Ever since her release in March 2018, Kai’Sa has been a popular pick for the bot lane in League of Legends. She offers a decent learning curve and has the potential for high mechanical outplays and massive damage in the late game.
Like most AD carries, Kai’Sa scales incredibly well as the game progresses. Her kit and itemization allow her to deal both true and magic damage, making her a versatile threat. With the right runes and trading patterns, her early game isn’t as weak as one might expect.
Although Kai’Sa can be built as an AP carry, it’s more common to play her as a physical damage-dealing bot laner. Recent nerfs to her AP ratio have made her AP builds less strong, but her mid lane and off-meta builds still have viability.
For those who prefer a traditional AD build for Kai’Sa, here is the best build:
Best Runes for Kai’Sa in League
– Hail of Blades: This rune enhances Kai’Sa’s early burst damage and makes it easier to proc her passive and finish off enemies in early skirmishes.
– Taste of Blood: This rune provides sustain by healing Kai’Sa every skirmish and trade in lane.
– Eyeball Collection: This rune is better than the other choices in the row for an AD carry.
– Treasure Hunter: This rune provides gold and allows Kai’Sa to accelerate her mixed damage throughout the game.
Inspiration
– Magical Footwear: This rune gives Kai’Sa bonus movement speed for free, allowing for easier chasing and item power spikes.
– Biscuit Delivery: This rune provides sustain in lane, making it difficult for opponents to take Kai’Sa out of the lane.
Bonuses: +10% Attack Speed, +9 Adaptive Force, +6 Armor
Best Items for Kai’Sa in League
Starting items: Doran’s Blade + Health Potion
Doran’s Blade is an underrated early game item that provides omnivamp, allowing for health return based on Kai’Sa’s high damage output.
Core items: Kraken Slayer, Berserker’s Greaves, Phantom Dancer
Kraken Slayer is the recommended Mythic purchase for Kai’Sa. It synergizes well with Hail of Blades and Phantom Dancer, providing a lot of value and scaling. Collector can also be a good choice for the early game lethality.
Lategame options:
Infinity Edge should be high on the priority list for midgame items, as it provides a massive powerspike for any AD carry. Guardian Angel can provide extra durability and a second chance in fights.
Depending on the enemy composition, consider Lord Dominik’s Regards for armor shred or Maw of Malmortius for extra magic resistance and survivability.
If fights are drawn out and scattered, Bloodthirster is a valid consideration for a sixth item.