Kassadin Guide: Builds, Game Plan, Counters, Tips & Tricks

Abilities

Skills Overview

P

Void Stone

Passive

Kassadin takes reduced magic damage and ignores unit collision.

Void Stone: takes 15% reduced magic damage. Built to counter AP champions.

Q

Null Sphere

Point-Click · Magic Shield

Kassadin fires an orb of void energy at a target, dealing damage and interrupting channels. The excess energy forms around himself, granting a temporary shield that absorbs magic damage.

CD: 10/9.5/9/8.5/8 · Cost: 60/65/70/75/80

Q is point-and-click. Deals damage and gives a MAGIC DAMAGE SHIELD. Your trading tool vs mages.

W

Nether Blade

AA Empower · Mana Restore

Passive: Kassadin's basic attacks deal bonus magic damage. Active: Kassadin's next basic attack deals significant bonus magic damage and restores Mana.

CD: 7 · Cost: 1

W empowers next auto with bonus magic damage + mana restore. Essential for mana sustain.

E

Force Pulse

AoE · Cone · Slow

Kassadin draws energy from spells cast in his vicinity. Upon charging up, Kassadin can use Force Pulse to damage and slow enemies in a cone in front of him.

CD: 21/20/19/18/17 · Cost: 60/65/70/75/80

E cone slows + damages all enemies in front. 6 nearby ability casts charges it.

R

Riftwalk

Blink · AoE · Stacking Damage

Kassadin teleports to a nearby location dealing damage to nearby enemy units. Multiple Riftwalks in a short period of time cost additional Mana but also deal additional damage.

CD: 5/3.5/2 · Cost: 40

R blinks you to a location dealing AoE damage. Stacking casts increase damage but cost more mana. Level 16 = 2s cooldown.

Skill Leveling Order — Max Q first, then E, then W · R at 6 / 11 / 16

Level	Q	W	E	R	Note
1					Take Q — shield
2					Take W — mana restore
3					Take E — slow
4					Level Q
5					Level Q
6					R — Riftwalk
7					Level Q
8					Level E
9					Q maxed ✓
10					Level E
11					R rank 2
12					Level E
13					Level E
14					E maxed ✓
15					Level W
16					R rank 3 — 2s blink
17					Level W
18					W maxed ✓

Itemization

Recommended Builds

Core Build

Archangel's Staff

Mana for R stacking. Shield from Seraph's.

2600g

Sorcerer's Shoes

Magic pen.

1100g

Rabadon's Deathcap

AP multiplier for R damage.

3600g

Lich Bane

Sheen proc on W after R blink.

3000g

Situational

Void Staff

Magic pen.

2800g

Zhonya's Hourglass

Stasis after R dive.

3250g

Banshee's Veil

Spell shield.

2600g

Tear → Archangel's → Deathcap → Lich Bane. R stacking at level 16 = blink assassin.

Runes

Domination Primary

Electrocute

R + Q + E procs instantly.

Taste of Blood

Lane sustain.

Eyeball Collection

Free AP.

Ultimate Hunter

Lower R cooldown.

Precision Secondary

Presence of Mind

Mana sustain for R stacking.

Legend: Tenacity

Tenacity for dives.

⚡

Shards

Adaptive Force · Adaptive Force · Health

Gameplay

How to Play Kassadin

Kassadin is the ultimate late-game assassin. Pathetically weak pre-6, decent at 6-11, strong at 11-16, and UNSTOPPABLE at 16. His R blink on a 2-second cooldown is the most broken ability in the game at level 16.

01

Early Game

Survive. Don't Die.

You're one of the WEAKEST early champions. Farm and don't trade.
Q magic shield absorbs AP poke. Use it to survive vs mages.
W auto for mana restore when last-hitting.
Let the wave push to you. Farm under tower.
Your power spike is level 6. Survive until then.

02

Mid Game

R Skirmishes, Scaling

R blink at level 6 gives you kill pressure. R → E → Q → W auto.
R stacking: each R within 15 seconds costs more mana but deals more damage. 3-4 stacks = massive burst.
Farm Tear stacks. Mana pool determines how many R casts you can chain.
Level 11 R rank 2 is a major spike.
Still scaling. Don't force fights you can't win.

03

Late Game

2-Second Blink God

Level 16 R rank 3 = 2-second cooldown blink. You're the strongest champion in the game.
R → R → R chain-blinking through the enemy team one-shotting everyone.
Lich Bane W proc after each R = massive burst per blink.
Nobody can catch you. Nobody can escape you. 2-second blink is uncounterable.
The game should be over by now — either you lost early or you win now.

Power CurveLow → High

Lvl 1–5

Lvl 6

Lvl 11

Lvl 16

Full Build

Teamfighting

How to Teamfight as Kassadin

Kassadin R-blinks through the enemy team at level 16, one-shotting everything in 2-second intervals.

1

Wait — Let Fight Start

Patience

01

Don't engage first.

02

Wait for CC to be used.

03

Identify the carry.

⚠ WARNING

Pre-16, you're not strong enough to chain-blink. Wait for level 16 power spike.

2

Blink — R Chain

Assassination

01

R onto the carry.

02

E + Q + W auto for burst.

03

R again in 2 seconds to the next target.

3

Chain — R → R → R

Cleanup

01

Each R does more damage when stacked.

02

Blink through the entire team.

03

Nobody can escape 2-second blinks.

💡 PRO TIP

At level 16, you blink every 2 seconds. In a 10-second fight, that's 5 blinks. Nobody in the game can match this mobility.

Tips & Tricks

Advanced Mechanics & Hidden Tech

Advanced mechanics for Kassadin.

Basic

Weakest Early

You're one of the weakest early champions. Farm, don't fight. Your power is at level 16.

Intermediate

R Stacking

Each R within 15s costs more mana but deals more damage. 3-4 stacks = massive burst.

Basic

Q Magic Shield

Q gives a magic damage shield. Use it to absorb AP poke from the enemy mid laner.

Advanced

Level 16 Spike

R rank 3 at level 16 = 2-second cooldown. You become literally the strongest champion in the game.

Basic

W Mana Restore

W auto restores mana on hit. Use it when last-hitting for free mana.

Intermediate

E Charge

E charges from nearby ability casts (yours and enemies). It charges fast in teamfights.

Matchups

Counters & Matchups

Kassadin struggles against AD mid laners who bypass his magic shield and aggressive early champions. He excels against AP mages he was designed to counter.

Click any matchup to expand tips & how to play against them

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Loses Against