Karthusvs Kayn
Karthus vs Kayn is a decisive matchup in LoL patch 26.7. Kayn wins with a 55.9% win rate (+11.8%) over Karthus based on 34 games. Karthus wins the early laning phase while Kayn scales better into the late game. Below you'll find the best Karthus build, runes, laning stats, and strategies for the Karthus vs Kayn matchup.
Karthus Matchup Breakdown
Use the dropdown to select an opponent and see a detailed breakdown of how Karthus performs against them. You'll get head-to-head win rates, laning stats, the best build and runes for the matchup, and early vs late game analysis — all based on real ranked data.
Kayn(44.1%)Who Wins the Karthus vs Kayn Matchup?
Karthus vs Kayn Matchup Summary
The Karthus vs Kayn matchup is a decisive matchup in League of Legends ranked play. Based on 34 recent matches analyzed, Kayn wins with a 55.9% win rate compared to Karthus's 44.1%, giving Kayn a 11.8 percentage point advantage. Game phase dynamics play a critical role here: Karthus controls the early laning stage, but Kayn outscales as the game goes longer. The matchup shifts dramatically depending on game length — Karthus needs to press advantages before Kayn reaches their power spikes, while Kayn should focus on safe farming and hitting key item breakpoints. The most significant statistical gap is in sustain, where Kayn leads by 525 HP/min — a difference that heavily influences the outcome of trades and skirmishes. Kayn has a strong advantage in this matchup. Karthus players should play defensively, prioritize safe farming under tower, and look for opportunities created by jungle pressure or Kayn overextending. Avoid prolonged trades and wait for team fights where positioning and coordination matter more. Understanding these matchup dynamics is essential for champion select decisions and in-game strategy when facing this lane opponent.
Karthus vs Kayn Laning Phase Breakdown
Karthus is favored during the laning phase against Kayn, winning 4 out of 5 key stat categories. Karthus holds advantages in farming, damage, gold income and crowd control, making them the stronger laner in this matchup.
Best Karthus Build Against Kayn
Sorcerer's Shoes is the optimal boots choice against Kayn, providing the mobility and stats Karthus needs most in this matchup. The top-performing core items for Karthus against Kayn are Shadowflame, Zhonya's Hourglass and Blackfire Torch. This combination gives Karthus an effective balance of damage, survivability, and utility for the matchup. This build performs exceptionally well, achieving a 66.7% win rate across 3 games — well above average and making it the top item path against Kayn. Adjustments may be needed based on team compositions and game state, but this build provides the strongest foundation for the Karthus vs Kayn matchup.
Early Game vs Late Game
Karthus58.3%Kayn41.7%Karthus36.4%Kayn63.6%Karthus dominates the early game (first 15 minutes) with a commanding 58.3% win rate — a 16.7 percentage point lead over Kayn. This lopsided early game means Karthus can dictate the pace of the lane from level 1, controlling trades, wave state, and river priority.
Kayn is far superior in the late game (25+ minutes), boasting a 63.6% win rate — 27.3 points above Karthus. Extended games heavily favor Kayn, whose kit and scaling make them a dominant force in team fights and objective control.
This matchup features a dramatic power shift: Karthus must aggressively press their early advantage and close out the game before Kayn reaches their scaling breakpoints. If Kayn survives the laning phase without falling too far behind, the matchup flips in their favor. Dragon and Rift Herald control are pivotal — the team that secures early objectives can snowball or buy time to scale.
Best Karthus Runes Against Kayn
Domination
Precision
The Domination and Precision rune setup gives Karthus the best tools to compete against Kayn in this difficult matchup, compensating for the statistical disadvantages with optimal rune synergies.
Karthus matchup data for League of Legends patch 26.7. The table below shows Karthus's win rate, gold difference, and performance stats against every champion in the current meta. Click any champion name to see a detailed head-to-head breakdown including the best Karthus build, runes, laning stats, and early vs late game analysis for that specific matchup.
Opponent | Win Rate | Matches | CS/min | DMG/min | Gold/game | Early WR | Late WR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 48.78% | 41 | 1.5 | 1,246 | 13,634 | 64.7% | 37.5% | |
| 45.00% | 40 | 1.7 | 1,199 | 14,676 | 50.0% | 41.7% | |
| 37.84% | 37 | 1.8 | 1,203 | 13,453 | 42.9% | 34.8% | |
| 59.46% | 37 | 6.8 | 1,204 | 14,133 | 61.1% | 57.9% | |
| 58.33% | 36 | 1.4 | 1,185 | 14,863 | 46.1% | 65.2% | |
| 42.86% | 35 | 1.6 | 1,147 | 13,923 | 40.0% | 45.0% | |
| 44.12% | 34 | 1.4 | 1,122 | 14,486 | 58.3% | 36.4% | |
| 65.63% | 32 | 6.3 | 1,266 | 13,647 | 71.4% | 61.1% | |
| 50.00% | 28 | 1.6 | 1,254 | 15,999 | 71.4% | 42.9% | |
| 44.44% | 27 | 6.1 | 1,219 | 13,946 | 41.7% | 46.7% | |
| 59.26% | 27 | 6.0 | 1,248 | 14,691 | 60.0% | 58.8% | |
| 60.00% | 25 | 1.5 | 1,208 | 14,135 | 45.5% | 71.4% | |
| 63.64% | 22 | 2.0 | 1,412 | 15,520 | 85.7% | 53.3% | |
| 63.64% | 22 | 6.0 | 1,331 | 15,661 | 62.5% | 64.3% | |
| 57.89% | 19 | 1.2 | 1,111 | 13,727 | 37.5% | 72.7% | |
| 36.84% | 19 | 6.5 | 1,280 | 14,545 | 16.7% | 46.1% | |
| 42.11% | 19 | 1.5 | 1,295 | 15,863 | 40.0% | 42.9% | |
| 57.89% | 19 | 1.4 | 1,150 | 14,330 | 71.4% | 50.0% | |
| 47.06% | 17 | 6.4 | 1,294 | 15,528 | 50.0% | 46.1% | |
| 76.47% | 17 | 1.2 | 1,066 | 13,394 | 66.7% | 87.5% | |
| 47.06% | 17 | 1.8 | 1,198 | 14,513 | 50.0% | 46.1% | |
| 75.00% | 16 | 1.4 | 1,298 | 14,714 | 66.7% | 80.0% | |
| 56.25% | 16 | 1.5 | 1,140 | 13,022 | 50.0% | 62.5% | |
| 26.67% | 15 | 1.3 | 1,034 | 12,146 | 27.3% | 25.0% | |
| 33.33% | 15 | 2.1 | 1,142 | 13,213 | 20.0% | 40.0% | |
| 35.71% | 14 | 1.1 | 1,120 | 13,852 | 25.0% | 50.0% | |
| 38.46% | 13 | 1.2 | 1,083 | 13,389 | 16.7% | 57.1% | |
| 38.46% | 13 | 1.4 | 1,186 | 14,427 | 40.0% | 37.5% | |
| 23.08% | 13 | 2.2 | 1,010 | 10,855 | 22.2% | 25.0% | |
| 46.15% | 13 | 6.0 | 1,246 | 13,804 | 50.0% | 44.4% | |
| 53.85% | 13 | 7.1 | 1,164 | 13,192 | 42.9% | 66.7% | |
| 50.00% | 12 | 3.7 | 1,319 | 14,921 | 80.0% | 28.6% | |
| 50.00% | 12 | 1.2 | 1,228 | 14,553 | 25.0% | 62.5% | |
| 25.00% | 12 | 6.5 | 1,364 | 14,041 | 33.3% | 16.7% | |
| 83.33% | 12 | 1.4 | 1,238 | 15,117 | 66.7% | 88.9% | |
| 25.00% | 12 | 1.6 | 1,126 | 15,193 | 25.0% | 25.0% | |
| 66.67% | 12 | 7.3 | 1,539 | 18,810 | 100.0% | 60.0% | |
| 25.00% | 12 | 1.2 | 1,076 | 13,887 | 0.0% | 60.0% | |
| 50.00% | 12 | 1.3 | 1,038 | 11,954 | 50.0% | 50.0% | |
| 63.64% | 11 | 6.8 | 1,405 | 15,260 | 60.0% | 66.7% | |
| 63.64% | 11 | 2.9 | 1,092 | 13,992 | 66.7% | 62.5% | |
| 27.27% | 11 | 1.3 | 1,125 | 12,250 | 20.0% | 33.3% | |
| 18.18% | 11 | 1.5 | 1,183 | 12,730 | 25.0% | 14.3% | |
| 45.45% | 11 | 6.7 | 1,230 | 14,914 | 40.0% | 50.0% | |
| 70.00% | 10 | 5.9 | 1,269 | 12,687 | 60.0% | 80.0% | |
| 60.00% | 10 | 7.0 | 1,168 | 13,689 | 60.0% | 60.0% | |
| 60.00% | 10 | 1.4 | 1,388 | 13,386 | 60.0% | 60.0% | |
| 70.00% | 10 | 7.1 | 1,333 | 14,530 | 75.0% | 66.7% | |
| 33.33% | 9 | 7.3 | 1,212 | 13,578 | 20.0% | 50.0% | |
| 44.44% | 9 | 3.8 | 990 | 13,717 | 100.0% | 28.6% | |
| 22.22% | 9 | 6.8 | 1,088 | 12,891 | 20.0% | 25.0% | |
| 66.67% | 9 | 1.6 | 1,569 | 15,986 | 75.0% | 60.0% | |
| 66.67% | 9 | 1.8 | 1,227 | 14,337 | 80.0% | 50.0% | |
| 33.33% | 9 | 4.8 | 1,072 | 13,644 | 25.0% | 40.0% | |
| 50.00% | 8 | 6.7 | 1,221 | 14,594 | 60.0% | 33.3% | |
| 37.50% | 8 | 1.8 | 1,338 | 16,668 | 100.0% | 28.6% | |
| 42.86% | 7 | 2.1 | 1,106 | 12,567 | 33.3% | 50.0% | |
| 42.86% | 7 | 2.2 | 1,172 | 11,380 | 60.0% | 0.0% | |
| 42.86% | 7 | 2.0 | 1,374 | 13,477 | 50.0% | 33.3% | |
| 42.86% | 7 | 7.2 | 1,125 | 12,970 | 33.3% | 50.0% | |
| 71.43% | 7 | 5.7 | 1,054 | 13,552 | 0.0% | 100.0% | |
| 71.43% | 7 | 1.2 | 1,496 | 15,885 | 0.0% | 83.3% | |
| 14.29% | 7 | 2.9 | 1,232 | 13,716 | 0.0% | 33.3% | |
| 57.14% | 7 | 2.0 | 1,191 | 12,954 | 66.7% | 50.0% | |
| 42.86% | 7 | 2.1 | 1,193 | 15,035 | 50.0% | 40.0% | |
| 85.71% | 7 | 1.6 | 1,346 | 17,646 | 100.0% | 80.0% | |
| 57.14% | 7 | 2.8 | 1,235 | 15,411 | 100.0% | 40.0% | |
| 50.00% | 6 | 6.9 | 1,279 | 12,344 | 25.0% | 100.0% | |
| 66.67% | 6 | 1.3 | 1,384 | 14,201 | 66.7% | 66.7% | |
| 66.67% | 6 | 1.3 | 963 | 11,486 | 100.0% | 50.0% | |
| 33.33% | 6 | 5.4 | 1,552 | 14,532 | 0.0% | 33.3% | |
| 33.33% | 6 | 2.4 | 813 | 11,296 | 50.0% | 0.0% | |
| 66.67% | 6 | 4.0 | 1,151 | 14,663 | 0.0% | 80.0% | |
| 16.67% | 6 | 1.4 | 1,192 | 15,110 | 0.0% | 20.0% | |
| 50.00% | 6 | 1.6 | 1,268 | 17,240 | 0.0% | 60.0% | |
| 60.00% | 5 | 5.9 | 1,191 | 13,249 | 66.7% | 50.0% | |
| 40.00% | 5 | 1.6 | 1,103 | 12,879 | 0.0% | 66.7% | |
| 40.00% | 5 | 6.8 | 1,003 | 11,916 | 0.0% | 50.0% | |
| 60.00% | 5 | 5.1 | 1,477 | 19,353 | 100.0% | 50.0% | |
| 20.00% | 5 | 2.8 | 1,103 | 12,981 | 50.0% | 0.0% | |
| 60.00% | 5 | 3.1 | 728 | 9,383 | 75.0% | 0.0% | |
| 60.00% | 5 | 7.1 | 1,034 | 14,845 | 0.0% | 75.0% | |
| 20.00% | 5 | 8.2 | 1,155 | 13,536 | 50.0% | 0.0% | |
| 60.00% | 5 | 2.3 | 822 | 13,484 | 66.7% | 50.0% | |
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Karthus vs Kayn - Frequently Asked Questions
How does Karthus do against Kayn in League of Legends?
Kayn wins the Karthus vs Kayn matchup with a 55.9% win rate compared to Karthus's 44.1%, a 11.8 percentage point difference. This data is based on 34 recent ranked games in patch 26.7.
How does Karthus do against Kayn in the early game?
In the early game, Karthus has the advantage against Kayn with a 58.3% win rate versus 41.7%. Karthus players should look to press their lane advantage through aggressive trades and wave control during the first 15 minutes.
How does Karthus do against Kayn in the late game?
In the late game, Kayn takes over the Karthus vs Kayn matchup with a 63.6% win rate compared to 36.4%. Kayn scales better into team fights and objective contests after 25 minutes.
Who wins the Karthus vs Kayn matchup?
Kayn wins the matchup against Karthus with a 55.9% win rate in League of Legends patch 26.7. The 11.8 percentage point advantage means Kayn is significantly favored in this lane matchup based on 34 games analyzed.
What is the best Karthus build against Kayn?
The best Karthus build against Kayn includes Shadowflame, Zhonya's Hourglass, Blackfire Torch with Sorcerer's Shoes. This build achieves a 66.7% win rate in the matchup. Check the matchup breakdown above for the full item path and build order.
What are the best Karthus runes against Kayn?
The best Karthus runes against Kayn use the Domination primary tree with Precision secondary. This rune setup achieves a 100.0% win rate in the Karthus vs Kayn matchup. See the full rune breakdown in the matchup comparison above.
Does Karthus counter Kayn?
No, Karthus struggles against Kayn with only a 44.1% win rate. Kayn has the advantage in this matchup. Karthus players should focus on safe farming and avoiding extended trades to minimize Kayn's lead.
How do I play Karthus against Kayn?
When playing Karthus against Kayn, play cautiously and avoid Kayn's power spikes. Look for jungle assistance and team-dependent plays since Kayn has the statistical advantage at most stages. Use the matchup-specific build and runes above to optimize your chances.