Kai’Sa Wild Rift Build & Guide
Recommended Builds
Claimed by the Void when she was only a child, her experiences have made her a deadly hunter and, to some, the harbinger of a future they would rather not live to see. Kai’Sa is an unconventional Marksman who evolves depending on the items she buys. She is a backline champion who can suddenly appear behind enemies who are left alone and suddenly be devoured by the Void who is Kai’Sa.
Kai'sa Wild Rift Build Recommendation
Here are Item Build Recommendations that works on this champion and which are the best build for Kai'sa Wild Rift in this patch.
Physical Voidborne
This is the standard build for Kai’Sa which focuses on AD type items. There is a definite pattern to efficiently upgrade Kai’Sa’s Q, Icathian Rain and E, Supercharge as fast as possible. It goes like this.
- First upgrade – 1st, Icathian Rain at 4:00 minutes into the game (assuming almost perfect last hits).
B.F. Sword >
Vampiric Scepter >
Long Sword
- Second upgrade – 3rd, Supercharge (you should buy boots in between if you don’t have enough gold to push through with the upgrade.)
Blade of the Ruined King >
Recurve Bow
Blade of the Ruined King – A balanced item that provides attack damage, attack speed, slow, and physical vamp all are stats that help Kai’Sa. Furthermore, this item deals HP%-based damage that synergizes well with your passive, Caustic Wounds.
Gluttonous Greaves – Provides omnivamp which is perfect for your hybrid damage nature. It is recommended to upgrade with either the Stasis Enchant or Quicksilver Enchant depending if the threat is burst damage or crowd control, respectively.
Buy Stinger to Evolve Kai Sa’s E, Supercharge, which will provide a getaway for Kai Sa whenever she wants to evade or grant a chance to perform outplays. Further more finish the item into
Solari Chargeblade to gain that extra Crit Power,
Infinity Edge – The icing on your AD cake. This item spikes up your damage output because of its passive, Infinity, which increases critical strike damage output.
Mortal Reminder will literally remind the tanks that Kai Sa fears no one. Her attacks will deal so much damage that she will melt tanks in no time and assert her dominance.
Guardian Angel – Decreases the risk of dying when you use your Killer Instinct to burst down the enemy’s backline. With the amount of outplays Kai’sa has, a second life is straight-up demoralizing for the enemy team.
Magical Voidborne
This item build is the AP type Kai’Sa. This is as viable as the AD type Kai’Sa but it shines when you are the only champion in your team which is capable of dealing AP type damage.
Nashor’s Tooth – Grants the Bite passive which imbues your basic attack with magic damage. You already do this with your innate so you deal twice as much AP damage per auto attack with this item. This item also grants a substantial amount of attack speed which is just perfect for Kai’Sa.
Rabadon’s Deathcap – This is the AP version of Infinity Edge which grants a huge spike in your damage output in terms of AP. Expect to shred down your enemies after obtaining this one.
Hextech Gunblade – You can substitute this item for Guardian Angel or Rabadon’s Deathcap and buy this earlier if you want to upgrade your Icathian rain still. Buying this item will allow you to upgrade all three upgrades. Plus, the omnivamp helps with Kai’Sa tremendously.
Runes for Kai'sa in Wild Rift
- Conqueror – Increase your damage as the fight goes on with this rune. Kai’Sa stacks up this rune fast because of her attack speed and area affecting attacks.
- Gathering Storm – Increase your damage as time passes by.
- Adaptive Carapace – Grants a small HP bonus and if you reach 50% HP, you will have a bonus adaptive resistance depending on the type damage you have taken the most in the past minute.
- Sweet Tooth – This rune is overpowered on ADCs because of the additional gold each fruit provides. This helps you gain more gold faster. The increased healing is just a bonus.
Spells
Heal is the perfect summoner spell for Marksmen because it heals not only you but your support as well. Plus, it has a movement speed bonus which could possibly mean the life or death of you.
Flash is necessary for Kai’Sa since she is relatively immobile, considering that her only blink/dash type spell can only be used offensively and the ability which increases her movement speed only last for a very short while.
Skill Order
Kai’Sa prioritizes her 1st, Icathian Rain because it is her main source of damage. The next ability to be maxed is 3rd, Supercharged as fights and objectives start to happen in the mid game and 2nd, Void Seeker is maxed last as it serves its utility well enough with just one point in it. Put a point in Killer Instinct whenever possible.
Abilities
Living Weapon: Kai’sa’s abilities evolved based upon the permanent stats she gains from Items and Levels.
Caustic Wounds: Kaisa’s attacks and allies immobilizing effects stack Plasma for 4 seconds and deal 5 bonus magic damage (5 + 15% AP). Plasma detonates at 5 stacks, dealing bonus magic damage equal to 15% (15% + 0.025% AP) of their missing Health.
Plasma detonations deal a max of 400 damage to monsters.
Launches 6 missiles that split evenly among nearby enemies, each dealing 50 physical damage (50 + 35% bonus AD + 25% AP). Additional hits on champions or monsters deal 25% damage.
Living Weapon: 70 Attack Damage (current: 0) – Fires 12 missiles.
Minions below 35% Health take 200% damage.
Fires a blast that reveals the first enemy hit, adds 2 Plasma stacks, and deals 106 magic damage (30 + 130% AD + 70% AP).
Living Weapon: 80 Ability Power (current: 0) – Adds 3 stacks and refunds 70% Cooldown on champion hits.
Charges up for 1 second(s), gaining 60% Movement Speed (60% + 100% Attack Speed). For 4 seconds after charging, gain 45% Attack Speed.
Living Weapon: 65% Attack Speed (current: 0) – Grants invisibility during the charge up.
Attacks reduce Supercharge’s Cooldown by 0.5 seconds.
Charge time and Movement Speed scale with Attack Speed.
Dash to a location near an enemy champion marked by Plasma, gaining a shield that absorbs 133 damage (75 + 100% AD + 75% AP) for 2 seconds.
Abilities Analysis
Innate: Second Skin
Kai’Sa has two passive components to Second Skin. The first one is Living Skin which allows her to upgrade her passive depending on the items she builds. This allows her to play both an AD or AP style reliably. Both build paths are viable and what’s more effective will depend on the matchup, your own draft, and the items that your opponents buy.
The second passive component is Caustic Wounds which marks enemies and deals execution damage on the 5th mark. Execution damage means that the damage an enemy receives becomes stronger the lower an enemy’s HP becomes. This effect transfers to all Runaan’s Hurricane attacks, making it an excellent item on her.
Q | 1st: Icathian Rain
Icathian Rain launches missiles that spread evenly around its AoE. This skill is what makes Kai’Sa deadly against isolated opponents.
Icathian Rain is great for wave clear but reduce the HP of minions first so you can be sure that you will be the one to get the last hits.
Icathian Rain upgrades upon stacking 70 bonus AD. The most efficient way to stack AD on Kai’Sa is discussed in the item build section.
Once upgraded, Icathian Rain double the number of missiles unleashed.
W | 2nd: Void Seeker
Void Seeker is a long range skill that you will use in two ways. And no, it is not useful for poking enemies.
The first use is to increase the pace at which you stack your marks. Hitting enemies with Void Seeker adds 2 stacks, 3 if upgraded. Using this ability in between your attacks will surprise your opponents with the increased DPS. Mastering this is especially important if you are inclined to playing AP type Kai’Sa because her stacks scale with her AP.
The second use is to mark enemies from far away so you can use your ultimate on them. This is useful on mid to late game clashes because the moment you hit them with Void Seeker, the backline opens up for you. When the enemy team committed their abilities already or are in the middle of all-ins, it will be the perfect time to use Killer Instinct and kill them one by one from behind.
Void Seeker is upgraded once Kai’Sa stacks 80 AP. The current meta build does not upgrade Void Seeker but you can upgrade it by using the hybrid mage build.
E | 3rd: Supercharge
Supercharge is a form of steroid skill that increases Kai’Sa’s attack speed and adds some mobility as well. The catch here is that you cannot attack while casting the skill.
Use it when you are sure that you are going for an all in and when upgraded, it turns Kai’Sa invisible and you can now use it to throw off your opponents. Move in one direction then change your path while invisible to confuse your enemies.
You can cast 1st, Icathian Rain while charging.
Kai’Sa’s auto attacks reduced the cooldown of Supercharge.
Supercharge is upgraded upon reaching 65% bonus attack speed. The most efficient way to stack this amount of bonus attack speed is discussed in the item build section.
R | Ultimate: Killer Instinct
Killer Instinct is your main outplay tool. It allows you to jump over long distances and gain a shield while at it.
The main use of Killer Instinct is to jump backliners after marking them with Void Seeker to assassinate them. Do not do this early in the clash because that will result in your death nine times out of ten. Use if after the enemy team burns out their abilities. In the meantime, free hit their front liners who are trying to breakthrough.
You can also use Killer Instinct to avoid enemy skill shots, especially strong crowd controls. Or you can use it simply to gain a shield while dueling with an enemy.
Do not blindly click Killer Instinct. If a bush is near an enemy, cast this ability there so you’ll have an additional moment to surprise and outplay your enemy. Follow up with 3rd, Supercharge after a few hits to further frustrate the enemy team.
Combos:
Trade combo: 3rd + 1st + Auto attack + 2nd + Auto attack
Long range All-in combo: 2nd + Ult + Auto attack + 3rd + 1st + Auto attack
Short range All-in combo: 3rd + 1st + Auto attack + 2nd + Auto attack + Ult + Auto Attack + 1st
Kai'sa Early Game Guide
In the early game, play it safe and only last hit whenever you are safe from being poked and all-in’d. You can use 1st, Icathian Rain and 2nd, Void Seeker to secure last hits.
If your enemy has strong poke abilities, save your 3rd, Supercharged for the bonus movement speed when activated to aid you in avoiding those skill shots.
It is crucial to secure as many last hits as possible because it is possible to upgrade your 1st, Icathian Rain by buying B.F. Sword >
Vampiric Scepter >
Long Sword at exactly the first drake spawn at 4 minutes.
In the whole early game, you can take an aggressive stance if there is an opportunity to stack up your passive, Caustic Wounds on your enemies.
Kai'sa Late Game Guide
Kai’Sa has great dueling potential thanks to her strong isolated damage from her upgraded 1st, Icathian Rain, invisibility from 3rd, Supercharge, and from the targeted blink from your ultimate, Killer Instinct.
Even so, it is best to use her outplay tools defensively so she can destroy her enemies one by one.
Synergies
Sona is a great babysitter champion in the lane which augments Kai’Sa’s subpar early game and she has strong team fight presence which Kai’Sa needs in order to sneak in the backline to finish off the opposing team.
Leona’s aggressive playstyle can turn Kai’Sa’s subpar early game into an oppressive one thanks to her engage capability and her ability to extend fights so Kai’Sa can stack up her passive, Caustic Wounds.
All Kai'sa Wild Rift Counter Champions
Jinx has a longer range than Kai’Sa which allows her to control her lane better. In the late game, when she has her Get Excited! activated, Kai’Sa is outmatched in terms of DPS.
Ezreal is a safe pick against Kai’Sa since he outranges her through his pokes and mobility. If he can land all his abilities in quick succession, he will be able to burst Kai’Sa down before she can even start to stack up her passive on him.
Pros & Cons About Kai'sa
Here are some pros and cons if you are playing with Kai'sa in Wild Rift.
Pros
- Kai’Sa has great carry potential which can fit most team composition because of her hybrid and flexible nature of being able to choose between AD and AP builds.
- She has high burst damage in duels and capable of dealing with tanks and fighters quickly.
- Great initiation and backline diving ability with Killer Instinct.
Cons
- Kai’Sa has subpar laning phase because of her below average attack range and weak waveclear from Icathian Rain.
- Killer Instinct is a rather risky ability which can result in the early death of Kai’Sa in the hands of an inexperienced player.
FAQ's About Kai'sa in Wild Rift
How good is Kai'Sa in Wild Rift?
Kai’Sa is a (Tier S+). She is an independent ADC who can tear down tanks thanks to her passive and she has a lot of defensive outplay tools that can help her fight against assassins.
What role / lane should I play with Kai'Sa in Wild Rift?
Kai’Sa is a marksman played in the Dragon lane. She is an ADC whose strength lies in her upgrades and her ability to position herself against isolated and low HP targets.
What abilities do I level up with Kai'Sa?
Kai’Sa prioritizes her 1st, Icathian Rain because it is her main source of damage. The next ability to be maxed is 3rd, Supercharged as fights and objectives start to happen in the mid game, and 2nd, Void Seeker is maxed last as it serves its utility well enough with just one point in it.
What items should I build with Kai'Sa?
Here is the definite pattern to efficiently upgrade Kai’Sa’s 1st, Icathian Rain and 3rd, Supercharge as fast as possible. It goes like this.
First upgrade – 1st, Icathian Rain at 4:00 minutes into the game (assuming almost perfect last hits).
-
B.F. Sword >
Vampiric Scepter >
Long Sword
Second upgrade – 3rd, Supercharge (you should buy boots in between if you don’t have enough gold to push through with the upgrade.)
-
Blade of the Ruined King >
Recurve Bow
Afterward, you can choose to complete either Infinity Edge or Runaan’s Hurricane.
What Runes should I use when playing as Kai'Sa?
Conqueror increases your damage as the fight goes on with this rune. Kai’Sa stacks up this rune fast because of her attack speed and area affecting attacks. Her other runes are Gathering Storm, Adaptive Carapace, and Sweet Tooth.