Zac vs Kayn

Zac
vs
Not enough games
Kayn
Heavy AD damageHigh burstHigh sustainDive threat

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

Build vs Kayn

The champion's reference build, for lack of enough games in this matchup

Recommended items for Zac: Sunfire Aegis, Spirit Visage, Thornmail, Plated Steelcaps, Randuin's Omen, Unending Despair, Jak'Sho, The Protean.

Starting items

Doran's Shield
Health Potion

Core build

Sunfire Aegis
1
Spirit Visage
2
Thornmail
3

Standard

Boots of Swiftness
4vs Slow
Randuin's Omen
5

Summoner spells

FlashDot67%
FlashTeleport33%

Anti CC

Mercury's Treads
4vs CC

Other options

Randuin's Omen
Unending Despair
Jak'Sho, The Protean
ResolveResolve
Grasp of the UndyingGrasp of the Undying
DemolishDemolish
Second WindSecond Wind
RevitalizeRevitalize
PrecisionPrecision
Last StandLast Stand
Legend: HasteLegend: Haste
Attack SpeedHealth ScalingHealth Scaling

Power Spikes

Strength by game phase

Kayn's abilities

Passive, spells and ultimate

The Darkin Scythe (P)

Kayn wields an ancient weapon and fights Rhaast, the darkin within it, for control. Either the Darkin will triumph, or Kayn will master Rhaast and become the Shadow Assassin.Darkin: Heal for a percentage of spell damage dealt to champions.Shadow Assassin: For the first few seconds in combat with enemy champions, deal bonus damage.

Cooldowns

Cooldowns by spell rank

LevelQWER
37s13s21s–
66s13s21s2m
95s12s21s2m
115s11s21s1m40
165s9s17s1m20
185s9s13s1m20

Playing as Zac

Tips to maximize your impact

  1. Smash them into each other

    After Stretching Strikes (Q) on one enemy, hit a second enemy with your auto: you fling them into each other, and if they collide, they and those nearby take damage.

  2. Pick up your Goo

    Pick up the chunks of Goo you shed when your spells hit: Cell Division (passive) heals you for each one, and Unstable Matter (W) comes back 1 second sooner.

  3. Charge your Slingshot out of sight

    Charge Elastic Slingshot (E) from the fog of war: the enemy has less time to react, and the longer the charge, the longer the knock-up on landing.

  4. Bounce into the middle of them

    Cast Let's Bounce! (R) into the heart of their team: the first bounce knocks back each enemy hit, the following ones slow them, and you can cast Unstable Matter (W) at the same time.

Playing against Kayn

How to counter and exploit weaknesses

  1. Dodge his Blade's Reach

    Dodge Blade's Reach (W): Umbral Trespass (R) can only target a champion he just damaged, and this ranged hit is how he marks you from range.

  2. Save your CC for his E

    If you have CC, land it during Shadow Step (E): once immobilized, he loses the spell and can't move through walls anymore.

  3. Save your spells for his exit

    Don't cast your spells during Umbral Trespass (R): hidden inside your ally, he's untargetable. Save them for when he bursts out.

  4. Ward your jungle too

    Ward your jungle too, not just the river: Shadow Step (E) lets him go through walls and show up from unexpected paths.

  5. Pressure him before he transforms

    Pressure him before his transformation: until he picks Rhaast or Shadow Assassin, The Darkin Scythe (passive) gives him no healing or bonus damage.

Patch 16.21.1