Kai'Sa Counters
The best Kai'Sa counters in League of Legends patch 26.1 are Nilah, MissFortune, Aphelios, Jinx, Draven. The best Kai'Sa counter is Nilah, with Kai'Sa having only a 39.53% win rate in this matchup. Secondary patch 26.1 Kai'Sa counter choices are Ashe, Sivir, Smolder, Samira, Lucian. Below are the top Kai'Sa counters and matchups alongside their win rates.
Second Skin
Kai'Sa's basic attacks stack Plasma, dealing increasing bonus magic damage. Allies' immobilizing effects help stack Plasma. Additionally, Kai'Sa's item purchases upgrade her basic spells to have more powerful properties.
Icathian Rain
Kai'Sa shoots a swarm of missiles that seek out nearby targets.
Living Weapon: Icathian Rain is upgraded to shoot more missiles.Cost:- 55
Cooldown:- 10/
- 9/
- 8/
- 7/
- 6
Range:- 600
Void Seeker
Kai'Sa shoots a long range missile, marking enemies with her passive.
Living Weapon: Void Seeker is upgraded to apply more passive marks and reduce cooldown on champion hit.Cost:- 55/
- 60/
- 65/
- 70/
- 75
Cooldown:- 22/
- 20/
- 18/
- 16/
- 14
Range:- 3000
Supercharge
Kai'Sa briefly increases her Move Speed, then increases her Attack Speed.
Living Weapon: Supercharge is upgraded to briefly grant Invisibility.Cost:- 30
Cooldown:- 16/
- 15/
- 13/
- 12/
- 10
Range:- 1
Killer Instinct
Kai'Sa dashes near an enemy champion.
Cost:- 100
Cooldown:- 130/
- 100/
- 70
Range:- 2000/
- 2500/
- 3000
- Marksman,
- Mage
These champions are Kai'Sa's hardest counters in League of Legends patch 26.1. Nilah is Kai'Sa's biggest counter with only a 39.53% win rate for Kai'Sa. When facing these Kai'Sa counter picks, focus on safe farming and waiting for jungle assistance. Avoid extended trades and play around your power spikes to survive difficult Kai'Sa matchups.
Nilah
Miss Fortune
Aphelios
Jinx
Draven
Ashe
Sivir
Smolder
Samira
Lucian
When facing Kai'Sa in League of Legends, understanding Kai'Sa's primary damage profile is essential for building effective counter strategies. Kai'Sa deals primarily magic damage, which means prioritizing magic resist in your defensive itemization will significantly reduce Kai'Sa's threat in fights. Top defensive items against Kai'Sa include Mercury's Treads, Spirit Visage, Force of Nature, and Banshee's Veil. These items provide substantial magic resist stats that directly mitigate Kai'Sa's damage output throughout all stages of the game.
From a champion selection perspective, the strongest Kai'Sa counters are Nilah, MissFortune, Aphelios, and Jinx. These champions either out-trade Kai'Sa in lane, have abilities that negate Kai'Sa's core mechanics, or scale better into team fights. Nilah in particular exploits Kai'Sa's weaknesses by providing consistent pressure while being difficult to punish.
Beyond item builds and counter picks, successful counter play against Kai'Sa involves understanding Kai'Sa's power spikes and cooldown windows. Engage on Kai'Sa when key abilities are on cooldown, and coordinate with your team to focus Kai'Sa in team fights before Kai'Sa can output maximum damage. Vision control is also crucial when playing against Kai'Sa to avoid getting caught out of position. By combining proper defensive itemization with smart champion selection and strategic gameplay, you can effectively neutralize Kai'Sa's impact and secure victory.
Understanding Kai'Sa's power curve is essential for effective counter play. Here's when Kai'Sa is most vulnerable throughout the game.
EARLYEarly Game (Levels 1-6)
Kai'Sa is weak to all-ins before completing attack speed items. Zone from farm and punish aggressive positioning. Supports with hard engage excel against Kai'Sa.
MIDMid Game (Levels 7-13)
Kai'Sa spikes hard with 2-3 items. Dive and burst before Kai'Sa can kite. Assassins and engage supports are effective.
LATELate Game (Levels 14-18)
Kai'Sa reaches maximum DPS potential late. Focus Kai'Sa immediately in fights or use zone control to deny positioning.
Use these actionable tips to gain an advantage when facing Kai'Sa in lane or team fights.
- Pick Nilah or similar champions with kits that exploit Kai'Sa's weaknesses
- Build Mercury's Treads or Hexdrinker early to reduce Kai'Sa's damage in lane
- Track Kai'Sa's cooldowns and engage when key abilities are unavailable
- Ward Kai'Sa's common roam paths and ping missing immediately
- Coordinate with your jungler to gank Kai'Sa during vulnerable windows
- Dodge Kai'Sa's skill shots by moving unpredictably
- All-in Kai'Sa when mana is low from spell rotations
Kai'Sa performs exceptionally well against these champions in patch 26.1. Ezreal is Kai'Sa's best matchup with a 55.7% win rate. When playing Kai'Sa into these favorable matchups, look for early aggression and lane dominance. Kai'Sa can capitalize on these champions' weaknesses to snowball leads and carry games.
Ezreal
Vayne
Xayah
Zeri
Yunara
Tristana
Caitlyn
Twitch
Jhin
Lucian
Kai'Sa Counters - Frequently Asked Questions
Who counters Kai'Sa?
The best Kai'Sa counters are Nilah, MissFortune, and Aphelios. These champions have favorable matchups against Kai'Sa and can exploit Kai'Sa's weaknesses effectively in League of Legends patch 26.1.
What is Kai'Sa's hardest counter?
Nilah is Kai'Sa's hardest counter with Kai'Sa having only a 39.53% win rate in this matchup. MissFortune (42.08% WR) and Aphelios (42.36% WR) are also strong Kai'Sa counters.
Who does Kai'Sa counter?
Kai'Sa performs well against Ezreal, Vayne, and Xayah. These are Kai'Sa's best matchups where Kai'Sa has favorable win rates and can dominate lane in patch 26.1.
How do I beat Kai'Sa in lane?
To beat Kai'Sa in lane, pick a counter champion like Nilah or MissFortune. Focus on trading when Kai'Sa's key abilities are on cooldown, and build magic resist items to reduce Kai'Sa's damage output. Ward defensively and call for jungle assistance if Kai'Sa gains an advantage.
What items counter Kai'Sa?
The best items to counter Kai'Sa are Mercury's Treads, Spirit Visage, Force of Nature, and Banshee's Veil. These items provide magic resist which directly reduces Kai'Sa's damage. Consider building these items early if you're struggling against Kai'Sa in lane.
When is Kai'Sa weakest?
Kai'Sa is typically weakest during specific power troughs between item spikes. Exploit windows when Kai'Sa's ultimate or key abilities are on cooldown. Coordinate with your team to engage on Kai'Sa before Kai'Sa can set up fights on Kai'Sa's own terms.
How do I play Kai'Sa into counter matchups?
When playing Kai'Sa into counters like Nilah, focus on safe farming, waiting for jungle assistance, and playing around power spikes. Avoid extended trades in unfavorable matchups and look for opportunities to scale into mid and late game.
What champions are similar to Kai'Sa's counters?
If Nilah, MissFortune, or Aphelios are banned or picked, look for champions with similar kits that can exploit Kai'Sa's weaknesses. Champions with crowd control, burst damage, or sustained damage (depending on Kai'Sa's vulnerabilities) can serve as alternative counters.