late game in the first place.
Do not take additional AP based champions (excluding support). Most of your team's damage will be coming from Kassadin so if the enemies want to stand a chance, they have to build magic resist anyway.
Tanky top laners are ideal because it's good to have some front line. It's not required but it helps a lot.
Bot lane consists of a standard adc and a support - I like playing with enchanters ( Soraka, Janna, Nami). They don't require an aggressive playstyle unlike Pyke or Leona and they have strong disengage abilities to survive ganks.
Short answer - whatever is good in the early game.
Long answer - Kassadin has extremely strong late game. You shouldn't try to make the late game even stronger by picking late game champions. Why win more, when you can win just a bit (but still win). It's much wiser to take early game champions that make sure you actually get to the late game in the first place.
Do not take additional AP based champions (excluding support). Most of your team's damage will be coming from Kassadin so if the enemies want to stand a chance, they have to build magic resist anyway.
Tanky top laners are ideal because it's good to have some front line. It's not required but it helps a lot.
Bot lane consists of a standard adc and a support - I like playing with enchanters (
Soraka, Janna, Nami). They don't require an aggressive playstyle unlike Pyke or Leona and they have strong disengage abilities to survive ganks.
Peacetoletov
Kassadin Guide
Challenger Kassadin gold funneling guide (9.24)
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