Hi everybody!
This is my second guide after long time, this time featuring Xin Zhao
In this guide i show you what runes,masteries and items i use for this champion. Its maybe not the best way to play him but it works fine.



Update: 23. November 2011

Pros

good initiator
high damage
usefully CC's

Three Talon Strike
Audacious Charge

Cons

without good
escape mechanism
little bit slow (speed)
not so burst damage like carries

- I prefer to take PRIMARY runes for most of the champs.

Greater Mark of Desolation Gives me a lot Armor Penetration for early and mid game.
Gives me Armor to be a little bit more tanky
Gives me Magic resistance for late game
Greater Quintessence of Desolation The same reason like the Marks.

You can also choose Greater Mark of Attack Speed and Greater Seal of Vitality like a alternative.

I use 21/9/0

Some resistance and health from defense tree.
From offense tree i take Attack,Armor Pene,And Attack speed.

Now we come to the item description.

I start with item cause it has a boost in health and regeneration, witch improves your passive for stay longer in the lane.

Classic boot that gives you moving and attack speed. If the enemy team has a lit of CC's you also can take Mercury's Treads

First important item, cause we don't have gigantic speed, we want to slow the enemies a little bit + it gives you HP and Damage.

This is my biggest favorite for Xin, it gives you a large damage boost,some attack speed and tons of armor penetration witch stacks very fast after using Three Talon Strike

The armor and critical bonus are good but not so important like the passive witch converts your HP to your Attack damage.

Now the time has come to have profite from the Atma's Impaler passive , we graph the Giant's Belt that boost HP and gives us a option to build a new item or boost an item that we almost have.

and since we have purchased the Giant's Belt ,we have a way to build one of this item, depending if you need more slow or more hp, choose what you want to build first.

Situational Items!!

I prefer to take it if the enemy team have a lot of CC's

Great Passive, also boost your magic resist and hp, take it if you have problems with mages.

Offensive Items



You can simply build up your Phage into this item. Its gives minor bonuses from every attack attribute you need: moving speed,health,attack and a great passive that allows more burst damage.



Another attack items for xin is bloodthirster that boost damage and gives some life steal. Important: That bonuses can be stacked by killing minions.But be carefully, because the stack are lost upon death.Exchange this item for your Atma's Impaler

After doing very well, earning some more money you even can sell your Doran's Shield and replace it with another
or .

Core Items






or

Xins passive, is an alternative vamp witch works also on turrets, is simple more hits = more life recovered.

after activating you land three fast strikes and knocks enemies in the air. I max this spell as last cause the base damage is low. Only the bonus dmg from your attack is good.

The passive increases your attack speed, upon activating the attack speed is doubled and cooldowns of other spells are decreased. Activate this spell before you rush someone.I max it second.

Range spell that helps initiating fights by charging you to the target, slowing and damaging him. I max it first to lower the cooldown.

Crescent is Xin ultimate.Its a AOE damage spell with very low cooldown. It deals massive damage + a portion of target health AND! gives a buff that increases armor and magic resistance.

After we have one from each spell we can do a great combo: activate Battle Cry and Three Talon Strike , after charge between your enemies with Audacious Charge and use Crescent Sweep to deal damage, and boost defense stats. After this combo continue to kill the weakest targets.

My reasons for taking this summoner spells are:

Is a nice spell for escaping and chasing, cause i dont build a Phantom Dancer i need this speed often.

Good for heavy slowing and lowering offensive attributes.

+ I need only 1 point in masteries to improve both spells.

Spells you may also take.

also nice for chasing but better in escaping across walls.

Spell for more offensive players, good for lower heavy life steal or regeneration and finishing .

As i told, is a guide after long time, if you see something that i forgot or anything , leave a comment, i will read the comments everyday to make it better. I hope it helps newbies but also more experienced players. Sorry for spelling ;-]

I Want to update the guide later with:

- jungling guide + routes
- teamwork for jungler and lane player.