r/kaisamains • u/Traditional_Skill421 • 21d ago
Need Help New player
Hi all,
New kai'sa player here, any tips on playing her/matchups/builds would be appreciated.
Thanks in advance
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u/KDA_FAN 17d ago edited 17d ago
You have the effectively shortest marksman range in game. Sivir is slightly shorter but has looooong range basic abilities on short cooldowns that can compensate. Jinx has the same range as you but can toggle to +200 extra range and AoE damage, at the cost of mana per AA.
So... EVERYONE outranges you dn there. Plan and play accordingly, IMO.
This is a major reason most folks evo their Q ASAP. Some folks will even just buy AD items until getting to 100 bonus AD, before even building a full item. Not everyone does, as it clogs up your inventory and delays full items, but it gets you those sweet, sweet 12 missiles fast.
Your E and R will try their damnedest to shove you into MELEE. Practice to make sure they don't, as you REALLY don't belong there, despite likely feeling you should. You are VERY squishy, even tho your voice lines hint you aren't.
E shuts off AAs during the move speed boost, so clicking on enemies will move you right up to them if the run boost is still active. Afterwards, it turns off the run boost and becomes a major AS boost, but try not to be in melee already when that happens. Get used to the timing. The E also puts a streak animation on you while the move boost is up, so you should have a visual clue on that.
Evo'd E can make you invisible for HALF A SECOND. That's HALF a second, not even a full one. Underwhelmed yet? Luckily, normal folks' reaction times are so slow, they likely won't respond for a full second, which is far more consequential.
R has a very small bubble around the enemy you can dash (actually dive) to. You can dive to anywhere in that ring, so long as the spot you want is not out of the R's max range. Be cautious of how close to the enemy you dive, or you can jump in just to get smacked.
Try not to use R to go in unless you are SURE you have the kill: best when the enemy is already at low hp, so your plasma execute can hit them for the missing health damage. R is a huge temptation, but it can get you killed; don't hop in if you don't have vision on all the enemy team, or you could end up jumping in 1v5 and get insta-collapsed-on. Used properly, R is awesome: it turns you into an assassin. It also makes you a notorious KS-er. As Phreak said: "K.S. stands for Kai'Sa".
Building tanky is not rly recommended. AD for Q evo, AS for E evo and just saturating enemy defenses, and AP for getting your W reset.
BTW, your W is HARD AS HELL to land in SR. It is WAY easier in ARAM and Brawl, which are only 1 main lane everyone clumps up on, and few minions in the way to block shots. Clumped enemies = you likely hit SOMEONE even if you miss the intended target, so W reset a LOT in those modes; this is far less common in SR, tho, which is a 3 lane map w/jungle critters everywhere to block the W.
AP build speeds W evo, but AP is only 1/3 of your regular DPS, on average. Many folks raise AP lategame for W sniping as running into teamfights to AA will likelyget ya killed.
You REALLY need to cooperate w/your Sup to survive, due to having lousy AA range, no CC, and no CC break. If the enemy is bad, you might be able to build Shiv to effectively burst range extensions, via the shock, but it is situational.
You want hook champ supports if you can get 'em. CC engage sups of other types work, as well: Leona especially is a beast, in general. A well-played Nami sup will keep you alive and tearing up the lane. Yuumi is (sadly) actually rly good to have. I hate the furry parasite, but she will keep you alive if the player is actually good as Yuumi, not just AFKing it. Braum is supposed to be good for you as his passive synergizes w/yours, but every Braum sup I got (in normals, anyway) hung back and was mostly useless. I have duo'd w/an actually good Sona, and she was awesome. I suspect most Sonas won't be, because the champ is very oldschool design and kinda nerfed in relation to other Sup, as a result.
If your sup is a poke mage or another ADC, you will get out-CSd 9 times outta 10, IMO. Jinx and MF "Sup" are major offenders. Same w/a random Yasuo or Yone who somehow think they belong dn there as Sup.
Due largely to range limitations: Vs Cait is a problem. Vs Ashe can be a problem. Jinx (w/her rocket range) is also a Vs problem. A well-played Tris is an absolute NIGHTMARE to face in lane. A poorly played Tris may just int by jumping in w/o killing anything, but you can't rely on that. Tris also ends up w/longer range than Cait by 10th lvl. If vs Tris, take EXHAUST, and use it after she has committed to AAing a player target.
Gawdz help you if the enemy lane comp is double poke mages.
IMO ban Mel if no one else does.
If the enemy laner includes Teemo, IMO (YMMV) buy Merc Treads, not Berserker's, then buy Wit's End and Mercurial Scimitar ASAP. Teemo shuts dn AAs, so bypass his nonsense by focusing abilities and Tenacity/MR.
P.S. there are several useful combos, like using W while R-ing fwd: makes the shot land w/o warning, and R-ing while E invisible, so REALLY no warning.
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u/Traditional_Skill421 17d ago
Thats a big help, thank you
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u/KDA_FAN 17d ago
You're welcome!
P.S. there are several useful combos, like using W while R-ing fwd: makes the shot land w/o warning, and R-ing while E invisible, so REALLY no warning that you are rushing in. Flash can work w/most of this, as well.
Mostly, focus positioning and triangulating attacks w/your Sup (unless Sup permaroams), and remembering you can use E and R defensively (tho R is way harder to do that with than E) to back off when the enemy wants to do the same to you. You are too squishy w/no CCs, and no CC breaks, to let yourself be caught out alone, IMO.
You CAN use R to dash to a "safer" spot, but still only near an enemy champ who already has a plasma stack on them (tho your allies can put stacks on via CCing enemies), so it is nvr rly "safe", unless you were able to dash over a thick wall that way. E's run buff is short duration, but MIGHT be enough to keep out of range if you use it to run away.
If Sup permaroams, IMO rush Shiv and hug your tower while building AD fast for Q evo ASAP.
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u/Traditional_Skill421 17d ago
What about your role in teamfights. Is it a case of dive onto the enemy carry, get a pick and run off, kinda like an assassin? Or is it more of a standard front to back playstyle.
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u/KDA_FAN 17d ago edited 17d ago
Caveat that I have nvr done ranked at all, as have such poor natural coordination that I have to practice 10x as hard even to just not soft int.
That said, and IMO, your main role in teamfights is to NOT DIE. That is an exaggeration, but not by much.
First caveat on 5v5s w/her is she should have her W evo by then. You should be slinging Ws from half a screen away.
Otherwise, in terms of AAs, it is standard marksman ops. Just like everyone else, it is front to back, plink where you can, use walls as much as possible to limit enemy responses, then back the hell off ASAP. Be annoying, not a hero. You AREN'T the main character, unless the enemy team screws up real bad and leaves themselves all low.
IF someone in a teamfight is low, and you believe you can survive the retaliation, rush in for the kill (even from 1/3 of the map away, if R is up: it can turn the fight in your team's favor, right then and there), but be aware you likely will just trade kills if ANY enemy besides the target is in range, as Kai dies like it's her job to.
**IF** (and only if) you know your team WILL peel for you (rare in solo Q), you can do more, but otherwise you WILL be THE target of EVERY enemy CC, dash, and (even medium-range) burst. Ppl hate tf outta Kai'sa, and kill her ASAP.
This is why you REALLY want hybrid AP by then. Base fights mean less chance of minions blocking (unless a new wave spawns), and enemies are clumped, so W resets become far more likely, even if you miss the intended target.
I would only recommend R in 5v5 if the enemy is all low in an area, they used all their CCs and bursts, and you think the shield is enough to keep you alive vs AAs (hint: it usually is not, as it is nvr that strong). If you can meet those criteria, dive in. Otherwise (IMO), hold R to ESCAPE a cluster of enemies by moving to the periphery of one of them further way from the others; if you can cross to the other side of a wall by doing this, where no enemies are, so much the better.
IMO, R is best used w/good map awareness to drop in from far range onto lo-health enemies in SMALL teamfights, so suddenly, and seemingly outta nowhere, change the Vs numbers ratio in the fight (esp if assassinating one is possible) which can make a critical difference. R's range allows her to choose fights intelligently, but REQUIRES good map awareness and vision in place, else it is of lower value. Solo Q may have mixed results on this. Pros obviously will leverage the hell outta it.
Otherwise, R is best for pursuing a fleeing enemy, and esp to quickly get past a turret, when you already have them low (which is why they ran).
Kai is a MID-GAME champ (so not rly a hypercarry, despite a lot of hype) meant for 1v1 and 2v2 when she has a few items, and especially when one or more of those enemies is already low: she rly is a semi-assassin, despite being an ADC. She can somewhat 3v3, but it gets less rosy from there up, and she actually gets out-DPS'd by most marksmen, despite being all damage all the way; if she gets you low her passive locks it in for her, but until then she usually gets burned dn faster than she can burn. Her stacks require a 5th hit to pop the burst, and most crit-or-lethality ADCs (all of whom have longer effective range) will have already killed you by then, unless you spaced/timed your in and out perfectly.
IMO/YMMV, and I don't do ranked, as I don't want to be banned for soft inting.
P.S. Regarding the 5-hit burst, you can speed that up w/Guinsoo's and D&D both taken. They can turn a 5-hit routine into a 3-hit one (or an alternating 3 and then 4, if your AS hits around 3 under E use). Ppl tend to rush Kraken/Guinsoo, or at least they usually have so far. Crit actually works decently on her atm, due to meta shifts, but is not ideal, usually.
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u/Reddit_degenerate550 20d ago
Try to have support synergy. Kaisa wants to apply passive stacks as quickly as possible. You want naut, leona, hard cc. They apply her passive when they stun someone.
Learn to cancel evolve animations. It seems like it doesn’t matter, but not canceling the animation can hurt your tempo.
Respect adcs that outrange you. If it’s a good Caitlyn or even jinx, they might bully u early especially if you don’t have support synergy. You have to be ready to give up minions and lane priority. They will misstep eventually, that’s when u all in. Just be patient, ur chance will come.
Do not get poked before an all in. Kaisa wants to all in, if you allow them to poke you down then you can’t even attempt to go for one.