Xin Zhao vs Lee Sin
Skill matchup
You are stronger early. Look to snowball before your opponent scales.
Build vs Lee Sin
Build adapted to this matchup
Recommended items for Xin Zhao: Titanic Hydra, Black Cleaver, Death's Dance, Plated Steelcaps, Sundered Sky, Guardian Angel, Dusk and Dawn, Sterak's Gage.
Starting items
Core build
Standard
Summoner spells
Anti CC
Other options
Power Spikes
Strength by game phase
Lee Sin's abilities
Passive, spells and ultimate
After Lee Sin uses an ability, his next 2 basic attacks gain Attack Speed and return Energy.
Cooldowns
Cooldowns by spell rank
| Level | Q | W | E | R |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 10s | 8s | 8s | – |
| 6 | 8s | 8s | 8s | 1m50 |
| 9 | 6s | 8s | 8s | 1m50 |
| 11 | 6s | 8s | 8s | 1m25 |
| 16 | 6s | 8s | 8s | 1m |
| 18 | 6s | 8s | 8s | 1m |
Playing as Xin Zhao
Tips to maximize your impact
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 Lee Sin
How to counter and exploit weaknesses
- Step up when he misses Q
Step up when Sonic Wave (Q) misses you: without it, he has no dash to reach you, and it has a 10 to 6 second cooldown.
- Spread out from your allies
In teamfights, spread out from your allies when facing him: the champion he kicks with Dragon's Rage (R) damages every enemy they collide with and knocks them into the air.
- Watch your early jungle
Ward your jungle entrance early on: Lee Sin often looks to invade early to get ahead.
- Drag the game out
If you survive his first minutes, play for time: Lee Sin is strongest early and loses impact once everyone has their items.
Other Xin Zhao matchups
Patch 16.21.1