Kayle Receives Major Rework: A Guide to Surviving Lane Phase and Dominating the Game
Kayle, the divine aspect of justice in League of Legends, has recently undergone a significant rework. Despite her overall strength in various roles, the previous version of Kayle had a low playrate due to her unexpressive kit. She lacked a clear identity. However, her redesign has given her a much-needed personality boost.
Aside from new lore and visuals, Riot Games aimed to give Kayle a purpose within her abilities. They decided to transform her into a late-game powerhouse and a god-like champion. If you manage to survive until the 30-minute mark with Kayle, it’s as if she gains a new ability: Press any button to win.
The Price of Late Game Power
But getting to that late game can be quite challenging. There’s always a price to pay, and in Kayle’s case, it’s a brutal lane phase. This forces players to approach the champion differently right from level one. Many of her old runes and starting items have been replaced with survival tools to help her stay in the game.
Below, we’ll discuss everything you need to know to survive the lane phase and dominate the game as Kayle.
Healing, Healing, Healing
If you haven’t tried the new Kayle yet, be prepared for a tough time during the early levels. Depending on the matchup, she can be utterly useless in the lane phase.
The old Kayle was also weak early on, but with the Press the Attack keystone and her passive shred, she could still deal sustained ranged auto-attacks over time. She had the option of freezing lanes near her turret and safely farming from a distance.
However, the new Kayle’s range comes at a cost. Her E ability now only provides a single ranged basic attack. It’s still crucial to max this ability first. Her Q is now a skill shot with longer cooldown and higher mana cost, making it less effective for farming but more potent against champions.
Early on, focus on farming. You can trade with the enemy champion, especially if your passive is stacked from the minion wave. However, most of the time, freezing the lane for safe farming is the best strategy. Avoid attacking the enemy champion to minimize minion aggro. Additionally, purchasing a Corrupting Potion at level one provides extra sustain and protection against harassment in lane. Doran’s Ring and two potions may not be enough for Kayle, and she may need to restock on potions during her first few recalls.
Choosing the right runes is essential for sustain. Kleptomancy has proven to be incredibly effective for Kayle, providing sustain from pilfered potions, additional gold income to compensate for farming difficulties, and a chance at a free skill level. While the pilfered skill potions no longer grant evolutions, Kleptomancy remains the best keystone for her.
For the secondary tree, picking tanky options from the Resolve tree, such as Bone Plating, Second Wind, Overgrowth, or Revitalize, enhances Kayle’s survivability. Fleet Footwork, Grasp of the Undying, or Unsealed Spellbook are also viable keystone choices in specific matchups. More aggressive players can opt for Taste of Blood and Ravenous Hunter from the Domination tree for more on-hit healing.
During the first few levels, focus on freezing the lane, using E and Q selectively to proc Kleptomancy, last-hitting minions, and gaining experience to stay relevant in the game.
It Gets Better
Kayle truly begins to shine at level six when her passive comes into play. At level six, she unlocks her ultimate ability and gains AOE damage on her basic attacks. This provides a significant power spike, allowing for more trading options instead of just freezing the lane. However, her ultimate is primarily a defensive tool unless a gank opportunity arises since it prevents her from using basic attacks.
While itemizing, an early Dark Seal is an excellent choice due to its high resale value, AP and mana bonuses, and synergy with Corrupting Potion. The traditional items for Kayle, such as Berserker’s Greaves and Nashor’s Tooth, remain popular choices. However, they may not optimize her laning phase since they lack specific lane stats. If you choose to build Nashor’s Tooth and Guinsoo’s Rageblade, you must exercise patience.
Consider trying defensive boots like Ninja Tabi or Mercury’s Treads. Early options like Blade of the Ruined King or Hextech Gunblade provide valuable sustain, while Luden’s Echo offers mana regeneration. These items are more useful during the lane phase than Nashor’s Tooth. Aggressive players can explore other paths, such as Sheen into Trinity Force or Iceborn Gauntlet, while defensive players may prefer Zhonya’s into an AP build.
The Late Game Goddess
At level 11, Kayle truly becomes a force to be reckoned with. She gains a permanent range of 550 and, when her passive is fully stacked, an incredible amount of attack speed. However, it is essential to remain cautious, as her ultimate limits her from using basic attacks. You’ll often find yourself ulting a teammate who is on the frontline while you rain down AOE ranged attacks on the enemy.
For maximum DPS, you can consider building Nashor’s Tooth, Guinsoo’s Rageblade, and Rabadon’s Deathcap. At this point, Kayle can win most one-on-one fights and melt through teamfights. However, she is still vulnerable to champions who can quickly engage on her. Ramp up time is required for both Rageblade and her basic attacks, so going up against champions like Jax, Irelia, or Tryndamere while underpowered can result in an untimely demise.
Kayle excels as a split pusher during the late game. Take advantage of large minion waves and maintain vision control. Understanding how to play the map and move with the minions is crucial for mastering this champion. If you enjoy constant fighting, Kayle may not be the best choice for you.
By remaining patient, you’ll eventually reach level 16, which is when Kayle truly shines. Her basic attacks gain permanent AOE damage and deal true damage, rendering Conqueror unnecessary as she easily shreds through armor. Nevertheless, level 16 is not an automatic win condition as previously assumed. Kayle remains strong, but she heavily relies on her increased damage to compete with top-tier ADCs in the late game. It is the period between levels 11 and 16 where she truly stands out, so ensure that you seize the opportunity during this phase of the game.
Level 16 also opens up various itemization possibilities. Kayle retains both AD and AP ratios, making items like Hextech Gunblade very effective for her. Despite the changed interaction with her new E, Guinsoo’s Rageblade remains a strong choice and enhances on-hit effects from items like Gunblade and Blade of the Ruined King. Going for an AP-focused build with Luden’s Echo, Wit’s End, Rabadon’s Deathcap, Void Staff, or Zhonya’s provides the most burst damage. Starting with Blade of the Ruined King allows for AD-oriented builds, and there’s even an option to branch into the crit tree with Infinity Edge. The possibilities are endless at this stage.
Adapting to the new Kayle may take some time, especially when transitioning from ranged to melee playstyle for the first 11 levels. Learning this champion will be challenging for players in the coming weeks. However, considering how strong she becomes after level 16, it’s safe to say that she’s worth the effort.
This article is related to: Kayle, League of Legends, Champion Rework, Gaming