Zac vs Kayn
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
Core build
Standard
Summoner spells
Anti CC
Other options
Power Spikes
Strength by game phase
Kayn's abilities
Passive, spells and ultimate
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
| Level | Q | W | E | R |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 7s | 13s | 21s | – |
| 6 | 6s | 13s | 21s | 2m |
| 9 | 5s | 12s | 21s | 2m |
| 11 | 5s | 11s | 21s | 1m40 |
| 16 | 5s | 9s | 17s | 1m20 |
| 18 | 5s | 9s | 13s | 1m20 |
Playing as Zac
Tips to maximize your impact
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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