Hi guys! I'm Despecrados, and this is my first guide on Mobafire.

Each time I purchased a new champ, I went here to see how it was played, so I decided to send back some of my (little) knowledge of LoL and of the champs I play the better.

Kennen was my first choice, because, even if Blitzcrank has been my main for a long time (i'll make another guide for him as soon as I'll have time), she's the carry ap I enjoy playing the most. As you all probably know, well played, she is a wonderful team destroyer, probably one of the best of the game. This build is for mid and eventually for solo top (tried sometimes, it can be good if you are not against an Irelia or a Renekton, or some other strong solo top).

A lil' precision, I'm french, so maybe this guide will have some english mistakes. (Don't downvote 'cause I'm french, I know some french players are just a pain, but me and my buddies are not, I can assure you!) :)

We'll see pros and cons about Kennen first, then I'm going to explain why I chose those runes, masteries, summoner spells, and items. Finally, I'll try to explain how to play her from the beginning to the end of a game. This is an unpretentious guide, comments and questions are welcome to develop it.

Pros :

-Destructive ulti and spells to target all the team ;
-Great escape with Lightning Rush ;
-Good range to play safe, with Thundering Shuriken ;
-Nice heal with spell vamp ;
-Good initiator.


Cons :

-Requires some skill for Thundering Shuriken, and for Zhonya's Hourglass (my build is based on it) ;
-Easily focused (but you can turn it into a advantage with Zhonya's Hourglass)
-Ability that cost a lot of energy (especially Lightning Rush).

Runes :
Well, let's start with a lil' explanation on my runes and masteries. I explain both at the same time 'cause they are connected, I'll tell you why.

I'm gonna skip Greater Mark of Magic Penetration, 'cause most of you will agree that there are the only marks that are good on a carry ap.

Why Greater Quintessence of Ability Power?
Simple, to have a minimum ap at the beginning.

Why Greater Glyph of Scaling Ability Power?
With masteries in 21/9/0, it will give you a significative progression of ap until lvl 18, and even if you'll do a little less damage in the first levels, as soon as you'll be lvl 6 or 7, you will damage badly your opponent.

Why Greater Seal of Vitality?
Same as glyphes, when combined with your defense masteries, you'll get almost 300 hp by the level 18, and by level 5 or 6, you'll be strong enough to avoid death.

Masteries
Masteries are most offensive because it gives you a lot ability power, and a little defensive, not to be squishy in early game. I'm sure you'll understand it, but let me explain just one thing : I rather take Demolitionist than max Havoc because pushing tower is not always easy with Kennen and other ap carries.

If you're planing to play solo top, just max Hardiness instead of Resistance . This is the only change I would make.

To me, you can have different summoner spells on Kennen, but a must have is Flash. It allows you to escape some hard situations, and you'll be able to surprise your mid opponent and later all the team, by Flash/ Lightning Rush/ Slicing Maelstrom/ Electrical Surge, and blast them all.

Why Exhaust?
It's to stop your opponent escape and to lower is magic resist to kill him more easily while ganked. Ignite is fine, but it won't stop him from escaping.

Alternative spells :
- Ignite : a little boost to your damage is always good, and moreover, it gives you a bit more of AP, but I only take it when there are no partners which take it. I prefer control and lowering magic resistance with Exhaust ;
- Ghost : a good weapon for you to be a more efficient initiator, but I don't take it because you're already able to pass through creeps with Lightning Rush ;
- Teleport : good idea for helping the other lanes, defend a tower or come back quicly to your lane ;
- Cleanse : I think that's a good idea, but I confess I never mastered that spell... :p

What I advise against :
- Clarity : do I need to say why?
- Promote : seriously, is there anybody playing with that?
- Revive : I hope for you that you don't need it...
- Clairvoyance : that's not your job ;
- Surge : well, maybe this one COULD be good, but I never play with it (I don't play champs on which it could be great), and attack speed seems a little useless.
- Heal : It can be good in early game, but Kennen will heal by spell vamp, so...

I know some of Kennen players rather Electrical Surge than Thundering Shuriken. Maybe it's a good idea, to harras a lot your opponent easily, but I prefer to up first Thundering Shuriken for two reasons : first, it make farming easier (if you spam your shuriken, you will not push your lane and make ganks easier for you and your jungler, and you'll have every creep one by one with some last hits); but the second reason, and the most important to me, is that you'll heal a lot more than with Electrical Surge when you'll have your Hextech Revolver, because Thundering Shuriken is a single target spell.

For the rest, well, Slicing Maelstrom at the level 6, 11 and 16, of course, and maximise Lightning Rush at the end, 'cause this ability just give you escape and engage at the beginning, it's too dangerous to harras with it.

Last thing, I take Shuriken Lvl 1 and 3. If you have a Shaco or a Twitch jungle, take it lvl 1 and lvl 4, after you got lightning rage, 'cause it is a great escape.

A lot of Kennen players consider Rylai's Crystal Scepter to be a must have. Well, I'm not. Sometimes I take it, but it is at the end, in the last item slot.

First : Spell Vamp for survability
I go first for spell vamp with Hextech Revolver, and Sorcerer's Shoes, and therefore I'm able to stay more in lane, by spamming Thundering Shuriken.

Second : Initiator item
My favorite item is Zhonya's Hourglass on Kennen, so I buy it just after Hextech Revolver, or after Will of the Ancients, depending on the gold I have when I back or die. Zhonya's Hourglass is just the item that make Kennen so op. You can Flash/ Lightning Rush/ Slicing Maelstrom/ Electrical Surge/ Thundering Shuriken under a tower in team fight, smash all the carry, let the other mid life, activate Zhonya's Hourglass when you're low, and let your team finish the job, which is sometimes almost totally done.

Third : AP, more AP and Magic pen
Then I go for Rabadon's Deathcap and Void's Staff to maximize your damage. By now, you could have a pentakill. :)

Last slot : whatever you think might be good
The last item slot, I usually take an Abyssal Mask, to have more magic resist, and to lower the ennemies' one. But, I think Rylai's Crystal Scepter here is ok, or Guardian Angel, or whatever you think it's good, depending on your opponent team. In any case, you are already 600 or 700 ap, with 50% magic pen, and you can do well.

When everything's done...
When I got all my stuff, and I have gold enough, I change my boots for Mercury's Thread, and go for Elixir of Brillance, Elixir of Fortitude, and Elixir of Agility in that order. Oracle's Elixir is not a priority there, but if there is a Shaco, a Twitch, or an Evelynn, don't hesitate to buy it.

Do I need to say that creeping is more important than harrassing?

If you have a good jungler, you will be able to take your opponent even if he is full life, by stunning him, beginning with Lightning Rush, and after your Electrical Surge and his passive, or your Thundering Shuriken. If you have Slicing Maelstrom, don't hesitate to activate it to get the kill. With all that, you can stun 2 times.

So don't miss one creep, try to harras sometimes eventually, and be reactive when your jungler comes.

In case you're dominating :
It often goes like that if you have creeped well, if your jungler and you made the other mid champ weak. If it's like that, stay in the creep melee, and make your opponent go back by harrassing him with Thundering Shuriken and with Electrical Surge. You'll still be able to flee fast if you're ganked with Lightning Rush. If the jungler is a little squishy, flee a little harrassing him with Thundering Shuriken and with Electrical Surge, Flash and declenche your Slicing Maelstrom to have both kills, or at least one. Especially if you already have your Zhonya's Timeglasse.

In case you're being dominated :
The most painfull champ against Kennen to me are LeBlanc, Brand and Xerath, because if they take advantage on you, you won't have enough range to creep well staying safe. Moreover, they have a stun.
In that case, you'll need to be gank as soon as possible.
To wait the gank, try to creep a minimum with Thundering Shuriken not to let him get stronger, and when your jungler is getting close, start to mark him with your Mark of the Storm, by anyway. As soon as you're jungler is here, rush to your opponent to stun him. If the gank fail and your opponent does not go back, restart it in the minute, if he goes back, push and don't miss one creep before backing also.
You also can fake a back, and goes by the river with your jungler to surprise the mid.

You're an initiator!
In team Fights, as I said before, if your team does not have a good initiator, such as Amumu, Wukong, Alistar, Blitzcrank ;) or another, you could be an efficient one, especially after you get Zhonya's Timeglass.

Use of your ulti :
Once you get your Slicing Maelstrom, if you kill your opponent whitout it, go to bot lane or to top lane, in case the solo top is dominated, to help your partners taking advantage of their lane.
When you're in team, even if it's 4v5, you can force teamfights at the Nashor or the Dragon : you know the enemy team is near and is waiting yours to engage, well, engage! As soon as they arrive, initiate the team fight by the same method always. 3/4/5 kills + Nashor/Dragon... Free.

Warding :
You can take some wards to see the way out in red jungle, or the bush of your opponents' blue buff. It will help the support and the jungler in their warding job, and you'll be able to see things coming to flee or to trap the enemy team.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NoBFhdeR9PE

If you read that, I suppose you've read the rest, so I must thank you for your patience. Maybe it's not very well explained sometimes, my english is what it is... :)

Anyway, don't be shy to downvote, to upvote, to comment, to explain your point of vue, or to correct my english! :)

HF!