Overview
Katarina is the premier assassin in the game for players who want to risk breaking their keyboard strictly from the number of times you have to press buttons. A very high skill cap champion that can easily snowball a game with even one kill early -- Katarina mains are always on the hunt for a pentakill. Click here for the latest data on her best builds, including Runes, Items, Summoner Spells, and more.
Keys to Remember About Katarina
- Her kit revolves around getting kills to proc her passive, which drastically reduces cooldowns on her abilities, allowing her to unload a ton of damage in the matter of seconds by repeatedly spamming spells. It only takes one kill to get that snowball rolling in a fight.
- She's capable of turning bad fights in your favor -- the goal is to look for opponents who are clumped (especially at neutral objectives) and use that split attention to your advantage.
Strengths
Like most champions with a reset mechanic, Katarina’s success is tied to how quickly you’re able to secure the first kill. She can instantly turn situations where she’s outnumbered into a highlight reel thanks to being able to reset abilities and cooldowns. Combine this with the mobility of Shunpo and it can sometimes feel impossible to play against her. Few kits in the game have the same kind of potential for damage as Katarina, and in the hands of a mechanically skilled player, she will truly shine.
Weaknesses
It can be very hard to keep track of everything with your passive reducing cooldowns -- like other high skill ceiling champions, it may not be worth the risks of playing her if you’re not able to reach close to that ceiling. She’s a squishy champion that is easily bullied in lane phase and if she runs into a team with a lot of CC, she can be stopped in her tracks whether it’s preventing a Shunpo or interrupting the Death Lotus. She’s not a champion that should be blind picked unless you have a ton of confidence in your mastery over her.
Game Plan
- Early Game: Bouncing Blade can deal quite a lot of damage to opponents who aren’t read to trade back. In general, though, you’ll find yourself a disadvantage early on in the game and should aim to play safe.
- Mid Game: Katarina should be roaming and looking for fights as much as possible. While it’s fine to look for isolated players, Kat is going to truly shine if you’re able to join skirmishes featuring multiple enemies.
- Late Game: You don’t generally want to be the first person to start off a fight unless you’re confident you can instantly delete someone, or if you have a Zhonya’s Hourglass that lets you bait out opponent abilities. Kat is a cleanup champion and should be looking to secure wins for your team rather than initiate them.
