Author's Note: The guide will not receive any significant updates until season 11. Sorry!


So, before we jump in to the guide, why play Xayah? This birb lady has really solid CC with her Bladecaller's root. She also has good damage at any point of the game if you play her right. With her Featherstorm's added benefit of making Xayah untargetable, she has lots of survivability despite her being an ADC. Although she is a marksman, she will mostly rely on her abilities and empowered auto attacks rather than her unmodified ones. With her potential not being noticed as much as other champions, she won't be picked or banned as much in draft games. Xayah is also one of the best ADCs to use in duo games due to her insane synergy with her lover, Rakan. If you're looking for an ADC with a unique mechanic and an in-your-face playstyle, then Xayah The Rebel is for you!

"Let's cut 'em to ribbons!"

PROS + Good CC + Solid Damage If Played Right + Lots Of Survivability + Can Escape Most Assassins + Amazing Pushing Capabilities With Deadly Plumage + Great Waveclear + Amazing Duo Champ With Rakan + Has Best Boyfriend In The World

CONS - Featherstorm On A Lengthy Cooldown - No Direct Form Of Mobility - Relies On Empowered Basic Attacks - Hard To Chase Down Enemies - Lower Base Range Compared To Some ADCs - In-Your-Face Playstyle As An ADC - No Invictus Gaming Skin >:C

Xayah is easy to learn, but also rewarding to master. With a good kit, the only question now would be "what should I do with it?" Practicing positioning is also very important on Xayah due to the nature of her feathers. Learn how to kite with Xayah as well. Just like Kai'Sa, Xayah boasts an in-your-face playstyle and a mere 525 base range. Don't fret, as Xayah can save herself once per fight with her ultimate, Featherstorm. Utilize it well as it does have a lengthy cooldown. With a Rakan, pushing will be a breeze as Deadly Plumage grants amazing push power to both of you.

After casting an ability, Xayah's next 3 basic attacks strike all enemies along their path, dealing 100% damage to her main target and 30/40/50% pass-through damage to other enemies (at levels 1/7/13. At her maximum attack range, a Feather will be left in the ground for 6 seconds. Xayah can store up to 5 empowered attacks. Use these empowered attacks on priority targets. While CSing, look for opportunities where you can take out more than 1 minion with a single feather. Remember that the location that the feather drops is always fixed from the target's location. Choose your target wisely.

If either Xayah or Rakan is recalling, the other may move nearby and activate their own recall to join them. Both reach base at the time of which the initiator's recall ends. A really nifty ability in some situations. If your Rakan is initiating the recall, you can take some CS before leaving with him. If your Rakan is in trouble, tell him to reconvene with you while you start the recall ahead of time making for a clean escape.

After a brief wind-up, Xayah hurls two feather-blades in quick succession in the target direction, and leaving 2 Feathers on the ground at maximum range. The feather-blades deal 40/60/80/100/120 (+0.5 per bonus attack damage) physical damage to all enemies they pass through, reduced to 50% against units beyond the first. Always take note that this ability should be maxed last. Why? This is primarily used to get your passive running. The higher it's level is, the higher the cost. You'll need this ability a lot for the feathers, so keep the cost low.

Xayah surrounds herself with a storm of feather-blades for 4 seconds, granting her 35 /40/45/50/55% bonus attack speed, 20% increased damage on her attacks, and 30% bonus movement speed for 1.5 seconds whenever she attacks a champion. If Rakan is nearby, he will also gain Deadly Plumage. This is your best offense ability. Use this when you're fighting others, refrain from using it to CS. Use this when you attack objectives, they go down fast.

Xayah recalls all her Feathers, dealing 50/60/70/80/90 (+0.6 per bonus attack damage) physical damage to enemies they strike on their way toward her, increasing by 0.5% for every 1% of Xayah's Critical Strike Chance. Minions take 50% damage.Each Feather to strike a target deals 10% less damage than the last, with a minimum of 10% damage. Enemies struck by at least 3 Feathers are rooted for 1.25 seconds. What Xayah's known for. In the early game, it's recommended that this ability isn't used so liberally as you will in the late game. This is one of the only abilities to save you in the early game. Remember that flying feathers will still be recalled with this ability which can make lots of quick roots.

Xayah leaps into the air, becoming briefly untargetable but still able to move. After a short delay, she unleashes a volley of feather-blades forward in a cone, dealing 100 /150/200 (+1.0 per bonus attack damage) physical damage to all enemies struck and leaving a line of 5 Feathers at the end of Featherstorm's maximum range. Remember that while you're in the air, it is counted as invulnerability. With this, you can cancel other lethal abilities like Zed's Death Mark. Remember that you can Flash while in the air, letting for lots of offensive uses.

Essential, absolutely, no questions asked, all questions answered, yes, absolutely, take it.

Heal is a good summoner spell to take when your support decides to take something different. It isn't ideal if your team takes more than a single Heal as using it will give you a debuff that lessens the amount a summoner heal gives you for a period of time. Remember that this spell also gives a burst of movement speed, making it great in dire situations.

Barrier is just a free shield that could save you at times. Though remember heal would be better than this shield that disappears after some seconds. The only reason you take this over heal is if your support is taking a copy of Heal (when they shouldn't be). Why? This is because using 2 summoner heals in the same time period decreases the heal value of the second one.

LETHAL TEMPO + INSPIRATION

Lethal Tempo is a great keystone for Xayah because her feathers need to be set up as fast as possible. As an ADC this also lets you bring out those attacks faster. When paired with Deadly Plumage, she becomes a living machine gun! Overall a really great keystone.

Honestly just a good rune, on takedown you receive a bit of gold and restore some of your health that could save you from a DOT effect. It also supports Xayah's aggressive playstyle.

I personally take Legend: Bloodline over Legend: Alacrity because the keystone combined with the items already provide enough attack speed. If you're solid enough on the lifesteal stat with this rune, maybe you can take another item over Bloodthirster. Just do well in the game and you get free lifesteal, fair right?

Xayah's health pool is reasonably sized so I personally would take this over Cut Down, maybe against a tankier team I would choose Cut Down over Coup de Grace. As an ADC, I wouldn't recommend using Last Stand.

Since Xayah needs more than usual mana for an ADC. Biscuit Delivery doesn't give you a fixed amount of mana and health, it is based off of your missing amount so try and use these biscuits when you're low. I suggest you don't use two or more biscuits in a consecutive manner since it only starts calculating how much it would restore you for AFTER the effect of the previous biscuit.

Free boots later in the game with bonus movement speed and a cheaper completion price. Why not right? Although it gives you the disadvantage of getting boots somewhat late, by the time you do get it you should be able to instantly complete it. Due to Xayah's aggressive playstyle, you might be able to speed up the process with takedowns.

As setting up feathers may take a while, attack speed is a very crucial stat on Xayah. I recommend you buy Boots (or Dagger if you took Magical Footwear) and wait until you can get an Infinity Edge, as Xayah won't be able to utilize the attack speed if she doesn't have damage to begin with. I do recommend that you take Magical Footwear instead as it does let you take Dagger first, you most likely won't need the speed until after 10 minutes.

Sometimes, the enemy team might just have a little bit too much physical damage, this is how you cope. Although if you do take this, remember that you would need to make up for the attack speed lost with Berserker's Greaves.

So, that Lux, Vel'Koz, Neeko, Azir, or your boyfriend's thicc AP too much for you? Grab one of these nifty boots called Mercury's Treads! It gives you magic resistance as well as some tenacity. This is useful against teams that are full of AP. The tenacity is an added bonus on Xayah as she suffers a lot from things like stuns, roots, and silences. Though, just like the Ninja Tabi, make sure you make up for the loss attack speed that was supposed to come with Berserker's Greaves. In my opinion, if you're looking for the tenacity it would be better to take Mercurial Scimitar.

Not all ADCs may need this godscent of an item, but in my opinion, Xayah absolutely needs to get one. Her damage relies mostly on crits because of the way her feathers work. This also bolsters your damage greatly. Take this after Essence Reaver, or if your confident in yourself, first.

Xayah heavily relies on her abilities. As an ADC, she might not even get cooldown reduction from usual ADC items. To counter that, our lord and savior the Essence Reaver has come to our need. It gives you critical chance, a very important status on Xayah. It also gives you 20% cooldown reduction, a handful of attack damage, and a unique passive if you ever have mana problems. This is especially good because of Xayah's very lengthy cooldown on Featherstorm.

Another crucial item on Xayah as she just loves her crit chance. Xayah suffers alot from her lack in attack range compared to other ADCs (this range being 525). With Rapid Firecannon equipped, her range for an energized attack is massively extended to 675.

Let's be honest, champions who just stack armor are a pain (I'm looking at you Thresh.) Bring a Lord Dominik's Regards with you if the enemy team is taking a bunch of armor. Remember, armor and not health, but if the enemy just keeps healing over and over again, then take a...

Mortal Reminder! It is one of the only two items in the game that inflicts grevious wounds. It also has the added benefit of still having some armor penetration. This would be very useful against tanks with Warmog's Armor or against champions like Vladimir, Dr. Mundo, and Volibear. Maybe against teams with healing supports such as Soraka, Nami, or Sona. Though if you're just looking for the grevious wounds part of this item, you can hold off completing the item and just buy an Executioner's Calling first.

As an ADC, Bloodthirster is a very reliable lifesteal item for you. It provides a shield so long as you keep attacking and you're health is capped, and it gives off the most lifesteal as an item in the game sitting at 20%. Do remember that the item's shield is also base off of level AND decays after 25 seconds not in combat. I recommend this as a late game item, though depending on the situation, this may be taken mid game.

So remember how I said to take Lord Dominik's Regards for armor and not for health? Now you take THIS item to shred the enemy's massive health bar. Remember, I said massive health bar. This honestly won't do much against squishy targets, so consider taking this if the enemies have 2000+ health. This also gives you a bit of life steal and a unique active, that lets you steal an enemy champion's movement speed. It is good for either getting away, or chasing them down.

The Mercurial Scimitar's active effect is just like the Quicksilver Sash, and is an AMAZING item on Xayah as being hindered by crowd control is probably your worst nightmare while playing her. Take this if the enemy team has WAY too much crowd control and your support can't take a Mikael's Blessing, or they don't stay with you that much. This item also gives you a bit of lifesteal, and some magic resistance.

The Guardian Angel is an amazing item for really, really, really, fed AD users! It gives some armor and some attack damage, but that isn't what we buy the item for (well, most of us anyways). We buy it for it's very unique passive which works on a revive mechanism. If the passive is available, you revive with half of your health, and 30% of your mana after 4 seconds of stasis. Remember, stasis, so this does mean you have to sit still wherever you died for 4 agonizing seconds. This is why I recommend you only take it when you're really fed. Once you get up, you should be able to either get the waiting enemies off you, or even better, kill them! Consider your state of being during the mid game and onwards, since this shouldn't really be an early game item.
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EARLY GAME

Okay! You have the item build, ability sequence, and runeset! What now? First of all, who's your support? If it's Rakan, then you're in luck! Try to move with each other's pacing, this makes it easier with Lover's Leap. Now if it's a Rakan with voice communication, try and play more aggressive. These two birds can easily destroy objectives with the bonus effect of Deadly Plumage. Overall, Xayah is quite the oppressive and aggressive champion. Do remember that just because you're playing aggressively, doesn't mean you don't have to play smartly. Before going in for anything, think about the consequential outcome first. If you're pros way more to your cons, then go for it! Like always, watch out for ganks with wards. Also, do your support a favor and buy a Control Ward and use it. Trust me when I say two Control Wards put in a ton of work in vision. With the new addition of the alcoves, this could give you major outplay potential especially if you're support is Rakan. When engaging fights in the alcoves, use Rakan's Battle Dance to your advantage. Also use the fog of war to play around with your feather placements. Use the fact that they won't remember the feather's location and trajectory to your advantage, this could result in a surprise root! A general tip that you should be following throughout the entire game is to not use another ability when you have 3 feathers as much as possible. Xayah can only carry a maximum of 5 feathers at all times, going over the cap will render the overcapped feathers null.

MID GAME

At this point of the game, let's go through a checklist. Are you ahead, equal to, or below your opponent? If you're ahead use it to your advantage as any other champion would. Help your other teammates, secure objectives and all that. If you're on an equal standing, keep competing until you get ahead or below your opponent. If you're below your opponent, focus on farming and building up your items and level. That should be made easier because of Xayah's ludicrously good waveclear. Next, has the rift been changed yet? If not, get on that and kill the drake! If it has, into what element? If it turns into the Infernal Rift, this gives you more manueverability to play around your feathers. Something to note while doing this is that your feathers, once Bladecaller is pressed, they will ALWAYS find your way to you. Through walls, through displacements, through anything. If the enemy is positioned right, you can even throw your feathers through a wall behind them. Did it become the Mountainous Rift? Watch out for how you move through the jungle, it becomes more congested and restricts your vision. I suggest you avoid these parts of the map. Did it become the Oceanic Rift? Then more health for you (also the aesthetic is really good, personal fave)! Although you'll have to watch out for the extra brushes as these will greatly restrict your vision. As a squishy champion, you might want to be more cautious around them. If it's the Cloud Rift, you simply get more movement speed in certain areas of the map. Go through them if you want to make an escape. I would say that it would be technically pointless to chase enemies through them since you entered the area later than they did putting you even further behind their trail. Now let's put Rakan into the picture. Both of you can easily play around an unaware enemy in the windy zones. Now that it's mid game expect some tiny teamfights at times. Try to finish the game at this point since Xayah doesn't exactly scale well in to the late game.

LATE GAME

So the game hasn't ended yet, what now? At this point the objectives will be the biggest game changers. If you know the enemies can easily one-up you, never wander in the fog alone. Vision will be very important especially if you're playing in the Mountainous Rift. If you're with a Rakan, start sticking close. It's with both of you together where you'll reach full potential. Take a note of caution that this would also mean the enemy can take out 2/5 members of your team if you fail. Both of you together have amazing escape potential, especially you because of Featherstorm. Your ultimate can easily change the tides of battle because of the instant 5 feathers and the invulnerability. Use it to reposition during a teamfight and turn the tables. Due to your crazy push power, you should be focusing on taking down the remaining structures as fast as possible. This applies even more so to jungle objectives because of the added damage you could use against them with Bladecaller. If you're team is on the losing end, try and keep the enemy waves off as far as possible. This should be easy for you because of your waveclear. Don't forget to buy Elixir of Wraths!

TEAMFIGHTING

So you've got the general idea of how Xayah works, what now? Well you've got to know how teamfights work! With Rakan, you should have an easier time to disassemble the enemy team. Remember to work together as a duo especially during these kinds of fights. One very important note we'll have to take is proper targeting. Take out the enemies which you know you can easily kill. Examples could be feeding enemies, enchanter supports, and paper mages. Remember to leave out the tanks last, as they most likely can't escape once their team is gone. Now how exactly are you going to get to their priority targets without you yourself dying? Well for one if you have an assassin, they can jump in the back and attract the attention of the frontline. No assassins? Don't worry. If you know you can obliterate the priority target with a few seconds, jump in. Wait, you're an ADC! That's pretty reckless and stupid right? Not if you have your safety tool, Featherstorm. With your team, it should be easy to lockdown the target. If you have Rakan or a support like Nautilus or Thresh, you could have the ability to slip through enemy lines with safety. Now that was the aggressive style, what about being on the defensive?

Remember, one of Xayah's strong suits is her kiting ability. Kite them to death! When laying down feathers, keep an eye out for a Bladecaller opening if the backline decides to go past them. Watch out for important abilities coming at you, and dodge it with Featherstorm. It is advised to have vision in the back, so you can watch out for assassins coming to kill you. Also take note of this. I personally keep seeing this happen. Falling back is ALWAYS better than dying. If most of your team is dead, do NOT throw yourself into the enemy. Signal the survivors to retreat, and regroup.

And that's my guide on Xayah, The Rebel!
Now get out there and play her! Feedback about the guide is very much appreciated!

Good luck, Have fun, and I can't wait to see you on the rift!

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NOTE:
> Fan art seen in this guide does not belong to me