Kai'Sa Build Guide: Best Runes, Items, and Counters for S14

Kai’Sa, the Daughter of the Void, is a versatile ADC champion capable of dealing both magic and physical damage. Her flexibility in builds and playstyles has made her one of the most popular picks in Season 14, adaptable for both bot and mid lanes. This Kai’Sa guide will cover the best Kai’Sa build options, runes, and strategies to help players maximize her potential in every game.

Kai’Sa’s Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths:

Hybrid damage profile (magic and physical), making her difficult to itemize against.
Excellent scaling into the late game, where she becomes a hyper-carry.
High mobility due to her E (Supercharge) and R (Killer Instinct), allowing her to reposition or chase targets easily.
Versatile build paths that allow Kai’Sa to adapt based on the game’s needs.

Weaknesses:

Squishy and vulnerable to burst if caught out of position.
Relies on evolving abilities through item power spikes for her damage.
Countered by champions with long-range poke or strong crowd control, making her prone to hard engages.

Runes for Kai’Sa

The runes you select for Kai’Sa will significantly impact her damage output and survivability. The most popular build for Kai’Sa in Season 14 is focused on Precision as the primary tree, with Inspiration as the secondary tree.

Primary Rune Tree: Precision

Press the Attack: Best for extended trades, increasing her damage after landing three consecutive attacks on an enemy.
Lethal Tempo: Another viable option, providing additional attack speed in extended fights, making her even more potent in late-game team fights.

Secondary Rune Tree: Inspiration

Magical Footwear: Grants free boots at 12 minutes and extra movement speed, giving her a boost to mobility early in the game.
Biscuit Delivery: Provides sustain in the early game, helping Kai’Sa survive poke-heavy lanes and reach her power spikes.

Kai’Sa Items and Build Path

Kai’Sa’s builds in Season 14 focus on either full AD or a hybrid build combining AD and AP elements, which allow her to evolve her abilities efficiently.

Core Items for Kai’Sa:

Statikk Shiv: Provides critical strike chance, wave clear, and burst damage, helping Kai’Sa power spike early.
Guinsoo’s Rageblade: Increases Kai’Sa’s damage output by converting crit chance into on-hit damage, making her auto-attacks hit harder and faster.
Nashor’s Tooth: A hybrid item that offers attack speed, ability power, and on-hit damage, synergizing with Kai’Sa’s W (Void Seeker) and E (Supercharge).

Popular Builds:

Full AD Build:
Core: Kraken Slayer or Statikk Shiv, Guinsoo’s Rageblade, Blade of the Ruined King or Terminus.
Playstyle: This build focuses on maximizing auto-attack damage and single-target burst, while also providing strong wave clear and consistent DPS in fights. Guinsoo’s Rageblade synergizes with Kraken Slayer or Statikk Shiv to increase the frequency of on-hit effects, while Blade of the Ruined King or Infinity Edge adds additional burst and sustain, making it easier for Kai’Sa to shred through both tanks and squishy targets alike.
Hybrid Build:
Core: Statikk Shiv, Nashor’s Tooth, Guinsoo’s Rageblade.
Playstyle: Combines both AD and AP to evolve her W for poke and burst potential while maintaining strong auto-attack damage with her on-hit effects.

And for the most dedicated enthusiasts, we have a mid lane AP build, perfect for certain situations. If you’re a Kai’Sa OTP and want to surprise your enemies with magic damage, or your team is lacking enough AP, this build will become your secret weapon.

Full AP Build:

Core: Manamune, Luden’s Companion, Void Staff or Cryptbloom, Rabadon’s Deathcap, Shadowflame or Liandry’s. Zhonya’s Hourglass for survivability.

Playstyle: This build allows Kai’Sa to thrive in mid lane or provide essential AP damage when the team lacks magic burst. Manamune ensures consistent mana supply, allowing you to spam abilities, while Luden’s Tempest offers solid burst and poke potential. Horizon Focus synergizes with her long-range W (Void Seeker) to maximize poke damage. Void Staff is crucial to penetrate magic resist, and Rabadon’s Deathcap significantly amplifies all of her AP scaling. Depending on the enemy team, opt for Liandry’s Anguish against tanky targets or Shadowflame for additional burst. Zhonya’s Hourglass provides the defensive tools necessary to dive into fights or survive assassinations, allowing you to stay alive long enough to deal consistent damage.

Lane Phase Strategies

Bot Lane (ADC): Kai’Sa’s early game in the bot lane centers around safely farming and poking with W (Void Seeker). With her passive, Second Skin, Kai’Sa can deal significant burst damage when fully stacking plasma on enemies. Short trades, especially when paired with an aggressive support, are where she shines.

Mid Lane: Kai’Sa mid has fallen in popularity but remains a niche option in certain matchups. In mid, she can play more like an AP assassin, poking from a distance with W and capitalizing on burst combos. Her mid build typically focuses on AP items to maximize W’s damage, such as Nashor’s Tooth and Luden’s Companion.

Abilities and Skill Order

Kai’Sa’s abilities evolve through item spikes, making these evolutions crucial to her power.

Q – Icathian Rain: Max this ability first. It provides high single-target and AoE burst. Evolving it increases the number of missiles, improving damage output significantly.
W – Void Seeker: Max this second. W is Kai’Sa’s long-range poke and initiation tool, applying plasma stacks from a distance. Evolving W increases its range and cooldown reduction, making it a powerful poke tool.
E – Supercharge: Max this third. This ability gives Kai’Sa movement speed and attack speed, and when evolved, it grants invisibility, making her much harder to lock down in team fights.
R – Killer Instinct: Use it to reposition in fights or dive into the backline when the moment is right. Be cautious with its usage, as diving too deep can leave you vulnerable.

How to Play Kai’Sa in Different Stages of the Game

Early Game (Levels 1-6):In the early game, focus on farming and scaling. Use W to poke from a distance and trade when it’s safe. Position safely, especially when playing against long-range champions or those with strong crowd control.

Mid Game (Levels 7-13):Once you’ve completed your first item and evolved Q or W, look to take more aggressive trades and participate in team fights. Kai’Sa excels at quickly taking down isolated targets or diving into the backline with Killer Instinct.

Late Game (Level 14+):In the late game, Kai’Sa becomes a hyper-carry. Her role is to kite back and forth in fights, applying plasma stacks to key targets. Use her mobility to reposition safely, and dive into fights when you see an opportunity to burst down squishy targets.

Countering Kai’Sa and Who Counters Her

Kai’Sa can struggle against champions who can burst her down or outrange her.

Who Counters Kai’Sa:

Lucian: His early-game dominance and burst can put Kai’Sa behind in lane, making it difficult for her to scale.
Ashe: Her long-range poke and crowd control prevent Kai’Sa from safely engaging or repositioning in fights.
Draven: His overwhelming early-game damage and lane pressure can out-trade Kai’Sa, denying her the farm and resources she needs to scale.
Leona: With her strong crowd control, Leona can lock Kai’Sa down before she can reposition with Supercharge or Killer Instinct.

Best Supports for Kai’Sa:

Alistar: Provides strong peel and engage opportunities, allowing Kai’Sa to safely deal damage.
Thresh: Thresh’s hooks and lanterns create both engage and escape opportunities, perfectly complementing Kai’Sa’s playstyle.
Leona: Aggressive and synergistic with Kai’Sa’s ultimate, Leona helps Kai’Sa dive into fights safely.

Conclusion

Kai’Sa’s flexibility in builds and runes makes her one of the most adaptable ADCs in Season 14. Whether opting for a full AD build or a hybrid build, Kai’Sa excels when players focus on evolving her abilities and adjusting to the game’s needs. Her high mobility, burst potential, and scaling make her a consistent threat in both bot and mid lanes.