Matchup
Favorable matchup
You are stronger early — look to snowball before your opponent scales.
Build vs Xin Zhao
Build adapted to this matchup
Starting items
Core build
Standard
Summoner spells
65%
19%Anti AD
Anti Heal
Anti AP
Anti Heal
Anti Tank
DPS
Other options
Resolve
Grasp of the Undying
Demolish
Bone Plating
Overgrowth
Precision
Presence of Mind
Last Stand
Power Spikes
Strength by game phase
Illaoi
Xin ZhaoXin Zhao's abilities
Passive, spells and ultimate
Every third attack deals bonus damage and heals Xin Zhao.
Cooldowns
Cooldowns by spell rank
| Level | Q | W | E | R |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 7s | 12s | 11s | – |
| 6 | 6s | 12s | 11s | 2m |
| 9 | 5s | 11s | 11s | 2m |
| 11 | 5s | 10s | 11s | 1m50 |
| 16 | 5s | 8s | 11s | 1m40 |
| 18 | 5s | 8s | 11s | 1m40 |
Playing against Xin Zhao
How to counter and exploit weaknesses
Xin Zhao scales poorly into late game — if you survive his aggressive early game, you outscale.
His R knocks you back: if you're an ADC, you end up out of the fight. Position intelligently.
His E is his only gap-close: without E, he can't reach you.
Ranged CC counters him well since he needs to be in melee for his entire kit.
Source: op.gg + LTL Engine · Patch 16.9.1 · May 8, 2026