Kennen is a ranged AP fighter whose entire kit builds toward his three-Mark stun. Every ability and auto applies Marks — stack three to stun, then repeat. His R is one of the strongest teamfight ultimates in the game when Flash+R hits multiple enemies.
Abilities
Skills Overview
P
Mark of the Storm
Passive
Kennen stuns enemies he hits 3 times with his abilities.
Q
Thundering Shuriken
Thundering Shuriken — Skillshot that applies one Mark of the Storm stack
Kennen throws a fast moving shuriken towards a location, causing damage and adding a Mark of the Storm to any opponent that it hits.
CD: 7/6.25/5.5/4.75/4 · Cost: 60/55/50/45/40
Q applies one Mark — combo Q+W passive auto for two Marks, then active W for stun.
W
Electrical Surge
Electrical Surge — Passive: adds Mark stacks on autos; Active: stuns all marked enemies
Kennen passively deals extra damage and adds a Mark of the Storm to his target every few attacks, and he can activate this ability to damage and add another Mark of the Storm to targets who are already marked.
CD: 13/11.25/9.5/7.75/6 · Cost: 40
W active stuns ALL enemies with 3 Marks simultaneously — use it after R for mass stuns.
E
Lightning Rush
Lightning Rush — Dash that grants attack speed and applies Mark stacks
Kennen morphs into a lightning form, enabling him to pass through units and apply a Mark of the Storm. Kennen gains Move Speed when entering this form, and attack speed when leaving it.
CD: 10/9/8/7/6 · Cost: 80
E gives attack speed and passes through enemies — use it to dash through them for Mark stacks and escape.
R
Slicing Maelstrom
Slicing Maelstrom — AoE lightning storm centered on Kennen, deals damage and applies Marks
Kennen summons a storm that strikes at nearby enemy champions for magical damage.
CD: 120 · Cost: 0
Flash into R for unexpected AoE — Flash positions you in the center of the enemy team then R for AoE stun.
Skill Leveling Order — Max Q for maximum stun application speed and damage. Then E for dash frequency, last W.
| Level | Q | W | E | R | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | |||||
| 2 | |||||
| 3 | |||||
| 4 | |||||
| 5 | |||||
| 6 | |||||
| 7 | |||||
| 8 | |||||
| 9 | |||||
| 10 | |||||
| 11 | |||||
| 12 | |||||
| 13 | |||||
| 14 | |||||
| 15 | |||||
| 16 | |||||
| 17 | |||||
| 18 |
Itemization
Recommended Builds
Starter
Doran's Shield
HP sustain — Kennen's ranged kit means he takes poke damage in melee-unfavorable matchups.
450g
Core
Nashor's Tooth
AP and attack speed — autos apply Mark stacks faster. W passive proc speed scales with attack speed.
3000g
Rabadon's Deathcap
Massive AP amplifier for R lightning damage and Q stun proc damage.
3800g
Void Staff
Percent magic pen for enemies who stack MR vs Kennen's all-AP damage.
2800g
Situational
Zhonya's Hourglass
Stasis inside R — activate Hourglass after Flash+R for safety while R storms deal damage.
3250g
Rylai's Crystal Scepter
Slow on Q and R hits — enemies can't flee from the Mark stacking storm.
2600g
Liandry's Anguish
Burn damage on Q hits and R storm. Synergizes with Rylai's slow.
3200g
Nashor's Tooth is core — attack speed amplifies Mark of the Storm application rate, which is your entire stun pattern.
Runes
Sorcery Primary
Phase Rush
Procs on Q+auto for move speed — lets Kennen chase or escape after E dash through enemies.
Manaflow Band
Q spam burns mana quickly — Manaflow solves laning phase mana pressure.
Transcendence
CDR on kills keeps Q and E on short cooldowns — more Mark applications per minute.
Gathering Storm
Late-game AP scaling amplifies R storm and Q damage significantly.
Resolve Secondary
Bone Plating
Reduces burst damage during E dash-through trades in melee matchups.
Second Wind
HP regen between trades — sustains through lane poke patterns.
Shards
Ability Power · Health · Health
Gameplay
How to Play Kennen
01
Early Game
Early Phase
- Q poke from range to apply Marks and deal damage.
- E through the enemy to apply a Mark and gain attack speed for W passive auto to apply a second Mark.
- W active stuns on three Marks — combo: Q (1 Mark) → E through (2 Marks) → auto (3 Marks) → W active stun.
02
Mid Game
Mid Phase
- Splitpush safely with Q poke ranged harassment — no melee top laner can trade against you without approaching into E dashes.
- Look for R engage opportunities in skirmishes.
- Flash+R into a group is your primary teamfight opener.
03
Late Game
Late Phase
- Flash+R is your game-winning play.
- Position in a bush near the fight, Flash into the center of their team, R immediately for AoE stun and damage.
- Zhonya's inside R keeps you alive while dealing storm damage.
Teamfighting
How to Teamfight as Kennen
Kennen's teamfight is the Flash+R combo — Flash into the center of the enemy team and R for AoE storm damage and mass stuns. Zhonya's inside R makes the combo safe.
1
Engage — Flash into R
Fight opener
01
Position in fog of war before the fight — unexpected Flash+R angles are far more effective.
02
Flash into the enemy carry cluster then R immediately — the storm starts instantly.
03
Activate Zhonya's immediately after R — stasis inside the storm while taking no damage.
Never Flash+R onto 1-2 enemies — save R for 3+ enemies grouped. The CD is too long to waste on suboptimal targets.
2
Mid-Fight — W Stun + R Storm
AoE CC phase
01
W active stuns all enemies who have 3 Marks from the R storm hits.
02
E through any remaining enemy for additional Marks and attack speed.
03
Q any isolated target trying to flee the storm perimeter.
3
Cleanup — Chase with Phase Rush
Post-R
01
Phase Rush procs after Q+auto — use move speed to chase fleeing enemies.
02
E through fleeing enemies for another Mark + attack speed to proc W stun.
03
R storm continues ticking for its full duration — stay inside it for continued damage.
Save Flash specifically for the Flash+R combo — don't waste Flash on defensive repositioning if a teamfight is approaching.
Tips & Tricks
Advanced Mechanics & Hidden Tech
Advanced mechanics for Kennen.
Basic
Three Marks triggers stun
combo: Q (1) → E through (2) → auto/W passive (3) → W active stun.
Intermediate
Flash+R into their team is your primary engage
position in fog of war before committing.
Intermediate
Zhonya's inside R is the correct play
Hourglass while storm deals damage and you're safe.
Advanced
E gives attack speed for 4 seconds
use it for W passive auto stacking immediately after.
Basic
W active stuns ALL enemies with 3 Marks simultaneously
save it for when multiple enemies are marked.
Intermediate
Phase Rush procs on Q+W passive auto
use the speed burst to chase or escape after a combo.
Advanced
Your ranged Q poke counters all melee tops in lane
Q harass safely from outside their range.
Advanced
Nashor's Tooth attack speed amplifies Mark application rate
prioritize it for faster stun cycling.
Matchups
Counters & Matchups
Kennen is countered by high-mobility champions who can dodge his Q poke and avoid his E dash-through, and assassins who burst him before R can activate.
Click any matchup to expand tips & how to play against them
Loses Against
Yasuo's Windwall blocks Kennen's Q permanently during its duration. His mobility through minions makes E dash-through difficult.
Bait out Yasuo's Windwall with an auto, then Q. Without Windwall, your Mark stacking is unimpeded.
Irelia's Q stacking resets make her immune to Kennen's E through-trading pattern. Her CC interrupts R.
Avoid E through Irelia when she has passive stacks — she'll dash back through you repeatedly.
Zed's W shadow repositioning makes Flash+R engagement unreliable. His AD burst ignores Kennen's AP defensive stats.
Build Zhonya's early and use it reactively when Zed R activates. His burst window is predictable.
Wins Against
Kennen's range completely negates Darius's melee kit. Q poke stacks Marks without entering his E pull range.
Q poke freely from outside Darius's E range. E through him when he walks up — three Marks for stun without risk.
Kennen's stun prevents Sett from releasing W at the right time. His range negates Sett's Q move speed chase.
Q poke to stack Marks from range. Stun Sett before he can release W true damage — interrupts his core mechanic.
Kennen's range is completely out of Garen's melee kit reach. Silence doesn't prevent already-applied Mark stacks from triggering.
Q poke freely and E through if he closes the gap. Your range advantage makes this a free matchup.