Xin Zhao vs Graves

Xin Zhao
vs
53.9%

over 154 games

Graves

Skill matchup

Heavy AD damageHigh burstSplit pushSustained DPS

You are stronger early. Look to snowball before your opponent scales.

Build vs Graves

Build adapted to this matchup

Recommended items for Xin Zhao: Titanic Hydra, Black Cleaver, Death's Dance, Plated Steelcaps, Sundered Sky, Dusk and Dawn, Statikk Shiv, Sterak's Gage.

Starting items

Gustwalker Hatchling
Health Potion

Core build

Titanic Hydra
1
Black Cleaver
2
Death's Dance
3

Standard

Boots of Swiftness
4vs Slow
Sundered Sky
5

Summoner spells

FlashSmite100%

Anti CC

Mercury's Treads
4vs CC

Other options

Sundered Sky
Dusk and Dawn
Statikk Shiv
Sterak's Gage
Guardian Angel
B. F. Sword
Eclipse
Riftmaker
Stridebreaker
Randuin's Omen
Maw of Malmortius
Hubris
Spirit Visage
Nashor's Tooth
Zhonya's Hourglass
The Collector
Mortal Reminder
Phantom Dancer
66.7% WR36 games
PrecisionPrecision
ConquerorConqueror
TriumphTriumph
Legend: AlacrityLegend: Alacrity
Coup de GraceCoup de Grace
InspirationInspiration
Magical FootwearMagical Footwear
Cosmic InsightCosmic Insight
Attack SpeedAdaptive ForceHealth Scaling

Power Spikes

Strength by game phase

Graves's abilities

Passive, spells and ultimate

New Destiny (P)

Graves' shotgun has some unique properties. He must reload when he runs out of ammo. Attacks fire 4 bullets, which cannot pass through units. Non-champions struck by multiple bullets are knocked back.

Cooldowns

Cooldowns by spell rank

LevelQWER
313s26s16s–
69.5s26s16s1m40
96s24s16s1m40
116s22s16s1m20
166s18s14s1m
186s18s12s1m

Playing as Xin Zhao

Tips to maximize your impact

  1. Land your three hits

    After Three Talon Strike (Q), land your three autos: the third one is a knock-up, and each one lowers your other spells' cooldowns by 1 second.

  2. Thrust first, charge second

    Land the thrust of Wind Becomes Lightning (W) before Audacious Charge (E): the Challenged target is revealed, and your charge reaches farther on them.

  3. Isolate your target with your ult

    Hit your target right before Crescent Guard (R): Challenged, they stay with you while the others are knocked back, and damage from outside can't reach you for a moment.

  4. Get ahead early

    Gank and skirmish as much as you can early on: Audacious Charge (E) and the Three Talon Strike (Q) knock-up matter most before everyone has their items.

Playing against Graves

How to counter and exploit weaknesses

  1. Keep units between you and him

    Stay behind your minions or your frontline: the 4 bullets of each New Destiny (passive) auto can't pass through units.

  2. Hit him from outside his range

    If you're ranged, hit him from a distance: his autos only reach 425, and New Destiny (passive) forces him to reload when his shotgun is empty.

  3. Get out of his smoke

    Leave Smoke Screen (W) quickly rather than fighting inside it: the smoke slows you and cuts off all vision outside it.

  4. Drag the game out

    If your team scales better over time, play for time: Graves is strongest in the early and mid game.

Patch 16.21.1