This is an obviously off-meta guide. I hope to be updating it soon.

I'm a dude who plays every role, but I've played top the most, and Riven most of that. If you look at my stats, you'll see that I'm sitting around 60-70% WR as Xayah top in Bronze.

I'm publishing this as a partially complete guide to help you have some fun with my favorite pocket pick. I may never finish this, but I expect that I probably will. I just picked up Trundle, and he is similarly satisfying.

Welcome to 2021!

Combos

Short Trade Pre-3

Double Daggers+ AA the wave, line AAs up so your opponent takes the hit from Clean Cuts as your AA is flying, head to the nearest bush, or walk further back to drop minion aggro. If you manage aggro well in this phase, you can commonly cheese a kill @lvl 2.

Lvl 2 Cheese

DANGER: If you don't position well, you're basically dead meat. This commonly involves using Ghost to chase your opponent under tower and secure an early kill.

Short Trade vs Melee Bruiser (pre-6)

Double Daggers+ AA for Clean Cuts+ Activate Deadly Plumage before your AA lands on the primary target + Bladecaller then walk away

Long Trades

AA + Deadly Plumage before the AA lands + Double Daggers to cancel your AA animation (Don't AA cancel, just animation cancel + AA + kitestep + AA + kitestep (Repeat this until your feathers are about to dissipate) + Bladecaller + AA +kitestep + Double Daggers + AA (They are unrooted here, so make sure you're out of range or have an escape) then walk away.

Burst Combo:

AA + Deadly Plumage + Double Daggers + AA + Featherstorm + AA + Bladecaller + Galeforce + AA + AA

Panic Root (mid-to-late):

Double Daggers + Featherstorm + Ghost during your untargetability + Deadly Plumage during your untargetability + Bladecaller + AA (for the move speed from Deadly Plumage next, run away.

Panic Root (during lane):

Double Daggers + Deadly Plumage + AA + Bladecaller

Color coding:
These expose you to death if you position poorly or fail to keep vision. Don't mess up early or late with these.
These can make you vulnerable to things like Malphite or ranged assassins. Other ADCs shouldn't be able to kill you here unless bot giga-fed them.
Should be your safest option. Wait until they have burned their CC.
Generally used to ensure ganks fail and/or reverse ganks (read: 2v1)

When it comes to positioning, you need to take into account a few things:

What is their range to poke you?
What can they do to reposition you? (e.g. Morde pull)
How long can they CC you?
When did you last see their Jungler?
WHERE did you last see their Jungler?
Can you make yourself a target for their Jungler in order to free up bot prio?

Generally, you want to poke using only your Clean Cuts and Double Daggers.

This gives you a notable reach advantage over most champs. If they aren't sustain-oriented, you can abuse the hell out of this.


Sometimes, however, their ability to get onto you means they can't stick on you (Riven, Jax, etc.)

In these matches, be sure to utilize your Q, Clean Cuts, and Bladecaller to pump out as much damage onto them as possible without sacrificing CS. If you're underfed, you're going to be useless.

[Video to be uploaded later]

Early

So, you've spawned, purchased your Tear, and walked to lane. Your job begins before minions ever get to lane. If you're facing off against Kayn, you need to place a pink ward in your tri-bush or in the top corner of your nearest Jg wall from your tower.

You'll generally want to place a ward for your Jg on the way to lane
[Video to be uploaded later]

Now that you can see what's actually going on, you can look to start stabbing your laner. If you're lucky and they have the cojones to walk up to you at level one, simply kite them with your AA and Double Daggers.

If you hit level 2 first (which you most likely will,) then you can use the Level 2 Cheese combo to secure a free kill. This normally entails popping ghost to keep them in range until they die. This will expose you to ganks. Don't do this if you can't safely capitalize on the lead you get here.

Once you hit level 3, you should be basically unkillable. You have three pokes, one consistent form of CC, and enough mana sustain to make their eyes bleed. Take short trades here to whittle them down and then you can shred most opponents as soon as they hit 50-60% HP.

Some exceptions do exist, like Shen. These exceptions have a way of preventing you from landing at least three autos or a way to sustain the abuse and make it to base alive. [More to be added later]


Once you hit level 6, you win. Period. If you didn't feed or lose all of your CS, you now win—provided you have decent reaction time. You just became unkillable. Your Ghost is now off of CD, you still have Flash, and you now have a way to become untargetable WHILE pumping out damage AND prepping your root for an easy kill.



Mid
So, you've finished Muramasa, purchased Sheen, and it's only 12 mins in? perfect. Read this section!



So, you've finished the components for Muramana and bought boots? Read this section!



So, you've been dumpstered and need to make a comeback without any help from your team? Read this section!



Late
Thre items down and you're starting to really feel unkillable. Sion or Nunu ulted? No biggie. Just wait until the time is right, pop Featherstorm and watch their ults disappear.

Meanwhile, you can crit for around 500 and your Bladecaller has become the extractor of tears.



Muramana, Essence Reaver, and whatever situational item 3 you picked up should be in your inventory. Between the 176 (ish) damage per spellblade and the extra mana regen, you're able to wear down even the tankiest of opponents.

End