First of all I'd like to say

;

i never played Xin Zhao before the Mid-July rework, he is a glass-cannon meaning high damage output but very very squishy, and this is a guide that solemnly works for me! also this is my first guide i made for MobaFire , have mercy on me :( <3

Hello! welcome to my Xin Zhao guide You dont need to follow this guide exactly but you can change it to whatever works for you more or adapt to the game situation, my item build is just a guideline for you to work with PLEASE LOOK AT THE ITEM NOTES

I PLAY XIN SOLO TOP!

I go for 21/9/0 masteries usually because i try to inflict massive damage in burst early game (Laning Phase) This is why I also have 9 Greater Marks of Alacrity and 3 Greater Quints of Alacrity, this helps hitting that three-talon strike and knocking the enemy airbourne xD

I take 9 Greater Glyphs of Shielding because it helps to sustain you in battle

and finally I take 9 Greater Seals of Clarity because is spam Q and W non stop fighting minions and this helps when i decide to go for a gank

Pros

Great DPS
Amazing assassin
Anti-Carry
EASY TO MASTER!
Can beat almost any champion 1v1 with full build
His /dance is awesome
Extremely fun to play

Cons

Highly targeted, especially if fed
VERY squishy (easily ganked)
Not a lot of armour or health
VERY squishy
Needs a good tank or support for easy laning or just a good player in general
VERY squishy
Challenge can be annoying when you use your ultimate to try save yourself with no minions around

Have you ever been playing against an enemy Xin Zhao and been ganked before you even have time to even react? or have you been playing as Xin and wanted to know how this is done?

WELL HERE IS HOW IT'S DONE xD

Good combos i like to use with xin is;

Combo 1: E into an enemy champion, activate Q and E at the same time, attack 3 times and then keep auto attacking to gank or run if I know I cant do it, this is what i use to harras in burst damage during laning.

Combo 2:When there is a team fight AIM FOR THE HIGHEST DAMAGE OUTPUT CHAMPION! Use E->Q->W wait 2 seconds then R

Combo 3:This isn't much of a combo but it really works. When you are solo top 1v2 on blind pick and you are pushed to your tower, use E on a minion BEHINDthe more squishy enemy champion press R to knock the champion towards your tower, use flash or exhaust and try chase him.

Combo 3: if an enemy foolishly attacks you Mid/Late game activate Q and W, no doubt the enemy will run as you will do too much damage, this is where you will use E to catch up and slow your assailant, if you can't gank before the slow runs out and the enemy is faster but on less than quarter health, use flash and hit R, it's a guaranteed gank

Life Savers:

when on low health and an enemy campions or champions are chasing you, you have a few options here

With your life steal you can hit minions/jungle creeps while running

hit R when trying to recal when an enemy is coming close

when your team has lost a team fight and you're going to try escape before you get aced, hit R to knock back all enemy champions (except the challenged one, this is why challenge gets annoying) and either E to the furthest away minion or creep you can target and run, or E the challenged enemy, flash away then keep running until you are safe, no doubt the enemy can't chase you late game

CHALLENGE (passive) Challenge is so useful with Cresent sweep, it gives you a chance to 1v1 an enemy champion for a few seconds. when you auto attack or charge, you challenge an enemy (only one target at a time and can be used on minions)

THREE TALON STRIKE (Q)-

Your gank getter. this skill is probably xins best skill for early farming, you can ensure last hits with this if you aren't very good at last hitting xD for ganking, on you're third hit you knock the enemy airbourne

BATTLE CRY (W)-

battle cry has to be taken early, every 3 hits gives you HP because of it's passive, when activated you gain a decent DPS boost, this helps with getting your third hit with THREE TALON STRIKE

AUDACIOUS CHARGE(E)-

I use this to initiate a 1v1 or in team fights i start chasing the fleeing enemy champions because it slows them down by %25 at level 1, this doesn't need maxed until level 18!

CRESCENT SWEEP (R)-

crescent sweep is great for ensureing a gank, escapeing, helping teamates focus a target and MEGA FARM AT LEVEL 3 (look below)

Use talon strike to ensure last hits and battle cry to kill enemy minions quicker than your minions can last hit

try farm non-stop with xin, if you cant get a chance to farm, go kill the wraiths or wolves in the jungle (pick the closest), return to lane and repeat. ONLY DO THIS IF YOU ARE SKILLED!

when you get the bloodthirster run into the middle of lots of minions (10 or more) and use crescent sweep, thats an instant 300+ gold if it's maxed!

My build is purely only helpful for me, it may or it may not work for you

when you get phantom dancer and then the bloodthirster, it is you're choice to take either a second PD or BT

On both builds, the last 4 items are optional but you need to pick one of them, frozen heart and GA is your only armour boosts there and force of nature has Magic Resist if you're against more AP

Xin overall is a great champion, you dont even need runes for him to be good or be good with him :D
Apparently you cant jungle with him anymore but his laning is phenomenal anyway, he now a fully fledged solo top xD
I also want to point out that Xin Zhao has alot of refrences and stuff from Zhao Yun from the Dynasty Warriors series T_T