Katarina vs Sion
Skill matchup
You are stronger early. Look to snowball before your opponent scales.
Build vs Sion
Build adapted to this matchup
Recommended items for Katarina: Kraken Slayer, Blade of The Ruined King, Terminus, Sorcerer's Shoes, Shadowflame, Lich Bane, Dark Seal, Zhonya's Hourglass.
Starting items
Core build
Standard
Summoner spells
Anti CC
Other options
Power Spikes
Strength by game phase
Sion's abilities
Passive, spells and ultimate
After being killed, Sion will temporarily reanimate with rapidly decaying Health. His attacks become very rapid, heal him, and deal bonus damage based on his target's maximum Health.
Cooldowns
Cooldowns by spell rank
| Level | Q | W | E | R |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 10s | 15s | 12s | – |
| 6 | 8s | 15s | 12s | 2m20 |
| 9 | 6s | 14s | 12s | 2m20 |
| 11 | 6s | 13s | 12s | 1m40 |
| 16 | 6s | 11s | 10s | 1m |
| 18 | 6s | 11s | 8s | 1m |
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 Sion
How to counter and exploit weaknesses
- Leave his Smash area
Leave the area while he charges Decimating Smash (Q): past 1 second of charge, the hit applies a knock-up and a stun, for up to 2.25 seconds.
- Break his shield
Break the Soul Furnace (W) shield before he detonates it: he can only trigger it if the shield still holds.
- Dodge his charge sideways
Step to the side of Unstoppable Onslaught (R): he turns poorly once it's launched, and his charge stops on the first champion hit.
- Back off when he comes back to life
Back off as soon as he dies: during Glory in Death (passive), his autos are much faster and deal damage based on your max health, but his health drains fast.
Other Katarina matchups
Patch 16.21.1