Katarina vs Caitlyn
You are stronger early. Look to snowball before your opponent scales.
Build vs Caitlyn
The champion's reference build, for lack of enough games in this matchup
Recommended items for Katarina: Lich Bane, Shadowflame, Zhonya's Hourglass, Sorcerer's Shoes, Rabadon's Deathcap, Hextech Gunblade, Terminus, Kraken Slayer.
Starting items
Core build
Standard
Summoner spells
Anti CC
Other options
Power Spikes
Strength by game phase
Caitlyn's abilities
Passive, spells and ultimate
Every few basic attacks, or against a target she has trapped or netted, Caitlyn will fire a headshot dealing bonus damage that scales with her critical strike chance. On trapped or netted targets, Caitlyn's Headshot attack range is doubled.
Cooldowns
Cooldowns by spell rank
| Level | Q | W | E | R |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 10s | 0.5s | 16s | – |
| 6 | 8s | 0.5s | 16s | 1m30 |
| 9 | 6s | 0.5s | 16s | 1m30 |
| 11 | 6s | 0.5s | 16s | 1m30 |
| 16 | 6s | 0.5s | 12s | 1m30 |
| 18 | 6s | 0.5s | 8s | 1m30 |
Playing as Katarina
Tips to maximize your impact
- Pick up your daggers
Pick up your daggers in trades and teamfights: Voracity (passive) then hits every nearby enemy, and each dagger picked up lowers the cooldown of Shunpo (E).
- Shunpo to your Q dagger
After Bouncing Blade (Q), blink to its dagger with Shunpo (E): it lands behind your target, and picking it up triggers Voracity (passive).
- Hit everyone before the kills
In teamfights, hit as many champions as you can before they go down: when one of them dies, Voracity (passive) sharply lowers all your cooldowns.
- Death Lotus after their CC
Cast Death Lotus (R) once the enemy CC is used: it's a channel, and a single CC is enough to cancel it.
Playing against Caitlyn
How to counter and exploit weaknesses
- Don't stay in her range
Don't stay in her range for no reason: her autos reach 650, and every few autos, Headshot (passive) hits harder.
- Walk around her traps
Walk around her traps: stepping on a Yordle Snap Trap (W) roots you, reveals you for 3 seconds and gives her a double-range Headshot (passive).
- Engage after her net
If you can engage, wait for her 90 Caliber Net (E): it's her only way to hop backward, on a 16 to 8 second cooldown.
- Cover your wounded ally
If a wounded ally is targeted by Ace in the Hole (R), step into the line of fire: any champion on your team can intercept the bullet.
Other Katarina matchups
Patch 16.21.1