Kayn vs Viego
Skill matchup
Build vs Viego
Build adapted to this matchup
Recommended items for Kayn: Voltaic Cyclosword, Black Cleaver, Death's Dance, Ionian Boots of Lucidity, Hubris, Axiom Arc, Bastionbreaker, Edge of Night.
Starting items
Core build
Standard
Summoner spells
Anti CC
Other options
Power Spikes
Strength by game phase
Viego's abilities
Passive, spells and ultimate
Enemies who fall before Viego become wraiths. By attacking a wraith, Viego temporarily seizes control of the dead enemy's body, healing for a percentage of his target's max health and gaining access to their basic abilities and items. He replaces their Ultimate with a free cast of his own.
Cooldowns
Cooldowns by spell rank
| Level | Q | W | E | R |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 5s | 8s | 14s | – |
| 6 | 4s | 8s | 14s | 2m |
| 9 | 3s | 8s | 14s | 2m |
| 11 | 3s | 8s | 14s | 1m40 |
| 16 | 3s | 8s | 10s | 1m20 |
| 18 | 3s | 8s | 6s | 1m20 |
Playing as Kayn
Tips to maximize your impact
- Pick your form based on their team
Take Rhaast against a tanky team, Shadow Assassin against squishy targets: The Darkin Scythe (passive) gives one healing, the other bonus damage at the start of fights.
- Gank through walls
Gank through walls with Shadow Step (E): you move through terrain faster, and you heal when you first enter it.
- Hide inside an enemy
To dodge a burst, cast Umbral Trespass (R) on a champion you just hit: inside, you're untargetable while your spells come back up.
- As Rhaast, hit everyone
As Rhaast, hit as many champions as you can with your spells: The Darkin Scythe (passive) heals you for part of the ability damage they take.
Playing against Viego
How to counter and exploit weaknesses
- Dodge his Spectral Maw
Get out of his line when he charges Spectral Maw (W): he dashes and stuns the first enemy hit, for longer the longer he charged.
- Back off after each of his spells
Don't stay in melee range after one of his spells: thanks to Blade of the Ruined King (Q), his next auto strikes twice and heals him.
- Don't be the lowest in his range
In teamfights, don't stay in his range if your health percentage is the lowest: Heartbreaker (R) strikes that champion, with damage based on their missing health.
- Back off when an ally falls near him
If an ally dies in front of him, back off: by hitting their wraith, Viego restores health and takes their basic spells and items through Sovereign's Domination (passive).
- Reveal him in his Mist
When he disappears into the Harrowed Path (E) Mist, place a Control Ward: it reveals camouflaged enemies, and he's only camouflaged inside the Mist.
Other Kayn matchups
Patch 16.21.1